SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. _ On Monday afternoon, 16 days after the Los Angeles Dodgers season ended, the team completed a pair of procedural maneuvers that underscored the top priority for this offseason, extending a $17.2 million qualifying offer to closer Kenley Jansen and third baseman Justin Turner.
Both Jansen and Turner are expected to elect free agency and reject the offer, which guarantees the Dodgers receive draft-pick compensation if either player signs elsewhere. The team intends to negotiate with both, and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman identified those two positions as the most pivotal for this team's winter.
"Our most acute needs as we head into the offseason are the roles previously occupied by our two free agents," Friedman said after arriving at the General Managers Meetings at the Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa. "We have to figure out what we're doing at third base, and figure out an anchor for the back of the 'pen."
The two areas provide separate challenges. Turner stands alone as the sole star third baseman on the free-agent market. Jansen resides in a crowded field that includes former All-Stars such as Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon.
The focus on Jansen and Turner will not preclude the team from exploring other areas of improvement. The Dodgers will likely float starting pitchers such as Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy in trades, monitor a free-agent market stocked with right-handed power hitters and explore a reunion with Rich Hill.
The club possesses enough depth in the starting rotation and outfield to effectively stand pat in those areas. Friedman has shown an aptitude for building useful bullpens at discount prices. But there are few solutions on the 40-man roster to replace Turner and Jansen.
The Dodgers relied upon both in 2016. Turner tied for the team lead with 27 homers, posted an .832 on-base plus slugging percentage and served as one of the team's few reliable right-handed batters. Jansen saved 47 games with a 1.83 earned-run average and displayed a willingness to handle multiple innings in the playoffs.
The internal options for third base do not invite confidence. The club could ask Howie Kendrick, a second baseman who converted to left field in 2016, to try his hand at third. Both Enrique Hernandez and Rob Segedin have also played the position before. Kendrick slumped through his worst offensive season in a decade in 2016, finishing with a career-low .691 OPS, while Hernandez and Segedin profile better as bench players.
If the price for Turner, who turns 32 this month and underwent microfracture surgery on his knee last winter, expands beyond the Dodgers' comfort zone, the club could explore trade options. Evan Longoria, who was developed under Friedman's watch in Tampa Bay, could be an option. The Rays owe Longoria $98.5 million through 2022.
A replacement for Jansen will be easier to find. The Dodgers would like to re-sign him, but will consider Chapman and perhaps even Melancon. The team came close to acquiring Chapman in a trade last winter, but the deal fell apart after reports emerged about his involvement in an alleged domestic violence incident.
The Dodgers sent a representative to watch former Kansas City closer Greg Holland pitch in a showcase on Monday at nearby Grand Canyon University. Holland, a two-time All-Star, missed the 2016 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery the year before. His fastball resided around 89-90 mph, according to scouts in attendance. His fastball sat at 95 mph before his elbow injury with the Royals, when he posted a 1.86 ERA from 2011 to 2014.
The downfall of Holland underscores the volatility of relief pitchers. But Friedman still believes his club requires a bullpen ace to stabilize his relief corps.
"It's certainly much more helpful when you're putting together a bullpen to have an anchor at the back," Friedman said. "It allows you the opportunity to hit on more guys than you might otherwise hit on, if they're put in the roles they're not accustomed to, or comfortable in."
