Written by Jorge L. Ortiz at USAToday.com
Even as they were starting to build their current stretch of four consecutive NL West titles, the Los Angeles Dodgers were dogged by reports that they had a toxic clubhouse mix.
That was one of the issues president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman wanted to address when he joined the club in October 2014, despite arriving with a reputation as a numbers-driven executive.
The bevy of transactions Friedman pulled off in his first year as he reshaped the roster hardly provided a sense of stability, but a change has taken place that was obvious in the clubhouse as the Dodgers opened camp Wednesday. Namely, the large number of familiar faces spoke of a more settled team.
The Dodgers brought back their three most significant free agents – Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner and Rich Hill, at a total cost of $192 million – as well as veteran second baseman Chase Utley, who at this point in his career contributes as much with his clubhouse presence as his on-field performance.
Seven of the eight everyday positions figure to be manned this season by returning players, with the lone exception being second base, which L.A. filled by trading for Logan Forsythe. The top eight candidates for the rotation were with the team last year as well.
“We’ve talked about this for the past year, doing everything we can to change the culture,’’ Friedman said, pointing to the need to create a selfless, winning mentality. “Where you see that really play out is, your own free agents want to stay, and word gets around the league and guys want to come here and play.’’
Cases in point include Jansen and new reliever Sergio Romo, a former San Francisco Giant whose one-year, $3 million contract was expected to become official Wednesday. By some accounts, both turned down more lucrative offers to play for the Dodgers. Turner, who finished ninth in the NL MVP race, also could have pursued more money elsewhere in market bereft of top-notch third basemen.
Jansen, who averaged 42 saves and a 2.32 ERA over the last three seasons, became a free agent at a time when the value of elite closers skyrocketed. He cashed in with a five-year, $80 million deal but left money on the table.
The record for the biggest contract for a reliever was broken twice this offseason. Jansen said it would have been three times if he had taken the Washington Nationals’ offer.
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