After years of being among the most active teams in free agency, the Los Angeles Dodgers shied away from completing blockbuster moves over the recent offseason. While the San Diego Padres went all out to improve their roster following a run to the NLCS, the reigning National League West champions instead opted for low-risk, high-reward signings to bolster their squad.
Even after a relatively quiet offseason from Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, Max Muncy believes that his squad is still the team to beat in the NL West.
“Well, you know, I think everyone is talking about the Padres right now, probably rightfully so,” Muncy said during a recent appearance on MLB Network Radio. “They made a lot of big moves in the offseason, and they did eliminate us in the playoffs, but we are still the defending NL West champs.
“We've taken the division nine out of the last ten years, or whatever it is.”
The Dodgers did lose multiple players in the free agency period who were keen contributors in their 111-win campaign, from shortstop Trea Turner to starting pitcher Tyler Anderson. However, Muncy did not see that the NL West powerhouse needed to be an aggressive spender in free agency because it already has “all the pieces in place.”
“We still have one of the best teams in baseball,” Muncy added. “I know not everybody thinks so just because we didn’t go out and make big offseason moves, but that's because we already have all the pieces in place. We made a couple additions to complement it.
“We're still going to be one of the best teams in baseball. We can't wait to get out there and prove it. If people don't want to talk about us, that's fine. Let everyone else have to have the hype they have to live up to.”
It is expected to be quite a battle this year between the Dodgers and the Padres for the top spot in the NL West standings.
The Dodgers will open up their spring training schedule on Feb. 25 with a road matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers.
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