Stop Complaining About The Los Angeles Dodgers

Stop Complaining About The Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have invested over a billion dollars this offseason in players like Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and its latest addition Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who recently signed a 12-year deal worth $325 million. On paper, the team has significantly improved. However, the Yamamoto signing has sparked concerns about “competitive balance” among fans across the league. It raises the question: Hasn’t baseball taught you anything?

Dodgers 2024 Season:

Dodgers are cheating the game of baseball by buying a World Series. How can anyone be okay with this?

— Alex (@htowncritic) December 22, 2023

Certainly, the Dodgers had already enjoyed a stellar offseason and could have been expected to achieve over 100 wins this upcoming season without these key signings.

The acquisitions of Yamamoto and Glasnow create an outstanding starting duo. Alongside potential returns from Walker Buehler and Tony Gonsolin, recovering from Tommy John, and the emergence of Bobby Miller, the Dodgers seem poised to boast one of the top pitching staffs in baseball by the summer.

Addressing the pitching issues that plagued their postseason this past year was a must. Moreover, the prospect of Clayton Kershaw returning for another year, and the addition of Shohei Ohtani in the 2025 season, further strengthens their pitching rotation moving forward.

The lineup also received a boost with Ohtani, complementing stars like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, along with solid contributors like Max Muncy, Will Smith, and James Outman. Ohtani will focus solely on hitting this season as he recovers from his own Tommy John Surgery, and the Dodgers may not be done.

The rest of MLB:

While this team appears set for a postseason run, declaring the Dodgers as the surefire 2024 World Series Champions is an exaggeration. The expectation for the Dodgers is a championship, or consider the season a failure, over the next decade.

As the Dodgers improve, other contending clubs have a wake-up call to respond with their moves. With Yamamoto now signed, an ultra-competitive pitching market has emerged, with teams like the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox and Mets actively seeking starting pitching.

Fans naturally react strongly to major moves, especially when made by the same team. The distinction between a “super team” in baseball and other sports like basketball lies in the higher margin for error. Injuries are the most common setback for such teams, but baseball’s unpredictability means that having a “super team” doesn’t guarantee a championship.

Examples from the previous season include the Mets and Padres, who despite significant spending, failed to make the playoffs. The Braves, with a historic offense and strong pitching, also failed in the division series against the Phillies. Even the Dodgers themselves have faced challenges despite having great teams in the past. Hello, Diamondbacks!

While the Dodgers deserve praise for their offseason moves until Dodger Blue is engulfing a World Series trophy in October once again. There is no reason not to be optimistic about the 2024 MLB season. The beautiful thing about baseball is that anything is possible.

So calm down, and to the other MLB teams: It’s your move now.

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