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Now that they’ve locked up ace Clayton Kershaw to a long-term deal, the Los Angeles Dodgers can focus their attention on keeping another star player in town for the next several years. 

According to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, negotiations for shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who can become a free agent after the 2014 season, are in the early stages but are ongoing.

As was the case with Kershaw, who signed a seven-year, $215 million contract extension a year before he was eligible to become a free agent, the Dodgers aren’t likely to get the discount they might have gotten had either player been further away from free agency.

If he does happen to reach free agency, Ramirez will be entering his age-31 season and should easily surpass the four-year, $53 million deal that Jhonny Peralta signed with the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason.

Like Ramirez, Peralta is an above-average hitting shortstop who might have to move to third base within the next few years because of his defensive limitations. But the comparisons end there. 

Considering that Peralta is entering his age-32 season, was suspended for 50 games late in the 2013 season due to his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal and has never put up elite numbers, as Ramirez did early in his career (.906 OPS, 25 HR, 40 2B, 39 SB per season from 2006-2010) and once again during a 2013 season in which he only played 86 games due to injury (1.040 OPS, 20 HR, 25 2B, 10 SB), it’s fairly clear that Ramirez’s value is much, much greater. 

Ramirez’s agent, Adam Katz, could argue that his client deserves to be among the highest-paid shortstops in the game. OK, so he’s already there if you only factor in the annual salary. His $16 million salary for 2014 puts him in a three-way tie with Jose Reyes and Troy Tulowitzki (pictured).

But in terms of the total value of the deal, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Katz uses, or is using, the last six years of Tulowitzki‘s current deal as a comparison and possibly a baseline for negotiations.

For Tulowitzki‘s age-30-to-35 seasons, which run from 2015 until the final year of his deal in 2020, he’s due to make a total of $118 million, including a $4 million buyout on a $15 million club option for 2021.  

If the Dodgers gave Ramirez that exact contract (six years, $118 million with a $15 million club option for a seventh year) for the same time period, it’s doubtful that anyone would blink an eye. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if Ramirez and his camp asked for more. How about a six-year, $125 million deal with a $16 million club option for 2021? 

Here’s the argument for why it could be a mistake for the Dodgers to give him that kind of money over that length of time. 

It’s hard to ignore how well Ramirez played last season once he was healthy. But we also can’t forget about his decline over the previous two seasons (.742 OPS, 17 HR, 20 SB per season from 2011-2012) and how far his value had fallen by the time the Dodgers acquired him from the Marlins in July 2012 for pitchers Nathan Eovaldi and Scott McGough.

After struggling for most of 2011, Ramirez’s season was cut short by a shoulder injury that required surgery. He played 157 games in 2012, although his production fell short of where it had been prior to the 2011 season. He also played 90 games at third base, which he had only ever played a handful of times early in his minor league career. The shoulder surgery and the position change both could’ve played major factors. 

If his strong comeback season in 2013 didn’t take so long to get going—he was limited to only four games over the first two months of the season due to thumb and hamstring injuries—he’d have a much stronger argument for those two factors contributing to his numbers falling off.

Instead, it’s hard to be completely convinced that Ramirez can still be the same player over a full season. It’s also fair to question his ability to stay healthy. Paying him to be the player he was from 2006-2010 in hopes that he’d repeat the performance in his early-to-mid-30’s might not be the best idea in the world. 

While the Dodgers are a team built to win now and their window of contention appears to be wide open for at least the next couple of seasons, there will be a few more options on the free-agent market next season who could come much cheaper. J.J. Hardy and Jed Lowrie will be the top shortstops available aside from Ramirez, while Asdrubal Cabrera could also be a popular name if he has a strong season.

And if the Dodgers would like to keep the big league path clear for top prospect Kyle Seager, who is likely to begin the 2014 season in High-A and could be knocking down the door to the majors by late 2015, they may not want to sign any shortstop to a long-term deal.

