The Los Angeles Dodgers announced the signing of Scott Kazmir to a three-year deal on Wednesday.
Kazmir will make $48 million over the life of the deal and has an opt-out after one season, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The total will be deferred out over a six year period, the New York Post's Joel Sherman reported. The addition of Kazmir is definitely what the Dodgers needed. They lost Zack Greinke in free agency and have really tried hard to add another starting pitcher. They missed out on David Price, Hisashi Iwakuma, and every other starter they had interest in. They even had a deal done with Iwakuma, though it fell through due to an unclear physical. There are downsides to adding Kazmir as well. Los Angeles' rotation now includes only left-handed pitchers, with Kazmir sliding into a staff with the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson, Hyun-jin Ryu, and Alex Wood. Only Brandon McCarthy, who is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery, is right-handed. This unbalance is definitely an interesting one, though it remains to be seen whether it will have negative effects. As for Kazmir, the Nationals, Orioles, Royals, and Astros (as well as the Dodgers) were connected to him throughout the offseason. At $16 million per season, Kazmir will make the same on an annual basis as fellow starter Mike Leake. Kazmir, at almost age 32, is four years younger than Leake, thus he received fewer guaranteed seasons. Regardless, $48 million is plenty for a pitcher that has only made $50.897 million in his eleven-year career thus far (via BaseballReference.com). Last season, Kazmir went 7-11 with a 3.10 ERA and a 155 to 59 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 183 innings pitched with the Athletics and the Astros. It has definitely been a long road back for Kazmir, who was a first round pick in 2002 by the Mets, but out of affiliated baseball in 2012. He made a resurgence in 2014 and has kept it going ever since. Now, he gets his first big payday with the Dodgers. The opt-out clause in Kazmir's deal is just another example of how the provision has really become popular this offseason. David Price, Johnny Cueto, and Jason Heyward have all received it. Kazmir can choose to become a free agent next offseason if he feels he can earn more money. This could be key in a starting pitching class that is extremely weak behind Stephen Strasburg. The Dodgers will not lose a draft pick with the signing of Kazmir, as he was not eligible for a qualifying offer. --Devan Fink
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are still in discussions with the Miami Marlins over Jose Fernandez, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi reports that no deal is close.
Fernandez has been a hot topic this offseason, though many around baseball are still unsure whether the Marlins are truly serious about dealing the young, star pitcher. Los Angeles would be a perfect fit for Fernandez, as they have whiffed at pretty much every starting pitching option this offseason, including the likes of Zack Greinke, David Price, Johnny Cueto, and Hisashi Iwakuma. The Dodgers' rotation lacks any sort of depth following Clayton Kershaw. It is apparent that the team wants another top-of-the-rotation arm to compliment him. Brett Anderson, Hyun-jin Ryu, Alex Wood, and Mike Bolsinger round out the rest of Los Angeles' starting pitchers. As for the Marlins, the Dodgers do have a lot to offer in a trade, but it remains to be seen whether they would deal any of their top prospects. The Dodgers recently added to their farm system in the three-team Todd Frazier deal, but it still appears that they would have to deal Corey Seager or Julio Urias to get Fernandez. The 23-year-old Fernandez went 6-1 with a 2.92 ERA and a 79 to 14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 64 2/3 innings pitched. He missed most of the season due to injury. The Cuban, who is the former NL Rookie of the Year, does not become a free agent until after the 2018 season. --Devan Fink
If you heard a shock around baseball today, it was the White Sox front office's doing.
In a gigantic move, the White Sox acquired two-time All-Star third baseman Todd Frazier from the Cincinnati Reds in a three-team trade that included the Los Angeles Dodgers as well. Overall, seven players exchanged hands, with Cincinnati receiving three prospects by way of Los Angeles. Jose Peraza, Brandon Dixon, and Scott Schebler all head to the Reds. The Dodgers acquired three more prospects, Frankie Montas, Micah Johnson, and Trayce Thompson, from Chicago.
Free agent infielder and outfielder Ben Zobrist is expected to agree to a deal within 48 hours, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports.
Zobrist has received interest from plenty of teams around the league due to his versatility, but the Giants, Nationals, Dodgers, and Mets appear to be the final four teams left in play. Zobrist is likely holding up the decisions of many free agent infielders. Other players are probably waiting for him to make a decision before they commit to a team, seeing how he sets the tone for the market. While he is aging, Zobrist should be able to command a high annual average value in his next contract, due to his bat and good defense at many different positions. MLBTradeRumors.com predicted Zobrist would sign a three-year, $51 million deal. All four teams could use Zobrist in many different ways, but it appears that he wants to be utilized most at second base, according to Morosi, which could really put the Mets and Nationals at the top of his list. For what it is worth, the Nationals GM Mike Rizzo noted in his meeting session today at the Winter Meetings in Nashville that he viewed Zobrist as a second baseman. Zobrist would like to make a decision before the Winter Meetings conclude on Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted. Last season, the 34-year-old Zobrist hit .276/.359/.450 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs in 535 plate appearances with the Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics. Follow @DevanFink on Twitter for more up-to-the-minute updates as the Winter Meetings unfold. --Devan Fink The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to acquire left-hander Aroldis Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds for two prospects, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
However, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, there is no deal done yet for Chapman, as multiple teams could be involved. The Dodgers have been in pursuit of Aroldis Chapman for a good part of the weekend and it appeared that their interest intensified after they lost out on signing Ryan Madson. The only issue with Chapman in Los Angeles is that Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers closer in 2015, will be unable to hold that role going forward. It remains to be seen what the Dodgers will do with Jansen if they do end up acquiring Chapman. The Dodgers' relief unit wasn't as bad in 2015 as it had been in 2014, but it still could use some work. The group posted the 12th-highest ERA in the Majors, but FIP and xFIP suggest that they could have been victims of bad luck. Overall, the Dodgers' relievers combined for a 4.5 fWAR, good for eighth in MLB. Chapman is the hardest-throwing relief pitcher in the game today. Constantly topping out over 100, Chapman holds the record for the fastest pitch ever recorded. Last season, he went 4-4 with a 1.63 ERA and 116 to 33 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 66 1/3 innings. He saved 33 of 36 games and was named to the NL All-Star team for the third consecutive season. Stay tuned for more updates as this story continues to develop. --Devan Fink |
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