The Dodgers have had their 1st workout with pitchers and catchers (Friday). Here is a little preview of what we might expect from ST.
ST camp will be at Camelback Ranch in Glendale Arizona, their ST home since 2009. The Dodgers share the facilities with the Chicago White Sox.
Hey AF/BG, as an aside, Dylan Cease would not have to go very far if you made a trade to get him in ST. Just sayin’.
Okay, back to reality.
- The first full squad workout is next Wednesday, February 14.
- The first ST game will be Thursday, Feb. 22, at 12:10 p.m. PT against the Padres at the Peoria Sports Complex.
- The first home ST game at Camelback Ranch will be against the Padres on Friday, Feb. 23, at 12:05 p.m. PT.
- SportsNet LA and MLB.TV are, once again, expected to carry the Cactus League games.
- The last ST game in Arizona will be March 13 against the Mariners at Camelback Ranch.
- In preparation for Opening Day in Seoul, the Dodgers will play the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO on March 17 and the Korean national team on March 18.
- MLB and the Dodgers will have their opening day March 20 in Korea against the Padres. This will officially be a road game for the Dodgers. The two teams will face off again in Korea on March 21 in what will be a Dodger home game.
- The two teams will depart from Korea, and the Dodgers will return to Dodger Stadium to begin the Freeway Series against LAA. March 24 and 25 will be at Dodger Stadium, and Shohei Ohtani returns to Angel Stadium on Tuesday March 26 in the final game of the Freeway Series.
- The Dodgers’ Opening Day on U.S. soil will be on March 28 against the Cardinals at 1:10 p.m. PT at Dodger Stadium.
Major League Baseball announced a new Spring Training event called Spring Breakout coming March 14-17, 2024.
All 30 MLB clubs will assemble rosters filled with 20-25 of their best prospects to take on top Minor League or rookie talents from other organizations. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a release,
“Spring Breakout will provide a new opportunity to showcase the future stars of the game as they continue on their journey to the Major Leagues. Our fans will get unique opportunities to meet our best prospects, get autographs and see the next generation of Major Leaguers up close. We are thrilled that Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and all of our Clubs are working closer than ever to grow the game and to shine a brighter light on our future All-Stars.”
The Dodgers will play their Spring Breakout game against the Angels on March 16 at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.
I will be very anxious to see what non-pitchers the Dodgers invite to this event. It is a 7 inning game so I would expect no more than 10 pitchers and 10-15 position players. The pitchers will be hard to determine because there are so many, and the position players will be hard because there are NOT very many. Certainly not very many above A Ball. Rosters will be announced closer to the game.
Who will be in ST. The full compliment of the 40 man roster will be there, plus the following Non Roster Invitees (NRI). Below is a table of the NRI. This table was prepared by Eric Stephen, and since I could not do a better job of accumulating the information, I decided to “borrow” it from him and TrueBlueLA.
Dodgers 2024 non-roster invitees
| Pos. | Player | 2024 age* | Service | Options (used) | Acquired |
| RHP | Nabil Crismatt | 29 | 2.132 | 0 (2020-22) | FA 12/12/23 |
| LHP | Stephen Gonsalves (L) | 29 | 0.056 | 0 (2018-20) | FA 1/24/24 |
| RHP | Kevin Gowdy | 26 | 0.000 | 3 (none) | FA 1/23/23 |
| RHP | Jesse Hahn | 34 | 6.067 | n/a | FA 1/18/24 |
| RHP | Elieser Hernández | 29 | 5.044 | n/a | FA 1/12/24 |
| RHP | Daniel Hudson | 37 | 13.106 | n/a | FA 12/12/23 |
| RHP | Dinelson Lamet | 31 | 5.160 | n/a | FA 2/2024 |
| LHP | T.J. McFarland (L) | 35 | 8.050 | n/a | FA 1/26/24 |
| RHP | Michael Petersen | 30 | 0.000 | 3 (none) | FA 1/24/24 |
| RHP | River Ryan | 25 | 0.000 | 3 (none) | trade 3/28/22 |
| RHP | Eduardo Salazar | 26 | 0.023 | 2 (2023) | FA 11/16/23 |
| C | Chris Okey | 29 | 0.033 | 2 (2023) | FA 1/3/24 |
| C | Dalton Rushing (L) | 23 | 0.000 | 3 (none) | 2022 draft (2nd) |
| IF | Jonathan Araúz (S) | 25 | 2.062 | 1 (2021-22) | FA 12/15/23 |
| IF | Austin Gauthier | 25 | 0.000 | 3 (none) | NDFA 8/4/21 |
| SS | Trey Sweeney (L) | 24 | 0.000 | 3 (none) | trade 12/11/23 |
| 3B/1B | Kevin Padlo | 27 | 0.086 | 0 (2020-22) | FA 1/26/24 |
| OF | Drew Avans (L) | 28 | 0.000 | 3 (none) | 2018 draft (33rd) |
| OF | José Ramos | 23 | 0.000 | 3 (none) | Int’l FA 2018 |
| OF | Travis Swaggerty (L) | 26 | 0.008 | 1 (2022-23) | FA 12/11/23 |
| OF | Ryan Ward (L) | 26 | 0.000 | 3 (none) | 2019 draft (8th) |
*age as of June 30, 2024
Add infielder Chris Owings to the list of NRI. He was just signed to a MiLB contract with a NRI.
