Following their World Series win and now reporting to Arizona for upcoming Spring Training bouts, the Dodgers are hoping to win back-to-back World Series titles for the first time since the 2000-01 New York Yankees.
During free agency, the Dodgers didn’t shy away from adding to their rotation and bullpen.
Their big signees include highly touted Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell and the so-called “Ohtani Killer” Tanner Scott. Sasaki signed a minor-league contract with a $6.5-million signing bonus, a steal for a player like Sasaki. In contrast, if Sasaki waited another year in Japan he would have been eligible for a contract like his teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed a 12-year, $325-million contract with LA last offseason.
Sasaki, now ranked as the No. 1 prospect in baseball, won the 2023 World Baseball Classic gold medal with Japan with teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yamamoto.
Snell is an interesting signing because the Dodgers didn’t necessarily need to add to their rotation. The rotation as it stood had Tyler Glasnow, Yamamoto, Tony Gonsolin, Clayton Kershaw and Bobby Miller. But with these pitchers dealing with injuries this past season, the move made sense. Of these pitchers, only Yamamoto was active for their postseason run and was key.
Snell signed a five-year, $182-million contract. The only question with Snell will be his consistency. When he’s on, he’s one of the best pitchers, but when he’s not, it can get ugly. Last season for the San Francisco Giants, Snell threw in 104 innings with a 3.12 ERA and 145 strikeouts. He struggled at first but excelled at the second half of the season with a 1.24 ERA.
Last but certainly not least, closer Tanner Scott signed a four-year, $72 million contract. Scott just came off his best season of his career and will contribute to an already stacked bullpen.
There is no doubt that the Dodgers are all in on this group of players who are trying to build a dynasty. With all the future deferred money and all their signees, it’s now or never. Not to mention their only losses were longtime Dodger Walker Buehler, who struggled in the regular season with a 5.38 ERA but came up big when the lights were bright. LA also lost utility man Gavin Lux who was only an average hitter.
The team MVP could very well likely be two-way player Shohei Ohtani, who is projected to have a 30-plus-homer season with a 3.50 ERA. An under-the-radar breakout player could be gold-glover Tommy Edman. Edman, the NLCS MVP just came from one of his best runs in his career batting a .328 with 2 homers and 13 RBIs in the postseason.
If Edman could replicate even some of that production, he will be one of the leaders in the Dodgers clubhouse. Additionally, his gold-glove defense and utility ability could make 2025 an All-Star-caliber season for Edman.
The Dodgers will be vying for another 100-plus-win season to be at the top of both the National League and all of MLB. Their loaded depth will make them stronger, giving them a good shot at winning back-to-back titles.