For the past several years, this site has been full of morons and bombastic idiots. Frankly, it was my fault. I tolerated it for too long, but then came the “purge.” The idiots are gone, and only the smart ones have remained. Some others have returned, and we are adding 15-20 new readers a week. Many of the deposed commenters were of the opinion that the best team always wins the World Series. Their small minds could not comprehend that with twelve teams in the playoffs… anything can happen.
That’s why the Dodgers are doing it very differently this year. At this point, only one force seems capable of derailing the Dodgers: the sheer, unrelenting chaos of October. There’s a reason no team has successfully defended a World Series title since the Yankees capped their three-peat in 2000—baseball is built for unpredictability when the stakes are highest.
After grinding through what team president Stan Kasten calls “the crucible of 162 games,” contenders must then navigate a gauntlet of short playoff series where history has proven one truth: there’s no such thing as an upset. The sport thrives on volatility, which is why 16 different franchises have claimed a championship since the turn of the century—more than any other major North American league.
No team understands that cruel reality better than the Dodgers. They’ve punched their postseason ticket for 12 straight years yet have just two titles to show for their dominance. That’s because of the fact that in the playoffs, anything can happen… and it usually does!
Miguel Rojas is on record saying that he thinks the Dodgers could win 120 games this season, surpassing the Seattle Mariners’ record 116 victories from 2001. Asked about that bold prediction last week, he didn’t back down. “If I wasn’t thinking that was a possibility,” Rojas said, “I wouldn’t have said it.”
The Dodgers boast an embarrassment of riches, brimming with superstar talent while stockpiling enough depth to weather an injury storm that would sink lesser teams. For 25 years, no team has managed to capture back-to-back World Series titles. To shatter that streak, the Los Angeles Dodgers have embraced a strategy as extravagant as it is elementary. It’s called: “Buying up the best players and stacking the team.”
The Dodgers stand as the undisputed emblem of financial excess in sports. Operating in a system without a salary cap, they’ve leveraged league-best attendance, a stratospheric local TV deal, and razor-sharp front-office acumen to construct a roster that defies precedent—a true baseball juggernaut. The price tag? A staggering $392 million—and that’s before an anticipated luxury tax bill exceeding $140 million, a princely sum for their audacious pursuit of dominance.
Will it work? There are no guarantees in baseball. The randomness of MLB is unparalleled. My money is with the Dodgers, but truly… anything can happen!
This is why they play the game.
UPDATE on Hyesong Kim
- “He’s a lot stronger than I expected,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I think he’s one of the [lowest] body fat guys in our camp.”
- “He’s fast, he’s athletic,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said a few days later. “I’ve heard he’s got the lowest body-fat percentage on our team.”
- “I think that he can certainly win ballgames with his defense alone,” Roberts said. “Then the question is the development part. What’s good for him? What’s good for the Dodgers? And that, we don’t have to answer right now.”
- Per Roberts, Kim is expected to get reps at second base, third base and center field this spring. Although Kim never logged any time in center in a KBO game, he made 44 appearances in left in 2020. He also grew up playing the outfield before he reached high school and feels more comfortable playing center field rather than a corner, as he prefers tracking down balls from that vantage point.
- Is it possible he could play CF? Edman at 2B?
$500+ M payroll after tax added. Probably around ~ $600 M on baseball operations and payroll combined.
~$300 M from Local TV deal.
~4 M fans through turnstyles at Chavez Ravine. $100/fan is probably a conservative estimate, but that’s $400 M at least from attendance.
So, $100+ M back of napkin math? Global advertising is huge too.
I’ll keep saying it: win the most games, make the most money. Just so happens this is a good plan for fans and players too. Positive feedback loops galore!
Bravo
Gavin Lux not likely to start for Reds:
https://www.redlegnation.com/2025/02/16/cincinnati-reds-notebook-gavin-lux-may-not-be-a-starter/
What does seem a bit more unlikely, though, is that he’s going to be in the lineup every day as a starter. If he’s not going to be playing shortstop (which he shouldn’t even if the Reds had the spot open) and he’s not going to be at second base, there’s just not enough “every day” playing time for him along with everyone else that the Reds are seemingly going to also be trying to rotate around the field.
Mark,
I wonder why the Reds traded for him ?
He’s another MLB Bat and they just traded a prospect to get him.
They are better with him than without him.
Actually, the Reds gave up one well-regarded prospect (Mike Sirota) and a competitive balance draft pick to get Lux. We’ll know the player to be drafted later in due course.
The early reports from Cincy after the trade strangely touted Lux’s versatility…
I feel that faar too many “fans” will be experiencing apoplexy when inevitably this roster loses 2 games in a row, will drop dead of a heart attack if they lose 3 and will predict the end of the world should they lose 4 – which frankly I doubt will happen.
The most important thing to keep in mind is the strength of this roster ONLY gives the Dodgers a better CHANCE at winning it all. Nothing more than that. But it’ll be hella fun to watch!
What the Dodgers have done is to try and put themselves in the best position to win, but anything can happen in the “Crapshoot Playoffs.” The Dodgers have the best odds of winning, but sometimes something “odd” happens.
If it does, they will revert to losing their minds and demand that Doc and AF be fired!
If the Dodgers manage to top Seattle’s 116-win record–a possibility, I think–we’ll be constantly and rightly reminded that the Mariners lost in the playoffs.
Jack Harris has a great piece in The LA Times on Blake Snell working with Bobby Miller:
https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2025-02-17/dodgers-blake-snell-bobby-miller-mentor
What’s cool is that Bobby M is excited to be mentored by Snell! Now let’s get Robert’s extended and rock on!
Ardaya has a very similar story:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6140762/2025/02/17/dodgers-blake-snell-bobby-miller/?source=user_shared_article
Cubs close to signing Justin Turner.
Done deal, one year, 6 million to back up at third and first according to Heyman.
He’ll DH a bunch too.
Great guy to have around.
Yes, he is, not the fielder at third he once was, but a great clubhouse guy.
Great stuff Mark. Your running on all cylinders.
AF as well as I, know the Dodgers will be in the playoffs. That gives him a leg up on most GM’s. He can put all of his focus on long term strategy sessions to lessen the effect of the crapshoot. The fact that all the players are buying in to the Dodger philosophy lessens the odds of a crapshoot. So does having Kike. But the fickle finger of fate sometimes crashes the party. Therefore that evil word..crapshoot..will always persist in MLB. Parting shot: It is frickin insane that the other 29 owners don’t follow the best business model in sports.
Book em
Wth a bench of Kiki,Taylor,Barnes and Rojas,Outman,Rushing and Pages have no chance of making the initial 26 man roster unless Kim starts the season in the minors or one of the positional player starts the season on the IL or a trade is in the works..Talented depth is a good situation for the Dodgers and bad for young players trying to make the roster.
Talented depth can certainly be a problem for young players trying to make the roster.
With another franchise, Zyhir Hope might have a chance if he has a strong spring. But it’s hard to imagine the Dodgers rolling with the proverbial phenom when so much $$$ is committed to proven veterans.
Could Hope be another Acuna or Soto or Trout or Chourio or Jackson Merrill? Probably not… and certainly not with these Dodgers.
Interesting how Kim is already getting raves in camp, even for the scarcity of body fat. I was surprised to read that Kim will see action in CF. Certainly he has the speed…. but I think Outman and Pages would prefer less OF competition, not more.
Certainly hope this isn’t a move in anticipation on another… that would shift Max back to 2B to make room for Arenado.