Grading Dodgers’ offseason signings and trades ahead of Opening Day

Grading Dodgers’ Trades

Billy McKinney Swap: C

Perfectly fringe-average. The Los Angeles Dodgers received nothing in return, and dealt outfielders Billy McKinney and Zach Reks to the Texas Rangers, otherwise known as a retirement home for all former Dodgers 40-man fodder. DJ Peters says hi!

All Dodger fans got was cash considerations. And what they lost? The ability to yell “Get Reks’d!” when Zach Reks wrecked a guy.

McKinney, a Dallas native, hit just .146 in 37 games for the Dodgers last year. Reks had a beastly campaign at the minor-league level last year, triple-slashing .282/.382/.539, but … he did it in the hitter-friendly PCL. Wish him good luck, but he was unlikely to be a major piece of the Dodgers in the midst of this window.

Rays Donate a Reliever: B-

Because … you always … have to wonder … just what exactly the Rays know when they’re willing to make a trade like this.

On March 18, Luke Raley — another fringe Dodgers 40-man stalwart and former top slugging prospect — was dealt to the Rays for reliever Tanner Dodson. The Rays pluck relievers out of thin air, so there’s a good chance they just felt Dodson was more replaceable than Raley, someone they must really like as an Austin Meadows complement (Or replacement? Ooh, intrigue!).

Dodson, the 71st overall pick in 2018, went 5-2 with a 3.20 ERA in 37 outings last season (striking out 64). All in all, it was a nice bounce back from a rough 2019 campaign and absent 2020 season, and he’ll be looking to turn a new leaf at Double-A Tulsa this year.

Clearly, the Rays preferred the more big-league-ready offensive punch of Raley … and hopefully, that’s the only reason they chose to pull off this deal. Stay wary.

Grading Dodgers’ Free Agent Signings: Pitching Staff

Andrew Heaney: C-

We just … refuse to be bearish on adding Andrew Heaney to the rotation mix. We understand. He throws a high-spin fastball. He’s been “waiting to be unlocked” for a full generation now, and maybe an entire offseason in the Dodgers’ system (remember how early he was signed?) will make all the difference.

We’re sick of being told that, though. For now, he’s just another twinkle in the night sky to dream on, and his Dodgers debut looked a lot more like what we’ve seen for eons and eons from the finesse left-hander. The only “spin rate” we’ve been impressed by so far has been the rate at which the media has spun his struggles as successes that are just around the corner.

C- over D on the oft chance that we’re finally wrong on this one, at which point we’ll be bragging that we were never too down on him. He’ll only be piggybacking, after all, and will likely be tossing three-or-four-inning stints to start.

Daniel Hudson: B+

Dependable and the risk is extremely minimal here for a Dodgers team looking to fill out their ‘pen with semi-lottery tickets.

Lacking familiarity, the Dodgers brought back a 35-year-old Daniel Hudson in an attempt to shore up their back end. After doing solid work in LA in 2018, he moved onto Washington, where he closed out the 2019 World Series with a flourish and a glove flip. Bizarrely, he’s coming off a career year where he struck out 75 men in just 51.2 innings … though he tanked in San Diego in the second half. Perhaps he was an embedded Dodger all along? We approve.

Tyler Anderson: B-

Another part of the bullpen/rotation piggyback parade, Anderson was less than stellar in a 2021 season split between Pittsburgh and Seattle. The soft-tosser is the textbook definition of “what you see is what you get”; there isn’t the slobber-worthy upside of Heaney (supposedly), but 1.6 WAR and ~150 innings can be a valuable commodity at any ERA. Expect Anderson to throw fewer than that in LA, though, unless something goes wrong.

Grading Dodgers’ Free Agent Signings: Offense

Hanser Alberto: B

Alberto, who surged prior to the 2019 All-Star break for the Orioles, was brought in this past week to help thicken out the infield picture after a series of departures.

Surprisingly, he has an option involved for 2023, too. A grip-it-and-rip-it guy with minimal power, there’s still probably something to be unlocked in his fearsome swing. Docked a half-point here for bringing about the end of Matt Beaty’s Dodgers tenure, unfortunately.

Kevin Pillar: A-

A minor-league deal only, but you should anticipate Pillar suiting up for the Dodgers on Opening Day, most likely. Expect a reliever to be cleared off the 40-man roster in his wake.

At this point, Pillar’s bat may never be above-average for long stretches ever again, but he can still pick it with the best of ’em, and is a defined upgrade in the “toughness” department, too.

FREDDIE FREEMAN: A+

The Dodgers pillaging the World Champion Braves, adding a California native on an entirely manageable six-year deal, replacing their departing All-Star with an arriving All-Star? Adding a de facto captain, pushing Max Muncy into a potential Universal DH role and lengthening the lineup beyond recognition?

Not only did Andrew Friedman fit another superstar into his budget here, but he’s found the perfect future leader for whenever the time comes for Justin Turner to go off into that good night.

Freeman may be the only major, slam-dunk acquisition of the 106-win Dodgers’ offseason, but it’s difficult to fathom a more perfect fit for this current roster (unless they’d traded for Matt Olson … kidding, kidding).

Now, go and add a pitcher at the deadline so we can re-grade everything! That’ll make for a fuller picture.

3 Dodgers who’ll be hurt by MLB banning the shift in 2023

These 3 Los Angeles Dodgers players will see a downgrade in their statistics once MLB bans the shift for the 2023 season. Maybe that changes free agency?