TL;DR - Scouting Report
Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes discusses Winter Meetings, offseason strategies, and the pursuit of Roki Sasaki. LA focuses on roster balance, depth, and future impact deals.
Start the Rally: Tweet This Now!The Winter Meetings are always a whirlwind of activity and fun for all MLB teams.
Dodgers General Manager Brandon Gomes spoke with SportsNet LA about his experience at this year’s Winter Meetings, and this year was no exception.
Gomes emphasized the extensive groundwork required ahead of the meetings and the value of in-person discussions among the Dodgers’ front office. While many conversations may not yield immediate results, they play a critical role in shaping the team’s strategy.
One major topic of discussion was the impact of Juan Soto’s recent signing on the broader market. Gomes acknowledged the uncertainty of how Soto’s deal will affect other players but highlighted that many talented free agents remain available, such as Teoscar Hernandez and Anthony Santander.
There are ongoing conversations about potential additions as the Dodgers constantly weigh their needs, and compare the value of free agent signings versus trades. Gomes noted that balancing financial costs with prospect capital is key to their approach.
Gomes spoke about refining their lineup balance, bullpen depth, and potential impact deals to ensure the team is prepared for the 2025 season. He also reflected on lessons learned from last year’s shorter offseason and overseas opener, mentioning adjustments to Spring Training and pitching preparation by Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior.
Gomes provided updates on injured players, expressing optimism about Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May returning strong in 2025. Both pitchers will follow normal throwing programs as the team assesses their progress.
Turning to the big name being imported from Japan into the MLB, Gomes discussed Roki Sasaki’s posting, describing him as a rare talent with significant upside. The Dodgers hope their established success in developing superstars like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will give them an edge in signing Sasaki. Gomes expressed confidence in the organization’s ability to attract and support elite players through their infrastructure and development systems.
As the offseason progresses, the Dodgers surely will remain focused on strategic moves to maintain their competitive edge while preparing for another championship run.
Gomes on this year’s experience at the Winter Meetings:
“They’re always busy. There’s a ton of conversations, a lot of work that goes into it in the front end that probably doesn’t get appreciated for these deals to come into fruition, but, coming here, continuing those conversations, and hopefully they bear fruit on the back end. They’re always busy, but it’s fun to get our group together in one place and get to talk in person, as well.”
Gomes on the Juan Soto signing and its impact on the free agency market:
“I’m not really sure how it’s going to play out, honestly. That’s a separate animal when it comes to Juan (Soto). So we’ll see kind of how there are any effects. Sometimes there are. Sometimes there aren’t, but the good thing is there are a lot of really talented players left, and we’ll continue to have those convos with them.”
Gomes on if trade interest has piqued the Dodgers’ interest:
“I think those are always conversations we’re having to balance and compare against potential free agent deals, (seeing) is this a need? How does it play out? I think you have those conversations to see what makes the most sense in totality with what you’re trying to accomplish because it’s obviously free agent dollars versus prospects and trying to understand what is best for the organization. They’re fun and a lot of time consuming convos that happen that don’t end up coming into fruition. But they are exciting to go through.”
Gomes on the Dodgers’ approach to reading the market and making moves:
“The foundation of the team right now we feel like is in a really good place and now continuing to look at our lineup – versus right, versus left, what our ‘pen looks like, and just the totality of the group, whether it’s depth or additional high-end impact deals. So trying to figure out what that all looks like and just taking all of what’s available and see what we can do.”
Gomes on what the Dodgers learned last year with a short offseason:
“We adjusted our Spring Training dates, and just kind of understanding how quickly we need to get off and I think it’s a little bit of what you guys will need to do to prepare for that earlier start. From a pitching perspective, Mark (Prior) will have a better idea of: ‘here’s the pitfalls from last year;’ let’s make adjustments here, and just understanding that those games in Tokyo are challenging, and we may not accomplish everything we want leading up to that, and that’s OK.”
Gomes on the Dodgers’ expectations on players returning from injury:
“Tony (Gonsolin), obviously we saw a lot towards the end as he was with us during the playoffs. He was really impressive, definitely trending upwards. Unfortunately Dustin (May) got cut short, but was really throwing the ball well. So I think having a little bit of a break here, and as they get into their throwing programs, we’ll progress them as normal as far as preparing for Spring Training, and see how they are physically; what their stuff looks like, and making sure we’re balancing those things. But we feel like they’re in a good place to come in and hit the ground running.”
Gomes on Roki Sasaki getting posted to MLB from Japan, and what the Dodgers have learned about him:
“It’s an incredible arm talent, and to see somebody at that age with as good as he has been and as successful as he’s been, there’s still a lot of upside remaining, so that’s a rare case and we’ll go through our process like every other team will, and hopefully we’re the ultimate landing spot. But, he’s an incredible talent and he’s going to be coveted by a lot of teams.”
Gomes on the things that were learned in pitches to Ohtani and Yamamoto for Sasaki’s pitch:
“As far as what we accomplished last year and the infrastructure we have to support Japanese superstars and that success. We feel good about our development system and our coaches continuing to help players get better, accomplish Cy Youngs, MVPs and all of these things which are important to us and obviously are important to players. I think a lot of that is what we think will be in our favor.”
