Los Angeles Dodgers: One Foot in Today, One in Tomorrow
Many teams have gone into win-now mode or into rebuild/tanking mode, but the Los Angeles Dodgers have been able to be successful in both MLB and building a loaded farm system.
Dodgers fans may not find their team-building perfect – or even adequate – but both PECOTA and Steamer projection systems agree on one thing to open 2017: The Dodgers are projected to have the best team in baseball in 2017, even better than the World Series champion Chicago Cubs.
While Baseball America and MLB Pipeline have not yet released their farm system rankings, when I released my rankings for Call to the Pen and Keith Law released his rankings, the Dodgers found themselves in the top group of teams, #7 on my list and #5 on Law’s list, and this after graduating two of the best prospects in baseball, Corey Seager and Julio Urias, from their prospect list in 2016.
How are they rated so highly in both regards? Let’s take a look…
Major League Level
Lineup – According to Roster Resource, the Dodgers project to run out a lineup that bats their three outfielders in the 6-8 spots in the lineup, which is unique for sure, but that’s not due to poor players in those spots, though guys like Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson certainly are looking toward improved production in 2017.
The Dodgers’ lineup features just one player over 33 years old, and what is interesting is that they have as many under 25 (3) as over 30 (3) in their every day lineup.
The outfield figures to be the most interesting roster battle with Trayce Thompson, Enrique Hernandez, Andre Ethier, Scott Van Slyke and Franklin Gutierrez vying for playing time as well.
The Dodgers could feature the league’s best offensive infield with Yasmani Grandal at catcher, Adrian Gonzalez, Logan Forsythe, Justin Turner and Corey Seager.
Bench – Probably one of the most discussed trade targets on other teams’ message boards is catcher Austin Barnes, who other teams’ fans assume is “trapped” behind Grandal, but the Dodgers are big fans and likely would want a handsome reward for him, especially with Grandal’s injury history.
In the minors, Barnes has backup with Kyle Farmer and Bobby Wilson that could fill in for a short time if he’s bumped to the starting role for a bit.
Per Roster Resource, Chase Utley and Enrique Hernandez are the guys listed to be on the bench as infielders, but they will also have recently signed Jose Miguel Fernandez and utility man Chris Taylor likely in the minors that could help with that infield depth.
The outfield depth has been mentioned, but Brett Eibner is another name that is also a guy who could be used. Ike Davis sitting in AAA as insurance for Adrian Gonzalez is very solid as well.
Rotation – In spite of what seemed like a constant revolving door of starters for the Dodgers (they did set a major league record for most pitchers to start a game in a season with 15), the Dodgers finished with statistics that were top-10 across the board for rotations in all of baseball, which says a lot.
Clayton Kershaw may just be the best pitcher of this entire generation, and he missed roughly two and a half months of 2016, which says how well the rotation did to put up those numbers without him for that much of the season.
The amazing thing about their current scheduled rotation is not just the depth, but also the fact that of the five pitchers, four are left-handed. Only Kenta Maeda is penciled in currently to the rotation as a right-handed pitcher.
With lefties Rich Hill, Scott Kazmir and Julio Urias filling in along with Kershaw and Maeda, there’s enough injury risk and youth to have the Dodgers ensuring they have depth, and they certainly have that with long-term DL case Hyun-Jin Ryu, righty Brandon McCarthy and lefty Alex Wood. The latter two should make a strong case for the bullpen if they are not in the opening day rotation.
The Dodgers also have a wealth of pitching depth that should be at AAA in Ross Stripling, Brock Stewart and Chase De Jong. That depth allowed them to move highly regarded prospect Jose De Leon for Forsythe to fill their second base slot.
Bullpen – By multiple metrics, the Dodgers bullpen was the best bullpen in baseball last season, and they could even be better in 2017. Kenley Jansen returns with a big offseason contract to anchor the bullpen as closer.
The short relief is in good hands with Pedro Baez, Sergio Romo, Grant Dayton, Luis Avilan and Chris Hatcher. McCarthy and Wood should fill the long man role.
There are solid reinforcements in AAA if needed as well with Brandon Morrow, Josh Fields, Vidal Nuno and a whole host of others. Of course, there are always guys like Dayton who fire up the system that two years ago were off the radar completely when he was acquired from the Marlins.
Speaking of minor league reinforcements, let’s take a look at that elite farm system…
Next: The Future