How Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts Stabilized the Dodgers Lineup

“We have talked a lot about how strongly we believe against trying to build a team in free agency — but supplementing a really good core, I think, is a very effective strategy,” Friedman said. “There are things we tried in ’15, ’16 and ’17 that didn’t line up, but our payroll was still in a very transitory spot. We had a lot of guys coming off and young guys coming up, and we got to the point where we had a core in place and the ability to be a little bit more aggressive.

“So it was after ’19 where it was a very concerted effort, and that’s when we ended up trading for Mookie. Trea kind of came out of us looking for pitching. And then with Freddie, we talk about being by the backboard whenever a star player is available. Just be around the backboard — you never know what’s going to happen, you don’t know which way it’s going to kick. As opposed to turning around and running back up the court, we’ll stay around the backboard.”

The deals, you might say, have been slam dunks. Freeman, Turner and Betts all rank among the top 10 in the majors this season in total bases, with Freeman leading the majors in hits (168) and doubles (43) through Saturday. Betts hit his career-high 33rd home run on Saturday, while Turner, who is eligible for free agency after the season, leads all N.L. shortstops in O.P.S., at .831.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/04/sports/baseball/freddie-freeman-dodgers.html