Los Angeles Dodgers are not going anywhere

It is easy to imagine the Los Angeles Dodgers as being at a crossroads. The roster has several key free agents, including Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, and Corey Seager. Trevor Bauer is still a major question mark, his status for 2022 undetermined, and it is questionable as to whether or not the Dodgers would welcome him back anyway.

Those free agents and other assorted question marks are leading to the thought that the Dodgers’ time may have come and gone. The Giants had already broken their eight year stranglehold on the division, and the Padres are determined to return to the postseason. This could leave the Dodgers as this generation’s version of the 1990s Braves – a perennial playoff team with just one championship to show for their run of dominance.

Los Angeles Dodgers are not going anywhere

But this is not close to being the same team. Dodgers ownership has displayed a willingness to spend any amount necessary to ensure that the team continues to chase championships. The one in 2020 was a good start, but it is not enough.

The Dodgers also do not have to spend in order to succeed. They have one of the better farm systems in the game, even after trading Keibert Ruiz and Josiah Gray to bring in Scherzer and Trea Turner. Those prospects will find their way to the majors in short order, allowing the Dodgers to continue to add an infusion of youth to their roster.

As it stands, the Dodgers will need to add at least two arms to the rotation, will look to strengthen their bullpen, and will be in the market for a shortstop. Even if Seager does not return to handle short, there are plenty of excellent options available, which would make it shocking if Los Angeles did not end up landing one of those players.

Then there is the front office. With Andrew Friedman running the show, the Dodgers have become one of the model organizations in the major leagues. They have been able to not only land the stars they needed, but to find those hidden gems on the scrap heap. The Dodgers will be back in 2022, and for a long time to come.

The Los Angeles Dodgers would seem to be at a crossroads. But there is no reason to worry – they are not going anywhere in the near future.