It’s no secret that the Dodgers have more financial firepower than probably every other team in baseball. There’s no need to hide that fact, and there’s also no need to apologize for it either.
Especially when you consider the way the Front Office has built this team.
Of Course, the Free Agent signings over the last half a decade or so have been huge, but so has just about every other decision as well that get fewer headlines.
When the Dodgers traded Gavin Lux, Will Smith became the only position player left on the roster that is penciled in as a starter. Beyond that, Andy Pages and James Outman are the only other 2 position players on the 40-man roster that the Dodgers signed and developed from start to finish.
So, the perception could easily be that the Dodgers have “bought” a dynasty-caliber roster as opposed to “building” the next generation of World Championships. And, that is true to an extent, but not as big of an extent as popular perception would make it seem.
The Dodgers have made several moves, beyond the “headline” free agency moves, that have allowed them to stay aggressive, and in this article, we are going to cover some of them.
Mookie Betts
The Dodgers traded for Mookie Betts just before the 2020 season and then won the World Series that same year. And despite what Alex Verdugo might say, the Yankee who made the last out of the World Series last year, that Championship is as legit as any other.
As a matter of fact, in many ways, it was a lot harder to win because there were extra rounds.
But, back to the Mookie Betts trade.
The Dodgers sent two highly ranked prospects to the Red Sox, Jeter Downs, who was MLB.coms #44 overall prospect, and Connor Wong. Downs never delivered on his promise and Wong now has 4 years of Major League experience, but there is no argument to make that the Dodgers won this trade by leaps and bounds. Especially considering they got Downs in a deal that sent Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood, and Matt Kemp to the Reds.
The Dodgers also got Josiah Gray in that deal with Downs, and JoJo as he was known, was a fairly large chip in the trade that brought Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Dodgers as well.
So, when you put all of that together, the Dodgers lost Keibert Ruiz, Connor Wong, Jeter Downs, Josiah Gray, Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood, and Matt Kemp. In return, they got Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and Max Scherzer, have won 2 World Series, and have built a dynasty.
Miguel Rojas
The Dodgers traded for Miguel Rojas ahead of the 2023 season for shortstop prospect Jacob Amaya. I can’t tell you how many comments and messages were sent to Dodgers Daily about this trade.
Fans largely couldn’t understand why the Dodgers would trade a younger version of the same player.
Jacob was a favorite of Dodgers Daily to cover, and his defense is Major League quality, but facts are facts. And the facts are that he only has 77 MLB at-bats and hasn’t seen much success.
Meanwhile, Rojas has turned into a clubhouse leader for the Dodgers, has set the tone from a competitive mentality perspective, and had a good year on the offensive side of the ball last year.
As much as I respect Amaya, his competitive nature, his pension to be clutch, and his competitive fire, the Dodgers have won that trade.
Now, let’s all hope that Jacob turns into a good MLB player, which he is capable of, and then comes back to the Dodgers, just as Rojas did. That would be especially cool, considering Jacob is from West Covina and had a grandpa who played in the Dodgers system.
Max Muncy and Chris Taylor
Max Muncy and Chris Taylor weren’t originally drafted into the organization but were built by the Dodgers. When Muncy came to the Dodgers in 2018 he had just been designated for assignment by the As.
The Dodgers sent him to OKC, taught him to play defense, accented his offensive strengths, and turned him into a force. Since becoming a Dodger, he has been an All-Star twice, won two World Series Championships, and has been one of the game’s best sluggers.
Chris Taylor has a similar story. Although he has struggled in the last couple of years, he has been a big part of some great moments and teams. He’s also helped, in one way or the other, win two World Championships.
When Taylor came to the Dodgers in 2016 he had just been optioned by Seattle down to AAA Tacoma. He was traded for Zach Lee who had a lifetime ERA in the MLB of 8.53, and never saw Major League action after throwing 8 innings in 2017.
Edman and Kopech
Without Tommy Edman, the Dodgers don’t win the World Series. Of course, that’s a matter of opinion, but no one will ever be able to convince me differently. While the Dodgers acquired two players instrumental in winning a World Title, they gave up Miguel Vargas, Jeral Perez, and Alexander Albertus.
Perez and Albertus are talented middle infielders, and Vargas still has the chance to become a good Major Leaguer, and we all hope that happens. But, nothing those guys can do can replace winning a World Series and being a large part of it, something both Edman and Kopech have done.
