Dodgers Way News Round-Up: Corey Seager, Kershaw, Pederson

When Corey Seager exited the field for the final time in 2018, it was in heartbreak. The young shortstop would be set to undergo Tommy John Surgery, and the Dodgers were set to make a World Series run without one of their best players.

This year, Seager will return. His goal, just to find the same normal and success from year’s past.

The Dodgers are obviously eager to help him do that and, while they would love him back on the field, they are in no rush to make that happen. Thus, Seager is officially taking the slow route back to the lineup.

Dave Roberts has consistently shared that the plan with Seager is to not even have him workout with the rest of the major league camp. The Dodgers want him on the backfields, reworking his mechanics and swing, slowly working back to a game.

Roberts has said that Seager will need 60-70 at-bats before the Dodgers even consider a game.

Roberts did, however, share that Seager is a “go” with everything but throwing.

“It’s a full go with everything outside of throwing,” Roberts told Sportsnet LA’s, Alanna Rizzo. “The range to the left and right with the hip is a full go. He’s out to 135 feet now with the throwing. He is taking live BP. Everything else is fine except for the throwing.”

Until throwing is on the list of the actions that Seager can do, the Dodgers should not change the speed of the comeback for it is their player they would be hurting.

The year was 2011. Clayton Kershaw, just 23-years-old at the time, would toe the rubber, throw his arms above his head and pitch on opening day for the first time in his career.

That same year, the young Kershaw would lead the majors in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. He had proven his worth and he won the Cy Young award.

In wouldn’t be the last time both of those things would happen. Since the 2011 season, Kershaw has not missed an opening day start and since that first Cy Young, he’s taken home two more. Kershaw vaulted himself from excellent to one of the best of all time.

This year, 2019, Kershaw will look to replace himself atop the list of active pitchers, hoping not only to get himself back into the Cy Young race but to win his team a world championship.

Dave Roberts more or less confirmed that Kershaw would open the season for the Dodgers although he did not directly use his name.

While I’d be foolish to not just say that Kershaw is the starter, part of me wants to think that Walker Buehler might be able to sneak in with an unbelievable spring training. Doubtful that he’ll do it, but I would like to think there is a chance.

Whether it is Buehler or Kershaw one thing is for sure, opening day will have an ace on the mound once more.

Strategic, huh? I put a picture of Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig on this slide. Reason being, trade rumors surrounding Pederson appear to still be valid and the Chicago Tribune is the one reporting it.

The Tribune’s Teddy Greenstein wrote mid-day Sunday that the rumors surrounding Pederson and the White Sox are not only true, but they are also not necessarily done.

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• Dave Roberts’ quote about Padres in NLDS should motivate Dodgers

The story opens by crediting the original breaker of the rumors, Jason Kinander, who tweeted months ago that Pederson could be on the move and the White Sox were involved. Not only did he tweet that though, but Ken Rosenthal also backed it up.

The article reaffirms the claims by Kinander and goes into details about how a trade is still possible.

The article does say that “the side are not currently close” but it adds to “not rule it out.”

Trading Pederson has been a reoccurring topic this offseason. First, it was to make room for Bryce Harper, then it was to accommodate AJ Pollock. But, at the end of the day, for every Pederson trade rumor, there has been a reason why the Dodgers should not do it.

For me, trading Pederson means trading a sure-fire healthy player. Pederson has not been hurt at all in the last three years while AJ Pollock has not proved he can’t stay healthy. The Dodgers have said numerous times that they have the depth for Pollock to get hurt but Pederson is a part of the depth at the very least. At the most, he is the starting left fielder against right-handed pitching.

The Dodgers can trade Joc. The return would have to be well worth their time but they can certainly do it if they see fit. However, there are downsides to moving a player that has been important to your lineup over the last few seasons and that risk needs to be considered.