MLB insider lists wild free agent/trade targets for Dodgers in column

Los Angeles Dodgers fans know that they can’t rule anything out when it comes to the team’s open-minded, aggressive and opportunistic front office … but it seems like MLB insider Jim Bowden has taken things a bit too far.

In his most recent column for The Athletic (subscription required), Bowden made some free agent/trade connections to every team ahead of the Winter Meetings as the hot stove begins to officially warm up. Once Sunday arrives, fans are going to see tons of movement, and dominos will begin to fall.

Bowden, however, might’ve linked every possible domino to the Dodgers when listing who they might be pursuing or exploring. During an offseason in which many insiders have prognosticated the Dodgers might not be spending as excessively as they have in recent years, this sure serves as contradictory insight for those hoping previous reports weren’t true.

This also contradicts other reports suggesting the Dodgers want to move forward with their promising young talent to create a cost-effective core for the future. LA will of course spend in some capacity this offseason, but the dollar figure might be limited, and the amount of prospect capital they’d be willing to part with will likely be, too.

That won’t stop Bowden (and wishful-thinking fans) from dreaming, though! Behold, the Dodgers’ offseason wishlist: The Entire League.

Per MLB insider Jim Bowden, the Dodgers are interested in the whole league in 2023 offseason

Here’s who Bowden listed as targets for the Dodgers in both free agency and on the trade market:

“Free-agent targets: Justin Verlander, RHP; Jacob deGrom, RHP; Carlos Rodón, LHP; Chris Bassitt, RHP; Kodai Senga, RHP; Trea Turner, SS; Justin Turner, 3B/DH; Carlos Correa, SS; Xander Bogaerts, SS; Dansby Swanson, SS; Aaron Judge, OF; Brandon Nimmo, OF; Brian Anderson, 3B; Mitch Haniger, OF; Andrew Benintendi, OF“Trade targets: Corbin Burnes, RHP; Lucas Giolito, RHP; Tyler Glasnow, RHP; Jason Adam, RHP; Rafael Devers, 3B”

For the free agent list, can we think of any top name that was excluded? Maybe JD Martinez, Michael Brantley and Nathan Eovaldi? Those are second-tier options anyway. So far, the’ve only met with Verlander, and Jeff Passan all but officially ruled them out on Judge.

As for the trade candidate list, some Dodgers fans have already tried to convince themselves of Burnes and Giolito at this juncture … but Tyler Glasnow? RAFAEL DEVERS?! Those guys will cost you 50% or more of your top prospect core!

https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1597291733817122816?s=20&t=zWs9x-x0dA98BXsMf6w_Kg

Are the Rays even open to trading Glasnow/Red Sox open to trading Devers (especially after Mookie Betts already headed to the Dodgers, to disastrous PR results)? Again, you can’t definitively rule out anything until Opening Day arrives, but those scenarios seem like they’d only be able to be fulfilled in “MLB: The Show.”

Friedman is more than capable of forming a tsunami on both the free agency and trade markets, but this is a tall order for a team that has been more calculated/hesitant more than anything when conducting such business over the last few seasons.

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