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CARLSBAD — Andrew Friedman has said it aggregate times successful caller years. Some years, helium tin beryllium “more assertive than others” with the Dodgers’ payroll.
They were precise assertive successful 2021 aft 3 years of reining it successful – comparatively speaking. They did not transcend the competitive-balance taxation those years but blew past it with a major-league precocious payroll exceeding $260 cardinal successful 2021.
So wherever volition the 2022 payroll autumn connected that spectrum?
“I don’t cognize that I’ve ever had a afloat appreciation of that successful aboriginal November,” Friedman said astatine the yearly GM Meetings connected Wednesday. “So overmuch of that comes from what the marketplace looks similar – the commercialized market, the escaped cause market, what areas we’re looking to address. It’s a large happening astir our ownership group. That’s not thing that’s locked successful connected Day One arsenic ‘This is simply a rigid number.’ It’s overmuch much fluid than that.
“I cognize past twelvemonth erstwhile we made the decisions that we did, payroll-wise, that we were looking astatine a overmuch higher payroll for 2 years than what had been the erstwhile 2 years. … We ne'er presumption payroll successful a one-year horizon. There’s a batch of inner-connectivity betwixt years. But we knew that astatine the time. Where precisely that is, we’ll see.”
Much of Friedman’s payroll fluidity and flexibility this wintertime could beryllium tied up successful the result of Trevor Bauer’s situation. The Dodgers could precise good find themselves paying Bauer his afloat $102 cardinal declaration for each of 17 starts made earlier July of this season.
They already paid him his afloat wage successful 2021, astir $40 million of his three-year deal. He continued drafting his wage portion connected administrative permission implicit the last 3 months of the season.
The Dodgers could get immoderate alleviation successful 2022 if, arsenic is anticipated, Bauer receives immoderate benignant of suspension from MLB. Their probe of the intersexual battle allegations against him is inactive ongoing. The Dodgers would not person to wage Bauer portion helium serves a suspension – but Bauer could entreaty oregon record a grievance erstwhile MLB hands down its discipline, extending the process further.
Ultimately, the Dodgers mightiness person to swallow the remainder of Bauer’s declaration if they determine to chopped ties with him (after immoderate suspension has been served). Regardless, the Dodgers person a batch of wealth tied up successful a subordinate who is not apt to transportation for them again.
“We aren’t prepared to speech astir that close now,” Friedman said, his modular effect to immoderate question astir Bauer’s presumption and aboriginal with the team.
Friedman did admit that Bauer’s concern “will person immoderate impact” connected the team’s payroll and, by extension, decisions connected subordinate acquisitions. But erstwhile that interaction is felt – oregon however profoundly – volition stay an chartless arsenic Friedman works done a analyzable offseason that features 12 interior escaped agents and Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations that could unopen the athletics down entirely.
“We recognize that determination are a scope of outcomes. We don’t cognize what they are. We don’t cognize the likelihood,” Friedman said. “Right now, we’re conscionable proceeding arsenic if we’re trying to bash everything we tin to enactment the champion squad together. We expect on the mode we’ll get accusation that volition beryllium helpful. And past we’ll react.”
BORAS TALK
Scott Boras is the cause for a fig of apical escaped agents again this wintertime – including Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and starting pitcher Max Scherzer. He spoke astatine magnitude to the media connected Wednesday, touching connected galore subjects including those two.
Boras dismissed the thought that teams mightiness prosecute Seager with the volition to determination him from shortstop to different presumption similar 3rd base.
“I deliberation teams presumption Corey Seager arsenic a big-play shortstop successful large games,” Boras said. “Teams are coming aft Corey Seager arsenic a shortstop.’”
That would beryllium problematic for the Dodgers, who acquired Trea Turner past twelvemonth past moved him to 2nd base. Turner volition beryllium a escaped cause adjacent wintertime and mightiness not beryllium funny successful signing agelong word with the Dodgers if it means his aboriginal would beryllium astatine 2nd basal with Seager backmost astatine shortstop.
“There’s things we’d person to fig retired and enactment through,” Friedman said to the hypothetical. “Obviously we person Trea, who is deserving of playing shortstop, is simply a truly bully major-league shortstop. Corey is simply a truly bully major-league shortstop. There’s conscionable a batch to enactment done there. Fortunately, we person the payment of time.”
Friedman said Seager has ne'er expressed to him that continuing astatine shortstop would beryllium a information of re-signing with the Dodgers.
“No. But I ideate that helium does (see himself arsenic a shortstop) and would (want to proceed there),” Friedman said. “I mean, he’s worked truly hard astatine it. I deliberation helium identifies himself arsenic a shortstop. My conjecture is that’s his mindset.”
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Friedman said helium expects nary changes to the Dodgers’ coaching unit successful 2022. …
The Dodgers volition “very overmuch beryllium successful the mix” to re-sign reliever Joe Kelly, Friedman said. “Joe is 1 of a kind. Love what helium brings to a clubhouse. Awesome competitor,” Friedman said. The Dodgers did not workout the enactment for 2022 successful Kelly’s contract, paying him a $4 cardinal buyout alternatively than a $12 cardinal wage adjacent twelvemonth and making him a escaped agent.
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