The MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville were relatively quiet for the Los Angeles Dodgers, as their lone transaction was re-signing Jason Heyward to a contract for the 2024 season.
Heyward and the Dodgers reportedly came to terms at the end of November, but the deal was not made official until the final day of the 2023 Winter Meetings. Re-signing Heyward brought the Dodgers’ 40-man roster full, which is of note moving forward.
Both leading up to and throughout the Winter Meetings, the Dodgers have been mentioned in Shohei Ohtani rumors, the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes, and more speculation involving potential signings and trades.
Despite not making a splash during the Winter Meetings, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the team gathered valuable information that will ultimately pay dividends moving forward, per Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
“I think we’re leaving Nashville with a lot more clarity on a number of fronts,” Friedman said. “The difference between that and getting a deal done isn’t that big. I just think it’s more timing. It just so happened to play out where it didn’t get to that point in these three days. But I think a lot will come from the work done over these three days, not just us but across the game.”
The Winter Meetings were relatively flat for the sport as a whole. The largest contract handed out during the days spent at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center was Craig Kimbrel signing a one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles that includes a $13 million team option for 2025.
Kimbrel is due to receive a $12 million salary next year but is guaranteed a minimum of $13 million from the Orioles due to a $1 million buyout if the team option is declined.
Dodgers reveal meeting with Shohei Ohtani
Meanwhile, the biggest news involving the Dodgers was manager Dave Roberts revealing the team met with Ohtani at Dodger Stadium last weekend.
Roberts became the first team official to speak on the record about an Ohtani meeting, which has been considered against rules set forth by Nez Balelo of Creative Artists Agency.
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