Without a rule dictating as much, one glance around Major League Baseball and it’s evident starting rotations are primarily dominated by right-handers.
Clayton Kershaw has given the Dodgers a lefty at the top of their rotation and in 2013 the club added Hyun-Jin Ryu.
With the signing of Scott Kazmir on Wednesday, the Dodgers were down an early track to have a rotation of only lefties come Opening Day.
That trajectory changed a bit the following day as the team reportedly agreed to terms with Japanese righty Kenta Maeda.
However, the contract, believed to be complex in nature and for eight years, has yet to be formally announced by the Dodgers.
When discussing the possibility their rotation would heavily lean left, Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi touched on the positive effect it can have on the bullpen, via J.P. Hoornstra of the LA Daily News:
“That’s something we’ve discussed over the course of the off-season,” Zaidi said of the all-lefty rotation. “It sets you up for a situation where having some balance in the bullpen makes some sense, because you’re going to see a certain type of lineup day-in, day-out when you have an extreme rotation one way or another.”
As it currently stands, Clayton Kershaw, Kazmir and Brett Anderson figure to be the only left-handed locks come Opening Day. While Ryu has maintained he’s on track to return by Spring Training, he remains a question mark in some regard as he’s recovering from left shoulder surgery.
Meanwhile, Alex Wood is somewhat of a wild card. Acquired in the 13-player, three-team trade last season with the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins, Wood may now be an attractive trade chip or candidate to get moved to the bullpen.
Wood appeared in 20 games as a reliever during his rookie season with the Braves in 2013 and came on in relief 11 times the following year. He was used exclusively as a starter by the Braves and Dodgers during the regular season in 2015.
Wood did throw two innings of relief for the Dodgers in Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the New York Mets. Whether Wood is deployed as a starter or reliever, and whether Maeda’s contract is eventually made official, the Dodgers’ rotation will be lefty-dominated.
Barring a trade or surprise shuffling of the deck, the Dodgers may not get balance in their rotation until near the All-Star break, when Brandon McCarthy is expected to return from Tommy John surgery.
