This story was excerpted from Juan Toribio’s Dodgers Beat e-newsletter. To learn the complete e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it recurrently in your inbox.
LOS ANGELES — With the Dodgers beginning the season with two video games in Seoul, South Korea, towards the Padres, they’re set to reach at Camelback Ranch in lower than three weeks to arrange for the much-anticipated 2024 season.
Earlier than that occurs, nonetheless, we’ll proceed to take an in-depth, position-by-position take a look at the Dodgers and the way they’ll look in ‘24. At present we shift our focus to the rotation.
The wholesome locks: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Bobby Miller, extra signing
After a disappointing exhibiting from their rotation, the Dodgers got here into the winter realizing they wanted to make vital adjustments to the beginning employees as a way to actually contend for a World Sequence in ‘24. They have been in a position to do exactly that with the 2 largest splashes of the offseason.
The Dodgers signed Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million deal, making him the richest pitcher within the league, although he’s by no means thrown a pitch within the Majors. Los Angeles had been scouting him for years, nonetheless, and believes he’s the kind of frontline starter it lacked final season. Then the Dodgers went out and traded for Glasnow, whereas they’re additionally anticipating one other leap within the growth of Miller, who had a stable rookie season.
Even after signing Yamamoto and buying and selling for Glasnow, the Dodgers have been available in the market for one more beginning pitcher. They wanted extra depth and so they’re getting it, as they’re nearing a one-year deal with veteran left-hander James Paxton. Paxton will slot into the rotation to start out the season, giving a few of the staff’s different pitchers some extra time to get again on the sector.
The massive reinforcement: Walker Buehler
You have been most likely questioning why Buehler, a Cy Younger candidate in 2022, wasn’t on the “wholesome locks” checklist. Sure, Buehler will likely be wholesome going into the ‘24 season after lacking the complete ’23 marketing campaign following his second Tommy John surgical procedure, however the Dodgers will take a really cautious strategy with the right-hander, together with not beginning his season proper on Opening Day.
Buehler may have an innings restriction this season, which is routine for somebody coming off a second main elbow surgical procedure. Due to that, each side must have some conversations this spring. The thought is to have Buehler prepared for October, which is when he shines brightest, even when it means him lacking the primary month of the season. That’s why the Dodgers prioritized a depth transfer like Paxton.
Dustin Might and Tony Gonsolin may be choices for the Dodgers later within the season, however that can stay unlikely till they make vital progress.
The Spring Coaching battles: Gavin Stone, Emmet Sheehan, Ryan Yarbrough, Michael Grove
The Dodgers have 4 spots within the rotation locked up heading into Spring Coaching, leaving one or most likely two openings for another choices.
Younger pitchers Stone, Sheehan and Grove all bought a glance final season, and every of them had their ups and downs. Stone struggled mightily to start out his massive league profession, however his Minor League numbers earlier than this 12 months have been eye-popping. Most evaluators consider he’s a pitch away from changing into one other viable possibility.
Sheehan can also be one other spectacular younger arm who completed the season on a excessive word, principally in aid. The fitting-hander was referred to as up straight from Double-A Tulsa to make his debut final season, which tells you all the things you must find out about how extremely the Dodgers view him.
Grove additionally struggled as a starter, however he might undertaking to be a very stable multi-inning reliever. That’ll be one thing the Dodgers proceed to discover this season, however Grove will start spring as one other beginning possibility.
Then there’s Yarbrough, who has essentially the most expertise of the group and offers the Dodgers one other left-handed possibility. Yarbrough had success with the Dodgers after being acquired on the Commerce Deadline from the Royals, and he additionally had lots of success with Tampa Bay.
With Yamamoto getting adjusted to the Majors, Glasnow having an extended observe document of accidents and Miller making one other innings leap, it’s very doable that the Dodgers will open the season with a six-man rotation, opening some alternatives for this group.
Who backs them up: Kyle Damage, Landon Knack, Nick Frasso, River Ryan
The Dodgers are going to want a few these pitchers to make a leap this season. Damage is the one one with a style of the Majors. He struck out the facet in his first massive league inning final season, and he would probably be the primary man up on this checklist. Knack has lengthy been on prospects lists, however that is the season when the Dodgers want to determine how a lot they will depend on him after they want innings.
Most groups use greater than 10 starters in a season, so you may count on at the very least one or two of those extremely touted prospects to come back up sooner or later.