Allen Lieu
In 2014, the Dodgers had a pretty decent rotation until injuries took its toll on almost every starter. The starting rotation’s number #1 pitcher, Clayton Kershaw was lights out throughout the regular season, compiling a record of 21-3. Pitching right behind him in the number #2 spot was Zack Greinke, who went 17-8. The number #3 spot was occupied by Hyun-jin Ryu, who had an almost identical record from 2013 at 14-7. The number #4 starter was Dan Haren who went 13-10. The 5th starter in the beginning was Josh Beckett, who threw a no hitter. He also retired at the conclusion of the season this year due to nagging injuries. The number 5 spot was filled with pitchers from the minor leagues and pickups such as Roberto Hernandez (aka Fausto Carmona), Kevin Correia, Carlos Frias, Paul Maholm, Red Patterson, Stephen Fife. All the guys that filled in for the 5th spot were mostly ineffective.
What does the 2015 starting rotation look like?
Kershaw will be returning obviously as the number #1 pitcher. He signed a massive deal to become the highest paid pitcher in history at 7 yrs/$215M. Every time Kershaw pitched in the regular season, the Dodgers expected to win. Kershaw threw a no hitter and was one error (thanks to Hanley Ramirez) away from a perfect game. Kershaw, after pitching in Australia, was put on the disabled list for the first time in his career. When he came back, he pitched game after game as if nothing could stop him. He struck out batters with his wide arsenal of pitches (devastating slider, curve, change up and fastball). Kershaw’s kryptonite, is pitching in the playoffs. He lost the two games in the NLDS, both times getting shelled in the 7th inning. This was due to Mattingly not trusting the bullpen to effectively pitch. Kershaw is the best pitcher in baseball. His work ethic is amazing and he will come back with a vengeance to atone for the 2014 NLDS.
Greinke will be returning as the #2 pitcher. He also was lights out and Greinke was the pitcher the Dodgers counted on to stop the skid if the Dodgers were on a losing streak. Greinke wouldn’t pitch as long as Kershaw but he would give a decent effort to help the Dodgers win games. Greinke did complain of a sore elbow, and this raised some eyebrows. It was a peculiar statement but Greinke gutted it out. Greinke also was great with the bat, as he would make decent contact most of the time as he was pitching. Greinke was the only pitcher that left the NLDS with the Dodgers up. His 7 inning effort helped lead the Dodgers to a 3-2 victory in Game 2 of the NLDS.
Ryu spearheads the Dodger’s pitching attack as the number #3 pitcher. This year, Ryu spent more time on the disabled list. His 2014 innings were down by almost 40 innings but he was able to pitch effectively when healthy. Ryu came back to pitch the NLDS game 3, after not pitching for a month. Ryu said he would train earlier in the off season to prevent injuries from happening.
Dan Haren will be returning, if he does not retire. Haren was up and down all season. Some games he would pitch effectively and some games he looked completely lost. Don Mattingly skipped a Haren start during the season as Haren kept losing games for the Dodgers. However he was able to turn things around and kept the Dodgers in the game.
The 5th Spot
The last spot is up for grabs. Who fills in the 5th spot? Will Zach Lee be ready? Beckett retired at the end of the season. Hernandez, Correia, and Maholm are free agents. Fife is recovering from surgery. The Dodgers could resign Chad Billingsley, who was shut down for the season. They hold a team option over Billingsley’s contract and will most likely buy him out. They might bring him back on a one year deal to see if he can get back on track.
If the Dodgers don’t resign Billingsley, will they go after free agents? There are multiple free agent pitchers, with James Shields leading the pack. Shields might not even be available as the Royals are in the World Series. Shields may stick with the Royals, depending on the outcome of the series. Do the Dodgers pick up Jake Peavy, their former nemesis of the San Diego Padres and now of the Giants? After the winter meetings, the Dodgers should load up on pitching. The Dodgers may have two spots to fill, if Haren decides to retire. If they plug a spot with one free agent and keep the #5 spot for some homegrown talent, the Dodgers will be able to match last year’s record or do better.
There is no such thing as not enough pitching. It’s better to have more pitching than less.
