Dodgers' Off-Season "Superteam" Strategy Unraveling
The Troubles of the Curse-Stricken Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers kicked off the 2025 season as the league's whipping boys, and it seems the world is conspiring against them. After a dominant World Series victory, they suspected they'd be the ones setting the standards, not scrapping from the bottom.
First off, their offseason shopping spree. Two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, Teoscar Hernandez after his career-best season, Kirby Yates, Michael Conforto, and Roki Sasaki fresh from Japan - they had the stars. Not to forget Tanner Scott, a seasoned reliever with an electrical fastball, making him the cherry on top of this heavyweight lineup.
Fast forward to the end of May, the Dodgers are in the throes of a storm. Snell has pitched only nine innings this season, due to a lingering shoulder injury, yet to start a throwing program. Yates, boasting a 1.17 ERA in Texas last season, is struggling with a 4.34 in LA and is currently nursing a pulled hamstring.
Roki Sasaki's story is no different; his velocity has dwindled, his strikeout power fading, and he's now out with a shoulder injury. Blake Treinen, after his postseason heroics, has only pitched eight innings and is out with a forearm injury, weeks away from a comeback at best.
Michael Conforto, who was 12% better than the league average offensively in 2024, has been below par, posting a 21% drop in 2025. Even after a home run in Cleveland, his stats read .172/.312/.287. The lowest batting average with runners in scoring position in the entire league? You guessed it - Conforto.
Tanner Scott, with a 1.75 ERA in 2024, has already blown five saves out of 15 attempts in 2025, with his strikeout rate plummeting to a career low.
The injuries and underperformance don't end here. Evan Phillips, after a stellar 2022-2024, has pitched just 5.2 innings, transferred to the 60-day IL on Thursday. Alex Vesia is struggling; he's allowing home runs on a whopping 22.6% of fly balls he's allowed, compared to the league average of around 10%.
Clayton Kershaw, back from surgery, hasn't looked like his old self in several starts. Tyler Glasnow is yet to make an appearance, and Brusdar Graterol, Michael Kopech, or Edgardo Henriquez haven't pitched at all this year.
In a desperate attempt to shore up their ailing pen, the Dodgers swung a trade for former Reds closer Alexis Diaz, who currently boasts a 12 ERA.
It's not all doom and gloom; the Dodgers are still clinging to first place, thanks to Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernandez. Their offense has been second to none. However, this isn't the team the front office or the fans envisioned, with lesser-known names like Luis Garcia, Lou Trivino, Matt Sauer, Chris Stratton, Landon Knack, and Jack Dreyer playing pivotal roles on the roster.
Building a "superteam" is an impossible dream. Pitching is unpredictable, injuries inevitable, and the Dodgers are serving as a fierce reminder of that reality.
The Dodgers' offseason signing of two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell and MLB star Michael Conforto, along with other prominent baseball players, painted a picture of a formidable team for the 2025 season. However, their chosen baseball team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, is currently grappling with a series of injuries and underperformance from some of these very signings, such as Snell, Conforto, and Roki Sasaki.
