The Yankees once famously were dubbed The Evil Empire, and GM Brian Cashman fully embraced the “Star Wars”-inspired moniker by referring to the deep-pocketed pinstriped franchise as a fully operational Death Star.
But after their creative signing of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani last weekend — with all but $2 million annually of a record 10-year, $700 million deal deferred — have the Dodgers supplanted the Yankees as MLB’s most hated dark-siders?
Probably not, because the Yankees always will be the Yankees to baseball fans in other markets, especially in Boston — and on the National League side of town, Steve Cohen’s Mets have outspent them in each of the past two seasons.
Still, the days of the Dodgers being known as lovable losers — or “Dem Bums” before their departure from Brooklyn more than six decades ago — are nothing more now than a distant memory.
They have won 10 of the past 11 NL West titles. They reached the World Series three times in four years from 2017-2020. And they won their first championship since 1988 in 2020 against the Rays.
Despite three straight eliminations in the earlier rounds of the NL playoffs in the ensuing Octobers, the Dodgers have entered each of the past 10 seasons with a top-5 Opening Day payroll, including the No. 1 spot six times in that span.
Even with the CBA containing wording allowing deferrals of any amount, this Ohtani mega-deal feels like a smart way to circumvent the luxury-tax rules while leaving plenty of room for the likelihood of winning the bidding for other marquee free agents, most notably 25-year-old Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
New York baseball fans on both sides of the RFK Bridge rightly are going to be crushed if their favorite team doesn’t land Yamamoto in the coming weeks, especially now if he decides to team up with Ohtani in Los Angeles.
Yamamoto met with Yankees brass earlier this week in L.A., a couple of weeks after Cohen and the Mets front office visited him in Japan with the bidding projected to approach $300 million plus the posting fee to his Japanese club, the Orix Buffaloes.
While that decision looms, the impact of Ohtani’s choice is real, and promises to only deepen a potent lineup already featuring Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Max Muncy and James Outman.
But the two-time unanimous AL MVP is not slated to pitch in 2024 following Tommy John surgery. Adding Yamamoto — plus maybe Tyler Glasnow in a potential trade with the Rays — would give the Dodgers a significant rotation boost for 2024 alongside free-agent ace Clayton Kershaw and Bobby Miller, with two-time All-Star Walker Buehler also expected to return from Tommy John surgery.
The Dodgers’ staff pitched to a 6.58 ERA in an NLDS sweep in October by the Diamondbacks, a dispiriting performance that saw Kershaw get knocked out in the first inning of Game 1.
For all of the attention paid to Ohtani, the crapshoot that is the MLB postseason often is decided by which teams can utilize a rotation and bullpen built to succeed in the tournament format of the playoffs.
The creativity of Ohtani’s new contract, however, just might help the Dodgers fill their pitching needs.
And if they can pull off signing Yamamoto, too, the Dodgers might be ready to fend off any rebel assault.
Today’s back page
It’s not easy being Green
Speaking of villains, there is no player in sports today decidedly going all-in on that role more than Warriors forward Draymond Green.
The four-time All-Star received an indefinite suspension Wednesday from the NBA after he was assessed a Flagrant 2 and ejected Tuesday night for wildly taking a swing and hitting Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head.
“I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him,” Green told reporters after the game. “I sell calls with my arms, so I was selling the call, and I swung and unfortunately I hit him.”
Such apologies are tedious, of course, especially when the offender continues to repeat them.
Sure, he’s sorry … until the next time — whenever that is.
Villains often make sports fun and entertaining, but we’ve come a long way from the violent NBA days of the ’70s and ’80s.
Green’s act is getting old, with a career-high three ejections already this season, and after serving a five-game suspension in November for putting Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold, he got what he deserved for running afoul of basketball decorum a mere two weeks after returning from his earlier ban. Prior to last season, Green was seen in video footage punching teammate Jordan Poole in the face.
The NBA said the indefinite suspension factored in “Green’s repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.” The 33-year-old has to “meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play,” and reportedly is discussing options for counseling.
“We need him. We need Draymond. He knows that,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday night. “We’ve talked to him. He’s got to find a way to keep his poise and be out there for his teammates.”
The Warriors have dropped three of four to fall to 10-13 heading into Thursday’s game against the Clippers despite Steph Curry’s ongoing brilliance, and Green’s ongoing antics aren’t helping.
