With the 2013 season now in the books, the Dodgers can now begin to dive headfirst into remaking their roster for next season.
The team got off to a fast start earlier this week, officially signing Cuban-defector Alexander Guerrero to a four-year $28-million dollar deal. While Guerrero is capable of playing shortstop, he is likely to get the first crack at becoming the Dodgers' starting second baseman entering Spring Training. Guerrero will not only bring a more potent bat than they got out of Mark Ellis, but could also potentially play a key role in helping the Dodgers' coaching staff tame the wild horse that is fellow Cuban ex-patriot Yasiel Puig.
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| Second Baseman/Shortstop Alexander Guerrero |
The club is already set at catcher with both A.J. Ellis and backup Tim Federowicz, first base with Adrian Gonzalez, and all three outfield spots with the quartet of Puig, Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp. With Kemp coming off significant surgeries and Ethier having struggled with his own injury issues towards the tail end of the season, GM Ned Colletti would be wise to hold on to all four outfielders in the likely event that one or more of them go down at points throughout the year.
Should the Dodgers make it to the trading deadline with all four outfielders still healthy, they could look into trading one of them for a need that may arise, and still have top prospect Joc Pederson waiting in the wings to be called upon if needed.
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| Outfielder Joc Pederson |
In my opinion, the Dodgers would be wise to move Hanley Ramirez to third base now. When the team first acquired him last summer, that was the initial plan, and with his injuries that he suffered throughout the season, moving him to the hot corner may help reduce some of the wear and tear on his body. Another key component to this move is a lack of available third base talent in both the free agent and trade market.
With Ramirez now penciled in a third, that leaves an opening at shortstop that the Dodgers can fill with incumbent Dee Gordon or free agent Stephen Drew. I personally would like to see the Dodgers show some semblance of fiscal responsibility and have an open competition in the spring between Gordon, free agent and former Dodger Rafael Furcal (if he doesn't decide to retire), and free agent Clint Barmes.
Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-Jin Ryu are locked in as Los Angeles' top three starters, but the remaining two slots remain a mystery. The club could stay internal and mix and match a group that includes Josh Beckett, Chad Billinglsey, Matt Magill, and Stephen Fife, but Colletti is likely to bring in at least one free agent to fill a void until both Beckett and Billingsley prove to be fully recovered from their respective injuries. A popular option would be the return of Hiroki Kuroda, who never really wanted to leave Los Angeles in the first place. Hiroki would not only provide a reliable veteran presence, but he would also be relatively affordable and wouldn't block the path of top pitching prospect Zach Lee. Another option would be the return of Southern California native Ricky Nolasco. While I applauded the Nolasco trade at the time, the right-hander proved to be nothing more than a regular fourth starter and faltered mightily in the postseason. While I wouldn't completely rule him out as an option, he is likely to receive better, more prominent roles elsewhere.
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| Starting Pitcher Hiroki Kuroda |
As we move to the bullpen, it is likely that Brian Wilson, who had an outstanding playoff run, will become a full-time closer elsewhere, re-opening the setup role for the likes of Ronald Belisario, Chris Withrow, Brandon League, and Javy Guerra. An outside option that the Dodgers have had some interest in for some time now is free agent Chris Perez, but he is likely to sign somewhere willing to hand him the closer role. J.P. Howell would be a wise investment in a returning role, though Colletti is likely to have some competition in luring the lefty back to LA. Onelki Garcia and Jose Dominguez are two youngsters the team could look to if they perform well in the spring, but shouldn't be counted on to fill prominent bullpen roles just yet.
The most difficult task the Dodgers face this offseason is that of adding more power to their bench, while maintaining the defensive flexibility that manager Don Mattingly loves so dearly. If Barmes were to be brought in, as mentioned earlier, he could fill either middle infield role and provide a slight offensive upgrade over Nick Punto. The team would also be wise to bring back Mark Ellis to serve as insurance in the event that Guerrero isn't quite major league ready, and hold onto him as a strong bench player or use him as trade bait. However, Ellis may be looking for one last chance to be a starter elsewhere.
Cesar Izturis and Michael Young could also provide infield flexibility. Young has a slightly more potent bat, though he didn't show that in his short backup role with the team last season, but Izturis is the greater defender. Juan Uribe could always return as well, if he is willing to take a pay cut from his last free agent deal with the team.
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| Outfielder Franklin Gutierrez |
While the team is loaded in the outfield, they should target players like Franklin Gutierrez, Grady Sizemore, Jeff Baker, and Luke Scott, who would come in with no ego and expectation of starting, while also bringing a moderate power threat in a pinch-hitting role. Gutierrez and Sizemore have their health concerns, but would provide a higher upside than both Baker and Scott. However, Baker can play both corner outfield and infield spots, giving Mattingly more bench flexibility.
With these moves, the Dodgers should be among the favorites to make another strong postseason run, with this next one hopefully resulting in a World Series title.
Ideal 2014 Opening Day Roster:
Catchers: A.J. Ellis, Tim Federowicz
Infielders: Adrian Gonzalez, Alexander Guerrero, Dee Gordon, Hanley Ramirez, Mark Ellis, Rafael Furcal, Jeff Baker
Starting Rotation: Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Hiroki Kuroda, Matt Magill/Stephen Fife (Note: Magill and Fife will be place holders until Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley are ready)
