The current MLB champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, have been the dominant team on and off the diamond by signing the best international prospects in recent years, as well as winning the recent World Series.
The Los Angeles pitcher Tyler Glasnow explained the strategy of the management to woo the players to sign for the Dodgers with an impromptu tour of the stadium, a highlight video and a delicious dinner, reported essentiallysports.com.
It’s like a first date, and so far it’s worked for them.
“I think it’s like, let me court you. Basically, I’m asking you out on a date. This is what your life could be like,” Glasnow explained, noting that the team makes sure the prospect knows he’s not just another player.
Glasnow was one of the players who fell under the spell of the Dodgers, having signed with the team for the 2024 season, coming from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Dodgers “woo” their prospects
From the moment they enter the stadium to the lavish meals, it is clear that the Dodgers intend to make a strong impression as it is not just a speech, but a vision of what life could be like for the player with the team.
In addition, the Dodgers make sure the player knows they are serious about development.
“I’m sure teams do presentations like this on how we could improve those kinds of things. We’ve been studying you for a long time,” Glasnow added.
The front office makes sure to tell its prospect that he is not just another player on the roster, but the axis on which the team will be built for the future, so it’s not just about charm, but convincing the player that joining the team is the next logical step to reach his full potential.
In addition to the signing of big names such as Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Kenta Maeda, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and more recently Roki Sasaki, the team has been characterized by the development of young talent such as Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw.
When it comes to courting young international talent like Sasaki, the team takes a strategic approach that focuses on both on-field opportunities and the overall environment they can offer.
By offering Sasaki a spot on the MLB roster, the Dodgers would give him the opportunity to test his skills against the best players in the world. This would be attractive to a young player like Sasaki, who may want to prove himself on the big stage of MLB.
Like many international prospects, Sasaki would be attracted to a team that regularly competes for championships.
After winning the last Autumn Classic, Roki would be given the stage to gain significant exposure on the national and international stage.
In addition, the Dodgers have a history with Japanese-born players, with Ohtani, Maeda and Yamamoto being perfect examples, which could be another factor to attract Sasaki.
Read the full article here