I think you can count on one hand the number of actual LAD prospects who are invited:
- RHP River Ryan
- C Dalton Rushing
- IF Austin Gauthier
- SS Trey Sweeney
- OF José Ramos
I included José Ramos in the list, well, because he still is in the LAD top 30 prospects. Ramos, for me, falls into that category that he was held onto way too long. He has been passed over in the Rule 5 draft two years now. I am not sure what he could have brought back in a trade, but his trade zenith would have been after the 2021 season as a 20 year old. José has a double plus arm (70), and has good power. But he just does not make enough contact (28.9% K rate in AA last year, career 27.3%). Many scouting reports consider him very vulnerable to the high fastball that he just cannot catch up with. He is still 23, so he has plenty of time to show he can be OF depth, but not a regular. I expect to see him back at Tulsa to start the season.
Drew Avans and Ryan Ward are the Dodgers new version of AAAA OF that they usually acquire each season. This year they needed only Travis Swaggerty.
IMO, the three that will get the most looks in ST will be RHRP Daniel Hudson, RHRP Nabil Crismatt, and RHP Dinelson Lamet.
Others that will get monitored would be LHP Stephen Gonsalves (former top shelf prospect for Minnesota), RHP Elieser Hernandez (effective pitcher with Miami), and TJ McFarland who was a very effective reliever at times with St. Louis and Arizona. Typical inconsistent RP. But look at what the Dodgers pitching staff has done with these types of pitchers.
The Dodgers will have a short build up to the beginning of the season, so I would expect to see a lot of regulars get more than usual playing time.
For me, the position players are set. The only question will be where will we see Miguel Vargas play the most this ST. Unless there is a trade or injury, the 13 position players are set.
But it will be the pitchers that will be center stage for the Dodgers. We have gone over the names so much this offseason. I still expect to see Gavin Stone compete with Emmet Sheehan to battle for the #6 (when Buehler comes back). They both should break camp as the #5 and #6 SP. My guess is that it will be Sheehan who will get that last SP once Buehler joins the rotation.
I am very much looking forward to watching the relievers battle. In particular I want to see what Kyle Hurt and Ricky Vanasco can do against MLB hitters. Are they legit high leverage late inning options for LAD? Will Matt Gage be able to get MLB RH hitters out in ST? What will J.P. Feyereisen look like after more than a year off? What will Blake Treinen look like, also after more than a year off? Will Daniel Hudson’s knee(s) hold up throughout ST? Gus Varland? How long before Joe Kelly ends up on the IL? Will he start the season with the Dodgers?
Like the starting rotation, the bullpen has the makings of being dominant, BUT with a lot of questions.
We are getting closer.
Since I will not be in Glendale, I will have to rely on those that are there to give updates before the games begin.
For those who have not seen it, and want to see a full report on the NRI from Eric Stephen…here you go:
https://www.truebluela.com/2024/1/26/24050077/dodgers-non-roster-invitees-2024-spring-training
Walker Buehler’s catch partner today? Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Both are throwing bullpens this morning. pic.twitter.com/CW0riI0Y62
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) February 9, 2024
I hope Feduccia gets a good look this spring. I would like to see what he can do.
When AF was interviewed today he mentioned that all the pitchers looked great. Along with the obvious guys (Buehler, Yamamoto, etc.) he went out of his way to mention Vanasco, and Kevin Gowdy of all people. I wonder if they see something in him that everyone else has missed.
One heck of a write up Jeff. Thanks.
Hey Jeff been reading here for a few weeks trying to get the feel of things. Great article, love all the info on ST, and the video of the players playing catch gets the blood pumping for the new season. I’ll be there the last week of ST, can’t wait.
One of the dumbest comments I have seen in years was posted on yahoo sports this morning. Some fans who saw Yamamoto’s bullpen, from a distance mind you since there were no close-ups, said their teams stars are going to light the Japanese pitcher up. All of that based on his first bullpen session? That seems a little far fetched to me.
Lamet. In ‘22 his K/9 was 12.5. But he also walked 5.3/9. The guy’s stuff has to be electric,
The 3 veterans, Feyereisen, Hudson and Treinen interest me the most this early. If those guys all get it back? Damm.
I think there is another trade or two to be had. I have no clue who, just a feeling something else will happen before late March.
They seem well stocked with relievers, many signed to minor keague contracts to see which ones blossom. Plus Phillips, Graterol,Brassier, Kelly, Treinen, Hudson Frierson, Vesia etc. Is there really a need for Cease or Jansen?
Excellent recap Jeff. I hope to visit Camelback this year.
I am very impressed with the dedication and approaches of Ohtani and Yamamoto. They seem to be constantly working on their fitness and skills, while seeking to fit in with the team. Dodgers did a nice video with Yamamoto already and his personality seems great. His favorite America food is In and Out Burger! I also admire that both Yamamoto and Ohtani have made efforts to speak English at some press conferences and the MVP speech. They do way better than I would in Japan trying to speak Japanese. Both seem like great players and teammates.
