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Dodgers players with the most to lose from a canceled season
If the 2020 MLB season is ultimately canceled, which Los Angeles Dodgers players have the most to lose?
It’s hard to feel confidant about the 2020 baseball season, even though it appears MLB owners are pushing negotiations to the absolute deadline before striking any possible deal. You probably feel even less confidant as a Los Angeles Dodgers fan who is used to having peculiar events, such as the Astros sign-stealing, get in the way of championship aspirations.
As it stands now, the players are asking when and where they should report to play, while a small group of owners rather skip the entire season. It’s frustrating to think about the millions of people – from players to fans to stadium workers to media to everyone attached to the game – who are impacted by 8-9 owners who rather blow up the entire sport than potentially lose a few million dollars on a multi-billion dollar investment.
While everyone is upset with the way negotiations are going, there are a few Dodger players who have a little extra to lose if the season is ultimately canceled.
Players will receive service time, whether games are played or not, which helps push them closer to free agency. But there are considerations other than service time to take into account when thinking about which players have the most at stake if the 2020 season is lost.
Let’s look at four Dodgers who have the most to lose from a canceled season.
Dodgers with most to lose from canceled season: Alex Wood
When the Dodgers decided to bring Alex Wood back to Los Angeles this offseason, they knew there was some risk, which is why they included incentives in his contract which could bring a base value of $4 million up to as high as $10 million depending on how often he pitches.
Last season, in a Reds uniform, Wood was limited to only seven starts due to a back injury that kept him off the mound until late July. And he didn’t look particularly good in those starts, pitching to a 5.80 ERA. His fastball has lost a few MPH since peaking in the low 90s in 2017, according to Baseball Savant.
A canceled 2020 season would obviously prevent Wood from reaching any of the incentives in his contract, as he would lose all of his promised salary this season. It would also put the 29-year-old in an uncertain free agent market as teams adapt to a drastically altered economic landscape.
Would the Dodgers bring him back on a similar one-year deal for 2021? Would Wood be able to negotiate a contract as rich as $10 million in incentives? That might prove difficult. The left-hander would be best to pitch in a shortened season and show that he is ready to return to the form he displayed while starting for the Dodgers in 2017.
Dodgers with most to lose from canceled season: Blake Treinen
Blake Treinen was one of the best relievers in baseball during the 2018 season with the Oakland Athletics. The right-hander appeared in 68 games and allowed only seven earned runs on way to recording 38 saves with a minuscule 0.78 ERA. He struck out 100 batters while walking only 21. He was pretty much automatic that season for the A’s.
Then everything fell apart last year. The 6-foot-5 reliever saw his ERA balloon to 4.91 and his impressive KK/BB ratio from the previous season of 4.76 fell to 1.59. It was like he was a completely different pitcher in 2019 compared to 2018, or really any other year of his career, which began in 2014 with the Washington Nationals.
The Dodgers signed Treinen to a one-year, $10 million this offseason hoping for a bounce-back season, a wish that could be lost if the season is canceled. Treinen turns 32 on June 30th, and it’s hard to predict how a lost season impacts his aging curve. While it’s logical to believe pitchers could gain a year of strength by sitting out an entire season, nothing is guaranteed.
Treinen was able to secure a decent-sized contract on a one-year “prove it” deal based on his performance before the 2019 season. It might be difficult for him to demand the same payday in a tough free agent market, and at that point, two years removed from his breakout campaign.
Dodgers with most to lose from canceled season: Justin Turner
Arguably one of the best everyday players for the Dodgers over the past decade, Justin Turner is set to enter the final season of his four-year, $64 million. From a financial standpoint, the third baseman could lose $19 million in salary this year, as his deal was back-loaded (he only earned $12 million of the contract in 2017).
While Dodger fans hope they haven’t seen the last of Turner, either because they end up playing this season and/or he re-signs a new deal in the offseason, nothing is promised. Turner will be 36-years-old next season, so Dodgers president Andrew Friedman will need to decide if it’s prudent to bring him back on another contract.
For Turner, what he risks losing if the season is canceled is a potential last chance to bring a championship to Los Angeles. Nobody has been as integral a member of the Dodgers recent string of success as Turner. The 2020 roster is perhaps the most talented since he has arrived in LA. This was supposed to be a World Series or bust season.
It would be frustrating if the local product lost perhaps his best opportunity to lead the team to the promised land after everything he has done since arriving as a relatively unknown player in 2014.
Dodgers with most to lose from canceled season: Mookie Betts
While you could argue the Dodgers organization has the most on the line in seeing Mookie Betts play this season, Betts, himself, has a lot to lose as well.
Andrew Friedman orchestrated a trade to forfeit a young outfielder in Alex Verdugo, along with two prospects (Jeter Downs and Connor Wong) to secure Betts before he hits free agency next offseason. If the season is canceled, the team would have essentially traded a package of young assets for nothing, other than David Price, who could provide some value in the rotation and based on his recent gift to minor leaguers isn’t nothing.
However, even Betts has a strong incentive to see baseball return this summer. He recently signed a record-breaking arbitration amount of $27 million, which could evaporate without a season. He also risks losing over $150 million on a potential long-term deal in the offseason. It’s impossible to predict what the market will look like after the impact to revenues from a lost season, but one can assume it won’t be pretty.
If the 2020 season is canceled, baseball fans outside of Los Angeles will use the opportunity to mock the Dodgers for trading for a player who potentially never plays for them. But Mookie Betts has a lot at stake too.