Even after missing out on signing one of the top free agents during the Winter Meetings, Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman reiterated that his priority of the offseason was adding elite talent to the organization.
While it took some time for a blockbuster addition to come to fruition, the Dodgers eventually accomplished their goal by acquiring 2018 American League MVP Mookie Betts and five-time All-Star David Price from the Boston Red Sox.
The arrivals of Betts and Price further cemented the Dodgers’ standing as consensus World Series favorites. Of course, Price ultimately opted out of the 2020 season in the best interest of his family.
Prior to that, betting odds shifted in the Dodgers’ favor, and multiple projection models like L.A.’s chances for success this season.
Earlier this year Chicago Cubs All-Star Kris Bryant praised the Dodgers for seemingly improving their World Series outlook by acquiring Betts, via Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic:
“The Dodgers are doing all they can to win,” Bryant said. “They really want to win. That’s kind of admirable. They’re really going for it. They traded away a really good outfielder that really helped their team last year for, what, maybe one year of Mookie Betts? Which they saw as a chance to get them a World Series. Good for them. I wish more teams would kind of follow that in terms of really trying to win and go all-in.”
As Bryant noted, the Dodgers were forced to part with Alex Verdugo, a top prospect in Jeter Downs and Connor Wong to acquire Betts and Price. Considering the strength of their farm system and desire to end a World Series drought going on 32 years, it was an easy decision for L.A. to make.
That became all the easier to accept when Betts signed a 12-year contract extension with the Dodgers.
The Cubs took a similar approach in 2016, trading top prospect Gleyber Torres to the New York Yankees for Aroldis Chapman. The flame-throwing left-hander proved to be a worthwhile investment, as he helped solidify the closer role for Chicago and played a big part in the organization winning its first World Series championship in over a century.
However, the Cubs have been unable to achieve much postseason success since that point. Their latest trip to the playoffs resulted in being swept by the Miami Marlins.
Mookie already impacting October
Betts went 3-for-7 with three doubles, three RBI and one walk as the Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card Series.
“He competes, he makes the pitcher work. Everything about him, I love,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He came up big for us [Wednesday] night with a couple doubles and then tonight another double, which gave a lot of separation. He’s definitely as good as advertised.”
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