After remaining below the $197 million luxury tax threshold during the 2018 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers reset their penalties and were expected to be significant players in free agency.
The expected class was touted as one of the best the sport had ever seen, with Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Clayton Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel among the elite talent that was on track to hit the open market. Though Kershaw, of course, wound up signing a three-year, $93 million contract extension with the Dodgers.
It marked a second time in his career Kershaw bypassed reaching free agency in favor of inking an extension.