Dodgers Rumor Roundup: Bryce Harper, Kluber, Catching

Talk about something that has been discussed ad nauseam. Bryce Harper and his agent Scott Boras have asked teams to submit offers extended to the stars and beyond. Sure, it had originally been reported that the Dodgers were the favorites to land the 26-year old slugger but a lot has changed since that reports came out.

Harper is destined to land outside of California. The Las Vegas native was long anticipated to desire a contract with the Dodgers given the stadiums relatively close proximity to his home town and his attraction to the big city where he can be the center of attention.

But, for Harper, this offseason was about more than convenience to home. A large emphasis was put on his desire to sign a deal with upwards of $300 million over at least 10 seasons and it looks like he might just get that. It just won’t be from the Dodgers.

The Dodgers have never been in the business of signing players to outrageously long deals worth enough money to purchase a small country and in the case of Harper, they won’t break stride.

Signing the mega-free agent would have come at a pocket denting cost and things got to a point where a deal was no longer worth it. There have been no reports to suggest the Dodgers are out but given the reported offers he is receiving from Philadelphia and Washington, the Dodgers have no chance at all.

Look at it as a disappointment if you must but the Dodgers could just be avoiding a franchise-altering contract.

I’ll give this one to you. The rumors connecting the Dodgers and the Indians over a potential trade for Corey Kluber have felt more serious than anything regarding Harper.

Jon Morosi reported that the Dodgers held “serious discussions” with the Indians over the ace starter and there is nothing to suggest that is not the case.

However, the Dodgers seemed to have slowed down in the pursuit of Kluber while their division mates, the San Diego Padres have picked up some steam.

The Padres have been rumored to be “very serious” in their pursuit of Kluber and the interest does, although not completely, make sense for the young and budding team. The Padres have the internal minor league talent to both swing a deal as well as stay afloat in the majors and Corey Kluber would be a game changer for that rotation.

The only issue here is the Padres’ interest could hurt the Dodgers chances at landing Kluber. The Padres have a significantly stronger farm system and they have major league talent they are willing to part with to make a deal happen. The Dodgers would be leveraged into spending a lot more than I am sure they want to and again, they are left with no deal.

In the event that an overpay is the only way to swing a deal, the trade is probably not worth it. But, if I’m the Dodgers, I am trying until the last second to complete this transaction.

Let’s squash a rumor together, shall we? JT Realmuto is almost certainly not happening and what is even more certainly a no-go is a package that would include Austin Barnes.

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Whether this was speculation, a rumor or just a wrong guess, the Dodgers traded for Russell Martin with the intention to use him. Martin brings excellent defense and a poor bat to the table but it does not change the fact that he will be on the Dodgers’ roster in 2019 paired almost certainly with Barnes.

But, why does this mean they are out on Realmuto you ask? I’ll tell you.

The Dodgers made their move for a catcher likely because the price on Realmuto was otherworldly. The ask was Cody Bellinger and more from the Dodgers and there was almost no situation in which Andrew Friedman swings that deal. It just won’t happen.

Also, the notion that Barnes could be included in the trade is even more ludicrous than the rest of this. Barnes is a former Marlin and he was traded to the Dodgers along with Enrique Hernandez in the deal that saw Dee Gordon off to the South Beach. The Marlins do not want him back and after the season he had in 2018, there is almost no value to his name.

Barnes aside, I think it is safe to say the Dodgers are out on the All-Star catcher from Miami even if the team makes more deals.

At the end of the day, you can call the offseason a disappointment or argue it was successful in the Dodgers ability to shed money ahead of a loaded 2020 free agent class. Regardless, the offseason is not over and the Dodgers can still make moves. These three, however, are looking unlikely.