With The Blake Snell Signing, The Dodgers Look Unstoppable For Years To Come

In Rocky IV, Ivan Drago seemed unstoppable. He had just killed Apollo Creed and seemed more man than machine. It took the greatest movie character ever in Rocky Balboa to go deep into the Russian hinterlands just to stand a chance. 

With the Dodgers winning a World Series and then getting ace pitcher Blake Snell (all in a 4 week period), they seem like Drago right now. To paraphrase failed Celtics head coach Rick Pitino: "I don't see Rocky walking through that door. And if he did, he's be old and gray".

The Dodgers may have positioned themselves to be unstoppable. So what does that mean for the rest of us?

The last time I can remember a World Series winning team upgrading itself this much was when the 1998 Yankees (fresh off winning 114 games) added the 1997 and 1998 Cy Young winner Roger Clemens. But even that came at a cost. They had to deal 18 game winner David Wells (and pretty good role players Graeme Lloyd and Homer Bush) to get him. The Dodgers just got Snell for nothing. Don't forget that Shohei Ohtani, who has a career 3.01 ERA, can pitch for them next year.

I look at this Dodger rotation and last year was clearly the worst they should be for some time. Keep in mind that not only did they add Snell, they are the clear favorite for Roki Sasaki. Sasaki, who is only 23, is said to be one of, if not the, most talented arm in baseball already. This is no sure lock as money won't influence this decision. Sasaki, because he is so young, will have to sign a minor league deal and be under club control for 6 years (similar to when Ohtani came to the U.S. and signed with the Angels). It's believed that because the Dodgers are so good and have Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it would be a perfect landing spot for a Japanese pitcher. But, this is no sure thing and teams like the Padres have a Japanese idol of their own in Yu Darvish. It's the simple idea that they could get Sasaki that should be terrifying.

Look at this rotation they have for next year:

SP: Blake Snell (5-3, 3.12 ERA in 20 GS)

SP: Tyler Glasnow (9-6, 3.49 ERA in 22 GS)

SP: Shohei Ohtani (10-5, 3.14 in 23 GS in 2023)

SP: Yoshinobu Yomomato (7-2, 3.00 in 18 GS)

That front four is terrifying but with a weak link of durability. They made a total of only 61 starts last year. Now, that's somewhat unfair as Ohtani didn't pitch and Snell had a late start because he signed so late. But I think with all four being fairly fragile pitchers, it's safe to assume that you can't count on those four for more than a 100 total starts next year. Anything more than that would be a bonus. So can the rest of baseball beat them in the 62 other games?

Don't count on it.

They even have a very solid choice of guys for that 5th spot.

Landon Knack (3-5, 3.65 ERA in 12 GS)

Clayton Kershaw (2-2, 4.50 ERA in 7 GS) *Kershaw is technically a free agent but has said he'll only pitch for the Dodgers

Dustin May (4-1, 2.63 ERA in 9 GS in 2023) 

Tony Gonsolin (8-5, 4.98 ERA in 20 GS in 2023)

May and Gonsolin both missed last year with injuries but this is exactly the kind of guys you want for that last pitching spot. You could strike gold with May. Kershaw is like a less durable Greg Maddux when he was with the Dodgers. He's a shadow of his former self but still good enough to give a competent start when he goes out there.

And of course, Roki Sasaki looms in the shadows. 

Of course, the offense is still incredible with Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Ohtani, Will Smith and they just extended Tommy Edman four additional years. It's also December 1st and you know they aren't done yet.

So, can any other team compete? The Phillies have the most complete roster outside of the Dodgers but are only getting older. The Mets supposedly have all this money but I think they might need to sign Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, Corbin Burnes AND Sean Manaea? They might need to do that to keep up with the Dodgers. The Padres and Diamondbacks both have really good rosters but are easily a step back compared to the champs.

Anything can happen in a playoff series but the American League is much weaker. Even if the Yankees re-sign Soto, they are bringing back the same roster that just got smoked in the World Series. The Orioles, Rangers, Mariners and Astros have so much work to do.

It's still so early in the off-season and I want to have so much hope for the Mets but the Dodgers keep stomping on these dreams with each passing day. Oh, and those Yankees that got Roger Clemens just went on to win the 1999 World Series. And the 2000 World Series.

It's never going to happen but imagine if the Dodgers got Soto?

That's never going to happen, right