Post by Commissioner Erick on Apr 24, 2021 18:47:48 GMT -5
After a few small market or low-payroll champions, the Dodgers are the first big-market World Series winner since the Nationals won the crown in 2021.
While earlier entries in this series showed teams that grew heavily out of one main aspect—whether it be lucking into a talented core, trading for top-prospects and developing them, or trading for stars to supplement a decent core—the Dodgers may be the most balanced. Ben Vincent was defaulted into some strong players, but big free agent deals, trades for top talent, and high draft picks all played a major role in their ascent to the crown.
Players
Defaulted into
Clayton Kershaw (resigned to 1-year $1.9 million contract in 2025)
Kenley Jansen (resigned to 4-year $37 million contract in 2024. $9.5 million in 2025 season)
Alex Verdugo (resigned to 7-year $138 million contract in 2025. $15 million in 2025 season)
Willie Calhoun ($11.1 million arbitration contract in 2025 season)
Osiris Ramirez ($2.2 million arbitration contract in 2025 season)
Keibert Ruiz ($1.8 million arbitration contract in 2025 season)
The Dodgers were defaulted into some talented players, both at the big league level as well as in the minors. Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen aged into extremely bit players during the Dodgers’ playoff run, but the team developed a host of prospects into talented stars that helped win a championship
Alex Verdugo was paid only $15 million this season, a year after earning a 2024 All-Star berth. The Dodgers properly developed him and gave him a reasonable contract that allowed them to manage having other expensive players. Verdugo produced a.348 playoff average in 2025.
The Dodgers have also been able to get production from Willie Calhoun, who is still on an arbitration contract. Calhoun has been a steady bat since his first full year in the majors, and turned in a career year with 47 home runs last year. Hitters who hit close to .300 and almost 50 home runs get at least $22 million on the open market, but the Dodgers have Calhoun for half of that.
Osiris Ramirez has been a strong reliever for years and has been a bullpen weapon, while Keibert kept the chains moving as a decent Catcher.
None of the players the Dodgers defaulted into were superstars in 2025, but all but Kershaw and Jansen had pretty significant roles. Los Angeles was able to fill a few relief spots and a third of its starting lineup by properly developing and valuing the talent it had on hand.
Draft Picks
J.B. Bukauskas (2017, 1st Round Pick, 27th Overall)
Matt Trask (2017, 8th Round Pick, 235th Overall)
Ismael Robles (2020, Supplemental Pick, 40th Overall)
Bobby Spong (2023, 2nd Round Pick ,69th Overall)
The Dodgers haven’t had premium draft picks over the years, but have filled out their roster with solid selections in the late-first to second round range.
J.B. Bukauskas took awhile to develop, but always had excellent minor league numbers wherever he played. He’s always been homer prone, but with good enough stuff and command to mitigate the homers and become a useful back-end starter. Injuries have forced him to play more than Ben Vincent would like, but Bukauskas has gone 27-12 the past two years, and his work in the Wild Card Game ensured that the Dodgers wouldn’t be a one-and-done team.
Matt Trask had a wonderful 2024, but was terrible in 2025 giving up 21 homers in 70.2 innings. If he can limit the homers next year, he’ll be fine as a swingman option—which is fine considering he was a positive player in 2024 as a former eighth-round pick.
Ismael Robels has pitched three years in the majors with a good season sandwiched between two excellent ones. Armed with a devastating slider that he’s learned to control, Robles has morphed into one of the best relievers in the game, and was a steal of a Supplemental Round selection.
Sponge Bob may be merely a reliever, but with a slider that drops off the surface and under the sea, he’s made a name for himself in his first season in the league as a big time arm that collects strikeouts and limits homers. His slider gives him a trajectory that could rival Ismael Robles’, which is terrific for a second-round selection.
The Dodgers have used their financial muscle to collect stars for position players, using the draft to get high-upside relief arms and depth starters. Considering their ability to identify target on the free agent and trade market, using the draft to collect assets that would be overvalued in free agency has paid off. The Dodgers have used the draft for relief arms, but not just to build bullpen depth. Robles and Spong have big time potential to take over ninth-innings. Robles did that all throughout the team’s title run and Spong can follow along a similar path.
International Amatuers
Luis Ceja (4/19/19)
Ceja was discovered by the Dodgers in 2019 and immediately looked like one of the best prospects in the game. OSA rated him its number 18 prospect prior to the 2020 season. He started out in A-Ball as a 20-year-old in 2023, making it to Triple-A in 2024. He went 12-4 for Double-A Tulsa this year before getting called up and largely shelled down the stretch.
