Dodgers: Who Helps the Dodgers More? Ohtani or Stanton?

The Dodgers, like many other teams, are currently in the quiet before the storm of the winter meetings.  The Dodgers have been linked to two of the biggest names available this winter, Giancarlo Stanton and Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani and Stanton represent two different areas of need for the Dodgers.  Assuming the Dodgers wouldn’t trade Puig for Stanton, the Dodgers would shore up their left field mix by acquiring Giancarlo Stanton.  In Ohtani, the Dodgers would get the number two starter they need to make it back to the World Series.  That is assuming that Ohtani lives up to the hype of being an ace-caliber pitcher.

While it’s not impossible that the Dodgers don’t get both, it is an extreme long shot that they end up trading for Stanton and signing Ohtani.  While many reporters are sending out mixed signals as to what Ohtani is seeking in a major league team, the truth is that nobody besides Ohtani truly knows what he is seeking.  Stanton on the other hand, has expressed interest in playing for the Dodgers since he grew up in Los Angeles.

The question, is which player would help the Dodgers more?  While both players are all-star caliber players, they would boost different parts of the Dodgers.

If the Dodgers were to acquire Stanton, then the Dodger offense would be much scarier than it currently is.  Adding a bat like Stanton would take the pressure off the heart of the order and guys like Corey Seager, Justin Turner, and Cody Bellinger.  Between Bellinger and Stanton, the Dodgers would have two players capable of hitting 40 home runs or more.  Eighty home runs from two players would be insane.

Stanton would also provide the Dodger offense with some insurance since Chris Taylor and Cody Bellinger could suffer from a sophomore slump.  If Bellinger or Taylor isn’t able to produce like they did this season, then the Dodger offense would be lacking a bat at the top of the order or in the heart of the lineup.  Stanton would mean less pressure on every hitter in the lineup.  You can also make the case that Stanton would thrive even more in LA since there are great hitters around him to protect him and make sure he sees pitches to hit.

Trading for Stanton would give the Dodgers more trade chips to work with.  Since the Marlins are looking to shed payroll and the salary of Stanton, the Dodgers would not need to trade more than one of their top prospects for him.  With an outfield of Stanton, Taylor, and Puig for many more years to come, the Dodgers could use Joc Pederson or Alex Verdugo to shore up the other parts of their team like starting pitching or the bullpen.

The downside to acquiring Stanton would be his massive contract that still has almost 300 million dollars left on it.  That is a ton of money to invest in a single player, and the Dodgers have not shown the willingness to give that kind of money to a player besides Clayton Kershaw.  However, you could make the case that Stanton will be a bargain several years from now when Bryce Harper or Manny Machado sign contracts worth over 400 million.  Stanton would then be signed at a reasonable rate.

If the Dodgers were to sign Shohei Ohtani, they would be getting one of the best starting pitchers on the market.  Ohtani is projected to be an elite starting pitcher in the majors due to his blazing fastball and wicked slider that are comparable to the stuff of Yu Darvish.  Ohtani would shore up the number two spot in the rotation for cheap and help the Dodgers get under the luxury tax while still adding elite players.

While Ohtani would like to hit, it is unlikely that the Dodgers would let him play the outfield on days he doesn’t pitch.  They may be able to give him a spot start here and there but to ask a starting pitcher to throw 200 innings and play some games in the outfield would be physically demanding.  Ohtani would have more use as a pinch hitter off the bench while saving the other bench players to hit in more important stages of the game.

The downside to Ohtani is that he is an unknown in the major leagues and there is no telling how good he will be.  He could become a Yu Darvish caliber starter or he could end up being a total bust.  This is where Friedman and Zaidi must decide how much they want to invest in Ohtani.  The other downside to Ohtani is the fact that he wants to hit.  The side of Ohtani that is more likely to bust is his hitting.  It’s easy to see he has the stuff to be a big league starter but the quality of pitching you see in the major leagues could cause Ohtani to struggle.

Ohtani would still help void the hole in the rotation that is caused by the likely departure of Yu Darvish.  Ohtani would give the Dodgers a rotation of Kershaw, Ohtani, Hill, Wood, and Ryu, Maeda, or McCarthy.  Not only would the Dodgers have great depth, they would also have five starting pitchers capable of winning on any day.