The LA Dodgers will carry fourteen pitchers next year because they have the advantage of listing one as a position player. This will enable them to use the same number of bullpen pitchers as this season as Shohei Ohtani joins the Dodgers rotation. Clayton says he will be back, although I doubt that he will be ready to start the season after toe and knee surgery this offseason. Maybe the All-Star Break is a reasonable expectation.
As it stands right about now, the rotation looks like this:
- Tyler Glasnow (I know some think he will need Tommy John, but that would be really dumb of the Dodgers to put that off – If you think that, you are really dumb)
- Yoshi Yamamoto
- Shohei Ohtani
- Tony Gonsolin
- Walker Buehler (I think the Dodgers will give him the QO)
- Bobby Miller (way too early to write him off)
- Emmet Sheehan (Probably back around July)
- Clayton Kershaw (Sometime Mid-Season)
- Nick Frasso (He should be ready before the All-Star Break)
- Landon Knack (This guy is solid)
- Dustin May (I think they should convert him to a reliever)
Gavin Stone, River Ryan, and Kyle Hurt will likely miss the season. Jack Flaherty would be nice, but unless the Dodgers can steal him, they already have too many RHP. Kershaw is the only Lefty. I know fans will try to package Sheehan, Miller, Knack, Frasso, and Gonsolin (pick ’em) for Garrett Crochet, but I don’t see that happening. OTOH, the White Sox have lots of needs, and I think there is a decent chance Gavin Lux will get traded, especially after the Dodgers picked up Miggy Ro’s option. That gives the Dodgers a lot of options with Freeland, Kim (the free agent who wants to get away from the Clowns in SD), and maybe Adames. The thing is: they don’t have to do anything.
You can never have too much starting pitching, and I suppose that going to a six-man rotation will help reduce injuries. On a team that was devoid of starters last season, the Dodgers should have an abundance next year… especially if they go with a six-man rotation.
The Dodgers have already picked Austin Barnes 2025 Option, so it seems unlikely that Rushing is on the radar in 2025… unless there is an injury. I think it is very likely that the Dodgers reach a deal with Teoscar Hernandez and Walker Buehler, and I believe both will get the Qualifying offer. Then there is the Rule 5 Draft. The Dodgers have 10-12 players who are Rule 5 Eligible but I think the only players some team might consider taking are IF Austin Gauthier and LHP Jack Dreyer. Ben Harris, Damon Keith, and Ryan Sublette are also all good prospects but likely would not stick on an MLB Roster. If I had to guess, I would say that the Dodgers protect both Gauthier and Dreyer.
In the AFL, Zyhir Hope is sinking like a rock in the water. His OPS has dropped to .766, and he is hitting .233; Sean McLain continues to shine (.306 BA/.968OPS). Jake Gelof sits at .200. Eriq Swan has a 5.19 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP and has struck out 14 batters in 8.2 IP. Swan has a lot of potential in a back-of-the-bullpen role.
Discussion (34)
Disagree, not disagreeable
A popular YouTuber has made this prediction:
The Dodgers offer Teo about $75m over 3 years, but he decides to take bigger money over 4-5 years from another team. (Seems reasonable to me.)
So the Dodgers pivot to Plan B: A trade for Luis Robert Jr.
Yes, Robert is injury prone and had a weak ’24. But at 27, he is five years younger than Teo–and he also plays a high quality CF. The White Sox would be dealing Robert’s team-friendly contract, which would increase the cost in terms of prospects.
Not likely, but plausible.
BREAKING NEWS
The Dodgers announced today that Shohei Ohtani underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a labrum tear in his left shoulder that resulted from a dislocation. The club added that the two-way star is expected to be ready for spring training.
You know, I kinda don’t think any of the free agents fit the Dodger mold , and or needs. Except for Striker and Teoscar. And maybe an early innings eater al a Paxton. I anticipate another Busch trade. And maybe another trade……hmmm . But other than that, let’s get younger!
