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3 Dodgers DFA/release candidates who could lose 40-man roster spot before Opening Day
Believe it or not, even with a roster lacking depth, the Los Angeles Dodgers still have some trimming to do before Opening Day. They did a bit in the form of a number of minor-league options this week, but that'll hardly finish the job.
The Dodgers have ongoing competitions up and down the roster and other situations impacted by injury during Spring Training. Some situations have already played themselves out, but others need the final two weeks before Opening Day to come to fruition.
There's no telling what Andrew Friedman might do, especially with how unpredictable these last few months have been, but Dodgers fans think they have an idea of who might be staying and who might be going (or, at least they hope whatever they think turns out to be the case).
These predictions can also get upended by the time the start of the season arrives, but it looks like we'll be trending in this direction.
3 Dodgers DFA/release candidates who could lose 40-man roster spot
Justin Bruihl
Bruihl's emergence in 2021 was impressive, but the right-hander took a considerable step back in 2022. It's right there in the numbers, too:
- 2021 - 2.89 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 1.07 WHIP, 11 strikeouts in 18.2 innings (21 games)
- 2022 - 3.80 ERA, 5.35 FIP, 1.18 WHIP, 13 strikeouts in 23.2 innings (24 games)
- Spring Training - 12.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3 strikeouts in 3 innings (4 games)
Was it because he decreased his slider usage from 2021 to 2022? He also lost velocity on all of his pitches year over year:
- Cutter in 2021 (88.2 MPH) vs 2022 (86.4 MPH)
- Slider in 2021 (78.9 MPH) vs 2022 (77.5 MPH)
- Sinker in 2021 (90.4 MPH) vs 2022 (88.7 MPH)
Not sure what's going on, but with a number of others like Tayler Scott, Ryan Pepiot, Andre Jackson and Phil Bickford outperforming him by a lot, his days in the bullpen could be numbered ... especially now that he's out with an injury.
Yonny Hernandez
The Dodgers traded for Yonny Hernandez in the offseason and slapped him on the 40-man roster. Though he has two minor-league options left, he may not be worth a 40-man spot if the Dodgers are seriously attempting to upgrade their infield after Gavin Lux tore his ACL and MCL.
The only issue is that Hernandez is quite literally the backup third baseman (per the depth chart). That could change if the Dodgers make Miguel Vargas the backup and then shift around Miguel Rojas/Chris Taylor/Mookie Betts at second base and shortstop, but that isn't exactly "depth" -- it's versatility. That's not a bad thing, but the Dodgers might not view it as advantageous to keep moving around their most important players like that.
Hernandez has had a solid spring (.273 AVG., .769 OPS, 2 HR, 1 3B), but the Dodgers might be better off searching for a superior backup option, since it'll be much more difficult to do so at second base and shortstop. After Michael Busch was optioned, that could very well accelerate such a plan.
Also, we're just not sure a 24-year-old with limited MLB experience and a less-than-impressive track record at Triple-A is worth a roster spot, given the Dodgers' current situation.
Shelby Miller
Might the Dodgers be throwing $1.5 million in the trash with yet another failed reliever signing? We can't take much more of these!
When Miller was signed this offseason, many fans scratched their heads in response to the Dodgers giving him an MLB deal. Did Miller's seven innings with the Giants (6.43 ERA, 0.40 FIP, 1.29 WHIP and 14 strikeouts in 7 innings) really keep him out of the minor-league contract range?
So far this spring, the right-hander has allowed five earned runs on nine hits and a hit batter across 2.2 innings (three games). Opponents are hitting .563 off of him in that small sample size. It's been a swift fall from grace for the former 2015 All-Star, who's lost his way ever since the Braves traded him to the Diamondbacks in the blockbuster Dansby Swanson deal.
The Dodgers usually are magicians with unknown relievers, especially ones that possess a fastball-slider combo, but they might be more inclined to bring familiar face Jake Reed along, who's been performing exceptionally well. Additionally, with Gonsolin possibly beginning the season on the IL, the Dodgers might need to replace Pepiot (who might get moved to the rotation) with Michael Grove to address the swingman role out of the gate. That would affect the number of available spots.
But we've seen the Dodgers be stubborn on this front ... so don't be shocked if Miller is getting tattooed come April.