MLB Spring Training: Los Angeles Dodgers Full Preview

Key Additions: SP Scott Kazmir, SP Kenta Maeda, RP Joe Blanton
Key Subtractions: SP Zack Greinke, SS Jimmy Rollins

The Rotation:

Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in less than a week, which means that baseball is on the horizon. This allows plenty of time for the Dodgers to sort out their bullpen issues, which was their biggest weakness last season. The starting rotation may have lost a perennial Cy Young candidate in Zack Greinke, but they have added depth.

Injuries occur frequently during an 162-game baseball season, but the Dodgers showcased the depth that they have. The Dodgers have lost their one-two punch in Clayton Kershaw and Greinke, but signing Scott Kazmir and Kenta Maeda allows for a possible six-man rotation.

While Maeda is unproven at the MLB level, he won’t have any pressure on him with Hyun-Jin Ryu returning after missing all of 2015 due to Tommy John surgery. Brett Anderson also returns to the Dodgers’ rotation, which could relegate Mike Bolsinger to the bullpen or Triple-A.

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The Bullpen:

The bullpen, on the other hand, is the weakest link entering Spring Training. Last season, the Dodgers bullpen finished 19th in all of baseball with a 3.91 ERA. They looked to be improving upon that after trying to acquire former Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman. However, those talks broke down as an investigation into a domestic violence incident involving Chapman surfaced.

Kenley Jansen is still a top closer in baseball. He’s saved 142 out of 161 opportunities (88.2 percent) for the Dodgers in his six-year career. Last season he had a 2.41 ERA and a 2.14 FIP, which was a career-worst in FIP. Getting to Jansen may be difficult, but the addition of Joe Blanton to the bullpen will certainly help.

Blanton made 24 appearances for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015. He recorded a 1.57 ERA and a 2.11 FIP, which could land him a setup role for Jansen. Young reliever Pedro Baez is also a candidate for a setup role. Last season he recorded a 3.35 ERA and had a FIP of 2.51. He made 52 appearances and struck out 60 hitters in 51 innings pitched. Unlike Blanton, Baez throws hard (97 mph fastball) and has a devastating slider that he throws 15.6 percent of the time, according to Fangraphs.

Yimi Garcia is another candidate to pitch in the back-end of the bullpen. Garcia appeared in 59 games for the Dodgers in 2015. He had a 3.34 ERA and a FIP of 3.20. He has an 11 mph drop-off from his fastball to his slider, the two pitches he throws most often. He needs to develop a third pitch, either his cutter or changeup, to be even more effective than he proved to be last season.

The Lineup:

The Dodgers lineup gets an upgrade at shortstop as Baseball America’s top prospect for 2016, Corey Seager, projects as the starter. Seager played in 27 games for the Dodgers in the regular season last year. He hit .337 with 15 extra base hits, but his numbers slipped in the postseason. He was 3-for-16 (.188) in the Dodgers’ divisional round loss to the New York Mets. Seager shined in his first stint in the MLB, but 2016 will be telling as he takes over as the full-time starting shortstop.

They return to the usual suspects to their lineup with veterans on the infield in Adrian Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick and Justin Turner. Catcher Yasmani Grandal is recovering from left shoulder surgery, but when healthy should make an impact in the lineup and as the Dodgers’ signal caller.

The outfield projects to have good depth with Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier and Scott Van Slyke all returning. The three veterans will platoon with the younger Dodger outfielders. If there were to be a position battle, it may be in left field between Crawford and Ethier, or even Van Slyke.

The youth in the outfield may be the biggest wild card, but the depth protecting it will be a huge lift. Joc Pederson was off to a fast pace in his rookie campaign before tanking to a .210 average. He showed good power by hitting 26 home runs and 18 doubles. He was ultimately replaced by Kike Hernandez, who can also play in the infield. Hernandez hit .307 and was a better offensive option late in the season, but Pederson projects as the starter in 2016.

Yasiel Puig struggled in 2015 after he had two impressive seasons to begin his career. Last season Puig had a slash line of .255/.322/.436 which is a career-low in all three categories. After rumors have spiraled around Puig over the past year, manager Dave Roberts met with him and gave him a clean slate, according to the LA Times‘ Andy McCullough. With a fresh start, Puig can be more relaxed and hopefully return to his All-Star form from 2014.

Next: Predicting the Final 2016 NL West Standings

All things considered, the Dodgers appear to be ready for another run at the NL West division, though it will be tough to compete against the pitching of their divisional opponents. The Dodgers will need to rely on their depth to take them to the playoffs.