The Los Angeles Dodgers
One sign of how a team will do the year after a long playoff run is how the front office responds in the off-season. But whereas some teams like the Cubs, Astros, and Yankees added players, the Dodgers subtracted.
That does not bode well.
Because, while it is true that ridding themselves of LHP Scott Kazmir and 1B Adrian Gonzalez was addition by subtraction, they also traded away RHP Brandon McCarthy and lost their aforementioned set-up-man-turned closer, Morrow, to the Cubs.
And, as noted, mid-season acquisition Darvish. Those are two big losses to the pitching staff.
The team had hoped to have 21-year old, much-hyped LHP Julio Urias firmly entrenched in the rotation by now, but shoulder surgery has him out until at least after mid-season.
Meanwhile, RHP Walker Buehler will be limited to roughly 145 innings, which keeps him off the club possibly until June or even July, when he will turn 24. But he still has to prove himself in the majors, so his addition is no guaranteed panacea for the pitching staff.
However, that does not mean the team is not loaded with talent. But it does make the Dodgers look a little top heavy.
As Kershaw Goes, So Go the Dodgers
For instance, the pitching staff might be thin, but it is still led by the best pitcher in baseball, LHP Clayton Kershaw.
The man has three Cy Youngs and an MVP. And last year he led the NL in ERA (2.31) for the fifth time in the previous eight seasons. He finished second in the CY last year only because he missed time with injury.
What is intriguing is his age: at 30 he is ostensibly in his prime. But pitchers are hard to project.
Clayton averaged over 200 innings for seven straight years starting when he was 21 but has been injured for parts of the last two seasons. He rebounded back from his 149 IP in 2016 to put up 175 last year.
So, is he on his way back to being a 200-inning pitcher? Or is he starting to break down? Those are valid questions, but Clayton is still most likely to have another outstanding season, injury-shortened or not.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, that is the same outlook for the rest of this thin staff.