Dodgers Team News

Dodgers Should Pursue Gerrit Cole Over Anthony Rendon Says MLB Insider

Indeed, the Los Angeles Dodgers have confirmed interest in free agent slugger Anthony Rendon. Furthermore, some credible experts believe the Dodgers will sign Rendon.

Remember though, reports are that Andrew Friedman loves both Rendon and free agent ace Gerrit Cole. Therefore, if the Dodgers are likely to sign only one of the pair, which one should they write the deal with?



Thankfully, Joel Sherman went on MLB Network’s Hot Stove and played the role of Dodgers’ general manager for a day. Moreover, Sherman says the Dodgers should focus first on signing the ace arm and not Rendon.

Here is what Sherman says in regards to signing Cole over Rendon in Los Angeles:

“The first thing I would do is, I would seriously pursue Gerrit Cole,” Sherman said Monday on MLB Network’s “Hot Stove” program as he played the role of the Dodgers’ general manager.

Next, the reasoning Sherman provides is more important; and in this case it makes sense. Notably, Sherman believes that the Dodgers need two frontline starters to take that next step in the playoffs. To be honest, I agree with his next quote entirely.

“I want to get to the point where Cole and Walker Buehler are my No. 1 and 2 starters, and I begin to de-emphasize Clayton Kershaw, who’s still a very good Major League starter. But it gets to the postseason every year and they’re somehow beholden to Clayton Kershaw, who even himself, after [National League Division Series] Game 5 when they were eliminated against Washington, talked about his history in the postseason, which is, at best, mixed.”

Finally, I believe Sherman hits the nail on the proverbial head with this segment. While he gives mention to the Nationals eliminating the Dodgers – I look at how the Nationals won the World Series. Without question, it was having two frontline starters they could trot out in a short series to neutralize Houston’s powerful lineup.

This is why I have wanted Cole in Los Angeles as my number one option since winter began for the Dodgers. If you were the Dodgers, which player would you sign first and why? Is Sherman correct?

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28 Comments

  1. The time to trade a great player is when they are still viable but starting their decline. I would sign Rendon for sure. But I would also sign Cole. Then I would trade Kershaw while he is still viable. I understand the emotions, but this is still a business…..Trading Kershaw creates capital to sign Cole, even if you have to pay some of Kershaw’s salary…………………..Then I would make the trade for Lindor by trading Seager and either Pederson or Maeda or another pitcher not named Buehler, May, Gonsolin, or Urias……….AND KEEP RYU……what a lineup! What pitching! We are the richest team in BB, so just do it

    1. Trading Kershaw is pretty unlikely unless, and only unless, they are willing to pick up a signifkcant portion of his salary. And if they did trade him, what do you think would be coming back? I see lots of people saying trade Kersh, but never offer an opinion on what comes back, what teams might be interested, and his contract $$$ still left to be paid. Easy to shout trade him, but need some logic behind it. Your post also doesn’t addrss the bullpen issues, and if Maeda is traded as you say (and again for what in return and to whom) that moves a real good option for the BP as he has shown he can be and often is stellar out of the pen. He just needs to be willing to rework his contract with BP incentives rather than a SP incentives so he doesn’t loose out on $$$.

    1. They likely won’t sign a position player to six years either, unless that player is 25-26 years old. See Bellinger, Buehler as examp.es when they come due.

  2. I would agree if only going after one it would be Cole, mainly for immediate future with Buehler and Cole and prepare for Kershaws retirement you also set yourself up with getting May and Gonsolin into starting roles and maybe Urias if they allow Urias to come off of inning counts which may not happen for another season or two, but you could possibly be looking at for the next 5-6 years Buehler, Cole, May, Gonsolin, Urias, that’s just my opinion which doesn’t mean much.

    1. Your opinion is right though! It’s the easiest way to add in an impact way without any subtraction of the current core or future nucleus.

      1. Clint, honestly I just cannot see Cole wanting to sign here with the Dodgers and unfortunately Roberts could be one of several reasons. But Cole in any event is going to ask for a deal that I just don’t see the Dodgers willing to take on. (See that Boras is the agent). Don’t get me wrong..I would love to see them change their ways and go after a big fish but if 2 back to back WS losses on your home field and another NLDS loss on your home field doesn’t change their thinking, nothing will.

  3. I agree Charles R Hamel not only that but LA Dodgers would have a great chance of winning the World Series in 2020 and the following years to come.

  4. Why not both they have the money Dodger fans make for them. I don’t care about a “cap.” In MLB there is no hard cap.

    1. Therein lies the rub.

      A wise man once told me, in the end it’s always about the money.