Ceja wasn’t much use to the Dodgers this year, and their veteran contingent of arms was good enough to keep him from being needed. As Ceja develops though, there’s a potential frontline starter there though, and one obtained for free due to Los Angeles’ terrific scouting efforts.
Free Agency
David Robertson (1/29/21—2-year, $19.5 million contract. 3-year $11.4 million extension prior to 2023. $3.8 million in 2025)
Corey Kluber (1/1/22—5-year, $122 million contract. $24 million in 2025)
Fidel Mejia (12/23/22—Minor League contract with $10K signing bonus. Minimum Contract in 2025)
Alex Bregman (2/3/23—6-year, $138 million contract. $30.4 million in 2025)
Austin Hedges (12/19/23—5 year, $53.5 million contract. $8 million in 2025)
Seiya Suzuki (1/2/24—5 year, $76.8 million contract. $16.7 million in 2025)
Steven Matz (12/13/24—6-year $92 million contract. $15.5 million in 2025)
Jonathan Oquendo (2/2/25—Minor League contract)
A handful of Free Agent decisions the Dodgers made pre-date Ben Vincent, and the success rate isn’t perfect. However, the Dodgers have tended to get appropriate value for the contracts given out, getting useful starters for $10-20 million dollars, and stars for more than that.
Corey Kluber pre-dates Ben Vincent, and wasn’t healthy for Los Angeles’ postseason run, but he’s absolutely been worth the money spent on him when healthy, winning the Cy Young Award in 2022 and turning in an 18-6 campaign in 2024. He may not be a star when he returns from elbow surgery next year, but he’ll be in the final year of his deal and can take on a lesser role.
Alex Bregman was the biggest signing Vincent made, and it’s no surprise that the Dodgers made the World Series both years he’s been healthy. Bregman was sensational in an injury-shortened 2023, spectacular in a 7.5 WAR 2024, and put up a merely .303 average with 26 homers in 2025. Bregman’s also been a stellar defensive player, doing it all for the Dodgers.
Steven Matz and Seiya Suzuki haven’t been as good as Kluber and Bregman, but they’re paid less. Matz didn’t have the best regular season, but bad luck paid a part of some his 4-14 record. He went 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in a stellar playoff run to make up for the regular season. Suzuki had the opposite issue where he struggled this postseason, but hit 38 homers and 37 doubles as a valuable regular season slugger.
Austin Hedges followed up a strong 2024 with an awful 2025 that saw him benched for Ruiz. At only $8 million though, the Dodgers were fine absorbing him as a backup Catcher.
David Robertson as signed to a big contract for a reliever prior to 2021, then resigned to a more manageable extension prior to 2023. He’s been worth every penny though, as one of the game’s best relievers his entire career. He’s allowed just one run in 15.2 career playoff innings for the Dodgers and has a career 1.82 playoff ERA.
Fidel Mejia and Jonathan Oquendo were deep roster depth and didn’t have major roles on the team. Fidel Mejia played 54 games as a replacement level middle infielder, but only cost the Dodgers a minimum contract and $10K back in 2022.
The main takeaway from the signings has been the Dodgers’ ability to properly value and afford different tiers of players. They’ve spent big money on stars that have played like stars, spent less on strong role players and inconsistent arms that have provided value, and had mixed results with a potential starter signed to a relatively cheap contract. The Dodgers play in a market that allows them to sign multiple superstars to superstar contracts, and to shell out money to strong role players. However, unlike some other big-market teams, the Dodgers have made the right bets on the right players.
