After an NL West arms race manifested during baseball's winter meetings, the Dodgers are left trying to make up ground.
The quickest way to do that, for better or worse, is to turn their attention toward Johnny Cueto, the top remaining free-agent pitcher after Zack Greinke and Jeff Samardzija spurned Los Angeles for division rivals. And that seems to be their intent.
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According to a CBS Sports report, the Dodgers have begun conversations with Cueto's camp about bringing the former Reds and Royals ace into the fold to patch up a depleted rotation.
It's been a brutal seven days for the Dodgers, who watched Greinke, their Cy Young finalist and top offseason priority, head to Arizona on a massive contract. A day later, Samardzija, who was also in negotiations with the Dodgers, signed instead with the arch-rival Giants. And then they watched as the Diamondbacks snagged another pitching option in a trade for Shelby Miller.
Los Angeles' most notable move so far was a reported trade with the Reds for closer Aroldis Chapman until allegations of domestic violence involving the pitcher abruptly halted the deal. The trade reportedly is not dead, but its fate hinges on the results of an ongoing MLB investigation and possible suspension for Chapman. They also signed veteran right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma, but it'll take more than that to satiate Dodgers fans.
Cueto won't come cheap — he reportedly turned down a six-year, $120 million offer from the Diamondbacks — but would make for a sufficient enough (and more inexpensive) replacement to Greinke.
The 29-year-old right-hander was having another strong season with the Reds in 2015 before he was dealt to the Royals at the deadline. He mostly struggled in Kansas City, finishing the regular season 11-13 with a 3.44 ERA, but strung together a couple of strong starts in the postseason to help the Royals win the World Series.
The Cardinals, Giants, Nationals and Orioles have also reportedly shown interest in Cueto's services.
