Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2023
On Tuesday Clayton Kershaw agreed to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a one-year deal. Since Kershaw had his first shoulder surgery in November, he won’t pitch until after the All-Star break.
This offseason, the Dodgers revamped their starting rotation since they had no choice. In 2023, the Dodgers didn’t have an Opening Day starter on the last day of the season. Kershaw missed about two months during the 2023 season. No one will forget Kershaw’s nightmare in Game 1 in the 2023 NLDS against the Arizona Diamondbacks where he retired only one out and allowed six runs.
Unlike in the past, Kershaw won’t be an ace of the starting rotation. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a rookie, is expected to be the ace of the rotation. At 25, Yamamoto hasn’t pitched in the major leagues but has won three Japanese Cy Young Awards. He has a mid-90s fastball, a Kershaw curveball, a devasting splitter, and a cutter. He has pinpoint control. Yamamoto must adjust to a five-man rotation while Japan has a six-man rotation.
In December, the Dodgers traded for Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays. When healthy, Glasnow is one of the elite starters. He pitched with an injured UCL until he had Tommy John surgery in 2021 and missed most of the 2022 season. He hasn’t pitched more than 120 innings a season. Glasnow has a blazing fastball, an unhittable slider, and a rainbow curveball. The Dodgers hope Glasnow will stay healthy for the whole 2024 season.
While Walker Buehler will be delayed to start the 2024 season after having his second Tommy John surgery, he will return to the rotation. The Dodgers and Buehler hope Buehler will regain his form to lead the team in the playoffs.
In January, the Dodgers signed lefty 35-year-old James Paxton to a revised contract for an unspecified health issue. If healthy, Paxton is a power pitcher with a cutter, a knuckle curveball, a sinker, and a changeup. He will be the only lefty in the Dodger rotation.
Bobby Miller will be the fifth or sixth starter in the Dodger rotation. Entering his sophomore season, Miller should achieve higher success than a rookie season. If he can block out his terrible start in the NLDS against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he should mature as a pitcher.
Emmet Sheehan is waiting in the wings for his opportunity. His four-seam fastball is the best in the Dodger organization. If his control improves, he will be in the major leagues.
On paper, the Dodger starting rotation is the best in the National League. If starters stay healthy, the Dodgers will go to the World Series, but if two or more starters get injured, the Dodgers will be in trouble.
