In his exclusive interview with the California Post this week, Dodgers owner Mark Walter came armed with an alliterative saying.
“You’ve heard about the three strikes. But what about the 3 Ps?” the billionaire businessman quipped. “Our people, our passion and our practice.”
When it comes to the future of the franchise, that’s what he cited as the Dodgers’ guiding light.
In his chat with the Post this week, Walter tried to quash speculation about potentially selling the team (saying he would remain owner “no matter what”) and drew a distinction between the Dodgers and the Lakers (a club he ultimately did sell this summer, amid a federal investigation into his business empire, after receiving a staggering offer in a phone call from venture capitalist Josh Kushner).
However, those aren’t the only questions he faces as Major League Baseball enters an uncertain offseason.
This winter could represent a profound period of change for both the Dodgers and the sport.
For the former, an aging roster needs to be retooled after a failed bid for a third-straight World Series title. For the latter, a fraught labor negotiation is threatening an extended work stoppage, as owners and players fight over the league’s push for a salary cap.
Both dynamics could mark an inflection point for Walter’s baseball club.
After a decade-and-a-half-long run of unprecedented success, the Dodgers are now trying to resurrect their dynasty after this year’s sweep to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series.
And, after raising their already gaudy payroll totals to record-setting levels over the last couple seasons, they might face stricter spending rules as they begin turning over the league’s oldest roster.
So, how does Walter –– who declined to state his stance on the salary cap issue –– feel about the team’s ability to remain an annual, legitimate championship contender?
“I think on any playing field, we’ll still be among the elite teams,” he said, while harkening back to his three Ps motto.
“I think our people and our passion and our practice really does matter,” he insisted.
That doesn’t mean the Dodgers are going to stop spending, either this winter (when Tarik Skubal will be the top free agent on the market) or beyond (when they’ll have to navigate the back end of long-term deals for gradually aging stars like Mookie Betts, Will Smith and even Shohei Ohtani).
Walter said his Guggenheim group’s financial commitment “will be just like it has been in the past.”
On multiple occasions, he referenced his vision for at least another decade of dominance under his ownership.
“We’re just trying to win consistently,” he said. “And do so for not just next season, but for the next decade and decades beyond that.”
However, both Walter and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman –– who joined the team’s chairman in this week’s interview with The Post –– referred to other ways the Dodgers will have to adapt amid the sport’s ever-changing landscape.
They pointed to a crop of promising young prospects they hope to further integrate into the majors leagues next season. They highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong player development pipeline and highly-ranked farm system.
“Everything in the current system is designed for us to have a bottom-three farm system in baseball,” Friedman said, citing the draft pick penalties and limited signing bonus pools the Dodgers have incurred from their heavy roster spending in recent years. “[And instead], we’re top two.”
That, Friedman argued, “speaks to the people we have.”
“From our perspective, whatever the rules are, we don’t decide them, but we will do everything in our power to achieve the most success that we possibly can within those rules,” he added. “And I think, obviously, our spending in the last few years has been aggressive and also very fruitful in a lot of ways, but I think it diminishes a little bit from the great work by so many people on the scouting, player-development side, our baseball operations group, our coaches with the onboarding.
“Just for us to have the farm system that we have, I think is something that gives all of us confidence in our ability to work together within whatever rules exist to be as good as we can possibly be.”
In the short term, that could signal something of a youth movement.
Walter specifically praised the performances of recent big-league breakthroughs such as All-Star center fielder Andy Pages, slugging catcher Dalton Rushing and rookie sensation Josue De Paula. He noted how “we have a wealth of talent coming up behind them, too.”
“One area we’re focused on is integrating our best young players into the major league team,” he said, before later adding: “It’s not just spending. Our farm system is pretty strong, and that and our player development are really big things for us.”
Friedman acknowledged the difficulties that still lie ahead for the club, describing the need to balance their expensive core of current veteran players with an infusion of younger talent as “way more art than science” –– especially given the uncertainties of what a new CBA will bring.
“We know the backside of these [long-term] deals oftentimes can be challenging,” he said. “So now the tricky part … is incorporating these young talented players onto our roster with our core, that we feel like will help contribute to us maintaining a very high level of play.”
One thing Friedman expressed confidence in was that, even amid the ongoing federal investigation into Walter’s non-sports businesses, the owner would continue to green-light bigger expenditures when the front office believes they are warranted.
“The financial backing has always been there,” Friedman said. “But Mark also follows it up with a thoughtful question of, ‘What does this mean for the future?’ And I think all of us being in lockstep on that has contributed to the success we’ve had looking back, and I think keeps us well-positioned for future success.”
Exactly what that will look like, either this winter or in the future, is still unknown.
But, after reaffirming his commitment to the club, Walter was adamant about his belief in the organization’s ability to sustain what they have already built.
“We’re going to be winning for 10 years or more,” he declared. “And, you know, we don’t win every year, but we’re going to try to.”
