3 moves Dodgers can still make after Shohei Ohtani to complete dream offseason

The Los Angeles Dodgers actually did it: they signed Shohei Ohtani. It'll cost them $700 million over an as-yet uncertain number of years beyond the 10 dictated by his contract, but they put an end to everyone's misery by pulling off the biggest signing of the offseason, featuring one of the most special players in baseball history. With that being said: what comes next? From an on-field perspective, Ohtani fulfills the Dodgers' need for a good DH, but the other part of his services won't be available until 2025 at the earliest.

Rotation help, upgrades in the both the infield and outfield — there's still a lot of work to be done for the Dodgers to become a complete juggernaut in 2024. Despite the record-breaking nature of Ohtani's contract, it seems like they're quite not done spending either. They have already put themselves in a position where they seem even more like postseason, even World Series inevitabilities than they did before, which should give them all but their choice of available free agents if they're willing to figure out the right terms. After pulling off an historic feat, here are three more moves the Dodgers can make to complete a dream offseason.

Snatch another huge free agent off the market by signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The Dodgers pulled off a feat by signing Ohtani, but it shouldn't make them complacent or feel like their offseason work is close to done. The rotation still needs help and Ohtani won't be able to provide it until 2025 — and, even then, he might not be ready by Opening Day that year. Bobby Miller stepped up and did good work for LA this year, but Walker Buehler's status by Opening Day in 2024 is unknown. Ryan Pepiot, Emmet Sheehan, and Gavin Stone only got 30-60 innings at the major league level this year, and Clayton Kershaw (if he returns) will optimistically be able to give the team only a half-season.

That's where Yoshinobu Yamamoto comes in. Yamamoto would give the Dodgers an immediate ace in Buehler's absence, while he gets reacquainted with starting after Tommy John, and maybe even well into Buehler's return. In his free agency, Yamamoto has been connected to even more teams than Ohtani, with even the Detroit Tigers alluding to a willingness to spend exorbitantly for Japan's best pitcher. The Dodgers have seemingly been on Yamamoto's list for a while now and, despite locking into paying Ohtani $700 million for the foreseeable future, they still seem in on Yamamoto.

If that's true, they're still facing heavy competition from some East Coast teams. While getting Ohtani is likely a huge plus for the Dodgers in Yamamoto's eyes, they might need to lay it on even thicker if they want to swipe him away from the Mets.