Everyone is angry with the Dodgers, which makes sense but might actually be a bit overdue.
Los Angeles has won the NL West in every single year but one since the 2013 season. Giants, Padres, D-backs and Rockies fans are already sufficiently frustrated with the evil empire operating in their midst. And if this winter is any indication, the future in the division looks a lot like the past.
The Dodgers have added six free agents this offseason — the same number as the rest of the division combined. Were there any non-Dodgers moves that could possibly move the needle, or is L.A. destined for another decade of dominance?
Let’s dive in.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Major moves:
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Signed SP Blake Snell to a 5-year deal
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Signed SP Roki Sasaki as an international free agent
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Signed OF Teoscar Hernández to a 3-year deal
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Signed OF Michael Conforto to a 1-year deal
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Signed RP Tanner Scott to a 4-year deal
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Signed RP Blake Treinen to a 2-year deal
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Signed IF Hyeseong Kim to a 3-year deal
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Extended IF/OF Tommy Edman to a 5-year deal
Offseason grade: A+
This has been a transactional avalanche so overwhelming, so intimidating that people feel moved to clamor for fundamental changes to the structure of Major League Baseball. The Dodgers, however, have no time for your gripes.
They’re too busy spending buckets of money.
This historic spending spree started less than a month after the triumphant championship parade, with the signing of 2023 NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell on a five-year, $182 million deal. That addition, alongside the arrival of Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, gives the Dodgers a starting rotation that should steal souls and crush dreams all season long.
The successful courting of Sasaki showed a different side of the Dodgers’ juggernaut, as the club could not simply bestow the young hurler with a massive contract, given that his earnings were limited by his status as an international amateur. Yes, the gobs of money spent on the rest of the roster surely played a factor in bringing Sasaki to town, but so did the club’s culture and vaunted player development apparatus.
Meanwhile, the club’s financial dominance enabled the reinforcing of both its outfield and its bullpen. Being able to commit a combined $83 million to Teoscar Hernández and Michael Conforto in the corner outfield spots is a luxury. The same goes for the $94 million committed to relievers Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen.
The Dodgers, as is their right, are operating in a way few other teams can afford to. Whether all…