Watford said that I sounded disappointed and a little surprised with respect to the Kyle Tucker signing. I am disappointed. Of course I am a Dodgers fan, but without MLB there are no Dodgers. Let me be clear, I do think Tucker’s signing with LAD benefits the Dodgers. Going into the season, the Dodgers are clearly better with Tucker than without him. My position is that this is not good for MLB.
We just saw how another high revenue market team paid an obscene amount (IMO) to Bo Bichette, 3 years at $126MM. $42MM AAV??? STB thought that this could be a panic move. I think it is more that Steve Cohen just reemphasized to everyone that he has deep pockets and he can play this game too. We now know that NYM is going to battle NYY for Cody Bellinger. I think it is entirely possible that Cohen signs Framber Valdez as well.
For those who are happy with Tucker signing with LAD, IMO that is a rather myopic point of view. At this point only the Dodgers and Mets should be bidding for Tarik Skubal next year. IF there is a next year. There are now more than enough MLB owners who do not agree with how LAD and NYM are operating, and they will demand a salary cap. I agree there has to be a salary floor, but the leading mouthpiece for MLB (Rob Manfred) says that the industry needs both a salary cap and floor. In his view, he believes the players will accept a salary cap as long as there is a “reasonable” floor. I believe this stance is also myopic.
Don’t think a lockout will happen? MLB lost a WS in 1994 due to a player’s strike because the two sides would not agree to a salary cap. The strike went on from August 12, 1994, to April 2, 1995. Most teams only played 113 games in 1994 and all had a full 144 game schedule in 1995.
The difference between the two sides (MLB and MLBPA) on a salary cap looks to be a deep canyon at this time. I do not think that the divide has ever been larger on the salary cap issue by itself. IMO, MLB and MLBPA is headed for a long and protracted lockout.
Bruce Meyer is the lead negotiator for MLBPA and he is more in the line of a hard-nosed Donald Fehr and Marvin Miller. Fehr was Miller’s legal counsel and would later become head of MLBPA who held the players strong all the way through the 1994-1995 strike, and did not allow for a salary cap. That’s Bruce Meyer. A salary cap is a non-starter.
There is a also a 38-member executive board of players, made up of eight elected, high-ranking subcommittee members, including Cy Young winners Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, plus veterans Chris Bassitt, Jake Cronenworth, Pete Fairbanks, Cedric Mullins, Marcus Semien and Brent Suter) and one representative from each team. Can you see Skubal and Skenes voting to allow a salary cap? Cronenworth? He would like nothing more than to stick it to the Dodgers. Semien is the poster boy for the overpaid player in FA.
Not to be outdone, Dan Halem is the assistant MLB commissioner and will be their lead negotiator. MLB’s labor policy committee is headed by Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort, who is joined by Hal Steinbrenner (New York Yankees), John Sherman (Kansas City Royals), Jerry Reinsdorf (Chicago White Sox), Ray Davis (Texas Rangers), Jim Pohlad (Minnesota Twins) and Mark Attanasio (Milwaukee Brewers). Four of those owners represent the bottom 12 teams in terms of revenue.
Only Steinbrenner represents large revenue teams, and he is not a hawk in that realm any longer. If he were, Bellinger would be a NYY closer to his 7 year $258MM salary demands by now. This MLB labor policy does not include such low revenue teams like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Miami, the A’s, Tampa Bay, or Cincinnati.
Cassidy wrote that a healthy Tucker will put up huge numbers. I am not sure what his definition of huge is. After 78 games played in 2024 (70 as RF), in 2025 he only played 115 games in RF and had 19 as a DH. He had a calf injury that diminished one of his better tools, his speed. He had a -1 DRS and -2 OAA in RF. He hasn’t been a very good OF since 2022, when he compiled a 15 DRS and 4 OAA. His OPS last year was .841. Shohei – 1.041 OPS, Will Smith – .901 OPS, Freddie – .865 OPS, Max – .846 OPS.
To answer Patch specifically, I agree that WAR is an arbitrary metric, but one that most teams seem to use in their player evaluations. It is an arbitrary metric used to compare players. Even major publications differ on how WAR should be calculated. Every organization has their own methodology for determining a player’s worth. But there is a metric that is used. call it whatever you want, but there is a comparative metric used.
