The Dodgers have had one of the greatest off seasons in the history of baseball. I fully understand how that sounds a bit hyperbolic, but, it’s really not.
The club has spent over a billion dollars, and that was just on 2 players. Well, they actually haven’t spent spent over a Billion dollars this off season, but they have committed to paying that amount to their talent over a period that spans more than a decade.
They acquired the best free agent ever, Shohei Ohtani, and the best pitcher on the Free Agent market Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They’ve also acquired a starting pitcher with #1 stuff (Tyler Glasnow) a lefty with high velo (James Paxton) who also has lots of Major League experience, a left fielder that can mash lefties (Teo), and a right fielder that will make for a good platoon with Jason Heyward with Manny Margot.
Then, to put the cherry on top, they just recently brought back both Ryan Brasier and the GOAT Clayton Kershaw.
Oh, and they’ve held on to almost every prospect in doing so, which is the only aspect of it this off season I’m not super excited about just because of the log jam of prospects in the system.
But, that’s not the point of this article, so let’s take a look at each transaction.
Shohei Othani
This one was the big one!
I don’t think I’m breaking any big news with that comment, but his signing went way beyond just getting one of the best players in the game. The Dodgers are now THE team in Japan, their marketability, as great as it always has been, just lapped itself, and this team is going to be swimming in money thanks to this signing.
Also, Ohtani, as we noted 6000 times in the video above, once he signed, became the lead recruiter for every other signing. He sent notes and messages, and, from an overall presence, made it very clear the Dodgers were “All In”.
That message of being “all in” was and was always going to be attractive to every other player in the MLB. Players want to play for organizations that have shown they are committed to doing what it takes to win World Series titles, and, the Dodgers did just that with this signing.
And, Ohtani did the same thing himself by deferring so much of his contract. Those deferrals have opened up salary space to let the Dodgers get Yamamoto, Glasnow, Paxton, Margot, Brasier, Teo and Kershaw.
Glasnow and Margot
This one was a tough one to absorb, at least initially. Ryan Pepiot was the Dodgers best pitcher down the stretch last year and Jonny DeLuca has been one of the best Minor League outfielders in the game. And, DeLuca also played well during his time in L.A. as well, and is a 20/20, fringe 30/30 type talent.
The Dodgers, as they do a lot, clearly went for upside in Tyler Glasnow in this deal. Glasnow is a couple inches taller than Pepiot, throws a couple miles an hour harder, and has shown bigtime swing and miss type stuff. He has also shown that, when maximized, he’s a Cy Young type pitcher.
And, he’s from Southern California, so he’s a perfect fit from a culture perspective as well.
Having said all of that, this deal only started to make sense, at least for me, when Glasnow agreed to a 5 year extension. Despite the upside potential of Glasnow, one year of him vs. 5 years of Pepiot, plus, also giving up DeLuca, was not a deal that would have been a good one for the Dodgers.
But, once Glasnow signed the extension, it made it easier to deal with losing both DeLuca and Pepiot.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Yamamoto has never thrown a pitch in the Major Leagues, although he did throw in the WBC, which gives at least some ability to judge him against Major League hitters. However, until he shows how he is going to do on a consistent basis against Major Leaguers, this one, considering the length and cost of the contract, was a risk on many levels.
First, from a catastrophic perspective, it could end up being the case that his stuff doesn’t translate into upper echelon success at the MLB level. If that ends up being the case, his contract would be one of the largest overpays in the game. No one even remotely expects this to happen, but, again, only time will tell.
Another risk is that Yamamoto is good for a period of time, but, then, isn’t nearly as effective on the back half of the contract, which means the Dodgers would be overpaying for upwards to half of a decade.
But, one of the most attractive aspects of Yamamoto, and the reason the Dodgers committed so many years to him, is that he is just 25 years old. That means, odds would suggest that he is just now entering his prime, and, if he’s as good as the Dodgers think he is, will be a very effective pitcher for the period of his contract, or at least close.
Well, and, the Dodgers have a window with Mookie and Freddie’s prime, so they had to dive in head first to “Win Now” to capitalize on that window, and this signing is as big of a statement as any that they did just that.
Teoscar Hernandez
Teoscar Hernandez is a good player, and one that has had periods of being great, so he was another exciting acquisition for the Dodgers.
