Los Angeles Dodgers: Final Predictions for Each Key Spring Position Battle
The Los Angeles Dodgers had a busy winter.
First, they spent big to bring back key free agents Justin Turner, Kenley Jansen and Rich Hill.
Then they shored up perhaps the biggest hole on the roster by trading top pitching prospect Jose De Leon to the Tampa Bay Rays for second baseman Logan Forsythe.
Finally, they capped off the offseason by signing veteran reliever Sergio Romo to provide some additional support in bridging the gap to Jansen in the ninth inning.
Manager Dave Roberts still has some decisions to make, though.
A trio of players are vying for the utility infield job, and the field is even deeper in pursuit of the fifth outfielder spot with Andre Ethier headed for the disabled list.
On the pitching side of things, a No. 5 starter will still need to be selected and there appear to be at least two bullpen spots up for grabs as well.
Ahead we've taken an in-depth look at those positions battles and made predictions for who inevitably ends up breaking camp when the team heads north.
Roster Overview
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Projected Opening Day Roster
| C Yasmani Grandal | LHP Clayton Kershaw |
| 1B Adrian Gonzalez | LHP Rich Hill |
| 2B Logan Forsythe | RHP Kenta Maeda |
| 3B Justin Turner | RHP Brandon McCarthy |
| SS Corey Seager | **TBD** |
| LF Andrew Toles (R) | |
| CF Joc Pederson | **TBD** |
| RF Yasiel Puig | **TBD** |
| LHP Luis Avilan | |
| C/IF Austin Barnes (R) | RHP Sergio Romo |
| IF Chase Utley | LHP Grant Dayton |
| **TBD** | RHP Pedro Baez |
| **TBD** | RHP Kenley Jansen |
| OF Franklin Gutierrez |
Projected DL: SP Scott Kazmir (hip tightness), SP Hyun-Jin Ryu (elbow surgery), OF Andre Ethier (herniated disk), RP Yimi Garcia (Tommy John surgery).
Utility Infielder
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The Early Favorite
- Kike Hernandez (5-for-19, 1 2B)
Hernandez was a major weapon off the bench for the Dodgers in 2015, hitting .307/.346/.490 with 21 extra-base hits in 218 plate appearances while playing second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield spots.
Despite hitting just .190/.283/.324 last season, his versatility and past success still made him the front-runner to claim the utility infield role heading into spring training.
For the record, the 25-year-old does still have one minor league option remaining.
Other Contenders
- Charlie Culberson (12-for-46, 2 2B, 1 3B)
- Chris Taylor (14-for-34, 3 2B, 1 3B)
Culberson was outrighted off the 40-man roster in December after hitting .299 over 68 plate appearances at the MLB level last season.
He'll head back to Triple-A as useful veteran depth.
It's Taylor who looks to have a real chance to unseat Hernandez and win a spot on the Opening Day roster.
The former Seattle Mariners prospect was acquired last summer for 2010 first-round pick Zach Lee. He has yet to break through at the MLB level, but his performance this spring and a strong showing in Triple-A last year should open some eyes.
The 26-year-old hit .322/.397/.474 with 34 extra-base hits and 17 stolen bases in 344 Triple-A plate appearances and he's been working to add center field to his defensive arsenal this spring.
Longshots
- None
Jose Miguel Fernandez, Darnell Sweeney and Willie Calhoun were all in big league camp earlier this spring, but they've since been optioned to the minors.
Predicted Winner: Taylor
Fifth Outfielder
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The Early Favorite
- Andre Ethier (6-for-12, 1 2B, 1 HR)
Ethier was expected to be the left-handed hitting reserve outfielder alongside lefty masher Franklin Gutierrez on the bench, but now there's a good chance the high-priced veteran will begin the season on the disabled list.
The 34-year-old received an epidural injection to help relieve a mild disk herniation in his back earlier this week, an issue that cropped up shortly after the start of spring games.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times that the team is "not concerned long-term" about the injury, but they "don't have a great feel yet on the timeframe, in terms of Opening Day."
Other Contenders
- Tyler Holt (12-for-30, 1 2B, 1 3B)
- Trayce Thompson (6-for-19, 1 HR)
- Scott Van Slyke (8-for-33, 1 2B)
Holt has enjoyed a nice spring as a non-roster invitee, but he hit just .235/.327/.296 over 208 plate appearances with the Cincinnati Reds last season. He still best profiles as minor league depth.
Thompson showed some flashes last season with 11 doubles and 13 home runs in 262 plate appearances, but he also struck out at a 25.2 percent clip and hit just .225/.302/.436 in the process.
He's been brought along slowly this spring as he continues to recover from the back injury that cut his 2016 season short. Some time in the minors might be the best thing for him.
It's Van Slyke who appears most likely to seize the spot opened up by Ethier.
The thing is, the addition of Gutierrez has made him somewhat redundant.
Van Slyke has an .845 career OPS against left-handed pitching, while Gutierrez is strictly a platoon player against lefties at this point in his career.
Still, Van Slyke can back up Adrian Gonzalez at first base and serve as an impact pinch-hitting option, so there's room for him on the roster.
Longshots
- Cody Bellinger (9-for-47, 1 2B, 1 HR)
- O'Koyea Dickson (8-for-30, 2 2B, 2 HR)
Bellinger is going to get his chance at some point during the 2017 season, but the Dodgers have made it a point not to rush their top position-player prospects in recent years, and he'll be treated no differently.
