Dodgers may explore trading 3 injury-risk arms — with a Yankees fit?

The Dodgers built rotation depth this year because they realized how fragile their starters were, and  indeed, they used 15 in all. Three starters they had invested in long-term — Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-jin Ryu — were unavailable in the postseason.

Kazmir and McCarthy were throwing, but GM Farhan Zaidi said there was not enough time to make them fully ready to start in the postseason, though “all those guys are going to be full goes in spring training.”

Still, the Dodgers would like to get out of any or all of those contracts. Each has two years left. The thinnest free-agent market in history awaits. So could Los Angeles trade any of them?

Ryu makes the least (two years at $14 million remaining) but has one start in the last two years as he has had shoulder and elbow surgeries. McCarthy (two years at $20 million) had Tommy John surgery last year and went just 2-3 with a 4.95 ERA when he returned in July this season. There was talk he struggled with the yips, but both Zaidi and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the issues were mechanical and McCarthy conquered those.

I keep wondering, if he is a low cost in trade, whether he might be a good depth item for the Yankees, since he pitched so well for them in 2014 (7-5, 2.89 ERA) and the club really liked him.

Kazmir can opt out of the two years at $32 million left within three days of the end of the World Series. He would be hard pressed to replicate that even in free agency, since he pitched poorly after being obtained down the stretch with Houston last year, had a 4.56 ERA this year and missed a month with a neck ailment. If he turned it down, the Dodgers theoretically could make the $17.2 million qualifying offer. Kazmir could reject that, in which case L.A. would get draft-pick compensation. If Kazmir accepted, he might be easier to deal at one year, $17.2 million than two at $32 million. It is believed both Kazmir and the team would prefer a divorce. Notably, none of the three injured starters appeared around the team in the playoffs.