Coming off their first World Series title in over three decades, the Los Angeles Dodgers were one of the busiest teams during the offseason, making several additions to their bullpen before signing Trevor Bauer and Justin Turner late in free agency.
The only team that can say they were more active was the San Diego Padres, who made a flurry of impactful signings and trades in their quest of returning to the postseason for a second consecutive year.
San Diego acquired Blake Snell, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove in separate blockbuster trades, added Keone Kela and Mark Melancon to their bullpen, and agreed to a massive 14-year contract extension with superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.
Snell comes over from the Tampa Bay Rays, who fell to the Dodgers in the 2020 World Series. The left-hander was removed by manager Kevin Cash in the sixth inning of the deciding Game 6 despite not allowing a run, sparking L.A.’s comeback and eventual win.
With that now in the past, Snell is looking forward to playing the Dodgers more often, via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com:
“I can’t wait to play the Dodgers,” Snell said on Wednesday, the day Padres pitchers and catchers reported to the Peoria Sports Complex. “They’re talented beyond belief. We’re talented beyond belief. … It’s going to be a lot of fun. Every game.”
Snell acknowledged that the Dodgers have one of the deepest rosters in baseball but believes the Padres match up well against them:
“They got dudes, so it’s going to be a lot of fun going against them,” Snell said. “But I’m picking my team every time. I think we stack up nice.”
While the Padres got plenty of attention over the offseason for their splashy moves, it’s the Dodgers who are projected by Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA to win the most games this season (103).
The Padres were pegged to finish 96-66, meaning PECOTA still sees a sizable gap between the two teams.
Dave Roberts doesn’t ‘really care what Padres do’
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts candidly said he is not concerned in the slightest by what the Padres did this offseason, preferring to focus on his own team.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, participate in our shows and giveaways, and more!