Trades
Nomar Mazara (6/5/18—Traded from the Rangers along with Juremi Profar and Michael Matuella for Corey Seager and Yasiel Puig)
Simon Muzziotti (12/26/19—Traded from the Phillies along with Rafael Marchan for Andrew Toles)
Jeren Kendall (11/30/22—Traded from the Marlins for Dale Messina and Jayden Howell)
Eduardo Rodriguez
Amin Valdez (12/8/22—Traded from the Braves for Grayson Rodriguez and Rafael Marchan)
Luis Urias (12/28/23—Traded from the Padres for Tetsuo Yamada and John Thacker)
Eric Groves (11/18/24—Traded by the Marlins for a 1st Round Pick [Jeff Alexander])
Joey Wentz (4/14/25—Traded by the Phillies for Juan Herrera and a 15th Round Pick [Trent Zion]
The biggest trade the Dodgers made was in the early days of the PBA when Troy Allenbagh shipped out 2017 Batting Champ Corey Seager, and 2017 All-Star Yasiel Puig in the middle of 2018 for Nomar Mazara. Seager fell apart defensively almost immediately, his bat eroded after 2019, and he just retired with a career where more than half of his career WAR came in 2017. Puig had a miserable 2018, was a part-timer in 2019, spent two seasons in the Japanese minor leagues and then retired after spending 2022 without a team. On the other hand, Mazara has been a four-time All-Star, a two-time Platinum Stick winner, and one of the most depending producers in baseball. The Dodgers traded two players who would fall apart for a superstar, and it’s paid dividends for half a decade.
The Dodgers traded away Andrew Toles for Rafael Marchan and Simon Muzziotti in 2019, and in hindsight, should have held on to Toles as he would have stellar seasons in 2022 and 2023.
Ben Vincent came over from Miami after the 2022 season and immediately traded for his first draft pick, Jeren Kendall. Kendall has continued his career as a Hall-of-Fame caliber defender, and an erratic, but powerful offensive player. Kendall’s running game slowed down this year, but he had a career high with 28 home runs. Defensively, his talent, combined with Dodger Stadium’s spacious outfield, has made LA one of the toughest places for opponents to hit.
Vincent then dealt Grayson Rodriguez and Rafael Marchan to the Braves for Eduardo Rodriguez and Amin Valdez. Rodriguez is a live arm, while Marchan is a nice backup Catcher. However, Eduardo Rodriguez has been one of the best pitchers in the league with the Dodgers, even though he missed Los Angeles’ playoff run with a torn rotator cuff. Meanwhile, Amin Valdez has gotten better and better offensively with each passing month, and he just concluded a postseason where he hit .385 with four homers and six doubles. The Dodgers not only got the star veteran in the deal, they also got a prospect who has grown into a star and kept the team from needing to spend a lot of money to acquire a Shortstop.
The Dodgers corrected a mistake in 2023 by swapping out Tetsuo Yamada for Luis Urias. Yamada was a disappointment in Los Angeles and spent most of this past year in El Paso. Urias took a step back this year after a stellar 2024, but was still a solid 2.1 WAR performer. The Dodgers took on an extra $5 million in the deal, and to depart with Scruffy Thacker, who looks like a good future arm. However, the Dodgers filled a Second Base need and jettisoned dead money.
Los Angeles needed bullpen help, and instead of trying to find one on the market, traded their first rounder in 2024 for Eric Groves. Groves was someone Vincent knew from his Miami days, and his instincts on the lefty were correct. Groves struck out 113 in just 66.1 innings this year, while putting up a 1.59 postseason ERA. The Marlins didn’t sign the player they got with the 37th overall pick, and while those picks sometimes turn into , they also sometimes turn into Pat Cypert, they also sometimes turn into Chase Goldwater. A talented reliever who may become a closer isn’t the worst outcome for a late first round pick.
The most recent Dodgers trade may have been the move that pushed them over the top. Joey Wentz floundered in Philadelphia and was cast out of Philadelphia’s rotation. The Dodgers needed an arm and brought him aboard. They especially needed an ace once Corey Kluber and Eduardo Rodriguez went down. Wentz stepped up and produced 4.3 WAR for the Dodgers, went 3-0 in the playoffs, and went from being a castoff to a rotation anchor on a minimum contract. Juan Herrera could be a starting Catcher one day, but Wentz was the missing ingredient that turned the Dodgers into a World Series Champion.
The moves the Dodgers made showed a team that identified special talent, and was willing to move major assets to acquire it. Dale Messina and Jayden Howell may turn out to be special players for Miami. That first round pick the Marlins got for Eric Groves may turn out to be something. Corey Seager and Yasiel Puig hit their 20th percentile outcomes and could have been stars for Texas. However, the Dodgers identified special players who could have helped them and made sure to acquire them. They also knew when to move on from dead money, and take on risky contracts that could still be useful. As with their Free Agent Signings, the Dodgers have done a great job at scouting and identifying talent and knowing exactly how those players could work in their ecosystem.
