Shohei Ohtani a 'Priority' But 'Won't be Enough' for Dodgers this Winter

LA needs more than the Shohei magic this winter.

With the Dodgers season coming to a close much earlier than expected, it’s time for the next best part of the year, the offseason. LA has been waiting for this winter for some time now, and it’s all because of one player, Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani has been on the Dodgers radar for a long time, and this offseason is their chance to finally get him into Dodger Blue. They plan to be aggressive in trying to land him, and his free agency will be one of the most-watched events in the history of baseball.

MLB insider Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com discussed the Dodgers view for the upcoming offseason and looked at their biggest priority heading into it. The answer was far from shocking, and of course, it had everything to do with Ohtani.

“

Biggest offseason priority

: You could have probably guessed this answer -- it's Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers are expected to be among the most aggressive suitors, if not the most aggressive suitor, for the generational two-way player. But there's an important caveat here: Ohtani won't pitch in 2024. And because he will be coming off his second Tommy John surgery -- or some version of it, given the vague nature of the initial description -- there are legitimate concerns about how long he'll continue to hold up as a two-way player. The Dodgers, as we've seen in these playoffs, desperately need starting pitching. In other words, Ohtani won't be enough.”

Per Alden Gonalez of ESPN.com

With Ohtani not taking the mound in 2024, the Dodgers will need to look elsewhere for pitching help. This likely doesn’t stop them from going after the two-way superstar, but they will need to spend money elsewhere.

They have a clear need in their starting rotation, and many fans want them to sign a frontline starter this winter. Blake Snell, Aaron Nola and others will be available, so LA will need to shell out money to make this happen.

Getting Ohtani would be huge for the fanbase and for the team. Even without him taking the mound next season, he is still a major asset with his bat. But the Dodgers need more than just him for 2024.

They had a very lackluster offseason last winter so that they could prepare themselves for this year. Now, that preparation has come to collect, and the Dodgers need to make sure that they are one of the more active teams in terms of spending this winter.