That being said, Mookie has exceeded 5.8 fWAR five times with a high of 10.2. He has a 62.6 career fWAR. The present value of his heavily deferred contract at signing was $306MM. He has “earned “ $223.7MM in value since signing with the Dodgers. This will prove to be a well justified contract.
Freddie has 4 years with above 5.0 fWAR. He has already paid for his 6 year $166MM ($148.2MM present value) contract. He has a value of $178.6MM over his first 4 years with LAD.
Will Smith is well on his way to justifying his $140MM 10 year contract ($122MM present value). After only 2 of the 10 years, he has accumulated $54MM in value.
Since Max Muncy has been a Dodger, he has been paid $64.62MM, while he has accumulated a fWAR value of $186.1MM. For 8 years, Max has earned just $7.51MM over what Tucker’s AAV will be in 2026. Tucker’s signing bonus is basically equal to what Max has made as a Dodger since 2018.
There is no reason to put up Shohei’s numbers.
Tucker has never reached a 5 fWAR in his career. If Tucker averages 4.5 fWAR over the next 4 years, his fWAR value would be $144MM. The present value of Tucker’s contract is $228.4MM. That is $84.4MM upside down. If Patch has a better metric than WAR to compare and contrast players, that’s good for him. Until he publishes that metric, I will continue to use WAR as a means to compare the overall value of players.
And yes I believe in the free market to determine where a player may want to sign. The Dodgers have every right to offer a 4 year $240MM deal and Tucker has every right to accept it. Regardless if his play measures up to that contract. Free agents have free will as do the teams signing the FA.
As a Dodgers fan, Tucker does make the team better for 2026, and I hope he has a good year and wins the MVP. That would necessarily give the Dodgers a great year. But this is not good for MLB. I cannot foresee any way that MLB will start on time next year, and I would not be surprised if a very significant part of the season is washed away with a lockout. How many fans come back after a long lockout?
Let’s say that MLBPA agrees to a salary cap. What will that mean for the Dodgers? Will they be forced to get under the cap in 1,2, or 3 years? Will they be precluded from adding any more FA or extensions until they get under the cap? Will the luxury tax be even greater?
OTOH, I am not convinced that other teams are willing to fairly trade with the Dodgers, and this is Mark Walter (through AF/BG) giving a 
to the rest of MLB. If that is the case, then I agree with the signing. This is such an outrageous contract, that it has to be the LAD management response, right? It makes no baseball or business sense.
Regardless of the reasoning, it does not look good for MLB in 2027, and that is my concern.
I do think that one of the main reasons we gave him such a contract is that the Dodgers believe they won’t have a chance to do this again, whenever the new bargaining agreement kicks in.
So may as well go big now, get grandfathered in to the new agreement, and play by those rules after.
I agree with this and I applaud AF’s near-maniacal insistence on spending money rather than trading prospects.
Not me. The prospects are denied on better opportunities.
Methinks you and I are the only ones who feel this way.
AF probably has a sense of what next year will bring therefor preparing for it. Whatever that means his group probably has as much insight as anybody.
if the Dodgers don’t go for free agents how do they compete for the series?
They choose last in the draft, they are penalized for spending, revenue sharing, hard to find trading partners because AF has fleeced them. International money reduced.
if they put a salary cap and raise the floor on spending they need to equalize the draft somehow so everyone has a chance. The Dodgers are penalized because they have the best run organization in the business. They should be rewarded for that and they have by winning. Give the Dodgers an even playing field and let the chips fall where they may.
They also really really want the threepeat. Signing Tucker makes it that much more reasonable.
