Ex-MLB player supports Dodgers' super-team pursuit
Yesterday at 05:49 PM
The Los Angeles Dodgers have accomplished a large amount in the last 13 months. They signed global star Shohei Ohtani to a mind-boggling deferred contract in free agency, brought in more high-end talent and then proceeded to win the 2024 World Series. Now, LA is trying to restart the cycle. The organization went back to the deferral well to ink two-time Cy Young Blake Snell before extending Tommy Edman and re-signing Teoscar Hernandez. The cherry on top of a sundae already loaded with cherries was Friday’s Roki Sasaki acquisition.
The latest Japanese pitching sensation officially announced his decision to join the Dodgers on Instagram, coming to terms on a rookie salary that includes a $6.5 million signing bonus. For the other 29 MLB teams and their fan bases, the news was probably sickening. Perhaps that is an achievement in of itself, however.
That sentence is not written in jest. A former MLB player believes that Los Angeles’ extremely aggressive offseason approach should send a strong message to the rest of the league, one which essentially translates to adapt or perish.
“I think if you are looking at this Dodgers roster on paper, it is in the discussion for one of the best rosters ever assembled in the game of baseball,” retired infielder Trevor Plouffe said on “Talkin’ Baseball.” “You either think that’s really cool or you don’t think that’s cool at all, but it is what it is… A lot of people are saying it’s bad for baseball. I don’t think it is. I think it’s keep up. Find a way to freakin’ keep up then.”
Maybe because players like making money and they wish they made this type of money during their career?
How do you/Trevor suggest the Rockies keep up with the Dodgers?— #1 Padres Fan (@YonathonDaza) January 18, 2025
Plouffe might be simplifying things a bit amid Dodgers’ continuous rise
Owners of small-market ballclubs presumably have the means to invest more money into their product rather than maintain their meager spending habits. But if the Miami Marlins, Cleveland Guardians, Tampa Bay Rays or Pittsburgh Pirates go all out in free agency, are they guaranteed to see worthwhile growth during the regular season?
A better product should theoretically generate more fan interest. There is no denying, however, that the LA market boasts significant advantages over a majority of its competition. Even if the Cincinnati Reds do everything in their power to “keep up,” they cannot do anything about Shohei Ohtani deferring 97 percent of his $700 million contract. Yes, the Dodgers are perfectly justified in taking advantage of the system, but some teams do not have a realistic opportunity to operate the same way.
The onus is on MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to address the massive disparity in wealth. Baseball is the one that must “keep up.” Whether the answer is implementing a salary cap and floor or imposing strict rules on deferred deals, it is imperative that action is taken at some point in the near future. Change is long overdue.
External frustration was already high, but it is reaching a boiling point following the Roki Sasaki signing. None of that will affect the current reality of the situation. LA is one of the most intimidating super-teams ever constructed. Until MLB corrects the process, this incredibly well-run and shrewd Dodgers franchise will keep using every tool at their disposal to pull away from the competition.
And no one can blame them.
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