Los Angeles Dodgers: 5 Under-the-Radar Players to Watch in Spring Games
The Los Angeles Dodgers spent big this offseason to retain their own key free agents, while also adding an impact bat at second base in the form of Logan Forsythe.
As a result, there's not much in the way of position battles or roster openings to discuss this spring with the Opening Day roster more or less set.
However, it's a long season and opportunities will arise for lesser-known players to make a contribution at the big league level.
What follows is a look at five under-the-radar players worth keeping an eye on this spring.
The focus here is on players not projected for a spot on the Opening Day roster and, in the case of prospects, on players ranked outside the organization's top 10 by all of the major outlets.
So with that, let's shine some light on a few lesser-knowns in Dodgers camp.
OF Brett Eibner
1 of 5
DOB: Dec. 2, 1988 (28 years old)
Height/Weight: 6'4", 225 lbs
Acquired: Trade with Oakland Athletics (Jan. 25, 2017)
2016 Stats
AAA: 54 G, 237 PA, .289/.394/.528, 22 XBH (12 HR), 34 RBI, 41 R, 5/6 SB
MLB: 70 G, 208 PA, .193/.266/.353, 17 XBH (6 HR), 22 RBI, 21 R, 0/2 SB
Player Outlook
The Dodgers already had a crowded outfield situation at the start of the offseason.
However, that didn't stop them from trading for Brett Eibner in January after he was designated for assignment by the Oakland Athletics, so clearly they see something in the 28-year-old.
A former Kansas City Royals farmhand who was a second-round pick in 2010, Eibner turned in back-to-back impressive seasons at the Triple-A level before finally earning his first taste of big league action last season.
- 2015: 431 PA, .878 OPS, 23 2B, 19 HR, 81 RBI, 65 R
- 2016: 237 PA, .922 OPS, 9 2B, 12 HR, 34 RBI, 41 R
He was flipped to Oakland in July for fellow outfielder Billy Burns, before being traded again this offseason.
At this point, he doesn't offer much in the way of upside, but his ability to play center field and intriguing minor league power production make him a good flier for the Dodgers.
Even if he doesn't break camp with the team, ongoing questions at the two corner outfield spots could afford him an opportunity to contribute at some point during the upcoming season.
SP Trevor Oaks
2 of 5DOB: March 26, 1993 (23 years old)
Height/Weight: 6'3", 220 lbs
Acquired: 2014 draft, seventh round (219th overall)
2016 Stats
A+/AA/AAA: 24 GS, 14-3, 2.74 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 21 BB, 108 K, 151.0 IP
Player Outlook
The Los Angeles Dodgers young pitching depth has taken a hit over the past year.
Grant Holmes, Frankie Montas and Jharel Cotton were sent to the Oakland Athletics at the trade deadline for Rich Hill and Josh Reddick, while Jose De Leon was shipped to the Tampa Bay Rays this offseason for Logan Forsythe. Chase De Jong was recently sent to the Seattle Mariners in a prospect swap.
That makes the emergence of someone like Trevor Oaks that much more important.
The 23-year-old climbed three minor league levels last season to reach Triple-A, and while he doesn't have elite stuff, he's proved he knows how to consistently get upper-level hitters out.
"Oaks pounds the bottom of the strike zone, and though he doesn't miss a lot of bats, he has what it takes to be an efficient workhorse starter," MLB.com's Prospect Watch noted.
The Dodgers rotation is crowded at the moment, but there's a good chance Oaks will make his MLB debut in some capacity during the upcoming season.
For what it's worth, dude also has some serious piano skills.
RP Jacob Rhame
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DOB: March 16, 1993 (23 years old)
Height/Weight: 6'1", 215 lbs
Acquired: 2013 draft, sixth round (184th overall)
2016 Stats
AAA: 54 G, 1-7, 7 SV, 3.29 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 28 BB, 70 K, 63.0 IP
Player Outlook
The late-inning tandem of Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen will once again be closing out games for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season.
The rest of the bullpen is anything but set, though.
