A Way Too Early Look At The Dodgers' Opening Day Roster

Hi, and invited to different version of Dodgers Dugout. My sanction is Houston Mitchell. At last, our long, nationalist nightmare is over. The Dodgers re-signed Kiké Hernández.

Well, nan first outpouring training crippled is Saturday against nan Angels. Opening time is March 26 astatine location against Arizona. So what amended clip to look astatine a imaginable opening time roster? After all, it’s not for illustration location will beryllium injuries and roster moves earlier then, right? This will decidedly beryllium nan roster.

But first, a mates of notes to drawback up on:

—They are splitting up nan raising of nan World Series emblem and nan ringing ceremonial again. The ringing ceremonial is March 27.

—The Dodgers re-signed Evan Phillips to a one-year, $6.5-million deal. The Dodgers primitively acquired Phillips disconnected waivers from nan Tampa Bay Rays adjacent nan extremity of nan 2021 season. Since then, he has gone 15-9 pinch a 2.22 ERA and 45 saves successful 201 games (195 innings). His wounded past play threw nan bullpen into disarray. He had Tommy John room successful June and won’t beryllium backmost until nan All-Star break.

—To make room for Phillips connected nan 40-man roster, nan Dodgers designated Ben Rortvedt for assignment, astir apt hoping again that Rortvedt will spell unclaimed and they tin nonstop him to nan minors. However, nan New York Mets claimed Rortvedt, and he will compete for a backup spot with, among other, erstwhile Dodger Austin Barnes, who signed a minor-league woody pinch nan Mets connected Jan. 29

—The Dodgers re-signed Kiké Hernández to a one-year, $4.5-million deal. He had elbow room successful nan offseason and won’t beryllium capable to play until astir apt nan All-Star break, truthful expect him to beryllium put connected nan 60-day IL soon. To make room for Hernández, nan Dodgers put Phillips connected nan 60-day IL.

—The Dodgers traded Anthony Banda, whom they designated for duty past week, to nan Minnesota Twins for $500,000 of world prize excavation space.

—The Dodgers signed Max Muncy to a statement extension, giving him $7 cardinal for nan 2027 play pinch a $10-million squad action for 2028. Muncy has said he wants to stay pinch nan Dodgers nan remainder of his career, and he will beryllium 38 erstwhile nan 2028 play ends.

—In this era of precocious contracts, you person to look astatine Muncy and Will Smith, who has a 10-year, $140-million contract, and marvel. They some person near a batch of money connected nan array to stay pinch nan Dodgers. Especially Smith, who is arguably nan champion catcher successful baseball, and decidedly successful nan apical three.

Why are nan Dodgers truthful bully astatine getting players for nether marketplace value? Muncy said this past week to reporters:

“Part of maine and who I americium arsenic a personification and really I was raised, I for illustration to beryllium loyal to people. This statement took a chance connected maine erstwhile I was retired of baseball, basically. That meant a batch to me. They stuck pinch maine erstwhile things were going bad. They’ve ne'er wavered connected maine astatine all. That intends a batch to maine successful itself, and it’s conscionable a spot I’m very comfortable. My family’s comfortable here. We person a chance to triumph each azygous year. That’s why I play this game. I want to win. Obviously you make money successful this game, but that’s not why I play. I play because I want to win. It’s nan competitory occurrence that I want to spell retired and triumph arsenic overmuch arsenic I can. That to maine is worthy much than money.

“I cognize I’m leaving money connected nan table, but I’m much than OK pinch that because I wouldn’t beryllium OK pinch myself trying to pursuit money location other watching this squad triumph and I’m connected nan sidelines. That’s conscionable not who I am. I would alternatively win. Another constituent to it is conscionable nan relationships I’ve built here. Like I was conscionable saying, I for illustration to beryllium loyal and my relationships mean a lot. I’ve created specified a narration pinch nan staff, nan beforehand office, nan coaches, nan aesculapian and training staff, nan clubhouse guys. I conscionable don’t want to create that location else. Being present for my full profession astatine this constituent would mean nan world to me, and this gives maine nan chance to do that.”

So, pinch that retired of nan way, let’s return a look astatine nan 40-man roster.

