The 2023 MLB schedule is fast approaching, giving us time to look back at a very MLB offseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers, one of the most active and involved teams during the MLB winter and GM meetings, continued that trend during the 2022 MLB off-season upon completing another MLB schedule. Despite failing to land any high-priced free agents, the Dodgers are still built to succeed while ensuring they retained several of their own free agents, including All-Star starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw.
The off-season has been quite a disappointment for a Dodgers team that lost All-Star shortstop Trea Turner, All-Star center fielder Cody Bellinger, starting pitchers Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney, as well as multiple relief pitchers, including David Price, Craig Kimbrel, and Tommy Kahnle. While losing multiple All-Stars, the team followed that up by striking out on top-tier free agents, including Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts, and Aaron Judge.
However, the entire off-season has yet to be a complete disappointment for a Dodgers team that is still loaded with one of the top rotations in the NL and a lineup that features multiple top-tier hitters, including Mookie Betts. The team added starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard to round out their rotation, veteran designated hitter J.D. Martinez and left fielder David Peralta to bolster their lineup while also adding a nice mix of arms for the bullpen.
Off-Season Acquisitions: Noah Syndergaard (SP), J.D. Martinez (DH), David Peralta (LF), J.P. Feyereisen (RP), Shelby Miller (RP), and Miguel Rojas (SS)
Off-Season Departures: Cody Bellinger, Trea Tuner (SS), Tyler Anderson (SP), Craig Kimbrel (RP), Andrew Heaney (SP), Tommy Kahnle (RP), Joey Gallo (1B/DH), and David Price (RP)
Los Angeles Dodgers Off-Season Acquisition Outlook
One of the Dodgers’ top moves this off-season was the addition of J.D. Martinez to add a middle-of-the-lineup bat that can hit for average, work the count, and hit for power. Martinez is coming off a 2022 MLB season in which he hit 16 home runs, drove in 62 runs, and scored 76 runs while providing leadership within the Boston Red Sox clubhouse. The veteran designated hitter will provide protection in the middle of the Dodgers lineup while supplying a run producer to help pick the slack up of the losses of Turner and Bellinger.
In addition to Martinez, the acquisition of David Peralta provides the Dodgers with another versatile outfielder who can play a variety of the outfield positions as well as serve as the designated hitter when required. While his ability to play the outfield is key, Peralta adds value at the plate while being a left-handed bat, while the team only currently has James Outman on the 40-man roster, which plays the outfield and bats from the left side of the plate.
While the addition of those two adds depth at the plate, the Dodgers’ potential most significant addition came on the mound to round out their starting rotation. The addition of Noah Syndergaard provides a reliable veteran starter to the back end of the rotation while not expecting Walker Buehler to return from Tommy John surgery that was required last season. As Syndergaard is expected to pitch at the back of the rotation, he showed during the postseason he could pitch out of relief and allow zero runs over 2.1 innings during the Philadelphia Phillies’ run to the World Series. Lastly, Shelby Miller adds another arm to their pitching depth while delivering the team some flexibility with his ability to pitch both in relief and as a spot-starting pitcher.
Ultimately the offseason for the Dodgers did not stack up compared to other off-seasons the team has had while losing a high-caliber shortstop such as Trea Turner. Luckily for the Dodgers and their fans, the team is built around a strong core of stars that can help the team compete during the 2023 MLB season.
