Former All-Star Pitcher Thinks Dodgers Deserve Credit for ‘Empire’ They’ve Built
The Los Angeles Dodgers have become the envy of major league fan bases with their recent offseason moves. They snagged the two top free agents in the league, two-way star Shohei Ohtani and Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They traded for an elite arm in Tyler Glasnow, and signed two-time Silver Slugger award winner Teoscar Hernández to solidify a powerhouse roster.
Returning stars like Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Walker Buehler and Max Muncy would each be centerpieces on a lesser team. With the Dodgers, all are poised to play pivotal roles in the 2024 season.
The new villains of MLB have drawn a mix of reactions that vacillate between anger and respect. Former All-Star reliever Brad Lidge, speaking on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, credits the Dodgers for constructing what he called an “empire.”
“You can say whatever you want about unfair advantages,” Lidge said, “but the fact that they’ve won as consistently and as continuously as they have made Shohei Ohtani say, ‘I want to go to that team.’ And after that happened, and after how that contract was structured, everyone else just followed suit… Give them credit for the empire they have created, for the winning ways they have demonstrated over the last decade.”
— Brad Lidge via MLB Network Radio
While some may view the team’s dominance as unfair or detrimental to the spirit of the game, Lidge sees it differently. He acknowledges the Dodgers’ aggressive approach to team-building, recognizing that if other teams had similar resources, they likely wouldn’t hesitate to follow suit.
While the Dodgers have the financial muscle to get these deals done, other teams matched or exceeded their offers to Ohtani, Yamamoto and Hernandez, yet did not consummate the deal. Those negotiations might have played out differently in a different offseason. Because the free agents seemed to topple like dominoes in the Dodgers’ favor, the metaphor of an “empire” seems appropriate.
It’s a testament to the front office for its aggressive pursuit this offseason. The Dodgers are playing the game at a high level. This time, their offseason strategy worked to land their most coveted targets.
A front office that takes advantage of its resources in a system without a hard salary cap is hardly deserving of scorn. As the saying goes, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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