Dodgers Rumors: Garrett Richards has an Offer From the Dodgers

The Dodgers and Padres apparently have an offer out to Garrett Richards and the Dodgers are making a strong push for the rehabbing righty.

The Dodgers have been linked with the Cleveland Indians and are now being linked to former Angels right-hander Garrett Richards.  The Dodgers reportedly have an offer out to Richards along with the Padres.  Richards will miss all of the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery so while he will sign a two-year deal, this is more of a move for the 2020 season.

The 30-year-old right-hander went 5-4 with a 3.66 ERA in sixteen starts for the Angels this season before being lost for the season.  When Richards is right he has some of the best stuff in baseball and his fastball sits in the upper 90’s with ease.  He is looking for a deal similar to what Michael Piñeda got with the Twins in all likelihood which was a two-year deal worth ten million dollars.

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The Dodgers already have a surplus of starting pitchers for the 2019 season but they are going to lose Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Alex Wood after next season to free agency.  Hill is probably going to retire after next season while Ryu and Wood will likely seek bigger paydays elsewhere.  The Dodgers could easily find room in their projected 2020 rotation for Richards especially if he is healthy.

Garrett Richards broke out with the Angels in 2014 when he went 13-4 with a 2.61 ERA.  He held opposing batters to a ridiculous .201 batting average but started having trouble staying healthy after the 2015 season.  Since the 2016 season began, Richards has made just 28 starts over the previous three seasons with multiple arm ailments.  Even this last season, Richards averaged ten strikeouts per nine innings which is indicative of the power stuff he possesses.

Although Richards has been a starter for his entire big league career, one has to wonder if the Dodgers might try him out in a relief role for the 2020 season.  That would be one way to ease him back into action and he has a similar profile to Brandon Morrow who has excelled when healthy as a dominant reliever.  This would be a good low-risk high reward move for the 2020 season and if the cost is right it is another stellar move by Friedman.