Cody Snavely
The 2024 MLB season is near, as the Dodgers wrapped up their final exhibition game before the two-game series against the San Diego Padres this Wednesday. However, the Dodgers’ fifth spot in the rotation still needed to be fulfilled.
The Dodgers’ main goal this offseason was to revamp and add depth to the starting rotation, and they did just that by trading Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays and inking him to a massive 5-year, $136.5 million extension.
The team also signed star Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year $325 million deal, the largest contract to a pitcher in MLB history, while also bringing in veteran left-handed starting pitcher James Paxton to add depth to the backend of the rotation.
The Dodgers are also expected to have Walker Buehler back sometime in the first few months of the season as he finishes rehab from his second career Tommy John surgery. However, with the recent shoulder issues to right-handed pitcher Emmet Sheehan the Dodgers fifth spot in the rotation remained up for grabs.
The two logical choices were Gavin Stone and fellow right-handed pitcher Michael Grove. Similar to Stone, Grove also spent time in the Dodgers rotation and bullpen in 2023, each with mixed results.
Stone, who was called up in May 2023, posted a 9.00 ERA in 31 innings, striking out 22 batters. However, Stone turned a corner this Spring, closing out on a great outing, going 3 1/3 innings while allowing no hits and striking out eight batters.
Stone ended his 2024 Spring Training by pitching 13 innings and allowing only one run. After the game, Stone told the media that Dave Roberts had assured him he would be the Dodgers’ fifth starter in the rotation, following Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Bobby Miller, and James Paxton.
Grove will be shifted to the bullpen as another long relief option, along with left-handed pitcher Ryan Yarbrough.
When Walker Buehler returns, it will be interesting to see how the Dodgers and their coaching staff approach the rotation. While a six-man rotation has been criticized numerous times, it does make sense due to Tyler Glasnow’s past health and Yamamoto’s history of the NPB.
Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