With that said, Ramirez’s value is high after his impressive half-season. It could be even higher if he can play 140-plus games and put up an .850-plus OPS with 25 homers and 20 stolen bases.

Barring a mediocre 2014, some team is very likely to pay him big money on a multi-year deal if he reaches free agency next offseason. The Dodgers will need to decide if they’re better off with or without him in the mix for 2015 and beyond and whether it’s worth adding another mega-contract to their payroll that will likely pay a player beyond his prime.

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Many moves have been made by MLB teams this winter, but there is still a long way to go before this offseason is over. With many of the top free agents off the market, teams need to start searching for the best bargains.

Robinson Cano and Shin-Soo Choo are gone, but the top pitchers are still available. The pitching market is likely to heat up in the next week or so after Masahiro Tanaka makes his decision. For the small-market teams, there are plenty of options besides the high-priced free agents.

Bargain players can be the missing pieces for any contending team.

A guy like Bronson Arroyo will make around $12 million per season, so it’s tough to consider him a bargain. He is good for 200 innings a year and is a relative bargain compared to the market, but his price is too big for this list.

What exactly makes a player a bargain? A low price certainly helps the cause, but a player can still be a relative bargain in comparison to the rest of the market. Veterans who get overlooked on the market are classic bargain finds. Players recovering from injuries are the best bargains, but they can also be risky signings.

Let’s take a look at which players made the list of the best bargains remaining.

*All stats are via MLB.com 

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For the Tampa Bay Rays, planning to trade star pitcher David Price isn’t so much a matter of whether the price is right but when the timing is.

At the end of the 2013 season, speculation started that the small-market Rays more than likely would be swapping their ace left-hander, primarily because of his escalating salary and imminent free agency following 2015.

Heck, even Price himself made it clear that he was expecting to be traded back in October, right after the Rays were eliminated by the eventual champion Boston Red Sox in the division series, telling Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune, “If you go with what’s been done in the past I guess you’re going to have to think you’re going to get traded.”

But in recent weeks, the chatter has died down and with it the expectation that Price is on his way out. He even avoided the arbitration process by agreeing Thursday with Tampa on a salary of $14 million for next season, per Adam Berry of MLB.com.

As for the possibility he could be wearing another uniform sooner rather than later, Price told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times:

I think if I’m in camp [with the Rays], I would be on the team, because that would stink if I would be a part of the team in spring training and everybody thinks I’d be there along with them and then I get traded a couple days into spring or something like that. … Probably Feb. 1 would be a time period that I think would kind of let me know that I would be here.

That, of course, doesn’t mean Price can’t—or won’t—be traded in the next two weeks or so.

The question, then, is when would the Rays get the most out of dealing the former Cy Young winner: Now, before the start of the season…or later, near the July trade deadline?

Why Now

Simply, more time translates to more production value, which should equal a greater return.

In other words, trading Price prior to the 2014 season means the Rays should be able to ask for more because the acquiring team will get him for up to two full seasons, rather than a season-and-a-half. That might not seem like a huge difference, but it is.

That’s especially true for a starting pitcher, who only goes to work maybe 32 or 33 times a year, so to speak. If Price were to be traded in mid- to late July—well past the actual midpoint of the 162-game schedule—he may only be able to impact up to 12 or 13 games.

It’s also especially true because Price may very well decide not to sign a long-term extension with a new squad, choosing instead to test the free-agent market, which is a mighty appealing place for what would be a 30-year-old southpaw with a rather impressive resume.

At this very moment, any team that considers (or fancies) itself a contender could be willing to give up a premium package of young, cost-controlled players/prospects for two full years of Price, whose total salary is likely to be about $30 million over that time—a reasonable cost for a front-of-the-rotation arm these days.

But if a few of those contender-hopeful clubs don’t perform up to expectations by midseason, they won’t see the point in trading for Price. The market could be much more limited, which wouldn’t be a good thing for Tampa.

Why Later

There are two main reasons why later could be better for the Rays to consider peddling Price.

