The home run shredded the October sky like a bolt of lightning.
asserted
run → shred → lightning
Shohei Ohtani turned toward the Dodgers’ bench.
asserted
Ohtani → turn → bench
He threw his bat.
asserted
He → throw → bat
He screamed.
asserted
He → scream → ?
He punched the air.
asserted
He → punch → air
He screamed some more.
asserted
He → scream → more
With one furious swing, Ohtani unleashed months of pent-up frustration.
asserted
Ohtani → unleash → frustration
But this wasn’t a series-altering three-run home run.
asserted
this → alter → ?
The four-run lead the Dodgers built up in that stadium-rocking second inning didn’t endure.
asserted
Dodgers → build → inning
The Milwaukee Brewers saw that it wouldn’t.
asserted
it → see → ?
As they did throughout this National League Championship Series, the Brewers pressed and pressed and pressed.
asserted
Brewers → do → Series
Little by little, the Dodgers gave in.
asserted
Dodgers → give → ?
Three innings later, they were officially eliminated from the playoffs when Kiké Hernández flied out to left field against Aaron Ashby for the final out of a 6-4 defeat at Dodger Stadium.
asserted
Hernández → eliminate → Stadium
The Dodgers didn’t just lose.
asserted
Dodgers → lose → ?
They were swept in four games by the same team they swept at this stage of the postseason last year.
asserted
they → sweep → postseason
Now, comes the hard part.
asserted
part → come → ?
The Dodgers might be the second-best team in baseball behind the Brewers, but they can’t return with a similar roster next season and expect the results to be any different.
uncertain
results → return → roster
Farewell to long-time Dodgers who will forever be known in these parts as World Series heroes.
asserted
who → know → heroes
Farewell to Ohtani hitting and pitching full-time.
asserted
Ohtani → hit → ?
With how the Dodgers were thumped by the Brewers, president of baseball operation Andrew Friedman has a clear directive.
asserted
Friedman → thump → directive
The Dodgers have the oldest team in the major leagues.
asserted
Dodgers → have → leagues
The problem is magnified by their prime-aged players, who are breaking down as if they are senior citizens.
asserted
they → magnify → players
Ohtani, 32, was obviously debilitated in the postseason, which explains why a former 50-homer player wasn’t a power threat for the majority of these playoffs.
asserted
player → debilitate → playoffs
Catcher Will Smith, 31, was sidelined for three months with a disc problem, which contributed to him being out of sorts in the batter’s box.
Utilityman Tommy Edman, also 31, is an All-Star-caliber player when healthy – but he often isn’t.
Kyle Tucker, 29, flat-out stunk for the majority of the first season of his four-year, $240-million contract.
asserted
Tucker → sideline → contract
What Friedman and others in the front office will have to decide in the coming weeks and months is how quickly and drastically they will turn over the roster.
asserted
they → decide → roster
The Dodgers shopped Teoscar Hernández last offseason, and they figure to do so again this offseason, as they already have a promising in-house replacement for him in left field in 21-year-old rookie Josue De Paula.
asserted
they → shop → Paula
Hernández has only one more guaranteed year remaining on his contract.
asserted
Hernández → have → contract
But what do the Dodgers do beyond that?
asserted
Dodgers → do → that
Do they attempt to move some of their other veterans?
asserted
they → attempt → veterans
Or do they field more or less the same team next season, accept the limitations of their roster, and wait for some of their contracts to expire in another year?
asserted
some → field → year
Muncy could also depart that winter, as his option for the 2028 season is a team option.
uncertain
option → depart → season
The Dodgers might not be able to find a better third baseman at that price point.
uncertain
Dodgers → find → point
Or, in the case of Freeman, how can they not re-
asserted
they → re → Freeman
sign a player as beloved as he is?
asserted
he → sign → player
One factor that could influence the Dodgers’ team-building approach: Baseball’s next collective-bargaining agreement.
uncertain
that → influence → approach
More restrictive spending limits of some kind figure to be on their way, as franchise owners are pushing for a salary cap.
asserted
owners → figure → cap
The Dodgers could be forced to dump salaries whether they want to or not.
uncertain
they → force → salaries
Whatever happens on that front, the Dodgers will have to address Ohtani’s situation.
asserted
Dodgers → happen → situation
Ohtani broke into Japan’s top league as an 18 year old.
asserted
Ohtani → break → old
He was a two-way player in the five seasons he played for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, and his body has plenty of mileage on it.
asserted
body → play → it
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
