Dodgers: Three Forgotten Players that Could Make an Impact in 2018

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GLENDALE, AZ – MARCH 05: General view of action between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers during the spring training game at Camelback Ranch on March 5, 2016, in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

Spring training- the grandest of all stages for positional battles. Players who have fallen into the shadows of a roster have the opportunity to remake a name for themselves and reclaim their roles in the spotlight. Every year, the Dodgers, who are known far and wide for their positional depth, have no shortage of these races for a roster spot.

This year, the Dodgers face a scenario new to every man on the roster: a quiet offseason with an almost identical roster to the year before. Players are going into this spring more or less unworried about their job certainty but there still remains a shortlist of players who must garner the attention of fans and coaching staff to regain their roster spot.

Whether the cause was injury or a slump, there are three Dodgers that have an opportunity to make a difference in 2018 but can only do so with an impactful spring training. These three players have slipped into the shadows over the past year or so and it is time to bring those names out from the dark and watch them closely during the spring.

Adam Liberatore, Yimi Garcia, and Trayce Thompson have something to prove right now.

GLENDALE, AZ – MARCH 07: Adam Liberatore /

Adam Liberatore does not get the credit he deserves. Just two seasons ago he was setting team records for consecutive scoreless appearances and was creeping up on Zach Britton’s MLB record holding scoreless appearance streak.

Liberatore was among the game’s elite during his dominant 2016 season but things started to spiral out of control as that season went on. Perhaps from over-usage, Liberatore went down with a serious shoulder injury, sidelining him for the remainder of the 2016 season. That offseason, he had surgery to clear up his medical woes from the season prior. The then 30-year-old lefty was expected to recover fully and for a while, it looked like he did.

Liberatore came to spring training last year hoping to impress but instead he got hurt again. He threw less than 15 innings in 2017 and lost his reputation for excellence. Liberatore had fallen into the shadows.

Now, in 2018, Adam has presented with an opportunity to re-insert himself into the elite Dodger bullpen. His ability to get outs, although a question mark at the moment, is there. Over the part of the past three seasons, Liberatore has had an ERA+ of 107 suggesting he is seven points better than the average pitcher.

With a big spring training and a clean medical bill, Adam Liberatore can easily slip back into the pen when camp breaks and can certainly make an impact in 2018. If Adam makes it into the bullpen to start the season, I would not be surprised.

LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 16: Yimi Garcia /

Talk about a player who has fallen from fame. Yimi Garcia has not played in a major league game since early 2016. Just nine games into his 2016 season, Garcia went down with shoulder pain and could not shake the injury for the majority of the season.

After two rehab appearance, the then 26-year-old righty began experiencing discomfort in his forearm, an obvious sign of a UCL tear. Everyone’s greatest fear was confirmed just days after he shared his pains: he needed Tommy John Surgery.

The surgery went well and he is expected to be just fine but the combination of the most serious elbow injury and a shoulder injury that probably required a surgery of its own may be cause for concern. But, this article is about optimism so allow me to explain why it is time to give Garcia a chance.

Garcia, who is now 27-years-old, has been nothing but a quality pitcher for his entire career. He boasted back to back seasons in which his FIP was lower than his ERA and he had an ERA+ of at least 111.

If his fastball can get back to its mid-90’s form, there is no reason to think Garcia would be left off the roster. The front office has made it clear that Garcia’s is not only healthy but expected to make an impact in 2018.

If he can get his fastball up to where it used to be and continue to consistently contribute to the club, Garcia certainly makes himself a player to keep a very close eye on when the spring games start.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 03: Trayce Thompson /

Unlike the previous two players, an injury is not what landed Trayce Thompson on this list. Last year, Thompson fell into a historic skid. He started last season 0 for his first 56 at-bats between the majors and the minor leagues. He struck out 23 times in his 49 big league at-bats last year and he his just .128.

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But, despite the obvious decline in production, fans should not give up on the soon to be 27-year-old.

Projections have Thompson returning to his form of 2016 where he looked significantly better than he did last year. In 2016 Thompson hit .225 with 13 home runs and 32 RBI’s. He also stole a total of five bases. The projections for 2018 are almost copied and pasted from that season.

As it stands right now, Baseball Reference has Thompson hitting .238 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI’s. He also projects to continue to use his speed, swiping three bags. If these numbers are even close to reality the Dodgers will welcome the young Dodger to come off the bench with open arms.

Next: Dodgers: Andrew Toles Should Start the Season in Triple-A

In the end, these three players still face an uphill battle to make the roster. All three must not only train harder than the others in spring workouts but they need to impress the front office in game action as well. But, should they do it, fans should be excited to see any of these three players on the opening day roster.

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