Former Astros Exec Appears to Throw Shade at Dodgers for Big Spending to Acquire Talent
Oz Ocampo was once an executive with the Houston Astros who was the director of international scouting. Now, he seems to be throwing shade at the Los Angeles Dodgers on social media.
Ocampo shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) from the official Major League Baseball account featuring Houston pitcher Framber Valdez. The former executive, who is now a professor at Rice University, captioned the post with “Didn’t cost us $1.032 billion to put it together either.”
Someone is clearly bitter that the Dodgers are spending money to create the best roster in baseball. Unfortunately for Ocampo, the Dodgers are finding ways to bring in talent and win without banging on trash cans. Yes, he was employed by Houston in 2017.
This season has been unlike any other for the Dodgers while under the leadership of Andrew Friedman. The team’s president of baseball operations set a goal that he wanted to reinforce his roster during the offseason, rather than scramble to acquire talent in July.
He has done that and angered other executives along the way.
“It’s been my goal the last however many years — and I failed miserably at it — but my goal is to avoid July to buy,’” Friedman said at last month’s winter meetings. “I do not want to buy in July. I feel like the more times I say it out loud, the better chance it has to actually be a thing.”
More news: Dodgers Scouted Roki Sasaki for 6 Years Before Finally Signing Star Pitcher
Friedman bolstered the starting rotation adding two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and 23-year-old Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki. Those two will join Shohei Ohtani, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May, who are all returning from injury.
Los Angeles re-signed All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernández, added veteran outfielder Michael Conforto and signed Korean utility man Hyeseong Kim.
Then there is the bullpen. Blake Treinen returned on a two-year deal, Tanner Scott signed a four-year deal and once a spot on the 40-man roster opens up, the Dodgers will officially add Kirby Yates.
It’s all an effort to win now and have the personnel during the season if injuries occur. Buying at the trade deadline is not something Friedman wants to do and he is avoiding it at all costs this winter – even if that means making a former Houston executive jealous.
“For us going into this offseason, it was, ‘Let’s do everything we can on the front end. Let’s be as aggressive as we can be and be in a position where we don’t have to go to market in July,’” Friedman said Thursday at an introductory news conference for Scott, the fourth such ceremony the team has held this winter.
“Obviously things can happen, you never know,” Friedman added. “But that’s our game plan. To have a really talented team as we head into spring training, give that team a chance to jell and bond together, and not need to go to market in July when prices are two times what they are at other times.”
More news: Dodgers Predicted to Shock MLB World, Sign Former Astros Star in Free Agency
Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
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How did the Astros really “do it” ? This is maybe just a “rumor”
Cheat the draft system by losing games on purpose multiple years.
Then then you cheat again wish electronics then trash banging.
Yep, that’s right Astros don’t need to spend money on players, they just bang on some trash cans and cheat their way to a championship, The Astros Way is the right way ???
All that money spent and only one real championship.
Asterisk ?? COVID cheating year doesn’t count. Not sure how many the red bearded 3rd baseman killed that year, but it was an abomination never before seen.
Money can’t buy everything, including class by some Doyer fans.
SAD!