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.

3. Joc Pederson

Joctober wasn’t able to take place in 2022 because the San Francisco Giants realized who they actually were, but after signing another one-year deal, Pederson will once again be a free agent. This will be the third time since the Dodgers let him go after the 2020 season that he’s hitting the market.

Why did they do that, again? Pederson had a notable playoff track record long before 2020 and has a slash line of .256/.332/.482 with 29 runs scored, 12 homers and 29 RBI in 79 postseason games. He was a driving force in the Dodgers’ 2020 title, was a force against the Astros in 2017, and most recently helped push the Braves to glory in 2021.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers had so many outfield problems with injuries and depth concerns in 2022 that they ended up trading for Joey Gallo. Joey. Gallo. After trading AJ Pollock for Craig Kimbrel, who was left off the playoff roster because of how bad he was.

After the 2020 season, Pederson signed with the Cubs on a one-year, $10 million contract, something the Dodgers could’ve easily afforded for a fourth outfielder. Fans have attempted to stand by the front office oversight by saying Pederson wanted to start on a full-time basis as much as possible, but … he didn’t. His 2019 season with the Dodgers still marks his career highs in games played and at-bats. Debunked.

The Dodgers made a mistake, and now with a clear need in the outfield, they can make up for it.

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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