Dodgers: 3 options to replace David Price’s spot in the rotation

The Los Angeles Dodgers have plenty of options to fill David Price’s spot in the rotation.

As the Los Angeles Dodgers return to Dodger Stadium to prepare for a season unlike any in major league baseball history, there are plenty of questions surrounding player safety and health. It has created an uncomfortable situation for teams and players as they try to navigate through a 60-game schedule amid a global pandemic.

There are things bigger than sports. That is why you are seeing players balance the desire to return to play with the appropriate caution in considering the well-being of their families.

However, even with uncertainty ahead, it appears baseball will be played this season. And for all of the questions about keeping players safe from the spread of the novel coronavirus, on the baseball field, there aren’t many questions left for manager Dave Roberts to answer in terms of filling out his lineup card. He has been given a roster of incredible depth by president Andrew Friedman.

But as news broke on Saturday afternoon that David Price will opt out of the 2020 season, a new question emerges: Who will take his place in the starting rotation?

Roberts has made clear that despite the compressed schedule and start-and-stop nature to the season, he will still use a traditional 5-man rotation. The starting rotation seemed to be set in stone by the time the season was put on pause due to the virus: Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, and David Price would represent the top three starters, and Julio Urías and Alex Wood would fill out the back of the rotation.

With Price deciding to stay home, who are the candidates to take his place?

Dodgers who could replace David Price in the rotation: Ross Stripling

The most obvious candidate to take Price’s spot in the rotation is podcaster slash financial planner slash reliever slash starter Ross Stripling. Yeah, maybe I should change the order of his titles, but we will let this season help decide that.

The 30-year-old thought he would be joining another starting rotation this offseason when he was almost traded to the Los Angeles Angels. The deal ultimately fell through after the Mookie Betts trade was re-negotiated, which was a bittersweet moment for Stripling, who was excited for the opportunity to be a full-time starter, while also committed to returning to the Dodgers in the team’s quest for a championship.

Stripling started 15 games for manager Dave Roberts last season, and pitched fairly well. He went 2-3 with a 3.60 ERA, striking out 71 batters and walking only 14. He also made 17 appearances as a reliever and pitched to a 3.05 ERA.

Of course, the right-hander’s best campaign came in 2018 when he earned an All-Star appearance after starting the season 8-2 with a 2.08 ERA. Unfortunately, he struggled the second half of the schedule and never won another game that year.

With Stripling, the Dodgers would be replacing Price with a veteran option who can quickly adapt to the challenging season ahead. It seems overdue for Strip to get another chance in the rotation.

Dodgers who could replace David Price in the rotation: Dustin May

The top pitching prospect in the Dodger system, Dustin May, is another promising candidate to replace Price in the rotation. The 22-year-old made his major league debut last season and looked impressive as a starter. In 4 starts, he pitched to a 1-2 record, but his ERA was below three runs (2.82) and he struck out 17 batters while walking only three in over 22 innings of work.

With the 2020 Minor League Baseball season canceled, May will be limited to pitching in the big leagues in order to keep his development path on track. An open rotation spot could help keep him on his pitching regiment while providing the Dodgers with a potential shot in the arm from one of their best young pitchers from a talented farm system.

The question for Roberts and the front office is whether it poses a risk to put May in a challenging situation of pitching over a compressed schedule after the season was forced to stop and start back up again. They can make that evaluation based on how his arm feels in summer camp.

The 6-foot-6 right-hander could be the X-factor for the team this season, if he lives up to his potential.