by Aeden Alexander

As the MLB offseason is rapidly approaching, the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers have a plethora of options going forward. Despite winning the championship with relative ease, the Dodgers still have ways they’d like to improve, and have the luxury of affording some of the top free agents of the 2020 Free Agency Class.

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The Defending World Series Champions Los Angeles Dodgers look to make moves this offseason, bring back players, as well as add some new players to the roster.

The Dodgers have a big decision to make this offseason in bringing back major role players or going all out to hopefully sign major players to hopefully bring back-to-back titles to the city of Los Angeles. These are the top ten free-agents the Dodgers may target. 

(1.) Trevor Bauer RHP

	WAR	Wins	Loss	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	SO	WHIP
2020	2.7	5	4	1.73	11	11	0	73	100	0.795
Career	17.5	75	64	3.90	205	195	1	1190	1279	1.265

Trevor Bauer is the number one pitcher coming off the 2020 season with an impressive year winning NL Cy Young and leading his Cincinnati Reds to the playoffs. Bauer’s been a successful pitcher his entire career and continues to dominate. He would fit very well into the Dodgers Organization as he went to UCLA and the Dodgers need pitching.

(2.) Justin Turner 3B

	WAR	AB	H	HR	BA	R	RBI	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2020	1.3	150	46	4	.307	26	23	1	.400	.460	.860	135
Career	29.3	3521	1029	124	.292	504	495	35	.369	.469	.838	128

The Dodgers veteran third basemen reached the end of his contract with LA this year, and even though he might not have had a MVP type year, he still showed up in the playoffs and played a major role in helping the Dodgers win the World Series. For the Dodgers to have the chance to win again this year they need to keep their offense together and this was a big battery to that lineup.

(3.) Liam Hendricks RHP

	WAR	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	SO	WHIP
2020	1.4	3	1	1.78	24	0	14	25.1	37	0.671
Career	4.8	19	27	4.10	344	44	40	516.1	526	1.278

LA must keep their offense, but throughout the entire playoffs as well in just recent years, the pitching specifically the bullpen has been lacking and losing games for them. Liam Hendricks from Oakland would be the perfect reliever for the Dodgers as he is coming off his best year to date and would be able to take over the bullpen and help win games like he did with the Athletics.

(4.) Brad Hand LHP

	WAR	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	SO	WHIP
2020	0.7	2	1	2.05	23	0	16	22.0	29	0.773
Career	7	26	43	3.65	396	43	105	608.2	624	1.235

Brad Hand is an All-star caliber relief pitcher from the Indians and would be able to supply the left-handed shut down type pitching the Dodgers need. All year LA had a great start to games and would lose in the last few innings and the power Hand brings to the games would be able to finish those games strong and limit those playoff stressful games.

(5.) Charlie Morton RHP

	WAR	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	SO	WHIP
2020	0.2	2	2	4.74	9	9	0	38	42	1.395
Career	8	93	99	4.08	259	258	0	1439.1	1276	1.334

Charlie Morton is one of the top pitching free-agents this year and would fit well behind Kershaw in the starting rotation. He had a decent year this year but will be expecting a comeback year from him and hopefully looking like his dominant self again. The Dodgers chances of pursuing him are unlikely but would blend well with the organization.

(6.) Joc Pederson OF

	WAR	AB	H	HR	BA	R	RBI	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2020	-0.4	121	23	7	.190	21	16	1	.285	.397	.681	84
Career	10.4	2153	496	130	.230	345	303	17	.336	.470	.806	116

Joc Pederson this past year might not have stuck out in the stats sheet, but came up big time in the playoffs for the Dodgers and would be a great person to resign. Perderson is able to be that cheaper role player the Dodgers wouldn’t need to spend an arm and a leg on but still produce for them. LA has one of the highest salaries this upcoming season and need to be smart with their role players because they need a quality over quantity type mindset.

(7.) Kirby Yates RHP

	WAR	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	SO	WHIP
2020	-0.3	0	1	12.46	6	0	2	4.1	8	2.538
Career	4.6	12	17	3.54	291	0	57	282.1	400	1.148

Kirby Yates coming off a rough year would be a perfect budget piece for LA. Brings the intensity year after year proving his worth and would fit well with the Dodger bullpen.Showed to be one of San Diego’s reliable guys and would be perfect on a veteran deal for the Dodgers.

(8.) James Paxton LHP

	WAR	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	SO	WHIP
2020	-0.4	1	1	6.65	5	5	0	20.1	26	1.475
Career	12.9	57	33	3.58	136	136	0	753.1	829	1.213

James Paxton is a left handed pitcher from New York, coming off a decent year, LA would have to pay a hefty price for this lefty but would be worth it. Would be a lead lefty in the pen and would follow up nice to one of the many flamethrowers the Dodgers have.

(.9) Kike Hernandez Utility

	WAR	AB	H	HR	BA	R	RBI	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2020	0.9	139	32	5	.230	20	20	0	.270	.410	.680	83
Career	10.2	1791	430	71	.240	250	227	27	.313	.425	.738	98

Kike’s return to LA would be perfect for the Dodgers because he provides that utility aspect that if anyone gets hurt he can fill in. As well as played a major role in the playoffs smashing two big time homeruns when they really needed it. Would come back for cheap and should be a must for the Dodgers.

(10.) Masahiro Tanaka RHP

	WAR	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	SO	WHIP
2020	0.7	3	3	3.56	10	10	0	48	44	1.667
Career	17.5	78	46	3.74	174	173	0	1054.1	991	1.130

The right hander from the Yankees has had a successful career so far. As the Dodgers might need to pay a big price for Tanaka it wouldn’t be a surprise for LA to pull this off. The only problem would be money because Tanaka would need a high salary and the Dodgers don’t have that after many big signings in the past years.