Dodgers News: Andrew Friedman Addresses Julio Urias's Contract Status
Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias will be a free agent at the end of the 2023 season, and the timing is pretty great for him. Urias finished seventh in the 2021 National League Cy Young voting when he was the only 20-game winner in the big leagues, going 20-3 with a 2.96 ERA. He was even better in 2022, finishing third in the Cy Young after going 17-7 with a league-leading 2.16 ERA.
Urias is a client of super-agent Scott Boras, whose clients rarely sign contract extensions before getting to free agency. It does happen sometimes, but in general, players who hire Boras want to test the market to maximize their returns.
Los Angeles president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told a scrum of reporters including AM570 LA Sports Radio the team would love to work out an extension with Urias.
“We think Julio loves being a Dodger. I know that we love having Julio as a Dodger. I think negotiations are something we can keep more internal — not I think, I know. And time will tell. I think any time you have that dynamic where the team really wants the player and the player really likes the team, I think it increases the odds. But he’s put himself in a great position to go out and do really well for him and his family, rightfully so. And so we’ll let some time play out and see when we have something to share.”
Friedman didn’t address the Boras-shaped elephant in the room until he was pressed on it and asked if Julio’s agent is open to discussing a deal.
“I think that’s a better question for him. I think you can deduce different things, but better question for him.”
Down the road in San Diego, the Padres are dealing with this same issue with another Boras client, Juan Soto. An extension for Soto seems extraordinarily unlikely, considering the dollar figures that have been thrown around for his possible free-agent deal. Urias seems more likely, but still, with Boras as his agent, the Dodgers might have to wait until Julio actually hits the market to try to get something done.
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