PHOENIX — There were no champagne bottles or tubs of beers Tuesday in the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse.
There was not a piece of confetti in sight.
And no one was getting their fingers sized for 2025 World Series championship rings.
The Dodgers kept trying to tell everyone who’d listen that last year was last year and, even after spending another $471.5 million on free agents and contract extensions during the winter, it still doesn’t guarantee a darn thing for 2025.
“We didn’t win last year by talking about the World Series every day,’’ Dodgers All-Star Mookie Betts said. “We won last year because we talked about the task at hand. I think we have to continue to talk about the task at hand and not worry about the end goal. …
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“We can’t race to the finish line.’’
The trouble is that no one outside the Dodgers’ clubhouse buys it, not when you look around and see future Hall of Famers, MVPs, Cy Young award winners, and the deepest and most talented team in all of the land.
“It was crazy working out this winter in Miami with different players,’’ infielder Miguel Rojas said, “and guys like (Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel) kept telling me, ‘Come on, how many guys do you need? You guys are signing everyone. Enough is enough.’ ’’
Rojas laughed, knowing with the bevy of talent the Dodgers have, they not only could become the first National League team to repeat as World Series champions since the Cincinnati Reds in 1975-76, but could also eclipse the regular-season record of 116 victories set by the 2001 Seattle Mariners.
“You’ve got to put some goals in your life, you know? Especially with this kind of team,’’ Rojas said. “So why not shoot for the best? This team is pretty set to win a lot of baseball games. Obviously, that’s not our goal to win 116, but to win the last game in October or November like we did last year.
“The message our front office sent to everybody this winter was that we’re not just satisfied with winning one championship. We want to create something special that will always be remembered and sustainable.’’
Yes, Rojas is talking about the potential of a dynasty, just like the Yankees built from 1996-2003 when they won four World Series titles and six American League pennants.
“We finally got the team over the hump last year, so it was a little bit of relief on that aspect,’’ Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “I know we won in 2020, but you want to get that full season one. And now that we did, we want to win more. We have the team to win more. So, it’s almost like we’re hungrier than ever.’’
The proof is that, although the Dodgers won’t have their first full workout until Saturday, Muncy, Betts and Rojas have been working out together at Camelback Ranch for nearly two weeks. Three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw hasn’t even officially signed his contract yet but was already working out with the Dodgers on Tuesday.
The Dodgers have reached the postseason 12 consecutive seasons, winning 11 division titles, four pennants and two World Series, so it’s not like they’ve ever been anything but one of the game’s top powers.
Yet, this year is different.
This year, they have their biggest payroll in franchise history.
This year, they have nine starting pitchers and a deep bullpen where four relievers can be called on to save games after the signings of Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates.
This year, they have a starting lineup that owns five MVP awards and 27 All-Star selections.
And this year, they have a DH who hit 54 homers and stole 59 bases last year, who also is scheduled to return to the mound, in Shohei Ohtani.
“I’ve always really felt that we kind of had a target on our back,’’ Muncy said. “Part of that is when you play at Dodger Stadium, it’s sold out on a Tuesday in July. Every (opposing) pitcher seems to find a couple of miles an hour. It’s always felt like that. People tend to find an extra edge against us.
“But now, maybe even more so especially with the comments you’re seeing from other players out there.’’
The Dodgers aren’t going to go undefeated. They likely won’t win more than 116 regular season games. There’s not even a guarantee they’ll win the division.
The Dodgers really couldn’t care less, they said, as long as they punch their ticket into October, where they’ll take their chances.
“The most important thing is to just make the postseason,’’ Muncy said. “It doesn’t matter if you have 90 wins, 121 wins, it doesn’t matter what place you’re in. It really doesn’t matter at all. We’re not putting a number out there that we need to win a certain amount of games. We just want to make sure we’re in the best spot to win when it comes to October.
“So, you can’t look at what we’ve already done. You can’t look at what we’re trying to do. We’re just focusing on what we can do at this moment.’’
One day, perhaps after a few more titles, maybe then they can all look back and reflect on their time together, playing in the most glorious era in Dodgers history — perhaps after establishing a dynasty.
“Hopefully in a couple of years,’’ Muncy said, “I’ll get a chance to look back and think that. But not right now. We know who we are in here. It’s honestly a pleasure and a blessing to show up to work with these guys because no one here is stagnant with who we are. …
“It’s never been, ‘Oh, I’m here. We’ve made it. We’re good.’ ’’
Besides, the Dodgers players will tell you, how can they sit on their laurels when the front office and ownership certainly didn’t? They signed players all winter, whether it was two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell or Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki, or even bringing back Enrique Hernandez on a one-year, $6.5 million contract Tuesday with Kershaw to follow.
“What ownership did,’’ Rojas said, “they sent us a message. It was, ‘We’re not just happy winning one championship. We want to do more. We’re going to put the pressure on you guys to deliver because we’re giving you the pieces that you guys need to continue and make another great run.’
“We’re hungry. We want to go out there now and prove we’re still the best team in baseball.’’
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