The Los Angeles Dodgers shockingly lost to the San Diego Padres in four games in the 2022 NLDS after a historic regular season. That came as a huge surprise because of their deep and talented roster, so Dodgers fans expected an instant retooling of their lineup in free agency, especially with the likes of Jacob deGrom, Carlos Correa, and Aaron Judge available on the market.
The front office decided to not splurge on these superstar free agents, while also losing Trea Turner to the Philadelphia Phillies. Dodgers fans may still be wondering why they chose this route even with a wealthy ownership group in Los Angeles. They should not be alarmed, because it is a brilliant choice based on the vision they have for this roster led by Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
Thus, these are the plausible reasons why the Dodgers decided to head in this direction.
Incredible Dodgers farm system
The Dodgers are known to develop young talent ripe for the majors with an ability to thrive in the Los Angeles environment, and they have one of the best farm systems in the majors. Guys like Will Smith and Julio Urias were hyped prospects a couple of years back, and they are now some of the best players at their position in the majors. Los Angeles has numerous individuals who may turn into stars, and that is a hefty advantage they have compared to the other organizations that spent a ton of millions in the offseason.
Some names that baseball fans must remember are pitchers Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone, infielder Miguel Vargas, and outfielder James Outman. To a casual MLB fan, they may still be unfamiliar with their repertoire, but it is not far-fetched for a couple of them to flourish with the Dodgers. President Andrew Friedman can also decide to stack up these prospects for a superstar who could be available before the trade deadline.
Shohei Ohtani
The most appealing and intelligent answer is the man himself: Shohei Ohtani. He has one year left on his current contract with the Los Angeles Angels, and he is set to be a free agent next offseason. Baseball pundits cannot wait for the bag that Ohtani will receive, especially with the likes of Aaron Judge and Trea Turner receiving massive raises in their salaries.
For Ohtani, he is a two-way player who is a generational talent with a chance to play in one of the most prestigious organizations in sports history. The Angels have their ownership problems, and it seems they will have a tough time matching the possible offers of organizations like the Dodgers and possibly the New York Yankees as well, among others.
With a vastly talented lineup and pitching for 2023, Los Angeles did not need to overspend or overcommit on any free agent since they recently paid both Betts and Freeman to massive contract extensions. A plausible Ohtani move would put them in legitimate contender status for a minimum of 10 years because of the talent he possesses, along with the influence and marketability he brings by donning the Dodgers uniform.
The challenge of being a front office executive is to balance winning in the present with plans for the future. Corey Seager and Trea Turner were two of their shortstops signed for enormous contracts elsewhere, and the Dodgers did not seem to budge on losing them for nothing in free agency.
The Dodgers are posturing, and this 2022 offseason is the calm before the storm when they attack and pounce on the chance of adding Shohei Ohtani next year.
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