I said if healthy Tucker will put up numbers better than everyone but Ohtani. .900 OPS and more than a 5 fWAR or better. There’s much less pressure on Tucker with the Dodgers and I think he’ll shine. We’ll see
I’m in your camp Cassidy, many people are looking at his last two years as decline, they were injury seasons. Tucker was putting up very good numbers until he hit the ball off of his leg in 2024, and last years broken finger did the trick on the 2025 numbers.
finally found my “h” it was hiding for a while😀
Last year the Dodgers put together a Super Team that some said would win 120 games. Of course they didn’t. And now they’ve put together a better team that some will say should win 120 games. They won’t. They’ll win enough to take the Division again, 98 should do it rather easily, while they rest their starters for October. Tucker has had some injuries the last two years. I see another 4.5 WAR year with an OPS in the mid .800’s, but he will be rested and ready to be a force in the postseason.
I do not disagree with your assessment of Tucker’s projection for 2026. 4.5 fWAR is what he had last year where he was 36th on the fWAR leaderboard. Not one of the players ahead of him are making $57.1MM AAV for 4 years.
Last year Tucker’s OPS was .841 and was 24th best. Matt Olson had .850 OPS and was 18th. He has a $21MM AAV.
Reading comments from fans of other teams there’s a lot of clamoring for a cap. I just don’t see the players caving on that issue. Right behind calls for a cap is deferrals and how they are accounted for payroll purposes. The biggest complaint is Ohtani being counted as 46 million towards the CBT they feel his contract should count as 70 million a year for the CBT. Basically they think the Dodgers are skirting the rules. Listening to MLB radio on Sirius the fans want a cap but the talking heads mostly think the Dodgers are good for the game and are bringing eyes and money to the game.
It’s funny how in the course of 2 seasons the Dodgers have gone from being chokers and only winning one real championship since 1965. To being the bully on the block and ruining baseball.
MLB is more popular now than it has been in a while, they got fantastic WS ratings.
Just read this:
“Winning the World Series, particularly the 2024 and 2025 titles, has cemented the Los Angeles Dodgers as one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world, with their valuation rising from $5.45 billion in 2024 to $7.7 billion in 2025.” And it no doubt has gone up again. MLB Attendance was at an all time high in 2025. So are ad revenues all over the league. Luxury taxes go to fund retirement accounts (for millionaires) and to revenue sharing.
I was an education major so what do I know about finance but appears to me it’s raining money all over Major League Baseball.
And here’s something else that makes no sense to me, the A’s franchise, last in about every measurable MLB measure when measuring measures claimed a net loss of $23 million in ‘24 but the value of the franchise increased from $1.2 billion to $1.8 billion. Maybe Jeff can explain that one.
And another thing, it’s been suggested for years that MLB, the only major sport without a salary hard cap, needs one. Most owners want one. (good luck with that) Would a salary cap be good for baseball? If so, isn’t what the Dodgers and Mets are doing, which appears to be forcing the implementation of a cap, be good for baseball?
The Dodgers aren’t doing anything illegal and they owe nothing to anyone but their fans. As a fan I’m not about to complain about them doing whatever it is they feel they need to do win more championships, championships that add more value to their franchise brand. They needed a slugging outfielder and they outbid everyone to get the one they wanted. And WAR apparently isn’t has nothing to do with it. Helping to win another championship will more than pay that inflated salary.
It’s good to be a Dodger fan. And apparently the Dodgers are helping everyone in baseball get richer, you’re welcome, so it’s good for them too.
100%
I hope Bellinger signs with the Blue Jays, and the Yankees are left out in the cold.
Toronto gets Belly, and they are still one of the best teams in the AL.
Toronto has had a great winter, adding Cease, Ponce,Ty Rogers, Okamoto.
But sure, why not get Belli too?
Saw an interesting report from spottrac Dodgers overall payout with penalties last year $586mil. Dodgers overall payout for 2026 as the team stands right now is $575 mil.
I agree with Jeff that this signing is really not good for MLB as a whole, but it is great for the teams’ fans. A threepeat would be nice, but there are always the unknown’s that pop up, especially injuries. And I can remember back when a spring training injury to Pedro Guererro derailed a lot of plans. I am at the age where even as much as I love the game, another strike, or work stoppage would just be a little bit too much to put up with. Baseball is my summer entertainment. From February to November, it is my focus. I am not a huge basketball fan, and football, please it happens once a week.
Rays plan to use Lux as their everyday second baseman. Angels want to try Lowe in center.