While I still think the Dodgers allocated way too much payroll to these two players, that is not their fault and of course they should take the offers. Ohtani is the highest paid player in MLB history, and Yamamoto is the highest paid pitcher in MLB history. But as players this year, hopefully Ohtani will be the best DH in MLB and improve on JDM production from last year, while hopefully Yamamoto will be a #1 starter and can match Kershaw era of 2.46 from last year. It will certainly be an exciting year for the Dodgers.
Just to clarify, the Spring Breakout event starts this year, in 2024.
Lately I’ve been caught up in the potential of the new lineup, so I decided to delve a bit deeper.
Ohtani > JD Martinez
JDM had a mighty fine, all-star season in ’23, while Shohei had an MVP season.
JDM’s OPS was .893; Ohtani’s was 1.066.
JDM’s OBP was .321; Ohtani’s was .412
Lux > Rojas
Lux is coming off an injury, but let’s assume he picks up his pace from ’22
Lux’s OPS was .745; Rojas’s in ’23 was .672.
Lux’s OBP was .346; Rojas was at .290.
Teoscar > Peralta
Keep in mind that Teo is coming off a “down” season and usually puts up better numbers.
Teo’s OPS was .740; Peralta’s was .675.
Teo’s OBP was .305; Peralta’s was .294.
Anyone who feels real geeky can look up and compare their foot speed. But we know that the new guys are all much faster than the guys they are replacing.
It’s fun to be a Dodgers fan.
The Kenley Jansen rumors just will not go away. There is no reason to make such a trade unless it includes Ceddanne Rafaela coming back to the Dodgers. Since Rafaela is not coming to the Dodgers, just hang up the phone.
Devin Williams might be another story. He is about as automatic as there is for a reliever right now. That type of talent will be especially helpful when the Dodgers win the WS this year.
I think Kyle Hurt will get a legit shot at the bullpen this spring. He could be special. As good as Devin Williams? Certainly not this year. As good as I think Hurt can become at the end of the game, he is going to need to go a long way to catch a 2 X Relief Pitcher of the Year. Williams career ERA is a laughable 1.89 in 219 games and 214 IP, and 14.2 K/9. He does walk a few too many, but that has not hurt him. Maybe he does that just for sport. I am not sure that I would include Hurt in a trade for Williams, but I can see Milwaukee asking for him (and others). But I would also welcome Williams to the team.
However, I am very anxious to see Ricky Vanasco. I think that AF/BG and everyone else who has watched him believes that they have someone who could be VERY good. Once he came to the Dodgers, he was a different pitcher. I do not think the Dodgers just hand out MLB contracts to players who have never pitched at that level, and yet they did this year to Vanasco.
NO – THE DODGERS DO NOT NEED DEVIN WILLIAMS. But he sure would make them better. And better this year and next. The Dodgers spent $1BB+++ for players this year. It sure would be a shame to not bring home a championship because they were not willing to give up a prospect or two for the best reliever in the game.
I’m wondering where Michael Grove fits in this year or if he does at all. If you squinted really hard you could kind of see the makings of a solid bulk guy last year. He had a few stretches where he was almost effective. If he can keep the ball in the park, he could be a useful depth piece.
There are some great takes in here the last few days.
I have little to add, but will offer this: Ohtani/Martinez. Look at the oWAR numbers. 6 to 1.9. That is a huge upgrade. We’ve also improved the SS position (offensively only) and LF. The pitching looks incredibly deep and I believe there are plenty of innings over 162 games to spread opportunities around. AF and his staff will find ways to keep the October roster fresh.
It’s a great time to be a Dodger fan. I feel fortunate and very much look forward to sitting in my recliner and watching the entire season unfold.
Yesterday afternoon, as I was doing some work, I had the Dodger channel on as they were showing that great, intense 2016 NLDS Game 5 in Wash DC, where we won 4-3 and the last 3 innings took like 2 hours to play.
The commentator, Harold Reynolds, I believe, mentioned something like “The Dodgers have been in the playoffs 4 years in a row now”.
And that got me thinking “holy shit, he thinks 4 in a row is impressive!” Since that game, we’ve made the playoffs 7 more straight times.
It is absolutely insane to look back and think we’ve gotten to October 11 straight times, and there is zero slowing down looking ahead.
Regardles of the robbery in 2017, or the numerous failures to come up big in important situations, and thus only 1 title in those 11 years, it is insanely impressive to be that good for that long, AND still have no end in sight.
2024 will be just as fun. So happy we get to live thru this. See you all on March 28!!
Was just perusing fangraphs projections and the ATC projections show Ohtani with 38 home runs, 102 runs scored, 99 RBIs and 4.6 oWAR. For those unfamiliar with ATC they arrive at their projections by averaging the results of several different projection systems together. Both Mookie and Freddie project even higher WAR than Ohtani. What an incredible top of the lineup this team has.
Stupor bowl Sunday. Football finally over and we can concentrate on baseball.
Picks for the Dodgers opening day roster already on their website. No surprises.