Mike Salas
With all the talk of Juan Soto getting a $600 million-dollar multiyear deal. Would the Los Angeles Dodgers be better off using that money to sign multiple players that would build their chances to repeat or make another appearance in the 2025 World Series.
Part of the deal when Shohei Ohtani signed with the Dodgers, was they would do what they can to build a team around Ohtani every year that would make the post season and possibly win multiple World Series. Does signing multiple players using $600 million dollars give the Dodgers a better chance at keeping that agreement?
Let’s take a look at some other options that could build a “super team” to make a push to win multiple championships like the Yankees when they won three world series in a row from 1998 to 2000.
It is not a secret that the Dodgers suffered from a lot of arm injuries in 2024, like the saying says, “You can never have enough pitching”. Right now, the Dodgers starting lineup would be Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, Clayton Kershaw, and Shohei Ohtani. Adding two more pitchers to this lineup would benefit the rotation greatly but would affect the relief pitcher numbers.
Roki Sasaki – A 23-year-old right-handed pitcher that I have written many articles on. Sasaki would sign to a minor league contract and has a devasting split finger that leaves batters wondering what they seen come across the plate. Sasaki doesn’t come with some questions about his durability, how a bigger ball will affect his spin, and the true health of his arm.
Corbin Burnes – The 30-year-old has thrown more than 190 innings with an ERA+ of better than 125 for three straight seasons. Some concerns, his strikeout and whiff rates have plummeted from their elite peaks in 2021-22. This past season, Burnes’ 23.1% K rate was only 29th out of 58 qualified pitchers.
Walker Buehler – Buehler struggled to rediscover his form in 2024. The numbers were ugly: 16 starts with a 5.38 ERA, 5.54 FIP and .862 opponent OPS. This looked nothing like the pitcher who was one of the best in baseball from 2018-21. Even though Buehler took it to the next level in the playoffs, the question would be, was that a sign of him being back or a onetime outing?
Willie Adames – Coming off another strong offensive season in which he set career highs with 32 home runs and 112 RBIs. Adames is a quality short stop and although his defensive metrics haven’t been as strong in 2024, he remains a solid fielder.
Teoscar Hernandez – His move to Los Angeles agreed with him, as he hit a career-high 33 home runs with 99 RBIs and an .840 OPS in 154 games, then starred in the postseason. Teo is a fan favorite, a clubhouse favorite, and wants to come back to the Dodgers. The question would be, will his numbers sustain, and he is not an elite outfielder.
Signing five out of the six players listed would more than likely cost less or about the same amount of money as signing just one player. The Dodgers need the positions and finding quality players to fill what is needed will help the Dodgers either repeating or winning multiple championships in the next five to six years.
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