How ever would the Dodgers return to the World Series<\/a>?<\/p>\n The San Diego Padres had crept within three games of the Dodgers, and they had given up one of their two elite prospects for Mason Miller. The Philadelphia Phillies, a team that would finish with more wins than the Dodgers in the regular season, had swapped prospects for Jhoan Duran.<\/p>\n The Dodgers, the team that had spent $85 million on veteran relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates over the winter, had gotten their last three saves from Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer and Ben Casparius. Their trade deadline pickups: Brock Stewart, a setup man who soon would be lost to injury for the season, and Alex Call, a fourth outfielder.<\/p>\n The Padres will not represent the National League in the World Series. Neither will the Phillies.<\/p>\n The Dodgers will, so that was Friedman late Friday night, drenched in celebratory alcohol after a championship series sweep, sloshing through pools of liquid forming on plastic sheeting.<\/p>\n You love him now. Three months ago, you crushed him.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d he said with a shrug. \u201cIt comes with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Friedman, the Dodgers\u2019 president of baseball operations, appreciates your passion, if not your advice.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing I can\u2019t do is make moves based on what people think we should do,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to make mistakes. We\u2019re going to be aggressive taking shots.<\/p>\n \u201cOur goal is to be essentially the casino: be right more than we\u2019re wrong, and have it yield a really good product that has a chance to win the World Series.\u201d<\/p>\n To be the casino means to have options, and to hit on one of them, rather than depending on only one option.<\/p>\n \u201cOur thing on not acquiring some pitching was, we thought we were going to be leaving talented pitchers off our playoff roster as is,\u201d Friedman said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t as front of mind as it was for others.\u201d<\/p>\n Let\u2019s rewind here.<\/p>\n In left field, the Dodgers had to decide whether to acquire a productive bat for a corner outfield spot and release Michael Conforto, pick up a platoon partner for him, or let him ride. They picked up Alex Call, with an unannounced postseason contingency.<\/p>\n \u201cI will say Kik\u00e9<\/a> (Hern\u00e1ndez<\/a>) \u2014 trading for him last year, re-signing him this year \u2014 that was part of the calculus, given his postseason pedigree,\u201d Dodgers manager Dave Roberts<\/a> said. \u201cSo that\u2019s not something that was lost on us.\u201d<\/p>\n It ain\u2019t bragging if you back it up. The Dodgers include October on their schedule every year, so they could afford to carry Hern\u00e1ndez and his .255 on-base percentage and 0.1 WAR for six months because he conveniently transforms into a star for one month. Hernandez can play anywhere in the infield or outfield.<\/p>\n The Dodgers did not include Conforto on their playoff roster. Hern\u00e1ndez has started every game this postseason, with a .375 OBP.<\/p>\n That took care of left field.<\/p>\n The closer?<\/p>\n Dodgers catcher Will Smith hugs pitcher Roki Sasaki after the final out of Game 4 of the NLCS on Friday.<\/p>\n (Robert Gauthier \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Friedman believed the Dodgers had enough good arms that one would emerge, even with so many quality arms available in trade. He readily admits he had no idea Roki Sasaki<\/a> would be the one, as Sasaki was on the injured list at the trade deadline and did not emerge as a reliever until mid-September.<\/p>\n \u201cWe said internally that things are lining up that we are going to be at the peak of our health in October,\u201d Dodgers president Stan Kasten said. \u201cAnd, if that\u2019s the case, we love our rotation, we love our lineup, and we love our bullpen.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, while the starters were headed toward health, the Dodgers made an audacious bet in not adding a late-inning relief arm. Scott, Yates, Brusdar Graterol, Michael Kopech and Evan Phillips all were injured, ineffective, or both.<\/p>\n In the postseason, Sasaki has given up one run and three hits in eight innings. He has three saves, as many as Yates had in the regular season.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1760794276_940_hqdefault.jpg\")
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