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3 questions Dodgers have already answered at spring training, 1 they haven't
The Dodgers have the air of a team who has their s--t figured out. This has been the case throughout the offseason, but seeing them on the field and still holding onto first place in Cactus League play makes it all more palpable.
Sure, everyone is optimistic during spring training. If your team is killing during camp, it's a great sign of things to come. If they suck— who cares? It's just spring training! How much you read into the Dodgers' success ahead of Opening Day is totally up to you, but we can all agree that the team looks confident and ready.
Accordingly, there are a lot of things the Dodgers have already sorted out with less than two weeks to go before Seoul. But no one's perfect, and there's still one itching, burning question they need to answer as well.
3 questions Dodgers have already answered at spring training, 1 they haven't
How will Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman be configured at the top of the order?
After Ohtani was signed, it was clear that he, Betts, and Freeman would sit right at the top of the Dodgers' order to terrorize pitchers. However, before Ohtani made his spring debut on Feb. 27, we weren't sure exactly how they were going to be configured. Last year, Betts and Freeman were pretty much unshakably in the Dodgers' 1 and 2 spots, and Ohtani bounced around between 1-3 but was mostly at 2 throughout the year for the Angels.
Betts pretty much always had leadoff locked down, but Freeman and Ohtani were different stories. No one really expected any drama out of the decision, but the answer for how and when opposing pitchers would have to handle three of baseball's best hitters was always going to be intriguing.
According to Dave Roberts, neither Ohtani nor Freeman has a preference for where they hit, so Ohtani went to the second spot and Freeman to the third. It's already started to make sense on the field; after Ohtani stole his first base of spring training on March 6, Freeman was asked about that decision to run. Freeman said he always wanted to Ohtani to run, and that he'd take a pitch whenever he was trying to steal. Freeman hit .373 with runners in scoring position last season, so having him behind a steal threat like Ohtani in the lineup just makes sense.
Are Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto worth all that money?
The Dodgers' record-breaking, double-barreled signings of Ohtani and Yamamoto were mostly (rightfully) met with acclaim back in December, but we wouldn't have blamed you if you also had a healthy dose of skepticism. 10-12 years is a long time, and $1 billion+ is oh so much money. Ohtani has more than proven himself in MLB and will almost certainly make up the cost of his contract in ticket, jersey, memorabilia sales by the time he leaves the team. Yamamoto, on the other hand, was a more unknown quantity, and the expectations the lengths and prices of both contracts inevitably set up in front of the two stars are almost unfathomable.
Ohtani and Yamamoto don't have to be perfect throughout their Dodgers tenures to be worth the money (and don't let anyone tell you otherwise), but what we've already seen in spring training should put most worry to bed. Ohtani is hitting .583/.667/1.000 and knocked a home run in his debut; Yamamoto had an almost spotless first start (his second was more muddled, but it mostly wasn't his fault, and we'll die on that hill).
Not to mention all of the sponsors, ballpark-goers, and new fans both are bringing in that will make them worth the money in a literal sense. We shouldn't be afraid about how they'll fare in a spiritual or emotional sense either, though. Both are already working very hard to come through for this team, and there's no reason to believe that's going to change through the duration of their tenures.
How much has the Dodgers' bullpen improved from last year?
Answer: A lot. We sort of knew that going into spring training, with Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol turning out incredible 2023 seasons even after rocky starts, and Joe Kelly and Ryan Brasier returning on one-year deals. However, in June of last year, the Dodgers bullpen had the second-worst bullpen ERA in the league, followed only by the Oakland Athletics. They made strides after that and were one of the only palatable parts of the Dodgers' short-lived postseason run, but the question remained whether or not it would stick.
Given how Dodgers relievers have looked in spring training, it seems that the dominance has stuck around. Not only have Phillips and Graterol been retained, and Kelly and Brasier re-signed, but Blake Treinen and JP Feyereisen are finally coming off of the IL. Treinen has been near-perfect in spring, Phillips and Graterol have also been their usual excellent selves, and even Daniel Hudson has successfully worked his way back onto the Dodgers' roster, presumably stealing a spot from Michael Grove or Gavin Stone.
Roberts said that he believes the Dodgers bullpen will be one of the team's strengths in 2024 when it certainly didn't seem like one this time last year. With Phillips and Graterol closing and the rest able to fill in do-it-all roles, the Dodgers are in a good spot.
Unanswered: Who will play shortstop for the Dodgers?
Just days ago, we figured this question was answered. Gavin Lux, coming back from a torn ACL, would be the Dodgers' shortstop from Opening Day on, expected to get most of the starts there with occasional backup from the team's veteran bench as he eased back in from injury. Skepticism already existed before he got his first spring training start at short — he put up -5 outs above average there in 2021 and only +1 in 2022 — and what he demonstrated on the field didn't help his case in the slightest.
After four botched throws in March 6's game, two of which allowed runners to reach, the Dodgers changed their tune on Lux. Where they once seemed certain that he would be their man, Roberts conceded after Wednesday's game that he didn't know who would start on Opening Day. On March 7, Kiké Hernández got the start and Miguel Rojas subbed in later.
On March 8? Mookie Betts to short, Lux to second in a panic maneuver that can only be described as turbulent. Wasn't Betts requesting second? Accommodating Lux was worth more to Roberts and Co.?
Lux has never really felt like a first choice for the Dodgers, even though he's seemingly the best compromise candidate, who could sometimes play serviceable defense and had a better bat than the bench guys. But the Dodgers had their eyes on Willy Adames for the entire offseason, and at one point seemed willing to send Lux down the river if it meant they could get Adames. If Lux's Opening Day spot is already in jeopardy, it wouldn't be surprising if his spot with the organization altogether was in danger nearing the trade deadline.
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