The Dodgers have triumphed in the regular season and faltered in the postseason. It has become something of a pattern. They don’t spend money on top free agents, they win 100+ games, and then fail when it matters most. There is a reason why this continues to happen and it lies in the front office’s hands.
In a recent column for The Athletic, former Dodgers beat reporter Andy McCullough discussed New Year’s resolutions for all 30 major league clubs. For the Dodgers, his suggestion was very basic, but full of truth.
Happy 2020 to you. Here are New Year’s resolutions for all 30 baseball teams. I am sorry if some of them are stupid.
Please subscribe to @TheAthletic — it costs less than a gym membership, and you can do sit-ups for free. https://t.co/ymGYNEudCs
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) January 1, 2020
The primary point was:
“Learn from the past.”
For the Dodgers in particular, this should be something to live by going forward. They have not seemed to learn from the past. They lost two World Series and then proceeded to lose to the Washington Nationals in a heartbreaking NLDS Game 5.
Here is the specific excerpt pertaining to the Dodgers:
“Are the Dodgers doomed to suffer through repetition? Thus far, they have done little in response to their stunning, first-round defeat to Washington. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has made few changes to the roster. Manager Dave Roberts has ignored criticism over his tactical decisions. The team appears content to treat October as a fluke, rather than as a reason to change. Perhaps this is wise; Friedman and Roberts have earned the benefit of the doubt. But they risk the team falling victim to a hangover, as the group did to start the 2018 season. The Dodgers still have plenty of time to find some upgrades on the trade market in January, and to do something to show their fans they learned from their latest loss.”
October is a fluke. It really is. However, there are ways to make it less likely to observe a fluke outcome and that is by strengthening the roster at the top. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has said that he expects tremendous roster turnover, but where is it? There is time left before the season and a trade deadline that has yet to be approached, but it would behoove the club to make moves both now and later rather than solely scramble later.
The Dodgers need to strike first and strike hard — learning from their failed past might be the strongest step forward.
NEXT: Assessing NL West Competition
