'Embrace the idea that people are coming after us' -- Dodgers welcoming the hype
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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Over the last few months, the Dodgers have dominated just about every headline in the baseball world.
It all started when the Dodgers finally landed Shohei Ohtani in free agency, signing the two-time American League Most Valuable Player to a record 10-year, $700 million deal. A few days later, the Dodgers secured another top-of-the-rotation starter via trade in Tyler Glasnow.
Even after acquiring two of the best players at their respective positions, the Dodgers weren’t done. They signed Japanese phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million deal -- the most guaranteed dollars ever given to a pitcher -- one million more than 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole.
With all those moves, the attention around the Dodgers grew even more. If you’re a Dodgers fan, the offseason was a dream come true. If you’re a fan of the other 29 teams, watching the Dodgers spend over a billion dollars was a nightmare. Either way, the Dodgers were at the forefront of just about all baseball discourse this winter.
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On Wednesday, it was the first time the entire Dodgers roster took the practice field together. The first day of full squad workouts usually brings a buzz, marking the official start of the baseball season. But in ‘24, that buzz reached new heights. That’ll be a common theme with just about everything the Dodgers do this season.
“I think it was obviously fun to get everyone together and I think it was more of the mindset of appreciating the fact that we have a talented roster,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who addressed the group before Wednesday’s workout. “But it’s up to us to play good baseball, get better each day, and embrace the idea that people are coming after us.”
Through a week of camp, the added attention has been noticeable at every turn. Instead of less than a dozen reporters attending each workout, there have been more than 80 at different points. There are a lot more cameras, especially when Yamamoto and Ohtani are doing something on the field.
The latest example of the craziness around Dodgers camp happened on Wednesday. On one field, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith -- three All-Stars last season and two of the finalists for NL MVP -- were hitting on field two. But once the fans realized Ohtani was hitting on field one, people sprinted to watch him take BP. The cameras followed.
“When we drive in, there’s about 30 people outside our parking lot,” Freeman laughed. “That wasn’t there my last couple years. Yeah, we notice it. But I think it’s more of, that’s a good thing. That means good things happened this offseason for the Dodgers. We’ve got some, probably the guy we’re going to be talking to our great grandchildren about. Just like we talk about Babe Ruth, we’re going to talk about Shohei.”
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While the added attention and the bullseye the Dodgers will have on them all season long will take some getting used to throughout the season, others are viewing it as an opportunity. It’s a chance for players to show an added audience, particularly in Japan, what they can do on the field.
“I have no idea,” Betts said, when asked if players will need an adjustment period. “I’m really just here and I’m gonna enjoy it. I’m going to enjoy each and every moment I get to play this game and no matter who I’m playing next to, they’re my brother. I’m just gonna enjoy however long I have left.”
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More than ever before, there are more elements that could be distractions to a team. That’s why Roberts challenged the team during the meeting to take their work to another level. As Betts referenced, every game against the Dodgers this season will be the other team’s World Series. It’s what comes with the territory.
“I think that anyone that is associated with baseball, sports, understands the magnitude of Shohei being a Dodger and the impact that it has on this entire organization,” Roberts said. “I think we all understand.”
But in the end, all that will matter is how many wins the Dodgers pile up. Wednesday was the first day of them fully understanding the task at hand.
“I think this team is going to be really good on paper, but we still need to go out there and execute,” said Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas. “You can win as many games as you want during the regular season, but if you don’t win games in the postseason, it’s a failure.”