The Los Angeles Dodgers did everything to turn their team into world champions.
Major League Baseball spent more than $1 billion (£773 million) on new players during the off-season.
It paid off last week when his star-studded team won his eighth World Series in the history of the franchise.
BBC Sport looks at how the Dodgers did it and why this could be the start of an MLB dynasty.
Why is Todd Boehly part of the Dodgers’ success?
The Dodgers have had one of the highest payrolls in MLB since 2013, when an ownership group that included Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly purchased the team.
Over the next 12 years, the Dodgers reached the postseason, winning their division 11 times and reaching four World Series. But his success is not just due to money.
“The Dodgers had a cutting-edge formula for building their roster,” baseball writer David Lengel said.
“It’s a combination of extraordinary richness and leveraging an analytics-driven approach.”
Former World Series winner Chase Utley, who retired in 2018 after four seasons with the Dodgers, believes “they do a tremendous job throughout the organization, not just with the players they bring in.”
He added: “The front office is one of the best in baseball, the way they think about their players, how they move through the season, the coaching staff they hire. They are very forward-thinking.”
How did the Dodgers build a championship team?
Utley credits Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ 47-year-old president of baseball operations, with spearheading this approach.
He arrived in 2014 from the Tampa Bay Rays, based in one of MLB’s smallest markets and with one of the lowest salaries, but Friedman turned them into postseason contenders.
“He built his team for a lot less than other teams spent,” Utley said. “Now he’s part of a much bigger organization, with a bigger checkbook, and he’s adopted the same philosophy.
“He has a unique way of nurturing talent and finding it, but not necessarily paying for it. The Dodgers have spent some money, but they are not picking up all the free agents, they are choosing wisely.”
Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani E Yoshinobu Yamamoto They were the Dodgers’ big signings in free agency and both made a big impact this season.
The Dodgers also relied on local players and some released by other teams. They also had to deal with a series of injuries to pitchers.
“It takes more than one or two players to win a World Series,” adds Utley.
“With injuries, players are constantly rotated in and out, bringing in players from the minor leagues. The Dodgers had prepared those players not only to reach the major league level but also for a championship atmosphere, and the young guys didn’t hold back.”
Are the Dodgers on the verge of a dynasty?
Friedman and the Dodgers will try to improve further over the winter, but they already have key players on long-term contracts, like Ohtani, who will be a re-acquisition again next season.
This year’s likely NL MVP is unique in that he is an elite player at both pitching and hitting, and will be able to pitch for the first time as a Dodger after elbow surgery prevented him from catching the mountain this year.
“They are designed for success,” Utley said. “A lot of these players will be around for four, five or six years.
“The core is there, but the Dodgers also bring in supporting pieces and change it up a bit to create a young, energetic team.
“They’re exciting. Their entire lineup has the ability to hit a home run and they play great defense. They are really good in all aspects of the game and have great personalities in the team, a really strong team.” group of guys who look out for each other.”
The Dodgers’ 2020 World Series win came in a shortened season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, making this year’s title their first complete championship since 1988. They could face a much shorter wait for the next one .
“I am more than capable of winning more World Series titles in the next few years,” Lengel added.