The first is that, well, they themselves are contenders, so trading away their top pitcher—no matter how expensive he is to fit into their already maxed out budget—mere weeks before the start of a season that could lead to another October opportunity seems like competitive suicide.

The other? There’s still plenty of pitching available to be had. From free-agent starters like Ubaldo Jimenez, Ervin Santana and Matt Garza—not to mention, Japanese star Masahiro Tanaka—to trade targets like Jeff Samardzija and Homer Bailey, teams in need of pitching do have other options, should they so choose.

Beyond those, there’s also the fact that interested parties might want to see how Price pitches and whether he’s fully healthy over the first half of the season. Remember, he missed about six weeks last year due to an injury the Rays characterized as left triceps tendinitis.

Plus, the desperation factor can’t be overlooked. During the middle of the summer, as performance and injury become issues and pennant races just begin heating up, needs will arise, pressure will mount and the now-or-never aspect of the July 31 trade deadline will loom large.

The one problem with all of this, of course, is that the Rays might not realistically be able to trade Price that late in the year if they are contending for a playoff spot or the AL East title themselves. How could they?

The Price Is Right—Now

Ultimately, if Tampa is going to move Price, the extra three or four months of production and value he can add to a new team should be enough to help the Rays get more in return now compared to later, even considering the potential fracas that could come from desperate clubs at the trade deadline.

Right now, though, the bigger issue is that there just doesn’t seem to be much motivation for Tampa Bay to trade Price given the squad’s status entering 2014.

Plus, unlike trying to trade him in July when there’s an actual deadline that forces teams to get something done by a predetermined point in time—thus creating natural leverage—attempting to move Price now means it would be incumbent upon the Rays to create that kind of leverage themselves.

Certainly, this could be done by giving interested suitors a deadline of sorts and then allowing them to bid against each other for the right to get Price.

Maybe that’s been the Rays’ plan all along. Maybe they’ve just been waiting until Tanaka—the top target on the pitching market at the moment—is signed, sealed and delivered to a major league team by Jan. 24, the deadline for him to decide.

By then, even with the likes of Jimenez, Santana and Garza still out there for the paying, the Rays would be in a better position to bargain with the clubs fresh off losing out on the Japanese right-hander. After all, once the Tanaka domino falls, all the others will soon tip over, too.

The question, then, really isn’t whether the Rays would get more by trading Price now or at the deadline, but whether they want to trade him at all this year.

If they do, then the Price is right—now.

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After an exceptionally slow start to 2014, suddenly a ton of MLB stars have agreed to new deals for the upcoming season.

Much of the activity has resulted from clubs and players looking to avoid the messy arbitration process. Friday marked the final day for arbitration-eligible players and teams to exchange salary figures, with potential arbitration hearings looming in mid-February.

Of course, Clayton Kershaw’s historic new megadeal also can’t be left out of the mix. That means it’s time to dish out grades for all the latest big-name offseason signing from across MLB. 

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In the midst of a number of splashy moves made around the MLB, the Boston Red Sox have remained very quiet this offseason.

Following its 2013 World Series crown, Boston could have been in a dire situation heading into spring training 2014.  The team had its share of free agents, including Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Napoli, Stephen Drew and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Two have already departed, and another may do so soon.

The remaining free agent, Napoli, was one of the primary targets of the Red Sox this offseason. 

In the wake of these free-agent departures—and since we’re already this far into the offseason—Boston appears set to rely on its current roster with only a few minor additions from outside the organization.

Will that work?  Only time can tell.

While general manager Ben Cherington is likely happy with the team’s chances of defending its championship, the fact remains that the Red Sox will again be faced with a tough challenge as the rest of the division—and the American League for that matter—have made significant adjustments to overtake Boston’s reign.

In this article, let us take a look at the biggest winners and losers from the Red Sox’s offseason thus far.  Some guys got paid.  Others did not.  Boston is stronger in some areas while weaker in others.

