The Los Angeles Dodgers placed an emphasis on pitching during the offseason as their historic spending spree included the additions of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton, among others.
The team also re-signed several key players such as Clayton Kershaw, Joe Kelly, Ryan Brasier and Daniel Hudson, while Walker Buehler and Blake Treinen are set to return after missing the entire 2023 season due to respective Tommy John and shoulder surgeries.
Additionally, Dustin May could be back on a Major League mound at some point during the second half after having his 2023 season end early because of elbow surgery.
The Dodgers have one of their deepest pitching staffs on paper in recent memory, and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman believes the group is strong enough to get through a full 162-game season, via Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
“For each guy, it’s a little bit different,” Friedman said. “But we feel the collection of arms and the depth of it is something that is going to help us navigate a 162-game season, and then still have really talented arms when we go into October — if we’re fortunate enough [to get there].”
The Dodgers dealt with myriad of injuries last season, which forced them to rely on several rookies and unproven arms. The team finished 13th in MLB with a collective 4.06 ERA, but their starting pitching underperformed to the tune of a 4.57 ERA.
That was the Dodgers’ highest mark in a season since the 1944 Brooklyn team’s starting pitchers posted a 4.78 ERA.
Pitching has long been the identify of the Dodgers since Friedman took the helm nearly a decade ago, and this year’s group appears primed to bounce back.
Andrew Friedman: Dodgers ‘feel really good’ with pitching staff
Friedman previously said that the Dodgers feel like their pitching staff is in a strong spot despite some of the question marks regarding health.
Along with the new additions, the group will be led by several holdovers from the 2023 season, including Evan Phillips, Bobby Miller and Brusdar Graterol, among others.
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