What Else Do the Los Angeles Dodgers Need to do?
The Los Angeles Dodgers recently solved their huge question at second-base but that does not mean they should sit back and relax. Their are still a couple of other things the team can do to improve their 2017 outlook.
In baseball, or in sports in general, there will always be places to improve because no team is perfect in every single area. This means that whenever a team tries to upgrade a certain position it does not always have to be the best player at that particular position. Front offices are always looking to make any kind of upgrades, even if it’s just a marginal one, as long as the price is right. This is why the Los Angeles Dodgers did not trade for Minnesota Twins second-baseman Brian Dozier.
As you know already, the Los Angeles Dodgers have solidified their offseason by trading away prized but expendable pitching prospect Jose De Leon to the Tampa Bay Rays for second-baseman Logan Forsythe. The Los Angeles Dodgers did not feel that the additional cost of valuable prospects for Dozier was worth the difference for a slightly less-talented player. Forsythe did not hit 42 home runs in 2016 like Dozier but did hit 20 while also playing better defense (according to most metrics). The Dodgers should apply this same strategy to fill out their roster.
Even after filling their most glaring holes, the Los Angeles Dodgers should not ignore the fact that there are some other question marks still surrounding the team. Even though the big splashes are the fun ones, teams can also make small improvements, via in-house options or under-the-radar players, to help solidify weaknesses and question marks.
Here are the three biggest ones for the Los Angeles Dodgers and how they should handle them:
Solidify the Bullpen
Kenley Jansen was arguably the biggest name in terms of bullpen arms, but because of that, the fact that Joe Blanton and J.P. Howell became free agents and young reliever Yimi Garcia is expected to miss all of 2017 due to Tommy John. Joe Blanton was a revelation last season, serving as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ unofficial setup man. He threw 80 innings, striking out 80 hitters while posting a 2.48 ERA with a 1.01 WHIP. He had his low-lights in the 2016 NLCS, but you can’t deny that he was an invaluable piece to the best regular season bullpen in the entire league.
J.P. Howell, although his 2016 would make a mockery of the statement, was a vital piece of the bullpen from 2013-2015. In those three seasons he compiled a 1.97 ERA while being particularly effective vs. lefties, limiting them to a .184 BAA. However, this season he struggled, seeing his ERA balloon over 4. Howell could still serve as a low-cost and smart option for the right price.
With these two gone, the bullpen consists of Kenley Jansen, Pedro Baez, Grant Dayton, Josh Fields, Chris Hatcher, Adam Liberatore, and Josh Ravin, with starters Ross Stripling and Alex Wood possibilities as swingmen out of the ‘pen. As it stands right now, Baez will be the setup man and Dayton will serve as the primary lefty-specialist. Dayton is a promising pitcher while Baez has divided fans apart (although Baez’s numbers cannot be argued against). However, the other names do not cause for any celebration.
. A setup man is the biggest need, but because the market for relievers is dried up, David Robertson of the Chicago White Sox might be the best pitcher available in terms of prospect price. Bringing back Blanton while also trading for a pitcher of Robertson’s caliber (quality reliever who wouldn’t require elite prospects in return) might be the best steps to rebuilding a questionable bullpen.
Solving the Rotation Musical Chairs
As of right now, the Los Angeles Dodgers have 10 major-league caliber starting pitchers on their depth chart: Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda, Julio Urías, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Brock Stewart, Alex Wood, Ross Stripling, and Hyun-Jin Ryu. However, that depth might not mean much, especially when taking into account the injury history of some of those pitchers in particular Kazmir, McCarthy, Ryu, and Hill along with Wood and Stripling to a certain extent. Because of this, a search for a reliable quality arm should not be off-the-table.
With the 10 arms available however, I believe that the rotation should be Kershaw, Hill, Maeda, and Urías as the top four with Wood, Stripling, and Stewart battling it out for the number five slot. The two “losers” can then be used as swingmen out of the ‘pen and serve as replacement starters when the team decides to give Hill, Maeda, and Urías breathers throughout the season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers should move on from Kazmir, McCarthy, and Ryu by trading them away while willing to eat up a portion of their contracts. Start fresh by trading them and replacing them with another reliable arm via trade. He doesn’t have to be an ace, but a solid, proven, mid-rotation innings-eater to resemble what the St. Louis Cardinals have in Mike Leake (not saying to trade for Leake) would be perfect. If they can pull this off, then the front office can view one from the Stewart, Stripling, and Wood group as expendable and use in a trade.
Organizing the Outfield
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It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Dodgers have a plethora of outfielders. The Dodgers have seven players for three positions. They are Joc Pederson, Andrew Toles, Yasiel Puig, Andre Ethier, Scott Van Slyke, Trayce Thompson, and Enrique Hernandez. However, with Joc Pederson the future at center-field, more like six for two. In my opinion, it would not hurt to add another right-handed outfielder when taking into account that Trayce Thompson and Scott Van Slyke are coming off injuries and Yasiel Puig is a huge question mark.
Ryan Braun anyone? The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers were reportedly close on a deal but it did not come to fruition. He isn’t a must-add because of his age, contract, and his drug baggage. He would still immediately make the Dodger lineup one of the better ones. Imagine a top seven of Forsythe, Seager, Turner, Gonzalez, Braun, Grandal, and Pederson. That would be dangerous and explosive. Braun or how about J.D. Martinez? He would be a longshot but the Dodgers do have the prospects to pull it off.
If they stand pat, then right-field should be a platoon of Puig and Ethier. At the same time, left field is split between Toles and Thompson (when healthy). If Thompson isn’t healthy, then Van Slyke and Hernandez could fill in. The Dodgers are hoping that Puig can finally put together a season that correlates with his remarkable talent level. He showed signs of improvement during his recall in September. If he does, then right-field could belong to him with Ethier being eased out.
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Thompson showed promise before going down with injury in 2016, hitting 13 home runs in 80 games (236 at-bats) and showing athleticism on defense.