Over the weekend Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts maintained Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Alex Wood were all very much part of the discussion for the two remaining spots in the club’s starting rotation.
Conventional wisdom has the odds lying in McCarthy’s and Wood’s favor. Kazmir pitched in a Major League game on Sunday for the first time since March 6. Kazmir battled the same command and lack of velocity that’s dogged him for much of the spring. His balky hip also was a factor.
Kazmir’s struggles led to Roberts conceding the left-hander was not pitching to the level that warrants a spot in the rotation, and on Monday the second-year manager said Kazmir was going to be placed on the disabled list.
As an official decision still hangs in the balance, the DodgerBlue.com staff debated who should join Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda and Rich Hill in the starting rotation.
Matthew Moreno (@MMoreno1015)
In large part due to his handedness, I always believed Brandon McCarthy was a “lock” to be in the rotation come Opening Day. That of course was under the assumption that Spring Training would not be a mitigated disaster for the right-hander.
He’s endured some lumps along the way, but I believe McCarthy ultimately receives one of the two spots. Assuming he’s fully overcome last season’s yips, McCarthy did prove he’s capable of pitching at a productive level.
Because how the past two seasons played out, I was among the large group that didn’t expect much of Hyun-Jin Ryu. I did not believe we’d be nearing the end of Spring Training with Ryu having made more than one start.
Not only has he easily exceeded that number, but the 30-year-old has pitched as well as anyone. There’s still reason to wonder whether Ryu can withstand the rigors of being in the rotation. But I believe to this point he’s earned an opportunity.
The caveat to this is I may have rolled the dice with Julio Urias. Cautiously, of course.
Jeff Spiegel (@JeffSpiegel):
This debate is an interesting one for me simply because it’s a conversation that’s taking place on two levels. On level one is the question, ‘Which two gives the team the best chance to win?’ But on level two we have to think about contracts, Minor League options, etc.
If you’re asking which two starters I’d want out there if I needed to win immediately — I’m taking Hyun-Jin Ryu and Alex Wood. While seemingly in the minority, I’m a massive Wood believer and I think that when healthy, he’s the fourth-best option the Dodgers have.
Behind Wood, I want Ryu, someone who has proven his worth — albeit with the massive caveat of when healthy — and who has looked good thus far in camp.
With all that said, money and contracts are real things, and we’re not living in a world without them, so the truth is that Brandon McCarthy is all but guaranteed to be in the rotation, while Wood is not.
Wood can be sent to the Minors (or bullpen) without any penalty, while McCarthy is guaranteed $24 million over the next two seasons and cannot be sent to the Minors. I think the Dodgers trot McCarthy out there for a few starts to see what happens.
If he’s terrible, they’ll cut him loose or trade him, but if he’s tolerable, Wood is going to have to wait his turn.
As for Scott Kazmir? Wake me up when he can crack 90 mph on his fastball.
Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand):
With as many experienced starters as the Dodgers have, it is not an easy decision who the final two spots in the rotation should go to.
To start the season I would give them to Brandon McCarthy and Alex Wood, with Scott Kazmir and Hyun-Jin Ryu opening the year on the disabled list.
Kazmir has not built up enough innings this spring to be ready to start and he’s hardly proven to be healthy. So I would send him on a rehab assignment to begin the season. And with Ryu, he has looked really good this spring, but it has been two and a half years since he’s really pitched a meaningful game.
I would like to see him get some more innings, also on a rehab assignment, to prove that he has returned to his 2014 form.
McCarthy and Wood have looked good enough this spring to earn those final two spots, but should they falter or get injured, Ryu or Julio Urias will be in the wings waiting to replace them in the rotation.
Matt Borelli (@MattDodgerBlue):
I’m leaning towards Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu claiming the final two spots in the starting rotation.
McCarthy is virtually a lock, given that he’s out of Minor League options and still has two years remaining on his contract. What’s more, he’s proven to be healthy thus far, logging 13 innings in four Cactus League starts.
In a much tougher decision, I went with Ryu over Alex Wood because of a numbers crunch. Both southpaws have pitched well this spring, but the Dodgers still have the luxury of optioning Wood while Ryu can’t be sent to the Minors without his permission.
Kazmir is the other odd man out, as he’s struggled with health for the majority of the year. His hip problems and velocity dip into the low-80s lend to Kazmir expected to begin the season on the disabled list.
