According to Front Office Sports, just one year after major league teams broke the record by spending $3.7 billion on 140 free agents, the majority of owners favored budgetary prudence above securing eight-figure contracts for unproven players.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were the notable exception, luring two-way stud Shohei Ohtani from Anaheim north and using him to draw in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, another prize from the Japanese majors. A cool $1 billion was spent on the pair, however the majority of Ohtani’s money was postponed.
After undergoing elbow surgery, Ohtani, the two-time MVP of the American League, is unable to pitch this season but is able to focus on hitting. He will play as the Dodgers’ designated hitter after leading the league in home runs with 44. He will be the focal point of a potent lineup that already has Freddie Freeman and former MVP Mookie Betts.
The Dodgers and Braves both had triple-digit winning seasons prior to abruptly and unexpectedly folding in the Division Series. It’s unlikely to occur again for either club.
The Arizona Diamondbacks, a wild-card winner who edged out the Texas Rangers, another wild-card team, in the World Series, will have a difficult time defending the National League pennant. The Fall Classic of this year is more likely to match a pair of division champions.
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