Braves are part of the pack that follows the Dodgers with great expenses

Now let us go for obvious observation when all of this gets out the way. All others will follow the Dodgers this year.

The Braves will be the second best team of the National League if they are better lucky with injuries. But the gap between them and the Dodgers is great, even if some things go wrong in La, the Dodgers have connected their few holes and stacked talents in areas where they already had a lot.

Dodgers only started 19th place in the ERA last season. The team signed the two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell and the Japanese phenomenon Roki Sasaki. And, oh, by the way, the two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (career 3.01 ERA) will probably reappear this year.

The Dodgers already had the best bullpen in baseball. So of course you have signed two top animals, the right-handed Kirby Yates and the left Tanner Scott. The Dodgers achieved 842 runs last season, the second most common in MLB. They didn’t necessarily have to add the outfield Michael ConfEorto and the Hyeseong Kim infielder. This leisure contract can pay off as insurance.

The Dodgers still have a few questions. It is not clear when Ohtani is ready to report. The incumbent NL MVP was limited to the named hitter obligation last season after the elbow operation in September 2023. Sasaki and Kim produced abroad, now have to make the transition to the best league in the world.

These potential problems are overwhelmed by the apparently endless options that the Dodgers have to solve. This is in addition to the future Hall of Fame Trio from Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. In the statistical projection of Fangraphs, all three players end with the three best war wars in their positions. This is the forecast from Ohtani, even if he does not take up anning. Betts is expected to be a top player, regardless of whether he plays shortstop (the current plan) or the right field (possible if there are injuries).

Too bad on the Padres. Last season they won 93 games, the second most common in the Franchise story. That was five games less than the Dodgers that they defeated in the NLDS. Since then, the Padres have not made any major acquisitions. In the meantime, the Spree of the Dodgers of the expenses, Scott, who was an all-star for San Diego in 2024. Another all-star from Padres, Outfield Jurickson Profar, signed with the Braves.

The Padres still have a good team. But everyone knows that they play in second place in NL West. The Dodgers had an NL-Hohen victory of 98 victories last season. Despite long stays on the injured list, they took off for several important players, including beds and Clayton Kershaw. Apparently nothing can prevent the deeper Dodgers from winning more games this season.

The Bullpen supplements solve the long -term problem, the health of starting jugs. You can cover innings with a bullpen that contains several good arms behind Yates and (1.17 ERA in 2024) Scott (1.75). Blake Trine would be a good full-time wall for most other teams. Michael Kopech was well in the role of Dodgers after being acted against him in July. Evan Phillips has put together 42 parades for you in the last two seasons.

The Dodgers spending stroll has predicted that some in MLB demand a salary limit. I understand the feeling even though I don’t share it. If there is no competition in an industry where franchise owners are protected from market forces by a antitrust exemption, it should not be at work. The truth is that baseball in the teams that invest in their baseball operations and hire the best people to lead them has no competitive problem with a competition compensation.

It is also not the case that the Dodgers spend so much that other teams can keep pace (the owners of the Yankees and Cubs had the boldness to make this argument). The majority of the money that the Dodgers have committed to large contracts will be postponed in many years in the future. These players essentially accept less money to play for the Dodgers. Due to inflation and the inability to invest it, the cash paid later is less worth it than cash.

There is also reality that Sasaki, ConfEorto and Kim have signed contracts that every team could have offered. Concetos deal is one year and 17 million US dollars. Sasaki is considered an international amateur -free agent, so he will be on a bonus of 6.5 million US dollars for six years in 2025. Kim (no relationship with Big Leaguer Ha-Seong Kim) signed three years and $ 12.5 million.

Many of the best free agents of the game have decided to play for the Dodgers, even if it means sacrificing some money. Who can blame them? The Dodgers have been a profitable organization for 15 years. I’ve never been a LA type, but many people like the Southern California Lifestyle. I love the Dodger Stadium, which has to be a good place for baseball players.

The Dodgers do not guarantee the big expenses. It means that every other team chases them in the baseball. The defending champion got even better. It’s all on paper, but man, this page looks really good.