Money buys lots of luxuries in baseball. It buys things that can add up to three consecutive NL West crowns. But the last three years have also shown that money doesn’t buy you a championship, or even a National League title for that matter. Like many rich organizations, the Dodgers are bent on bringing a championship to Chavez Ravine for the first time since 1988. But with the NL West as competitive as ever, the fourth consecutive division crown will likely prove to be the toughest to obtain.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
+933 to win 2016 World Series
+465 to win NL Pennant
From the moment Andrew Friedman was hired as the Dodgers’ new president of baseball operations following the 2014 season, the clock was ticking on Don Mattingly’s time as manager.
Not surprisingly, Mattingly left following another first-round playoff defeat in 2015. Dave Roberts was hired as his replacement, with only pitching coach Rick Honeycutt retained on the coaching staff. Relentlessly upbeat and enthusiastic, Roberts should play well in a clubhouse that will feature more young players in 2016.
One thing seems certain about the 2016 Dodgers – there won’t be a $300 million payroll for critics to use as a weapon if they don’t succeed. The payroll still figures to lead the majors but will be closer to $200 million.
Getting younger, cheaper – relatively so – and more reliant on homegrown talent is part of the Dodgers’ master plan for sustainability. In the immediate future, though, it might result in an expensive third-place team with the Diamondbacks and Giants seemingly passing the Dodgers in talent this season.
The past three years, the Dodgers tried to ride the best 1-2 rotation combo in baseball with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke to the World Series. The result: Just one playoff series victory.
They will have to try a different path now. Kershaw remains at the front of the rotation and has established himself as the best pitcher in baseball. With Greinke gone to Arizona, the dropoff behind Kershaw will be greater. In step Scott Kazmir and Japanese import Kenta Maeda. Healthy returns from Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy could supplement that.
Outside of closer Kenley Jansen, the rest of the bullpen corps figures to be the same inconsistent group of young arms that showed promise at times in 2015.
The Dodgers will require a lot out of their young upcoming stars. Corey Seager is pegged to take over shortstop full time this season after his more than successful cameo late in 2015. The Dodgers will also require better consistency out of Joc Pederson.
Many questions surround the Dodgers’ season: new management, the impact of Yasiel Puig on and off the field, the effectiveness of the rotation, and the emergence of the Dodgers young core.
If the Dodgers lose their grip on the NL West in 2016 it will not be for a lack of talent however. For a team with seemingly unlimited resources, Roberts might have the toughest job to walk into in baseball.
Any number of things seems to be able to derail the Dodgers’ season. Given all the previous turmoil it seems that money can’t buy happiness for the Dodgers. We’ll find out if it can buy wins.
Key Additions: SP Scott Kazmir, SP Kenta Maeda, OF Trayce Thompson, RP Joe Blanton.
Key Losses: SP Zack Greinke, SS Jimmy Rollins, RP Jim Johnson.
Between the managerial search that ended with the hiring of Roberts and the deals that didn’t get done, it took some time for the Dodgers offseason plan to come into focus. It has, and while it’s not to everybody’s taste, the team still has a wealth of assets and no less flexibility than when the winter began. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Dodgers pull off a blockbuster deal, but even now, it’s a squad that should again contend.
Prediction: 93-69
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