4 former Dodgers who painfully enter 2023 on fire after impressive springs

A lot of different players have come and gone on the Los Angeles Dodgers in recent years and the result is a wide-ranging footprint throughout MLB. This year is particularly different, though, as several big names left the team and kickstarted what many fans feel is a new era in LA.

But it hasn't gotten off to a particularly great start as the Dodgers moseyed their way through Spring Training with more concerning performances than breakout ones. Then again, it's Spring Training, and fans shouldn't lose sleep over games that are glorified warm-ups.

What should fans lose sleep over, though? The fact that there are several former Dodgers who enjoyed a red-hot spring and will likely carry that into the 2023 season. It'll be even more painful if these players continue producing at a high level while the Dodgers fall short of expectations.

4 former Dodgers who are riding red-hot springs into 2023

4. Craig Kimbrel

Shortly before the 2022 season began the Dodgers made the decision to trade outfielder AJ Pollock to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for closer Craig Kimbrel. It was a surprising move that was dissected at the time as one that could backfire for Andrew Friedman and Co.

Pollock wasn't great for the White Sox in 2022 but he still would've added much-needed depth to the Dodgers. Trayce Thompson ended up saving the team in that regard, but now the Dodgers are stuck believing in a journeyman outfielder who got hot for six weeks and has cooled off tremendously since.

Kimbrel's tenure with the Dodgers was bad from the start. He allowed a run to score in his first-ever appearance for the club and continued to remind fans throughout the year how under-appreciated Kenley Jansen was.

When the dust finally settled, Kimbrel finished with a 3.75 ERA and pitched himself off the playoff roster. The trade could not have gone any worse for the Dodgers, who happily let him walk in the offseason.

Kimbrel still managed to get $10 million from the Philadelphia Phillies on a one-year deal and, as absurd as it looked when it was announced, it's actually going quite well for the defending NL champs. Kimbrel has appeared in eight games for the Phillies, allowing just one run while striking out 13.

The Dodgers are not going to miss Kimbrel, but it's worth questioning where this was last season when the team actually needed him.

3. Tyler Anderson

Every year there seems to be a breakout pitcher at the back end of the Dodgers' rotation that turns into an All-Star. The likes of Alex Wood and Ross Stripling pioneered that breakout and Tyler Anderson may have perfected it in 2022.

Anderson was someone who could only land a one-year deal with the Dodgers and wasn't even signed to pitch out of the rotation to start the year. Injuries opened the door for the southpaw to be a consistent starter and he turned that into a career year and All-Star nod of his own.

That earned him a payday from the Los Angeles Angels by way of a three-year, $39 million contract. Meanwhile, the Dodgers signed former Angel Noah Syndergaard to fill Anderson's place in the back end of the rotation with the hope that he too could break out in LA.

Typically this works out great. The Dodgers are better are maximizing pitchers than the Angels and, knowing that history, fans weren't wrong to think that Syndergaard would be better than Anderson. Unfortunately, that's been far from the case thus far.

Anderson finished his 2023 spring with a 1.35 ERA in 13.1 innings, allowing his first run in his Monday start against the Dodgers at Angel Stadium. He threw 5.1 innings and allowed two runs against his former team. Syndergaard also started that game and did not fare as well, allowing five runs on nine hits in five innings. He finished spring with a 5.79 ERA.

1. Trea Turner

Trea Turner took the mantle of Captain America during the World Baseball Classic thanks to his heroics at the plate. Turner was the best player on the diamond for Team USA, who would not have made the finals if not for his grand slam against Team Venezuela.

Turner finished the WBC with five home runs, 11 RBI and a 1.483 OPS in 25 plate appearances, leaving every Dodgers fan wondering where this was in the playoffs over the last two years. The new Phillies shortstop carried this success into Spring Training, where he posted a 1.261 OPS in 23 plate appearances with two home runs and seven RBI.

Turner averaged a home run for every 6.86 plate appearances combined between the WBC and Spring Training. It's a small sample size, sure, but Turner is undoubtedly the hottest hitter on the planet as we head into the 2023 season.

And the Dodgers let him walk. The second star shortstop in as many offseasons. While their reasoning may have been justifiable, it doesn't make it any less painful when looking at the bigger picture.