The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Glasnow, Yamamoto to lead an overhauled rotation in ‘24
Dodgers pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report for spring training on Thursday. As we count down to the opening of camp, we’re assessing the roster, position by position. Today, a look at the starting rotation. Previously: outfielders, infielders, catchers.
2023 recap
After losing Tony Gonsolin and Ryan Pepiot to spring injuries, the Dodgers opened the season with a starting rotation of Julio Urias, Dustin May, Clayton Kershaw, Noah Syndergaard and Michael Grove. Only Kershaw was still starting for them by the end of the season — and that was only after he missed five weeks with a shoulder injury that led to offseason surgery. Gonsolin and May underwent elbow surgeries and might not return until 2025.
Pepiot didn’t return from his rib injury until August. Syndergaard was a bust and was traded away (somehow bringing an actual return, Amed Rosario). Urias was placed on administrative leave by MLB following his arrest on domestic violence charges. Rookies Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan and Gavin Stone were pressed into service with mixed results. The front office failed to address the obvious weakness, acquiring only Lance Lynn at the trade deadline.
The collective 4.57 ERA of last year’s starting pitchers was 20th in MLB, the Dodgers’ first time over 4.00 since 2007 and their highest for a regular season since the war-time Brooklyn Dodgers of 1944 finished with a 4.78 ERA from their starters, the highest in the then 16-team big leagues.
The deficiency took center stage in the postseason. Kershaw, Lynn and Miller combined to allow 13 runs in just 4 2/3 innings during the Diamondbacks’ threegame sweep of the Dodgers in the NLDS.
How it looks right now
The Dodgers gave the rotation a complete makeover this winter. Miller is the only holdover from last year’s
season-ending rotation. It went from the team’s biggest weakness to a strength in the span of 10 days in December. Along with signing free agent Shohei Ohtani (who is not expected to pitch again until 2025), the Dodgers acquired righthander Tyler Glasnow in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays (and signed him to a five-year, $136.5 million contract extension) and signed Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12year, $365 million contract (the largest ever given to a pitcher).
Those two will front the 2024 rotation with Walker Buehler expected to return from his second Tommy John surgery (though his return might be intentionally delayed in order to limit his workload this season). Miller secured his spot last year. Veteran left-hander James Paxton was signed as a free agent to fill out the front five. Sheehan and Stone will compete to provide depth.
The next layer
Miller, Sheehan, Stone and Pepiot represent a wave of pitching talent that reached the majors last year. There is another wave on the way with Landon Knack, Nick Frasso, River Ryan and Kyle Hurt all potential candidates to spend
time in the Dodgers’ rotation (or bullpen) this season.
The Dodgers have also signed a couple of pitchers with major-league starts in their past to minor-league contracts — right-handers Elieser Hernandez (48 starts with the Miami Marlins between 2018 and 2022) and Jesse Hahn (50 starts with the Oakland A’s and San Diego Padres between 2014 and 2017) and left-hander Stephen Gonsalves (four starts for the Minnesota Twins in 2018).
Moves they could make
Last year was a prime example of the way pitching depth can dissolve over the course of a season. This year’s group is vulnerable. Glasnow has pitched as many as 90 innings in a season just twice in his eight major-league seasons. Yamamoto is used to pitching once a week in Japan. Buehler is returning from another major elbow surgery. Paxton has his own injury history (back and elbow surgeries in the past). Three years out of college, Miller took on a full workload in ‘23 (after experiencing shoulder discomfort a year earlier). More depth than Kershaw’s potential return at midseason wouldn’t hurt.