Dodgers stay aggressive after winning World Series

Not long after the Los Angeles Dodgers recorded the final out of this year’s World Series, Shohei Ohtani uttered a memorable line.

“Nine more,” the Dodgers’ two-way star said following the Dodgers’ victory over the New York Yankees in the clinching Game 5.

Ohtani has nine more years remaining on his 10-year, $700-million contract. He wants to run the table with World Series rings.

“I don’t think Shohei realizes it’s not that easy,” Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman told Draft Nation with a chuckle.

However, the Dodgers plan to do everything they can to become the first team to win consecutive World Series since the Yankees captured three titles in a row from 1998-2000.

The Dodgers made the first big strike in free agency this offseason when they signed left-hander Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, to a five-year, $182-million contract. They also signed outfielder Michael Conforto to a one-year, $17-million deal and brought back infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman for five years and $74 million and relief pitcher Blake Treinen on a two-year, $22-million contract.

Furthermore, the Dodgers are considered the co-favorites with their National League Central rival San Diego Padres to Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki in free agency.

Clearly, the Dodgers aren’t standing pat, and manager Dave Roberts couldn’t be happier.

“I like the way the offseason’s played out,” he said.

The Dodgers were down to just three healthy starting pitchers by the time the postseason started this year and used a franchise-record 40 pitchers during the regular season. Somehow, Roberts was able to guide the Dodgers to their second World Series championship in five seasons – the other came in the pandemic-altered 2020 season – and first in a full season since 1988.

So, it was not a surprise that adding a frontline starter was at the top of the Dodgers’ wish list this season.

Snell should lead a rotation that includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May. Ohtani should also return to the mound sometime earlier in the season after being unable to pitch in 2024 while recovering from elbow surgery. Then there is the strong possibility of Sasaki joining the Dodgers.

“Snell’s great,” Roberts said. “Obviously, we’ve had a lot of familiarity. Great competitor, swing and miss stuff. I think he’s only going to get better.”

Conforto is expected to be the starting left fielder and Edman the regular in center field. Andy Pages, for the moment, projects to be the right fielder as the Dodgers plan to move Mookie Betts to shortstop in 2025.

However, the Dodgers would like to re-sign outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. He is a free agent after hitting .272/.339/.501 with 32 home runs and 12 stolen bases in 154 games during his lone season in Los Angeles.

“Obviously, I’m a huge fan of Teo,” Roberts said. “We have a great relationship. I thought, his words, he loved everything about being a Dodger, and I’m always going to be a Teo fan. There’s not a whole lot of guys that can start 157, 158 ballgames and post and then to be that productive. Then you layer on being in a big market, helping us win a championship. So those players don’t come around very often.

“But obviously Teo has put himself in a very good position as a free agent and had a very productive year. So, he’s got some decisions to make as well. He's going to kind of suss those out. It would be hard for me not to see him coming back.”

There is an opening in the outfield because of the decision to play Betts at shortstop. The 11-year veteran had never played the position in the major leagues until appearing in 16 games in 2023, spending his career almost exclusively in right field.

Betts then began last season as the Dodgers’ shortstop until sustaining a broken left hand on June 16 when struck by a pitch by the Kansas City Royals’ Dan Altavilla. Betts moved to right field when he was activated from the injured list.

Betts was surprisingly solid at shortstop last season as he had three defensive runs saved in 65 games.

“Mookie took on (shortstop), sort of just really spontaneous last year,” Roberts. “There were some good things. Right now, as the roster is kind of where it’s at, it continues to give us a lot of flexibility. It’ an easy bet to bet on him with the full offseason (of workouts). Just feeling good right now where we're at. Obviously, there's some things that can change.

“I think that the footwork was fine. Getting to the baseball, catching it, securing it, good. It’s just the adjustment from the outfield, the longer stroke to the infield, the different arm angles led to some errant throws. All the confidence in Mookie.”