Dodgers pitchers and catchers have reported to ST, and today is the first official workout for pitchers and catchers. On Friday, February 14, the rest of the club is due to officially report, with the first full squad workout setup for Saturday, February 15. Let’s take a look at the squad reporting to ST:
Pitchers – 40 Man (20):
Starters:
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto – R
- Blake Snell – L
- Tyler Glasnow – R
- Tony Gonsolin – R
- Dustin May – R
- Bobby Miller – R
- Landon Knack – R
- Justin Wrobleski – L
Relievers:
- Tanner Scott – L
- Kirby Yates – R
- Blake Treinen – R
- Michael Kopech – R
- Evan Phillips – R
- Alex Vesia – L
- Anthony Banda – L
- Jack Dreyer – L
- Michael Grove – R
- Edgardo Henriquez – R
To Be Determined:
- Ben Casparius – R (Projected to stretch out as a starter)
- Nick Frasso – R (Projected to stretch out as a starter)
Pitcher – Non-Roster Invitees (13):
Starters:
- Roki Sasaki – R
- Carlos Duran – R
- Jackson Ferris – L
- Justin Jarvis – R
- Jared Karros – R
Relievers:
- Giovanny Gallegos – R
- Joe Jacques – L
- Jose E. Hernandez – L
- Julien Fernandez – R
- Matt Sauer – R
- Jack Little – R
- Sam Carlson – R
- Jose Rodriguez – R
Two-Way Player – 40 Man (1):
- Shohei Ohtani – LHH
Catchers – 40 Man (3)
- Will Smith – RHH
- Austin Barnes – RHH
- Hunter Feduccia – LHH
Catcher – Non-Roster Invitees (3):
- Dalton Rushing – LHH
- Chris Okey – RHH
- Griffin Lockwood-Powell (GLP) – RHH
Infielders – 40 Man (5):
- Mookie Betts – RHH
- Freddie Freeman – LHH
- Max Muncy – LHH
- Miguel Rojas – RHH
- Hyeseong Kim – LHH
Infielders – Non-Roster Invitees (4):
- David Bote – RHH
- Alex Freeland – SHH
- Austin Gauthier – RHH
- Kody Hoese – RHH
Outfielders – 40 Man (6):
- Michael Conforto – LHH
- Tommy Edman – SHH
- Teoscar Hernández – RHH
- James Outman – LHH
- Andy Pages – RHH
- Chris Taylor – RHH
Outfielders – Non-Roster Invitees (4):
- Josue De Paula – LHH
- Justin Dean – RHH
- Zyhir Hope – LHH
- Ryan Ward – LHH
The above does not include Kiké Hernández as he is not officially signed at the time of this composition. Total ST roster size to start totals 59 and will grow to 60 once Kiké officially arrives. There will be a number of players called up from MiLB camp for games.
The Dodgers will play 20 ST games before they depart to Japan after March 11. They will play two exhibition games against the Yomiuri Giants and the Hanshin Tigers before they officially open the season against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and March 19. Once the Dodgers return from Japan they will play a ST freeway series against the Angels.
Of note is that both games in Japan against the Cubs will be away games for the Dodgers. I have to assume that the Dodgers would agree to play in Japan but that they would have to be considered the away team so as not to take away from their 81 game home schedule, and their drive to 4M attendance. The Cubs will get two home games against the Dodgers in Chicago on April 22 and 23, the final meeting with the Cubs in the regular season. The Dodgers host the Cubs for three on Aprill 11-13.
On Thursday, March 27, the Dodgers will open their domestic season at home against Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, and the rest of the Detroit Tigers.
The 20 ST games is not a lot of games to get a lot of work in. We should expect to see the non-pitcher regulars stretch out in games sooner than they would normally do. There will need to be a lot of care to help prevent soft tissue injuries. I would not expect the Dodgers to push their pitchers. They have enough depth to carry them for awhile as long as they are careful with them.
