For years, meticulous planning has gone into the grand strategy. Plans, whether for a simple dinner or the audacious goal of dominating the baseball world, often crumble. However, for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the stars aligned spectacularly as they orchestrated the creation of a superteam, leaving the baseball community in awe.
The saga began with a groundbreaking 10-year, $700 million contract for two-way star Shohei Ohtani. Following this, the Dodgers stunned by granting Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a Japanese talent yet to pitch in the big leagues, a staggering $325 million over 12 years.
Despite a brief moment of fiscal restraint last winter, where $50 million was spent on one-year contracts, the Dodgers committed over $1 billion to secure the services of two players. With the reigning MVP and future Hall of Famers like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in their lineup, along with strategic acquisitions, the Dodgers are poised to be a formidable force in 2024 and beyond.
As the Dodgers gear up for success, concerns arise for smaller-market teams whose entire franchises are worth less than the Dodgers’ recent player contracts. The impending return of Ohtani in 2025 from his second Tommy John surgery adds another dimension to the Dodgers’ prowess, causing consternation among competitors in the league.
Despite apprehensions from fans outside Los Angeles County, the reality of the modern game challenges the notion of superteams securing easy victories. Baseball’s playoff structure, with its 12-team format and series configurations, makes it inherently superteam-resistant. Unlike leagues with salary caps, baseball’s laughable payroll disparities haven’t resulted in perennial dominance by a few teams.
Examining recent history, the 2021 Dodgers, despite assembling a formidable roster, faced postseason setbacks, showcasing the unpredictable nature of baseball. Financially, extravagant spending doesn’t guarantee success, as demonstrated by the Dodgers outspending the Yankees by over $100 million in the past decade, yet both teams securing only one World Series championship.
While the Dodgers’ recent deals for Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Glasnow come with inherent risks, superteams contribute to the richness of baseball, offering entertainment and drama for fans. The Dodgers, evolving into a new breed of superteam through organizational excellence, provide a counterbalance to the dominance seen in past eras.
Despite the resentment and concerns about fairness, historical trends, numerical analysis, and logic suggest that while the Dodgers may indeed be a superteam, this phenomenon is an integral part of baseball’s narrative and may be more acceptable than initially perceived.