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The clock is ticking on the Masahiro Tanaka derby, meaning we’re likely near another wave of big free-agent signings just in time for pitchers and catchers to report for spring training. Hard to imagine, but in about a month, the familiar sounds of rawhide smacking the leather in the bullpen will return to Arizona and Florida.

It’s clear that baseball contracts are rising after a year when the league pulled in a record $8 billion in revenue in 2013, according to Maury Brown of Forbes. New national and local TV deals are also kicking in around the league, meaning players are reaping the benefits at the negotiating table.

With such big contracts come big risks, and there certainly have been some moves made this offseason that look poised for failure. Here’s a look at 15 signings and/or trades executed this winter that are most likely to backfire on their respective clubs.

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When the Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves pulled off a seven-player deal involving Justin Upton and Martin Prado last January, Chris Johnson was barely worth a mention in the write-ups that followed. He wasn’t quite a “throw-in,” but he wasn’t expected to play a major role with the Braves as Juan Francisco’s platoon partner at third base. 

The Diamondbacks simply had no room for him with Prado in the mix, so it was a no-brainer to include him in the trade. Little did they know he’d be just as big a reason why the deal could ultimately weigh heavily in the Braves’ favor. 

By early June, Francisco had been traded, and it was obvious that Johnson was going to be an integral part of the team’s success. He finished the season with a .321 batting average, good for second in the National League, to go along with 12 homers, 34 doubles and 68 runs batted in.

Johnson’s acquisition as a secondary piece in that blockbuster trade was one of several offseason moves that were extremely undervalued at the time.

Marlon Byrd and Scott Kazmir each had terrific seasons after signing minor league deals. Jason Grilli, with no closing experience in parts of 10 big league seasons, was re-signed to a two-year, $6.75 million deal by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was an All-Star closer in 2013 and a huge part of the team’s success.

Sometimes, it’s the seemingly little things that help win games. Sometimes, those little things occur in the offseason.

Here are 10 of the most undervalued moves of this offseason.  

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The Major League Baseball hot stove was sizzling in December but has since cooled off, leaving New York Mets fans stuck with the same rumors every day that may or may not pan out.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the Mets were able to make big deals earlier this offseason by locking down players such as Curtis Granderson and Bartolo Colon. However, there are still rumors about what the Mets will do next. While the Mets have improved, they still need to make additional moves this offseason.

The rumors that have persisted through mid-January surround Stephen Drew and Ike Davis, as the team still needs to add a shortstop and fix their glut at first base.

Rumors always need to be taken with a grain of salt as they are often leaked by teams for negotiating purposes, and often deals come out of nowhere and take fans by surprise. Presented below is my take on the latest rumors surrounding Ike Davis and Stephen Drew as I try to see between the lines of the Mets’ negotiating strategy and make my predictions as to what will occur in both situations.

Stephen Drew Rumors

There have been plenty of rumors surrounding Stephen Drew this offseason, many of which have linked the shortstop to the Mets. I am selling the validity of most of these rumors and believe that Drew will return to the Boston Red Sox on a one- or two-year deal.

A number of Drew rumors have developed following the New Year, each one contradicting the previous one in some way. Peter Gammons noted following the New Year that a rival general manager of the Mets believes that New York is interested in Drew’s services. Also, Kevin Kernan of the New York Post stated that the Mets are interested in the shortstop but are unwilling to go beyond a two-year deal.

In Kernan’s article he states that he believed both New York teams were potential destinations for Drew, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman debunked those rumors, as evidenced in the below tweet by Peter Gammons.

With the Yankees out of the picture, it seems that the two most serious teams on Drew are the Mets and the Red Sox. Ken Rosenthal reported last week that neither club was willing to offer more than a one-year deal, but he felt that New York was the best fit.

To further complicate things, Scott Boras claimed, via Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, he has had active talks with five or six teams regarding Drew, a market that is hard to imagine for the shortstop. Of all the new Drew rumors that have come about this offseason, I am selling this one the most as it is a clear ploy to get the Mets or Red Sox in a bidding war against imaginary teams and offer more years. It is a significant rumor, however, as it indicates the importance Boras and Drew are placing on getting a long-term contract.

