Which transaction this offseason will be key to unlocking a World Series title in 2021? Every champion can point to an important move, whether it’s a blockbuster trade, a splashy free-agent signing or an under-the-radar pickup whose full impact is only revealed months later. Here is a look back at the biggest addition made by each of the past 26 World Series winners, since the beginning of the Wild Card Era. (This list only includes moves made during the prior offseason; crucial Trade Deadline deals are a different conversation). 2020 Dodgers: Traded for RF Mookie Betts If you can’t beat him, acquire him. So it went for the Dodgers, who fell to Betts’ Red Sox in the 2018 World Series -- one of seven straight seasons in which L.A. fell short of a championship after winning the National League West. When Betts became available heading into his final season before free agency, the Dodgers pounced. It took some time, including a three-way deal with the Twins that fell through, but Betts finally wound up in Dodger Blue in February 2020, in exchange for outfielder Alex Verdugo and two prospects. He quickly signed a 12-year extension to stay in L.A. through 2032, then finished as the NL MVP runner-up while leading the Dodgers to their long-awaited first title since 1988.