After being dragged into a messy divorce under Frank McCourt, the Los Angeles Dodgers were seemingly rescued by a sale to Guggenheim Baseball Management. Under the new ownership group the Dodgers have set multiple records amid a streak that’s the greatest in their history.
However, a World Series has continued to evade L.A. They painfully fell just short in 2017, were overwhelmed the following year, and despite a franchise-best 106 wins this past season, failed to advance out of the National League Division Series.
Their first-round exit, despite coming at the hands of the eventual World Series champion Washington Nationals, raised several questions. Some of which pertained to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and manager Dave Roberts.
With both remaining in their respective positions, the focus shifted to the roster and potential changes. Friedman said there is a willingness to be aggressive but not necessarily added pressure in light of the disappointing finish to the 2019 season.
As the Winter Meetings in San Diego are now underway, Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten lumped them into a group with all other teams that are seeking to improve in every area, via MLB Network Radio:
“All teams need everything. We need bullpen help, we need starting help, we need batting help. I mean, I can’t pin it down. I think we’re well positioned for this coming year; additions in any of those areas would make us better and stronger. If we could improve in all three of those areas, we would try to do that. Maybe one trade gets that done, although that’s very rare and hard to imagine. But our guys are creative and our guys work really hard at it.”
For all the negative labels that have been placed on Friedman during his time leading the Dodgers front office, he regularly has explored a wide array of scenarios when attempting to improve the roster.
This winter that’s entailed reported pursuits of Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon and Stephen Strasburg. The Dodgers have also been connected to Kevin Gausman, who presumably could represent the boon in the bullpen Kasten alluded to needing.
It’s worth nothing Strasburg is no longer an option as he agreed to re-sign with the Washington Nationals, and the record-setting contract invariably will play a role in bidding for Cole.
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