Then the Dodgers They will begin their title defense this week flirting with the most popular baseball star available.
We hope they become ghosts.
Not Soto
So the Dodgers can get stronger the best lineup in baseballThey deepen their historic batting order, reinforce their versatile defense, become even more exciting, more charming, more unbeatable.
Thanks, but no thanks.
Not Soto.
It’s not that Juan Soto was a bad acquisition. He’s one of the best young players in baseball, he posted a 1.084 OPS for the Dodgers in the World Series, he was everything Aaron Judge wasn’t, and God knows the Dodgers can afford him.
But to sign the free agent outfielder from the New York Yankees, they would need to make him the team’s highest-paid annual salaried player, his non-deferred salary close to $50 million a year, and that simply doesn’t work in a clubhouse. That doesn’t need a new leader.
This is Shohei Ohtani team, it is Mookie Betting‘team, it’s Freddie Freeman team, and there is no way you can send the message that now it will also be Juan Soto’s team.
Soto has never been a problem in the clubhouse, but his flamboyant aura, while great for baseball, won’t work so easily in the Dodgers’ hard-working culture.
Ohtani is known for his professionalism, Betts is known for his selflessness, and Freeman is known for his grit. Soto? He is known for his way of moving the batter’s box.
Granted, he’s a 26-year-old superstar who would be worth every penny. He just needs to get paid somewhere else, anywhere else, while the Dodgers should focus their attention on the shiny product directly in front of them.
Read more: Analysis: Dodgers to meet with Juan Soto, indicating more spending possible
You know, the 2024 World Series champions.
Keep them together. Strengthen that chemistry. Build on that bond.
Andrew Friedman did such a spectacular job shaping such a special team, it would be almost heartbreaking if he allowed some of his important pieces in free agency to go their separate ways.
Remember when the Lakers’ Rob Pelinka destroyed the 2020 championship team Ridding them of important role players so they can add Russell Westbrook? We hope a similarly bad remodeling job doesn’t happen here.
Read more: Brusdar Graterol expected to miss half of 2025 season following shoulder surgery
The Dodgers have proven they have the money, the smarts and everything else necessary to sign the cornerstones who can keep their championship foundation solid. Now they just need to fight the temptation to turn everything upside down with a shiny new toy.
They have six free agents. They should maximize their efforts to get four of them back.
They will certainly add one or two more starting pitchers. The Japanese phenomenon Roki Sasaki is a top candidate, and they will likely add a bullpen arm and a veteran outfielder.
But they should focus their attention on those four free agents.
Return Teoscar Hernandez.
He’s 32 years old and set to regress from last year’s 33 home run, 99 RBI numbers, but my goodness, other than Ohtani, has any other Dodger made a more consistent impact?
When the regular season Dodgers needed a boost, he was there. When the postseason Dodgers needed a hero, he had great success in the first game of the division series, the decisive game of the division series and the decisive game five of the World Series.
It’s more than just a shower of sunflower seeds. It’s a big part of the soul of this club.
Return Walker Buhler.
Yes, he underwent two Tommy John surgeries and, yes, he recovered excruciatingly slowly from his most recent operation, going 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA in the regular season.
But perhaps no Dodger will be more unhittable in October. He has a 0.47 ERA in four World Series appearances and the courage to take the mound on a day’s rest for the final three outs of this fall’s decisive Game 5.
The Dodgers value players who grow stronger in the spotlight. Buehler has made a career of being one of those players.
Return Kike Hernandez.
This one is simple. You put up a .654 OPS in the regular season for a postseason run of two home runs, eight RBIs and a go-ahead home run against the San Diego Padres in the decisive Game 5 of the division series.
Hernandez has a career .874 OPS in 86 postseason games. He is Mr. October. You stay with Mr. October.
Return Blake Treinen.
He has battled injuries and will turn 37 next October, but he had a 1.93 ERA in 50 appearances during the regular season and when the Dodgers needed him for 2 ⅓ innings in the deciding game of the World Series, he shut down the Yankees.
It was one of the biggest moments of the postseason, one of the most grueling moments of his career, but he performed like a champion. The Dodgers should dedicate themselves to retaining the champions.
There is at least one more member of the starting team who has earned a new contract. He’s not a free agent, but he’s on the verge of becoming an outgoing duck. There’s no doubt the Dodgers will deal with him before the final year of his contract, but it would be nice if it happened soon enough to make an impact with potential incoming free agents.
This is Dave Roberts.and there are very few managers on this earth who could have matched his deft handling of all the bullpen games, injuries and October intrigues.
Tommy Edman and Freeman each received special trophies, but Roberts was the Dodgers’ postseason MVP.
It’s time to pay him like this.
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This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.