Do The Dodgers Need Ohtani?

Do the Dodgers need Shohei Ohtani?? Good question. I am of a mind that most of the Dodger fans would love to see this guy play at Dodger Stadium. Can you imagine a 1-2-3 punch featuring Betts, Freeman and Ohtani? Would be hard not to love that combo. Three thirty homer guys at the top of the lineup. But if the Dodgers do jump in with both feet and sign the Japanese superstar, what do they do with Max Muncy? Muncy’s option will almost certainly be picked up. It is for 14 million dollars.

How much do the Dodgers spend to land one of the premier power hitters in baseball? Lucky for Muncy, he can actually play a position on the field. Most do not like his defensive metrics at third. But he actually is a decent second baseman. His fielding stats there are much better. If Max is playing second and not doing the DH role, Betts moves back to RF full time. Lux is going to get the first crack at SS. That leaves Vargas and Busch fighting for the third base job. And competition at any position is a good thing.

Many stories I have read, especially over the last few weeks still believe that Ohtani is going to get upwards of a 400-million-dollar deal. Had he not had to have surgery on his pitching arm, that number would almost certainly be well above 500 million. The Dodgers will be involved. Not a guess. They have to be involved simply because they cannot allow the competition to just scoop a player of his caliber up without at least making an effort to see what he will cost.

They can afford it. I also believe if they are in on the Ohtani sweepstakes, Kershaw will not be re-signed unless it is at less than what he was paid last time. 20 million for an injury prone pitcher seems a little steep. But then again, the Dodgers have a soft spot for Kersh.

But do they need Ohtani? He is an asset as a hitter, but you add his pitching to that, and yes, they would definitely need him with what looks like a rotation with a ton of questions. Only Miller is a lock. Yeah, Buehler is coming back, but just how effective will he be? Gonsolin is done for the year, and May is not expected back until mid-season. And just how effective he will be after his surgery is a huge question mark also.

Ohtani will not be ready to pitch until 2025. But being ready and being effective are two entirely different things. Do they back load a contract to give him more AAV when he actually is a two-way player again? That is one possible scenario. I am pretty sure they would love to get the guy and stick it to Moreno.

Say Ohtani gets 35 mil the first year, and 45 each season after when he pitches. They still have close to 65 mil to fill in the gaps. I believe they will seek at least one other starting pitcher who can give them some innings. Forget Blake Snell. They are not going to give any pitcher more than three years. They could kick the tires on Giolito, since they love reclamation projects, same thing with Flaherty. I would love to see them get Montgomery, but I understand he is a Boras client, and his stock is rising with his performances so far in the post-season for the Rangers. He will most likely get between 4-6 years. Other than Brandon McCarthy, Freidman has never given a contract longer than three years.

With Ohtani as the DH, it opens up all sorts of possibilities. The concessions people will love it. Sushi at Dodger Stadium! Or the Samauri dog. He does lengthen the lineup. One thing I think they are going to need besides some starting pitching is a right-handed power hitter to go along with Mookie. Martinez, Betts and Smith were the power providers from the right side this season. 91 homers between the three. Muncy, Freeman and Heyward were the lefty power guys hitting 80. Taylor added 15 off of the bench.

Lux almost certainly would hit more than Miggy’s 5. So, power wise, they would be ok as long as they get another RH bat to help out. Martinez is probably the odd man out. His age is one reason, and he will probably get at least a two-year offer from someone else.

A few might be available as free agents. Teoscar Hernandez, Mark Canha, Adam Duvall, Tommy Pham, Harrison Bader, Andrew McCutcheon. Duvall has probably the most power of those guys and he is a solid defensive outfielder. Jorge Soler has a lot of power, but he has a 9-mil player option. Guys like Grichuk are also out there as is Jake Marisnick who the Dodgers obtained mid-season. Then there is the trade option. It will be very interesting to see who some teams might make available.

Jonny Deluca will get some time in spring training to show his wares to the powers that be. His speed is his best asset. I don’t see Pages getting much of a chance until he at least spends some more time at AAA. His season was cut short by his injury.

I really have to believe it is going to take some fancy sell job to convince Shohei that he should come play with the Dodgers. But does he want to be in the spotlight? Is he happier playing with a team that has less pressure to win? I believe he is a competitor who wants to play with the best. That is one thing I believe will keep him from the Yankees. They are in worse shape pitching wise than the Dodgers.

I also think that the Dodgers are going to have to lean on the kids heavily for next season. Unless they sign a couple of free agent pitchers, they really have no other choice. I trust Miller, and I really liked the bulldog I saw in Pepiot. Sheehan has a lot of good pitches; he just lacks experience. Grove is more of a bullpen guy to me, and Stone, well Stone is a work in progress. He could end up being very good.

I say go ahead and spend the money to land Shohei. If nothing else, it gets the fans minds off of the lousy way the 2023 season ended and gives them a genuine superstar to cheer for.