Dodgers Conclude Winter Meetings Without Making Any Moves and it’s Okay

The 2018 MLB Winter Meetings concluded today with the Rule 5 Draft, and unsurprisingly, the Dodgers were very quiet in Miami.

Perhaps to the displeasure of many Dodger fans, Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi did not make any moves that generated headlines across the MLB. In fact, the Dodgers didn’t make any moves at all outside of selecting a minor leaguer in the Rule 5 draft (Angelo Mora). To say the Winter Meetings were disappointing for the Dodgers is an understatement.

The front office let Giancarlo Stanton slip passed their hands because of financial reason, and also let key free agent Brandon Morrow sign with their biggest contenders for the NL Pennant (Cubs). They also missed out on trading for Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich in what was the most pathetic performance by a front office (Marlins) I’ve seen in a long time.

Ultimately, we all knew the Dodgers wouldn’t be intensely involved in key free agents. Most of our writers were preaching patience on the market. Afterall, being one win away from a World Championship generally means you have a pretty good team, so improvements are hard to come by.

But at the end of it all, it’s difficult not to be disappointed with the lack of urgency the front office showed. Being hesitant in the free agent market makes sense. There weren’t many free agents available that proposed a clear upgrade to the current roster the Dodgers have. What I take more issues with are the trades that went down.

More from Dodgers Way

• Are the Dodgers really prepared to hand Shohei Ohtani a blank check?
• Dodgers fans shouldn’t dismiss interest in Dansby Swanson for this reason
• Giants laughably sign pitcher that Dodgers absolutely own
• Dave Roberts’ quote about Padres in NLDS should motivate Dodgers
• Dodgers might find their next Tyler Anderson with this free agent target

Big names were being shopped around. Starting with Stanton, Ozuna, Kinsler, and others who weren’t moved like Machado and Donaldson. The Dodgers were never fully engaged in for any of these players. I thought that if the Dodgers would improve their roster, it had to be by way of a trade. They have so much depth at the major league level and have too much talent not to be involved in trades surrounding All-Star caliber players.

Nonetheless, we’re at the end of the Winter Meetings, and the Dodgers did not get any better. They lost a significant part of their bullpen last season and failed to replace him. The front office now has to find an in-house replacement to pitch the 8th inning and bridge the ball to Jansen. Friedman said the return of Yimi Garcia lessens the blow of losing Morrow, but that also doesn’t account that Morrow strengthens the Cubs bullpen.

Garcia is a great arm talent but has yet to put together a healthy season. I suppose the same could be said about Morrow as last season was the best of his career, but nobody can deny that Morrow has closing potential. We’ll see what happens; the front office found diamonds in the rough the past two seasons to be their setup man with Joe Blanton and Morrow. Let’s hope they find another arm that shortens the game.

In the end, I don’t consider the Dodgers as the biggest losers leaving Miami. They didn’t make themselves better, but they still have a stockpiled farm system and versatile MLB club. It’s easy to sit back an criticize the front office for not making the flashy moves. But at times Dodger fans forget that we have two of the best minds in baseball running the ship for the Dodgers.

Practicing a little patience can be very hard at times, especially when you still have the taste of game 7 defeat in your mouth. As frustrating as it may be, you got to remember this ownership has made moves that have made the Dodgers competitive for the last five seasons. Just because the final game didn’t go in LA’s favor doesn’t mean you should change the style of how you got there.

Next: Dodgers Have Their Eye on 2018 Offseason

The conclusion of the Winter Meetings means that we’re one day closer to pitchers and catchers reporting. 60 days to be exact. That means there’s still time for the front office to make some moves. Being in the heat of the moment pressured to make deals doesn’t always provide the best ROI (return on investment). I still believe in this front office.