2 former Dodgers failing miserably in spring training, 2 who are dominating

The Dodgers have already opened their season in Tokyo and established a perfect winning record to kick off the year, but the rest of baseball is still plugging away in Florida and Arizona ahead of Opening Day on March 27. LA's roster this year looks almost identical to last, with a few high-powered additions to the rotation, and their eyes are probably already on the postseason.

But there are a lot of former Dodgers across MLB who will face LA in 2025. Let's check in on some of whom are doing great in camp, and others who are making their respective new teams regret ever signing them.

2 former Dodgers failing miserably in spring training, 2 who are dominating

Kenta Maeda is failing miserably

Maeda was, at one point, a staple of the Dodgers' rotation who placed third in Rookie of the Year voting, but he made the Tigers regret signing him to a two-year deal almost immediately in 2024. He carried a 7.26 ERA through 16 starts last year before Detroit threw him back to the bullpen, mimicking what the Dodgers had to do with him in his last year in LA (though his 4.11 ERA by the time he was relegated then was far more forgivable).

He's fighting for a spot in the Tigers' rotation this year, but his 5.68 ERA through 12 2/3 innings isn't doing him any favors. Former first overall pick Casey Mize has a 1.13 ERA through 16 innings, and top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe is likely to get the other open spot, so the Tigers will have to live with paying an ineffective bullpen arm $10 million this year.

Cody Bellinger is dominating

The Cubs breathed a sigh of relief when they managed to shed Bellinger from their roster, despite still assuming some responsibility for the rest of his contract, and they proceeded to have a pretty respectable offseason with the money that was cleared up. Aaron Judge advocated for the trade that sent Bellinger to the Yankees, and Bellinger's performance in spring training so far should certainly have the Yankees feeling good about themselves.

Through 15 games, he's batting .475 with a 1.348 OPS, five doubles, three homers, and seven RBI, easily making him one of the best hitters at Yankees camp.

Ross Stripling is failing miserably

During Stripling's four and a half years in LA, only one was semi-decent. In 2018, he picked up his first (and to date only) All-Star nod for his 2.08 ERA and 25 starts before the break, but then he missed time with both toe and back issues and struggled in his starts in between. The Dodgers traded him to the Blue Jays at the 2020 deadline after he pitched 33 2/3 innings for a 5.61 ERA, and Toronto demoted him to the bullpen after just two starts.

His career since then has been filled with injuries and demotions, and he was forced to settle on a minor league deal with an invite to Royals spring training in 2025. He's pitched six innings for a 16.50 ERA, so there's simply no way he's making that roster. He can opt for an unconditional release at the end of camp if he doesn't make the roster, and that might be where things are headed.

Joc Pederson is dominating

Pederson's had his ups and downs since he left the Dodgers after the 2020 season, but he reestablished himself as a sneaky star last year with the Diamondbacks, when he hit .275 with a .908 OPS on a prove-it deal. He was rewarded with a two-year, $37 million deal with the Rangers, joining fellow 2020 World Series champion Corey Seager (who's been slumping in comparison during spring training).

Pederson is batting .259 with a 1.014 OPS with three homers and 10 RBI through 10 games in Rangers camp and he's expected to be Texas' everyday DH through the duration of his contract. The Dodgers were right to let him walk when they did, but it's still nice to see him bouncing back in these later seasons of his career.