Brandon Gomes: Dodgers Exploring ‘Different Avenues’ For Roster Upgrades

The Los Angeles Dodgers went into the offseason with more than a dozen players reaching free agency, and it has amounted to significant roster turnover thus far.

Among those who signed elsewhere include Tyler Anderson, Cody Bellinger, Andrew Heaney and Trea Turner. Justin Turner reportedly agreed to a deal with the Boston Red Sox, but that has not been officially announced.

While most of the attention has centered around their departures, L.A. did make several moves to improve the roster for the 2023 season. The Dodgers quickly re-signed Clayton Kershaw while bringing in J.D. Martinez, Shelby Miller and Noah Syndergaard. The club figures to continue adding as they still have holes at center field and shortstop.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes recently said the front office is looking at numerous ways to upgrade the roster, as seen on SportsNet LA:

“We’re diving into a bunch of different avenues. Whether it’s adding another starting pitcher or different bat options. It’s more about how they all fit together and seeing what is available and balancing different aspects with that.”

As Gomes noted, the Dodgers have a lot of different paths they can take when rounding out their roster for the 2023 season. The most likely route will be the trade market as many of the top free agents have come off the board.

The Dodgers have been linked to the likes of Dylan Carlson, Jarred Kelenic, Bryan Reynolds and Alex Thomas in their search for a center fielder. If a deal doesn’t come to fruition, they have a handful of internal candidates who can potentially take over the position.

Furthermore, L.A. has been connected to Willy Adames as they look to fill the void at shortstop. Though, the club also feels comfortable giving the reigns to Gavin Lux if necessary.

Brandon Gomes ‘confident’ with current Dodgers bullpen

As for the Dodgers pitching staff, they have already added Syndergaard to the starting rotation. Trevor Bauer is another potential option if the team decides to activate him.

With the exception of Miller, the Dodgers’ relief corps is projected to look similar to this past season. The group includes Yency Almonte, Brusdar Graterol, Caleb Ferguson, Daniel Hudson, Miller, Evan Phillips and Alex Vesia.

Gomes expressed confidence in the makeup of the bullpen while acknowledging he will add to it if the opportunity arises.

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