Rule V
Logan Allen (2020)
Mike Serrano (2024)
Logan Allen was picked for free from the Padres prior to the 2020 season. He went 12-0 with 1.6 WAR that year, and his produced at least 2.0 WAR every season for the Dodgers after. Allen keeps the ball in the park and doesn’t beat himself. He didn’t have the best postseason, but struck out more than a batter an inning while having solid walk and home run numbers to help the Dodgers make the playoffs in the regular season.
Mike Serrano was injured for the playoffs, which was fortunate as he allowed 19 homers in 71 innings. Nonetheless, Serrano is a lefty with a big curveball who produced 1.1 WAR as a rookie in 2024. If he can hang the curve less frequently, there’s a late-inning reliever there, acquired for free.
Staff
Scouting Director: Michael Hill
Assistant GM: Kevin Towers
The Dodgers deserve a lot of credit for their scouting work and Hill and Towers are front-and-center there. Hill was Vincent’s original Assistant General Manager in Miami and helped identify Jeren Kendall as foundational draft pick, while identifying talent for an eventual playoff team despite horrendous ownership and budgetary restrictions. Hill was brought over by Troy Allenbagh to run the Dodgers’ scouting department in 2021, and when Ben Vincent took over, was able to renew the relationship. Hill has an excellent eye and has been responsible for being a major help in Free Agency.
Towers also has scouting experience, working as Houston’s scouting director during 2018 and 2019, where they won 204 games. He was an assistant GM in San Francisco in 2017, helping manage their 113-win team, and has been with the Dodgers since 2021. He’s helped with his scouting acumen in being another eye in player evaluation.
Pitching Coach: Doug Henry
Doug Henry deserves a ton of credit for handling a staff that’s been beset by injuries the past few seasons. He helped develop the A’s into a strong rotation and has done the same with the Dodgers. While the Dodgers’ veterans haven’t needed much coaching, Henry has helped bring a very young relief core along, developing it into one of the best in the game. He’s also worked well with the back of the Dodgers rotation, getting the most out of arms like Bukauskas.
Hitting Coach: Rick Schu
Schu’s championship ring is his second in three seasons. After helping develop the Twins’ bats into a championship unit, he was signed to be the hitting coach of the Dodgers in 2024. A big proponent of power, he’s helped Willie Calhoun, Nomar Mazara, Amin Valdez, and Jeren Kendall take big leaps, while facilitating Seiya Suzuki’s adjustment to major league pitching. He notably, also hasn’t gotten his team to sell out for power. Maara, Calhoun, and Alex Bregman also hit for high averages. Schu now has a track record of maximizing power production with two very different types of rosters.
Trainer: Sincere Knoten
After serving as the Trainer for some terrible Red Sox teams earlier in the decade, Knoten has been the trainer for the Dodgers since 2022. Since then, Corey Kluber suffered a terribly timed hamstring strain before last postseason and tore his elbow and missed this postseason. Eduardo Rodriguez tore his rotator cuff this year. Julio Urias had a career-ending torn labrum last year. Mike Serrano tore his elbow this year. Alex Verdugo missed part of the playoffs last year with a bad back. Alex Bregman’s 2023 injuries were likely the main difference in the Dodgers missing the playoffs.
The position players have largely been healthy, which is important for a team with limited depth, but Knoten has not done a great job with a number of key players suffering their worst injuries of their career under his watch.
Bench Coach: Arnie Beyeler
Beyeler and Vincent have a long history, with Beyeler being the bench coach for the Marlins club that made the playoffs in 2022. Beyeler’s had a good relationship with many of the Dodgers most inconsistent players, helping them stay fresh and confident for the postseason. He has a bad relationship with Joey Wentz, but that largely resulted in a tough-love approach that Wentz needed to succeed. With a great bullpen, Beyeler’s quick trigger on starters paid off well, and his desire to not pinch hit paid off with a team with a shallow bench and a stellar starting nine. Beyeler also won two titles for the New Orleans Baby Cakes in Miami’s Triple-A system, and success has found him in his career.
Summary: After looking at how the roster was constructed, the main takeaway is how the Dodgers have correctly scouted and evaluated talent over the years. Their free agent deals have been appropriate, they’ve gotten the better end of trades, they’ve picked the right depth pieces in the draft and have also known which relievers to scoop up early. They’ve gotten useful players in the Rule V draft, and known when to acquire a risky contract to get out from under a bad one. Ben Vincent has also been someone who will hire the most well-regarded personnel, and will work with people he’s had success with in the past. It’s been a masterful job, culminating in two trips to the World Series and a championship.
