The Los Angeles Dodgers just can’t stop making power moves this offseason. They’ve already landed Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki, who took less money to join countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Now they’ve added elite reliever Tanner Scott on a massive four-year deal.
With spring training just weeks away, the Dodgers look absolutely stacked. But could anything actually derail this superteam?
Let’s be real – it would take a perfect storm of problems for the Dodgers to miss the playoffs entirely. Here’s what would need to go wrong:
The Injury Bug Strikes Hard
We’re not talking about normal injuries here. The Dodgers actually led MLB in injured list days last season and still won 98 games. They’d need to lose multiple superstars at the worst possible times – think what happened to the Braves last year when they lost Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr.
Tyler Glasnow and Sasaki both have injury histories that make fans nervous. If they go down along with a couple other key pieces? That could hurt.
Bullpen Meltdowns
On paper, the Dodgers’ relievers look fantastic. Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, Scott, Michael Kopech – it’s a strong group.
But just ask the 2023 Cubs how quickly bullpen stats can lie. Chicago had a top-10 ERA but kept blowing games at the worst moments. They missed the playoffs by six games.
Father Time Catches Up
Here’s a wild stat: The Dodgers will have just one starter under 30 by season’s end – second baseman Hyeseong Kim.
Freddie Freeman is 35. Max Muncy is 34. Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández, and Michael Conforto are all 32. What if age finally catches up to a few of them?
Other Teams Get Hot
Remember 2021 when the Giants came out of nowhere to win 107 games? The Dodgers would need multiple teams to pull off surprises like that while dealing with their own issues.
The expanded playoffs make this really unlikely. Even if the Dodgers slip to second or third in the West, they’d probably still make it.
Here’s the thing – the Dodgers probably aren’t losing sleep over any of this. They’re built to dominate. But baseball’s a funny game, and nothing’s guaranteed. That’s what makes it fun to watch.
For now though? This team looks about as unbeatable as any we’ve seen in recent memory.
