He’s probably the best second tier pitcher remaining on the market, and he might not be on the market for long. Brandon McCarthy is nearing a four-year deal with the Dodgers, according to Ken Rosenthal:
Sources: #Dodgers close to four-year deal with free-agent RHP Brandon McCarthy.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 11, 2014
The Dodgers could stand to add another starter this offseason, and McCarthy’s a damn good one … when he’s healthy. A four-year deal is a little risky for a guy like McCarthy, but I reckon he had a ton of three-year offers already. And the Dodgers can afford to take just about any financial risk.
Does this mean the Dodgers won’t be going after Cole Hamels? Could be.
We’ll see what happens when the terms come out, but I don’t think you should be too crushed here. It was highly unlikely, after adding Jon Lester and Jason Hammel, that the Cubs would also be paying big bucks for another second tier starter.
Instead, I could see the Cubs going after a Brett Anderson/Brandon Morrow/Justin Masterson/Brandon Beachy/Kris Medlen dice roll type. I actually hope they do.
UPDATE: Rosenthal says it’s 4/$48 million for McCarthy, which is a really healthy price tag. He was undoubtedly helped by not being tied to draft pick compensation. As for the Yankees …
Yankees never made an offer to RHP Brandon McCarthy. Cashman: "I figured the market would take him at a level that we couldn't play on."
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) December 11, 2014
Um. Ok.