LOS ANGELES — Brandon Nimmo knew the Dodgers would be “going for it” this season, so he was hardly surprised by the spending spree last winter that turned the team into a can’t-miss attraction in Southern California and favorite to win the World Series.
“They felt like they had the pieces in place, and they wanted to bring everything they could to supplement that,” Nimmo said before his Mets opened a three-game series Friday at Dodger Stadium. “It told me they believe now is their time.”
Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were the headliners of a $1 billion winter shopping spree, but there were also smaller moves that bolstered this perennial NL West powerhouse.
Among them was the trade with the Rays that brought Tyler Glasnow into the rotation and the signing of Teoscar Hernandez to further fortify the lineup.
Along the way, Mookie Betts shifted to shortstop and has shown he can play it at a high level, helping the Dodgers fill a position of need.
Nimmo was an interested observer as the offseason began, wondering if the Mets might snag Ohtani.
But he was hardly surprised the Mets never emerged as a serious suitor for the two-way star (who is limited to playing DH this season as he rehabs from elbow surgery).
Ohtani signed a $700 million contract with the Dodgers that includes heavy deferrals, lowering the present value to $460 million.
“We knew that Steve [Cohen] would be interested, but you just never know how things are going to play,” Nimmo said, referring to the Mets owner. “We also knew it would be tough to get Shohei to leave California, but we thought that if anybody can do it, Steve could, but ultimately knew it was an uphill battle.”
Yamamoto’s pursuit might have been more realistic for the Mets.
The Japanese ace (who was scheduled to face the Mets in Friday’s series opener) ultimately received a $325 million deal from the Dodgers, who matched Cohen’s offer.
“I definitely thought we had a better shot at him, but [the Dodgers] decided they were going to do whatever it took to get him, and that happens,” Nimmo said. “That is why you play out free agency and we’ll see what happens, but everything we heard was he was an amazing pitcher and he would be an ace right away.”
The Dodgers’ lineup, featuring Ohtani, Betts and Freeman, doesn’t offer a reprieve for opposing pitchers.
“All three are incredible hitters that can leave the yard at any time, but also walk and control the strike zone well and hit the ball over 110 mph all the time,” Nimmo said. “They are really dangerous hitters, so when you have got many of them it makes the lineup tough.”
The secondary pieces, such as Will Smith, Max Muncy and Hernandez, are as good, or better, than most teams’ best hitters.
“It’s just a bunch of superstars,” Nimmo said. “They are an unbelievable team with unbelievable players with unbelievable track records.”
Ultimately it will be the number of wins that determines whether the Mets had a good regular season, but there is something that can be said about quality victories.
The fact the Mets went to Atlanta on their last road trip and won two of three games against a Braves team regarded as the class of the NL East was a good early-season appetizer.
Another such test was set to begin Friday night.
“The Braves are a fantastic team top to bottom and we were able to take two out of three,” Nimmo said. “We definitely can play with anybody, but there is no doubt [the Dodgers] are a great team. We’re going in there trying to win, no doubt.”