Someone has to be removed from the 40-man when Tucker is officially signed. Jeff thinks it will be Ward. He is probably right. Dodgers signed Nick Robertson to a minor league contract. Robinson was originally a Dodger and was traded to the Red Sox in the Kike Hernandez deal
Do you guys think Ward will be DFAed or do you think he has enough value for a trade
Both.
A trade for who? He is going into his age 28 season . Has no MLB experience. He was passed over 3 times as a Rule 5 draftee. Maybe a DSL or a Complex Rookie League lottery ticket.
If you like Ryan Ward, as I do, then you hope he gets DFA so he has a say in who his new team will be. Heck, it could be a bigger deal in Japan. Teams are already DFAing multiple players with MLB experience. Ward is caught in the tidal wave of AAAA players.
Mitch White is making $1.2MM in Korea.
Jac Caglianone was a 2-way player at Florida in 2024, but concentrated on hitting once he was signed. He destroyed MiLB in 2025. He was so bad once called up, KC is struggling with what to do with him. They are going to keep throwing him out in RF to see if something clicks. The point is that power in MiLB especially in the PCL is not an indicator as to how well a player will do in MLB.
Ward deserves an opportunity. He is not going to get it with LAD. The best he can do with LAD is a trip back to OKC for up to 3 additional years. IMO the Dodgers did a disservice to him by adding him to the 40 man. Multiple teams’ 40 man rosters were unfilled at the time he would have been a MiLB FA.
If I ran a team that lacked power and had opportunities at LF, 1B, and DH, I’d welcome the reigning PCL MVP to my camp. Why not eal an unproven prospect?
Caglione’s struggles are obviously irrelevant to whether or not Ward can hit ML pitching.
Toronto’s Nathan Lukes played 9 seasons in the minors before he got a chance to lose the World Series by inches. Late bloomers would get a fair shot on my team.
In retrospect, the Conforto mistake effectively screwed over both Outman and Ward.
It’s really hard to fathom why anyone would think that a player on the champ’s 40-man roster would lack trade value.
That’s why I asked, I don’t have much of a read on the guy, I’ve seen him talked about here, but all fans tend to overvalue our own players, I truly wanted the opinion of someone with way more perception of the MiLB than I have, now I know what to expect. Thanks Jeff.
To me, it is between Ward and Siani, but Siani has a slight advantage because he has some MLB experience and he is one year younger than Ward. Ward has little value in trade except as maybe an extra piece of a bigger deal like Raley was when he was traded to the Twins in the Graterol deal.
The Raley comparison is good.
Comparison of Kyle Tucker and Hall of Famer Larry Walker at similar points in their careers:
Kyle Tucker Larry Walker
Games Played. 657 657
Batting Average .276. .280
OPS. .876. .832
Home Runs 136 96
RBI 44O 366
Stolen Bases 98 97
Gold Gloves 1 2
AllStar Game 3 1
As for a salary cap, is it a way to have parity or a way to allow badly run teams to be more competitive? While a salary floor will make low market teams spend more on the team, it is very doubtful that they will spend money throughout their organizations. As such, teams like the Dodgers will still be more successful.
Very interesting. Montreal Larry Walker was great. Colorado Larry Walker was mind blowing
The Dodgers are playing by the rules and paying the taxes as stipulated in the CBA. I couldn’t care less if it “looks bad” or is considered “gluttony.” They hate us because they ain’t us!
As for the “sky is falling” prediction of an assured lockout next year and a protracted work stoppage, I’ll wait on that speculation and see how the labor discussions go.
We’re the freaking Dodgers coming off back to back championships. What are we supposed to do?……lower our expectations and spending capital and act like we’re the West Sacramento A’s or the Tampa Rays. Dodger fans expect championships and ownership has, and will continue, to deliver.
Is the contract offered to Tucker ridiculous?….of course it is but I could also argue $700 million to Ohtani or $72 million to Tanner Scott and other contracts in MLB are just as ridiculous. It’s the present state of the game and I can’t wait for the 2026 season. If there is a lockout and no MLB baseball in 2027 life goes on. As far as today I’m glad Tucker is a Dodger.
