The Dodgers have officially struck out on all of the major free agents this winter. Serious question — is anyone surprised? The Dodgers have not signed anyone noteworthy that was not their own player under the regime of Andrew Friedman. It has become repetitive. The most recent star to not sign with the Dodgers is new Minnesota Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson.
I’m glad Donaldson did not go to the Braves or Nationals.
— Tim Rogers – SDDODGER (@SDDodger) January 15, 2020
Donaldson is now 34 years old and while it is a fairly smart move to be against signing him to a four-year deal, he is still at the top of his game. He is one of the best defensive third basemen in the game and certainly held his own on the other side of the ball in 2019 with the Atlanta Braves.
In a recent column for MLB.com, Will Leitch identified the Dodgers as one of the teams most impacted by the Dodgers’ non-signing of Josh Donaldson.
Here is the specific excerpt regarding the situation, courtesy of Will Leitch:
So for those of you keeping score at home, the Dodgers — one of baseball’s signature franchises, one with massive financial advantages, a storied history and a fanbase desperate for a World Series title — have now missed out on Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon and Donaldson this off-season. And they obviously had some interest in Rendon and Donaldson; they did talk to Justin Turner about moving to first base, after all. The Dodgers’ inability (or lack of desire, take your pick) to bring in a big, outside free agent is becoming one of the more intriguing subplots in the sport, and one that’s going to continue to fester until they nail one down or, you know, win the World Series. Does this make them more likely to push for a Mookie Betts trade? Or a Bryant one? Or do they let ride for another season? That’s not the worst idea, of course: They’re still heavy favorites to win the NL West. But Dodgers fans are losing patience. It’s difficult to blame them.
The Dodgers could be in the business to look into deals with Kris Bryant and the Chicago Cubs or could even place a call or two on Nolan Arenado with the Colorado Rockies, although the latter seems unlikely at this point in time.
The Dodgers could use some right-handed power bat in their lineup and they might not want to wait until the 2020 trade deadline for it.
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