The Los Angeles Dodgers had a quiet offseason for the most part. Their primary MLB free agency moves revolved around signing OF/DH JD Martinez and SP Noah Syndergaard. Los Angeles later acquired INF Miguel Rojas from the Miami Marlins in a trade. The Dodgers made a number of other low-profile moves. But Martinez, Syndergaard, and Rojas represent their standout acquisitions.
So what was the Dodgers' riskiest MLB offseason move?
Dodgers' riskiest MLB offseason move
Miguel Rojas doesn't offer much risk, but also doesn't provide much reward. He's a solid contact hitter who will be a capable option at shortstop or in a versatile role. LA is expected to have Rojas and Gavin Lux split time at shortstop.
Rojas, who began his career in Los Angeles with the Dodgers, is a career .260 hitter. He doesn't offer much pop but has also never struck out more than 74 times in a single season.
The Dodgers gave up just one prospect in the form of Jacob Amaya to acquire Rojas from Miami. Amaya has the potential to develop into a quality big league infielder, but he didn't match the Dodgers' current needs. They already have young players set for big roles in Lux and Miguel Vargas.
The Rojas trade was a safe move for LA.
Signing JD Martinez comes with some risk, but he's fresh off of an All-Star campaign with the Boston Red Sox. Martinez will likely be the Dodgers' DH this year.
He hit over .270 with a .790 OPS and 16 home runs in 2022. It wasn't a spectacular season, but it was productive nonetheless. And in 2021, Martinez clubbed 28 homers with an .867 OPS.
The Martinez signing doesn't present much risk either. LA paid just $10 million to sign him and if he struggles or gets injured, the Dodgers' lineup will be able to move on. But his ceiling is high.
It wouldn't be surprising to see Martinez have an another All-Star caliber year in 2023.
So that leaves Noah Syndergaard.
Noah Syndergaard
The signing of Noah Syndergaard isn't the riskiest move of all-time. But he's expected to fill a big role in the Dodgers' rotation.
Los Angeles ultimately signed Syndergaard to a base salary of $13 million. The Dodgers are hoping that he will have a Tyler Anderson/Andrew Heaney-type season and turn his career around. But Syndergaard has a concerning injury history.
He was able to pitch in 25 games in 2022. But he only pitched in 2 games in 2021 and sat out during the 2020-shortened campaign. If Syndergaard struggles or gets injured, it could lead the Dodgers to call-up one of their top pitching prospects. It would also place added pressure on Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, and Dustin May to carry the rotation.
With that being said, Noah Syndergaard very well could get back on track in LA. The Dodgers have a history of getting the most out of their pitchers.
Final thoughts
The Dodgers lost more star-power than they acquired during the offseason. But this is still a talented ball club more than capable of competing in the NL West.
In the end, none of the Dodgers' offseason moves present an immense amount of risk. But the Noah Syndergaard signing is the riskiest acquisition they made.
It will be interesting to see how Rojas, Martinez, and Syndergaard ultimately fare with the Dodgers in 2023.
*Stats via Baseball Reference.
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