In 2024, the only three LAD pitchers to pitch at least 10.0 IP during ST were Gavin Stone (14.0), Bobby Miller (13.0), and Tyler Glasnow (10.0). Stone and Miller started 4 games while Glasnow and Yamamoto started 3. Of course Glasnow and Yamamoto started the regular season games in Korea against San Diego. Glasnow pitched 5.0 innings, while Yamamoto pitched 1.0 inning.
I expect Yoshinobu Yamamoto to open the season in Japan, and will probably face Shota Imanaga. I know there are those who expect Roki Sasaki to start the 2nd game, but IMO, the Dodgers are going to take it slow with him. While it was Korea and not Japan, Yamamoto did not pitch well. Sasaki is going to have enough pressure on him so I do not believe he will start in Japan. Blake Snell has dominated the Cubs in the past, so I expect him to start the 2nd game. I do expect Sasaki to pitch in relief in one of the two games. BTW, those are my opinions and not based on anything I have heard or read.
What I expect to follow in ST:
- How many IP will the pitchers get in 20 ST games?
- Just how good is Roki Sasaki? It took Yamamoto all of ST and one game against San Diego before he was sharp. I do expect the Dodgers to monitor his innings very early so as to help protect his arm for the long season.
- Will we see Shohei Ohtani pitch at all during ST?
- Where will Bobby Miller’s head be this year?
- How effective will Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May be during ST?
- Will James Outman resurrect his LAD career with a strong spring? Or will he be traded. He is the only LHH OF other than Conforto, and he is the best defensive CF the Dodgers have.
- Will Andy Pages shine enough in ST to mitigate the expected heavy dose of RHH OF?
- How will Hyeseong Kim hit against MLB pitching?
- Which one of Outman, Pages, or Kim make the 26-man roster?
- What trades are forthcoming that will impact the 26-man roster?
- How many AB will Dalton Rushing get against legit MLB pitchers? We know he can hit MiLB and AAAA pitchers?
- Which of the prospects look to make a move up the organizational ladder?
- Dalton Rushing
- Alex Freeland
- Jackson Ferris
- Jared Karros
- Josue De Paula
- Zyhir Hope
- Was Kody Hoese’s 2024 an anomaly or did he turn the corner?
- Which Non-Roster Invitee will grab attention and put himself into a position for a 2025 callup?
- Giovanny Gallegos
- David Bote
- Joe Jacques
- Which MiLB prospects will be added to the Spring Breakout roster for a game against the Cubs on March 13. Last year’s Spring Breakout game was televised, so hopefully this year’s game will be as well.
Of course there will be additional questions that will arise once games begin, February 20 against the Cubs. It is a very short ST runway to answer the questions, but it did not deter the Dodgers last year, and they are in a much better position with more MLB or MLB ready depth this year.
Some Information about Camelback Ranch, ST home for both the Dodgers and CWS in addition to the Arizona Complex League teams for both organizations.
https://www.mlb.com/camelback-ranch/about
What storylines are you expecting to follow in ST?
According to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, future Hall of Famer and Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw has reported to the team’s facilities and has already agreed to terms on a new contract for the 2025 season.
There is two that need to be placed on the 60 day IL. That will bring the total roster to 61 once Clayton officially signs.
Thanks for the read.
I feel like Bote has a slight chance but then again the roster is already packed.
Lots of interesting questions to be answered in a very short time.
20 games prior to Japan. That’s 180 innings max for 33 pitchers in camp. 5.5 innings per pitcher total, spread out however you’d like.
Position players, even with their customary 5 inning outings, seem to like about 50 at bats in the spring. Some more.
Again, 180 innings for 27 position players. That’s 6.6 innings / guy, total.
They must be counting on lots of “B” game at bats to get in enough at bats to get ready with this many players in camp.
I hope they can answer some of Jeff’s 15 questions in 20 games.
One thing to add about spring training; ABS will be used for some games via a challenge system. One stat I wasn’t aware of, with human umpires on a 3-0 count the strike zone typically measures 550 square inches. On an 0-2 count, humans reduced the strike zone to 412 square inches. By contrast, ABS sets the size of the zone at 443 square inches in every count.
