5 free agents the Dodgers should be grateful they avoided this offseason

RHP Jameson Taillon - Chicago Cubs

Taillon is another pitcher with a bit of a checkered past that could've been a fit on the Dodgers on paper, but is better suited elsewhere. After all, he's made over 30 starts just twice since debuting back in 2016 and hasn't quite been able to replicate a strong 2018 showing in Pittsburgh.

After two decent (at best) seasons on the Yankees, Taillon signed with the Cubs on a four-year deal that will pay him, well, way too much money ($68 million). He hasn't been anywhere close to as dynamic on the mound as this payday suggests, and the Cubs are going to be stuck sitting on a lot of money.

To kick off the 2023 season, the 31-year-old has been shockingly bad for the Cubbies. To this point, he has made seven starts and has an 8.10 ERA, 4.94 FIP and 54 ERA+. In that time, he has walked 3.4 batters per nine innings and has allowed over 12 hits per nine innings -- both of which are way too high for a pitcher of his stature.

Through just 26.2 innings of work, Taillon has somehow already been worth -0.8 bWAR and has allowed opposing batters to post a .313 average, .892 OPS and .369 BABIP along the way. No matter how one looks at it, this was a foolish contract offer by the Cubs and the Dodgers should be grateful that they did not take this leap on such an unreliable starting pitcher.