Clayton Kershaw

Dodgers Did the Right Thing in Bringing the Band Back Together

The Los Angeles Dodgers have spent $193 million in free agent signings Rich Hill, Kenley Jansen, and Justin Turner this offseason, but here's why it's worth it to bring the band back together.

In his first two offseasons, Los Angeles Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman had never signed a free agent for more than $48 million…

Monday he signed two.

The Dodgers agreed to terms with closer Kenley Jansen (5 years, $80 million) and third baseman Justin Turner (4 years, $64 million) within hours of each other on Monday as the duo join starting pitcher Rich Hill (3 years, $48 million) as L.A. looks to get the band back together for the 2017 season.

The total money committed to the team's top three free agents is $192 million, lavish among today's luxury tax standards.

The Dodgers projected salary for the 2017 season after Monday's signings is $230 million, and the team has still yet to sign a second baseman, or add another reliever.

That $230 million could easily increase to $250 million by Opening Day, well above the $195 million cap established by the MLB Labor Agreement for 2017.

As reported, the MLB mandated the Dodgers lower their payroll in order to cut debt, especially as changes in the labor agreement and the luxury tax penalties take effect in 2018.

That's the year that an additional draft penalty will be dealt to any team that is more than $40 million over the tax threshold as the Dodgers have been the past three seasons. If that trend continues in 2018, the team would move down 10 picks in the first round of the MLB draft.

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That leaves a one-year loophole in 2017 for the Dodgers to still be over the luxury tax threshold without significant consequences. They will likely still be hit with a $35 to $40 million luxury tax penalty, but that's chump change to a team with an $8.3 billion television deal. 

Despite some fans' disappointment with the spending on Jansen and an aging third baseman in Turner, the deals make perfect sense for a team that finished two wins shy of the World Series this season.

First and foremost, if the Dodgers did not bring back Turner and Jansen, they would likely have had to turn to Plan B, which meant a trade for Todd Frazier and David Robertson of the Chicago White Sox.

Instead of $148 million (Jansen and Turner), the trade would have cost the Dodgers top prospects like Cody Bellinger, Alex Verdugo, Julio Urias, and Jose De Leon. That allotment of talent is not only invaluable to the Dodgers, but they are part of the long-term plan to lower spending. 

Had the Dodgers traded for Frazier and Robertson, they still would owe them a combined $21 million, just $12 million shy of what Turner and Jansen will make. Not to mention, Frazier would become a free agent at the end of the year and Robertson the year after that. Jansen and Turner will be with the Dodgers for the next five and four years, respectively. 

The advantage for the Dodgers in signing those two free agents is they bring back the core of a team that has won three straight NL West division titles, and assure themselves another competitive team in 2017.

After the season, contracts like Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier and Alex Guerrero come off the books, freeing up close to $45 million dollars for players that either are no longer playing for the team, or often injured as is the case with Ethier.

The following year, Adrain Gonzalez, Scott Kazmir, Hyun Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy all come off the books, which should free up another $50 million in payroll provided that the team doesn't trade any of those players before then.

The plan for Friedman and the front office is for their own home grown talent to come up from the farm system by then, allowing Verdugo, Bellinger, Urias, and DeLeon to take more prominent roles on the 25-man roster at an extremely low cost to the team. 

The money saved following the 2018 season should allow the team to offer big contracts to free agents Clayton Kershaw and Corey Seager that offseason. 

For now, the Dodgers have brought back their best players from last season, and still have time to improve the team via trade, say for a second baseman or another relief pitcher.

Also, this front office has always shown a propensity to go for it at the MLB trade deadline, as evident by the Rich Hill and Josh Reddick additions this season. Meaning, the team that takes the field in April may not look the same as it does in October. 

In the meantime, everyone is happy in LaLa Land, just ask Adrian Gonzalez.

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