I must say though, the one thing that frustrates me about the Dodgers, however, is that the offense is too Boom or Bust. It seems like this offense either hits home runs and scores runs by the bunches, or, it largely disappears when the ball is not flying over outfield walls.
So, signing another Boom/Bust type offensive player, who had a K% of 31.1% last year, was something to consider. But, as much as this was about simply acquiring talent, it was even more so about adding a player that fit a need.
First, the Dodgers needed a right handed hitting left fielder that could mash lefties and Teo is definitely that guy. Plus, with Andy Pages having shoulder surgery, and Jose Ramos not having made AAA yet, the Dodgers don’t have a right handed power hitting outfielder that is Major League ready.
So, when putting all of that into the equation, Hernandez made a ton of sense. Plus, I think the Dodgers are going to be able to maximize both he and Margot’s matchups, which should set them both up to maximize their success.
James Paxton
This is the one that probably made the least amount of sense to a lot of Dodgers fans. But, as you’ll see if you watch the video that is linked above, he is a very good fit for the Dodgers.
He was THE pitcher I was hoping the Dodgers would target at the Trade Deadline last year. That’s because his pitch profile is both one that the Dodgers work well with, and, is also one the Dodgers need.
The Dodgers need a lefty with velo, and Paxton provides that.
Also, I’ve mentioned several times on Dodgers Dawgs that, if he pitches well, he could also transition to the bullpen in the playoffs and be the high leverage lefty many think the Dodgers still need. Especially now that Clayton Kershaw has been re signed.
Of course nothing is guaranteed, but, Paxton, in my opinion, fits like a glove.
Ryan Brasier
Brasier is the next in a long line of success stories for the Dodgers, in terms of veterans resurrecting their careers. Brasier was lights out last year once he came to the Dodgers, and he parlayed that into a 2 year contract.
Many Dodgers fans still feel like the Dodgers need a High Leverage lefty in their pen, especially now that Caleb Ferguson is a Yankee. Although that might end up being the case, and, in fact, Austin and I have advocated for Tanner Scott for a long time now, I’m good with where the roster is at now considering the club got Paxton and Kershaw.
Also, Ryan Brasier, and other right handed relievers on this roster, have good lefty splits, and, when combined with the fact that Kershaw or Paxton likely will be bullpen pieces in the Playoffs, I think the Dodgers could be done.
I’m not saying that they definitely are done because they very well might get another High Leverage lefty. But, by getting Matt Gage back in the Ferguson deal, it seems unlikely they make another move, at least not another “splashy” type move.
But, this off season has brought one big moment after the other, so who am I to say it won’t happen either. So, take my opinion for what it’s worth, which, if you combine it with somewhere around a couple of dollars, might get you a cup of coffee.
Clayton Kershaw
I’m not gonna spend a whole long time on Kershaw because he is a guaranteed Hall of Famer, he is a Dodger, and he couldn’t end his career with the Dodgers based on how last season ended.
So, him coming back was always going to happen, it just was, and I can’t imagine anyone being anything other than happy about it.
Caleb Ferguson, Victor Gonzalez & Yency Almonte
Caleb Ferguson was the third victim of not having Minor League options. Yency Almonte and Victor Gonzalez were both traded away, and, almost assuredly because they were out of options.
With the amount of talent the Dodgers have, but with the volatility in terms of history in injuries in the pitchers they have on roster, the Dodgers are going to have to use their AAA guys to provide depth. So, having as many pitchers on roster that have options, meaning the ability to be sent back down to OKC, is critical.
Alex Vesia and JP Feyereisen were safe because they both have options, and can be part of the Up/Down train from OKC that is going to be used to fill innings.
So, while the return of Matt Gage and Christian Zuzueta might not look overwhelming, it actually makes total sense for the way the Dodgers roster is constructed.
Vesia and Yarbrough can handle the “Non High Leverage” innings, so the only need for Ferguson was to handle the “High Leverage” innings. Clearly, despite Fergie being a good pitcher, the Dodgers did not trust him in that role. With that being the case, he become duplicate to Vesia and Yarbrough, and the one thing this roster can’t afford is duplicates. There is too much talent to begin with, they can’t use a spot on a guy would only provide innings they already have others that can cover.
So, that leaves the question, do the Dodgers still need a High Leverage Lefty? That, obviously, is a matter of opinion, but I lean towards no, because of the addition of Kershaw in July”ish”, and the possibilities for Paxton.
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