Has Dodgers ownership reached the end of those deep pockets? - Los Angeles Times
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Has Dodgers ownership reached the end of those deep pockets?

Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman, left, and President and CEO Stan Kasten pose for photos during a press conference in 2014.

Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman, left, and President and CEO Stan Kasten pose for photos during a press conference in 2014.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Once all things seemed possible. The Dodgers’ new owners were so giddy at their new venture. Money rained in on the team and stadium. The payroll absolutely exploded.

Asked early on if the team had a spending limit, team President Stan Kasten infamously said: “I haven’t found it yet. I’ll let you know when we get there.”

Seems they’re now letting us know.

The Dodgers warned at the end of the season they wanted to start getting younger and lower the payroll, and this far into the off-season they’ve succeeded in half that. They have lowered the payroll.

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In a signing that still boggles the senses, the Dodgers were outbid for elite right-hander Zack Greinke by the small-market Arizona Diamondbacks. It was Holly Holm knocking out Rhonda Rousey.

After they lost the 32-year-old Greinke they reportedly signed Hisashi Iwakuma, who turns 35 in April. Second baseman Howie Kendrick, 32, became a free agent and they re-signed Chase Utley, who turns 37 next week.

Ah, but the winter meetings were still to come! Last year the new front office team of Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi kept reporters hopping all week, deals and signings and two- and three-way trades coming less daily than hourly.

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This week they held the winter meetings again and … nary a peep. Their only move so far to confirm the Utley signing. And the meetings end Thursday afternoon.

They apparently thought they had a deal for Cincinnati Reds star closer Aroldis Chapman, until his alleged domestic violence incident dominated the news. They apparently talked to Miami about Jose Fernandez, but so far just talks. Maybe the Marlins can’t find another Dee Gordon to plunk.

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The off-season will continue long after the winter meetings break, and certainly the Dodgers front office will still be heard from. To this point, though, the team hardly has moved forward.

After all the money spent the last three-plus years and the frenzy of moves made early last off-season, this winter is off to an underwhelming start. There’s no Dodgers buzz, just questions awaiting answers. There have been 43,762 tweets from the winter meetings this week and not one of substance about the Dodgers.

Friedman/Zaidi may have entered the winter thinking they had done most of the heavy roster shuffling last year and did not need to be as active now, but there remain holes to fill this year. Certainly, you don’t imagine when they huddled after the season ended and discussed off-season goals, it looked anything like this.

Maybe the money has begun to dry up, or at least the flow curtailed. Their payroll for next season is already over $200 million with more to come, so it’s not like they’re in some kind of fast financial retreat.

But starting pitchers they could have used -- David Price, Jordan Zimmermann, Jeff Samardzija and Greinke -- have signed rich contracts with other teams. All while the Dodgers have been unnervingly quiet.

Perhaps the money will yet flow in the coming months. And just maybe, last year we witnessed the Dodgers reaching their financial wall.

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