Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — There was quite a bit of griping during the offseason that the Dodgers weren’t “going for it.” They were resting on the laurels of a 111-win season and downsizing their payroll. They let Trea Turner slip away, let Andrew Heaney and Tyler Anderson sign with other organizations, and watched while big ticket free agents like Justin Verlander and Xander Bogaerts came off the board. Meanwhile, head of baseball ops Andrew Friedman seemed to be content with signing journeyman guys to low-dollar contracts. “What gives?” seemed to be the collective reaction from Dodgerland.
But in fact, as we hit the 4th of July weekend, the shrewdness of these deals is becoming more apparent by the day. Noah Syndergaard has been a bit of a bust as a starter, but the others are looking better and better. Miguel Rojas, pressed into a role as an everyday starter at short due to the Gavin Lux injury, has been great with the glove. And though his bat hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire, he’s been adequate enough as a stop-gap measure. But where Friedman really hit the jackpot (so far anyway) is with a couple of outfielders and a DH. Let’s take a look at the seasons of J.D. Martinez, David Peralta, and Jason Heyward and see just what each of these guys has brought to the table in 2023.
J.D. Martinez (.263, 19 HR, 56 RBI)
Though it necessitated saying goodbye to the beloved Justin Turner, J.D. Martinez and his return to All-Star form has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2023 season. After a lackluster 2022, it seemed like maybe Martinez was about done as a productive player. But his power has come roaring back in 2023, thanks in no small part to the reunion with his person “hitting guru,” Robert Van Scoyoc.
Already, his eighteen homers are more than his total from last season, and he leads the team in RBI. Not to mention that he’s second in the entire NL in slugging percentage with a hefty .576 mark. These are not just good numbers. They are great numbers. And this week, it was announced that Martinez has won the fan vote for starting DH in the All-Star Game. Having an exclusive DH does rob Dave Roberts of some flexibility, but so far this year, it’s been more than worth it. Not bad for a guy the team picked up for a one-year, $10 million-dollar deal.
David Peralta (.274, 5 HR, 29 RBI)
After playing against the Dodgers for years as a Diamondback, David Peralta signed a one-year deal with the team for $6.5 million dollars just a few days before Spring Training began in February. And to be honest, at first it looked like a horrible signing. At the end of April, Peralta’s batting average was a meager .167. Since then, though, Peralta has been fantastic. He hit .295 in May and .365 in June, establishing himself as one of the few reliable bats in the back half of the order.
Though he’s not the Gold Glover that he once was, he still is playing a solid left field, and makes a good platoon option with Chris Taylor. He’s on track for a very nice year, and it will be good to have somebody with a little less swing-and-miss in their game than Taylor come playoff time. And considering Cody Bellinger is getting twice as much for playing for the Cubs, this pickup is another win for Friedman.
Jason Heyward (.264, 8 HR, 20 RBI)
I’m a sucker for stories like Jason’s. The guy was absolutely on the scrapheap after the 2022 season, posting a paltry .555 OPS with the Chicago Cubs. When the Cubbies decided to cut him loose, that meant they were on the hook for his big contract, too. So, the Dodgers basically picked up Heyward for the equivalent of a couple of box tops and some loose change: a $750,000 minor league deal.
So far, the reunion with his former roommate Freddie Freeman seems to have done him wonders. His OPS of .848 trails only the Dodgers’ four All-Stars in that category, and his eight homers are a vast improvement on the measly 15 that he hit in the last three seasons combined. And when Jason Heyward hits the ball, that ball stays hit. His max exit velocity is in at the 84th percentile and his hard hit rate is at the 63rd. Combine that with a much-better-than-average eye at the plate and stellar defense, and that is good for 1.0 in WAR, which is equal to J.D. Martinez and higher than Max Muncy, James Outman, and Chris Taylor. That, my friends, is $750,000 well spent.
Conclusion
Whenever a team like the Dodgers wins, teams from smaller markets always say, “Of course they win; just look at all the money they spend.” But the perfect rejoinder to that complaint is just 100 miles down the 5 freeway. With its huge payroll and splashy offseason signings, the Padres are in the midst of one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory. And on the other side of the country, the New York Mets are in the same very expensive boat. You can’t throw money at players and make a team. It takes careful evaluation of talent and resources to put a winner on the field.
Andrew Friedman knows this. Under his watch, the Dodgers have become the winningest organization in baseball. And if some guy named Ohtani is looking to change addresses this offseason, I have just the place for him.
