With exactly three weeks remaining until 2022 Opening Day, fans of the Dodgers wonder if the team is finished making significant roster moves, particularly regarding the starting rotation.
There were a few minor moves on Friday as the team took another shot with veteran southpaw Danny Duffy and 32-year-old lefty Tyler Anderson. Duffy’s in the same boat as he was last year with an injury, but there’s a pretty good chance that Anderson could step right into the team’s starting rotation, at least until Trevor Bauer’s fate is decided.
The thing about Anderson is that he doesn’t have any options, so he’s likely to stay on the big-league roster until he proves himself ineffective. He’s a starter by trade, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t contribute as a reliever at some point. Over 117 major league appearances, the 6-foot-2 Las Vegas native has made 113 starts.
What’s even more interesting is if Anderson starts the year in the rotation, we could see four lefties featured beside righty Walker Buehler, including Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias, Andrew Heaney and Anderson. Obviously, there are a handful of contenders for the final rotation spot — see Tony Gonsolin and David Price — but Anderson has as good a shot as any.
Bauer will remain on paid administrative leave until April 16, as commissioner Rob Manfred’s name has become overwhelmingly synonymous with the word “procrastination.” Even if Bauer is reinstated, it’s hard to say how long he’ll need to get ready.
Regardless, there’s nothing overwhelmingly appealing about Anderson aside from the fact that he’s consistently average, which may be a bit below the Dodgers’ standards. He hasn’t been on the disabled list since the summer of 2019, and that lasted most of the year because of surgery to fix a chondral defect in his knee. He has shown the propensity to eat a few innings, as indicated by his 176 frames thrown in 2018 and 167 pitched last year.
Splitting last season between the Pirates and the Mariners, the former 2011 first-round draft pick of the Rockies went 7-11 with a 4.53 ERA, a 4.52 FIP and a 1.319 WHIP over 31 starts. Those numbers were right on pace with his career 4.62 ERA, 4.43 FIP and 1.315 WHIP averages.
As pointed out by our friend Anthony Franco over at MLBTR, Anderson doesn’t throw terribly hard. Last year, Anderson’s heater averaged just 90.6 MPH, a few ticks down from the MLB average of 92.5 MPH.
Nevertheless, Anderson is a control artist and uses a repertoire consisting of a four-seam, a sinker a cutter, a change and an occasional curveball.
Maybe Anderson can pick up a few pointers from Clayton. They throw at about the same speed.
Anderson and Kershaw are not that far apart in age, either.
Boy, would it ever be nice to have Scherzer in that rotation.
I’m working on an Anderson for Scherzer trade but I’m having a problem with Cohen. He wants to include deGrom but I don’t want to take advantage of a new owner.
Soler signs with the Marlins. 3/36.
Well, it wasn’t a very exciting signing, but it will do the trick for now.
He has opt out clauses after the first two years of the deal. If he has a monster season, he will probably use it. Duffy to the 60 day IL. Most likely May will join him. Dodger pitchers who are starters on the roster. LH, Urias, Kershaw, Heaney, Anderson, Price. RH, Buehler, Gonsolin. White and Phillips could also start in a pinch. Bullpen looks to be Treinen, Graterol, Hudson, Gonzalez, Vesia and take your pick, Bickford, Bruihl, Ferguson, Cleavenger, Kahnle. Those guys probably the most likely pitchers to make the roster. We know Bauer will not be on the opening day roster, and even if he is reinstated, he would need at least 3 weeks pitching against someone to get ready. MLB is really hamstringing the Dodgers by taking so long to make a decision. If he is suspended, we better hope it is without pay.
It looks like he is a placeholder unkess he figures something out. Hopefully the young pitchers like Pepiot, Miller, Jackson and White develop during the 1st half of the season and take the places of whoever is not oerforming.
Trevor Story goes to the Red Sox on a 6 year deal. He will be playing second base in Boston. He also got opt out clauses. Hanser Alberto is still not listed on the active roster, so his signing is not yet official.
That is a good landing spot for Story. He should be reliably consistent at bashing balls off and over the green monster. Plus he got a shortstop’s contract with a second baseman’s arm. By the end of last season he had to take a hop to get the ball to first with anything on it.
I liked the guys bat a lot, but once Arenado left, he was more or less hung out on a limb.
