3 Dodgers who might have tough time competing for 40-man roster spot

2. Luke Raley

On one hand, Dodgers fans don’t want to give up too soon on Luke Raley or sell him for pennies on the dollar … but on the other, it feels like time is running out if he doesn’t get off to a quick start in 2022.

Raley is entering his age-27 season with just 33 games of MLB experience and it’s unclear how he’ll get more playing time to prove his worth. His bat seemingly isn’t a problem in Triple-A, but the numbers don’t exactly jump off the page and smack you in the face. The lost 2020 season was a killer and it’s certainly unfair it may have affected his development, but that could be the reality.

Also, some bats just can’t make the leap from Triple-A to the pros. We’ve seen it with countless prospects in the past. His .182 average and .538 OPS (45 OPS+) across his first big-league action last year was unsightly. The Dodgers might also be using Gavin Lux, Zach McKinstry and Chris Taylor as their other outfielders — all of whom are more valuable than the former seventh-round pick.

This might be a situation where he’ll have to blow the team away in spring training because the Dodgers need to address their starting rotation and bullpen, which will inevitably create a sort of roster squeeze.