DENVER — For the Dodgers, at least, the lockout was worth it. Over the three months in which teams were forbidden from contacting players, Freddie Freeman and the Atlanta Braves drifted so far apart that the Dodgers could do in March what was unthinkable in November: swoop in and sign him.
And, once the lockout was lifted and a new collective bargaining agreement was in place, the Dodgers could get on with their new life, as a National League team that employed a designated hitter.
If their pitcher had to hit Friday, opening day might not have been such a hit for the Dodgers. If the Dodgers had not won, the fans might be focused on the performance of Cody Bellinger.
