Dodgers Spending Spree: Alden Gonzalez on Tanner Scott & more

[@rass23]

JFC finally someone that covers the dodgers and NOT Jim Bowden 😂😂

[@Bigginz85]

What the Dodgers are doing with Japan, may be the most impressive and intelligent thing that any sports franchise has ever done.

[@irvinglambert9316]

I'd say Moneyball or the Detroit Red Wings going after Russian players before anyone else. I recall just about anyone who commented on the Shohei signing mentioning how big it would be for Japan. Credit to the Dogers for capitalizing on their opportunity, but it's more indicative of just how incompetent the Angels are. Had him in the same market, actually took the risk on Shohei, and it worked, and then completely failed to capitalize on it. Dodgers did capitalize and deserve credit there, but this wasn't a crazy risk or 4D chess move.

[@Bigginz85]

@ The Angels getting Shohei isn’t the same imo as what the Dodgers have been doing in Japan, and the Dodgers and Angels are definitely not the same market. The Dodgers have control over the Japanese pipeline for the foreseeable future. That’s because of what the scouting and work they have done for years to land Yoshi and now Roki too so they are solidified as Japans team.

[@docjp3]

Make sure the haters hear you, because I’ve been saying this for a few years when they made it known they were going after Shohei and Yoshi. Not to mention they’ve been following Sasaki for years now.

[@Viiicebry]

Trienen-Kopech-Scott Sheeeeeesh😤

[@josuedelatorre35]

And we’ll probably have Graterol for October too

[@loganwalker8038]

SP 6 man rotation (Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Roki, Ohtani, Gosselin/Miller) just need to go for 5 innings, then Bullpen takes over (6th- Sheehan/Mays, 7th- Trienen, 8th- Kopech, 9th- Scott) 🤭😂😂

[@coastcoast-su9ye]

Don’t forget Henriquez. Has plus stuff, and after getting a cup of coffee last year, who knows what to expect

[@Meetoon733]

As an Angels fan, im glad that Alden got a job following a real team and as a Shohei fan... It's honestly beautiful to see 100% of his strengths on and off the field being taken advantage of. Even though my team sucks, I think the Dodgers are great for baseball. They're doing everything right - other organizations need to catch up to how they operate.

[@ktbeatty]

Doesn’t it blow your mind that Arte had him for so long, at times with Trout still mostly himself, on a bargain deal, and they never got to the playoffs once? Not even wildcard? Looks more and more inexcusable given the massive impact he has had with the Dodgers, off the field especially. Angels have one of the best fan bases is the sport, and they deserve so much better than Arte. Arte who refused to match the Ohtani contract BECAUSE Ohtani wanted 98% of the money deferred. 😳

[@Meetoon733]

@@ktbeatty It really doesn't because it's so obvious what Arte's focus has been since he bought the team. Arte's ego runs everything, it doesn't matter what other people think or what the market thinks. Only what he thinks matters, and he doesn't know shit about baseball.

[@ktbeatty]

@@Meetoon733 You nailed it. Ego. He likes the shiny objects. Pays big only for a big name. He’s the worst kind of owner, as none of them know the sport. David Tepper type. Meanwhile, Mark Walter hires Friedman and gives him 100% authority on all baseball decisions and gets out of his way. That’s what ideal sports owners should do. Hire the best minds in the sport, and let them do what you hired them to do, and give them the resources to do it. You can stroke your ego showing off the big trophies.

[@MichaelBurgum]

@@ktbeattyTrout and Ohtani only played in 46% of the games together that they could have played. They were both hurt a lot. No excuse for not making the playoffs but it was a factor. Arte couldn’t surround them with a sustainable team. It’s very disappointing.

[@ktbeatty]

@@MichaelBurgum No question Trout and Ohtani had injuries that limited their pairing. That’s why I said “at times” when talking Trout. Still, 40% of the time with the two greatest players of the 2010’s should get at least a wild card birth. It’s absurd. Arte flat out wouldn’t listen to his baseball people. He refused to spend unless it was for a star with a big name. Josh Hamilton, Anthony Rendon, etc. I’ll give him Albert Pujols. That didn’t work, but can’t knock swinging for that guy.

[@jag5014]

How can anyone hate on the good guys of baseball? They're wheeling and dealing the way every team should

[@steveandrews6280]

I don't blame anyone for wanting to play with the best ran Baseball Club on Earth.

[@jamesmyrick9083]

I'm a NYY fan. After enduring all the "the Yankees buy their championships" talk during the late 90s and early 00s, I would be a hypocrite if I started crying about what the LAD are doing now. More power to them. I think it's great to have a "villain" in the league and maybe it will result in some owners pocketing less revenue.

[@am3lagrimas410]

It’s hard to be the villain when they got the most likeable players. Like how can you hate on shohei and freeman. And I’m pretty sure the other Japanese players are very respectable individuals.

