The Los Angeles Dodgers have been making Major League Baseball history by signing Shohei Ohtani to a record-breaking 10-year contract worth $700 million. However, the team was not done yet.
They traded Ryan Pepiot and Jonny DeLuca to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for RHP Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot. Glasnow has signed a five-year contract extension for $136.5 million to strengthen the Dodgers' bullpen for the foreseeable future.
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo expressed concerns about the Dodgers’ outfield department on his show, "High Heat":
“I don’t like the Dodger outfield and they had a lot of trouble with that outfield in the Arizona series… And that outfield, that’s not a great outfield… I don’t like that outfield at all offensively," Russo said.
Joe Davis, a play-to-play announcer for the Dodgers, replied to Russo by sharing his opinion on their roster.
“I don't think that they are done. You Know, I mentioned, I think that Yamamoto is very much in play and the other pitchers that are out there, still very much in the play.
"They wouldn't surprise me if they continue to add outfield or other parts of the roster as well.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers are still on the lookout for starters as Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urias became free agents in 2023 and Ohtani can't pitch next season. They are reportedly in talks with another hot agent, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, while also having Blake Snell on their radar.
A recap of Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2023 MLB season
The Los Angeles Dodgers had a disappointing postseason in 2023, despite clinching a spot in the West division of the National League. They won 100 games (53 home, 47 road) while losing 62 games (28 home, 34 road).
In terms of individual performance, Dodgers' first baseman Freddie Freeman scored the most runs on the team with 131, with a batting average of .331 and a .977 OPS.
Meanwhile, Mookie Betts recorded the most RBIs with 107 and 39 home runs. The 35-year-old Clayton Kershaw started 24 games for Los Angeles with a 13-5 record and had a 2.46 ERA in 131.2 innings with 137 strikeouts.
The Dodgers have managed to qualify for the postseason for the past decade but only won the World Series once in 2020 against the Tampa Bay Rays. This offseason, they are determined to build the ultimate lineup by bringing Shohei Ohtani on board to win their eighth World Series pennant.