3 Dodgers who could lose their 40-man roster spots soon

1. Dennis Santana

It seems unfair to speculate wildly, but at a certain point, Dennis Santana’s life-filled right arm needs to produce some results at the big-league level.

And on a roster as competitive as this one, that clock may be about to strike midnight.

Unreasonable expectations? Sure, slightly. But this is a world champion team with a clearly overflowing cadre of arms. And after three years of Santana cameos, we’re not sure if we’ve seen it yet.

He debuted in 2018 as a 22-year-old and got knocked around in a single outing, soaking up five earned runs in 3.2 innings of low-leverage work. In 2019, he walked four in five innings spread across three outings, allowing four earned runs in the process.

2020? His most extended MLB stint yet. Santana posted a 5.29 ERA in 17 innings across 12 appearances, walking seven.

Look, you’ve either got it or you don’t, and the Dodgers have seen enough in Santana to grant him both security and multiple opportunities these past few years. They like something in his electric arm, but it just hasn’t translated.

Now 25 in a matter of days, Santana will likely get another chance to prove himself with a single minor-league option remaining. If we still don’t see it in 2021, he could be among the first to be jettisoned.

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