Drew is an imperfect player but would be a drastic improvement for the Mets over current shortstop Ruben Tejada. Since his contract demands have slipped since the offseason began, the Mets have been further tied to the shortstop, but unless they are willing to go to three years (something I doubt the team would consider) I believe he will not be a Met, as I wrote earlier this month.

Despite the fact that the Red Sox currently have a top prospect who plays shortstop in Xander Bogaerts, Boston would love to bring Drew back.

Bogaerts is capable of playing shortstop, but the Red Sox cannot rely on their young third baseman Will Middlebrooks. He has impressive power, but as a 24-year-old in 2013 hit just .227 and reached base at a .271 clip.

Boston manager John Farrell indicated the team’s stance on their infield situation earlier in the offseason, stating, via NESN,  “I’m hopeful [Drew] is back. It buys us some time, whether [Bogaerts] is the guy going forward next year at shortstop or if he’s at third base.”

Even if the Mets may be a better fit for Drew and end up offering a two-year deal to Boston’s one-year contract, Drew would most likely prefer to return to the defending World Series champions and try and test the free agent market next season and look for a longer offer rather than go to New York, a team that has been in flux over the past couple seasons.  

A two-year deal may be even more unappealing to Drew than a one-year deal, as he clearly wants a long-term contract and adding an extra year just makes him a year older and less valuable on the free-agent market.

Many Mets fans may see Drew as an inevitable member of the 2014 squad, but if general manager Sandy Alderson sticks to his patient negotiating tactics and refuses to compromise on the length of a contract, a return to Boston is much more likely in my opinion.

While a trade for someone such as Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Chris Owings is unlikely as it would cost the team pitching assets (a topic I discussed in December), I believe that it would be a preferable option for the Mets.

Unfortunately for the Mets and their fans, despite the fact that I don’t buy the notion that the Mets are happy with Ruben Tejada as their starting shortstop, he will likely be the team’s Opening Day shortstop if they don’t offer Drew a three-year deal.

Ike Davis Rumors

Unlike the Stephen Drew rumors, which have been all over the place this offseason, it has been clear since early December that the Mets want to trade Lucas Duda or Ike Davis, with Andy Martino of the Daily News reporting that the team would prefer to deal Davis.

While fans have their preferences as to which of the first basemen they would like to keep, the Mets would be wise to trade one of the two and get some value in return. Having two first basemen unable to play any other position in the National League is pointless.

It is for this reason I am selling the rumors of the past week, that the team is no longer planning on dealing a first baseman.

This rumor was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Rubin, who wrote that the Mets expect Davis to be with the team in spring training.

One of the teams that the Mets have reportedly had discussions about Davis with is the Milwaukee Brewers. As recently as last week Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin said the two teams were still in discussions about Davis but had yet to reach common ground, via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Just two days later, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com Sandy Alderson said the team is no longer actively involved in trade discussions surrounding Davis.

While it is a possibility that both Ike Davis and Lucas Duda will be with the Mets in spring training, it will only be because Alderson was unable to find a worthy offer this offseason. He has reportedly been demanding solid pitching prospects while in negotiations with the Baltimore Orioles, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Brewers, as evidenced in the tweets below.

Nick Kingham, Eduardo Rodriguez and Tyler Thornburg would all be solid returns for Ike Davis, but as of now teams have been unwilling to part with players of this caliber because of Davis’ poor 2013 performance.

I am selling the fact that the team would like to have Davis back in camp, as these latest statements by Alderson are clearly negotiating tactics as he attempts to net a solid return for the left-handed slugger. All the teams he is negotiating with are in need of a first baseman, and Sandy believes if he is patient that another team will jump on Davis’ power potential.

