In addition to the highest payroll, the Dodgers had the highest paid fan attendance for the last four years (Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors). Moreover, the Dodgers did not have the dominant starting pitching staff from the three previous years. Going into the 2016 season, many baseball analysists were skeptical that Dodgers could make the postseason for multiple reasons. One was the loss of their number two starter Zack Greinke, to division rival Arizona Diamondbacks and signed a 6 year, over $200 million contract. Along with the loss of Zack Greinke, the Dodgers did not sign a notable number starting pitcher. Rather, the Dodgers front office took a chance on Kenta Maeda, a 28-year-old Japanese pitcher, who had never pitched in the American Major League, and Scott Kazmir, a 32-year-old who was looking to rebound from a disappointing 2015 …show more content…
For the last three years, the most intriguing and talked about player for the Dodgers has been Yasiel Puig. From his 2013 major league debut, Puig’s defensive has been well-documented, often shown on “Sportscenter Top 10 Plays”, but his flashy gestures, ranging from bat flips to staying in the batter’s box too long to stare at a homerun, has caused tension with some teammates. Justin Turner had a unique story where he was released by the Mets but signed a minor- league contract in 2014 with the Dodgers. An injury to former Dodger Juan Uribe allowed Turner to play on a regular basis that highlighted his offensive and defensive abilities, and in 2015, the Dodgers’ front office decided to trade Juan Uribe, where Turner transitioned to become the everyday third baseman. However, during the first two and a half months, Turner only had 3 home runs as the Dodgers’ offensive struggled but was able to bounce back in mid- June to complete the regular season 24 homeruns (Justin Turner: Career