The MLB champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, have had a good start to the season and are fighting to stay at the top of the National League West, although this weekend’s sweep against their neighbors brought severe consequences.
The Dodgers were swept in the series against the Los Angeles Angels, and two well-known figures are no longer part of the organization’s future.
First, veteran catcher Austin Barnes was designated for assignment, ending an 11-year streak that saw him participate in some of the team’s biggest postseason moments.
Behind him is Chris Taylor, who received the call that no player wants. The ever-reliable utility player played more than 1,000 games with the Dodgers and was in the final year of his four-year, $60 million contract.
Both were champions with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2020 and 2024 World Series.
Dodgers leave sentimentality behind in exchange for wins
The message was clear from management: they are looking for another ring, and sentimentality is not part of the plan, especially when they have the pressure of the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants, who are just one game behind the Dodgers.
As if that were not enough, on Monday they start a series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are only four games behind the Angels
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman broke his silence, pointing out that the whole week was “very emotional”. While he acknowledged the contributions of Barnes and Taylor, he made one thing clear: he does not doubt the decisions made.
Friedman said: “Everything we do is about winning as many games as we can. We have a tough division”.
This statement is a direct reference to the fact that in 2021, although Los Angeles won 106 games, it did not win its division title. However, if anyone thinks this was a plan in the making, Friedman made it clear that it was not.
He mentioned that now, in May, management has more clarity than at the start of the season, and Barnes has posted a WAR of -0.3 in 42 at-bats, while Taylor had a WAR of -0.5 in 35 and those numbers, for a team looking for more rings, are not enough.
Friedman, however, acknowledged that it was a difficult decision for the entire team.
“The decisions were incredibly difficult. We believed it was in the best interest of the Dodgers as we look to win as many games as possible and position ourselves to win the World Series,” Friedman explained.
This decision was made to keep the Dodgers’ hopes of winning the divisional title and repeating in the World Series alive, and these two veterans were simply given the green light to make way for new talent.
With these places available, the star prospect Dalton Rushing arrived, while Hyeseong Kim retained his place on the roster, and more changes could be on the way after the alarm bells have already started ringing.
Maybe the Dodgers need a reset, or maybe they need a wake-up call after being swept at home by the Angels for the first time in the Freeway Series since 2010.
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