Pitchers
Ben Casparius
Edwin Díaz
Jack Dreyer
Paul Gervase
Tyler Glasnow
Brusdar Graterol
Edgardo Henriquez
Kyle Hurt
Will Klein
Landon Knack
Ronan Kopp
Bobby Miller
Evan Phillips-*
River Ryan
Roki Sasaki
Tanner Scott
Emmet Sheehan
Blake Snell
Brock Stewart
Gavin Stone
Blake Treinen
Alex Vesia
Justin Wrobleski
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Two-way players
Shohei Ohtani

Catcher
Dalton Rushing
Will Smith

Infielders
Mookie Betts
Tommy Edman
Alex Freeland
Freddie Freeman
Kiké Hernández
Hyeseong Kim
Max Muncy
Miguel Rojas

Outfielders
Alex Call
Teoscar Hernández
Andy Pages
Michael Siani
Kyle Tucker
Ryan Ward

*-on 60-day IL truthful doesn’t count arsenic portion of nan 40-man limit.

So, let’s presume nan Dodgers spell pinch 13 pitchers and 13 position players arsenic usual. And, Dave Roberts reiterated Thursday that they will spell pinch a six-man rotation, astatine slightest for nan first portion of nan season. Where does that time off us?

Starting pitchers (6)
Tyler Glasnow
Shohei Ohtani
Roki Sasaki
Emmet Sheehan
*Blake Snell
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Bullpen (8)
Edwin Díaz
*Jack Dreyer
Brusdar Graterol
Will Klein
*Tanner Scott
Blake Treinen
*Alex Vesia
*Justin Wrobleski

*-left-handed

—Henriquez besides could gaffe successful here, it conscionable depends connected really everyone looks successful outpouring training. Plus, knowing Dodgers history, 1 of these guys astir apt will commencement nan play connected nan IL.

—Stewart is expected to miss portion of nan season, and location are questions astir Snell, who says he slowed his process of getting fresh for nan season, and Graterol, who didn’t transportation past season.

—Remember, Ohtani counts arsenic a two-way player, truthful he is simply a pitcher and designated hitter but takes only 1 roster spot, allowing nan Dodgers to transportation 14 pitchers erstwhile nan charismatic roster says 13.

Two-way subordinate (1)
Shohei Ohtani

Catchers (2)
Dalton Rushing
Will Smith

Infielders (6)
Mookie Betts
Tommy Edman
Freddie Freeman
Hyeseong Kim
Max Muncy
Miguel Rojas

Outfielders (4)
Alex Call
Teoscar Hernández
Andy Pages
Kyle Tucker

—There’s a chance Edman starts nan play connected nan IL.

—The likelihood that this is nan existent opening time roster are very long. Remember, this is conscionable a guess, not a prediction, truthful please, nary wagering.

—This is conscionable to springiness you a consciousness of wherever nan Dodgers stand. Dave Roberts already said it is nan champion squad he has had. But, arsenic I’ve said before, present is what will happen: People will opportunity they are going to group nan grounds for wins. Expectations will beryllium entity high. Injuries will deed nan pitching staff. Slumps will happen. Some fans will wonderment what happened and opportunity nan Dodgers stink and Roberts couldn’t negociate his measurement retired of his ain house. The Dodgers will extremity nan play pinch astir 95 wins. And past thing tin hap successful nan postseason.

In lawsuit you missed it

Plaschke: Yoshinobu Yamamoto must stay nan calm successful nan Dodgers’ storm

Edwin Díaz responds to Steve Cohen comments, settles into Dodgers’ ‘really bully clubhouse’

Why Dave Roberts expects Shohei Ohtani to beryllium ‘in nan Cy Young conversation’

Plaschke: Alex Vesia opens up astir unimaginable loss: ‘Life tin alteration successful an instant’

Plaschke: Start talking three-peat! Dave Roberts believes these Dodgers tin beryllium amended than ever

Kiké Hernández is backmost pinch nan Dodgers, agreeing to position connected eve of outpouring training

And finally

Yoshinobu Yamamoto talks astir pitching and different topics with José Mota. Watch and perceive here.

Until adjacent time...

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