Done Deal: Just Now” Yamamoto Signed A New, Long-Term Contract With The Los Angeles Dodgers….

If trophies were given out for making splashes in the offseason, the San Diego Padres would be in a lot of trouble. They did go out and trade for Dylan Cease, but the sheer number of players that they lost from their 2023 roster cannot be replaced (on paper).

However, games aren’t won or lost on paper and things can change very quickly.

Conversely, the Dodgers have long been considered to be the runaway winners of the offseason, which is honestly fair. They added a generational talent in Shohei Ohtani as well as the best pitcher on the free agent market in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, among other notable roster upgrades. LA should be lauded for going for it, but it sure would be nice if those moves didn’t work out.

So far, so good when it comes to watching the Dodgers’ offseason blow up in their faces. Not only has Shohei Ohtani been embroiled in a gambling payment scandal involving his interpreter in the last 24 hours, but the Padres absolutely torched Yamamoto in his Dodgers regular season debut.

Padres fans should enjoy all the Dodgers drama while they can

There is no denying that Yamamoto is a tremendously talented pitcher with stuff that looks filthy. However, he hasn’t had a great spring, and that foreshadowed a disaster of a big league debut as he only managed to go a single inning against the Padres while giving up five runs and throwing 43 pitches (only 23 of which were strikes). Apparently $325 million doesn’t get you as much as it used to.

Padres fans should enjoy this while they can. They took on a Dodgers team that’s a heavy favorite to make the World Series and outplayed them in both games with Jake Cronenworth’s busted glove being a key reason why San Diego had to settle for a split. Two of the Dodgers’ biggest acquisitions (Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow) struggled, and their biggest addition is having to deal with the fallout from off-field issues. Padres fans should take that 10 times out of 10.

However, one needs to be careful declaring victory too early here. Yamamoto is probably going to figure things out and may have been dealing with nerves while adjusting to playing with a new team. Glasnow is going to be strong if he can stay healthy. Betting against Ohtani seems like a bad idea at this point even with the distraction of his interpreter’s troubles.

This is still a good Dodgers team, but the last day or so is a reminder that nothing is a given in the game of baseball, and for the moment, things seem to have not gone the Dodgers way to the benefit of the Padres

LOS ANGELES – A proposed gondola project that would provide access to Dodger Stadium is set to come before the Los Angeles City Council Friday, as members will consider a motion seeking to halt approvals until further studies can be conducted on its potential impacts.

The hotly debated gondola, known as the Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit Project, has drawn opposition from some people living near the proposed project. Opponents contend the project will exacerbate gentrification, create privacy issues, and negatively impact their community with construction, as well as increase noise and traffic.

There are also environmental concerns with some advocates saying the project will result in the loss of green space, among other issues.

However, the project has garnered strong support from Dodger fans, some businesses and residents. The project is billed as the “solution” to reduce traffic congestion and emissions with the reduction of 3,000 cars of the road on game days.

Supporters also believe the project could revitalize Chinatown and bring in a “much-needed” economic boom.

Former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt proposed the $300 million private project in 2018, which would establish a 1.2-mile aerial gondola, connecting Union Station with Dodger Stadium.

LAART proposes a station at the southernmost entrance of Los Angeles State Historic Park, running above Chinatown, Mission Junction, Elysian Park and Solano Canyon. It also includes pedestrian and landscape improvements to the area.