For a second consecutive campaign, the Los Angeles Dodgers disappointed in the playoffs, despite a very good regular season.
Moreover, with the exception of the shortened year of 2020 (60 games), their seasons of more than 100 victories resulted in nothing during the fall dance.
For the debacle of 2023, the Californian team has only itself to blame. Indeed, the Dodgers focused so much on the next off-season and Shohei Ohtani that they forgot that they had a season to play before getting there and that they had clear deficiencies to address, which they didn’t.
This other abrupt end therefore brings its share of questions, starting with the future of Clayton Kershaw.
For several years, the left-hander approached each fall trying to choose between three paths, either returning to the Dodgers, signing with his hometown team, the Texas Rangers, or retiring. And he will be faced with these same choices again in the coming weeks, with the decision likely to take longer than usual.
The condition of his shoulder which led to a reduction in the speed of his fastball and a reduction in his control in the final months of the season will certainly weigh in the balance.
But Kershaw’s future isn’t the only issue in Los Angeles. A decision will have to be made on whether manager Dave Roberts will return for another season in 2024.
This is because, in addition to the fact that his decision-making in the series is not entirely on point, the results have been very disappointing, as mentioned in the introduction.
Only a small victory during the autumn dance of the last two campaigns with the club he had on hand is clearly not enough.
A change of air is therefore perhaps to be expected under the hot Californian sun.
