The Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t just resting on the laurels of back-to-back World Series titles. They’ve spent the offseason doing what elite organizations do best-tightening the bolts, reinforcing depth, and making sure every roster spot is maximized for another deep October run. The headlines may be dominated by the splashy acquisitions, but it’s the smaller, strategic moves that often tell you just how locked in a front office really is.
Case in point: Justin Dean. A name that might not jump out in the box score, but if you watched closely during the postseason, you saw the value he brought.
Dean was a classic postseason chess piece-used as a pinch runner and defensive replacement in center field. That kind of late-inning versatility is the stuff that wins playoff games.
But with the Dodgers’ roster as stacked as it is, there just wasn’t room to keep him on the 40-man. Dean was outrighted and quickly claimed by the division-rival San Francisco Giants.
His time in Dodger blue may have been short, but he walks away with a World Series ring-and a role in another title run.
The Dodgers aren’t overhauling their roster. They don’t need to.
The core remains intact, and the foundation is as solid as ever. But that doesn’t mean they’re standing pat.
They’ve continued making quiet but calculated moves, like the recent decision to designate infielder Andy Ibáñez for assignment-just three weeks after signing him to a one-year, $1.2 million deal. Why the quick turnaround?
To make room for outfielder Mike Siani, who, in a twist of offseason irony, had already been DFA’d by the Dodgers just a couple weeks earlier.
That’s the kind of roster maneuvering that happens when you’re operating at the margins-juggling 40-man spots, looking for the best fit, and making sure every player has a clear path to contribute. It’s also the kind of move that creates opportunities for other teams to pounce.
Enter the New York Mets.
The Mets, who’ve already made their big splash by adding Bo Bichette to solidify the infield, are still on the lookout for depth. And Ibáñez might just fit the bill.
He’s a versatile infielder with some pop, and while his contract isn’t insignificant, it’s hardly a burden for a team with the Mets’ payroll flexibility. If they choose to make a claim, they’d be adding a player who can plug into multiple roles-or potentially pass him through waivers later and stash him as depth.
This kind of roster chess is nothing new for the Mets this winter. They’ve been active in the margins, looking for value and flexibility wherever they can find it. And while Ibáñez isn’t a headline-grabber, he’s the type of player who can quietly provide insurance over a long 162-game season.
Whether the Mets make a move or not, this is the time of year when front offices are doing their final bit of reshuffling-trying to find that last piece, that extra layer of depth that could make a difference come summer. For the Dodgers, it’s business as usual: fine-tuning a powerhouse.
For the Mets, it’s about staying opportunistic. And for players like Ibáñez, it’s a reminder that in baseball, opportunity often comes when you least expect it.