Meanwhile, Dickson hit .328/.398/.595 with 28 doubles and 18 home runs in Triple-A last season and his strong performance has put him in a position to make his MLB debut this year.
He probably hasn't done enough to force the team's hand, though.
Predicted Winner: Van Slyke
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No. 5 Starter
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The Early Favorite
- LHP Julio Urias (5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 8 K)
There's little doubt Urias is one of the five best starters in the Dodgers' organization, but the team continues to treat the 20-year-old phenom with kid gloves.
The left-hander was 5-2 with a 3.39 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 84 strikeouts in 77 innings as a rookie and made a pair of appearances during the postseason, including an NLCS start against the Chicago Cubs.
Despite his obvious talent and huge upside, it sounds like Urias will be left behind at extended spring training in an effort to limit his innings.
"Fair or unfair, right or wrong, that's a luxury we do have. We have the depth with the starting staff. To curtail or monitor Julio's innings, which we've done, is obviously prudent," manager Dave Roberts told Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times.
Other Contenders
- RHP Brock Stewart (3.1 IP, 5 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)
- RHP Ross Stripling (10.2 IP, 14 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 13 K)
- LHP Alex Wood (11.1 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 11 K)
Stewart and Stripling both gained valuable experience in the starting rotation last season while the team was dealing with injuries.
With a healthy staff, they now profile as organizational depth, though Stripling could land a spot in the bullpen as a long reliever.
That leaves Wood as the prohibitive favorite to break camp with the No. 5 starter gig.
The 26-year-old is 27-30 with a 3.35 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 112 career appearances, including 77 starts.
He pitched to a 3.73 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 66 strikeouts in 60.1 innings for the Dodgers last season, and he's done nothing to hurt his case with a strong showing so far this spring.
Longshots
- RHP Trevor Oaks (7.2 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K)
- LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (9.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K)
Oaks has emerged as a legitimate prospect after going 14-3 with a 2.74 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 108 strikeouts in 151 innings over three minor league levels, reaching Triple-A to close out the year. He'll join Stewart and Stripling as viable rotation depth.
Ryu is the wild card here as he continues to work his way back from shoulder surgery.
He's thrown the ball well so far this spring, and Roberts sounded hopeful that he can make an impact early in the season, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
"When we look back a year, where he's come from, he's done nothing but allow us to be very optimistic. Every time he's gotten better and we're building him up to be a starter and break camp with us. That's the plan on our end. He worked hard to put himself in a position where he's at right now. We're a better team if he's in the starting rotation.
"
Chances are he stays behind at extended spring training and is eased into the rotation when the need arises, but it's not out of the question to think he could pitch his way on to the roster over the final week of camp.
Predicted Winner: Wood
Final 2 Bullpen Spots
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The Early Favorite
- RHP Chris Hatcher (7.1 IP, 12 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 10 K)
Hatcher had a leg up for one of the open bullpen spots heading into camp since he's out of minor league options.
The 32-year-old averaged 96.4 mph with his fastball last season and backed it with a slider (.044 ISO) and splitter (.088 ISO) combination that was largely effective at limiting damage, per Brooks Baseball.
However, he still racked up a 5.53 ERA and 1.50 WHIP as he allowed 8.9 H/9 and a career-high 4.6 BB/9, up significantly from a 3.0 BB/9 mark the year before.
He represents the biggest out-of-options decision the team has to make.
Other Contenders
- RHP Josh Fields (6.1 IP, 11 H, 9 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)
- LHP Adam Liberatore (4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K)
- RHP Ross Stripling (10.2 IP, 14 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 13 K)
Fields pitched well for the Dodgers last season after being acquired from the Houston Astros in an August waiver deal with a 2.79 ERA and 10.2 K/9 over 22 appearances. His 11.1 K/9 career mark is intriguing, but he's been hit hard this spring and will likely be headed to Triple-A.
Liberatore might be the front-runner for the other available spot, especially if the team wants a third left-hander to join Luis Avilan and Grant Dayton.
The 29-year-old made 58 appearances for the Dodgers last season, posting a 3.38 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 9.9 K/9 with 14 holds.
The other approach would be to go with a multi-inning guy capable of bailing out a starter who turns in a short outing, and that would likely mean a spot on the Opening Day roster for Stripling.
Injuries opened the door for him to break camp with a rotation spot last year, and he wound up making 14 starts and eight relief appearances, pitching to a 3.96 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over an even 100 innings.
Longshots
- RHP Steven Geltz (7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
- RHP Brandon Morrow (7.1 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 11 K)
- RHP Josh Ravin (5.1 IP, 10 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 7 K)
- RHP Yaisel Sierra (9.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 8 BB, 5 K)
Geltz and Morrow both pitched at the MLB level last season with mixed results, and they will provide some useful depth in Triple-A.
Ravin has been rocked this spring, but he was lights out in limited action last season with a 0.93 ERA, 0.62 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 9.2 innings. He'll be up again at some point, just not on Opening Day.
Sierra was signed to a hefty six-year, $30 million contract last February after defecting from Cuba, and he had a 5.89 ERA and 1.48 WHIP with 86 strikeouts in 88.2 innings between High-A and Double-A.
The Dodgers will want a return on investment sometime soon, but clearly, he could use more seasoning.
Predicted Winners: Hatcher and Liberatore
All regular season stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, while spring stats come via MLB.com.
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