I believe the Dodgers are ready to begin transitioning to their young pitchers on the Farm. If they can use young talent in the next few years especially without Jansen, and with Price and Kershaw’s contracts ending next year the Dodgers can afford high end position players contracts like Freeman and resigning Buehler and Bellinger if he demonstrates he is over his issues. Are they planning to give Lux enough at bats to see if he can replace T Turner? Or do they offer to extend Turner? The problem I see is the Dodgers have some highly rated Minor League players due up by next year like Vargas and if they continue to sign position players to multiple year deals there is no where for them to go. Barnes and J Turner are also due new contracts next year. Do they bring up Cartaya? How about Vargas? They added Leonard and Eddys to their 40 man they must believe they have talent.
Cartaya will be the backup next year, Bellinger already looks better than he did most of last year. New stance, choking up on the bat. With a professional hitter like Freeman now on the team, Belli is not going to have a lot of pressure. Turner has expressed willingness to sign a long term deal. I do not believe Lux is going to crack this lineup as an everyday player. He will be the LH version of Taylor. Alberto has not reported yet. Seems he is still waiting on a visa. Not on the 40 man at this point. Darkhorse candidate to make the staff for me is Carson Fullmer. Guy has some nasty stuff. Vesia, Hudson, Trienen, Gonzalez and Graterol will all probably get a shot at closing games. Like a few years ago, the starting staff is lefty heavy. Duffy and May already on the 60 day IL. MLB hamstringing the Dodgers with their snail pace reaching a decision on Bauer. He is already not going to be on the roster to start the season. LA can only hope if he does get suspended, which is going to start a huge legal battle with his lawyers, that somehow he gets in enough work to be of some use if they want him back. Lefty starters, Kersh, Urias, Price, Heaney, Anderson.
I beg to differ, Bear. I’ll bet you 20 pushups that Cartaya is not the backup catcher next year.
He’s 20 years old and has never played above Low A Ball. If he’s with the big club next year that will mean he’s jumped three levels in one year to get there. And since Smith will still be the starter in 2023 (and quite possibly an All Star) that will mean Cartaya spends most of his time on the bench. Can’t even say we could give him much DH time because there are so many other guys who will be cycling through there. Why keep a great young player on the bench when he could play every day at AAA?
Cartaya will arrive in 2024 at the earliest. And by the way, if I’m wrong, I’m having Scoop do my pushups. I could get down on the first one, but no way I’d get back up.
Agree. Cartaya won’t be anywhere near ready until at least 2024 or 25. He has a lot to prove yet and catchers take a little longer. In 2 years will decide jf he is a player or trade him. Sitting on the bench makes. No sense. Let’s see if he can hit real pitching. I’m actually, optomistic button at age 20/21.
Scoop would have to do mine too. I think Cartaya starts the year in AA. He will finish at AAA.
I think he starts at High A (Great Lakes).
As long as Scoop is doing the pushups for both of us, lets increase it from 20 to 50.
Yeah, he needs the exercise and neither of us need the heart attack doing that much exercise would bring.
Just to keep the metaphysical ether in balance, I will again match Bear’s thoughts on Lux with my thoughts that Lux will be the regular second baseman this year.
Bear, you don’t even have to go out on a different limb than the one you took to say Cartaya will be the backup catcher next year. That limb will do just fine to say Lux will be the regular second baseman this year.
I love it when you are wrong. No way Lux gets the regular job as long as Muncy is healthy.
Anderson’s contribution? He’ll chew up maybe 125 innings and lose as many as he wins.
I’d like to see Turner extended but I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t happen. Lux at short long term? He has some work to do.
I’m pretty sure we will see the more experienced prospect pitchers sometime mid season. Hopefully we won’t need to do it, we will just choose to do it. Bet Pepiot can’t wait to get out there again. Karros nailed it, he’s missing his spots within the zone. He should be fine eventually. I still believe Miller has ace stuff and will be ready soon. And…. there’s still Bauer. Bullpen? I think it’s going to be better than many people expect it to be. Maybe not right away, but we have a number of great arms down there, including Gonzalez, Cleavinger, Bruihl, Ferguson, Duffy, Kahnle and Nelson.
This team is loaded. They just need to stay healthy.
I hope Bellinger chokes this year. About an inch up from the handle like he is doing this spring ought to do.
It still amazes me that coming off of a MVP season, where he batted over .400 for a couple of months, Bellinger changed his swing, and kept trying to stick with the change all of 2020, and 2021. He cost himself millions of dollars messing with his mechanics, even if he has a great year, this season, teams are going to be very weary of giving him a long term, big money contract. After seeing how lost he looked at the plate last year, it’s going to take a lot more than choking up on the bat to fix that swing. He is one of my favorites to watch, he’s outstanding in the field, whether it’s at first or OF, so I hope he can fix his swing.
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