Even though January is early, the baseball offseason already feels more like “the Dodgers won’t let anybody else in the kitchen” season than “hot stove season.”
With the addition of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the most sought-after international player in baseball, Tyler Glasnow, one of the best pitchers available on the trade market, and Shohei Ohtani, the top free agent in baseball, Los Angeles has dominated the news. Most teams would consider the Dodgers’ recent acquisition of outfielder Teoscar Hernandez to be a significant move, but in light of the previously mentioned flurry of activity, Hernandez’s addition seems like a small luxury.
Although it seems like we are merely inhabitants of the Dodgers’ universe, it is useless for the other 29 teams to just lay around and do nothing. In baseball, at least when it comes to winning championships, it is tough to maintain excellence, unlike football or basketball, which place more value on fewer players. One player, even as great as Ohtani, has limitations. The Angels are a prime example of this. The postseason is a minefield, and the season is lengthy. As much as the Dodgers feel inevitable, a lot can happen between now and October in Major League Baseball. The Yankees were the last team to win the pennant twice, which occurred in 2000.
It will take some time to see if the Dodgers can live up to the lofty expectations that will follow them for the next ten years, but one thing is certain: baseball hasn’t seen a team this talented in a long time.
New York Mets fans have been unhealthyly jealous and angry during the Dodgers’ offseason. How do the wealthy simply keep getting wealthier? Why are none of these big names available to the Mets? Is Steve Cohen’s wealth worthless? Mets fans’ irate cries have been crackling through the sports radio airwaves.
As Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War, “Know thy enemy and know thyself.” If the Mets want to reach the Dodgers’ level, there are lessons they can learn to help them get there. Here are three that could help turn frustration to jubilation in the Big Apple.
1) Get creative with contracts
David Stearns, the president of baseball operations for the New York Mets, ran the Brewers and developed a solid reputation throughout the league. With significantly more money at its disposal, Stearns’ baseball acumen should be paired with Steve Cohen’s bank account to create an organization that combines intelligence in scouting quality players with the financial means to sign them.
The Mets lost out on Yamamoto, their top target, to the Dodgers last month, but other than that, they haven’t seemed interested in doling out big money to this year’s free agent class. In the wake of the underwhelming on-field returns of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, this counts as growth, but it’s not like the Mets will sit on the sidelines forever as big names become available.
They can take a cue from the Dodgers to be creative when it comes to contract negotiations. In order to allow the Dodgers to add even more talent in the short term, Ohtani deferred almost the whole amount of his $700 million contract for ten years with no interest added. Can Stearns persuade upcoming celebrities to accept a comparable offer?
Pete Alonso’s contract situation is the most urgent one for the Mets right now. The slugging first baseman’s name has been thrown around as potential trade bait for months, and he will be a free agent after the 2019 season. It’s actually difficult to imagine a scenario in which trading Alonso makes sense. Unlike the Rays or Pirates, who must trade away their stars in order for them to be eligible for a big contract, the Mets are not a small market team. Alonso, who is only 29 years old, is the most dependable power hitter in the league and has been since making his major league debut in 2019. This is true even if the team isn’t betting everything on 2024.
Stearns needs to do whatever it takes to lock up Alonso. Whether it’s deferring money, adding an extra year or two to the deal, or giving Alonso a no-trade clause or a player opt-out, there are many imaginative ways to keep the Polar Bear in New York, and those same creative methods can be used to bring in future stars, too.
2) Create a winning culture
This one might seem apparent because, let’s face it, every team wants to be able to claim a winning culture. But really accomplishing it isn’t that easy.
The Dodgers have been successful in luring elite free agents for a variety of reasons. Playing in a city as glamorous as Los Angeles and having owners with deep pockets and a successful franchise history are important considerations. But don’t undervalue the importance of consistently coming out on top.
The Dodgers haven’t had a losing season since 2010 and haven’t missed the playoffs since 2012. For the past three years, they have won at least 100 games. When they observe that, other players want to join in. One of the best players in the league, Freddie Freeman, passed over going back to the Braves in favor of joining the Dodgers. Much was made of Ohtani and Yamamoto’s courtship as free agents, but in retrospect, it seems inevitable that they would end up in Dodger blue.
Since Andrew Friedman joined L.A. as president of baseball operations prior to the 2015 season, only the Astros can make the claim that they have achieved the same degree of success as the Dodgers. By highlighting the value of the farm system, which has produced homegrown stars like Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Will Smith, Julio Urias, and the now-departed Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, and Joc Pederson, Friedman has transformed the Dodgers into a consistent winner. The Dodgers’ minor league teams concluded the previous season with the best combined record in baseball, indicating that there is still a lot of talent in the system.
The next wave of Mets stars is rapidly approaching, and the team is already attempting to imitate this homegrown mentality. Jett Williams, a first-round selection, appears to be a future star. The Mets also acquired three other prospects who all have the potential to be major contributors in the future by trading Scherzer and Verlander for Luisangel Acuna, Drew Gilbert, and Ryan Clifford.
Long-term success is not guaranteed by giving costly, short-term contracts to aging veterans like Scherzer and Verlander, even though they can fill gaps on a roster that is otherwise competitive. Because the Dodgers already had so much homegrown talent in place, they have emerged as the top destination for free agents. The Mets are headed toward doing the same thing, though it may take some time.
3) Be aggressive in the trade market
The Dodgers’ excellent farm system has not only produced young talent but also provided them with the pieces necessary to pull off blockbuster trades. Among the current Dodgers acquired through trade are Mookie Betts, one of the best players in baseball, Tyler Glasnow, and Chris Taylor.
Friedman hasn’t shied away from developing young players into more reliable players. Although the Mets are getting younger and placing a strong emphasis on player development, David Stearns should not be discouraged from making a move if the right offer comes up.
Big names are always accessible for a fair price, no matter the season. Stearns has to be proactive in his efforts to bring the right players to New York, regardless of whether they come from underachieving teams, teams looking to cut costs, or teams that simply don’t know what they have.
There are impact players who are supposedly available for trade right now. A number of players have been the subject of rumors, including Randy Arozarena of the Rays, Masataka Yoshida of the Red Sox, Jonathan India of the Reds, Corbin Burnes of the Brewers, and Dylan Cease, Luis Robert, and Eloy Jimenez of the White Sox. Each of these players possesses talent worthy of an All-Star.
This is not to say that Stearns ought to pursue any of the names mentioned above. Instead, it’s meant to highlight the possibility of large trades should the Mets ever decide to become assertive. The Mets should adopt a similar approach if they wish to catch up to the Dodgers, who have demonstrated that it can yield significant results.