SAN ANTONIO — Los Angeles DodgersWHO won the World Series They wasted no time scaring all of their colleagues at baseball’s annual GM Meetings just a week ago on Wednesday afternoon.

Dodgers announce plans to sign six times Golden Glove GM Brandon Gomes said winner Mookie Betts returned to the field and of course created an opening in right field.

So, what right fielders are currently available to fill Betts’ shoes?

There’s a right fielder paying around $700 million on the free agent market, and this one certainly fits the bill.

If the Dodgers call, do you think Juan Soto Are you going to hang up on them just because they’re on the West Coast?

A Soto-Dodgers marriage might be as unlikely as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump toasting each other, especially since the Dodgers have proven they can do it Win a World Series without Sotobut it’s a reminder of how deep and talented the Dodgers are these days.

Who else can only shrug, assuming that MVP Shohei Ohtani has had surgery for a tear in his left shoulder, which makes it unlikely — and uncertain — that he will be ready in time for the season opener against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo on March 18. exactly when he will fully recover.

“The prognosis is really good,” Gomes said. “We will use this time to make sure he gets into rehab. But the good thing in the big picture is that he has a left non-throwing shoulder and a back shoulder for swinging. So it’s a good combination in that respect.

“We’ll see how he gets through that phase and we’ll take it step by step because it’s complicated with someone who also bats. We’ll make sure we check every box to make sure he’s in the right position health-wise. …

“But we expect him to be ready for spring training.”

DODGERS WIN THE WORLD SERIES: Celebrate with this keepsake coffee table book!

Still, whether Ohtani pitches or not, this team projects to enter April with a six-man rotation consisting of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Clayton Kershaw or Bobby Miller and, yes, maybe 23 guys. Roki Sasaki, the 12-year-old Japanese star who just rejected an offer from the Chiba Lotte Mariners and is heavily favored to sign with the Dodgers if appointed. Still, despite their depth, Gomes said the Dodgers are interested in bringing back free agent Walker Buehler and maybe even others.

“Last year we started the season with 12 players,” Gomes said, “and that was not enough. Of course we will explore the pitching market.”

And now with the news that Betts will return to the infield, most likely second base, which was expected last season, GMs are wondering whether the Dodgers will strongly pursue free agent shortstop Willy Adames and re-sign the All-Star outfielder . Teoscar Hernandez, go after Soto, trade for infielder Gavin Lux, or possibly go with an outfield consisting of Tommy Edman, Andy Pages, and James Outman or Chris Taylor.

“The beauty of Mookie,” Gomes said, “is that he is the most selfless superstar we have ever seen. And this reflects on the team as well.”

Gomes made it clear that bringing back Hernandez was one of the Dodgers’ top priorities. He struck out 33 times and drove in 99 runs after signing a one-year, $23.5 million contract with the Dodgers last winter; That contract earned him a $21.05 million bid this week.

“Teo was a big part of what we achieved on the field this year,” Gomes said. “You could clearly see the huge impact the young players and their energy had in the clubhouse. That’s why we will speak to Teo and his group as soon as possible.”

There are plenty of options and plenty of headaches for anyone in the NL West hoping to stop the Dodgers’ runaway freight train. The Dodgers have reached the postseason 12 consecutive years and won 11 division titles, four NL pennants and two World Series titles.

And come to think of it, next year could be the best team of the Dodgers’ dynasty.

“I mean, I say this every year, my expectation is that the Dodgers will be better,” said Arizona Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen, “because they have been almost every year. I can’t do anything about it. Whatever. Playing against them, on paper or in the picture.” ‘I still maintain my stance that they are the best team in the National League and if we can compete with them it will make us better off in the long run.’ ‘

It’s no wonder why San Diego Padres General Manager AJ Preller turned off his television and didn’t watch a single postseason game after he had the Dodgers on the ropes in October before losing to them in the NL Division Series. If the Padres had just passed them, they might still be trying to get the confetti out of their hair after winning their first World Series title.

“We felt like we had a team that could win the World Series,” Preller said. “You always think about that possibility, but ultimately it didn’t happen and now we have to get better. “At the end of the day, the NL West is a really strong league.

“We played in the NLCS in ’22. The D-backs played in the World Series in ’23. And the Dodgers won the World Series in ’24. The names and faces may change a little bit on those rosters, but that’s always a challenge in the NL West.”

The situation is no different in the AL East; everyone here is always looking out for the New York Yankees; They haven’t had a losing season since 1992 and have just won the AL pennant.

“I think you always have your eye on the big team,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “The American League had the Yankees every year. “I think the same is true for the Dodgers.”

And now, four months before opening day, it’s clear the Dodgers are the team to beat in 2025 once again.

When you can win the World Series using 40 different pitchers and have 15 pitchers on the injured list, imagine how strong you can be when you get the group back together.

“From a talent perspective, given the number of injuries we’ve endured, just having those guys back is going to be a huge increase in the talent level in the starting pitching,” Gomes said. As we play this we will see how best to support the offense.

“But our expectation is that we will be there again, fight for the championship next year and be a better team than we were this year.”

Follow Bob Nightengale on X: @BNightengale

This article first appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers free agency rumors: What does Mookie Betts’ return to the field mean?