[@jamesmyrick9083]

​@@am3lagrimas410 I get where you're coming from. The Yanks managed to be disliked with players like Jeter, Rivera, Bernie Williams, Posada, O'Neill, Pettitte, etc. I can see why people wouldn't like Clemens, but he didn't represent the typical Yankee. (I exclude A-Rod only because the NYY weren't winning championships with him, save '09). In my experience, people couldn't really hate on the players so they used the success of the front office and ownerships willingness to spend as a source for villainization.

[@huncho4339]

Greatest take I've seen. Respect man 🫡

[@honeym00nhelly]

Definitely hated growing up hearing “we bought our rings” mainly because our Core 4 was the reason we were winning rings. We had big names but most of them came from our farm system sans A-Rod, Tex, Roger. I can’t hate on the Dodgers considering I live a mile away from Dodger Stadium and my lady is a Doyer fan 😂. BUT I will say the Dodgers franchise is going about business the right way, on top of that their farm system is crazy good. So hats off, hopefully see yall in the WS again.

[@majorhavik395]

Dodger fan here. Terrific comment. I can’t take credit for this take but someone else said it’s like a school getting blamed for someone who gets straight As.

[@JenniferClark24]

The Dodgers have sponsorship agreements with 5 Japanese companies as well which bring in tons of money. They cleared $545 million in total revenue in 2024. They won't have any problems paying the money owed these guys and the Dodgers have long had a good farm system.

[@nikospodcast]

Lets go dodgers!

[@keepitmovin4028]

Dear Haters, The Dodgers have lead attendance in all of baseball year after year! They reinvest in the fans by putting the best possible team on the field. Hold YOUR team owner/organization accountable for not being better.

[@raybrown6165]

I am a Dodger fan almost since birth and that was a long time ago. Going thru the youth leagues I dreamed about playing ball with the Dodgers. If I was good enough I would try to play for the Dodgers. Maybe he followed the Dodgers forever and wanted to play for them. For him with what he is doing he will be "Owned" by the team he signs with for maybe 6 years. So if he had any reservations about making the right decision he should go thru the process just to make sure his emotional decision was the right one. Just sayin!

[@ktbeatty]

Mookie, Shohei, Freddie, Teo, Muncy, Snell, and Glasnow are all in their 30s. You put that group together, as good as they are, you have a limited window. If not now, when would you go all in? It was for this moment that Friedman was so prudent over the past seasons. Now we go.

[@adk7962]

Plus God knows what Friedman is cooking up for next year. When’s Skenes up for free agency again? 🤔

[@Wolf-wc1js]

@@adk7962coincidentally enough, a year after Glasnow’s contract is up and the same year Snell is a free agent again assuming his club option isn’t exercised

[@inazuma7792]

And the crazy thing is, this isn’t even an "all-in" move since the Dodgers' business model is completely sustainable.

[@ktbeatty]

@ That was always Friedman’s goal, and he built a machine that’s been right at the top for over a decade. But, sustainable to a point. Offseason’s like the past two are not sustainable. They were push all chips in, it’s time to cash out. I lost track of how many often the LA Times sportswriters and fans wanted Friedman and Roberts fired the last few years. Friedman especially for not getting every big name on the market.

[@AztecRay]

GMs need to put in that groundwork. Crybabies

[@osant9940]

Dodgers could had 3 out of the 4 World Series they went to in the past decade

[@henrylopez0345]

Let's go dodgers. Nothing is guaranteed, but we believe. Good luck to every team. Great Season ahead. Later MLB story telling fans. Henry

[@cryptobill6188]

Dodgers are monoplizing the best players? Mets signed Juan Soto. Pete Alonzo, Alex Bregman, and others are still available for teams to pick up. Maybe if Bregman says he'll play SS, Dodger will sign him (of course they won't because of Astros 2017), but the point is yes, Dodgers are getting the players they want/need but there have been great players still available for other teams.

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

If we have Kim on short and Mookie on 2nd, with a couple of utility infielders in reserve like Tanks, Miggy Ro, and Kiki, do we really _need_ Bregman? Let's be real, none of our fielders are Gold Gloves except for Mookie and Kiermaier (who is now retired), and the Dodgers still won it all.

[@cryptobill6188]

@@MMuraseofSandvich My bregman post was just a joke - he just fit my argument.

[@mikekatz6024]

Great point AJ other teams need to step up.

[@asamataua]

WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE! BLUE CREW BABY!

[@Publiclighthouse]

Yes Alden is right, “Ever since the Dodgers hit Shohei Ohtani,” the Dodgers have been doing whatever it takes to maximize his time with them. Ohtani wasted 6 years of his prime with the Angels, an organization that NEVER finished with a record better than 81-81 in his time there. I can’t get mad at Ohtani or the Dodgers for wanting more than what the Angels accomplished, even if that means spending more than any other team. Ohtani is a once in a generation player. Let’s not waste that time.

[@rickdeckard9810]

You have Shohei Ohtani to thank for all the signings.