Amen!
It’s been reported that the Blue Jays offered Tucker $350 million over 10 years. Using Jeff’s numbers for WAR, this amounts to 4.4 WAR over the entire contract.
is this a more reasonable contract? On the surface, yes. But Toronto will be paying Tucker until he’s 38. So they’re on the hook for multiple years when his production will most likely be diminished. The Dodgers on the other hand will have Tucker during his most productive seasons. Just like any other contract or subscription, you pay less for a longer commitment. I wonder, would fans be in such an uproar if LA had made the longer term offer and Tucker accepted?
There are 29 other cities with fans complaining about what the Dodgers are able to do. I’ve lived in a few of those regions. I’ve heard how the complaints are voiced. Nowhere was anyone complaining about what it was their own local ownership was doing with the money revenue sharing was giving them. If parity was all that important they would make moves to change how things are done.
Revenue sharing….
Every franchise in MLB is growing in value. Heck even the lowly A’s playing in front of a few hundred people are increasing their equity. And how are they doing that? From what I’ve been reading they are doing it with help from the Dodgers.
From a Joe Sheehan newsletter my good friend STB sent me this morning:
“The Dodgers probably share about $100 million a year, every year, with other teams. The Dodgers paid $169 million in tax — just tax — on last year’s payroll. Eighty million of that goes into a slush fund that gets kicked back to teams that get revenue sharing. So the Dodgers paid $180 million last year to the teams they’re trying to beat. It was about $140-150 million in 2024. How much is enough? The Yankees, the Mets, the Cubs are all sending around $100 million or more a season to the Pirates, the Marlins, the Royals, the Reds, the Brewers, but we don’t have the hard numbers. That’s to MLB’s advantage.”
And that revenue sharing is allegedly kinda secretive, the details of which are not really known by anyone but the parties involved.
The river of money flows like the mighty Mississip, from the top to the bottom. We the people pay for all of it. And as in many aspects of life in the good ol’ U.S. of A, until we the people say ENOUGH, nothing is going to change.
In the meantime, baseball life is pretty darn not too bad in LA.
That is exactly what I was saying. We are sharing money with others to beat us. Ridiculous!! If they are going to cap the spending they need to cap the revenue sharing and also give teams like the Dodgers a chance to draft on a fair basis. Theses other owners can whine and cry but they force other teams to spend to have a chance. Not too long ago the Cardinals were always in the top 3-4 in attendance but they received money from others plus a benefits in the draft. They hoarded there money and stilll could compete with added advantages. Their attendance has dropped because they won’t spend money and are not competitive. They had one of the best fan bases but they ruined it.
Spending FLOOR has to come next. $200M minimum maybe?
That spending floor would force 20? teams to pay low WAR players more than they would otherwise earn and that would really burn a few Ready-For-MLB Dodger prospects that would be playing in 20? other organizations.
I’d like to see in a future agreement for all players on the 40 to be at the MLB base minimum salary and build time towards a MLB pension.
I’d like MLB players to be paid a base minimum plus $4M per their WAR.
I’d like MLB players to earn bonus salary if their WAR exceeds 4.
“Tucker ranked fifth in hitter WAR through June 3, 2024, the day he fractured his shin on a foul, which sidelined him for the next three months. He ranked sixth in hitter WAR through the end of June last season, at which point he seemed to start feeling the effects of a hairline fracture incurred on a slide into second on June 1.”
A healthy Tucker transforms this Dodger lineup and offers some protection if the “old men” (Betts, Freeman, Muncy and Teo) begin to fade. Tho I expect a big bounce back from Mookie’s bat this year. And if only Max could stay healthy for a year.
Good stuff Cassidy, I think A healthy Tucker could be the second best hitter on this team next season, behind Ohtani.
Yeah, I mean, deal reminds me of Snell’s. We’re paying top of market for a guy who is expected to produce in big moments. I fully expect Tucker to be a major reason why we either threepeat or don’t. Huge offensice season incoming. I care less about the HRs than the OBP & SLG.