Book em
tiant and tommy john get in
If you have a surgery named after you, definitely should be in HOF
Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, John Donaldson, Steve Garvey, Dave Parker, Vic Harris, Tommy John and Luis Tiant were revealed today by the Hall of Fame as this year’s candidates on the Era Committee ballot. Most commonly known as the “veterans committee,” a panel of 16 people (comprised of former players, executives, sportswriters, and historians) will meet during the Winter Meetings to vote on whether or not any of these eight candidates will be elected to Cooperstown. At least 12 of 16 votes are needed for induction, and the results of the balloting will be revealed on December 8.
Rumors flying that Sasaki will be posted.
Well I don’t know where I came up with that.I guess that must have been a dream. I don’t try to misprint anything on purpose. I am writing about Mr.Kastin .I apologize.
you’re probably right about anthony s. mark. Although 44 and 102 are pretty good numbers, that .244 average would scare off potential suitors. God knows the dodgers have enough .244 and below batters! (max) (taylor) ( lux) (barnes) etc. but if Teo signs elsewhere? …. With the stars they have, can’t afford to go cheap. freddie, mookie, teo, (assuming he resigns) aren’t getting younger. i don’t believe James Outman is the answer in center. i’m not 100% convinced Pages is the answer in right. Plus, as good a nlcs as max had, he was pathetic in the world series! would love to acquire mcmahon from the rox, but that won’t happen. don’t really want soto, but a couple of strong hitters would make 2025 even more exciting!
i would take a chance with Bieber. i would pass on Verlander! Fried? absolutely! Manaea? maybe. but fried (1). Snell(2). Bieber (3). ….. Freeland could possibly have a chance to impress in spring training? if LA signs both Teo and Anthony S. they can cover SS by committee.
Ha-Seong Kim may not be ready until mid-season due to shoulder surgery, but he might command a 1-year/$12 Million deal (that’s what MLBTR Predicts) which would not be bad. Rojas could hopefully hold down the spot early in the season (providing he also recovers).
Max Fried could be a target for the Dodgers as MLBTR predicts he will get 6 years/$156 Million. He’s not a fireballer, so one could expect he will not need TJ for a while, but he has had forearm strains the past tywo years, so that is worrysome.
MLBTR predicts 1-Year at $15 Million. I would have given him the QO.
Some also predict Michael Soroka will sign with the Dodgers on the cheap. He’s just 27 and is just the type of pitcher the Dodgers love to rehabilitate. MLBTR predicts him to get $14 Mil over 2 years.
MLBTR predicts Jack Flaherty will get 5 years/$115 Million, so that is also a possibility.
How about Sean Manaea who is predicted at 3 years/$60 Million. Teoscar is also predicted to get the same deal.
Some are predicting Shane Bieber or Justin Verlader to the Dodgers .
It’s also possible none of that happens!
i would love to have Adames. at ss. BUT, i don’t see AF giving him a 7 year contract as most projections i see. i could see 4 @ 30 per year,but that’s probably the limit for AF. i also don’t believe Rojas will hold u physically for an entire 162 game season. i like Edman in a starter/super utility role, bouncing around the entire field. so maybe an earlier poster has a valid point. a certain ex padre SS could be a very under the radar option for SS. then my earlier suggestion of resigning Teo for left, sign Anthony S. from Baltimore, Edman in center and Kike . dump taylor , and concentrate on the bullpen. with hudson retired, Trienan possibly leaving, Kelly gone, 2 pieces for the pen become a priority. Mark i saw you mention Snell. Could he actually end up in LA? intriguing! Walks too many, but intriguing! But you’re right, they do need a lefty in the rotation. i would do that rather than gut the minors. .. i think the yankees did all other teams who would have pursued Cole a big favor. he’s outstanding, but i don’t see him finishing 5 years. i think they should have let him walk and gone after Burnes. now will Baltimore pony up and pay him? i doubt it. probably ends up being a met. i could also see Alonzo moving from Queens to the Bronx!.. the fun continues!
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal links the Dodgers as likely contenders for Sasaki.
Sasaki, 23, made his professional debut in 2021 in the Nippon Professional Baseball. He has pitched for the Chiba Lotte Marines for four seasons. Sasaki logged a 2.35 ERA with 129 strikeouts and 32 walks across 18 games this season. But, Sasaki reportedly declined an offer from his current team, suggesting a potential MLB career is in his future.