While earlier entries in this series showed teams that grew heavily out of one main aspect—whether it be lucking into a talented core, trading for top-prospects and developing them, or trading for stars to supplement a decent core—the Dodgers may be the most balanced. Ben Vincent was defaulted into some strong players, but big free agent deals, trades for top talent, and high draft picks all played a major role in their ascent to the crown.
Players
Defaulted into
Clayton Kershaw (resigned to 1-year $1.9 million contract in 2025)
Kenley Jansen (resigned to 4-year $37 million contract in 2024. $9.5 million in 2025 season)
Alex Verdugo (resigned to 7-year $138 million contract in 2025. $15 million in 2025 season)
Willie Calhoun ($11.1 million arbitration contract in 2025 season)
Osiris Ramirez ($2.2 million arbitration contract in 2025 season)
Keibert Ruiz ($1.8 million arbitration contract in 2025 season)
The Dodgers were defaulted into some talented players, both at the big league level as well as in the minors. Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen aged into extremely bit players during the Dodgers’ playoff run, but the team developed a host of prospects into talented stars that helped win a championship
Alex Verdugo was paid only $15 million this season, a year after earning a 2024 All-Star berth. The Dodgers properly developed him and gave him a reasonable contract that allowed them to manage having other expensive players. Verdugo produced a.348 playoff average in 2025.
The Dodgers have also been able to get production from Willie Calhoun, who is still on an arbitration contract. Calhoun has been a steady bat since his first full year in the majors, and turned in a career year with 47 home runs last year. Hitters who hit close to .300 and almost 50 home runs get at least $22 million on the open market, but the Dodgers have Calhoun for half of that.
Osiris Ramirez has been a strong reliever for years and has been a bullpen weapon, while Keibert kept the chains moving as a decent Catcher.
None of the players the Dodgers defaulted into were superstars in 2025, but all but Kershaw and Jansen had pretty significant roles. Los Angeles was able to fill a few relief spots and a third of its starting lineup by properly developing and valuing the talent it had on hand.
Draft Picks
J.B. Bukauskas (2017, 1st Round Pick, 27th Overall)
Matt Trask (2017, 8th Round Pick, 235th Overall)
Ismael Robles (2020, Supplemental Pick, 40th Overall)
Bobby Spong (2023, 2nd Round Pick ,69th Overall)
The Dodgers haven’t had premium draft picks over the years, but have filled out their roster with solid selections in the late-first to second round range.
J.B. Bukauskas took awhile to develop, but always had excellent minor league numbers wherever he played. He’s always been homer prone, but with good enough stuff and command to mitigate the homers and become a useful back-end starter. Injuries have forced him to play more than Ben Vincent would like, but Bukauskas has gone 27-12 the past two years, and his work in the Wild Card Game ensured that the Dodgers wouldn’t be a one-and-done team.
Matt Trask had a wonderful 2024, but was terrible in 2025 giving up 21 homers in 70.2 innings. If he can limit the homers next year, he’ll be fine as a swingman option—which is fine considering he was a positive player in 2024 as a former eighth-round pick.
Ismael Robels has pitched three years in the majors with a good season sandwiched between two excellent ones. Armed with a devastating slider that he’s learned to control, Robles has morphed into one of the best relievers in the game, and was a steal of a Supplemental Round selection.
Sponge Bob may be merely a reliever, but with a slider that drops off the surface and under the sea, he’s made a name for himself in his first season in the league as a big time arm that collects strikeouts and limits homers. His slider gives him a trajectory that could rival Ismael Robles’, which is terrific for a second-round selection.
The Dodgers have used their financial muscle to collect stars for position players, using the draft to get high-upside relief arms and depth starters. Considering their ability to identify target on the free agent and trade market, using the draft to collect assets that would be overvalued in free agency has paid off. The Dodgers have used the draft for relief arms, but not just to build bullpen depth. Robles and Spong have big time potential to take over ninth-innings. Robles did that all throughout the team’s title run and Spong can follow along a similar path.
International Amatuers
Luis Ceja (4/19/19)
Ceja was discovered by the Dodgers in 2019 and immediately looked like one of the best prospects in the game. OSA rated him its number 18 prospect prior to the 2020 season. He started out in A-Ball as a 20-year-old in 2023, making it to Triple-A in 2024. He went 12-4 for Double-A Tulsa this year before getting called up and largely shelled down the stretch.
