3 players Dodgers wish they still had on current roster

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Just imagine if the Dodgers had one of these three guys still on the roster…

Look, we know, all three of these options are impossible to have at once, but the Los Angeles Dodgers have seen a number of star players come and go over the years and even one of these guys on the 2020 roster could make this team nearly unstoppable.

LA is always wheeling and dealing so it’s almost impossible to keep the roster as fluid as it can be, especially when you’re acquiring big names. If you’re trading for such players, there’s always a money issue in keeping them long term or beyond their expiration date. If you’re trading those guys away, you have to give up some notable players to make a deal happen.

That’s the case with all of these options here. Though the Dodgers finished 2020 with a 43-17 record, they’d be even scarier with one of their former pitchers or hitters still rocking the Dodger blue.

Who could they be?!

Kenta Maeda #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers /

3. Kenta Maeda

Former Dodgers SP Kenta Maeda has been incredible for the Twins.

With Walker Buehler dealing with blister issues at the moment, it’d sure be great if the Dodgers had another right-handed pitcher in the rotation with ample postseason experience…

But they had to trade Kenta Maeda in order to make the Mookie Betts deal work, and you do that 10 times out of 10. No discussion.

However, what’s frustrating is that Maeda had a tremendous start to 2020, going 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA and a league-leading 0.75 WHIP. He also shut down the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the Wild Card series before the defense blew it for him. Though Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin have been just as impressive with LA, this team needs playoff pedigree.

Maeda has that, logging a 2.87 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 25 games (four starts), which would’ve been invaluable for a Dodgers’ rotation that has been unable to get consistent production from their ace in 2020. Maeda as the No. 3 or 4 in the Dodgers’ rotation would be a nightmare for opposing teams.

But, like we said, this had to be done to get Betts. We don’t want to change that, but it’d be great to have a veteran like Maeda in the rotation right now, even if the Dodgers never seemed to use him properly.

Manny Machado #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers /

2. Manny Machado

Manny Machado is now directly competing with the Dodgers.

Though Manny Machado was terrible for the Dodgers in the 2018 World Series and paying him would’ve been almost impossible after the contract the team gave Betts, it’s tough to have him directly competing with LA at the moment.

Machado signed a $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres after his half-season with the Dodgers and is slashing .269/.344/.494 with 48 home runs and 132 RBI in 216 games since joining the NL West rivals. Plus, he’s got eight home runs and 24 RBI in 34 career games against the Dodgers.

Though it’s clear the front office didn’t want to pay him, LA has to figure something out now with Justin Turner set to hit free agency. We think everyone would 100% rather spent an extra $65 million for Betts, but Machado and his stellar defense at the hot corner for the foreseeable future would’ve been nice. Additionally, his bat would’ve been a lot more potent once he got settled in among the other studs in the Dodgers’ lineup.

The Dodgers led MLB with 118 home runs during the 60-game regular season and Turner only had four across his 42 games. We’re not saying Machado would be integral to the success of this lineup, but he’d provide an embarrassment of riches on the offensive end.

We all know the Dodgers print money, so, really, what’s another $300 million deal, especially when you have Turner, Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Chris Taylor and Jake McGee all coming off the books in the next year or two? Just a thought!

1. Yu Darvish

Former Dodgers SP Yu Darvish has been an ace for the Cubs in 2020.

OK, relax. We know Yu Darvish was a disaster for the Dodgers in the World Series after the team acquired him from the Texas Rangers back in 2017, but that was against the cheating Houston Astros! Can’t fault him for that! Don’t forget he got two wins over the Diamondbacks and Cubs in the NLDS and NLCS!

Later that offseason, he signed a six-year, $126 million contract (max. value of $150 million) with the Chicago Cubs, and though he disappointed for the most part in 2018 and 2019 as he battled elbow issues, he’s back to his ace form in 2020, sporting a 2.01 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 12 starts. His 93 strikeouts in 76 innings is pretty darn good too.

This goes back to the fact the Dodgers need another top starter with Buehler dealing with blister issues, and we know David Price was supposed to be that guy, but he opted out of 2020 and has largely proven to be unreliable in big games/the postseason with the exception of Boston’s 2018 run that refused to hit any bumps in the road.

Price, once again, was necessary to making the Betts trade work, but LA will still. be paying $16 million per season for him. His contract actually lines up with Darvish, and the right hander will only be making $11 million more over that span. At this point, we’d probably rather have Darvish because of his resurgence, whereas Price has merely been solid after signing his $217 million contract.

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Walker Buehler #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after retiring the side on a strike out during the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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