Dodgers: Revisiting 3 rumors from the offseason that never came true

Rumors, rumors, rumors. What are they good for, other than to play with fans emotions? Let’s take a look back at three Los Angeles Dodgers rumors from the offseason that never came true.

This past offseason was filled with plenty of rumors to keep Dodgers fans on the edge of their seats in wondering whether the team would eventually add a superstar to an already talented roster. Of course, Mookie Betts eventually was acquired from Boston. But it was a wild and crazy ride to get there.

Coming off a disappointing loss to the Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series, the Dodgers front office entered the offseason with a roster that had just won 106 games, but somehow felt a sense of urgency to improve upon it in their quest for the franchise’s first world championship in 32 years.

Hyun-Jin Ryu, who led the National League with a 2.32 ERA, and finished second in Cy Young voting, was set to become a free agent. So was starter Rich Hill, along with veterans Russell Martin and David Freese.

Before anything could be decided on the roster front, the Dodgers needed to make a decision on manager Dave Roberts and general manager Andrew Friedman. The calming field general, Roberts, was coming off a controversial playoff performance in which he mismanaged his bullpen in a deciding Game 5. Many Dodgers fans were calling for his replacement. Meanwhile, Friedman, was also unsigned for the 2020 season.

By the middle of October, it was clear that both Roberts and Friedman would be back. Setting the stage for an offseason of fireworks.

It’s interesting to look back at some of the rumors that dominated the headlines over the offseason with the knowledge of what happened. The Dodgers were linked to a lot of players during the winter. Instead of going through all of them, I will focus on three significant rumors.