[@mikekatz6024]

Machado said they would never win a championship, two out of 4 entries into the series.

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

Machado says a lot of things.

[@mikekatz6024]

A well-oiled machine.

[@inazuma7792]

Even though his "homework" was simply collecting analyses from other teams, it was still a win-win situation. The other teams at least had the opportunity to gain an advantage over the Dodgers. Moreover, Roki is still only 23 years old and has the potential to secure an even bigger contract than Yamamoto in the future. This is why he desperately needs to join a team that can help him become the best pitcher in MLB. (He can sign Dodgers then. lol )

[@LouisAguado]

You guys forgot to mention the ownership battle in San Diego, cope and seethe haters

[@fandangodrive4310]

Still doesn't guarantee a championship so stop crying

[@honeym00nhelly]

Facts, better odds but facts

[@Publiclighthouse]

Exactly. Games are not won on paper. Teams/players are not just going to stop trying just because the other side has more talent. Oh, and that talent has to stay healthy and still work at it.

[@normlee6566]

I have a suspicion that Friedman and the Dodgers believe there will be a labor stoppage after the CBA expires in 2026 because there will be issues that the owners and players union will clash: including establishing a hard salary cap and a useless salary floor and abolishing deferments. That may be why Friedman has gone against type and is signing multiyear deals spanning all positions. Normally, his areas of savings have been the bullpen and the bench. But he must be calculating that he wants to have as many blue chip players as he can get under the current rules before the rules make it more difficult. All I know is, any proposals that might hinder spending or reduce spending will be vehemently opposed by the players union (and not to mention, their agents). This could be an ugly, drawn out brawl. As far as the sasaki "shadow deal": Once a former GM (who was forced to resign because he was part of an FBI investigation for skimming bonus money from Latin American players) starts spreading unsubstantiated rumors (and continues to do so) based on no evidence but solely on private grumblings from unnamed team executives, then the process is immediately poisoned. And even though MLB found nothing, the bell can't be unrung. Because of that, there will always be those who are convinced the Dodgers did something improper to secure sasaki. If anything, Bowden is the one MLB should be investigating because he won't shut up about it. My take is, Bowden wants to be relevant again. As for Keuchel (who was among the first to go public with this "rumor" he heard) perhaps it was an innocent comment, perhaps he did it for his own reasons. That is simply my take. But we've all experienced and continue to experience misinformation, disinformation, and downright lies because someone has a personal agenda. I suspect that is the case. But that sparked this whole kabuki dance by sasaki's agent to have other teams involved. I strongly believe if no one said a thing, sasaki would have signed with the Dodgers shortly after he was posted and under the 2024 International pool period, and got his $2.7 million, and no one would have said a thing other than, "sasaki already had his mind made up." But because Keuchel and Bowden poisoned the well, sasaki's agent decided to take this pathway in an effort to assure skeptics the process had always been clean. The only way critics would have believed sasaki's agent would be for sasaki to sign with any club OTHER THAN the Dodgers. Those two idiots really created a lot of needless chaos.

[@joshgg88]

The Padres had them? The Padres never had their car.

[@MiguelRodriguez-ry9wg]

We’re just trying to break off 😂🤣LA all day Dodgers 🥶

[@JC-life-is-good]

It looks like Alden's hoody string came off, and he didn't know how to put it back. I understand. 😀

[@CharlieLucky24]

Also aren’t they all handshake deals with the other international players? Don’t they all have to wait and sign on signing day?

[@BANONEGuitar]

Tom Selleck never wore a Dodger hat in Mr. Baseball. He’s a Detroit Tiger fan first of all anyway.

[@Thhhgg838]

Is he in the hall of fame?

[@mikekatz6024]

Their minor league system is top-notch.

[@huijinan5036]

Still less than what the Mets paid for ONE player.

[@大山-c1n]

What if I told you 45 days aren’t enough to decide the next 6 years in another continent? Do you know anything about NPB? No, so same situation as Roki in opposite direction. For people who don’t speak English, it’s tough to follow mlb. Japanese doesn’t know where Chicago or Phillies located, where is ahead as in developments, everything else. Especially for baseball players, they sacrificed their study to play baseball, and all they care about is baseball, throw, and swing. That’s it. We have own economy and 90% on our own. 45 days aren’t even enough to look around everything else besides baseball. How can American understand this simple idea of overseas life difference?

[@maluhiasurfer]

We are watching MLB's design for a Dodgers dynasty! Wake up!

[@mikecabrera9748]

Dodgers got madd lunch money 💰 lol 😂

[@NightmaresMFKR]

Alden is crying

[@CharlieLucky24]

1/8th of their tv deal can pay for the billion plus deferred salary

After 2017, this is well deserved. Go Dodgers! 🦾🦾

[@mikekatz6024]

Their minor league system is top-notch.

[@mikekatz6024]

Their minor league system is top-notch.