Heading into the weekend, skipper Dave Roberts insisted that the battle for the final two spots in the Dodgers‘ starting rotation remained open to four pitchers — Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Alex Wood and Scott Kazmir. However, after Kazmir’s attempt to gain leverage in the race by facing the Rangers on Sunday, it’s probably safe to assume the competition has been narrowed to three.
Continue reading “Dodgers 25-Man Roster: More Thoughts About the Starting Rotation Competition”
On Tuesday, just moments after we began a pessimistic discussion about the state of the Dodgers prospective rotation, lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu took the bump against the Brewers and fired four solid innings of one-hit, shutout ball, making a clear argument for himself to be considered among the starting pitching crew when Opening Day rolls around on April 3.
Continue reading “Dodgers Starting Rotation: How Can Alex Wood Secure a 25-Man Roster Spot?”
For many fans of the Dodgers, it’s beginning to become an annual occurrence — overwhelming optimism about a stacked rotation in the winter, eventually turning into genuine concern about the prospective starting pitching crew as Opening Day draws near. What was once a highly talented staff extending to the rafters at Triple-A Oklahoma City now has a few gray areas even at the big league level.
Continue reading “All of a Sudden, the Dodgers Starting Rotation Doesn’t Seem So Deep”
As a whole, quite a few factors will determine how the starting rotation of the Dodgers compares to those of others around baseball as the 2017 campaign progresses. First and foremost, good health is particularly critical, while overall stamina and endurance will also play key roles in the team’s prosperity. The presence of resident ace Clayton Kershaw probably warrants a Top 20 MLB ranking in itself, yet without the luxury of a true No. 2 starter, the Dodgers slide somewhere right in the middle of the Top 10, at least in the eyes of most informed fans.
Continue reading “How Does Dodgers’ Starting Rotation Stack Up to Others Around Baseball?”
With the arrival of Opening Day now hovering right around the three week mark, much of the fan focus has steadied on the prospective starting rotation of the Dodgers, as each passing day seemingly has one small happening or event which somehow affects the future makeup of the pitching staff.
Continue reading “Dodgers Starting Rotation: Progressions, More Predictions & Other Random Notes”
Now that a full week has passed since the Dodgers began their 2017 Cactus League campaign, we thought it may be a good time to revisit several of the roster battles that we’ve been discussing since the squad began taking shape earlier in the winter.
Continue reading “Dodgers Roster: Outlining the Battles that Could Go Down to the Wire”
Five weeks is a whole lot of time. But even though there’s still more than a month of Cactus League play to help the management crew of the Dodgers answer questions about the club’s prospective 25-man roster, early revelations in camp may be indicating the current pattern of thinking when it comes to the team’s starting pitching hierarchy.
Continue reading “Early Signs Could Be Pointing Towards Dodgers’ Opening Day Rotation Plans”
Even though the best available arms at Oklahoma City will undeniably be called upon more than once during the upcoming campaign, if the big league starting rotation of the Dodgers somehow stays relatively healthy for the majority of the season, the projected Triple-A rotation certainly has both the required talent and potential to be among the most elite in recent history.
Continue reading “Projecting the 2017 Starting Rotation at Oklahoma City”
While there’s definitely enough time for the front office crew of the Dodgers to sneak in another roster addition or two before the beginning of spring training, the starting pitching department probably isn’t an area on the agenda to upgrade, as management is already challenged with the task of selecting a group of five pitchers to form a rotation from potentially ten or so healthy arms.
Continue reading “Dodgers Roster: Constructing a Workable Starting Rotation for 2017”
It almost feels like it’s becoming a tradition during the offseason to write a short little story about Alex Wood, discussing how he fits into the Dodgers‘ pitching staff for the upcoming campaign. Next thing you know, management and trainers will be telling reporters that southpaw Hyun-Jin Ryu is at his peak physically, and is ready to take on a heavy workload during Cactus League play.
Continue reading “How Does Alex Wood Fit into Dodgers’ 2017 Roster Puzzle?”
Think Blue Planning Committee 