Dodgers Way Weekly Rumor Roundup: Puig a Key Piece for Kluber?

The Dodgers sorted out their coaching staff this week as we are now one week closer to the winter meetings.  This week there was more rumors surrounding the Dodgers and Corey Kluber.

As the month of December begins, we are now just one week away from the winter meetings which is when the hot stove will really start sizzling.  The winter meetings start a week from today and will conclude with the rule five draft on Thursday December 13th.

This week the Dodgers filled the holes on their coaching staff by making Dino Ebel their third base coach and Robert Van Scoyoc was named the Dodgers’ hitting coach.  The Dodgers also tendered contracts to all ten of their arbitration eligible players.

Here were the rumors involving the Dodgers that surfaced this week:

Kluber Rumors Continue to Swirl

rumorsIt seems like the Dodgers and Indians have been talking for a couple weeks now since the initial rumors surfaced about the Indians’ starting trio of Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, and Carlos Carrasco.  This week the advanced into more detail as it seems the Dodgers are aiming for Kluber and Yasiel Puig is likely a centerpiece of the deal.

More from Dodgers Rumors

• Are the Dodgers really prepared to hand Shohei Ohtani a blank check?
• Dodgers fans shouldn’t dismiss interest in Dansby Swanson for this reason
• Dodgers might find their next Tyler Anderson with this free agent target
• Are Giants falling off and joining Dodgers at back of Carlos Correa chase?
• Don’t hold your breath on Dodgers making Justin Turner decision soon

The names of Alex Wood and Yadier Alvarez were also thrown into the mix.  Both Wood and Puig only have one season left before free agency so this could help the Indians trim long term commitments if that is what their goal is for payroll flexibility. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Indians sought one of the Dodgers prized catching prospect since they dealt away Yan Gomes.

Dodgers Interested in Yusei Kikuchi

This off-season there is one new pitcher trying to make the transition from Japan to the majors and that is the left-hander Yusei Kikuchi.  The Dodgers have been linked as a possible suitor for Kikuchi who will turn twenty-eight years old next season.  The southpaw throws in the low to mid 90’s and also features a slider, curveball, and changeup.  There have been some injury concerns with Kikuchi that have decreased his fastball velocity at times.

Kikuchi will be posted in early December and interested teams will have thirty days to agree to a deal with him and he is not limited by pool money like Ohtani was.  Each of the west coast teams figure to have interest in him and playing on the west coast would be as close to home as he is capable of getting.

Dodgers Make a Failed Run at Garrett Richards

This week the Dodgers made an attempt to sign Garrett Richards that ultimately came up short.  He agreed to sign with the Padres for two years and upwards of fifteen million dollars.  Richards is out for the 2019 season so this would have been a low risk high rewards type move for the Dodgers in 2020.  The Dodgers will look elsewhere for diamond in the rough signings.