Ceja wasn’t much use to the Dodgers this year, and their veteran contingent of arms was good enough to keep him from being needed. As Ceja develops though, there’s a potential frontline starter there though, and one obtained for free due to Los Angeles’ terrific scouting efforts.
Free Agency
David Robertson (1/29/21—2-year, $19.5 million contract. 3-year $11.4 million extension prior to 2023. $3.8 million in 2025)
Corey Kluber (1/1/22—5-year, $122 million contract. $24 million in 2025)
Fidel Mejia (12/23/22—Minor League contract with $10K signing bonus. Minimum Contract in 2025)
Alex Bregman (2/3/23—6-year, $138 million contract. $30.4 million in 2025)
Austin Hedges (12/19/23—5 year, $53.5 million contract. $8 million in 2025)
Seiya Suzuki (1/2/24—5 year, $76.8 million contract. $16.7 million in 2025)
Steven Matz (12/13/24—6-year $92 million contract. $15.5 million in 2025)
Jonathan Oquendo (2/2/25—Minor League contract)
A handful of Free Agent decisions the Dodgers made pre-date Ben Vincent, and the success rate isn’t perfect. However, the Dodgers have tended to get appropriate value for the contracts given out, getting useful starters for $10-20 million dollars, and stars for more than that.
Corey Kluber pre-dates Ben Vincent, and wasn’t healthy for Los Angeles’ postseason run, but he’s absolutely been worth the money spent on him when healthy, winning the Cy Young Award in 2022 and turning in an 18-6 campaign in 2024. He may not be a star when he returns from elbow surgery next year, but he’ll be in the final year of his deal and can take on a lesser role.
Alex Bregman was the biggest signing Vincent made, and it’s no surprise that the Dodgers made the World Series both years he’s been healthy. Bregman was sensational in an injury-shortened 2023, spectacular in a 7.5 WAR 2024, and put up a merely .303 average with 26 homers in 2025. Bregman’s also been a stellar defensive player, doing it all for the Dodgers.
Steven Matz and Seiya Suzuki haven’t been as good as Kluber and Bregman, but they’re paid less. Matz didn’t have the best regular season, but bad luck paid a part of some his 4-14 record. He went 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in a stellar playoff run to make up for the regular season. Suzuki had the opposite issue where he struggled this postseason, but hit 38 homers and 37 doubles as a valuable regular season slugger.
Austin Hedges followed up a strong 2024 with an awful 2025 that saw him benched for Ruiz. At only $8 million though, the Dodgers were fine absorbing him as a backup Catcher.
David Robertson as signed to a big contract for a reliever prior to 2021, then resigned to a more manageable extension prior to 2023. He’s been worth every penny though, as one of the game’s best relievers his entire career. He’s allowed just one run in 15.2 career playoff innings for the Dodgers and has a career 1.82 playoff ERA.
Fidel Mejia and Jonathan Oquendo were deep roster depth and didn’t have major roles on the team. Fidel Mejia played 54 games as a replacement level middle infielder, but only cost the Dodgers a minimum contract and $10K back in 2022.
The main takeaway from the signings has been the Dodgers’ ability to properly value and afford different tiers of players. They’ve spent big money on stars that have played like stars, spent less on strong role players and inconsistent arms that have provided value, and had mixed results with a potential starter signed to a relatively cheap contract. The Dodgers play in a market that allows them to sign multiple superstars to superstar contracts, and to shell out money to strong role players. However, unlike some other big-market teams, the Dodgers have made the right bets on the right players.
Trades
Nomar Mazara (6/5/18—Traded from the Rangers along with Juremi Profar and Michael Matuella for Corey Seager and Yasiel Puig)
Simon Muzziotti (12/26/19—Traded from the Phillies along with Rafael Marchan for Andrew Toles)
Jeren Kendall (11/30/22—Traded from the Marlins for Dale Messina and Jayden Howell)
Eduardo Rodriguez
Amin Valdez (12/8/22—Traded from the Braves for Grayson Rodriguez and Rafael Marchan)
Luis Urias (12/28/23—Traded from the Padres for Tetsuo Yamada and John Thacker)
Eric Groves (11/18/24—Traded by the Marlins for a 1st Round Pick [Jeff Alexander])
Joey Wentz (4/14/25—Traded by the Phillies for Juan Herrera and a 15th Round Pick [Trent Zion]
The biggest trade the Dodgers made was in the early days of the PBA when Troy Allenbagh shipped out 2017 Batting Champ Corey Seager, and 2017 All-Star Yasiel Puig in the middle of 2018 for Nomar Mazara. Seager fell apart defensively almost immediately, his bat eroded after 2019, and he just retired with a career where more than half of his career WAR came in 2017. Puig had a miserable 2018, was a part-timer in 2019, spent two seasons in the Japanese minor leagues and then retired after spending 2022 without a team. On the other hand, Mazara has been a four-time All-Star, a two-time Platinum Stick winner, and one of the most depending producers in baseball. The Dodgers traded two players who would fall apart for a superstar, and it’s paid dividends for half a decade.
