2020 salary terms may finally be sorted out. But what about what’s owed to players beyond that point? The near-term economic picture remains questionable at best. That’ll make teams all the more cautious with guaranteed future salaries.
Every organization has some amount of future cash committed to players, all of it done before the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe. There are several different ways to look at salaries; for instance, for purposes of calculating the luxury tax, the average annual value is the touchstone, with up-front bonuses spread over the life of the deal. For this exercise, we’ll focus on actual cash outlays that still have yet to be paid.
We’ll run through every team, with a big assist from the Cot’s Baseball Contracts database. Prior entries can be found here. Next up is the Dodgers:
*Includes buyouts on club options over Joe Kelly, Max Muncy
*Reflects remaining portion of David Price salary owed by Red Sox
*Includes 2023 player option of A.J. Pollock (due $5MM buyout if he declines)
Datashark
Huge spenders in 2022
Stevil
Possibly 2021 as well.
mlbdodgerfan2015
Lots of questions. Kershaw and Jansen are likely gone after 2021 unless they take big hometown discounts, and/or shorter deals. What happens to Turner after 2020? Betts? Finally get Yaisel Sierra off the books after 2021. That seemed like forever.
FattKemp
Jansen will probably go to Cincinnati or something. Kershaw has nothing left to prove as the ace of a generation for some 10 years, I feel like he’d take a hometown discount ($14 mil yr for 6 or something) and be comfortable as the 2nd starter at the beginning, 4th at the end of the deal
CapsFan70
6 years for a guy that would be 34 when that deal begins???
mcdusty49
Kershaw ain’t getting no 6 year deal…he’s more likely to go the short term route, maybe even year to year with higher salary
dball1
Agree. He may take Dodger discount but one year at a time with troublesome back. Turner is also a candidate for hometown discount
paddyo furnichuh
I suspect Turner might sign a short term deal(1-2y) and transition to manager. Sounds like what Roberts hopes for, and if you’ve heard Turner mic’d up while on the bench, it seems plausible.
Stevil
I could see both Kershaw and Jansen staying in LA, but it will be interesting to see how they address 3B. Kody Hoese is an interesting prospect, but he’s probably a few years out.
I’ve wondered if Ramirez might be a target. They have the chips to acquire him, though Cleveland would have to commit to a complete rebuild to justify moving him.
Arenado has to be on their radar, but Colorado asking for top prospects without any kind of cash discount won’t get a deal done with anyone.
mcdusty49
Arenado would be an option if Colorado gets desperate to move on from that contract…the current Dodgers front office has been more inclined to shy away from dealing prospects
BlueSkies_LA
And even less inclined to commit to big guarantees. I would love to see Arenado in LA but with so many barriers to it happening I can’t see it.
Stevil
LA seems to covet players with positional flexibility, so maybe DJ LeMahieu should be in the conversation? He wouldn’t command a ridiculous contract.
paddyo furnichuh
Arenado’s splits are worrisome, how much is his weaker road production an effect of previously being at high elevation? I’d prefer Seager to slide over in a few years.
Afk711
Yeah by the time he can opt out, I think he may be a little old for Friedman to give him a megadeal. And that would only be possible if they already didnt give one to Mookie. If Arenado didn’t sign the extension I bet they would have been all over him as a free agent last year.
mlbdodgerfan2015
Arenado can opt out after 2021 but I’m skeptical about splits too. His ballpark adjusted numbers are not as good. If he opts out I don’t see the Dodgers being the highest bidder. He seemed ticked off with the Rockies but I don’t think it’s wise for him to opt out financially. And if he doesn’t opt out the only way the Dodgers make that trade is if the Rockies eat a decent chunk of that contract.
Stevil
Seager is a free agent after the 2021 season. They could retain him and sign a SS (or keep him at SS), but who knows what he wants to do.
Arenado’s splits aren’t that alarming. He has hit decently in NL West stadiums, but there’s certainly an argument that he wouldn’t be worth the price tag entering his age 31 season.
Like I said, I think he has to be on the radar (even before 2022), but he’s probably less likely as a trade candidate.
wild bill tetley
Arenado’s splits are extremely alarming for the money he commands and the money he will ask for if he opts out of the deal. How anyone can believe the splits aren’t alarming is very alarming.
fox471 Dave
Edwin Rios at third?
The Human Rain Delay
I would LOVE Ramirez and I think the price would be worth it to go after him
I was touting For DJ all year last year- Watching him blow up was painful.,Perfect fit for this club
hockeyjohn
Cleveland has absolutely no reason to trade Jose Ramirez. He is controllable on a team friendly deal.
Afk711
If Jansen wants to stay in LA he is going to certianly have to take a discount. They will pay Kershaw market value, but thats going to drop a lot from 30 million.
