Dodgers Scariest Offseason Scenarios

Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

2. Not signing a second ace

Depth is better than a star and I’d rather have four good pitchers behind Kershaw than one great one and three mediocre ones. At the same time, it will be painful if the Dodgers don’t have a co-ace next year.

As you should be well aware of, Zack Greinke has an opt out that he will more than likely exercise, making him a free agent. The Dodgers would be smart to re-sign him, as he will likely age very well. It’s generally a bad idea to give a 32-year-old pitcher with over 2000 innings on his arm a long, expensive contract. Greinke is different, as he’s very aware of his body and very open to analytics. He’s never been a power pitcher, so it doesn’t seem like age will impact him as much as it would other aging pitchers, so I’m completely on board with giving him a huge contract.

The Dodgers picked a pretty good offseason to have a lot of pitching holes, as the pitching class of free agency is stacked. If not Greinke, David Price will probably command a similar contract and is two years younger. If not him, Johnny Cueto. If not either of them, Jeff Samardzija, Doug Fister, Jordan Zimmermann and Marco Estrada will command less money. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Dodgers came away from free agency with two of three of those names, but it’ll seem a lot more concerning if they don’t at least come away with Greinke or Price.

Next: Giving Up on the Wild Horse