Predicting where each Dodgers free agent will sign this offseason

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 01: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in action against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 01, 2022 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Dodgers 5-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 01: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in action against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 01, 2022 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Dodgers 5-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

Andrew Heaney: Signs with San Francisco Giants

Andrew Heaney was such an interesting pitcher last season. He was the definition of a boom-or-bust arm, as even when he started to regress and allow homers he was still striking out batters at an absurdly high clip.

A lot of teams liked what was under the hood with Heaney last offseason and that will remain the same this year. With other pitchers to prioritize, the Dodgers will allow another smart team to lure Heaney away with an offer.

Farhan Zaidi is another smart baseball mind, and with the Giants in dire need to button up the back end of their rotation, a two-year deal up north seems like a good pact for both parties.

Tommy Kahnle: Re-signs with Dodgers

The worst move Dave Roberts made this October was putting Tommy Kahnle in for a second consecutive day against the exact same Padres batters he faced the day prior. As bad as that decision was, and as unavailable as Kahnle has been, the Dodgers are obviously high on what he can offer when he’s healthy.

This is a classic case of the Dodgers bringing back a reliever they like for very cheap, hoping he can outperform what he’s being paid (and make up for Game 4 of the NLDS).

Justin Turner: Team option is picked up

It might seem like a lot for the Dodgers to pick up Justin Turner’s $16 million team option for the 2023 season, but the team has the space to do so. The Dodgers are entering the winter with $111 million in projected luxury tax space, meaning that they can easily afford Turner.

Turner might not be worth $16 million, but he has done so much for this organization — and just his presence in the locker room is a colossal asset for the Dodgers. Turner and the team may have to get together and work out a smaller role for him because he shouldn’t be an everyday player anymore.

The team re-signed Chase Utley when everyone thought his career was over, and they obviously liked Turner enough to put an option in his deal for 2023. Plus, Turner was really productive in the second half and rallied to finish with a decent season. Not a $16 million season … but this is a multi-billion dollar baseball franchise. Overpaying is the norm.

In a perfect world, the Dodgers and Turner can work out a deal where the team actually rejects the team option, re-signs Turner to a smaller 2023 salary, and then defers the rest of the money he was owed as a “thank you.”

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