The Los Angeles Dodgers put together a historic offseason that saw them sign Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to respective record-setting contracts, plus add the likes of Tyler Glasnow and Teoscar Hernández, among others.
Ohtani signed with the Dodgers over a slew of other interested teams due in part to his affinity for the organization. He also deferred a large portion of the $700 million contract to future years in order to help the team maintain financial flexibility and continue improving.
Meanwhile, Glasnow was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays and immediately signed a contract extension with the Dodgers. Like Ohtani, he spoke highly of L.A. and how much of a draw the organization is as a whole.
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Hernández took somewhat of a discount in free agency to join the Dodgers, and Yamamoto and Paxton both signed with the club due in part to their preference of playing on the West Coast.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the Dodgers are trying to emerge as the ultimate landing spot for player, via Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times:
“We want to be a destination spot, a place where our own players don’t want to leave and that players from other organizations are longingly looking at,” Friedman said. “That’s something we’re going to continue to work at. We’re going to keep trying to build that culture and environment.”
The Dodgers have certainly built a winning culture over the last decade, making 11 consecutive trips to the postseason, and winning 10 National League West titles, three pennants and one World Series championship since the 2013 season.
Aside from their success on the field, the Dodgers also receive praise for their work with players — particularly pitchers — and having one of the best clubhouses in baseball.
Andrew Friedman part of Shohei Ohtani’s contract clause
Ohtani tied his belief in the Dodgers — and his future — by including a contract clause that would allow him to opt out if owner Mark Walter or Friedman are no longer with the franchise.
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