Anthony Rendon Washington Nationals
Anthony Rendon #6 of the Washington Nationals in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 13, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to regroup after suffering an early exit from the 2019 postseason and appear to have two veteran third basemen in their sights.

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported that the “Dodgers have Anthony Rendon on their radar. Earlier they’d been connected to Josh Donaldson. Justin Turner has generously offered to change positions if necessary.”

Rendon was a hero for the World Series champion Washington Nationals, homering off the Dodgers in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. The 30-year-old may be willing to agree to a short-term deal with a higher average annual value, which is considered ideal for Los Angeles. Donaldson, meanwhile, is coming off a strong season with the Atlanta Braves after signing a one-year deal worth $23 million.

Heyman's comments come after reports that the Dodgers may have an interest in shortstop Francisco Lindor. The 25-year-old might be the most attractive commodity on the trade market. Lindor has two Silver Slugger awards and two Golden Gloves.

While the Dodgers may want to upgrade their bats, pitching might be a more pressing need. Hyun-Jin Ryu is a free agent, while Houston Astros superstar Gerrit Cole is reportedly one of their targets. Los Angeles might also want to pursue more bullpen additions.

Team president Andrew Friedman recently said that the Dodgers will be more aggressive in free agency, claiming that the NL West champions are "not opposed to any form of player acquisition." There has been talk that Dodger ownership, Guggenheim Baseball Management, has given Friedman zero restrictions to stay below the luxury tax.

The Dodgers farm system is still strong. In 2019, manager Dave Roberts received solid production from Alex Verdugo, Will Smith and Gavin Lux, as well as pitchers Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May. Other top prospects include catcher Keibert Ruiz, pitcher Josiah Gray and shortstop Jeter Downs.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers may face some stiffer competition in the NL West from the San Diego Padres, who last year surprised many by signing infielder Manny Machado.

"Padres have interest in Madison Bumgarner and they are going to meet at the GM meetings with MadBum’s agent Ed Cerulo. SD has also been connected to Stephen Strasburg," Heyman noted.

The New York Yankees are also believed to have a strong interest in both Cole and Strasburg.

Major league baseball