The Anthony Rendon to the Los Angeles Dodgers rumors continue to make noise—and for good reason, since he is one of the best players in baseball.
Dodgers have Anthony Rendon on their radar. Earlier they’d been connected to Josh Donaldson. Justin Turner has generously offered to change positions if necessary.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 14, 2019
In an article by Will Leitch on MLB.com titled The Rendon suitor power rankings, the Dodgers are listed as the second most likely team, out of 11 total, to sign the free-agent third baseman.
Here is what Leitch said of the possible move:
Justin Turner is obviously the third baseman right now, but he’s only under contract for one more year and has shown a willingness to move to first base if Rendon (or, say, Josh Donaldson) comes to town. That would push Max Muncy to second base and make Gavin Lux a utility guy, which actually makes a little bit of sense.
More to the point: You’d only need to do all the moving around for one year until Turner’s contract expires. And there’s no way the Dodgers — who, one reminds, took a step backward last year and might be more desperate for a World Series title than any team in baseball right now — aren’t better in 2020 with Rendon on their team. And certainly for a few more years after that. They’ve been hesitant to give out massive long-term contracts in the past. So, maybe Rendon’s presumably smaller window gives both sides an opportunity.
The Dodgers trail only the Nationals in the power rankings and are one spot ahead of the Rangers. Rounding out the ranked teams are the Angels, Phillies and Yankees. Teams with “other dimmer possibilities” include the Cardinals, Indians, Mets, Padres and White Sox.
The Dodgers and Rendon are a match made in Heaven as both would prefer to stay away from very-long-term contracts. Signing him would provide an immediate upgrade to the lineup on both sides of the ball.
Coming off an MVP caliber season, Rendon, 29, will likely be looking at deal around 4-7 years with an average annual value of $30-$40 million.
