On the other hand, OAA has typically liked Taylor’s work in left. Plus, the Dodgers would be largely relegating him to an unnatural position at third. While both him and Taylor are buy-lows, he’s shown more tangible signs of returning to form and comes with a smaller and shorter commitment he’d have more suitors. To me, Muncy seems like the more obvious trade candidate. However, he’s less versatile: he sits atop the depth chart at third, where he’s historically graded out worst according to Outs Above Average (OAA), though he figures to factor in at first and second as well. He’s also marginally cheaper than Taylor and comes with less of a commitment, as he’ll be making $13.5 million this year with a $10 million club option for 2024. Further, an elbow injury in the spring messed with his mechanics a tweak brought about a second-half rebound. Muncy is also coming off of a down year offensively, though he has a better track record with the bat than Taylor and a higher offensive floor due to his batting eye. In fact, his utility is what might make the Dodgers hold onto him currently, he sits atop their depth chart in left field and figures to factor into the mix everywhere but first base and catcher. But he dealt with a bevy of injuries including a fractured foot and still managed to hold his own defensively at multiple positions. Taylor, who has three years and $41 million left on his contract (plus a $12 million club option for 2026), is coming off of his worst offensive showing since 2016. Both players would be attractive to win-now teams and neither comes with a particularly daunting financial burden. Or, now that they have some additional middle infield help in the form of Rojas, they could deal one of Chris Taylor or Max Muncy. They could throw in a prospect in order to dump Blake Treinen’s salary after missing most of 2022 with shoulder issues and ultimately undergoing surgery, the righty appears set to miss most (if not all) of ’23. Additionally, they likely didn’t release him outright because DFAing him has given them another seven days to seek a trade those seven days are up January 13.īarring a last-minute suitor for Bauer, there are other ways the Dodgers can free up payroll. But the next move the Dodgers make likely won’t be a Bauer trade part of the reason they took every bit of the two weeks following his reinstatement to DFA him was because they were probably waiting to see if another team would express interest in a trade, but no one did. Instead, the suspension was reduced on December 22, which left the Dodgers on the hook for his 2023 salary and exceedingly close to the first threshold (though still below). A major reason the latter has been so difficult is that the Dodgers were hoping Bauer’s suspension would continue through the 2023 season. Perhaps this trade will mark the first in a flurry that includes the Dodgers both upgrading at shortstop and finding themselves beneath the first threshold again. Yet here’s where the Rojas trade doesn’t make sense all over again: adding him seems to put the Dodgers over the first luxury tax threshold. So, it stands to reason that of these teams, the Dodgers might be best equipped to reset their hefty consecutive-years luxury tax penalty this offseason. In fact, of the $200 million club, the Dodgers and Phillies are the only teams without a $30 million payout for 2023. While the Angels only have three such players in that category, all are taking home at least $30 million and no Dodger is. However, compared to the five other members of the $200 million payroll club, this mark is either tied for the lowest or at least below average depending on if we count Bauer: The Yankees are handing $20 million to six players, the Padres and Phillies five, and the Mets four. Even as they head into 2023 with an estimated $41 million less on the books than in ’22, the Dodgers will still be doling out $20 million or more to three players (four if you include Trevor Bauer). But by some measures, it makes sense: The Dodgers spread their money around and are less top-heavy than their wealthy counterparts. And now, after two years of historic free agent shortstop classes that saw the departures of both Seager and Turner, the big-money Dodgers will be adding to that list… Miguel Rojas?Īt first glance, this is surprising. Over the past decade, some storied names have manned shortstop for the Dodgers: Hanley Ramirez, Corey Seager, Trea Turner, heck, even an aging Jimmy Rollins was captain of the infield in LA in 2015 (though that move was ill-conceived).
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