THE DODGERS WATCHED the Padres and
Diamondbacks each make a half-dozen
improvements this offseason, burning money
and talent to take shots at the division
title. Then, with camps about to open, they
big-footed both NL West clubs by acquiring
the second-best player in baseball–without
touching the top of their roster or their farm
system. It’s good to be the kings.
Adding superstar Mookie Betts, 27,
formerly of the Red Sox, to MLB’s deepest
roster gives Los Angeles a third MVP to
go with 24-year-old Cody Bellinger and
lefthander Clayton Kershaw. Five of the
eight projected everyday players have had
at least one five-win season in the last three
years. Two others, catcher Will Smith andinfielder Gavin Lux, have yet to play a full
season. A.J. Pollock, who signed a four-year,
$55 million deal before the 2019 season, is
the fourth outfielder behind Betts, Bellinger
and Joc Pederson, now a potential trade chip.
Even with all that talent in the majors, the
Dodgers still have seven of Baseball America’s
top 100 prospects, second only to the Rays.
Yes, you can certainly pick at the edges.
Supplanting Kershaw as L.A.’s ace, righty
Walker Buehler (3.26 ERA, 1.042 WHIP)
fronts a rotation filled with questions after
two starters left in free agency (Rich Hill
and Hyun-Jin Ryu) and a third via trade(Kenta Maeda). The bullpen, always a
source of concern, could get a huge boost
if Blake Treinen, signed from Oakland to a
one-year, $10 million deal, finds the form
that made him the game’s best closer in- But if pitching problems persist this
summer, GM Andrew Friedman will merely
enter the trade market and exit with, say, the
Mets’ Noah Syndergaard.
Despite their almost annual status as the
NL favorite, the Dodgers still haven’t won
a title since 1988. All L.A. can do is what it
has done: build the best team in baseball.
Adding Mookie Betts alone makes the Dodgers better—and they won 1 0 6 games
last year. Still, L.A. may need a midseason trade or two to end its 31-year title drought.OVER
UNDER 10 1.5| GAVIN LUX| SS|Is anyone better suited to shine in Hollywood
than someone whose last name is Latin for light? Lux assumed
the mantle of Next Big Thing in L.A. as a second baseman in
2019, then took over shortstop from the previous Next Big
Thing (Corey Seager) in ’22. He enters his age-32 season with
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leader at short since the club moved from Brooklyn.2030 PREDICTION
MOVING UP
JULIO
URÍAS
2.49 ERA | 1.5 WAR
Still just 23,
the Mexican
lefthander
with the stuff
to be a No. 2
starter should
finally stick in
the rotation
after a solid
2019 (9.6 K/9,
1.079 WHIP).MOVING DOWN
DAVID
PRICE
4.28 ERA | 1.9 WAR
L.A. took Price
and half his
contract to
make the
Mookie Betts
deal happen.
The lefty lost
1.7 mph off
his fastball
in the last
two years.ROBERT BECK ( 2 )
DODGERS
NL WESTThe Dodgers big-footed the rest
of the NL West by adding the
second-best player in baseball.
It’s good to be the kings.