3 Pitchers the Dodgers Should Target if Gerrit Cole is Too Expensive

After a stunning exit in the NLDS at the hands of the eventual World Series champion Washington Nationals, the Los Angeles Dodgers will look to be aggressive as possible in free agency this offseason. Of course, the most heralded free agent is former Houston Astros ace Gerrit Cole, who is reportedly looking to pitch for a west coast team. While that would usually signal that the Dodgers are going to make a move for Cole, it's actually the L.A. rival Angels who are frontrunners to lock him up to a contract. If Cole proves to be too expensive for the Dodgers' liking, here are three pitchers they should target instead.

3. Stephen Strasburg

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Stephen Strasburg is going to command a ton of money this offseason. What's important here is that the amount of money he receives won't be nearly as much as Gerrit Cole's going to get, which is why Strasburg seems like an ideal target for the Dodgers to seriously pursue if they're still in the market for big-name pitching. The guy's coming off a championship where he was named the World Series MVP, and he's a native of southern California. While he might live closer to the Padres than the Dodgers, the allure of L.A. would definitely play a role in Strasburg's decision were he to choose to pitch for the boys in blue.

2. Zack Wheeler

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The former San Francisco Giants prospect figures to be paid handsomely as well, but not as much as Strasburg, let alone Cole. However, he's shown flashes of being an ace for any MLB team, and the Dodgers could definitely capitalize on his potential star-power. With a fastball that explodes at the plate similarly to Cole and Strasburg, Wheeler would be an excellent consolation prize as well should the Dodgers miss out on the top two starting pitchers.

1. Dallas Keuchel

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Keuchel was burned hard by free agency this past offseason. After waiting and waiting for a massive contract offer, he remained unsigned until June, when the Atlanta Braves signed him to a one-year deal. Keuchel had a decent year, going 8-8 with a 3.75 ERA, and at the very least, he'd bolster the back-end of the Dodgers' rotation as a fourth or fifth starter and fill the hole that Rich Hill will probably be leaving.