Per Plunkett:
Evan Phillips had a tear in the back of his rotator cuff that kept him out of the World Series. He got a PRP injection in November and didn’t pick up a baseball until January. The likelihood is he will not be ready to open the season on schedule
Made it home safely.
I’ve been thinking lately the zone gets bigger with two strikes because so many umpires get anxious to do the hey everybody, look at me over exaggerated strike three call
Personally, I do not believe that a single non-roster invitee has a chance to make the team.
In the Times this morning they are talking about 120 wins. I’ll take the under on that one. It’s such a long season, so many unexpected things will no doubt happen, all teams go into slides, though this one appears to have the depth of talent that will prevent long ones. At this point I would say 108 would be a reasonable number.
And to the question Jeff asks: what storylines do you expect to be following in ST? Well, I still expect Betts at short and who plays center to be talked about. And Kim? I expect him to start at second. I don’t see Edman as a starter. He’s a super sub and I don’t think we need three of them. Pitching looks very deep but there’s not a name that doesn’t come with a storyline about possible injuries. That’s why there are so many of them. If we know it you can bet the Dodgers brass know it.
Per Ardaya:
Dave Roberts also said Evan Phillips and Michael Kopech are both “a little behind schedule,” but it’s too early to tell whether either would have to start the season on the IL.
Dodgers will have the benefit of expanded rosters in Tokyo.
Think the Angels regret signing Anthony Rendon? He is now scheduled to undergo hip surgery and will miss extended time. Rendon is in year six of a seven-year deal that has to rank as perhaps the WORST free agent signing ever.
It is always interesting reading with those knowledgeable and connected feel about some of the Dodgers prospects. Included in his top 20 LAD prospects was this bit about RHP Hyun-Seok Jang:
Jang just ballooned up my watch chart for 2025.
Trade proposal on MLBTR Chat:
Thoughts on Robert Jr from White Sox to Dodgers for Bobby Miller, Jackson Ferris, Andy Pages, and Michael Grove.
Response by Tim Dierkes, creator and owner of MLBTR
Let me preface that I am in the NO column for Luis Robert Jr. IMO, the trade proposal is waaaayyyy too much of an overpay by LAD. For those who want Luis Robert Jr., curious as to whether you would make this deal.
For the record this is just a fan’s proposal, not anyone with any kind of trade knowledge or connections.
Keith Law had a couple of chats:
Q: How do the Dodgers do it? They are already the best team in baseball (IMHO) and they have 5 players on the too 100 prospects list! This is coming from a Mets fan who feels like our ownership has done a pretty good job with their farm system.
@Jerryesherman They scout. The Dodgers have retained a big scouting staff across the board and their scouts are really involved in the draft, in trades, etc. Combine
Q: How far off was Jimmy Crooks from making this list? The advanced analytics are right up there with Dalton Rushing hitting wise and the stats better in most aspects. Also, was better at controlling the run game. Do you think he overachieved last year?
@Taylor C. I do think he overachieved. I don’t think he’s anything like Rushing.
Q: Decades into the Tommy John era, the arm injury epidemic seems worse than ever and even the Dodgers have admitted they need to study and rethink their approach. Have you seen anything, publicly available or proprietary, to suggest that teams are beginning to understand better how the protect their players’ health?
@Alex R. Oh I think teams know exactly what’s wrong, but the incentives to win now overwhelm the incentives to keep most pitchers healthy. Why would you do that when you can just go out and find the next cheap reliever on the scrap heap, give him a few extra mph or some new demon pitch, get 100 great innings out of him and dump him when he breaks?
Q: Keith, you mention the Yankees drafting low year after year, and I’m not disagreeing with what you say, but the Dodgers seem to be able to have great drafts and they typically draft even lower than NY. Are they just run better? Better scouting/evaluation processes? How are the Dodgers flush with endless money AND an almost endless supply of young talent to supplement their big league club?
@Matthew D. They have different draft philosophies. I think the Dodgers are one of the best drafting orgs in the game – and even they miss. Their top two picks in the 2023 draft might both be NPs.
