By Massive offseason changes to the front office ignited a roster overhaul for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the result was a team heavily favored to win its division and compete for a World Series in October.
Dodgers President Stan Kasten went right to work after the team’s early playoff exit in the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals last October. The Dodgers removed incumbent general manager Ned Colletti, naming him a senior advisor to the club, and hired Tampa Bay Rays general manager Andrew Friedman as president of baseball operations.
Friedman’s success with the Rays was among the most impressive in baseball. He turned a futile organization into the new standard of how small market teams should be run. Under Friedman, the Rays had five 90-plus win seasons, including a franchise-best 97 wins in 2008 when they went to the World Series.
When Friedman took over the Dodgers, he immediately hired Farhan Zaidi, an assistant general manager with the Oakland Athletics. Zaidi was a highly coveted front office executive, and had already turned down the opportunity to interview for other GM jobs. But the Dodgers GM position isn’t like the others.
With a seemingly endless supply of cash at their disposal, the Dodgers can sign any player and hire any executive they want. Past years have seen them spend that pot of gold recklessly. Not this time. Kasten, along with the rest of Dodgers ownership, turned over his franchise to some of the smartest people in the game.
Armed with the proper resources, Friedman and Zaidi went to work on a roster that won 94 games in 2014, but was still missing the final piece to get them over the top.
Zaidi’s first major move was in December when he traded fan favorite and all-star outfielder Matt Kemp to division rival San Diego Padres in exchange for catcher Yasmani Grandal and two young players. He followed that up by acquiring second baseman Howie Kendrick from the Angels and shortstop Jimmy Rollins from the Philadelphia Phillies.
No longer were the Dodgers going to have to deal with a revolving door at shortstop, and it’s very likely that L.A. sold high on second baseman Dee Gordon.
With a brand new infield secured, the Dodgers turned their attention to the rotation. There aren’t many teams that can match L.A.’s 1-2 punch of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, but the lack of quality depth was a major concern. Zaidi solidified the rotation with the signings of right-hander Brandon McCarthy and left-hander Brett Anderson.
Both McCarthy and Anderson have a history of arm injuries, but their potential when healthy made them worthwhile risks.
Not everyone is gone from last year’s National League West winning team. Mainstays like first baseman Adrian Gonzales, Juan Uribe and Carl Crawford are there to provide stability on the field and in the clubhouse.
Oh, and then there’s Yasiel Puig, a likely MVP candidate this year.
There have been a few setbacks already, however. No. 3 starter Hyun-jin Ryu is out with discomfort in his throwing shoulder, and closer Kenley Jansen is expected to miss most of April with a foot injury.
But Friedman and Zaidi have built a roster with enough depth to overcome injuries to key contributors, and in the process laid the foundation for a World Series contender.
