Dodgers Trade Deadline Plans Show Their Offseason Spending Spree Was A Failure

The Los Angeles Dodgers went on a spending spree in the 2024-2025 offseason. Even after winning the World Series, adding Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year deal, and signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the most expensive contract ever for a Major League Baseball pitcher, the Dodgers kept adding.

They handed out contracts or extensions to Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, Teoscar Hernandez, Kirby Yates, Michael Conforto, Hyesong Kim, Clayton Kershaw, Enrique Hernandez, and Blake Treinen. Nearly $400 million in total spending. 

At the time, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained their spending by saying the team wanted to avoid having to make deals at the trade deadline, since the acquisition cost of talent is significantly higher in July. But with the trade deadline just two weeks away, the Dodgers coming off a recent seven-game losing streak, and with one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball thus far, a new report shows that the team's spending has failed.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 03: Blake Snell reacts during a press conference introducing him as a Los Angeles Dodger at Dodger Stadium on December 03, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Dodgers Demonstrate There's No Way To Buy A World Series

Sure enough, Ken Rosenthal from The Athletic reported Thursday that the Dodgers at the deadline are "expected to pursue bullpen help, according to sources briefed on the team's plans."

That comes after committing $72 million to Tanner Scott, $22 million to Blake Treinen, and $13 million to Kirby Yates. Not to mention the $182 million given out to Blake Snell, and the acquisition of Roki Sasaki. Now they're desperate to trade for pitching, correctly realizing that they don't have the depth or quality to make a deep postseason run as currently constructed.

If anyone ever thought teams could buy their way to a complete roster that makes in-season competition meaningless, this should end it.

Scott has allowed eight home runs and blown a league-high seven saves. His ERA sits at 4.09, after putting up a 1.75 ERA in 2024. Yates has a 3.90 ERA after a 1.17 in 2024. Evan Phillips is out for the year with Tommy John surgery, Michael Kopech has pitched just seven innings and recently went on the 60-day IL, and Treinen is on a rehab assignment, having pitched just eight innings in 2025.

It's not just the fact that the Dodgers rank 24th in bullpen ERA that's concerning; it's that they've been forced to turn to it so often, because of poor starting pitching. 

Snell has barely pitched. Sasaki was ineffective, then got hurt. Dustin May has been inconsistent, Tyler Glasnow's missed most of the season, Kershaw's velocity continues to decline, and while Ohtani has looked dominant since returning to the mound, he's still being stretched out. Making Yamamoto the one constant. 

It all trickles down to bullpen issues, and now LA's backed into a corner. They spent a fortune to build quality and depth, saw injuries and underperformance derail it, and now will be forced to trade prospects to fix their mistakes. Yes, the Dodgers have a sizable division lead, but with the Giants improving and the Padres always wheeling and dealing, the race is far from over. It's just not that easy that to build an unbeatable team, and it's why the games are always worth watching.

Though fans will, of course, forget that if the Dodgers do more spending this coming offseason.