      1. if they wanted to pay big $$$ for a SP over the long term they would have gone for Verlander in 2017 and had their World Championship. Instead we get the Twilight Zone episodes of winning a weak division AND guys who play well in the regular season become Dave Winfield at various rounds of the Playoffs and/or World Series!

  5. Spoiler alert!!! The Dodgers will not bring in Cole, Rendon, Betts or anyone else that will help this team.. the outstanding FO in charge of this team is more interested in finishing their miniature 100 million dollar Disneyland project in the centerfield parking lot… gotta keep the turnstiles spinning.. this ownership group could careless about World Series championships.. they are making a boatload of cash and us fans are feeding It to them… let’s all get ready for another division title and epic playoff meltdown when once again the glaring obvious holes on this team are ignored all season and the clueless stooge running the show once again shows his managerial skills… sorry still too soon
    Bitter and Frustrated

    1. KB, Spot on post here, I couldn’t agree with ya more. And if ya were able to search some of my previous posts on other pages here, you would see that I have already listed those FA’s that WILL NOT be signing here.

  6. The bigger issue for the Dodgers is not signing Gerrit Cole. They need to figure out how to dump Kershaw, Jansen and Kelly first.

  7. If the Dodgers do not Sign Both Gerrit Cole ,Rendon and a big arm or 2 to assist with the back of the rotation then this offseason is a complete and utter failure and as disappointing as how the Dodgers exited the post season this year.

    All i hear from the front office is how they would like to end the World series championship drought. Well it’s time to stop talking about it and start proving it.

    We have the funds to put us all in so to speak without sacrificing our future. We dont need to find any trade partners we need to sign these guys and find a big arm or 2 for the bull pen. The Dodgers have one of the most lucrative tv contracts 350+ million a year and has one of the highest attendance in all of baseball. We are under the luxury tax have reduced payroll the last few years and have the opportunity to really go for it.

    Not to mention 2 Dodger legends who are getting older and can not necessarily compete at the level that they have in the past.

    With Rendon we have JTs eventual replacement and with cole we have Kershaws replacement.

    So if the front office FAILS to acquire these players they have FAILED this team and its fan base.

  8. This is the time when our front office should step up. Back “in the day”, we signed Kevin Brown. He became our highest paid free agent ever. We signed him to a 7 year deal and traded him to the Yankees after an All Star campaign. He had 2 1/2 fabulous years, got hurt missed a year and a half then came back for another All star year. Then we traded him to NY. And his career was over in 2 years. With NY picking up the last 2 year tab. Cole could be the same type of signee. Give him a big offer with at least one opt out. Rendon is a great player; but there is too much collateral damage in signing him. Too much player movement, and Lux possibly being an odd man out. Agree with you Mr Hamel.

  9. First off, Dodgers ain’t signing both, that’s just not happening! Cole would be my first choice, pitching wins Championships! As we just witnessed this year! Trade Joc plus high end prospects to get either Lindor or Betts then fish around for a couple of bullpen arms!

  10. I say put Kershaw, Jansen, Pollock in a lesser role. We need to stop rotating these players as if everyone can play all these different positions, and these pitchers from starters to bullpen guys and pitching late in games and then they are relieving in the 4-5 innings. We need to sign or trade for a 1-2 starter to put up there with Buehler as Kershaw should be a #3 at best. We also need to implement more plate discipline and not have all these players swing for the fences, what ever happened to shortening your swing with 2strikes to make contact. Most of all we need to figure out that we can bring in Rendon- Cole- Wheeler- Lindor- resign Ryu and bring in all kinds of bullpen pieces but we still won’t win in playoffs or WS…. because if we do get there we have Dave Roberts to bam boozle us in the end.

    1. “Most of all we need to figure out that we can bring in Rendon- Cole- Wheeler- Lindor- resign Ryu and bring in all kinds of bullpen pieces…” will never happen. This is so out of touch with reality. And even if by some godly miracle the FO actually decided to attempt these moves and succeeds, the Dodgers are still managed by Dave Roberts who, as you so correctly surmised, will figure out some way to completely screw up the playoffs.

      1. David, Right on about Roberts here, and honestly I get the feeling he has set this franchise back a few years because I don’t see any of the high profile players wanting to come here.

    2. Ray V I forgot to add that part about Roberts to the reply I made to KB. Exactly the case as far as Roberts is concerned because his PS managing has been at the forefront of failure in each of the 4 years he’s been here.

  11. YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT ROBERTS,BIG NAME PLAYERS DO NOT WANT TO PLAY FOR DODGERS, BECAUSE OF HIM. JUST SIGN COLE,RENDON,REPLACEMENTS FOR J.T. & KERSH,SIGN STASBERG, TRADE SEAGER & MUNCY FOR BEST PITCHERS , THAT WILL FIX THE PEN

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