Los Angeles Dodgers fans are no doubt still reeling from the loss of Zack Greinke, one half of their dominant pair of aces.
Now, it's time to swallow an undeniable truth: This is life under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who has demonstrated in word and deed his aversion to massive, long-term contracts.
The latest evidence came Sunday, when the Dodgers reportedly agreed to a three-year deal with right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma, per CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, with the financial terms not immediately available. Iwakuma is a serviceable starter and fills a need, but he's several large rungs below Greinke on the free-agent excitement ladder.
Also on Sunday, L.A. re-upped veteran second baseman Chase Utley to a one-year pact, per Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan. Again, not necessarily a terrible move, just not a particularly sexy one.
The Dodgers own baseball's brawniest budget, but they don't always act like it, not lately anyway. And that's by design.
Everything you need to know about Friedman's philosophy is summed up in this quote from him, via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register:
Obviously with the free agent market—if you look back over time it hasn't necessarily resulted in helping teams win in October. There’s just not that high a correlation between it.
On one hand, by making big splashy deals you win the winter headlines. But more often than not, you aren't having a parade at the end of October.
That's Friedman's goal, as it should be: to get the Dodgers over the championship hump for the first time since the waning days of the Reagan administration. He doesn't care about epic splashes and offseason buzz. He cares about results.
He got them during his tenure as general manager in Tampa Bay, when he led the small-market Rays to six consecutive winning seasons between 2008 and 2013, with four playoff appearances and a World Series berth sprinkled in.
In Tampa Bay, Friedman was frugal by necessity. He couldn't afford to pay players for what they had done; he had to squeeze every cent and optimize value.
With the Dodgers, he has room to make mistakes and burn a little cash if necessary. So far, however, he's shied away from payroll-draining expenditures.
Last year, his first at the helm in Southern California, Friedman avoided the marquee names and their marquee sticker prices and opted instead for solid mid-tier additions such as second baseman Howie Kendrick (now a free agent) and left-hander Brett Anderson.
Now, with holes to plug in the infield, rotation and bullpen, Friedman seems content to go the same route.
Iwakuma, who will turn 35 in April, posted a 3.54 ERA with 111 strikeouts in 129.2 innings for the Seattle Mariners last year. He was an All-Star in 2013, his second big league season, and will slot nicely into the back end of L.A.'s rotation.
His signing obviously doesn't preclude the addition of another starter, and the Dodgers could pursue the likes of Johnny Cueto, who reportedly turned down a six-year $120 million offer from the Arizona Diamondbacks, per MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.
Don't be surprised, though, if L.A. opts instead for another arm in the Iwakuma mold to support ace of aces Clayton Kershaw.
As for Utley, he hit just .202 after the Dodgers acquired him from the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline, and he's perhaps best remembered for the controversial takeout slide he put on New York Mets' shortstop Ruben Tejada in the National League Division Series.
The soon-to-be 37-year-old does have extensive postseason experience and, as NJ Advance Media's Randy Miller put it, "will be looking to show he's not done in 2016, possibly as a starter."
Another intriguing Dodgers-related rumor started churning Sunday, with Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reporting Los Angeles is "in talks" to nab flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds.
Chapman will be a free agent after this season, but the All-Star will surely command a package centered around at least one of the Dodgers' top prospects and/or young MLB-ready players.
The prospect of Chapman alongside L.A.'s current closer, Kenley Jansen, is tantalizing, and would give L.A. one of the best late-inning duos in baseball. A Chapman trade would also add a little sizzle to the Dodgers' offseason, even if it wouldn't offset Greinke's exit.
Yet it's still a very Friedman move, made with an eye on addressing a weakness without mortgaging the future (depending, of course, on what the Dodgers give up if the trade is consummated).
"It's ironic, isn't it," Plunkett opined, "the franchise that gave you professional sport’s first $300 million payroll preaching financial restraint and economic pragmatism?"
Ironic, yes. But also very, very Friedman. It's his ship now, for the most part, and he'll sail it as he sees fit. That might include inking a Name with a capital "N" before spring training, or it might not. But rest assured, Friedman will navigate according to his own compass, regardless of fan opinion or the market's whims.
Last year, the result was a division title but a disappointing NLDS exit. If Friedman can get L.A. a trophy in 2016, all will be vindicated.
If not? Well, the sting of losing Greinke and replacing him with miscellaneous parts will come back like salt in an open wound. And pragmatism and restraint might go out like a dirty jersey.
All statistics and contact information current as of Dec. 6 and courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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