“Doctors are crazy?” Baseball's latest big-market anti-hero reaction to the storyline of villains

After a moment of affirmation for the first time, after a faint swaggering blockbuster, last weekend, Dodgers players were asked about the same hot topics.

Are they surprised how the rest of the sport retreated after the team’s free-ride winter, with the Dodgers making six major signings and blowing through the payrolls of the other teams?

Do they agree with the argument that arises in some corner of the industry that the defensive champion’s stuttering attitude may be harmful to baseball and may be harmful to the sport’s already fragile balance scale?

Most importantly, do they feel like the new evil empire of Major League Baseball – the big villains have goals on their backs before spring training begins?

Not surprisingly, the Dodgers have different views on things. Their first public appearance at Saturday’s Dodgersfest fan event was a team, and their answers were answers that painted what has become the league’s largest offseason story.

“I don't see us as villains,” said starting pitcher Blake Snell. “I see us as a team that wants to win. If any other team or fan base wants to be frustrated, you know what to do. Follow the Dodgers’ work. Because they want to win, they spend money. “

“This will be another stripe of the tiger,” responded by senior shortstop Miguel Rojas. “The Dodgers are always in the hatred mode of other teams. We all know. We all know we are the Dodgers and we are ready to embrace everything we are walking.”

“Who doesn’t want to be the focus and do what our organization does for the city, fans?” added manager Dave Roberts. “Frankly, we attract more than anyone else, than any place in the world. So when you attract 4 million followers every year, the rewards are by investing in players. That’s what we do.”

Considering that this is the first of many such offers that may be dripping from the Dodgers Clubhouse this season – the beginning of the narrative arc is destined to emphasize every step of their World Series champion defense.

With a salary of luxury tax boosted $400 million and a range of former most valuable players, Cy Young winners and All-Star rosters, the Dodgers have become baseball’s latest big-market anti-hero. They issued an alarm in a sport with no salary cap and huge gap in player spending. They built a team that for the foreseeable future, with some concerns that it might dominate.

New York Yankees Chairman Hal Steinbrenner insists on using the Yes Network. “Let’s see if there is any reward.”

For now, though, the Dodgers have not apologized for their reloading. Or how they use their position as a superstar destination.

Of course, as first baseman Freddie Freeman said: “I know people are going to be angry with us.”

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But, as teammate Mookie Betts objected: “What should we do? As a player, you certainly want to play with the best players in the world.”

Granted, there is no Dodger that wants this team to be such aggressive this winter. When the team added Snell (one of the top starters in the free agent market), Roki Sasaki (the coveted 23-year-old Japanese phenomenon), Tanner Scott (the highest free agent reliefist available) and arguably the Grand Slam Several other names of the most talented team in the game.

“My family and my friends, they all asked, ‘Are the Dodgers crazy?’” joked outfielder Teoscar Hernández joked that his $66 million re-signation represents another major move.

“The crazy part is, you think, well, once you sign someone, that's it,” Snell said. “And we signed another person, that's it, that's it. And then it keeps going.”

“It's incredible,” agreed starter Tyler Glasnow. “Like the Avengers. Like Monstar. It's the best team I've ever been to.”

However, there is no promise in all this. Even after the Dodgers’ memorable world competition, it may take time to make all new pieces fit.

“I really don't think you can do anything from last year and expect it to continue until the start of the season,” said veteran utility Chris Taylor. “We have a new face. It's a new one.” Team. This will be a new identity.”

The 162-game season and unpredictable playoff formats are still vaguely visible, especially for a team that often shaky in the playoffs before it finally prevailed last October.

“We all know (all of these moves) don't guarantee our worlds,” Rojas said. “We have to go there and do our role.”

What the spending generates, though, is a source of reincentive among players, and it is a potential elixir of life for any world series hangover.

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“I mean as a player, you want to win, right?” Hernandez said. “When you see the front desk giving you the best chance, it just puts you in a better position, in your mind, as a player, you go to the venue and try to give 200% of the front desk what we are giving us. “

After all, while the Dodgers may not consider themselves a villain, they know what to expect to be another season again. Again it will be a World Series or a Bust. This time, there is also a chance to strengthen the balance of the dynasty in all other reviews conducted this offseason.

“There’s a buzz here,” Freeman said. “Last year we got the buzz from shohei (Ohtani). There’s a big buzz here. It’s a testament to our organization, our fans, our front desk And the players hope to come here.”

“We're talking about heritage territory,” Roberts added. “That's what we're focusing on now.”

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This story first appeared in the Los Angeles Times.