Dodgers: 4 roster battles to watch in spring training 2.0

The Los Angeles Dodgers will report to spring training at Dodger Stadium on July 1.

Finally, we have baseball. At least that is the plan, as players will report next week to Spring Training 2.0 to try to play a season amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Los Angeles Dodgers remain poised to end their championship drought with a roster that was built for a long playoff run.

While there aren’t many holes on the Dodger roster, there are a few spots where healthy competition will decide who gets the most playing time or the opportunity to serve in a back-up role.

As a means to ease teams into the sudden start to the season, MLB teams will be allowed to carry 30 players on their active rosters on opening day, with rosters shrinking to 28 players after two weeks, and to 26 players two weeks after that. It will be interesting to see how the team manages those extra spots early in the season.

Despite the compressed schedule, manager Dave Roberts indicated that he doesn’t plan on using a six-man rotation to start the season, instead limiting the number of innings his pitchers work through their first few starts. That would have created an interesting roster battle and potential opening for Ross Stripling, but it appears the rotation is set for now.

As the Dodgers prepare to report to camp next week, let’s look at a few roster battles that still aren’t settled.

1) Dodgers roster battles: Will Smith vs Austin Barnes

Former first round pick Will Smith appears ready to take on the full-time catching duties, but when spring training was suspended in mid-March, it seemed like manager Dave Roberts was leaning toward a “partnership” between Smith and Austin Barnes.

Smith caught 46 games during his first exposure to major league pitching last year. He handled himself well behind the plate while displaying his raw power with 15 home runs and 42 RBIs.

The veteran Barnes is not going to excite anyone with his bat, but his defense is unmatched and his pitch-framing is important for Dodgers pitchers. The 30-year-old was off to a hot start in Cactus League play before things shut down. If he can improve his performance on offense, he could pose a threat to Smith’s quest to take over the everyday catching duties this season.

The Dodgers will have three weeks to get ready for the season, but there won’t be any game action beyond scrimmages to evaluate which backstop is ready for a potential breakout season. As most things this year, that will be decided on the fly during the regular season.

2) Dodgers roster battles: Left field platoon

This position battle is a matter of at-bats. We know both AJ Pollock and Joc Pederson will see time in the Dodgers lineup this season, but how often each plays will be interesting to watch over a shortened 60-game schedule.

Left field has become a classic platoon opportunity for manager Dave Roberts, with Pederson mashing right-handed pitchers and Pollock offsetting him against southpaws. Last year, Pederson hit all 36 of his home runs against righties.

With Mookie Betts added to the outfield next to Cody Bellinger, it doesn’t leave space for either Pollock or Pederson to find much time in center or right field, so they will have to make due with the opportunities they get in left field.

Pollock has played most of his career as a center fielder, but he did see 145 innings in left last year, and was below average to terrible depending on the advanced metrics you look at. Pederson has had his own troubles in the outfield, but played better last season.

With the designated hitter added to the National League this year, it offers an opportunity for both players to gain at-bats on days they aren’t playing in the field. Roberts said he doesn’t plan on using a full-time DH, so he will rotate players to give them partial days off.

3) Dodgers roster battles: Final bench spots

To provide pitchers with more time to strengthen their arms, teams will be allowed to carry 30 players on their active roster when the season begins. So while there will be four added roster spots, I wouldn’t expect them to be filled with positional players.

However, the Dodgers still have some decisions to make to fill out the back of their bench. Assuming they break camp with 16 pitchers, that leaves 14 openings for positional players.

We can start filling those spots with two catchers (Will Smith and Austin Barnes), Max Muncy, Gavin Lux, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, along with Joc Pederson and AJ Pollock. That brings us to ten. Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor are guaranteed spots, leaving two openings for Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts to get creative.

Who will be in consideration for the final bench spots?

Both Matt Beaty and Edwin Rios should be the favorites, but Zach McKinstry, DJ Peters, and Luke Raley could all get consideration. With 60 games in 66 days, it’s possible the Dodgers decide to carry an extra catcher in Keibert Ruiz, but he will most likely serve on the taxi squad.