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In two separate transactions Saturday morning, the Dodgers signed veteran lefty reliever Sean Burnett to a minor league deal, while placing outfielder Carl Crawford on the 15-day disabled list with a sore lower back.
Continue reading “Dodgers Sign Lefty Reliever, Place Crawford on 15-Day DL”
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After being probably the biggest question mark encompassing most of the Dodgers’ spring camp, manager Dave Roberts finally named the fifth starter in the pitching rotation Friday afternoon, announcing that 26-year old righty Ross Stripling will take the hill on April 8 against the Giants.
Continue reading “Ross Stripling Earns Dodgers’ Fifth Rotation Spot”
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With only a handful of days remaining before the Dodgers officially submit their 25-man roster, the bullpen remains one of the few areas that has stayed relatively healthy throughout the spring, and outside of maybe one possible bubble player, is in its final stages of being a finished product — at least for the beginning of the season.
Continue reading “Projecting the Dodgers’ 2016 Opening Day Bullpen”
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During the final days leading up to the beginning of the 2016 Cactus League season, very few questions remained regarding how exactly the Dodgers’ 25-man roster would be constructed to start the regular season. Today, however, with each passing hour, some of the best Dodger bloggers in the business are finding it difficult to keep up with every single developing story that affects the team’s prospective roster.
Continue reading “Who Earns Fifth Spot in Dodgers Starting Rotation?”
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In addition to missing the first three months of the season because of a fractured tibia, Dodgers’ outfielder Andre Ethier‘s absence is also having secondary effects on the substance of the squad — most specifically, determining which player fills his vacated spot on the 25-man roster.
Continue reading “Is Alex Guerrero in Line for a 25-Man Roster Spot?”
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The injury department became much worse for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday afternoon when a follow-up CT scan of outfielder Andre Ethier‘s right leg revealed a fractured tibia.
Ethier is expected to spend up to 14 weeks on the disabled list. No surgery will be needed.
Continue reading “Dodgers’ Ethier Facing 10-14 Week Absence After Breaking Tibia”
(Photo Credit: mlb.com/AP photo)
When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed right-handed reliever Louis Coleman to a one-year, $725,000 deal last month, it didn’t create much buzz among the fan base, much less indicate any type of significant upgrade in the bullpen. However, after a careful analysis of the possible roles he could play in the 2016 Dodgers bullpen, Coleman may be considered a lock for the 25-man roster come Opening Day.
Continue reading “Dodgers Bullpen: Making a Case for Louis Coleman”
According to a team press release Sunday morning, the Los Angeles Dodgers officially signed Cuban righty Yaisel Sierra to a six-year contract.
Per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, Sierra is expected to receive a guarantee of about $30 million. Because of his age and experience, he is not subject to the international signing guidelines.
Sierra, 24, pitched five seasons in Cuba’s Serie Nacional with Holguin (2010-14) and Sancti Spiritus (2012). During that span, he went 16-21 with 25 saves and a 4.23 ERA in 131 games which included 25 starts. In his 2013 season with Holguin, Sierra posted a 3.92 ERA with a 7.0 K/9 in 101 innings, despite recording a 5.7 BB/9.
In a report last week, Keith Law of ESPN (subscription required) noted that Sierra should be close to being MLB-ready and may best profile as a middle reliever when he debuts for the Dodgers:
“He has a very quick arm, coming from a high three-quarters slot with a 93-97 mph fastball and a hard cutter-like slider that flashes plus but is nowhere near consistent enough. He has no changeup to speak of yet and well below-average control.”
During a showcase in Florida last October, Sierra performed well before an audience of 350 scouts and baseball officials. Ben Badler of Baseball America (subscription required) recapped Sierra’s performance:
“Sierra threw 34 pitches on Thursday, including 19 fastballs, 12 sliders and two changeups. His average fastball velocity was 94.7 mph, and the pitch peaked at 96 multiple times and once dropped to 91. Sierra had outstanding command of his fastball down and to his glove side. He also had command of his slider in the same spot. Sierra’s slider broke with very late two-plane movement, and he ran it away from righthanded batters consistently, and the pitch showed the ability to compete in the strike zone. Sierra threw what appeared to be a changeup twice. The pitch had more vertical movement than his slider, and did not have overwhelming fade, though he did hit his spots with it.”
