Aug 13, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Julio Urias (7) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Dodgers Rumors: MLB Expert Predicts Julio Urias’ Upcoming Contract in Free Agency
We're now firmly in the summer and approaching the halfway point of the MLB season.
On the front office side of things, the draft and the trade deadline are fast approaching, but it's never too early to look even further ahead to the upcoming free agent class.
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of their more intriguing free agents is starting pitcher Julio Urias.
The lefty has established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball when healthy, leading the Dodgers to a long-awaited World Series title in 2020 and finishing third in the NL Cy Young Award voting two years later when he ended the season with a career best 2.16 ERA.
With a pitcher of his track record -- and especially with him being only 27 years old -- it should be pretty straightforward for Urias.
If not for a troubling injury issue suddenly putting a wrench in those plans.
Urias has been dealing with a strained hamstring and the recovery hasn't gone as scheduled.
The pitcher was set to come off the injured list last weekend, before that plan was interrupted and his return pushed back.
According to Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller, that injury and Urias' rocky start to the season before then could drive his value down.
"Urías has spent nearly a month on the IL with a strained hamstring, and he was not himself in the month prior to that injury, posting a 6.25 ERA with 11 home runs allowed over the course of those six starts." (via Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report)
Miller also discussed the difficult years that some pitchers who inked big deals this offseason have had, namely Jacob deGrom -- who's out for at least this season and potentially 2024 -- and Carlos Rodon, who hasn't yet made his debut for the New York Yankees.
All told, that led to Miller predicting that Urias signs a five-year, $160 million contract, -- good for $27 million per year -- instead of a longer term deal.
That could be an option that Urias takes this offseason, especially if things aren't able to get back on complete track for him, but we'll see what happens in the winter.