I wasn’t objecting to your use of WAR as a metric. That’s pretty well established (although you can argue that it is “arbitrary”). My point was that tying WAR to current and past FA contracts to get a ratio or “requirement” determining gluttony from non-gluttony is arbitrary.
It’s like real estate. To establish a baseline asking price when selling a home, you’re going to look at comps. But that’s always changing, it’s not a hard, fast rule, and value, in an open market, is always going to be in the eye of the beholder.
Right now, at this moment, Tucker is worth it to the Dodgers. As I explained yesterday, the Dodgers wouldn’t be making this signing 5-10 years ago, even though they were rich then, too. This is the culmination of many years of development and methodical steps: creating a great farm and player a development system, making key trades and key signings to establish a core group, and creating a healthy winning culture and not a collection of prima donnas (which is why the Mets aren’t successful even though they spend as much as the Dodgers).
The Dodgers played the long game, and now they are in a position to cement their legacy.
Now’s the time. The core is on the wrong side of 30, and Shohei maybe has another year or two until he blows out his arm again and is never the same player. The window is still open, but not for long. So, at this particular moment and in this particular context Tucker is worth it.
And just to add another point, the flexibility afforded by short term contracts is extremely valuable. I wouldn’t want Bryce Harper on my team right now, let alone for five more years. Had he accepted the Dodgers 4/45 mil offer in 2019, the Dodgers likely would have gotten past the Braves in 2021 (his monster year), and he’d be done and off the books now, freeing up the money to spend elsewhere.
For those who say the Dodgers are ruining baseball, the fact that their success is making the American baseball a truly international sport and the Dodgers an international brand (and the expanding audiences that go with it) benefit all of baseball. I would argue that the Dodgers, because they created such a model of international success and are competent top to bottom are actually saving the game. The American market was stagnant or declining. You aging boomers here pining for the days of small ball aren’t the future.
Yeah, there’s inequality amongst teams that I would like to see remediated in some way. I would like the Pirates to be able to build a good team around Skubal and not just see him be traded away to the Dodgers or something (wouldn’t that be gluttonous, too, actually?)
I’m not sure what the answer is. I pretty sure a hard cap is out of the question. To me, it would seem the simple answer is to just increase the RATE of of the competitive balance tax. Even rich teams have a limit they’re willing to pay out in penalties. The only people who would object to this are the rich teams, and they’d be out voted by the poor teams and the MLBPA.
Now, if you disperse those penalties to the small teams, the challenge is to get the poor teams to spend money wisely. Free money is a drag on innovation and wise decision making. You don’t want to turn the rest of ownership into a bunch of Arte Morenos.
Absolutely agree 100 percent. The window is wide open NOW for a couple more years very likely.
I am all for going all in to win a couple more WS rings.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MLBTR reports that the Dodgers will likely keep Teo and move him to left.
Rather than put a hard cap on total salaries, I’m with those who feel the penalties could be made stiffer. If they had to give up enough draft choices and international signing pool money, even the Dodgers and Mets would draw a line somewhere.
We absolutely need a salary floor considering the fact that, as many here have pointed out, the high end teams are giving money to the low end teams to compete with them. A number of those owners are then just pocketing that money.
I personally think the most egregious part of the whole landscape is allowing teams to use deferred salaries to lower AAV. If they want to defer money for cash flow purposes, that’s fine with me, as long as the player agrees, but it should not have any effect on AAV. Total contract divided by total years. That’s it.
Apparently only 2026 matters to most here. And that is fine. None of us know what tomorrow may bring. In that vein, how about the Dodgers go all in and sign Eugenio Suarez to platoon with Max at 3B. His OPS and WAR were not that far behind Tucker’s. And then sign Framber Valdez or Zac Gallen. Cannot have enough pitching. They can’t lose any more draft picks by signing Valdez or Gallen who rejected a QO. The Dodgers should be able to offer them more $$$ than a team not looking to lose draft picks.
With Tucker and Pages controlled for at least 4 years, that leaves room for one of De Paula, Hope, Sirota, and Quintero to become a regular on the 26 man in 2028. And then 2 more years until there is another opening. Someone mentioned that with the Tucker signing the Dodgers get to keep all of their OF prospects. And do what with them? Let them wither on the vine like Ward or Hoese? What should James Tibbs III think of his chances to make LAD?
