4 Dodgers offseason mistakes so far, and how to fix them

4) Dodgers offseason mistake: Letting the Padres get better

While the Dodgers were relatively quiet this offseason, the rival San Diego Padres were not. They made a couple of moves the Dodgers should have. Biggest of all was signing Xander Bogaerts. They also wisely brought in Seth Lugo to be a starter/reliever for the pitching staff.

The Padres have gotten immensely better in the last few months. Beginning with the Juan Soto trade last summer, they are a force in the National League playoff picture. They do have some weaknesses. The starting rotation doesn’t have the same depth it did before and the lineup is empty at the bottom.

Nonetheless, it’s no cakewalk to a National League West title. The Padres fixed issues while the Dodgers may have raised a few questions of their own.

The only way to fix this is to go out and prove they are the team to beat in the division. Only the Colorado Rockies haven’t gotten better in the division.

The Dodgers haven’t paid much attention to the Padres nor have they had to in recent years. Manny Machado left Los Angeles in free agency for San Diego. It was the Padres who won the Soto sweepstakes while the Dodgers stayed away and observed.

There could be a changing of the guard in the division this year. For the first time in a while, LA has something more to prove.