Badler also noted on Twitter that Sierra could rise to a potential mid-rotation starter with the help of a very experienced Dodgers’ pitching staff. In spite of the high risk factor, there’s reason to hope he can improve his control.
Also in the Baseball America interview, Sierra seemed excited and confident in regards to the development of his secondary pitches:
“I worked 24/7 for my slider and changeup,” Sierra told Teddy Cahill through translator and former big leaguer Alex Sanchez. “I was very excited to throw my slider and changeup because they don’t throw that kind of pitch in Cuba.”
To create room on the 40-man roster for Sierra, the Dodgers placed right-handed pitcher Frankie Montas on the 60-day disabled list after having rib resection surgery last week.
Manager Dave Roberts indicated early Sunday that Sierra should be arriving to camp within the next few days.
(Photo Credit: mlb.com)
As the reporting date for pitchers and catchers continues to creep upon us, the basic layout for the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ 25-man roster seems to be just about set.
Back on Christmas Eve, we made an educated guess as to what the 2016 roster may look like. Since that time, the Dodgers’ front office has filled a few gaping holes and added much needed depth with players such as Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda, Joe Blanton and Howie Kendrick.
It remains unknown if the Dodgers are continuing to pursue late-inning relief help. Earlier in the winter we saw the front office back out of a trade for flame thrower Aroldis Chapman, while rumored progress for landing Andrew Miller or Jake McGee via trade eventually fizzled. For now, the brunt of eighth inning workload will seemingly fall on Chris Hatcher and J.P. Howell.
It also appears as if other teams are finally calling Los Angeles about their outfielder surplus — most specifically Andre Ethier — however, any type of progress regarding momentum has not yet been reported. Breaking up the existing logjam could prove to be beneficial as Trayce Thompson waits for an opportunity to contribute quickness and speed, in addition to having the ability of covering all three outfield spots.
On the injury front, all issues are progressing as expected. Reports reveal no major concerns for Yasmani Grandal or Enrique Hernandez, while the timetable on the return of Justin Turner may be slightly delayed. Hyun-jin Ryu also appears to be on schedule; yet with the newly acquired starting pitching depth, the Dodgers certainly have the luxury of executing due diligence in all aspects of his recovery and won’t necessarily be focused on a return when the regular season commences.
Here’s how the 25-man roster shapes up at the present moment:
Outfielders (5) – Andre Ethier, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke
Infielders (6) – Justin Turner, Howie Kendrick, Corey Seager, Chase Utley, Adrian Gonzalez and Enrique Hernandez
Catchers (2) – Yasmani Grandal and A.J. Ellis
Starting Pitchers (5) – Clayton Kershaw, Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda, Brett Anderson and Alex Wood
Bullpen (7) – Kenley Jansen, Chris Hatcher, Pedro Baez, J.P. Howell, Luis Avilan, Yimi Garcia and Joe Blanton
It’s almost fascinating how the Dodgers continuously become deeper. The bench could potentially be among the best in baseball. With Crawford, Van Slyke, Ellis, Utley and Hernandez, the Dodgers rank excellently in terms of high-leverage pinch hitting, platoon arrangements and coverage against injury.
Position players waiting in the wings not on the 25-man include Thompson, Elian Herrera, Micah Johnson, Charlie Culberson and Austin Barnes. The bullpen, despite being very young, may be in much better shape than many think, especially in terms of depth. Adam Liberatore, Frankie Montas, Jharel Cotton, Chris Anderson, Josh Ravin and Ian Thomas will all be ready at Triple-A Oklahoma City when needed.
The door continues to close on utility man Alex Guerrero, as there’s still no word on how the Dodgers will utilize the 29-year-old moving forward. Perhaps showcasing his talents during the spring may capture the attention of another team in need, although his contract is probably too much of a mess for anyone else to maintain interest.