Newcomer Sergio Romo joins Grant Dayton, Chris Hatcher, Luis Avilan, Josh Fields and a pair of starters without a rotation spot—Brandon McCarthy and Alex Wood—as the leading candidates to round out the relief corps.
One name outside that group to watch is right-hander Jacob Rhame.
The 23-year-old has one of the best fastballs in the system as he can touch triple-digits with a four-seamer that features late life from a deceptive delivery.
His ultimate place in the bullpen will be determined by the development of his secondary stuff.
"...Rhame still is searching for something reliable beyond his fastball. While he can run his slider into the upper 80s, it's a fringy pitch that lacks tilt, and he hasn't had much luck with a splitter. If he can find a second pitch, he could be a high-leverage reliever in the big leagues," MLB.com's Prospect Watch explained.
After a strong showing in Triple-A last season, his first big league opportunity could be right around the corner.
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RP Patrick Schuster
4 of 5
DOB: Oct. 30, 1990 (26 years old)
Height/Weight: 6'2", 190 lbs
Acquired: Minor league free-agent signing (Nov. 5, 2016)
2016 Stats
AAA: 32 G, 1-0, 7 SV, 1.16 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 12 BB, 39 K, 38.2 IP
MLB: 11 G, 0-1, 0 SV, 18.69 ERA, 2.89 WHIP, 10 BB, 8 K, 8.2 IP
Player Outlook
Patrick Schuster was the top pick in the 2014 Rule 5 draft, and he went on quite the odyssey in the three months following his selection.
The left-hander went from Arizona to Houston to San Diego to Kansas City before eventually being returned to Arizona just before the start of the regular season.
It was not until this past season that he finally made his MLB debut as a member of the Oakland Athletics, appearing in 11 games out of the bullpen before being designated for assignment and claimed by the Philadelphia Phillies.
His brief stint in the majors didn't yield good results, but his Triple-A numbers were awfully impressive, and the Dodgers quickly snapped him up with a minor league deal at the start of the offseason.
The 26-year-old pitches sinker-slider with the occasional changeup, and he has a chance to develop into an effective lefty specialist after holding left-handed hitters to a .171 average and .510 OPS in Triple-A last season.
Grant Dayton and Luis Avilan look like the top left-handed options for this year's bullpen, and Adam Liberatore is also on the 40-man roster, but Schuster could eventually get a look if he continues to dominate at the minor league level.
IF/OF Darnell Sweeney
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DOB: Feb. 1, 1991 (26 years old)
Height/Weight: 6'1", 195 lbs
Acquired: Trade with Philadelphia Phillies (Nov. 11, 2016)
2016 Stats
AAA: 118 G, .233/.299/.345, 93 H, 28 XBH (6 HR), 35 RBI, 48 R, 12/23 SB
Player Outlook
Darnell Sweeney climbed as high as the No. 16 spot among Los Angeles Dodgers prospects prior to the 2015 season, according to Baseball America.
A .288/.387/.463 line with 34 doubles, 14 home runs, 57 RBI and 88 runs scored in a full season at the Double-A level put him on the map, and the Dodgers wound up shipping him to the Philadelphia Phillies that August in the deal that brought Chase Utley to Los Angeles.
Now he's back in LA after being reacquired in the November deal that sent Howie Kendrick to the Phillies.
However, things have not gone well for the versatile Sweeney the past two seasons, and he bottomed out last year with an ugly .233/.299/.345 line over 447 plate appearances in Triple-A.
So why keep an eye on him this spring?
Well, for one, he's still just 26 years old and even when he wasn't hitting last season he was still walking at an 8.5 percent clip so his disciplined approach hasn't waned.
He also provides valuable versatility with the ability to play second, third, shortstop and all three outfield spots.
The Dodgers gave a fair amount of playing time to Kike Hernandez and Charlie Culberson last season and got little in the way of offensive production, so any sort of return to his previous form could put Sweeney in position for a bench role.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.com, unless otherwise noted.
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