When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Trevor Bauer to a record-setting three-year contract, it further deepened what was already one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball.
Bauer is pitching alongside fellow Cy Young Award winners Clayton Kershaw and David Price, as well as rising stars Walker Buehler and Julio Urias. The Dodgers have even more depth behind them with Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May capable of stepping in at any time.
Gonsolin and May have filled hybrid roles in each of the past two seasons, and look likely to do so again this year.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently confirmed as much while expressing confidence Gonsolin and May will be prepared for whatever is asked of them, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“To say that somebody is going to be locked into a certain role for an entire year – I just don’t think that’s accurate,” Roberts said. “I think that for each one of those guys to feel they’re the best option – we wouldn’t want it any other way. But I think at the end of the day, regardless of how it shakes out they’re going to prepare themselves to be the best for the Dodgers and to pitch as well as possible. I do think that last year was a learning experience for them. But to their credit, neither guy used that variance of roles as an excuse.”
While most players prefer to have a stable role, Gonsolin and May are exceptions. They thrived last season as both a starter and reliever before struggling a bit in the playoffs.
An easy solution to getting one of Gonsolin or May more consistent reps would be the Dodgers implementing a six-man starting rotation. However, Roberts noted that this isn’t under consideration.
Furthermore, it’s plausible one of Gonsolin and May winds up in the Opening Day rotation due to Price’s willingness to accept a role in the bullpen.
Roberts: Dodgers’ starting pitching depth ‘very good thing’
In most years, a surplus of starting pitching typically would result in a trade to clear space. However, as teams once again prepare for the grueling demands of a normal 162-game season, having more starters than spots to fill is not the worst scenario.
That’s how Dodgers manager Dave Roberts views the situation, as he expects the club to use more starting pitchers this year than perhaps ever before.
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