Andrew Friedman's humblebrag about free agency cements Dodgers status as top destination

Exactly half of the Dodgers' 2026 26-man roster comprises All-Stars. Some are better than others, of course — Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Kyle Tucker, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are on a different planet than Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen — but that's an astounding number. Not that we needed any more evidence, but the Dodgers are the team in baseball.

So much so that, according to Andrew Friedman, players have been trying to pitch themselves to the team. He said in a recent Dodger Talk interview with David Vassegh: "We've had agents reach out and say, 'Hey, I know you haven't called, but our player would really like to play there.'"

That's not a norm in MLB free agency. Sure, agents are making and fielding calls to gauge interest, but if some of them have direct instructions to make sure the Dodgers are a firm 'no' before moving on? That says everything about how LA has become the premier destination in baseball.

Gone are the days when everyone grew up wanting to wear pinstripes. They're more focused on Dodger blue now.

Andrew Friedman says Dodgers are fielding calls from agents asking if they have interest in their free agents

From a free agent's perspective, there is nothing to dislike about the Dodgers. The rings, the stars, the amenities, the winning culture. The Dodgers are the prettiest squad at the party; it makes sense that they would have to turn players down instead of the other way around.

And, not only do the Dodgers have a massive overflow of talent and superstars all across the roster, they also have a good reputation for taking care of their players. We've heard some hints at this previously; veteran players especially are well taken care of in LA. They might've kept Chris Taylor as long as they did so he could try to reach a 10-year service time benchmark that would earn him a lifetime pension. (They ended up cutting him before he could get there, but no one will blame them for that). They also kept Austin Barnes until they absolutely couldn't anymore.

Free agents seem to be converging on the same idea: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em," which leaves the Dodgers in an absolutely singular position. Other teams are having to make their pitches to players, but the Dodgers have a line going out the door.