4 big whiffs by Dodgers’ front office before the lockout

It was a quiet pre-lockout offseason for most MLB teams, but it was especially silent and disappointing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lost a number of star players and don’t have definitive answers on two others.

Like we’ve said, the return of Chris Taylor helps, but it doesn’t come close to alleviating the overall feeling of discontent. The lockout is enough of a reason to feel down in the dumps … and the Dodgers sitting seemingly far from solving their most glaring roster woes doesn’t help. At all.

And when you consider some of the misses that took place over that month-long timeframe, it’s hard not to question the organization’s motives. Is there a grand plan post-lockout … when the rest of the league will be scrambling for top talent in free agency and on the trade market? We always trust in Andrew Friedman, but doesn’t he typically have good foresight in these types of situations?

But instead of getting ahead of what’s to come, the Dodgers made just two moves major-league moves (signing Andrew Heaney and Daniel Hudson) and let a number of fairly tailor-made fits end up elsewhere. So where may have the Dodgers gone wrong?

4 notable free agency whiffs by the Dodgers before the lockout

4. Marcus Semien

Marcus Semien signed a seven-year, $175 million contract with the Texas Rangers. That’s an MVP candidate at $25 million per year and you’re probably paying for three years of regression. Not terrible. It’s what happens with these deals now. Gotta take the good with the bad.

The Dodgers, after it was evident they’d be losing Corey Seager (they never got close to the Rangers’ winning bid of 10 years and $325 million), knew they’d be losing key production in the infield. Trea Turner shifting over to shortstop makes Seager’s departure much easier to swallow, but what about second base now?

Do you trust Gavin Lux? Is it smart to sign a first baseman like Freddie Freeman and move Muncy there as he’s coming off a torn UCL? Semien would’ve provided a Gold Glove option and superior bat, which might’ve actually made the infield better without Seager. For nearly half the price.

The argument here is paying Semien through his age-37 season … but he’s only gotten better as he’s gotten older. It’s not the most comfortable investment, but he was a top-three MVP vote getter in 2019 and 2021. You bet on that production continuing for at least three more years, with a few more serviceable ones to follow.

3. Kendall Graveman

Don’t lie — when you saw that Kendall Graveman signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Chicago White Sox, you asked yourself, “Why didn’t the Dodgers do that?!”

Graveman’s full-time transition to a reliever was a smashing success in 2021. He finished with a 1.77 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 61 strikeouts in 53 games (56 innings) between the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros. A spectacular performance in a contract year, and the Dodgers could’ve had him for just $8 million per year? That’s what they gave Heaney!

Most importantly, even with Kenley Jansen and Blake Treinen anchoring the bullpen, it was evident the Dodgers’ cast of relievers badly needed assistance in 2021. When you factor in Joe Kelly’s option getting declined and Jansen expected to depart in free agency, the Dodgers will be short on reliable arms capable of pitching high-leverage innings in 2022.

Hudson was a start on a one-year, $7 million deal, but squeezing one more cost-effective/team-friendly deal in there when you knew you probably weren’t paying Seager or Scherzer felt like it would’ve made almost too much sense.

2. Marcus Stroman

Another contract that boasts a ton of value for the billionaire owners! They want to save money? They want shorter contracts? They want less overall dollar commitments? Well, look no further than Marcus Stroman’s three-year, $71 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.

Folks, here’s the breakdown, too:

• 2022: $25 million
• 2023: $25 million
• 2024: $21 million player option

Doesn’t that perfectly fit the Dodgers’ supposed championship “window”? It gives them an ace-like arm to help the production lost from Scherzer (and possibly Kershaw). Stroman’s had three All-Star caliber campaigns since 2017 and has proven to be a steadfast top-of-the-rotation starter. This would’ve been a shrewd way to build around Walker Buehler and Julio Urīas, both of whom were overused in 2021.

If you were willing to pay record-setting money for Trevor Bauer, whose career ERA was right around 4.00 when he signed with the Dodgers, then there was little reason not to pay Stroman a very pedestrian price for his impressive output. In 179 career games, the right-hander owns a 3.63 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, with a disastrous 2018 season interrupted by injuries actually inflating both of those numbers.

Some fans might not like Stroman’s demeanor, but does it really matter when he’s backing it up?