“The suspicion among many in the industry, almost everyone in the industry, that if this guy is posted, Roki Sasaki becomes available, the Los Angeles Dodgers will be heavy, heavy favorites to sign him,” Rosenthal said Monday on Foul Territory. “And can you imagine what that team would mean in Japan, then. It already has Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto to get Sasaki as well, well it would be even more so Japan’s team.”
The Dodgers have two spots available on the 40 man roster. Two pitchers currently on the 40 man that could be DFA are Logue and Brogdon. That would leave 4 spots for Rule 5 protection and free agent signings.
When Kershaw declined his player option it opened a spot on the 40 man. May have done it as a favor to the team.
Kershaw declines player option – presumably to give them time to negotiate a new deal.
At this stage… no one has any idea who will go where. I think the Dodgers will go 3 years/$70 Mill to Teoscar, but some team might give him a 4th year.
Teoscar Hernandez received a qualifying offer (no surprise). Buehler didn’t.
Here’s an idea for a LHP:
Robbie Ray opted out of his $25 million deal with the Giants. He had TJ in 2023. Give him a 3 yr/$60 Mil Deal!
I’m not sure, but I think I read that the Brewers released Devin Williams, the same one some wanted to trade for.
No, I just read the note and I was wrong, it is still under control until 2025
Some good background on how the Dodgers changed Banda’s slider and made him the success he was this year. Also, mentions how Lux during the season was well below average in driving in runs from 3rd with less than 2 outs.
https://flip.it/O3b273
Here’s a list of the Free Agents and The athletics Projections for them:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5893223/2024/11/04/mlb-top-free-agents-juan-soto-contract/
They predict Buehler will get 2 years/$32 Million and Teo will get 3 years/$69 Million.
Done deal!
Not thinking about ’25 for at least a few weeks.
Ill be at the ring Ceremony in March when we play the Tigers.
Gonna soak this in for a while fellas.
Enjoy it Dodger Talk Nation
Branch Rickey always said “Trade a player a year too early rather than a year too late”. For this very reason.
So many unknowns.
So – if Mookie returns to the infield that leaves only SS available to a middle infielder. Lux becomes superfluous. Maybe a trade candidate? He’s young and inexpensive, and the Dodgers are better with Mookie in RF.
Do they need 4 utility players? (Taylor, Edman, Rojas, Kike) If not, how do they re-sign Kike? Dump Taylor?
They have 3 holes in the OF. If Mookie plays RF, and Edman is the regular CF, then can they platoon Pages and Rushing or Outman? Does Edman play SS and they pray that Outman re-learns how to hit?
Teo is going to be expensive. He’s 32. The Dodgers are getting older. Mookie, Freddie, Ohtani, Barnes, Rojas, Muncy all on the wrong side of 30. They can’t keep going with the same guys – eventually they get old. That’s what happened to the Giants of 2010-12-14- they kept the gang together and mostly have been irrelevant since. They either need to make room for prospects and/or trade or sign players to get younger. (Adames is 29, Soto is 26. Most of the other top free agents are 30+)
6 man rotation next season – to start the year
Glasnow, Yamamoto, Ohtani, Gonsolin, and then who? Is Kershaw back for the start of the season? Does Miller return to 2023 form? Are Wrobleski, Casperius starters? Can Knack pitch to good teams? (Against .500+ teams, he gave up 9 HR in 130 PA and OPS against was .853; against bad teams he gave up 5 HR in 156 PA and OPS against was .563)
Using my crystal ball, they sign another starter – the best are Burnes, Fried, Snell and Flaherty. Or they trade for one. Maybe take a flier on Shane Bieber coming off of Tommy John surgery? They probably need one more RH bat -either SS or OF, probably OF. Maybe resign Teoscar, Tyler O’Neil? Or make a run at Soto?
Love Teoscar this season, but think we use the money to sign Willy Adammes, who can solidify SS and replace Teoscars production from the right side of the plate. The Teoscar deal was a win-win for both sides.
Keith Law has a Q&A @TheAthletic.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5889163/2024/11/01/live-qa-with-keith-law-on-free-agency-the-offseason-and-more/
Couple of interesting answers:
Question:
Does the plague of arm injuries change the value proposition for high end pitching for front office bean counters? Does the increase in arm injuries affect the ability to insure a contract?