Alex Call is the perfect #4 OF. The Dodgers seem to prefer the veteran over any of their prospects, so it is doubtful that the Dodgers will have any of the four sit on the bench in LA while they can get ABs in OKC. Evidence? The Dodgers signed Andy Ibáñez instead of giving Alex Freeland any hope of breaking onto the 26-man.
Right now, as soon as Edman is cleared, there is no spot for Hyeseong Kim. Even Fangraphs Roster Resource puts Kim and Freeland at OKC. Not to mention Jack Dreyer, Edgardo Henriquez, Paul Gervase, Justin Wrobleski, Gavin Stone, and River Ryan.
You cannot have it both ways. You cannot be okay with the Dodgers overpaying for players in FA, and also believe that they have the best development staff in MLB. What chance do these prospects have of making LAD when the Dodgers strategy seems to be buying the shiniest toy on the shelves this year.
The current expected 26-man roster consists of:
12 FA (Ohtani, Freddie, Tucker, Muncy, Teoscar, Ibáñez, Yamamoto, Snell,
Sasaki, Díaz, Scott, Treinen)
8 Trade (Betts, Edman, Rojas, Call, Glasnow, Vesia, Graterol, Klein)
4 Draft (Smith, Rushing, Sheehan, Casparius)
1 IFA (Pages)
1 Purchase (Banda)
2 of 13 are homegrown regulars (Smith and Pages), and 1 of 6 SP is homegrown (Sheehan). Three of the trades were extended before reaching free agency (Betts, Glasnow, Edman).
The prospects have some but little chance of making the roster in any of the next two years. Next year’s LAD free agents are Muncy, Miggy Ro, Treinen, Vesia, and Graterol. The following year they have Freddie, Teoscar, Banda, and Stewart as free agents. That is two aging corner infielders, a DH playing in LF, a reserve infielder, and 5 relievers. Freddie will probably get another two years for his age 38 and 39 season, or a rolling 1 year with club option until he is ready to retire. Freddie should get his 3,000th hit in his age 39 season and the Dodgers would want him to do it in a Dodgers uniform. He is 569 short right now.
So we are now down to prospects in low A or rookie leagues for the next wave. One of the 4 OF should get a chance in 2028 unless they want to sign another OF FA then. Why not, that seems to be the popular strategy for management and fans.
“Apparently only 2026 matters to most here.”
Oh,come on! That’s obviously hyperbolic, and the post almost sounds petulant. Teo’s gone after 2027 – if he lasts that long.
There will be opportunities for the cadre of outfield prospects we have, which, as you pointed out, won’t be ready till 2028 – if they are ever ready. They’re prospects. Most don’t pan out.
Pages was given an opportunity, and Outman before that. With a championship caliber major league team there are incredibly high expectations, as there should be, and the overriding consideration is fielding the best possible team, as it should be. There’s no room to be playing nursery maid to prospects. You want Sirota, DePaula. et. al. to ride the bench? Why would you even want that?
And Kody Hoese did not wither on the vine (the implication being the Dodgers didn’t give him a proper pathway to the MLB roster). He simply didn’t perform in professional baseball. It happens a lot.
“You cannot be okay with the Dodgers overpaying for players in FA, and also believe that they have the best development staff in MLB.”
Yeah, I can.
“The current expected 26-man roster consists of:
12 FA (Ohtani, Freddie, Tucker, Muncy, Teoscar, Ibáñez, Yamamoto, Snell,
Sasaki, Díaz, Scott, Treinen)
8 Trade (Betts, Edman, Rojas, Call, Glasnow, Vesia, Graterol, Klein)
4 Draft (Smith, Rushing, Sheehan, Casparius)
1 IFA (Pages)
1 Purchase (Banda)”
You wanna know why the Dodgers constructed their roster this way? Cuz they’re not the Marlins. 😂
“You wanna know why the Dodgers constructed their roster this way? Cuz they’re not the Marlins.”
That’s a good line, but, admittedly 2026 is the only year that matters to me.