4 former Dodgers Andrew Friedman can reunite with this offseason

Over the last few years, the Los Angeles Dodgers have lost important pieces of their core/identity that clearly affected them in more ways than one. Perhaps not during the regular season, but certainly once the postseason rolled around.

Two of the best Dodgers teams of the past 10 years in 2021 and 2022 fell short in October, and for myriad reasons. Injuries? Sure. Poor managing? At times. Lack of fire and ability to perform in the clutch? Maybe the biggest culprit.

What’s the solution? There might not be an “across-the-board” one, but there are certainly steps president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman can take to address the deficiencies that have prevented the Dodgers from winning a full-season World Series after making the playoffs for 10 straight years and winning nine division titles over that span.

How about bringing back some guys who fit the mold in LA? Who were either Dodgers legends, developed into capable contributors, or ended up blossoming elsewhere?

4 former Dodgers Andrew Friedman can reunite with this offseason

4. Corey Knebel

After an incredible bounce-back year with the Dodgers in 2021, Corey Knebel joined the Philadelphia Phillies to be their closer in 2022. Sadly, it didn’t work out, and he was lost for the season in mid-August with a shoulder injury.

It’s unclear if that contributed to his mediocre performance or if he caught Phillies Bullpen Disease, but once his one-year deal expires, he’ll be a free agent. The Dodgers have taken a liking to signing injured relievers at a bargain price, and there’s at least familiarity here. They were able to unlock Knebel for 27 games (2.45 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 30 strikeouts in 25.2 innings).

Any and all competent help to bridge the gap to the ninth inning, the better. Knebel proved he can fit into the picture and do whatever’s asked of him. Once again, though, it’ll hinge on his health.

2. Nathan Eovaldi

How about another starter? The Dodgers might need one depending on how free agency shakes out for Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney. Don’t forget that Walker Buehler is out for 2023 and Dustin May still has a lot of work to do in terms of getting back up to speed.

Nathan Eovaldi, who many believed would be available at this year’s trade deadline, will hit free agency and it’s unlikely the Red Sox retain him. If he wasn’t extended by now, then how can we expect him to return to a franchise that’s continually shifting parts around and not paying people over the last few years?

Eovaldi was drafted by the Dodgers back in 2008. The 11th-round pick made his debut in 2011 but was then traded to the Marlins halfway through 2012. He technically wasn’t part of this era of Dodger baseball. Since then, however, he’s blossomed and was a key player in Boston’s World Series win over LA in 2018.

The right-hander will be entering his age-33 season in 2023, and though he comes with some injury concerns (shortened seasons from 2015-2020 and then 2022), he’s a scary depth option to have in a rotation. He’s been tasked with carrying the load for Boston due to Chris Sale’s bouts with injuries, and he’s largely been successful (4.05 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 1.27 WHIP and 468 strikeouts in 461.2 innings).

If the Dodgers can bring him back at the right price, he can help deepen the pitching staff and provide another experienced, veteran voice in the clubhouse when many others could be on the way out.

1. Kenley Jansen

Oh no we didn’t. We did NOT just pit Dodgers fans against one another. Put down the pitchforks! We have a legitimate argument here.

Closers are incredibly hard to come by. Kenley Jansen is a future Hall of Famer. He’s the best Dodgers closer ever. And his replacement in Kimbrel proved to be a much bigger disaster, beyond anyone’s imagination.

Jansen will be a free agent after signing a one-year, $16 million deal with the Atlanta Braves (same as Kimbrel’s contract the Dodgers inherited from the White Sox!). Jansen led the NL in saves and was one off the top MLB mark held by Emmanuel Clase. He finished with a 3.38 ERA, 3.21 FIP, 1.04 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 64 innings. He was still beyond frustrating at times, but we hate to break it to you: not every closer is Mariano Rivera.

Hell, how many capable, trustworthy closers exist in today’s MLB? Maybe the fewest ever! Say Edwin Diaz, then go look at his 2019 season. Jansen is one of about 3-5 you’d be content rolling the dice with. And after the ninth inning proved to be a massive problem for LA in 2022, they may not want to make that mistake again.

Running it back with Jansen wouldn’t be the worst idea. There’s a longstanding relationship here and flexibility to move him around if he struggles. Worth a shot, even if some of you might hate it.

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