In the end, I believe a trade involving Davis will occur prior to or during the early days of spring training, likely with the Brewers. Davis is a perfect fit in Milwaukee so I believe they are the likeliest to relinquish a pitching prospect in the deal—potentially Tyler Thornburg.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.

You can follow Sean on Twitter at @S_CunninghamBR.

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Roughly a month from the start of spring training, there are still a handful of impact players on the free-agent market. The starting pitching market has been slow to take shape as teams wait on Masahiro Tanaka, while three hitters have seen their markets develop slowly after turning down qualifying offers.

The top remaining free agents, according to Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors’ Top 50 rankings at the beginning of the offseason, are as follows, with rankings included.

5. SP Masahiro Tanaka
6. SP Ervin Santana
7. SP Matt Garza
9. SP A.J. Burnett
11. SP Ubaldo Jimenez
14. SS Stephen Drew
17. RF Nelson Cruz
23. SP Bronson Arroyo
25. RP Grant Balfour
28. DH Kendrys Morales

So here is my take on the order in which these 10 players will find new landing spots in the month ahead and where they will wind up playing in 2014.

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With a little less than two weeks left before Masahiro Tanaka must decide where to advance his already impressive pitching career, there appear to be three front-runners for the Japanese star.

The deadline for any Major League Baseball team to sign Tanaka—the 25-year-old right-hander who went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles last year and was posted in late December after winning the Japan Series and the Sawamura Award—is Jan. 24 at 5 p.m.

While there have been numerous reports that list at least a dozen (or more) teams as interested parties, it seems that three are now considered the favorites, per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times, citing a report from Japanese publication Sports Hochi:

Things can change, given the number of other suitors and the level of their lusting after Tanaka, who is projected to be a front-of-the-rotation starter in the majors. But among these three clubs—the Yankees, Dodgers and Angels—which one is the best fit?

Let’s break it down.

New York Yankees

Why Tanaka Should Be a Yankee

There are any number of reasons why the Yankees should be appealing to Tanaka. Like the fact that New York is the biggest baseball market around. Or the fact that the Yankees are a brand unto themselves, one that is capable of making stars shine even brighter and has maintained its contender status for the past 20 years.

And let’s not forget that while Hideki Irabu and Kei Igawa didn’t exactly work out, the team has done more than OK recently with Japanese stars like Hideki Matsui as well as Ichiro Suzuki and Hiroki Kuroda, both of whom are currently on the team to help with assimilation.

Plus, with beloved Mariano Rivera retired, captain Derek Jeter nearly there, ace CC Sabathia declining and Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez out of the picture (for entirely different reasons), Tanaka has a unique opportunity to step into pinstripes and be one of the present and future faces for the biggest franchise in the sport.

Quite simply, New York might be the destination for Tanaka, if he wants to become in America what he was in Japan.

Why the Yankees Need Tanaka

Perhaps no contending club needs both youth and pitching—two undeniable elements Tanaka brings—more than the Yankees. Beyond Sabathia, Kuroda and the enigmatic Ivan Nova, New York’s rotation is lacking in depth and quality.

The Yankees, of course, can afford to pay Tanaka what he wants now and still spend in the future to keep stars around him, too.

Most of all, don’t underestimate the Yankees’ desire—nay, need—to avoid the unthinkable: back-to-back postseason-less years.

The Risk

For the Yankees, the risk is going into the luxury-tax penalty again with a payroll north of $189 million for 2014. That’s been more of a stated goal, though, than an outright manifesto.

As far as Tanaka‘s perspective, well, even all the way from Japan, he’s probably aware that the Yankees are old and still are far from finished with the Rodriguez saga. In other words, there’s at least some blow-up factor in the team’s current state.

Also, New York is on the exact opposite coast that Tanaka is rumored to favor because of proximity to his native country.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Why Tanaka Should Be a Dodger

Of these three teams, the Dodgers and their star-studded roster would give Tanaka the best shot to contend immediately and for the next two to three years. The state of the NL West compared to that of the more competitive AL East and AL West divisions has a little something to do with that.

