Dodgers: DJ LeMahieu contract offer from LAD reportedly revealed

The Dodgers didn’t get that close to DJ LeMahieu after all.

The Los Angeles Dodgers tripped their way into a fairly solid backup plan for Justin Turner this offseason, somehow ending up right in the middle of the DJ LeMahieu market as the Yankees surprisingly let their MVP candidate reach the precipice of leaving town.

After a months-long stalemate, however, New York finally emerged victorious in the chase on Friday morning, agreeing to a six-year (!) deal for $90 million, an affordable $15 million AAV.

So, how close did the Dodgers really come to replacing Turner with a 32-year-old version of himself? Apparently, not as close as we all thought they would.

By any metric, this appears to be a third-place finish.

A four-year, $60 million offer isn’t chump change.

In fact, it’s exactly the same AAV as the Yankees offered, but without the additional security — and, of course, without the appeal of LeMahieu’s home turf. Any competing team had to reckon with the fact that, all things being equal, the 32-year-old simply would’ve preferred spending his next lengthy contract playing in the Bronx.

Of course, the lack of a “home” probably hurt the Blue Jays here, as their $78 million offer certainly dwarfed the Yankees’ pitch, and the four years attached would’ve allowed LeMahieu to reenter a more favorable market down the road at…Turner’s age.

It all makes sense. Yankees fans are gloating, the Dodgers are pivoting to Plan B (which was likely Plan A), and Toronto/Buffalo is still “close,” without a cigar.

What’s next for the Dodgers? Perhaps Brad Hand, after the Mets were unable to complete a rumored deal on Friday morning.

Probably Turner, but possibly Kris Bryant or Eugenio Suarez to play third? The sky’s the limit, and the offseason is officially open.

And, despite missing out on LeMahieu at the same AAV he eventually signed for, Andrew Friedman is very much open for business.

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