Even after adding a stockpile of prized starters, the Los Angeles Dodgers face serious pitching concerns heading into the playoffs.
The team traded for Tyler Glasnow, signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto and James Paxton and re-signed Clayton Kershaw, among other transactions, to fortify the rotation for this year. But with less than two weeks until the regular season ends, the team has just five healthy starters with several of those struggling to put together decent starts.
As a result, the team might look to once again reload with a frontline ace, even after spending more than $1 billion this past offseason. Debating where the projected top prize of the pitching market might sign next year, a pair of MLB.com reporters listed the Dodgers among the top contenders for Corbin Burnes.
"If you make me pick a non-Baltimore/New York team to watch, I'd have to go with the Cubs. Or the Dodgers, just because they sign everybody every year," Mark Feinsand predicted, listed the Dodgers as a top-five contender.
Bleacher Report recently projected that Burnes is in line for a seven-year, $255 million contract. And the Dodgers continued willingness to spend on major free agent acquisition was noted by Feinsand's colleague, Anthony DiComo, who also ranked them among the top contenders to sign the pitcher.
"My other usual disclaimer is, 'never count out the Dodgers,'" DiComo added. "They're not the most obvious fit at this point, but, well, never say never."
Feinsand and DiComo also listed Burnes' current team, the Baltimore Orioles, along with the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees as the top destinations for Burnes next year. But the Dodgers are likely to seek additional pitching depth, even if Shohei Ohtani returns to the mound in 2025. Kershaw could decide to decline his player option for next season and retire and Walker Buehler is poised to hit free agency.
Signing Burnes would provide that depth in a big way. He's a four-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner with a career 3.22 ERA across seven big-league seasons. Across 182.1 innings this season, he's maintained a 3.06 ERA with 164 strikeouts.
If the Dodgers fall short of World Series contention this season amid a lack of pitching depth, they could see Burnes as their solution for next year.