Dodgers' 3 biggest remaining needs after signing J.D. Martinez

2. The Dodgers need one more back-end bullpen arm

The Dodgers are not going to have a traditional closer in 2023, which is going to be strange to get used to. Kenley Jansen locked down the position for a decade, and last year the team still had a traditional closer in Craig Kimbrel.

The Kimbrel experience could not have gone any worse than it did, though, and with the current state of the payroll, it makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers to go by committee instead of spending big on a marquee name.

As it stands right now, Evan Phillips is the best high-leverage reliever that the team has and it wouldn't be totally shocking if the Dodgers eventually turn to him to be the full-time closer. Phillips does not have much competition for the role, after all.

Blake Treinen is under contract still but his availability is completely up in the air after having shoulder surgery in November. Brusdar Graterol, Alex Vesia, Yency Almonte and Caleb Ferguson are all options as well, but nobody there has a long track record of consistent success.

Los Angeles could get a big boost from JP Feyereisen — who the team traded for — later in the season, but that's not a guarantee. Regardless, after losing both Chris Martin and Tommy Kahnle in free agency, the Dodgers need a late-inning arm.

This might be a need that the team waits until the trade deadline to fill. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Dodgers trust their guys early on before exploring the trade market in July when relievers become the most available asset.