DodgerBlue.com’s Jeff Spiegel and Daniel Starkand recorded another live episode of “DodgerHeads,” with the discussion this week surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitching staff.
It’s no secret the Dodgers have two aces at the top of their rotation in Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw, but just how good will both of those pitchers be in 2021?
Buehler’s postseason resumé is well-documented, but his regular-season numbers have actually been a bit underwhelming considering how well he has performed in October. Will 2021 be his best regular season, or will it be more of the same?
Then as far as Kershaw goes, the main concern about the Dodgers’ lefty is when Father Time will take over. Kershaw is entering his age-33 season with 13 years and 2,500-plus innings under his belt, so it remains to be seen how much longer he will be able to remain an elite pitcher.
After discussing the Dodgers’ top two starters, Spiegel and Starkand then debated who the organization’s third-best is, with the options being Julio Urias, David Price, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May.
With Price sitting out the entire 2020 season, can he still be a high-end starter similar to Kershaw, or are his best years behind him at the age of 35?
Urias was arguably the Dodgers’ most important pitcher during their World Series run, having success both as a starter and a reliever. With some rumors swirling about him potentially filling the closer’s role in 2021, the discussion on him centered around if that is the best way to utilize him or if he should remain in the rotation.
Finally, the Dodgers’ two young righties, Gonsolin and May, could very well find themselves battling for the fifth spot in the rotation come Spring Training. Which one will be better in 2021, and is the answer to that the same as who will be better long-term?
External rotation options
After talking about the Dodgers’ starters, Spiegel and Starkand finished by discussing some external options on the free-agent market, most notably Trevor Bauer.
If Bauer is looking for a short-term deal, the Dodgers could make some sense. Although he may ultimately be out of their price range consider L.A. doesn’t exactly have a glaring need for starting pitching as so many other teams do.
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