The Myth

The Dodgers are consistently called a store bought team, and it’s quite common to see their success brushed off as fake due to their high payroll. While primarily used as an excuse for losing to the Dodgers, it’s also completely unfair, and mostly untrue.

If their payroll is the highest, why is it a myth?

They’re homegrown, cheap signings, and fleeces. The Dodgers aren’t another team just throwing money at players to win, they’re an excellent scouting department, who just so happens to be able to spend 250 million. It’s impossible to talk about the state of baseball in 5 years with certainty, but there’s one thing that’s a guarantee. The LA Dodgers will be a top 5 team.

Infield

Will Smith was drafted by the Dodgers in 2016. One of the best catchers in baseball, and he’s homegrown. Over at 1st is Freddie Freeman. Yes, he was bought. Or Casey Close was. Either way, he was a big ticket free agent the Dodgers signed for an immense amount of money. Moving over to 2nd, where Gavin Lux has put up a stellar season thus far. Lux was, just like Smith, selected by the Dodgers in the 2016 MLB Draft, and homegrown. Next up is the All Star starter, Trea Turner. He was traded along with Max Schrezer for a package including Keibert Ruiz and Josiah Gray. Not home grown? Yes. Bought? No. At 3rd base, we get one of the biggest small free agent success stories: Justin Turner. In February of 2014, the Dodgers signed him to a minor league contract. A man with a 32.5 fWAR over 9 years. And they got that 32.5 fWAR for a minor league deal. Only 14 players have a higher fWAR in that time frame. Oh, and he has the same wRC+ as Mookie Betts. The MVP winner Mookie Betts, who, just a reminder, was also not bought.

Outfield

That Betts has been talked about enough though, and it’s very clearly not a player who the Dodgers just threw money at. We’ll move on to the rest of the outfield. In center is former MVP Cody Bellinger. He was selected in the 2013 MLB Draft by the Dodgers. He’s homegrown. Out in left is another major Dodgers success story. Chris Taylor. The Mariners barely used CT3, but he did have a 73 OPS+, and that led Mariners GM Jerry DiPoto to trade him for just about nothing. He’s played almost 700 games for LA now, with a 115 wRC+ and 16.7 fWAR. Again, not home grown, but not bought. 1 position player was bought. 1.

Starting Pitchers

How about the pitchers? Well, narrative ball folk and Dodger haters ought to look away, because it gets better. Clayton Kershaw, also known as one of the greatest pitchers of all time, was drafted by the Dodgers. He should have won 6 consecutive Cy Youngs. And he won the 2014 MVP. Can’t forget the Triple Crown either. And he’s homegrown. Tony Gonsolin, the MLB ERA leader, was selected in the 2016 MLB Draft. Once again, homegrown. 2021 MLB win leader Julio Urias was signed on his 16th birthday by the Dodgers. Urias too is homegrown. Tyler Anderson has been very good this year for the Dodgers, who has just been frankly not good in previous years. Just as CT3 and Justin Turner weren’t good before joining the Dodgers, Tyler Anderson became excellent after joining the team. Andrew Heaney, though in a much smaller sample size, has done the same. Walker Buehler, who made the 2021 All-MLB First Team, was selected in the 2015 MLB Draft. Forgive me if I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but Walker Buehler is also homegrown.

Relievers

Now let’s look at the guys in the pen. The Twins traded Brusdar Graterol along with the 66th pick in the 2020 MLB Draft and Luke Raley for Kenta Maeda. Graterol has been an important reliever this year, pitching in 37 games to a 3.35 ERA, with a 2.70 xERA, and .5 fWAR. Graterol also was not bought. The Dodgers top reliever, 8x All Star, Craig Kimbrel, was acquired in April, in exchange for AJ Pollock. Kimbrel has been solid for the Dodgers this season, and is yet another example of a good trade for the Dodgers, and not a bought player. Another cheap trade acquisition, Alex Vesia, has been good for the Dodgers, pitching to a 2.53 ERA and .7 fWAR over 67.2 IP. And he was traded for Dylan Floro. He’s struggled this year, but Phil Bickford was a great acquisition last year after he was DFA’d by the Brewers. Not a CT3 or Anderson level add, but getting a 2.5 ERA out of a player the Brewers didn’t even think they could trade shouldn’t be overlooked. Once again, not bought. I’ve saved my favorite reliever for last. Evan Phillips. He has a 1.59 ERA this year and .8 fWAR. The Dodgers claimed him off waivers after he was DFA’d by the Rays. Also, not bought.

Conclusion

This isn’t the same story as the Yankees signing all the best free agents. It’s scouting. The Dodgers aren’t a baseball team. They’re a group of formerly underrated players, assembled by the team of geniuses in the Dodgers Front Office. The Dodgers aren’t a team who went out and signed the biggest names. It’s an excuse for losing to the smartest team in baseball. The Dodgers understand that you don’t succeed from signing big names. You might win for a season or two, but the team doesn’t truly succeed. The Dodgers haven’t won more than 90 games every year since 2013 by signing the biggest names, they’ve won by expert scouting, trading for no name players who become stars, and picking up unknown players for cheap, and turning them into stars. It’s Moneyball, but they can afford to re-sign the players. If they keep this up, Andrew Friedman may find his way into Cooperstown. They’ve got money, the best front office, a top 3 team, and a top 5 farm. The Dodgers aren’t going away anytime soon.