Fans shockingly blame Astros for Dodgers' free agency super-team pursuit

The Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 World Series. However, the Astros were linked to a sign-stealing scandal in the '17 season, something that was revealed after the 2019 campaign. The Dodgers have since earned two World Series victories and are signing no shortage of big free agents. Some fans have even gone as far as to blame the Astros for the Dodgers' super-team pursuit.

In 2023, the Dodgers agreed to a lucrative contract with Shohei Ohtani. In previous seasons, LA traded for and signed Mookie Betts to an extension before later signing Freddie Freeman. In 2024, the Dodgers kicked off the offseason by signing two-time Cy Young winning pitcher Blake Snell before later agreeing to a deal with Roki Sasaki. And those are just a few examples of LA's recent signings.

Most recently, the Dodgers reportedly agreed to a contract with star reliever Tanner Scott, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. The four-year, $72 million contract gives the Dodgers yet another important player as they hope to win a second consecutive World Series championship in 2025.

Is the Dodgers' aggressive free agency pursuit the Astros' fault, though?

The argument is one that can be made, but the Dodgers did not become especially aggressive in free agency until the past few years. Still, they acquired Betts before the 2020 campaign, which led to a World Series championship.

Placing all of the blame on the Astros is unfair, of course. LA probably would have been this aggressive with or without an Astros' sign-stealing scandal, as MLB currently features no salary cap. The Dodgers are not doing anything wrong by spending aggressively, but MLB could change that with a salary cap. A salary floor would be especially helpful, as it would force teams that are not making moves to spend on a more consistent basis.

The Astros will ignore the noise. Houston could end up making a postseason run in 2025 since the American League West features no clear favorite team at the moment. With so many players headed to the Dodgers in the National League, perhaps the Astros can make another World Series run sooner rather than later.

The Astros and Dodgers have both earned two World Series victories within the past 10 years. A Fall Classic rematch between the two would receive plenty of attention. The Astros could silence their critics by defeating the Dodgers in a potential World Series matchup.