What’s Next for the Dodgers After Signing Shohei Ohtani?
The winter of Shohei Ohtani is finally over, Dodger fans, and it ends with the two-way superstar landing in Los Angeles — the real Los Angeles — as a Dodger.
Ohtani will sign a record-setting deal worth $700 million for 10 years once it is made official. The Dodgers had to pay up, and hopefully, he will be worth every penny. Ohtani becoming a Dodger seemed inevitable for a long time (outside of the last two days or so), but now that he’s in LA, where does the organization go from here?
Ohtani was the No. 1 priority for the front office, and they accomplished it. But what else does this team need to do to make their eighth World Series title a reality? The next and most obvious move is to sign another top pitcher.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the No. 1 pitcher on the market, but he’s likely to command a contract worth $300 million or more. The Dodgers are unlikely to shell out $1 billion to two free agents, if only because it has never happened before.
The 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner, Blake Snell, is still on the market. He’s coming off one of his best seasons as a pro. He’s 31 years old, and although he will garner a ton of money, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has a history of spending on players he believes in.
That’s the question, though: do they believe Snell is that guy? If they don’t, the free agent market presents other options. Jordan Montgomery is 30 years old and coming off a strong postseason performance with the World Series champion Texas Rangers. Marcus Stroman, 32, went 10-9 with a 3.95 ERA in 25 starts for the Cubs last season. Southern California native Lucas Giolito is coming off a down season with the White Sox, Angels and Guardians, but has garnered Cy Young votes in three of his six full major league seasons.
The next option is to trade for starting pitching. Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes remains on the trading block, and although the Brewers reportedly aren’t actively shopping him, it sounds as if he could be moved.
Another option linked to the Dodgers is White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease. Cease is rumored to be on the trade block, and many teams have asked about the 27-year-old. Cease is 43-35 with a 3.83 ERA in his career and comes with two years of team control.
Shane Bieber of the Guardians and Tyler Glasnow of the Rays wouldn’t come cheap, but both would shore up a Dodgers rotation that needs the help.
The Dodgers got their big fish, but their offseason is just getting started. The top priority now is pitching.
Photo Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