Vesia and Hurt
Alex Vesia was a big part of last year’s World Championship, and no one has more potential than Kyle Hurt. Although Hurt is injured, he’ll be back and will be a force as a pitcher in the MLB.
The Dodgers got both Vesia and Hurt for Dylan Floro who was a good pitcher for the Dodgers and has been decent to good since. But, Vesia was one of the best relievers in all of the game of baseball last year, he’s left-handed, which is valuable in itself, and he has Minor League options. And, he didn’t allow a run in his 5.2 innings of work in the Post-season, so, all things considered, the Dodgers won the trade Vesia vs. Floro. But, add Hurt and they won it going away.
Banda and Brasier
The Dodgers lost to San Diego in the playoffs in 2022, to the Diamondbacks in 2024, and were on the brink of elimination last year. They went down 2-1 to the Padres, were on the road and no one felt great about that situation. Those feelings were amplified knowing the options were either to start a rookie in Game 4, Landon Knack, or choose a bullpen game instead.
The Dodgers chose the bullpen game, and Ryan Brasier got the ball first. Brasier threw four outs and by the time he came out the Dodgers had a 3-1 lead. That allowed everyone to exhale and relax.
Anthony Banda replaced Brasier to get the last 2 outs of the 2nd inning, then, in the top of the 3rd the Dodgers scored 2 more runs to take a 5-0 lead, and cruised from there. So, it can’t be overstated how important Ryan Brasier and Anthony Banda were to overcoming that obstacle. And, if the Dodgers lose to the Padres, again, and again in their first round of playoffs, the narrative would have been dark.
Brasier is yet another relief pitcher the Dodgers acquired after being released. The Red Sox released Brasier in May of 2023, and, instead of accepting a Minor League assignment chose to become a Free Agent. The Dodgers signed him to a Minor League Contract and developed him into a valuable piece to the bullpen.
The Dodgers traded for Anthony Banda for cash. This organization is swimming in money, so to pick up such a valuable left-handed reliever for cash is yet another checkmate chess move from the Dodger’s Front Office.
Graterol and Scott
The Dodgers traded Kenta Maeda, Luke Raley, and some cash to acquire Brusdar Graterol. Maeda posted ERAs of 4.66, 4.23, and 6.09 in the last 3 years whereas, during that same time, Graterol has posted ERAs of 3.26, 1.20, and 2.45.
Although Maeda was very popular in LA, that trade speaks for itself.
The Dodgers stepped out of their comfort zone to sign Tanner Scott but came out of the deal way better than the Padres. The Padres gave up 4 of their top 25 prospects to get Scott, then only had him for a 3-month rental period. They sold out to try and win a World Series but got eliminated by the Dodgers, the team that took him out of Free Agency. So, although the Dodgers did pay a hefty price for Scott, they had their cake and ate it too, especially when compared to the Padres.
The Dodgers also signed Roki Sasaki and Hyeseong Kim to Minor League contracts, Tyler Glasnow signed an extension as part of his signing with the Dodgers and many would say that the 6-year contract of Freddie Freeman was a steal. $162 million is a lot of money, but $27 million a year for a future Hall of Famer who has played in 7 All-Star games is a bargain. Especially considering he’s also won a Gold Glove, is a leader, fits the culture to a glove, and hit the Grand Slam last year in the World Series.
Of course, the contracts of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and others are huge and likely contracts only the Dodgers could offer, but, still, this club has been built way more than people give it credit for.
Without the parts of this roster that have been built, this club would not have won the World Series last year. It could be factual to say they wouldn’t have made it out of the Padres series, which would have been a disaster.
The Relievers
Evan Phillips has developed into one of the best high-leverage relievers in the game since becoming a Dodger. The Dodgers acquired him off the waiver wire in 2021 after he had been DFAd by Tampa Bay. Previous to that the Orioles had outright released him.
So, while he wasn’t drafted by the Dodgers, like Muncy and Taylor, he was made by this organization. That can’t be debated!
Built or Bought?
Whether the Dodgers have been built or bought is complicated, but it’s also irrelevant. It is what it is, as the saying goes, and every team in the Major Leagues would LOVE to be able to do what the Dodgers are doing. The Dodgers Front Office has their foot on the gas pedal with no signs of letting up, and, as fans, we should be thankful and greatly appreciate what they are doing.
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