Tanaka, who has never had to face the quality and depth of major league lineups, may also benefit from pitching in the NL where the opposing pitcher bats instead of the designated hitter.

Additionally, the Dodgers helped break ground as far as Japanese stars joining MLB in the mid-1990s when Hideo Nomo became an instant mania unto himself. That could happen all over again for Tanaka in Los Angeles, which is more or less on par with New York both financially and in terms of market size and scope.

Beyond that, there are other current foreign stars on the Dodgers roster, including Cuban phenom Yasiel Puig and Hyun-Jin Ryu of Korea.

Why the Dodgers Need Tanaka

Los Angeles’ rotation already is one of the best in baseball, headed by Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Ryu, so there may not seem to be as obvious a need for Tanaka.

Don’t forget, though, that Kershaw, the incumbent ace and reigning NL Cy Young winner, is set to hit free agency after the 2014 season. The two sides have had extension talks—with the number $300 million being thrown around, per Buster Olney of ESPN—but nothing has been decided just yet.

While Kershaw remains a priority for the Dodgers, netting Tanaka at least would give them a ready-made replacement for the left-hander.

Above all that? Well, the Dodgers plainly want to win it all, and to this point, they’ve shown no signs of slowing down their spending to do so.

The Risk

While the Dodgers seem to have all the money in the world, can they really afford to pay nine figures simultaneously to (deep breath) Adrian Gonzalez and Matt Kemp, who already have their deals, as well as Kershaw and shortstop Hanley Ramirez, both of whom will be getting their own by next offseason, and Tanaka, too?

If Tanaka inks with the Dodgers, chances are the current roster will be together for 2014 only, after which one or more of the stars will have to go, whether via free agency or trade.

Los Angeles Angels

Why Tanaka Should Be an Angel

If Tanaka values being the staff ace, a role with which he became familiar with the Golden Eagles, the Angels would allow him to fill that position more so than either the Yankees or Dodgers.

Sure, Jered Weaver is the No. 1 and nominal ace, but he’s also battled injuries in each of the past two seasons and has lost velocity along the way, too. The Angels would be smart to target a younger pitcher to ascend to top-starter status with the 31-year-old Weaver’s career trajectory and durability sloping downward.

While the Angels might not seem as appealing because they’ve finished in third place in the AL West each of the past two years—and won but 78 games in 2013—there’s no shortage of big names and talent on the roster. If the Halos finally fulfill their potential next season with Tanaka in tow, he certainly would get a great deal of credit.

Why the Angels Need Tanaka

Los Angeles addressed its rotation problems by trading for young left-handers Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago in one fell swoop back in December, but starting pitching remains the team’s easiest aspect to upgrade.

Behind Weaver, the only sure thing is veteran southpaw C.J. Wilson. Otherwise, it’s Skaggs, Santiago and Garrett Richards, whose 29 career starts are the most of that trio.

Like the Yankees, the Angels don’t have much in the way of talented big league ready arms in the high minors, so Tanaka could be the missing piece that sets them up for a quick turnaround.

The Risk

With more than $300 million left on the massive, back-loaded pacts for Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton, the Angels already are right up against the luxury-tax threshold.

Even worse, they need to be working on their financial flexibility with regards to locking up Mike Trout, who’s only the best all-around player in the sport—and likely to command the first-ever $300 million contract.

All that considered, the Angels might not have the funds to fit Tanaka, who is likely to get well above $100 million himself.

Conclusion

The Yankees and Angels obviously need Tanaka more than do the Dodgers, which might make them more desperate—and desperation can cause teams to do expensive things.

The Dodgers being outbid, though, appears to be an impossibility at the moment, meaning for them, it’s just a matter of how badly they want Tanaka—and want to put themselves in position to be the favorites of the NL.

If it comes down to that, the Dodgers already have the market, West Coast location and contender status to be the best fit for Tanaka. And more importantly, the money to make him fit, too.

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com