Dodgers: Which second tier starters make sense for the Dodgers?

The Dodgers have around 40 million to work with this off-season. If they sign a big bat they will need to go for a lower-tier starting pitcher.

Entering the off-season, most Dodgers fans are hoping the team can sign one of the three mega free agents.  Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, or Anthony Rendon are the big three and signing one of them would be a tremendous boost for the Dodgers.  While some may dream and hope the Dodgers can sign Rendon and Cole, the reality is that the Dodgers signing one would be a surprise.

It’s not that the front office is “cheap”, it is about the big picture and Andrew Friedman wants to make sure his club has the flexibility to improve and keep their own free agents down the road.  If the Dodgers sign a big bat like Josh Donaldson or Anthony Rendon, the team is going to have to look at second-tier free-agent starting pitchers.  This means the starters that did not receive a qualifying offer and it means no Hyun-Jin Ryu who may be the third-best starting pitcher.

Here are three second-tier free agent starters that make sense for the Dodgers if they sign a big bat.