Los Angeles Dodgers Free Agency Predictions: 4 Big Moves And A Trade

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the reigning World Series champions with every intention of becoming the newest dynasty in Major League Baseball. With the offseason underway, we’ve got Dodgers predictions for MLB free agency and on the trade market this winter.

While there are plenty of Dodgers rumors linking the team to Juan Soto, signing him doesn’t seem like a realistic possibility. Instead, the best approach for Los Angeles might be to spread the money around across multiple positions and use some of the top prospects to address a long-term need.

Also Read: Los Angeles Dodgers Free Agency Big Board

Let’s dive into our Dodgers offseason, predictions, including three moves in MLB free agency and one trade.

Teoscar Hernandez re-signs with Los Angeles

Los Angeles Dodgers free agency predictions — Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Teoscar Hernandez entered MLB free agency a year ago, taking a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It proved to be a perfect fit. He finished with his best season since 2021, earning a spot in the MLB All-Star Game, and won a World Series while fitting perfectly into the Dodgers clubhouse. So, it’s no surprise that the All-Star slugger has already stated that re-signing with the Dodgers is a priority

Teoscar Hernandez stats (ESPN): .272/.339/.501, .840 OPS, 33 home runs, 32 doubles, 99 RBI

Los Angeles wants him back, too. The consensus around MLB seems to be that Hernandez is worth approximately $20 million per season and he could land a three-year contract. Fitting the clubhouse culture is important to the Dodgers organization and knowing how well Hernandez fit in with this team and his contributions to the success of the Dodgers lineup lead us to believe he will sign a two-year, $42 million contract to remain with the club.

Dodgers swing blockbuster Garrett Crochet trade

Los Angeles Dodgers offseason predictions — Matt Marton-Imagn Images

If Los Angeles is going to add $20 million to its payroll in 2025, there has to be savings in other areas. So, instead of giving Corbin Burnes a $200 million contract or getting into a bidding war for Max Fried, the Dodgers return to conversations with the Chicago White Sox about a Garrett Crochet trade.

Los Angeles Dodgers trade: SS Joendry Vargas (Dodgers’ No. 7 prospect), OF Eduardo Quintero (Dodgers’ No. 9 prospect), OF Kendall George (Dodgers’ No. 13 prospect), Gavin Lux, Kyle Hurt
Chicago White Sox trade: Garrett Crochet

A package of the Dodgers top prospects along with Gavin Lux gives Chicago the bat-driven return it’s seeking, especially with Lux able to join the White Sox lineup immediately. Crochet is under contract for the next two seasons, projected to make just a $2.9 million salary in 2025. Los Angeles could take the same approach it did in the Tyler Glasnow trade, agreeing to a deal as long as Crochet agrees to a multi-year extension that makes all parties happy.

Roki Sasaki joins Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto

There have been Dodgers rumors about Roki Sasaki for nearly a year. MLB teams have wanted him for a long time, but reports came out this past spring that everyone expected him to sign with Los Angeles. However, there’s now plenty of smoke suggesting the San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles and even a few small-market teams will provide competition.

Roki Sasaki stats (Baseball Reference): 2.46 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 11.5 K/9, 6.0 H/9, 5.74 K/BB ratio, 15 home runs allowed in 394.2 career innings in NPB

We expect the Dodgers to land Sasaki. While he might prefer a smaller market team, the beauty of joining Los Angeles is that all of the spotlight will be on Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Mookie Betts. Plus, if the team acquires Crochet, that puts even less pressure on Sasaki in his rookie season. The Dodgers’ pitching depth would also help them ease Sasaki into action, which is important since he’s coming off an injury-riddled season and has never thrown more than 129 innings in a season in Japan.

Willy Adames finally lands with Los Angeles Dodgers

We’ve placed plenty of emphasis on our Dodgers offseason predictions on cost-effective spending. Hernandez provides an All-Star bat for only around $20 million per season. Meanwhile, Los Angeles gets to fortify its rotation with Sasaki and Crochet while only adding less than $4 million to the 2025 payroll.

Willy Adames stats (ESPN): .251/.331/.462, .794 OPS, 32 home runs, 112 RBI

It aligns perfectly with the vision of splurging on Willy Adames. The Dodgers have wanted him for years, but the Milwaukee Brewers always refused to trade him. Now the star shortstop is available in MLB free agency. He wants to get paid and the Dodgers can offer that plus the chance to compete for championships.

Not only would Adames add another potential All-Star bat to the Dodgers lineup, he would also be a defensive upgrade at shortstop over what the team trotted out in 2023. That means Dave Roberts can use Mookie Betts at second base more frequently, a spot he handles very well defensively. Plus, the Dodgers can mix things up with Betts at shortstop and Adames playing third base with Tommy Edman serving as the super utility defender.

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Here’s a look at the projected Dodgers lineup and rotation with these moves.