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2 Dodgers who shouldn't be considered for contract extensions and 1 who should
Typically, contract extensions are negotiated during the offseason or just before Opening Day. But with several Los Angeles Dodgers players looking to cash in, it wouldn't be shocking to see one or more deals inked during the season if Andrew Friedman can pull it off.
LA has stars like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman locked up for the long haul, and there are others under team control. Still, a handful are slated to become free agents after the season.
So what are the Dodgers to do as they stare down another offseason that could feature significant roster turnover? Let's look at two players who should have their contract extension talks paused (if they're even active) and another with whom LA's executives should intensify the negotiations.
LA Dodgers should pause contract extension talks with Julio Urías
The most urgent of the contract talks this season is Julio Urias. The Dodgers ace will be a free agent after 2023, and could quite possibly sign the largest contract among all the pitchers on the open market.
But Urías hasn't had that dominant, consistent performance in 2023 most Dodgers fans are used to. Sure, he took care of business against the Philadelphia Phillies a couple weeks back with a 10-strikeout showing, but he's laid plenty of eggs through mid-May.
Only half of Urías' starts have been of the quality variety. He's had two very concerning outings against the Cubs and Cardinals, during which he combined for just 6.1 innings of work and 11 earned runs on 13 hits, four walks and only five strikeouts.
Furthermore, there's a certain big name who also resides in LA that will likely hit the open market this winter. While many see Shohei Ohtani as a hitter first, let's not forget that the two-way star finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting last season and is on track to be in the conversation once again in 2023.
Ohtani is going to set the market this offseason, so if the Dodgers miss out on the Japanese superstar, it's nice to have a backup plan in Urías. But the team should definitely wait things out on that front.
LA Dodgers should pause contract extension talks with Walker Buehler
There are sure to be some Dodgers fans who wonder why Walker Buehler's name would even come up in a conversation about contract extensions. After all, Buehler hasn't even set foot on a major league mound this season.
Yes, Buehler is currently on the IL following Tommy John surgery. But the right-hander has targeted a September return and hopes to be available for the postseason. Seeing as how Buehler underwent the procedure in August of last year, his timeline would seem rather bold.
But pushing all that aside and focusing on the contract aspect of things, a "lost" season is the perfect opportunity for LA to capitalize on Buehler's extension. With the right-hander coming off an injury, the Dodgers front office could make the argument that they're taking a bigger risk but be able to offer Buehler less money which could end up being a team-friendly deal.
But again, with Ohtani getting ready to hit the free agent market and the Dodgers primed to pounce, it seems rather irresponsible to start spending money on risky commodities right now.
Furthermore, Buehler is under team control through the 2024 season. LA's best bet is to let Buehler rehab appropriately and show that he's back to full strength next season. Seeing as how Buehler is unlikely to pitch this season, he's not going to really increase his value very much and will be on trial in his contract year next campaign.
LA Dodgers should intensify contract extension talks with Will Smith
Now, here's a scenario where the Dodgers should be a bit more forward-thinking when it comes to extending one of their core players. Will Smith is having an All-Star season in 2023 and is becoming more and more expensive with each passing day.
There are a lot of fans who will not like the idea of extending Smith due to the presence of top prospect Diego Cartaya. That's understandable, but a slow start at Double-A this season (which includes hitting below the Mendoza line) should give Dodgers fans pause.
Smith, on the other hand, might be the best hitting catcher in the league. While he just entered Year 1 of the arbitration process this past season, those years fly by and those numbers get bigger very quickly.
After seeing Sean Murphy sign a seven-year extension with the Atlanta Braves this past offseason, the Dodgers would at least have a comp for what a potential contract extension with Smith could look like.
Signing the slugging backstop, who just turned 28 years old, to a similar contract would keep Smith in Los Angeles through his age-35 season. While that seems like a lot of years for a catcher, there's always the possibility that Smith could change positions in the future, or split time behind the plate and act as the team's DH.
Power hitting catchers are not a dime a dozen -- in fact, they're incredibly rare. Couple Smith's hitting with his above-average defense behind the dish, and the Dodgers might regret letting any potential contract talks extend into the offseason.