BlueSkies_LA
Obviously at age 34 Kershaw is going to be on short term/performance-based contracts no matter where he goes, but he has greater market value in LA than he would anywhere else. He and the Dodgers will have big incentives for him to complete his career in LA.
Misterants
So much hinges on championships. Dodgers go back to back in 2020* and 2021? Then I think kersh retires
The Human Rain Delay
I think Texas will make a Big offer too Shaw
If he wants the most money he will not be a Dodger
BlueSkies_LA
The Dodgers understand that the value of Kershaw goes way beyond what he does on the field. I believe you are also underestimating the amount of damage that has been done to the game over the last year and will probably get only worse next year. The Dodgers will want to have Kershaw to market to alienated fans. If he doesn’t retire as a Dodger the fans in LA will be livid.
wild bill tetley
If Kershaw leaves and the Dodgers win a ring they’ll get over it very quick. Quit the melodrama.
Kewldood69
That AJ Pollock contract makes me sad. On a side note, I ran into Tony LaRussa last night – great guy. Total old school. I would love to tell you guys what we talked about, but I don’t want to break bro code/clubhouse rules.
Ashtem
He isn’t too bad
BlueSkies_LA
Trash talking Pollock is a blood sport for some people. I mean we know the guy has been snake-bitten with injuries like hardly anybody else but when he plays he can play.
fox471 Dave
Exactly. Hated to face him when he was with DBacks. Next year will be his comeback year.
JohhnyBets67
“Snake Bitten” year after year. As if Friedman didn’t already know that.
Pollock’s gone over 500 PA’s exactly once— in 2015. What will flare up this year? Back, Hammy, his Johnson?
The Human Rain Delay
Snake bitten or not the guy is a waste of resource right now-
My question is “Who the hell were they bidding against to get him up to 60 mill????!!!!!!!
I like Fried and Co but they do not excel in the free agent market whatsoever
Stevil
San Francisco? Philadelphia?
There was risk with Pollock, but I’m sure teams lacking solid center fielders were interested.
The Human Rain Delay
Hmm wishful thinking to think he was ever going to be in CF – Hes terrible in Lf today
In fact ,that pretty much summarizes Pollock perfectly…Wishful thinking
This guys rocking a 790 Ops the last 4 years and you think hes going to turn the corner Now?
Stevil
Maybe, but he was one of the best in the league with Arizona.
BlueSkies_LA
He probably figured that broken bones from getting hit by pitches wasn’t a chronic condition.
The Human Rain Delay
Are we talking about the same Pollock who didnt make the starting lineup in a win or go home game last year?
wild bill tetley
Pollock has played over 137 games once since the 2013 season and over 113 games only twice. Please stop using the “he got drilled” excuse for the three seasons he couldn’t break 90 games or the FIVE seasons he couldn’t top 115. Another bogus take from you. Consistent.
The Human Rain Delay
Correct Wild Bill- Pollock has played 1.5 good seasons out of 8 total yrs with the last being 5 years ago in 2015
He has a career OPS of 804
His second best full year slash line was 266/330/801 Ops in 17′
1977/2849 abs vs RH pitchers = 790 career Ops !!!!!!!
Even his 830 Ops in 872 career abs vs lefties is nothing special
Its Ok to say as a Dodger fan we got taken, we most certainly Did
Misterants
Kewldood acting like he’s privy to some sort of insider knowledge hahahahaha
fox471 Dave
Well, he is kewldood.
frankiegxiii
Also Tony La Russa is notorious for prowling around the MLBTR comment section looking for people talking about him, so I’m sure Kewldood was just covering his ace
mlbdodgerfan2015
He’s an expensive platoon player at this point, producing like a CF while playing corner position. He’ll play against lefties in left field, some DH and fill in off days for CF and RF. But Joc is getting the bulk of LF at bats this season given the righty/lefty platoon.
JustCheckingIn
Playoffs aside, Pollock was a very productive OF once he was healthy in 2019
Nice that both Pollock and Kelly were front loaded
With the limited 2021 commitment, they are lined up for spending as soon as this offseason, but definitely next year
I doubt Kershaw hits the FA market let alone leaves LA. He’ll get a 4-5 year deal. They gave 3 to Rich Hill and Kazmir and McCarthy. Y’all are foolish to think less
The Human Rain Delay
Niether Kelley or Pollock was front loaded-
In fact Pollock was back loaded to make the first year even work
Yes Pollock hit lefties very well in 2019….thats it !
wild bill tetley
Pollock’s been injury prone his entire career.
The Dodgers did not need him. They also overpaid for him. Glorified lefty masher at this point. And he’s only getting older.