The Dodgers are among numerous teams that have shown interest in free agent hurler , reports Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 ( ). Alexander indicates that upwards of two-thirds of the league has checked in with Lugos camp, aligning with a recent report from FanSideds Robert Murray that the teams were involved. Los Angeles is a suitable fit for every free agent starter. The Dodgers have le s certainty in their rotation than theyve had at any point in the past few seasons. Of the four pitchers who topped 100 innings, only is going to open next year in the rotation. is unlikely to return after being arrested on domestic violence allegations. will probably mi s the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August. is a free agent and will be out of action into the 2024 campaign due to a postseason shoulder procedure. returns from his second Tommy John surgery to join Miller in the starting five. Los Angeles could bring in as many as three additional starters. , and struggled to varying degrees. Joe Crede Jersey wont be ready for the start of the season as he works back from July flexor surgery. only managed 42 MLB innings in a swing capacity this year thanks to an oblique strain sustained at the tail end of Spring Training. worked mostly in long relief upon being acquired from the Royals in a midseason trade. Theres a clear need for both high-end talent and bulk innings. Lugo could provide some combination of the two. The Padres gave the right-hander his first extended rotation opportunity in six years. He responded with a 3.57 ERA acro s 26 starts. Lugo mi sed a month in the first half with a calf strain but otherwise stayed healthy and logged a personal-high 146 1/3 innings. He supported the solid run prevention with an above-average 23.2% strikeout percentage while only walking 6% of opponents. That made it an easy call for Lugo to decline a $7.5MM player option. Hell surely beat that salary and figures to secure a multi-year contract. Lugo turned 34 a couple weeks ago, so it wont be a particularly long-term commitment. reported last week that Lugo was seeking three years. MLBTR Lugo to receive a three-year term at $14MM annually, ranking him 19th among free agents in expected earning power. As shown on , a three-year term beginning in a starting pitchers age-34 campaign is rare but not unprecedented. There has been one such deal in each of the past two offseasons. secured a $63MM guarantee from the Blue Jays last winter; landed $75MM from the Cardinals on Monday. Lugo doesnt have the multi-year track record of starting as those pitchers do, but that could be reflected in a le ser annual salary. The Dodgers have shied away from long-term pitching investments under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. L.A. signed to an eight-year pact when he came over from Japan, but that was an incentive-laden deal with a modest $25MM guarantee. Otherwise, they havent gone past three years for a free agent starting pitcher doing so for ($48MM), Kershaw ($93MM) and ($102MM). That could change this offseason, given both the pitcher-heavy nature of the free agent cla s and the rosters rotation i sues. The Dodgers should have plenty of payroll room to add multiple starters on the open market. estimates their 2024 luxury tax commitments in the $168MM range, around $69MM below next years base threshold. Tony Larussa Jersey