Spring Training begins in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 23, and pitchers and catchers report on Tuesday.
Just like every other season, the Dodgers have their pros and cons. This year’s pros are the return of a handful of players after missing significant time with injuries last season. This year’s cons are a salary-dump trade and offseason changes. It remains to be seen how good a team they’ll be after losing more than they’ve gained.
No more Yasiel Puig. No more Matt Kemp. No more Alex Wood. The Dodgers cleaned out their crowded outfield to remain under the luxury-tax threshold. This allowed the team to sign free-agent outfielder A.J. Pollock.
They did not make a trade for power hitting catcher J.T. Realmuto, but were active to some extent. The deal never happened and the former Miami star was dealt to Philadelphia.
Defense is what the Dodgers value most in Austin Barnes. With Yasmani Grandal gone, Barnes will likely be splitting time behind the plate with veteran catcher Russell Martin, who the team re-acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays last month.
He has shown the confidence that he can correct his mechanics, ensuring that he’s a fixture at backstop. Barnes’ mentality is to string together hits, reach base and provide much-needed stability.
Neither Barnes nor Russell are known for their offense. But Barnes says he’s been working with hitting guru Robert Van Scoyoc to improve his batting average. After posting hitting .205 with four home runs, he overhauled his swing and looks to genuinely have a more productive season.
The Dodgers were cautious about signing attractive names, such as Bryce Harper and Manny Machado to long-term, record-setting contracts.
The issues, with the new season right around the corner, is the health status of Corey Seager, the staple for this club when he’s healthy. All eyes will be on him, all the attention will focus on him come Opening Day.
The superstar shortstop missed most of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right throwing arm. His loss was a blow, as the Dodgers sincerely missed what his bat had to offer to a sluggish offense.
Before Seager went down with his season-ending injury, he slashed .267/.348/.396 with two home runs and 13 RBIs in 26 games. It’s unclear if he will be ready for Opening Day after elbow and hip operations.
If he’s ruled out to begin the 2019 campaign, Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez can fill in nicely at shortstop, given their versatility.
The Dodgers will get a look at a trio of outfielders, which includes a new face. The bar is set high, very high for Pollock now that he’s on a team with championship aspirations.
The key for him is to stay healthy and, in order to keep the 31-year-old from sustaining an injury that could limit him, Dodgers manger Dave Roberts could take the necessary precautions. He can move Pollock over to right, Cody Bellinger to center and Alex Verdugo to left.
Center fielders make a considerable amount of plays, cover plenty of ground and have to patrol the toughest part of the field. And now, Verdugo is set to likely take over as an everyday outfielder. Even though the Dodgers fell short of their lofty goals last season, Bellinger helped the team reach the World Series.
They’re once again in search of an elusive championship. If they come anywhere close to finally breaking through, their starting rotation has to have one heck of a year.
The Dodgers were serious about bolstering their starting rotation and expressed interest in acquiring Cleveland’s Corey Kluber. The Cy-Young Award winner certainly would have come at a high cost.
Nevertheless, while the Dodgers didn’t add a quality arm, the deepest rotation in the NL West remains with the Dodgers. Without any major acquisitions, the team is banking on Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda.
Most notably, the Dodgers fortified their bullpen with the signing of Joe Kelly. He’s a major upgrade to a bullpen that was derailed by injuries last season.
But what’s more is they have a handful of strong and healthy arms—Pedro Baez, Ross Stripling, Scott Alexander, Tony Cingrani, Julio Urias and Caleb Ferguson.
The biggest concern is Kenley Jansen, who is coming off heart surgery. Roberts believes there’ll be a real difference in his energy. After he was limited to a lighter workload last spring, he’s taking Spring Training seriously. He should be fresher, healthier and more energized in drills.
The Dodgers remain within striking distance, aiming to win their seventh consecutive division title.
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