The Los Angeles Dodgers are considered one of the winners of the offseason in spite of their lack of moves thus far. MLB insider Jeff Passan explained why the defending champions have the luxury of approaching the free agent market in a different capacity compared to the rest of the league.
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Passan also included a stark warning for MLB teams as there is an increasing belief amongst players that the Dodgers give them their best chance of winning a World Series.
“They just don’t have to be proactive in markets they believe will come to them. Would they like Tucker? Sure. Anyone would. Will they chase him? Nope. Not unless it’s on a shorter-term deal. Same with any free agent, really, because the Dodgers are now at the point where players believe their best chance at a World Series ring runs through Los Angeles, and the calendar is starting to force them to consider options they might not have otherwise,” Passan writes.
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The Dodgers’ biggest splash of the winter thus far was their three-year, $69 million deal for baseball’s best closer, Edwin Diaz. The defending champions weren’t considered the favorites to land Diaz as many insiders have described the deal as “falling into their laps.”
At Diaz’s introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium, the star reliever echoed a similar sentiment to Passan’s warning.
“I chose the Dodgers because they are a winning organization,” Diaz said. “I’m looking to win, and I think they have everything to win.”
Despite spending most of his career with the New York Mets, Diaz opted to join the defending champions in their pursuit of the three-peat.
The Dodgers have also reportedly made a competitive offer to top free agent Kyle Tucker, but the outfielder has yet to make a decision. The final suitors in the Tucker sweepstakes appear to be the Dodgers, Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays.
Unlike the Mets and Blue Jays, the Dodgers have not chased any free agent this winter and likely won’t do so. Even with Tucker, LA’s front office sticks with the same approach.
The Dodgers will “hang around the backboard” and that will be good enough for the back-to-back World Series champions.
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