Just two years ago, the Dodgers coughed up a huge chunk of change, signing star outfielder Mookie Betts to a 12-year deal worth $365 million.
The Dodgers, two seasons from their World Series win over the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020, looked to be the best team in all of baseball until the games mattered the most. Cruising through the regular season, Los Angeles notched 111 wins, entering October as favorites in the NL. Yet, much like the Mets, the Dodgers offense fell flat when it was needed the most. Failing to drive in runs on a plethora of key opportunities against the Padres, the campaign became as Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman described “an organizational failure.”
If necessary, the Dodgers could possibly shift Betts to second base in order to place the 6-foot-7 power bat, Judge, in his rightful home, the outfield.
New York Yankees
The safest prediction.
After kicking off his career in the Bronx pinstripes, there has to be some sense of sentimental attachment(s) to New York, right? Well… it’s not that clear cut, and for a few reasons.
To begin, the Yankees, for the better half of a decade-plus, have become nothing more than an underwhelming reduction of what history suggests they are. Despite multiple runs at the ALCS along with a few playoffs misses, the Yankees haven’t really put forth a strong run in the postseason. They’ve more so been a copy and paste of opening the season as AL favorites through a strong regular, only to fall flat on their faces when the lights shine the brightest. To put it simply, the Yankees exemplify Clayton Kershaw’s pre-2020 stigma.
New York, which finished 99-63 to lead the AL East, was not able to replicate the dominant first-half success, going 23-31 in July and August. The Yankees proceeded to battle multiple late-season injuries, including one relief pitcher — Aroldis Chapman — who made the injured list due to a tattoo infection, only to never return for October action. Judge, meanwhile, assembled a record-setting run, which was rewarded by a shower of boos from those at Yankee Stadium during his postseason offensive struggles along with a four-game elimination to come short of the World Series, yet again.
It’s worth mentioning that back in April, leaked reports of the Yankees offer to Judge surfaced amid early season contract negotiations.
Perhaps manager Aaron Boone is enough to keep him around?