Analysts say that the reason why the Los Angeles Dodgers did not open their wallets this offseason is the preparatory work to catch Shohei Ohtani in the free agent market at the end of this year.

The Dodgers spent only $44.5 million on free agent contracts from November to the 3rd of last year (Korean time). They signed internal free agent Clayton Kershaw for $20 million per year and signed Noah Syndergaard ($13 million per year), JD Martinez ($10 million per year), and Shelby Miller ($1.5 million per year) as external free agents. only

On the other hand, all of the main free agents such as Trey Turner, Justin Turner, Chris Martin, Tyler Anderson, and Andrew Heaney were ignored. It is surprisingly accepted for the Dodgers, the strongest team in the National League West Division and aiming to win the World Series.

This interpretation is due to two reasons. It is necessary to save money now in order to compete with other ‘wealth clubs’ for Ohtani, whose ransom has soared to more than $500 million. Another is that if the luxury tax is imposed this year as well as in 2021 and last year, no matter how wealthy the Dodgers are, they cannot help but worry about their finances. If the luxury tax is paid every year, a high progressive rate is applied.

However, this year, the Dodgers will not be able to avoid the luxury tax if they maintain their current roster. The expected payroll is $245 million, $12 million above the luxury tax standard of $233 million. It exceeded the amount the Dodgers estimated after the end of last season.

Because of Trevor Bauer. The Independent Arbitration Board reduced the 324-game suspension imposed on Bauer by the Major League Baseball last month for “sexual assault” to 194 games. Accordingly, the Dodgers must pay Bauer $22.5 million of his annual salary of $32 million this year. It was an amount that could have been saved if the 324 game suspension was maintained.

However, Dodgers President Andrew Friedman told the LA Times, “Our relationship with Bauer is completely over. I feel relieved.” I will do my best,” he said.

However, it is a statement that contradicts the move of not hiring any internal free agents except for Kershaw and being passive about recruiting Justin Verlander.

he LA Times reported, “Before Bauer’s reinstatement, experts predicted that the Dodgers could lower this year’s payroll below the luxury tax to re-sign Julio Urias next winter and sign Ohtani. But now they are forced to pay the luxury tax again this year. It is predicted that the future use of the club’s finances may be limited.

But Friedman said, “There’s a push and pull between the pressure we can spend money to get better and the strategic need to go passive without sacrificing. Is the body tax reset really important? It doesn’t, but there are advantages.” Explained. 메이저사이트

In the end, he emphasized that since he did not spend money this year, he could spend it next year. As the LA Times mentioned, the Dodgers are considered the club that will most aggressively approach Ohtani after this season. And we also have to catch Yurias, who gets FA qualification.

Urias is the top ace in the major leagues. After posting 20 wins and an average ERA of 2.96 in 2021, last year he marked 17 wins and 7 losses and an average ERA of 2.16, and ranked third in the Cy Young Young. The Dodgers will return next year with Walker Buehler, who is taking an elbow surgery and taking off the entire season, but Kershaw’s future is unstable and Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May are yet to be tested.