Top 6 Dodgers Free Agent Targets This Offseason

After another early exit in October last year, the Dodgers will look to build a championship-worthy roster for next year. Unlike last year, all signs point to the front office spending big money this offseason.

The Dodgers have a number of needs for next year, chief among them are starting pitching and outfielders. With around $75MM to spend before hitting the luxury tax threshold, they can sign a few big free agents to shore up those positions.

1. Shohei Ohtani SP / DH:

Not much needs to be said about Shohei Ohtani. Since coming over in 2018, Ohtani has been nothing short of spectacular. A once-in-a-lifetime talent, Shohei is both an elite pitcher and an elite batter. Every team wants the AL MVP, so if the Dodgers want him as bad as they claim, then they have to pay up

2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto SP:

MLB expects Yoshinobu Yamamoto to post later this week, making him a free agent at the young age of 25. Yamamoto is a right-handed pitcher who has dominated the NPB in Japan.

He has won the Swamura Award, the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young, three years in a row. Yamamoto has also won the pitching triple crown twice in the NPB.

Yamamoto boasts an elite five-pitch repertoire with a high 90s fastball, devastating curveball, tight slider, sinker, and sweeper. He has top-end, ace-level talent, and, because of his age, could earn a contract somewhere in the seven-year $200MM range.

3. Blake Snell SP:

This may rub Dodger fans the wrong way, but the club desperately needs starting pitching this offseason. With Clayton Kershaw's future unclear, the team also does not currently have any left-handed starting pitchers on the roster.

Expected to win his second Cy Young Award, Snell epitomizes "controlled chaos." He strikes out batters at an elite rate but also walks more batters than any pitcher in baseball.

Despite that, he has elite "stuff," has a knack for run prevention, and could help fortify the top end of this rotation. At 30 years old, he could command six-plus years with an AAV north of $30MM.

4. Shota Imanaga SP:

If the Dodgers are unable to land Yamamoto, Imanaga immediately becomes a top target for the club.

The 30-year-old left-hander had a 2.66 ERA last year in the NPB. Most will recognize him for starting the final game of the WBC for Team Japan against Team USA.

He has a pitch mix similar to Yamamoto and strikes out a little over nine batters per nine innings. However, he does struggle to keep the ball in the park as he allowed 18 home runs last year compared to Yamamoto's two.

Imanaga would fulfill the Dodgers' need for a left-handed starter and a very solid three or four starter.

5. Teoscar Hernandez OF:

Hernandez headlines a rather weak offensive class of free agents. However, he is the best choice to fulfill the Dodgers' needs in the outfield.

Teoscar Hernandez comes off a down year for him where hit 26 home runs with a .776 OPS. Last year he played in Seattle, a known pitcher-friendly park, so expect to see those numbers go up wherever he signs next year.

Even after playing in Seattle, he has hit at least 25 homers in four of the last five seasons and an OPS+ of over 125 in three of those years. His defense does leave a bit to be desired, but his offense more than makes up for any deficiencies there.

He provided serious pop for a team that does not have the lineup depth that the Dodgers do. With the protection that the Dodgers' bats could give him, he could be an absolute force from the right-hand side of the plate.

6. Joc Pederson OF/DH

Bring. Joc. Home.

The Dodgers' pursuit of Shohei Ohtani both complicates this signing and makes it a no-brainer.

Ideally, Joc would be the team's designated hitter. His days of primarily roaming center field are long gone, and the club has James Outman for that. If the Dodgers land Ohtani, then Joc could not be a regular designated hitter.

All of that aside, there is no reason that Joc couldn't platoon in left field with the likes of Chris Taylor or Miguel Vargas. Pederson still mashes right-handed pitching with a career 125 wRC+.

The two biggest reasons to sign Pederson though are he has a career .814 OPS in the postseason and he will be a fairly cheap option. If the Dodgers do land their white whale, then Pederson could be a cheaper platoon option to help fill out their lineup card.

Honorable Mention - Clayton Kershaw SP:

Every Dodger fan wants to see Kershaw finish his career in Dodger blue. However, the intense surgery he underwent earlier this offseason does obscure his future.

If the three-time Cy Young winner is healthy enough to pitch next year, then by all means the Dodgers need to sign him again. Despite the injury that sidelined him for six weeks last year, Clayton Kershaw still pitched to an incredible 2.46 ERA. This actually lowered his career ERA to 2.48.

Dodgers' president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman already expressed a desire to have Kershaw return. However, like the last few years, the ball is squarely in Kershaw's court. The club will give him as much time as he and his family need to make this decision.