"Embrace that and fight back" - Mookie Betts wants the Dodgers to embrace the 'villain' narrative
The Los Angeles Dodgers had the biggest spending spree this offseason, spending more than $1 billion in free agency. The team has signed Shohei Ohtani with the biggest sports contract in history and added Yoshinobu Yamamoto with the largest contract ever for a pitcher.
The Dodgers have been called the villains of baseball throughout the offseason due to their increased spending so far. They have added several great players to their team including Ohtani and Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton, Manuel Margot and Teoscar Hernandez.
In an interview recently, the team’s All-Rounder Mookie Betts talked about the Dodgers’ villain of the baseball tag. He thinks the Dodgers should accept being the villains.
“We do have to embrace it. Every team we play against, they’re going to come for the Dodgers,” says Mookie Betts. “If I was on another team, I would come for the Dodgers every single time. We have to embrace that and fight back.”
Betts says they should accept this and must be prepared, as they will be specifically targeted by the opposing teams. There is no doubt that the Dodgers have a championship roster this season and are expected to embrace the title of the most hated team.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the best teams entering the 2023 season with a strong roster and high expectations of success.
“Door is Open” for veteran Clayton Kershaw, says Dodgers GM
Los Angeles Dodgers veteran Clayton Kershaw is still a free agent. The team hasn’t given up on the future Hall of Famer and is keeping the door open for him. When asked if Kershaw could make his return to the team, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said:
“We continue to stay in touch with Clayton and we will progress.”
Even at this time of the offseason, the Dodgers are not ready to give up on one of their most successful pitchers in franchise history. Adding the 35-year-old to the team will provide the Dodgers with additional insurance in their starting rotation.