Dodgers driving next winter's free-agent frenzy after Saturday's trade

Only six years ago, an Adrian Gonzalez-for-Matt Kemp trade would have been a blockbuster featuring two superstars in their primes.

Alas, it is not 2011, and Saturday's five-player swap between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves only featured the contracts of Kemp and A-Gon as footnotes in an otherwise game-changing deal.

Though the Braves made out OK - general manager Alex Anthopoulos cleared some salary, opened an immediate outfield spot for prospect Ronald Acuna, and even got one or two potential useful pieces while keeping the deal cash-neutral - this trade is all about the defending National League champions getting ready to become an even scarier juggernaut next winter.

Already one of baseball's richest teams, Los Angeles now has even more dollars at its disposal for next year's star-studded free-agent frenzy.

What tax?

For the last five seasons, the Dodgers - owners of the highest payroll in baseball - have had to pay the luxury tax. In November, they were hit with a bill of close to $34 million, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

All of that is in the past now. Getting rid of the $22.357 million owed to Gonzalez in the final year of his contract helped, but for the Dodgers, it was just as important to shed the deals of Scott Kazmir ($17.667 million) and Brandon McCarthy ($11.5 million).

Neither Kazmir nor McCarthy had places on the Dodgers in 2018; Kazmir missed all of last season due to injury and remains a question mark, and McCarthy was probably going to be an expensive reliever if he stuck on the roster, given their tremendous rotation depth. While the Dodgers could have easily eaten the deals given their financial muscle, trading them to Atlanta dropped them below the tax threshold today.

So why get under the tax now? Because it resets the penalties going forward. This allows Andrew Friedman and Co. to stay the course this winter and keep last year's NL pennant-winning squad virtually intact for 2018 without worrying about any bills and punishments - all while making plans for next winter's star-studded class of free agents.

Destination: Hollywood

So what will the Dodgers do with this newfound space under the tax in 365 days or so? Well, the possibilities are limitless.

Next winter, Bryce Harper is a free agent. Ditto Manny Machado. Also, the Dodgers' own Clayton Kershaw. A host of other superstar names will hit the market next winter too, and thanks to Saturday's trade, at least one of them will end up in Chavez Ravine.

The Dodgers can probably be content to mix and match in the outfield next season because they know Harper is all but waiting for them in the wintertime. He'll have a ton of suitors, including the Yankees (imagine Harper flanked by Stanton and Judge) and possibly the Cubs, but Saturday's trade puts the Dodgers in the driver's seat for the Las Vegas native's services.

Now, Los Angeles can spend freely in winter 2018 without worrying about the impediment of the luxury tax. Offer Harper a $400-million-plus deal? Sure, why not. Add him to a championship core and worry about getting back under the tax in five years. Grab Brian Dozier too, while you're at it. Heck, give Dave Roberts the ultimate bullpen and sign Andrew Miller. Pick some more names off the list of 2019 free agents. The Dodgers could already afford all of this, but now the dream scenario just became plausible.

As for Kershaw, Saturday's trade makes it very unlikely that we'll ever see this legend put on another uniform. Kershaw can opt out of the final two years of his deal after next season, but the Dodgers will have plenty of wiggle room to sign Harper and anyone else they want, while taking care of Kershaw financially to ensure he remains a Dodger for life.

And when they're done all that, Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager could still get their share in new contracts to buy out their arbitration years.

There are many other factors at play, of course. Los Angeles can't get everybody next winter. Harper may reject the Dodgers' overtures for another team. Injuries can change everything.

But the Dodgers shouldn't worry much, because they just set themselves up to outspend even the vaunted Yankees next year. And if that happens, the front office should think about giving Kemp, Gonzalez, McCarthy, and Kazmir some commission.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)