The Dodgers have been the talk of the MLB Winter Meetings over the past 24 hours after reportedly agreeing to several transactions that see CF Matt Kemp go to the Padres and 2B Dee Gordon and P Dan Haren go to the Marlins, while acquiring SS Jimmy Rollins, 2B Howie Kendrick, P Brandon McCarthy and C Yasmani Grandal. The L.A. Times’ Bill Shaikin writes, “To say the Dodgers are a better team today than yesterday would be premature. To say they are a more exciting team would be inarguable, not on the field, necessarily, but in the front office” (L.A. TIMES, 12/11). SI’s Jim Jaffe writes under the header, “New front office puts its stamp on Dodgers with flurry of acquisitions” (SI.com, 12/11).
ESPN’s Aaron Boone said, “With the old regime, they were accumulating talent. … Now you’re seeing [President of Baseball Operations] Andrew Friedman, one of the smartest guys in the game, start to shape this into a real team. Now you’re seeing what he values, and that’s defense.” ESPN’s Jim Bowden: “They improved the clubhouse a lot, too” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 12/10).
