Dodgers Discuss ‘Organizational Failure,’ Futures Of Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw In LA

The Los Angeles Dodgers won 100 games in 2023, their fourth consecutive full season of 100 wins or more. But for the third time in those four years, they went home without winning a postseason series.

This postseason felt especially disappointing though, with the Dodgers never once ending an inning with a lead in the process of being swept by an 84-win Arizona Diamondbacks team. Despite winning the 2020 World Series just a few years ago, pressure has continued to mount on baseball operations president Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes.

And in what's become a frustratingly annual tradition for Dodgers fans, the two gave their postmortem press conference on Tuesday to discuss what went wrong and how to move forward. Friedman described this postseason as an "organizational failure," the second consecutive year he's used that term, after the 2022 NLDS loss to the San Diego Padres.

Friedman also acknowledged that the five-day layoff before the start of the NLDS does seem to be a significant hurdle for hitters to overcome. And while they tried to mitigate it with simulated at bats, it clearly wasn't enough. Even after three of the four teams with byes went 1-9 this postseason, he still believes that securing the layoff in the regular season is the best way to win a World Series.

READ: MLB HAS A POSTSEASON PROBLEM, AND HERE ARE SOME IDEAS OF HOW TO FIX IT

While acknowledging the randomness inherent in small sample sizes, Friedman also discussed some strategies for how they might move forward. And fielded questions on two pressing offseason topics: Clayton Kershaw and Shohei Ohtani.

OAKLAND, Calif.: Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels bats during the game against the Oakland Athletics. The Athletics defeated the Angels 2-1. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)

Dodgers Have Lots Of Decisions To Make After More Disappointments

Friedman was asked, point blank, how strongly the Dodgers will pursue superstar free agent Shohei Ohtani.

"Who?," he responded. "We can't talk about free agents. We will be aggressive and put the best team on the field that we can. I feel confident that when we show up in Arizona, we'll have a team with legitimate championship aspirations."

He also was asked about Clayton Kershaw's future after the 35-year-old had the worst start of his illustrious career in game one, getting just one out and allowing six runs. Friedman replied that the ball is squarely "in his court," and that he'd be welcomed back if he wants to continue playing.

Kershaw also dealt with an undisclosed shoulder injury that hurt both his velocity and command towards the end of the season. While Friedman and Gomes declined to specify what the injury was, anything that would require surgery could force Kershaw to miss part of next season, if he doesn't choose to retire rather than face a lengthy recovery.

The organizational failures of the 2023 postseason do highlight that the Dodgers have a lot of work to do moving forward. Their platoon-heavy lineup dramatically underperformed in the NLDS, and even MVP candidates Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman essentially disappeared.

But their starting pitching was also exposed, with Kershaw, Bobby Miller and Lance Lynn getting just 14 outs while allowing 13 runs. There's a lot of work to do.

Does Ohtani Make The Most Sense?

Despite the starting rotation struggles, the Dodgers allowed just four runs in game two and four runs in game three. But the offense failed to get anything going for the second consecutive season.

Adding more talented, star-level offensive performers should be a top priority, especially with key contributors like Jason Heyward and J.D. Martinez set to reach free agency next month. Both Max Muncy and Will Smith will hit free agency after the 2024 season as well.

The Dodgers had Manny Machado, Corey Seager and Trea Turner in Los Angeles and let all of them walk in free agency. They declined to make serious offers for Bryce Harper and saw the Padres trade for Juan Soto. If they let Shohei Ohtani sign elsewhere, what will have been the point of saving all that money?

While he wouldn't help the rotation for 2024, a return to the mound in 2025 would also help mitigate the potential of Walker Buehler leaving in free agency.

The Dodgers have a lot of decisions to make before February, and with consecutive disappointments under their belt, there's a bit more urgency this year than in the past. And it starts with Shohei Ohtani.