Dodgers mailbag: Why didn’t they sign Johnny Cueto?

The Dodgers are 52-42. That translates to a 90-win pace across 162 games, which might be good enough to host the National League wild-card game. But it probably won’t be enough to win a fourth consecutive division title. By dropping two of three to Arizona this weekend, the Dodgers failed to gain ground on San Francisco, which was swept by San Diego.  

So it goes. There is plenty of season left, and Clayton Kershaw will likely rejoin the team later this week. Until then, there are always plenty of questions to answer. You can reach me on Twitter @McCulloughTimes if you have any. Let’s do this.

I was standing next to Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer on the day before the All-Star game. I spent most of two years standing near Eric Hosmer, so this should not come as a shock. Someone asked him about his former teammate Johnny Cueto starting the next night for the National League, representing the San Francisco Giants.

“What was his deal last year?” I asked Hosmer.

“You tell me,” Hosmer said.

“Well, now he’s really good again?” I said.

“Hey,” Hosmer said, “we won a World Series. I wouldn’t change anything about anything. The bad outing in Toronto. Wouldn’t change a thing about it.”

Which sums up how the Kansas City Royals felt about Cueto at the end of his tenure with the club. The team acquired him in July as one of the last pieces of a championship puzzle. Upon his arrival, Cueto acted as a puzzle all by himself.

In 13 starts with Kansas City, Cueto posted a 4.76 earned-run average. He allowed opposing hitters to manufacture a collective .818 on-base plus slugging percentage against him. He complained about the glove positioning of All-Star catcher Salvador Perez. He struggled to communicate his issues with his coaching staff.

The Royals acquired Cueto for the purpose of leading their pitching staff in October. But when the playoffs began, Cueto started Game 2 of the American League division series, not Game 1. He declined to alter his pitching schedule heading into the postseason and forced the Royals to scramble around him.

To his credit, Cueto pitched a gem in Game 5 of the ALDS. But the Blue Jays crushed him at Rogers Centre in the next round, as Cueto appeared rattled by the road crowd. The Royals believed Cueto’s issues pitching in opposing ballparks were real — enough that the team slated its World Series rotation so Cueto would never have to pitch at Citi Field.

Then there are the injury concerns. The Dodgers may have balked at pursuing Cueto last summer because of questions about his elbow. Some Royals officials felt Cueto was protecting himself last season, fearful of overextending himself and experiencing an injury so close to free agency.

Once he hit the market after the season, it appears the Dodgers showed little interest in him. And, given their philosophical leanings toward free-agent pitchers, that is not surprising. And given the question marks surrounding Cueto, the team’s caution appeared reasonable.

That stance looks less praiseworthy now, as Cueto has been excellent. Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ chief free-agent acquisition is Scott Kazmir, who has yet to find a rhythm. Cueto began the second half leading the National League in wins (13) and complete games (four), with a 2.47 ERA. Some Royals officials believe Cueto has been able to achieve full extension on his pitches now that he no longer fears risking an injury.

So do the Dodgers regret not going after Cueto? It’s doubtful. They are certainly not thrilled about his renaissance with a division rival. But members of the front office tend to feel pessimistic about the long-term viability of big-money contracts to free-agent pitchers, a belief that is hard-wired into their DNA and rooted in evidence across baseball history. One good half from Cueto will not change that stance.

It is a reasonable question, as the Dodgers scouted Yulieski Gourriel extensively and invited him to a workout at Dodger Stadium. Heading into the weekend, according to people familiar with the situation, the team was still considered in the mix for Gourriel’s services. But he signed a five-year, $47 million deal with Houston on Friday.

So what happened with the Dodgers? Andrew Friedman, the president of baseball operations, declined to comment on the situation. But the Cuban market has proved incredibility inefficient in recent years. The Dodgers spent $30 million on Yaisel Sierra during the winter, and already the team has removed him from the 40-man roster. Investments in players like Alex Guerrero and Erisbel Arruebarrena have not proved fruitful.

Given Gourriel’s age (32) and the unlikelihood he helps a team in 2016, it’s reasonable to understand why the Dodgers might have balked at a long-term commitment to a volatile asset. That should not be taken as a knock on Gourriel. But the list of teams who are unhappy with their investments in Cuba is a lengthy one. Ask the Diamondbacks about Yasmany Tomas, or the Red Sox about Rusney Castillo, or, yes, the Dodgers about plenty of other guys.

No prospects can be considered “untouchable.” If White Sox general manager Rick Hahn called up Andrew Friedman and offered Chris Sale in exchange for Julio Urias, Urias is headed to the South Side of Chicago in an instant. But if Hahn demanded Urias in exchange for Jose Quintana? That might not get done.

So I think any Dodgers prospect can be considered available. But given the lack of high-end talent on the trading block, it’s hard to see the Dodgers parting with many (if any at all) of their elite-level prospects. More on that below!

Absolutely. The Dodgers still have Cody Bellinger, Alex Verdugo, Frankie Montas, Jose De Leon, Grant Holmes, Yadier Alvarez, Austin Barnes, Jharel Cotton, Walker Buehler, Willie Calhoun and an entirely new class of draft picks brought into the organization in the past month. The organization might have the best farm system in baseball. They have plenty to trade.

The answer has not changed: It depends.

Kenta Maeda, Brandon McCarthy and Scott Kazmir.

Not really. I grew up in Philadelphia, so I’ll never find a gas station that rates above Wawa.

I’m going to say Yellowcard, but Modern Baseball has a far larger fan base than I expected. American Football is the best band of the three, and it’s not particularly close.

No.

I’m not really sure, and I’m pretty sure I do not care. It’s unclear how Brock Lesnar’s drug issue with UFC will affect  how WWE books him. But even before this happened, I had zero interest in watching him face Orton. I have zero interest, in essence, in ever seeing Orton wrestle again. He seems like he works hard, but his arsenal is tired. I couldn’t imagine a world in which Lesnar actually has to sell that silly legs-on-the-ropes DDT. The company has far too many more talented workers to continue putting Orton out front.

But that raises a larger question: How the WWE cost Lesnar his heat. Coming out of Wrestlemania last year, Lesnar was the biggest star in the company. His schedule forced him to the sidelines, allowing him to come back hot for Seth Rollins during the summer. The company promptly squandered that momentum by putting Lesnar in a feud with the Undertaker.

Instead of ripping apart other wrestlers, Lesnar had to sell a 50-year-old man’s offense. The WWE spent about 18 months building up Lesnar as a shoot fighter, then forced him to work. His heat disappeared, and the company lost track of how to use him. He’s been floating in and out, collecting paychecks and little else, ever since.

I miss the excitement of those months when Lesnar crushed John Cena and worked that hellacious triple threat match at the Royal Rumble. I doubt we will ever see Lesnar booked like that again. It’s a shame.

Also, I am 29 years old, and still care about this stuff. Please, as always, send help.