The Los Angeles Dodgers made a trio of offseason splashes in signing both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, while also acquiring Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Glasnow’s contract extension combined with Ohtani and Yamamoto’s money puts the Dodgers’ financial commitment in rarefied air for a single offseason with more than $1.1 billion committed to the trio. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and the front office have shown restraint in handing out big contracts in years past, which has been a driving force for their recent aggressiveness.
Around the roster, the Dodgers still have a few needs remaining, but their lineup is mostly set as they bank on the return of Gavin Lux to man the shortstop position after missing all of 2023 with a knee injury. His resurgence looms large for the team, but they could still look to upgrade if an option presents itself, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
The team still could trade for another starting pitcher to go with Yamamoto, Glasnow, Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller. They also might attempt to upgrade at shortstop.
One name is Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames, who’s been floated as being available for the right price. The power-hitting middle infielder has tallied 80 home runs since 2021, trailing only Corey Seager among shortstops.
Adames would solve a lot of question marks that remain about Lux’s ceiling and how he’ll return after tearing the ACL and LCL in his right knee during Spring Training.
The Dodgers were also linked to Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette earlier this offseason, but he is unlikely to be moved at this point.
The Dodgers have continued to publicly support Lux and share their trust in him, but they are always looking to make the club better, and that might be the easiest path to upgrade.
Needs on Dodgers roster
Adding depth to the starting rotation remains a priority, and the club could also look to bring back Clayton Kershaw.
But a lesser talked about area of the roster is the left field position, where the Dodgers lack an everyday option. With Mookie Betts moving to the infield on an almost full time basis, that leaves a platoon situation in right field with Jason Heyward, along with the newly-acquired Manuel Margot.
The Dodgers could look to trade for Max Kepler of the Minnesota Twins, who heads into the final year of his current deal, and they were connected to him earlier this offseason. They still need one more bat in the outfield group, but a turnaround from Chris Taylor would remedy a lot of worries about needing an everyday left fielder.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
