With the Los Angeles Dodgers’ massive spending spree last offseason, many would think that the team may take a step back this coming winter. However, that may not exactly be the case.
While the Dodgers did unload a lot of money to land stars such as Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, among others, Los Angeles has always been about adding more talent. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has never been shy to go for the home-run swing, especially if he is fully bought into a player.
This winter, one of the premier stars in all of baseball is scheduled to be a free agent, outfielder Juan Soto. Soto is currently with the New York Yankees but there is an expectation that a bidding war will ensue this offseason to land his services.
The Yankees and New York Mets have been most heavily linked to Soto but you can never count out the Dodgers. MLB insider Jon Heyman of The New York Post appeared on MLB Network and ranked his five most likely landing spots for Soto.
Los Angeles can in ranked at the No. 3 spot for the slugging outfielder.
“Number three, I have the Dodgers. Very desirable team, the stars have wanted to go there. Don’t know what the limit is. They’ve spent a lot, you never know. I’m not betting against the Dodgers. Well, it’s 15 to one. So maybe I have. Anyway, they’re number three.”
Landing Soto would fully have the Dodgers pushing all their chips in on going after a title. Putting him alongside Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and others in the Los Angeles lineup would essentially be an All-Star roster.
It will take a serious amount of money to land Soto but the Dodgers have shown a willingness to spend. Once Ohtani signed with the team, it became paramount that Los Angeles do whatever it takes to win at the highest level.
Signing a player like Soto would certainly be the definition of that. He has been having an incredible first season with the Yankees, hitting .302 with 34 home runs and 87 runs batted in.
The Yankees likely have the upper hand in keeping Soto but money tends to talk loudly. Plus, it remains to be seen if the Dodgers will actually go all-in to acquire the lefty slugger but never say never.
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Source: Tampa Bay Times