Keith Law
I don’t know the answer to the insurance question, but I do see a growing number of FOs who don’t want to go past 3-4 years for any pitchers, and I think this winter’s group will see a lot more 1-2 year offers. There’s just an increasing belief that pitchers are disposable assets – get ’em in, burn ’em up, throw ’em away. I hate it.
Question:
Moneyball spoke about finding value in market efficiencies Do you see any? Cleveland pretty much killed the market efficiency of bull pen arms this year. Prices will skyrocket.
Keith Law
Following on the answer I just gave, I wonder if pure innings are a little undervalued right now.
Question:
Now that it’s over, what do you think went wrong with Farhan Zaidi’s drafting and development system? Do you believe the issue was organizational, philosophical, or maybe even bad luck?
Keith Law
@Carl W. I think a LOT of bad luck, and that maybe led to some decisions they wouldn’t have made otherwise, like rushing guys (Luciano, Matos, etc.). Also the one 100-win season probably upended a lot of internal plans for building over the longer term. Once you do that, the expectation from fans and ownership that you will continue winning at a similar pace can overwhelm the kind of more patient strategy I expected from Zaidi.
Question:
I was sad for the Dodgers, though happy for him, when they traded Michael Busch to the Cubs for Jackson Ferris and Zyir Hope. That trade is looking good for all at this point. Your thoughts?
Keith Law
@Jay O. Agreed, looks good for both sides. Hope really took a big step forward this year. Still not sure about the pitch selection, but he is some kind of athlete and he’s gotten a lot stronger.
i just don’t see outman in the outfield picture. like James, but i don’t think he’s ever going to be a big time player with the dodgers. Teo in left, edman in center, pages in right, adames at ss. i agree on kike,make him a dodger for the rest of his career. dump taylor. barnes is who he is. i can’t see rojas hitting next year like 2024. got to have another good hitter in there somewhere. heck, instead of spending a fortune on soto, sign Anthony S . from the orioles, and teo! trade outman and or pages. the fun continues!
Signing another batter does not seem to be the most important thing, the pitching staff is where there are several unknowns, and you have already seen how difficult this season was, I hope they do not repeat the mistake of trusting and reinforce the pitching.
Right now without signing any free agents, what does the lineup look like?
1B Freeman
2B Lux
3B Munchy
SS Edman
LF Pages
CF Outman
RF Betts
DH Ohtani
Even if they sign no free agents, the lineup doesn’t look that bad.
Bench are Taylor Rojas, Barnes
You forget Wrobleski, Mark. I have him slightly above Casparius on the SP depth chart, although Casparius could be a weapon in the bullpen.
BlakeSnell has had one TJ and will be 32 next season. I would be down with a 2-3 year deal, and in a 6-man rotation, he might stay healthy.
Kike was the heart and soul of the Dodgers this year, and I cannot see them letting him walk. Kike will be 34 next year and should retire as a Dodger. He got his vision fixed and is a very useful player. I can see him signing a two-year $10 Million deal.
Many thought the Dodgers did not have enough pitching this year, but it turns out they had just enough!
I really think May goes to the bullpen. I think we have enough pitching right now, but we could use another LHP.
If the Dodger really wanted Skubal or Crochet, they have the prospect capital to get them, but would have to include Rushing and DePaula!
I agree that signing Miggy means not much room for Lux. I am also thinking that Kike will not be resigned, We have Edman now. Maybe we can sign him back at trade deadline after he bats .220 on his new team. As for Barnes, I guess he was cheap enough and they are not ready to turn to any ‘kids’ for backup. But WOW, he didn’t have 1 AB in playoffs
The Dodgers will only shop in the deep end of the pool with players first with character and then skills. It’s the AF way of doing business. I would like them to sign a couple of quality pitchers, one named Snell as they were interested at the trading deadline. I know we have injured pitchers coming back like Gonsolin and May but how will they perform after their injuries is anyone’s guess, Is Miller still a head case or has he seen a shrink in the off season? You NEVER NEVER have enough pitching.