The Dodgers traded away Andrew Toles for Rafael Marchan and Simon Muzziotti in 2019, and in hindsight, should have held on to Toles as he would have stellar seasons in 2022 and 2023.
Ben Vincent came over from Miami after the 2022 season and immediately traded for his first draft pick, Jeren Kendall. Kendall has continued his career as a Hall-of-Fame caliber defender, and an erratic, but powerful offensive player. Kendall’s running game slowed down this year, but he had a career high with 28 home runs. Defensively, his talent, combined with Dodger Stadium’s spacious outfield, has made LA one of the toughest places for opponents to hit.
Vincent then dealt Grayson Rodriguez and Rafael Marchan to the Braves for Eduardo Rodriguez and Amin Valdez. Rodriguez is a live arm, while Marchan is a nice backup Catcher. However, Eduardo Rodriguez has been one of the best pitchers in the league with the Dodgers, even though he missed Los Angeles’ playoff run with a torn rotator cuff. Meanwhile, Amin Valdez has gotten better and better offensively with each passing month, and he just concluded a postseason where he hit .385 with four homers and six doubles. The Dodgers not only got the star veteran in the deal, they also got a prospect who has grown into a star and kept the team from needing to spend a lot of money to acquire a Shortstop.
The Dodgers corrected a mistake in 2023 by swapping out Tetsuo Yamada for Luis Urias. Yamada was a disappointment in Los Angeles and spent most of this past year in El Paso. Urias took a step back this year after a stellar 2024, but was still a solid 2.1 WAR performer. The Dodgers took on an extra $5 million in the deal, and to depart with Scruffy Thacker, who looks like a good future arm. However, the Dodgers filled a Second Base need and jettisoned dead money.
Los Angeles needed bullpen help, and instead of trying to find one on the market, traded their first rounder in 2024 for Eric Groves. Groves was someone Vincent knew from his Miami days, and his instincts on the lefty were correct. Groves struck out 113 in just 66.1 innings this year, while putting up a 1.59 postseason ERA. The Marlins didn’t sign the player they got with the 37th overall pick, and while those picks sometimes turn into , they also sometimes turn into Pat Cypert, they also sometimes turn into Chase Goldwater. A talented reliever who may become a closer isn’t the worst outcome for a late first round pick.
The most recent Dodgers trade may have been the move that pushed them over the top. Joey Wentz floundered in Philadelphia and was cast out of Philadelphia’s rotation. The Dodgers needed an arm and brought him aboard. They especially needed an ace once Corey Kluber and Eduardo Rodriguez went down. Wentz stepped up and produced 4.3 WAR for the Dodgers, went 3-0 in the playoffs, and went from being a castoff to a rotation anchor on a minimum contract. Juan Herrera could be a starting Catcher one day, but Wentz was the missing ingredient that turned the Dodgers into a World Series Champion.
The moves the Dodgers made showed a team that identified special talent, and was willing to move major assets to acquire it. Dale Messina and Jayden Howell may turn out to be special players for Miami. That first round pick the Marlins got for Eric Groves may turn out to be something. Corey Seager and Yasiel Puig hit their 20th percentile outcomes and could have been stars for Texas. However, the Dodgers identified special players who could have helped them and made sure to acquire them. They also knew when to move on from dead money, and take on risky contracts that could still be useful. As with their Free Agent Signings, the Dodgers have done a great job at scouting and identifying talent and knowing exactly how those players could work in their ecosystem.
