After winning the 2024 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers are poised for further success this year.
The team seemingly has a stronger roster following the offseason signings of Blake Snell, Michael Conforto, Hyeseong Kim, Tanner Scott and Roki Sasaki, among others.
The Dodgers have thrived from a financial standpoint over the last decade, but especially last year after signing Shohei Ohtani to a record-setting contract.
While Ohtani’s presence has led to increased revenue, the Dodgers feel motivated to continue improving the on-field product as a way to pay back the fans who continuously support them.
“Our business is very healthy,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman answered when asked if the revenue brought in by Ohtani’s presence has helped the Dodgers make roster upgrades.
“We have a really good team, we have a lot different revenue sources and more than anything, we are investing it aggressively and we feel a real obligation to our fans. The passion that they show, the commitment they show us, we feel real pressure to deliver for them.”
The Dodgers’ ability to outspend teams has drawn criticism from opposing fans and some who cover the sport. Complaints range from operating in bad faith with deferred money in contracts to outright claims of ruining baseball.
“I think we’re rewarding our incredibly passionate fans,” Friedman said when asked if the Dodgers’ high payroll is detrimental to the sport.
The Dodgers have routinely ranked near the top in payroll under Guggenheim Baseball Management, which is a testament to the ownership group’s desire to win as many championships as possible.
The Dodgers also have one of the best fanbases in sports and the front office clearly feels obligated to reward them by building the best roster every year.
Brandon Gomes optimistic about 2025 Dodgers
The Dodgers are looking to become the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees.
“I think having a full season of Tommy, and adding Conforto and Snell to the mix, and bringing some of the pieces back that we did, we feel good about where the team is,” general manager Brandon Gomes said.
“We feel we’re probably even better than we were going into last year. That’s the goal. We won it, and it’s really hard to win. It’s even harder to repeat. Reloading and putting out an even better team to try and do it again, we know that our fans are super excited and supportive, so making sure we do right by them is really important to us.”
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!
