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A.J. Pollock, Dodgers Reportedly Agree to 5-Year Contract
January 24, 2019
The Los Angeles Dodgers and outfielder A.J. Pollock agreed on a contract Thursday, pending a physical.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the pact, while ESPN's Buster Olney broke down details of the contract:
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports noted the Diamondbacks would get a compensatory pick, because Pollock signed for more than $50 million.
Pollock, 31, spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He hit .257/.316/.484 with 21 home runs and 65 runs batted in last season.
An All-Star and Gold Glove winner in 2015, he has struggled to replicate that form each of the last three years—largely because of injury. He has missed 249 games in that time and has not been the same player when he is on the field.
After posting 6.8 wins above replacement in 2015, Pollock has 5.2 total WAR from 2016 to 2018, per FanGraphs.
Rather than becoming a perennial All-Star, he has settled in as a solid everyday starter—a utility rather than a building block. He hits for some power but not a lot, hits for OK average but not great and plays solid but unspectacular defense.
That he's a good all-around player makes him valuable. If he has any real slippage defensively, this contract could wind up being excessive.
However, Pollock should be a steady addition provided he stays healthy.
The Dodgers needed some help in the outfield after trading Yasiel Puig to the Cincinnati Reds in December. They're also reportedly open to moving Joc Pederson via trade as well. While they were linked to Bryce Harper earlier in the offseason, Nightengale reported the team is now focused on a potential trade for Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto.
Pollock would not be much of an upgrade over Pederson, especially given that the Dodgers will now have to surrender the No. 31 pick in this year's draft to Arizona.