Rule V
Logan Allen (2020)
Mike Serrano (2024)
Logan Allen was picked for free from the Padres prior to the 2020 season. He went 12-0 with 1.6 WAR that year, and his produced at least 2.0 WAR every season for the Dodgers after. Allen keeps the ball in the park and doesn’t beat himself. He didn’t have the best postseason, but struck out more than a batter an inning while having solid walk and home run numbers to help the Dodgers make the playoffs in the regular season.
Mike Serrano was injured for the playoffs, which was fortunate as he allowed 19 homers in 71 innings. Nonetheless, Serrano is a lefty with a big curveball who produced 1.1 WAR as a rookie in 2024. If he can hang the curve less frequently, there’s a late-inning reliever there, acquired for free.
Staff
Scouting Director: Michael Hill
Assistant GM: Kevin Towers
The Dodgers deserve a lot of credit for their scouting work and Hill and Towers are front-and-center there. Hill was Vincent’s original Assistant General Manager in Miami and helped identify Jeren Kendall as foundational draft pick, while identifying talent for an eventual playoff team despite horrendous ownership and budgetary restrictions. Hill was brought over by Troy Allenbagh to run the Dodgers’ scouting department in 2021, and when Ben Vincent took over, was able to renew the relationship. Hill has an excellent eye and has been responsible for being a major help in Free Agency.
Towers also has scouting experience, working as Houston’s scouting director during 2018 and 2019, where they won 204 games. He was an assistant GM in San Francisco in 2017, helping manage their 113-win team, and has been with the Dodgers since 2021. He’s helped with his scouting acumen in being another eye in player evaluation.
Pitching Coach: Doug Henry
Doug Henry deserves a ton of credit for handling a staff that’s been beset by injuries the past few seasons. He helped develop the A’s into a strong rotation and has done the same with the Dodgers. While the Dodgers’ veterans haven’t needed much coaching, Henry has helped bring a very young relief core along, developing it into one of the best in the game. He’s also worked well with the back of the Dodgers rotation, getting the most out of arms like Bukauskas.
Hitting Coach: Rick Schu
Schu’s championship ring is his second in three seasons. After helping develop the Twins’ bats into a championship unit, he was signed to be the hitting coach of the Dodgers in 2024. A big proponent of power, he’s helped Willie Calhoun, Nomar Mazara, Amin Valdez, and Jeren Kendall take big leaps, while facilitating Seiya Suzuki’s adjustment to major league pitching. He notably, also hasn’t gotten his team to sell out for power. Maara, Calhoun, and Alex Bregman also hit for high averages. Schu now has a track record of maximizing power production with two very different types of rosters.
Trainer: Sincere Knoten
After serving as the Trainer for some terrible Red Sox teams earlier in the decade, Knoten has been the trainer for the Dodgers since 2022. Since then, Corey Kluber suffered a terribly timed hamstring strain before last postseason and tore his elbow and missed this postseason. Eduardo Rodriguez tore his rotator cuff this year. Julio Urias had a career-ending torn labrum last year. Mike Serrano tore his elbow this year. Alex Verdugo missed part of the playoffs last year with a bad back. Alex Bregman’s 2023 injuries were likely the main difference in the Dodgers missing the playoffs.
The position players have largely been healthy, which is important for a team with limited depth, but Knoten has not done a great job with a number of key players suffering their worst injuries of their career under his watch.
Bench Coach: Arnie Beyeler
Beyeler and Vincent have a long history, with Beyeler being the bench coach for the Marlins club that made the playoffs in 2022. Beyeler’s had a good relationship with many of the Dodgers most inconsistent players, helping them stay fresh and confident for the postseason. He has a bad relationship with Joey Wentz, but that largely resulted in a tough-love approach that Wentz needed to succeed. With a great bullpen, Beyeler’s quick trigger on starters paid off well, and his desire to not pinch hit paid off with a team with a shallow bench and a stellar starting nine. Beyeler also won two titles for the New Orleans Baby Cakes in Miami’s Triple-A system, and success has found him in his career.
Summary: After looking at how the roster was constructed, the main takeaway is how the Dodgers have correctly scouted and evaluated talent over the years. Their free agent deals have been appropriate, they’ve gotten the better end of trades, they’ve picked the right depth pieces in the draft and have also known which relievers to scoop up early. They’ve gotten useful players in the Rule V draft, and known when to acquire a risky contract to get out from under a bad one. Ben Vincent has also been someone who will hire the most well-regarded personnel, and will work with people he’s had success with in the past. It’s been a masterful job, culminating in two trips to the World Series and a championship.