The Los Angeles Dodgers came up short in the 2014 playoffs, but they still has aspirations of winning a World Series title, and they are doing everything they can to put themselves in that position for 2015. The team has worked to improve in the offseason, and they have not ruled out adding one more front-line starting pitcher.
The team has been rumored off and on to be interested in Cole Hamels, but they may decide to turn their attention to one of the two big-name free agent starters that are still available. According to Dodgers Nation, general manager Farhan Zaidi had previously said the team was not going to pursue more starting pitching, but he gave an interview on Wednesday that seemed to imply the opposite.
"We don't comment on free agents that are out there. I'll just say we're not closing any doors at this point. You're never done. You're constantly evaluating new options to improve the team and we're still in that phase. If there's a guy out there that we think makes us better and is available at the right price, we'll absolutely consider it."
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Both Shields and Scherzer have lasted longer on the market than most expected, probably due to the high asking price of both players. Scherzer is believed to be seeking one of the highest free agent deals ever, in the $200 million range.
Shields, meanwhile, is believed to be seeking a deal in the five-year, $100 million range. With Shields, however, the concern is not so much money but time. Shields is already 33, and many teams are reluctant to be paying so much for a player that will be nearly 40 when the deal is up.
The Dodgers have no fear of spending to win. They are already projected to have the highest payroll in the league for 2015, so they may decide to keep pouring money into their championship pursuit in order to bring home the title.
Below, you can see the introductory press conference for another big-name player they added this offseason, Jimmy Rollins.
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