The goal for the Dodgers each year is very simple, win a World Championship. Anything short of that falls short of the expectations of the fans, management, the player,s and anyone involved or associated with the organization.
According to MLB.com the Dodgers are 7th in the Power Rankings, so asking the question as to whether or not the roster is good enough, as constructed, is very legitimate.Â
The Dodgers will have 4 rookies on their opening-day roster, and 2 of them will likely be starters, James Outman and Miguel Vargas, and a 3rd could easily come in relief in Andre Jackson. 3 or 4 games later the Dodgers will send out another rookie as their starting pitcher in the 4th or 5th game of the year, Ryan Pepiot, so the uncertainty is there.Â
One of the complaints that I feel had the most validity from last year was that the team was boring and it didn’t have enough fire in its belly. I think that is true, at least to an extent. So, how do you fix that? Youth!
Young players are hungry and they bring a certain amount of energy that every dugout needs throughout the course of a 6-month season. But, a club like the Dodgers would be irresponsible to turn their roster over to too many rookies, so finding that balance is the name of the game.
And, I feel like the Dodgers found that balance.Â
Although Miguel Rojas might not help in power rankings, he is going to help in a myriad of different ways that can’t be measured. His mentorship, his intensity, and the way he is going to hold the dugout accountable is worth more than any Power ranking can judge, IMO.
JD Martinez is reuniting with Robert Van Scoyoc, and his “buy-in” to Van Scoyoc will be a very positive contribution to the culture of this club. Well, and, he’s still a very good offensive player.Â
At 35, Martinez might not be in his prime, but if the Dodgers can get just 75% of that, they will be getting a very good offensive player. And, he’s already worked with Miguel Vargas so his contributions have already made a positive impact despite him having a slow Spring.Â
I should say, another slow Spring, because he, seemingly, always starts slow in Spring Training and it has never been an indicator of the type of year he is going to have.Â
Another factor that Dodgers fans should be excited about is the bullpen, then the overall depth of the pitching staff. I’m not gonna sugar coat it, I’m concerned about our starting rotation, and I think it would be hard not to be. But, the bullpen should be so good, that it should be able to cover a lot of holes left by the starting rotation.
And, not only are the guys in the pen good, but many of them are also former starters that can extend and give the club length when they need it. Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, and Yency Almonte were elite last year, Brusdar Graterol was terrific when he was healthy, and Andre Jackson has absolutely kicked ass this year in Spring Training.Â
Then, you also have depth with the rookies. Gavin Stone has shown the baseball world how good he is, Michael Grove would, most likely, be very good 1 time through a lineup and Bobby Miller can still hit 102.Â
So, while this roster might not be top-heavy enough with veteran MLB All-Stars to warrant a higher ranking than 7th, it still has a lot of fire power, and now it has WAY more fire, something it needed.
So, can the Dodgers win the World Series with this roster?
The answer to that question won’t be known until at least July. At that point, the answer will either be yes, or they will make a move in the Trade Market to make the answer yes.Â
The Dodgers have so much prospect capital right now that, mathematically, there is not enough room for every prospect that has MLB talent in the system to do so with the Dodgers. Many of these guys, like Michael Busch, are well into their 20s and are close to their peak value. So, the Dodgers need to deal a lot of these guys before they age out of their peak value.Â
The club knows this better than I do, and they love veterans, so, when the needs become more clear as the season plays out, I have no doubt they will pull the trigger on a trade to get the right player if they are convinced that a) they likely can’t win a World Series with their current roster, or b) the person they’re looking to acquire fixes that issue.Â
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