One area of concern that remains is the lack of the traditional leadoff batter. Pederson’s current strikeout rate is way too high for him to maintain a high OBP and be productive at the top of the order. Other options here are limited, but may include Kendrick or Puig, being that the sabermetric philosophy of Andrew Friedman doesn’t put a high value on stolen bases, sacrifice bunting or other types of hit-and-run scenarios.
All that being said, we will try to keep the 25-man projections updated as opening day approaches. We’ll stay on top of any roster moves and injury updates, and make one final prediction at the 25-man a week or so before the season begins. Be sure to check back frequently for reports on relative transactions, trade rumors and opinions.
(Photo Credit: geeksandcleats.com)
As we approach Christmas weekend, everyone here at TBPC chose to put together a fun, quick post about the Los Angeles Dodgers that really wouldn’t take a ton of work or research.
We decided on taking a look at the 25-man roster as if the season began today — basically just to illustrate how much work actually remains before pitchers and catchers report on February 19.
A few things to note before we begin: we did include Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner, assuming they make clean recoveries and are 100% healthy by spring training. We did not, however, include Hyun-jin Ryu. Currently, all signs point to him being on schedule, but there are just too many factors at this point to pencil him into the starting rotation.
So with no further ado, here’s how we broke down our version of the 25-man at this juncture of the offseason (and it wasn’t really fun or quick, by the way):
Outfielders (5) – Andre Ethier, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke
Infielders (6) – Justin Turner, Corey Seager, Chase Utley, Adrian Gonzalez, Enrique Hernandez and Alex Guerrero
Catchers (2) – Yasmani Grandal and A.J. Ellis
Starting Pitchers (5) – Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson, Alex Wood, Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias
Bullpen (7) – Kenley Jansen, Chris Hatcher, Pedro Baez, J.P. Howell, Luis Avilan, Yimi Garcia and Adam Liberatore
Of course, the most glaring concern is the starting rotation. There’s no need to panic just yet, because additions will be made and there’s still plenty of time. January 8 is an important date to remember, as Kenta Maeda‘s camp will have arrived at a contract decision by day’s end. And it’s also safe to speculate that at least one other starter will be added via trade or free agency, giving Frias the ability to slide back into the swingman role.
A strong and healthy Ryu would also fill a slot, but it’s just not safe to hope and wait for that length of time.
It’s very much worth noting that the two most talented pitchers in the entire organization not named Kershaw, José De León and Julio Urias, aren’t even a part of the 40-man roster just yet. Look for that to change as Opening Day approaches — unless some type of impact trade occurs and surprises everyone.
Another area of concern is the bullpen, which right now looks the same as last year, sans Juan Nicasio and Jim Johnson. This seems to be a priority for Andrew Friedman as well, as made evident by the attempt to bring aboard Aroldis Chapman. There are a few other options in-house, as players such as Frankie Montas, Jharel Cotton, Chris Anderson, Josh Ravin and Ian Thomas are waiting in the wings.
With the exception of the Alex Guerrero situation, the infield may hold up just fine barring any type of injury epidemic. Ronald Torreyes waits at Triple-A to provide any required cover at second, third or short. Micah Johnson, Charlie Culberson and Austin Barnes could provide additional depth, if needed.
Trayce Thompson was acquired to provide complimentary depth at all three outfield spots, but it’s inconceivable to think that the Dodgers will carry six outfielders. It’s easy to speculate that somebody could be moved in some type of trade for a much needed starting pitcher or bullpen piece.
One additional area of concern is the lack of the traditional leadoff batter. Pederson’s strikeout rate is way too high for him to maintain a high OBP. Other options here are limited, but may include Hernandez or Puig, being that the sabermetric philosophy of Friedman doesn’t put a high value on stolen bases.
All that being said, there’s still a multitude of work remaining for the front office. Hopefully Farhan Zaidi and Friedman come fresh out of the gates after the New Year, and finish molding the roster with high hopes, expectations and the talent to contend in 2016.
(Photo Credit: Joe Hamilton)
Think Blue Planning Committee 