3 hidden gem free agents that Andrew Friedman may lure to Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have the best of both worlds when it comes to building a baseball team. Los Angeles has the deep pockets of a big-market team while also having the scouting, development and eye for talent that a small-market team has.

The Dodgers aren’t just great at developing top-tier prospects year after year but the team is also great at finding hidden gems to turn into legitimate contributors. Justin Turner, Max Muncy and Chris Taylor are three perfect examples of the team’s eye for talent.

The big-name free agents may dominate the conversation (even if the Dodgers should stay away from certain ones) but it is the sleeper free agents that could make a big difference in 2023. It is always great to sign a free agent for cheap and have the play a big role.

Here are 3 hidden gem free agents that Andrew Friedman may lure to the Dodgers:

1. Robbie Grossman

Robbie Grossman was a potential trade target that made a lot of sense for the Dodgers at the deadline in 2022. However, Grossman was ultimately traded to the Atlanta Braves, who just stole a different potential Andrew Friedman hidden gem from LA.

Los Angeles needs outfield depth for next season with Joey Gallo being a free agent and Cody Bellinger not being the reliable everyday player that they wanted him to be. In a perfect world, the Dodgers could find someone who hits left-handed pitching with both Bellinger and Trayce Thompson being worse against southpaws.

That is exactly what Grossman is great at. The switch-hitting outfielder hit .320 with a .436 on-base percentage against southpaws last season. He does not have much power but he does have a career .377 on-base percentage against lefties.

Grossman’s overall numbers are not spectacular so he is definitely going to be cheap this offseason. He is not going to revolutionize the Dodgers but as a backup corner outfielder who can be a better bench bat than Hanser Alberto, he would have value.

3. Tyler Naquin

If the Dodgers are looking to add a power-hitting left-handed bat for cheap then Tyler Naquin might be the best bet. A power-hitting left-handed bat certainly would be nice, especially with Cody Bellinger’s regression and Edwin Rios not having a tangible big-league impact.

Naquin is not someone who would start every day for the Dodgers but could be a platoon starter in the outfield that pinch-hits in key spots late in games. While he does not have infield versatility, he would add depth to the outfield to allow the likes of Chris Taylor and Gavin Lux to primarily stay in the infield.

When things are going well for Naquin it is really impressive. He has put together several impressive seasons with an OPS near or above .800. Over his entire career, he has a .794 OPS against right-handed pitching. Naquin finished in the top 5% in max exit velocity in 2019 and finished in the top 8% in WOBA in his rookie season.

The biggest hole in Naquin’s game has been his walk and chase rates. When he makes contact with a ball in the zone great things happen. However, he has not been able to stay in the zone and work walks throughout his MLB career.

While that is a concerning trend, the Dodgers have consistently been one of the best teams in the league in taking pitches and working into great counts. With the right team and the right scouting, we could see Naquin’s chase rate decrease and his walk rate increase as a result.

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If Naquin can just get to around league average in those two rates then his overall numbers are going to shoot through the roof. A cheap signing could turn into one of the most valuable depth bats in the league.