The Dodgers are shopping Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy and others, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports (Twitter link). Roster flexibility is one factor in these trade explorations, as Los Angeles currently has 39 players on its 40-man roster. Rich Hill could fill that last open spot, as the Dodgers are reportedly close to a deal to re-sign the veteran lefty, though the team would need more room to make further acquisitions.
Dealing the likes of Kazmir or McCarthy obviously carries more import than simply clearing roster space, as a glimpse at the Dodgers roster reveals several major league and minor league names on the 40-man that could reasonably be designated for assignment. Moving either veteran starter would be significant for the team’s 2017 rotation plans and potentially payroll, though it is quite possible L.A. would have to eat some money to facilitate a trade, especially with McCarthy.
After missing almost all of 2015 and most of 2016 recovering from Tommy John surgery, McCarthy managed 10 games (nine of them starts) for the Dodgers, though he also spent time on the DL with a hip injury. Since signing a four-year, $48MM deal with the Dodgers in December 2014, McCarthy has pitched just 63 innings of 5.29 ERA baseball for the club, and he is still owed $10MM in each of the next two seasons. The starter-thin market this winter could generate some interest in McCarthy’s services if other teams believe he is healthy, though that could be a tall order, given the righty’s lengthy list of injuries both in recent years and throughout his career.
Kazmir also has a pretty checkered injury history and dealt with another DL trip in 2016 due to thoracic spine inflammation. The lefty made just one outing after August 22, as his season was essentially ended by the injury. Kazmir threw 136 1/3 innings in his first season as a Dodger, posting a 4.56 ERA, 2.58 K/BB and 8.8 K/9 and his highest BB/9 and HR/9 totals since 2010. It was probably a combination of these only-decent numbers and his season-ending DL stint that led Kazmir to not opt out of his contract, so he is still owed $32MM over the next two years.
With Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda and Julio Urias penciled into the rotation, Kazmir and McCarthy project to fill the other two spots (with Hill either replacing one altogether or moving one to the bullpen). Alex Wood, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Jose De Leon and Ross Stripling some of the other arms available as potential rotation depth, which is very necessary given the incredible number of pitching injuries the Dodgers faced last year.
lol
I could see the Marlins as a great fit for McCarthy, especially depending on whether or not the dodgers will eat salary. Can, at times, be an extremely effective starter when healthy (which isn’t a sure thing, by any means) and Miami is a team looking for back end starting pitching.
I don’t care what they have to do to clear space just get it done outright McCarthy if you have to because I doubt anyone will take him and trade Kazmir.
What does “shopping” mean? Every team has a couple guys like this they’d love to move in a trade, but are people actually taking these calls? Are calls even being made? Just wondering what constitutes this as “news”?
In this case, it means off the back of a truck at a swap meet.
Didn’t the Dodgers just overpay … I mean lock up … I mean just sign Kazmir last year and McCarthy the year before? Millions out the window. I love how Kazmir did NOT opt out and stuck it to them.
“I love how Kazmir did NOT opt out and stuck it to them.”
Yes, the Dodgers weren’t expecting that when they signed him as they did, you know, with an out clause for this season if last year was super magnificent.
Not that I’m part of an MLB front office, but I doubt the Dodgers weren’t expecting this to happen. But I’m glad you’re thrilled about the Dodgers doing what they said they would do despite not getting a stellar season from Kazmir last year.
I do not get the point of this. What team wouldn’t love to cut some of the dead weight on their roster to make room for more productive players? To me the Dodgers would have to eat so much of their salaries that it would be pointless to trade them.
Between the injury issues/poor performance I don’t see any team wanting to pay more than 5 or 6 million per year for them, while giving up fringe prospects back at best.
To them “so much” is relative. Even if they were willing to just eat half of each salary that saves them more than that in luxury tax. It also ensures that they are under the threshold next year. It’s clear that Milwaukee was more than willing to take on McCarthy. Also understand that Charlie Morton just got 7M, Doug Fister is rumored to command about 7M. That being said there is a market. They won’t have to eat an insane amount off of McCarthy. They are paying Kaz 8M for the next 5 years in deferrals. It’s not like they’d have to eat much off that 8 mill per year for two years.
If they could get as much as half of their salary commitments back they’d jump at it. That would be almost impossible to imagine in most off-seasons but with starting pitching being so thin it’s plausible for Kazmir anyway. McCarthy, harder to see. Players who end seasons on the DL are difficult to deal.
All that matters really is their ability to knock down the AAV for the payroll implications. They only(used loosely) owe Kaz 8M this year and until 21, but he’s 15 against the threshold. So even half in 17
And 18 correlates what he actually is getting paid. Luckily for the Dodgers this market is so bad that they can make a legitimate argument that Kaz has more upside than Morton and most on the market with the obvious exception of Ross and quite possibly Nova. That being said, this isn’t an impossible task considering the market. There are also so many needs for even back end starters. They just aren’t getting anything at all in return.
If the front office can’t figure out his to deal Kazmir,for,an elite reliever, they should be fired.
– 90% of the fan base
Excellent straw man
You think Kazmir is going to land the Dodgers an elite reliever?
Yes
Lol
Obviously going to trade him for Chapman. This is how you offseason, people.
I could see a trade for Robertson. Salary dump swap.
He was joking
Dodger would have to eat a lot of money but I could see the Yankees trade a low level prospect to get McCarthy back. He pitched really well while he was there and credited Larry Rothschild with delveloping his cutter and allowing him to use it more, no other team would let him. Low risk for them, if he continues to suck they let him go
Agreed, would really like that move as long as its only a low level prospect going to the Dodgers
Kazmir for an elite reliever? Sure; you can have Mariano Rivera, Goose Gossage or Rollie Fingers. Actually you can have all three…..and a bottle of Metamucil…….
Neither Kazmir nor McCarthy gets you anything in a trade unless it’s a return dump.
Mariano could still probably be effective!
Good luck… and I’m a Dodger fan. If anything it would have to be a bad contract swap. Josh Harrison for Kazmir and cash?
How is Kazmir worth $16M while Hill is only getting $13M? Kazmir & $8M might land LA a decent reliever. Marlins need SP I’d start there
I’d like to see McCarthy stay, of the two. There was still some life in that arm when he could actually get on the mound. Velocity was good – and if he can’t stick in the rotation, that velocity should tick up another notch from the bullpen. Kazmir on the other hand throws batting practice stuff – tough to watch.
That would also be my choice if I had one. McCarthy had that bonkers delivery issue but it presumably was a function of the hip injury. Otherwise he was throwing remarkably well for someone coming back from TJ.