BLUEPRINTS FOR A CONTENDER
L.A. and Houston pieced together championship-worthy clubs in different ways
Already building from within when Josh Byrnes was fired 2 1⁄ years into 2 the job, the Padres’ brass green-lit a quick fix when they approved A.J. Preller’s off-season bonanza heading into the 2015 season. After another 70-something-win season, they tore it all down to build from within. Again. Which is — believe it or not — largely the way both 2017 World Series contestants constructed their core of their rosters. Yes, even the Dodgers, owners of an MLB-high $242-million (U.S.) payroll on opening day. Here’s a look at how the front offices of 104-win and 101-win teams — Los Angeles and Houston, respectively — pieced together World Series-worthy squads.
HOMEGROWN TALENT
ASTROS (7): AL MVP-hopeful Jose Altuve signed in 2007 out of Venezuela as an amateur free agent. Game 1 starter Dallas Keuchel was a seventhround pick two years later, while the top of the draft turned out shortstop Carlos Correa (No. 1 overall in 2012), outfielder George Springer (No. 11 overall in 2011), third baseman Alex Bregman (No. 2 overall in 2015), right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers (No. 41 overall in 2012) and outfielder Derek Fisher (No. 37 overall in 2014). DODGERS (7): One reason the Dodgers boast baseball’s richest roster is hitting the jackpot by selecting left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw with the seventh overall pick in 2006. The Dodgers are paying him more than $35 million a year through 2020. Right-handed pitcher Kenley Jansen ($11.3 million) is another homegrown product (signed in 2004 out of Curacao) who struck it rich to stay in L.A., which could also be the case one day for the likes of shortstop Corey Seager (18th overall in 2012), first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger (4th round in 2013) and outfielder Joc Pederson (11th round in 2010).
FREE AGENCY
ASTROS (6): The second-highest paid player in Houston, designated hitter Carlos Beltran ($16 million) signed a one-year deal before the season. First baseman Yuli Gurriel ($14.4 million) is in the second leg of a five-year deal, outfielder Josh Reddick ($13 million) is in the first season of a four-year deal and right-handed pitcher Luke Gregerson ($6.25 million) is in the final days of his threeyear deal. Right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton signed for $7 million before the season.
DODGERS (5): Third baseman Justin Turner signed a four-year, $64 million deal to remain in Los Angeles after originally joining the organization as a pre-arbitration-eligible free agent ($1 million in 2014).
The Dodgers enjoyed similar gains this year from right-handed pitcher Brandon Morrow’s modest deal ($1.25 million), but spent significantly on the international market for outfielder Yasiel Puig (7 years, $42 million) and Kenta Maeda (8 years, $25 million). Veteran Chase Utley returned for a third season in Los Angeles for a modest $2 million payday.
BY TRADE
ASTROS (9): As far as the postseason push is concerned, the most significant piece arrived in a late-August waiver deal: Verlander, cash and a player to be named later from Detroit for three prospects. Houston’s highest-paid player on opening day, catcher Brian McCann ($17 million), was acquired from the Yankees before this season, and lefthanded pitcher Francisco Liriano arrived from Toronto at the nonwaiver deadline. Meanwhile catcher Evan Gattis, infielder Marwin Gonzalez and pitchers Chris Devenski, Ken Giles, Joe Musgrove and Brad Peacock all arrived in trades as the Astros transitioned out of their 100-losses-a-year phase. DODGERS (13): More than half the NLCS roster arrived via deals, with a 11th-hour trade in July bringing righthanded pitcher Yu Darvish from the Rangers to round out the rotation. Left-handed pitcher Rich Hill resigned this winter after arriving via trade from Oakland in 2016 and left-handed pitcher Alex Wood was one of 12 players exchanged in a three-team deal with the Braves and Marlins in July 2015.
The Dodgers’ primary catchers also arrived via trade — Yasmani Grandal (Padres) and Austin Barnes (Marlins) — in 2015, with the latter deal also bringing in NLCS hero Enrique Hernandez.
Breakthrough star Chris Taylor was swapped for Zach Lee (later waived by Seattle and claimed by San Diego) before the start of the season and infielder Logan Forsythe, outfielder Curtis Granderson and relievers Tony Cingrani and Tony Watson were all acquired at some point this year. Outfielder Andre Ethier arrived 12 years earlier in the Milton Bradley deal with Oakland.
OFF WAIVERS
ASTROS (3): As most teams outside the upper tiers in spending do — Houston’s $124-million opening day payroll ranked 18th in baseball — the Astros unearthed a handful of diamonds from other teams’ discard piles. Right-handed pitcher Collin McHugh was waived by the Rockies in December 2013, righty Will Harris was waived by the D-backs in November 2014 and outfielder Cameron Maybin was waived by the Angels on Aug. 31 of this year.