THE RICH GET RICHER - DODGER DYNASTY

Evan Davis

At midnight EST baseball fans were shocked with the news that World Series Champion and All Star first baseman Freddie Freeman will be joining the Dodgers on a six-year $162 million deal. WOW! The Dodgers, who scored the most runs in the NL last year and led the MLB in ERA at 3.01 have just added one of the best first baseman in the today's game.

After losing Corey Seager in the offseason to the Texas Rangers, there is a new #5 in town, and it is Southern California native Freddie Freeman. With the universal DH now in place, this allows for Max Muncy, who is recovering from a torn UCL, to become the DH of the Dodgers. It is also important to note that the Dodgers have the #1 and #2 guys when it comes to creating runs since 2016. #1 is Freddie Freeman and #2 is Mookie Betts.

This lineup should be criminal. This is an All Star team that gets to play every day with each other. It is really hard to find an “out” in this lineup. The projected Opening Day starting lineup consists of Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Will Smith, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Chris Taylor, and Gavin Lux. I didn’t even mention guys like AJ Pollock and Matt Beaty, who can play the utility role for this team.

With the addition of Freddie Freeman, it is safe to say the Dodgers have the best infield in the MLB to go along with a top five, arguably a top three, defense in the outfield. Starting pitching-wise, the Dodgers could definitely use another arm, but don’t sleep on Tony Gonsolin who is only about 24 years old. Obviously we don’t know the status of Trevor Bauer, but the Dodgers still have their three headed monster of Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, and Julio Urias. Andrew Heaney didn’t have a great year last year, splitting time with the Angels/Yankees, but the Dodgers have an elite pitching development even with Rick Honeycutt leaving two years ago.

Over the last three seasons the Dodgers have averaged 106 wins but I wouldn’t be surprised if they broke the win record this season by a comfortable margin. Andrew Friedman has done a phenomenal job since coming to the Dodgers eight years ago, and in the span of the last 18 months, the Dodgers have acquired Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and now Freddie Freeman. Just give Andrew Friedman the key to the city. The job that this organization has done at developing talent, drafting players, and spending reasonably, has allowed for this team to compete each and every year.

There are arguments that the Dodgers have created a super team and to them I say, “kick rocks”. Guys like Max Muncy, Justin Turner, and Chris Taylor were essentially given up on and the Dodgers found ways to get them to this elite level that they are able to play at. For context, Justin Turner signed a Minor League deal with an invite to the Dodgers MLB spring training back in 2014, Chris Taylor was a throw-in in a deal the Dodgers made with the Seattle Mariners. Max Muncy was released by the Athletics and has now hit 35+ home runs in three of his last four seasons with the only year in which he didn’t due to the shortened season.

Yes the Dodgers acquired Mookie Betts and Trea Turner from trades, but that has to do with smart trades made by Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers organization. Josiah Gray and Jeter Downs were acquired by the Dodgers from the Reds in exchange for Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, and Alex Wood. Josiah Gray was used in a trade to get Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, and Jeter Downs was used in the deal to get Mookie Betts.

The Dodgers have built their team the right way, through the draft, through free agency, through trades and developing those guys once you draft them. It helps that they have the money to spend, but it isn’t as easy as you might think building a team like this. I have been a fan of this team since I was five-years old and we were never this elite. This will be an awesome season and I am so excited to watch this team play on April 7th and beyond. They should be the leading favorite to win the World Series. My prediction for the World Series is Dodgers vs Blue Jays, with the Dodgers winning in six games.