Dodgers GM cracks the door wide open for team to pursue Juan Soto

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series with half their starting rotation hurt and Freddie Freeman operating at half-speed for the majority of the playoffs. It's hard to fathom any team surpassing the raw firepower on the Dodgers roster in the foreseeable future. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freeman are all MVP candidates any given year, and the Dodgers could have a couple Cy Young threats once next season rolls around.

That said, after dropping more than $1 billion in guaranteed contracts last winter, the Dodgers really don't need to run up the bill again in 2025. That won't necessarily stop the front office from doing exactly that, however. Los Angeles surely realizes the unique position it occupies in the MLB's competitive landscape, not to mention their standing as a global brand. With Ohtani on the roster, the Dodgers are a guaranteed contender each season and, more than that, the Dodgers are a guaranteed money-maker. That eases any uncertainty tied to exorbitant expenditures.

The latest rumors connect Los Angeles to upcoming free agent Juan Soto, whose contract could creep toward Ohtani's historic $700 million high-water mark. That would be... disastrous? Not for the Dodgers, but for the rest of the MLB. Why even play the games at that point? The Dodgers certainly aren't favorites, but the Dodgers were never really viewed as favorites to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2024, and now here we are. All it takes is a boatload of cash, a well-timed phone call from Ohtani, and the living proof of a World Series title. The Dodgers can absolutely make this a thing.

GM Brandon Gomes does appear to be setting the table for a major addition in the outfield.

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Dodgers move Mookie Betts to infield, prop door open for Juan Soto signing

The Dodgers plan to toggle Mookie Betts between shortstop and second base next season, depending on team need. On the surface, that reads as a rather grim omen for Gavin Lux. Beyond that, however, it opens up right field, which happens to be Juan Soto's primary position. It's way too early to outright connect the Betts position change to Soto — it will take weeks for Soto's next deal to cross the finish line — but it sure does seem like an indicator of Los Angeles' priorities.

By moving Betts to the infield, the Dodgers open the door for an impact addition in the outfield. If it's not Soto, it could end up being a number of other flashy bats. Anthony Santander. Tyler O'Neill. Luis Robert. These are names that can get Dodgers fans out of bed in the morning, not the mention the seemingly inevitable re-signing of Teoscar Hernandez.

If this does end with Soto defecting to the opposite side of the World Series line, it's difficult to imagine the Dodgers not winning the next World Series. And perhaps several of 'em in a row after that. Baseball is often defined by its parity, especially in October, but the Dodgers are rapidly approaching juggernaut status, in line with some of baseball's great dynasties. Starting games with Ohtani-Soto-Freeman-Betts would simply be unfair. That isn't a code to crack. It's a buzzsaw that will devour all pitchers in its path.

With all due respect to the Dodgers fandom, we should all hope this doesn't happen. Soto ought to at least keep it interesting. I'm not saying he needs to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays, but there's a certain level of respect he would lose by jumping on the Dodgers bandwagon. I don't make the rules. Just ask Kevin Durant.