The Los Angeles Dodgers know they have a good roster. Manager Dave Roberts reiterated that when he addressed the club on Wednesday before the first official workout of Spring Training.
But the personnel changes within the clubhouse have already brought a different feel to camp.
Freddie Freeman has noticed more cars in the parking lot at Camelback Ranch and doesn't mind the extra attention because of who they are there to see.
“We notice it, but I think it’s more of that’s a good thing. That means good things happened this offseason for the Dodgers. We got the guy we’re going to be talking about, our great-grandchildren are going to be talking about. Just like we talked about Babe Ruth, we’re going to be talking about Shohei. It’s just an exciting time for the Dodgers, for us. Yes, it’s not (about) winning the offseason. We’ve got to go out there and play and we know that.”
The acquisitions of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and others don't erase the disappointing ending last season but they do help write the next chapter.
“It doesn’t matter who you lose to or how you lose — losing in the playoffs, that’s not our goal. We have one goal every year and that’s to win the World Series. And that’s just who we are. I think more of the sting was we got swept, that makes it sting even more. But that was last year, and we’ve got to put that behind us.”
While the fans have their eyes on the Dodgers, the Dodgers have their eyes on a World Series title, and the trip there begins now.
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