Q: Hi Keith, love the work. Are the Dodgers really that far ahead of everyone else organizationally (scouting, R&D, etc.) and, if so, why don’t other teams (at least those with the money, like the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, etc.) just copy what they’re doing? (Perhaps this is already happening and I just don’t realize it and/or it takes a lot of time for this kind of thing to bear fruit.)
@Peter V. Some teams have tried. The Red Sox decided to whack their pro scouting department, so they’re heading in the other direction.
Q: Just out of curiosity, what level would MLB like to get rid of in MiLB?
@Andy M. Low A. Although it doesn’t matter what level on paper – the idea is we’d be down to three or maybe even two levels above the complex. It’s batspit insane.
Q: You said it was tough to get to a top 100. How many teams was it a struggle to get a top 20?
@Pat K. Maybe 10? Lot of teams are fine up top, and then in the teens it gets ugly.
Q: Hi Keith,
What do you think of Mike Sirota? He seemed to be a first rounder till he slumped his senior season and now that’s been followed by injuries. Do you think the Dodgers found a gem in the rough that they can mold into another success story or a lost cause?
Thank you! Been reading work for over a decade!
@Alan L. I am not sure why scouts thought he was a first-rounder based on what I saw of him and what I heard post-draft, but I do think he was a great pick by the Reds and that the Dodgers are also betting that the truth is somewhere in between where he was supposed to go and where he went. Most likely fourth outfielder.
Q: What do you think it would take for O’s to Draft a pitcher in the first or second round?
@Gregory E. Some sort of airborne toxic event.
Q: I know Ricky Henderson was a unicorn, but do you think we’ll see players steal 100 plus bases like him and Vince Coleman or has that ship sailed?
@Michael H. Barring more rule changes I don’t expect to see that again.
I’d be surprised if Sasaki, assuming he is healthy, doesn’t pitch in Tokyo.
The Guggenheim Group understands that the Dodgers are in the entertainment business.
They love Japan’s love. And they’ll give the fans what they want.
Alex Bregman to the Red Sox for 3/120. Has opt outs. Pivetta signs with Pads for 4/55.
wow…. Bregman signs with Boston for three years at $120 million.
$40m aav must be some kind of record
Edman’s career splits;
–.831 OPS versus lefties
–.689 versus righties.
Good platoon candidate.
The storylines of spring training….
To repeat myself, I’ll be rooting hard for Outman to reclaim a share of CF. An Outman/Edman platoon could mash an OPS over .800 with 25+ HRs while providing quality, swift defense and speed on the basepaths. Among position players, Outman is the X factor who could juice up an already potent lineup.
Among pitchers, I’m interested in the competition at the back of the rotation between Miller, May, Gonsolin, Knack and who knows who else might emerge. Will Frasso be ready? Could Wrobleski take a step forward?
As I see it, Gonsolin is the most experienced and accomplished, while Miller and May have greater potential. Knack might be the most consistent–the steady plow horse among the thoroughbreds.
My guess is that Gonsolin and Miller would round out the rotation to begin, with May taking Phillips’ spot in the pen and Knack providing long relief. (I have no idea which pitchers could be easily optioned.)
Assuming good health, the rotation locks are Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Sasaki–with Shohei joining them in May. AND THOSE FIVE GUYS COULD BE LOCKS FOR THE NEXT FOUR TO FIVE SEASONS.
Yeah, somebody will get hurt. But sheesh.
There is no reason to slow-play Sasaki, especially since a strong rookie performance could earn the Dodgers a high draft pick. Kershaw will step in around mid-season and perhaps Sheehan after that.
The abundance of pitching talent in ’25 is impressive–and in ’26 we should see the return of Gavin Stone, River Ryan and Kyle Hurt, and perhaps the arrival of Jackson Ferris.
I hope a few of these young pitchers get traded for their own sake.
A rumor has the Dodgers trading Miller and Chris Taylor for Arenado. Seems plausible–two unappealing contracts, plus a potential star for a fading star. But I suspect the rumor may have started with a Cardinals fan.
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