The projected rotation for the Dodgers rotation in 2025 holds a variety of options, excluding the fact that the team has their sights on signing Roki Sasaki and a reunion with Clayton Kershaw.
After signing Blake Snell and with the eventual returns of Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, and Shohei Ohtani, Walker Buehler was the first free agent pitcher to depart elsewhere after winning the World Series. The ace of the Dodgers postseason run, Jack Flaherty, could potentially head in the same direction.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Baltimore Orioles, a team that saw their ace leave for the Arizona Diamondbacks, viewed Flaherty as a backup option if they failed to re-sign Corbin Burnes. Now with the 2021 Cy Young Award winner in the NL West, the Orioles have gained interest in a reunion with Flaherty, notes Katie Woo and Will Sammon of The Athletic.
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The Dodgers’ current outfield arrangement will have the recently signed Teoscar Hernández and Michael Conforto at the corner slots, with Tommy Edman serving in center field. James Outman and Andy Pages are on the 40-man roster, but the Dodgers’ top prospect, Dalton Rushing, will look to earn his share of playing time next season.
Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports about the Dodgers’ plans for Rushing, noting that it’s a matter of when, not if, he will make his big league debut.
It’s a matter of when, not if, Rushing — the team’s No. 1 prospect — makes his debut this season, giving the Dodgers another advanced bat. Now, the question will be whether Rushing is capable of playing the outfield after picking up the position late last season.
The biggest hurdle for Mookie Betts last season was the move to being a full-time shortstop, and it showed when he was moved back to right field after returning from injury. Now with a full offseason to prepare at the position, the team is confident in his ability to improve his defense, per Juan Toribio of MLB.com.
“Right now, as the roster is kind of where it’s at, [it] continues to give us a lot of flexibility,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “It’s an easy bet to bet on him with the full offseason. … Obviously, there’s some things that can change, but all the confidence in Mookie.”