Hot Stove Update: Dodgers Sign AJ Pollock

The Dodgers today agreed to terms with OF AJ Pollock on a 4 yr/$55 M contract with a $10 M player option and $5 M buyout for a 5'th season.  Pollock can also opt out after 3 years if he meets certain vesting thresholds for Plate Appearances.  After shipping out Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig in a trade with the Reds, the Dodgers were looking for a RH bat who would also be in upgrade on Kemp and Puig in the OF.  AJ Pollock fits that bill to a T.  When healthy, Pollock is an excellent player having averaged 4.4 fWAR for every 162 MLB games he has played(compared to 5.4 for Bryce Harper).  Pollock has missed significant time with injuries over the past 3 seasons, but his injuries do not seem to be the type that tend to recur or cause permanent loss of tools.  When you compare Pollock's price with what Bryce Harper will probably get, and this is a very nice bargain for the Dodgers.

As you all know, I believe AJ Pollock should have been the Giants primary target this offseason for all the same reasons this was a good signing for the Dodgers.  I don't know if Pollack would have signed with the Giants at any price, and I don't know what else Farhan Zaidi has up his sleeve.  Just playing a little armchair GM here, Pollock is a player I would have overpaid to sign.