After losing out in the NLDS in 2023, the Los Angeles Dodgers were on a mission this offseason. To many, that was shocking after the Dodgers had won 100 games in the regular season. The Dodgers were arguably one of the busiest teams during the 2023/2024 offseason as they looked to build on their roster. They handed out over a billion dollars in free agency and their roster now looks like a dynasty in the making.

Where were they in 2023?

The Dodgers were picked as the favorite to win the NL West in 2023, that’s ultimately what happened after they won 100 games. It didn’t start out that way, however, after a 16-13 start in May they were four games back of the division on June 18. They started to claw their way back and ended up pulling away in August with a 24-5 record, outpacing the Diamondbacks by 16 games. However, it was those same Diamondbacks who swept them in the NLDS and brought their season to an abrupt end.

Once you dig deeper into the 2023 season, you’ll find that the Dodgers struggled to maintain a healthy pitching staff for most of the season. They had a total of 17 pitches start games for them in 2023. Clayton Kershaw led the staff with 24 starts, Walker Buehler didn’t throw a single pitch and the addition of Noah Syndegaard was lackluster. Through all of their pitching struggles the offense stayed consistent. They finished second in the majors with 906 runs scored and 249 home runs.

Key Additions:

Shohei Ohtani – In reality, there was no better player that the Dodgers could’ve added. The two-way player won’t see the mounf in 2024 but he could provide some offense. Ohtani was by far the best player on the market and the Dodgers were able to pull him away from Anaheim. The deal to get Ohtani set the market with many details coming days after the initial report.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto – The Dodgers didn’t stop after adding Ohtani. They continued to add talent through free agency. After much speculation that Yamamoto would land in either San Francisco or New York, the Dodgers shocked everyone by signing the star Japanese pitcher.

Tyler Glasnow – They wanted to make sure that they’d have some arms they could rely on. That’s part of the reason that they traded for Glasnow. He’s coming off of arguably one of his best years in 2023. So adding the Right-handed pitcher made sense. He’ll likely be placed at the top of the rotation in 2024.

Key Note: All of the above additions were made prior to the new year.

Teoscar Hernandez – They Dodgers felt that they were still one bat away from truly having a championship roster. That is why they signed Teoscar Hernandez, who will likely spend time in right field. The former Silver Slugger saw a dip in production with the Mariners, but still had a good overall year in 2023.

Depth Chart:

Rotation: Yamamoto, Glasnow, Bobby Miller, James Paxton, Gavin Stone, Clayton Kershaw

The Dodgers may not have Buehler to start the 2024 season, as they don’t intend to rush him. Though, he will likely join the back end of the rotation at some point. It’s likely that they’ll go with a six-man rotation in order to stay healthy.

Bullpen: Evan Phillips (CL), Brusdar Graterol (SU), Joe Kelly (SU), Dustin May, Ryan Yarbrough, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen

Lineup: 2B Mookie Betts, 1B Freddie Freeman, DH Ohtani, C Will Smith, 3B Max Muncy, LF Hernandez, CF James Outman, RF Jason Heyward, SS Miguel Rojas

Bench: SS Gavin Lux, UTL Chris Taylor, OF Manuel Margot, C Austin Barnes

Once Lux is ready, he’ll likely take over at SS for the Dodgers in 2024.

Where are they hoping to go?

With as talented of a roster as the Dodgers have heading into 2024, its World Series or bust. They added the impact players that they needed and still have a quality farm system that they could utilize if needed. Overall, this is probably one of the best rosters in all of baseball and they don’t really have any soft spots.

Win Projection: 94-95 Wins

World Series Odds: +320 (Via FanDuel)

Similar, to the Atlanta Braves, the Dodgers need to find success in the playoffs again. That starts and largely ends with the health of their rotation. They spent plenty of resources this offseason in hopes of correcting the problem.

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