With GM meetings underway, Dodgers set their sights on key players

GM Meetings are starting up today, and the Dodgers will be plenty busy—at least, they should be. What’s on the agenda? Shohei Ohtani, of course, and starting pitching, obviously.

But the Dodgers are also expected to cross international borders in their search for another World Series win, writes Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. The team has spent considerable resources to scout Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga, right-handed Japanese pitchers who are expected to enter the MLB circus this year.

Each of their decisions will have ripple effects. Spending big bucks on Ohtani will tie up funding for other players, and the longstanding goal of landing Nolan Arenado could also affect lineup decisions. One thing has already been confirmed—Max Muncy re-upped with L.A., making another third baseman (likely) a redundancy.

Links

• Everyone is talking about Ohtani, and for good reason. But there are plenty of other free agents worth noticing, and fellow Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki is one of them. Jack Harris and Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times wrote about the Dodgers’ extensive scouting of Sasaki and how he might fit into their 2024 plans.
• Muncy spoke with Foul Territory about his decision to sign an extension with the Dodgers, saying that the team helped him reignite his love of the game when he first joined in 2018.
• Several Dodgers (and old friends) made Fox Sports’ list of top 30 batter and pitcher free agents at Fox Sports, including JD Martinez, Justin Turner, Jason Heyward, and Clayton Kershaw.