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Dodgers: Three Players Facing Make or Break Seasons in 2018
The Dodgers will enter the 2018 season with hardly any new faces. After silent winter meetings, the Dodgers appear to be content going into the 2018 season with their current roster.
The Dodgers may add a bullpen arm or two in the coming weeks, but for now, the 2017 team will be the 2018 team minus a few players like Yu Darvish, Brandon Morrow, and Tony Watson. That means that the Dodgers will need to rely on their current roster including several players that face make or break seasons in 2018.
While most of the starting lineup is set in stone, there are a few areas where the starting lineup may fluctuate on a game to game basis. Those positions are the bullpen, catcher, and left field. Every other position on the roster is basically set in stone. There is a chance Forsythe could be in a platoon at second base, but he may be the everyday starter after a strong post-season.
The Dodgers will likely run through their starting pitchers like they did this season but not many of the starting pitchers have much to prove besides health. The other bullpen could also change weekly, but some pitchers will need to step up with the big loss of Brandon Morrow. The seventh inning role is also up for grabs as well as the starting left field job. The next three players are going to have to prove themselves in 2018 if they want to be part of the Dodger core in seasons to come.
Joc Pederson
The Dodgers have been down this road before with Yasiel Puig. After they sent Puig down to Triple-A in 2016, he responded with a career year for the Dodgers in 2017. Now, Joc Pederson is looking to write a similar story for his 2018 season. Joc was sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City when the Dodgers acquired Curtis Granderson. This season was a big disappointment for Joc as he only hit .212 with 11 home runs. Joc did have a stellar World Series when he popped three home runs, but he needs to prove he figured something out and that it wasn’t just a bottle of lightning.
After Joc’s strong campaign in 2016 when he bashed 25 home runs and had an OPS over 800 the Dodgers thought Joc would get even better this year, but the opposite happened. Joc appeared to put on some weight and was no longer a plus defender in centerfield. Chris Taylor ended up taking the centerfield job by the horns and never looked back. Farhan Zaidi even mentioned during the winter meetings that the Dodgers want Joc to improve his conditioning.
The 2018 season will be a make or break season for Joc Pederson since the Dodgers are always loaded with outfielders. Chris Taylor and Yasiel Puig are guaranteed starting spots, but Joc will try to take the left field job and run away with it. If Joc once again struggles then the Dodgers could start Andrew Toles or Alex Verdugo. The Dodgers also have outfield prospects on the way like DJ Peters, Yusniel Diaz, and Jeren Kendall. If Joc once again struggles in 2018, then that will be the nail in the coffin of his Dodger career.
Pedro Baez
The Dodgers lost Brandon Morrow to the Chicago Cubs, and now they face missing links in the bridge to Kenley Jansen. One of the main relievers who are likely to get called upon to setup Jansen is Pedro Baez. Baez is coming off a miserable September when he had an ERA over ten and pitched his way off of the Dodger playoff roster. Even then, Baez has been a good reliever for years so the Dodgers will give him every shot for redemption in 2018.
Baez could once again establish himself as an elite eighth-inning setup man, but if he fails to regain his confidence, then he could get shipped out like Chris Hatcher did this year. Baez throws hard regularly but his confidence is spotty at best. He walks too many hitters, and that makes up for the fact that the opposition does not get many hits against Baez. Pedro also needs to work on his pace of play as he takes forever in between pitches and that can lull defenders to sleep.
Baez certainly has all the weapons he needs to succeed as a successful setup reliever. Baez throws up to 100 miles per hour and has a slider that occasionally shows promise. The main thing Baez needs to do is throw more strikes and don’t take three years in between pitches. If he can do that, then a return to form is almost guaranteed for Pedro Baez. However, if Baez once again struggles then he too could be done as a Dodger.
Austin Barnes
The Dodgers will enter the 2018 season with stiff competition for the every day starting catcher role. Yasmani Grandal is in a contract year, and given the history of contract years, Grandal should have a very good season. The issue is that Austin Barnes will be fighting to cut into Grandal’s playing time. Both catchers are above average and have their own set of advantages. For Barnes, he is less injury prone and can mash lefties which is something Grandal cannot do.
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Barnes hit .289 during the regular season but appeared to run out of gas in the playoffs. In the post-season, Barnes hit a measly .217 with an on-base percentage under 300. The Dodgers have a very good assortment of young catchers in the minor leagues so they could move on from both if Barnes does not have a good season in 2018. Barnes needs to prove that he can start a majority of the games in 2018 and stay productive even when the season winds down.
The Dodgers will also look to get some stolen bases out of the catcher position with Barnes starting. Barnes gives the Dodgers one of the more athletic catchers in the league, so they need to use his speed tp get an extra advantage out of the catcher’s spot. Barnes also needs to improve on blocking balls as he ran into issues in 2018 and called a better game. If he can earn Dave Roberts’ trust in calling games, then he will really take control of the pitching staff.
Next: Walker Buehler's 2018 Season Outlook
The 2018 season will be the season that determines if Austin Barnes is ready to be the next starting catcher of the Dodgers. If he fails to last physically or his game struggles then the Dodgers could look to give Kyle Farmer more playing time or take a look at one of the minor leaguers like Will Smith or Kyle Farmer. With Grandal in a contract year the Dodgers will give Barnes every shot to take the starting role but it’s up to Barnes to come through.