Dodgers Team News

Dodgers Do Not Receive High Marks for Offseason Thus Far

This offseason has not gone the way Dodger fans have envisioned it. Key players from the 2022 season left for bigger and better contracts, and L.A. did so little to ‘re-load’ for 2023.

The off-season is ONE of the best ways to improve your roster, but there are other ways to get better.

A bad offseason is not the end all, be all of major league teams, but so far, former G.M. and The Athletic writer Jim Bowden views the Los Angeles Dodgers as ‘losers’ this offseason thus far. 

“The Dodgers have won the N.L. West in nine of the past 10 seasons and have been the favorite in all of them. But next year, for the first time since 2012, they will be supplanted by the Padres as the team to beat in the division. They lost Trea Turner, Justin Turner, Bellinger, Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney in free agency. Their only additions of note have been right-hander Noah Syndergaard, who went 10-10 last year with a 3.94 ERA, and J.D. Martinez, who at 35 has started to decline. The Dodgers didn’t sign any significant free agents even though the market was loaded with elite shortstops and solid everyday outfielders. Despite their need for a closer, they’ve been silent on that front, too. It’s understandable the Dodgers want to get under the luxury tax and create a runway for many of their young prospects and players, but the reality is their overall team talent is going to take a major dip for the first time in years. Coming off a 111-win season, the Dodgers are no longer the favorites to win the West, let alone the N.L.”

Yes, the Dodgers didn’t help themselves so far this off-season, and San Diego may take the division, but L.A. won’t suddenly become a walk in the park either. 

The squad is still run by two of the game’s best, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, and they will be fueled by how the 2022 season ended for them. 

L.A. has people in the front office who know what they’re doing; we could look back at this offseason a year from now and think, “I’m sure glad the Dodgers didn’t make any major signings in the 2022 offseason.” Or it could be the opposite and think, “The Dodgers should have been aggressive in the 2022 offseason.”

Whatever one of those responses is, we won’t know until a year from now. 

Titles aren’t won in the winter. 

Ricardo Sandoval

I write about sports. Staff writer at Dodgers Nation, LA Sports Report network of sites, and Newsweek. I’m also lifelong Dodgers and Lakers fan.

11 Comments

  1. The Dodger’s FO knows what they’re doing. This may be a reset year, but they’ll still be in the playoffs. I highly doubt the team as currently constructed will be the same one they report to Camelback Ranch with in February. If Bowden knew what he was talking about, he’d still be a GM instead of a talking head!

  2. Dodger front office deserves an A+ for not giving out those ridiculous contracts and overpaying for prima Dona’s. We are competitive and will rise to the top again… Go Blue!!!!

    1. Dodgers FO deserves an F’n “F”. Keep drinking the Kool-aid and trying to convince yourself. I despise Andrew Friedbrain, Roberts the Clown, and Stan Kastoff. Spend your $%^& money on some real talent — not players to add to compost pile.

      1. I actually don’t drink kool aid but will have a beer on Dodgers. I understand the frustration and disappointment from last year but it does not warrant for us to panic and overpay for players who might give you 3 good years and 7 mediocre . There is a plan with trades and Ohtani as soon as he is available. Our team is still good enough to win and compete. Our pitching is our weakness but do see the front office addressing it. You are a passionate Dodger Fan as I am and deserve to share your frustration.

    2. Totally agree with this. I would love to see the young guys get a chance, even if it’s only up until the trade deadline. Don’t forget too that Gavin Lux batted right around .300 for a while last year.

  3. The club loses some of its key players, some starters, and hasn’t filled those holes yet and that is all OK?

    This sort of “Rah Rah” narrative combined with the “don’t worry, we’ll be in the playoffs” rings hollow. Who’s our lineup (3B?, SS?, CF?)? Whose our starting rotation? Those are questions the FO hasn’t answered yet, so maybe any predictions of playoffs are just as valuable as Robert’s guaranteed World Series was this past year.

  4. Well at least they printed the truth after blowing smoke for the last two months. They aren’t getting anyone else without cutting more salary Missing the cbt by a dollar is as bad as a
    million. They can’t get anyone at the deadline and add additional salary. They can stop talking about Ohtani too, he will be 8-10 years and 400-500 million, they won’t do it.

  5. The Dodgers have until the summer trade deadline to improve this club so there’s no reason to panic. However the Dodgers have real work to do because the Mets, Phillies and Padres are better than what they were this past season. Even the Giants mild offseason saw them get a little better. The pitching is the real concern. Too many question marks

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