Kids in the Hall
As an active member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America since 1997, I began voting for the Hall of Fame a decade later, making this my 17th year with a Cooperstown ballot.
I revealed my choices for 2024 induction on Tuesday on Twitter — and maybe it’s because the ballot isn’t as cluttered as it used to be with suspected or proven PED users — but I didn’t receive nearly as many “you’re an idiot” comments as I have in past voting cycles.
I checked off nine names this year out of the maximum 10 allowed, including three first-time candidates:
• Adrian Beltre should easily surpass the threshold of 75 percent of ballots cast to gain election after totaling 3,166 hits, 477 home runs and 1,707 RBIs with five Gold Glove awards at third base.
• Joe Mauer, a three-time batting champ as a catcher with a .307 career batting average, also received a checkmark in his first year of eligibility, as did longtime Mets nemesis Chase Utley, a six-time All-Star second baseman who averaged 29 homers, 101 RBIs and 111 runs scored with a 135 OPS+ during his career peak from 2005-09.
• After giving him a first-year “timeout” for his involvement in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, I also added former Met Carlos Beltran. I expect him to get a decent bump from his debut in 2023, when he tallied 46.5 percent of the vote. With 435 homers, 312 stolen bases, three Gold Gloves in center field and a 1.021 OPS in 65 career postseason games, Beltran is deserving of such recognition.
• I also am hoping my five holdovers from last year — Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, Jimmy Rollins, Gary Sheffield and Billy Wagner — will continue to gain traction toward induction. Helton (72.2% last year) and Wagner (68.1%) seemingly have the best chances among the returning candidates this year, with Sheffield needing to make up a lot of ground (from 55%) in his 10th and final year of eligibility.
• Among those omitted from my ballot, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez were left off because of their lengthy suspensions after MLB implemented rules and testing concerning performance-enhancing drugs.
• And first-time local candidate David Wright faces a tough road — and perhaps even a one-and-done candidacy, if he doesn’t garner 5% of the vote — due to career-shortening injuries.
The scoreboard: Wrong note edition
Jazz 117, Knicks 113: The rebuilding Jazz took over at the start of the fourth quarter to send the Knicks (13-10) to a tough loss to open their five-game road trip. The shooting lines were ugly: The Knicks shot a collective 9-of-39 (23.1 percent) from 3-point range, RJ Barrett went 3-of-16 from the floor (0-of-7 from 3) and Jalen Brunson was 6-of-19 (0-of-6 from 3). Brunson and Josh Hart each missed potential game-tying 3s in the final minute. Julius Randle was the exception with an efficient 32 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
Nets 116, Suns 112: Meanwhile in Phoenix, the Nets (13-10) pulled out an excellent road win over the Suns, who were debuting their new Big 3. All five Nets starters reached double figures in scoring, led by Cam Thomas’ 24 points, while Mikal Bridges had 21 and Cameron Johnson chipped in 15 against their former team. The Suns were led by 34 points and 12 assists by Devin Booker and 27 points from Kevin Durant.
Islanders 4, Ducks 3: Knock, knock. Who’s there? The Islanders, four points behind the Rangers for the division lead. Maybe this win was closer than it ought to have been against the cellar-dwelling Ducks, but the Islanders rallied in the third period with a power-play goal from Mat Barzal and a shorthanded game-winner from Simon Holmstrom with 1:33 left in regulation.
What we’re reading 👀
🏈 How is Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito keeping his head during his rise to folk hero? The Post’s Steve Serby wrote about DeVito’s demeanor in the spotlight.
🏈 Great, Zach Wilson had a Jets breakthrough. Now he has to do it again — against the Dolphins.
⚾ Mark Vientos shared his outlook on the Mets’ third-base picture — and his offseason workouts with Francisco Lindor — after Ronny Mauricio’s ACL injury.
🏒 The Rangers aren’t betraying any alarm publicly about No. 1 goalie Igor Shesterkin’s slump.
🎙 Keyshawn Johnson spoke exclusively to The Post’s Andrew Marchand about his ESPN layoff, sparring with Skip Bayless and family tragedy.
🏀 Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 64 points then lost his mind.
⚽ The Red Bulls have a new coach.
🏀 UConn great and Sun guard Tiffany Hayes is retiring from the WNBA.
🥊 A heavyweight dream match, about five years too late.
Read more
