LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are facing one of their most important winters since president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman took over in 2014. Los Angeles has 12 free agents from the 2021 team, most of whom were key contributors to a club that won 106 games.
With Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw entering the free-agent market, one area in particular that the Dodgers will look to address this winter is their starting rotation. They wasted no time in getting started.
On Monday, the Dodgers and left-hander Andrew Heaney agreed to a one-year deal, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The deal, which according to Feinsand will be worth $8.5 million, is pending a physical and has not been confirmed by the club.
Heaney, 30, had a forgettable 2021 campaign with the Angels and Yankees. He went 8-9 with a 5.83 ERA in 30 games (23 starts). His struggles were magnified after a midseason trade to the Yankees, with whom he posted a 7.32 ERA in 12 appearances, ultimately losing his spot in the rotation. Over parts of seven seasons, Heaney has gone 32-38 with a 4.72 ERA, spending most of his time with the Angels.
Despite those struggles, the Dodgers are intrigued by the possibility of the left-hander having a bounce-back season. His fastball spin rate, which ranks in the 90th percentile, is a major reason why. Los Angeles was apparently not alone in its pursuit: about a dozen teams were pursuing Heaney before he came to an agreement with the Dodgers, according to Feinsand.
Signing Heaney, especially this early in the offseason, is a surprising move by the Dodgers. But they see Heaney as another depth piece, one that is perfectly capable of jumping into a rotation alongside Walker Buehler and Julio Urías. After seeing their rotation get depleted by injuries last season, the Dodgers head into the winter looking to add as many quality arms as possible.
Scherzer and Kershaw are free agents. Dustin May will likely miss most, if not all, of ‘22. Tony Gonsolin was inconsistent last season as he dealt with shoulder issues. David Price is an option, but didn’t have a strong end to the season. There’s also the uncertainty surrounding Trevor Bauer, who spent the last four months of the season on paid administrative leave. He is still being investigated by Major League Baseball after allegations of sexual assault.
Even after coming to an agreement with Heaney, the Dodgers expect to get deep into negotiations with Kershaw and Scherzer. The Dodgers didn’t extend Kershaw a qualifying offer on Sunday, but that doesn’t change the fact that the club is interested in bringing back the future Hall of Famer. Kershaw is still recovering from a left forearm injury that ended his season. He received a PRP injection in October.
This will be Heaney’s second stint with the Dodgers, though both sides expect this one to last much longer. The Dodgers acquired Heaney in a trade with the Marlins in 2014, but immediately dealt him to the Angels in order to acquire Howie Kendrick.