Los Angeles Dodgers: 2017 Team Preview

Key Acquisitions

Perhaps the best acquisitions the Dodgers made last season involved retaining the talent they already had. Yes, there is the obvious trade that we will get to later, but bringing back the core of the Dodgers was their biggest move this off-season. While they did re-sign Rich Hill and Chase Utley as well, bringing back Justin Turner and Kenley Jansen is huge for the franchise.

First of all, Justin Turner is easily one of the best third baseman in the game of baseball. A ton of people seem to overlook that fact and don’t realize how influential he is for the franchise. Last season Turner batted .275 in route to slugging 27 home runs and 90 runs batted in. Turner is a key part of the middle of the Los Angeles line-up that only makes Corey Seager and Adrian Gonzalez better.

Then there is Kenley Jansen, who is one of the most dominant closers we have seen. With a cutter that hitters have compared with Mariano Rivera, Jansen logged 47 saves which was good enough for second most in the league. Jansen’s production is unparalleled, and it was something the Dodgers could not afford to lose.

Then there is the obvious big acquisition in Logan Forsythe. Forysthe, at the time, filled a massive hole as second base as Enrique Hernandez was slated to be the every day starter. Now, with the signing of Chase Utley, the move may not be as important. However, Forsythe does bring to the table something the Dodgers lack – hitting left-handed pitching. Forsythe batted .270 against left-handed pitching last season.

Key Loses

For the most part, the Dodgers didn’t really lose much. They did make a trade that I was very displeased with in dealing Howie Kendrick to the Phillies. I understand that Kendrick wanted more playing time but he was likely going to be the every day second baseman and played in 146 games last season.

They did also deal the likes of Carlos Ruiz and Jose De Leon, but neither really had a significant impact on the team. Also, both of those moves were done with the intents on making the team better, so in that department, bravo.

The only significant loss the Dodgers had was Joe Blanton. They did lose the likes of J.P. Howell as well, but Blanton is the significant departure. Blanton appeared in 75 games last season, tossing 80 innings for a 2.48 ERA. Blanton proved all season that he was the most consistent option out of the bullpen for the Dodgers, and they did lose that.