One thing that the Los Angeles Dodgers organization values more than most is pitching depth. That has left them better equipped to deal with injuries in better fashion than other teams in recent years.
If the 2019 season were to start today, the Dodgers would be able to send out one of the more formidable starting rotations, anchored by Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Rich Hill.
Julio Urias, Kenta Maeda, Alex Wood, Ross Stripling, Dennis Santana and Caleb Ferguson would then all be options to serve as their No. 5 starter, with the remaining pitchers capable of providing valuable depth in case of injury.
As the Dodgers know, you can never have too much pitching though and they may be looking to add some more. They are currently being linked to Japanese left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, via Jon Heyman of Fancred:
West Cosst bias? Market strong for lefty Yusei Kikuchi, with dodgers, padres, giants and mariners among those believed in. Sea and SF would be interesting, as one is tearing down the other thought to be considering retooling.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 30, 2018
Kikuchi is expected to be posted by the Seibu Lions on Dec. 3, which would then give him 30 days to negotiate with teams on the open market. Kikuchi hired Scott Boras to represent him, so the 27-year-old figures to sign or at least pursue a highly lucrative contract.
In 2018, Kikuchi went 14-4 with a 3.08 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 163.2 innings pitched (23 starts). He did miss some time in May with shoulder tightness, which may be a bit of a concern for teams.
Dating back to 2017, Kikuchi had a dominant 1.97 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 187.2 innings and overall in 1,035.1 innings in his career with the Lions, posted a 2.81 ERA with 925 strikeouts.
The Dodgers are no stranger to signing Japanese pitchers, most recently inking Maeda to an eight-year contract before the 2016 season.
