Dodgers: 3 Remaining Free Agents Could Find a Home With LA
Even though the Dodgers haven't seemed to make a lot of big moves this offseason so far, there are still a few players left that could find a home in Los Angeles this upcoming season.
According to MLBTradeRumors.com's Top 50 Free Agents List from a few months ago, 46 players have already decided where they will play for the 2023 season.
So here are a few notable players that are left still:
No. 33: Jurikson Profar
"Profar isn’t a superstar but succeeds in enough different ways to be useful. FanGraphs pegged him as being worth 2.5 wins above replacement in 2022. It’s also possible that the upcoming shift limitations benefit his contact-based approach."
Profar had 15 homers and a low strikeout rate this past season with the Padres but he opted out of his deal with the Padres, which would have allowed him to make $7.5MM in 2023.
By taking the $1MM buyout instead, he just needs to find $6.5MM in free agency to break even which MLBTR thinks he can definitely do whether that's with the Dodgers or not.
The Dodgers who are still trying to dip under the luxury tax this year could be a team that might take a chance on Profar as it would be low risk for a low price.
But Profar might not find himself playing as much as he could with another team since he primarily plays outfield now which will be home to Chris Taylor, Trayce Thompson, and Mookie Betts this upcoming year.
Who knows though? The Dodgers seem to be signing for depth this offseason and they might do the same with Profar.
No. 39: Andrew Chaflin
Over the past six years, Chafin has been one of the best relievers in the sport, with his left-handedness only making him more appealing. He has a 3.05 ERA in that time, striking out 26.9% of batters faced, walking 8.8% of them and getting grounders on 48.7% of balls in play.
Although this all sounds appealing, the likelihood of the Dodgers signing Chaplin is low. The pitcher is looking for a 2-year, $18 million deal but also turns 33 in June so it doesn't make too much sense for the team to take him on unless he possibly lowers his asking price.
No. 41: Michael Wacha
"Wacha, 31, posted ERAs of 4.76, 6.62 and 5.05 in the previous three seasons but got that mark down to 3.32 in 2022. That was encouraging but might not be entirely sustainable. His .260 BABIP and 80.3% strand rate surely helped him offset a pedestrian 20.2% strikeout rate and 41% ground ball rate. He did avoid the free passes, however, limiting them to a 6% rate, and was in the 70th percentile in terms of hard hit rate."
Wacha might not be a bad idea for the Dodgers to take a stab at. Although his ERA's aren't the most impressive, LA does have a history of changing around pitchers' careers. Maybe Wacha could be another Andrew Friedman/ Mark Prior project for the upcoming season.
There are a few honorable mentions such as Johnny Cueto or Zack Greinke who could find themselves in the starting rotation for the Dodgers but most likely just holding down a spot until Bobby Miller or Gavin Stone is ready for the big leagues.
