Dodgers News: MLB Insider Believes L.A. Will Be All In Next Offseason

The Dodgers have done very little this offseason, with various theories about why that might be. Is it uncertainty about the status of their financial obligation to Trevor Bauer? Is it a desire to get below the luxury tax to reset the escalating penalties? Is it faith in their young players and a desire to get them big-league playing time? Or is it a combination of all those things?

MLB insider Mark Feinsand was on High Heat with Mad Dog Russo over the weekend, and he seems to think Los Angeles is gearing up for a huge offseason next year. After Russo pointed out that the Padres have been much more active this offseason than L.A., Feinsand said:

“Well, remember, there was a big gap between the Dodgers and Padres. The Padres are trying to catch the Dodgers, the Dodgers are still a really good team even after losing some of the guys they’ve lost. They do need to do something. I don’t know if there are going to be any huge moves. I don’t see them going out and paying [Carlos] Correa what he’s gonna want. I think Dansby Swanson’s market is going to explode because he’s the last shortstop available and you’ve still got four or five teams in the market for a shortstop, which I think benefits him, I think his number’s going to go up.

“I can see the Dodgers almost sitting out a little, making a few moves here and there — they need to get a pitcher, we don’t think [Walker] Buehler’s going to pitch. If he pitches this year, it’s maybe in September, but you don’t know what a guy’s going to be coming off of Tommy John. I think the Dodgers have their eye on next offseason, on Shohei Ohtani hitting the free-agent market, and they’re kind of saving all that big, big money to hand him whatever he wants.

“I’m not sure there’s anything left on the market that makes sense for them at the price it’s going to cost, to go out there and warrant spending a whole lot of money right now.”

.@Feinsand discusses the Giants and Dodgers and what could lie ahead for their respective offseasons following big moves from their division rival.#HighHeat | @MadDogUnleashed pic.twitter.com/UOhaOzaksv

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 10, 2022

The Dodgers surely aren’t putting all their eggs in the Ohtani basket, but yeah, they’re obviously interested in signing him next offseason. It’s probably not as direct as a lot of people are making it seem — “we’re saving our money to give to Ohtani next year” — but possible future expenditures are always going to be a part of the financial calculus for a team like the Dodgers. But would they let a possible Ohtani signing a year from now keep them from making a reasonable move to improve their team this offseason?

The hardest part with this particular “insider” is figuring out whether he actually has any sources. Until he says something that doesn’t just feel like a regurgitation of rumors he read on Twitter, the odds will remain stacked against him.

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