The Los Angeles Dodgers made the biggest splash before the trade deadline, snagging All-Stars Max Scherzer and Trea Turner from the Washington Nationals, and now their outlook has changed tremendously. With Corey Seager’s activation from the injured list Saturday, the Dodger infield will look much different. In addition, Clayton Kershaw looks to be ready to either begin a rehab stint or return straight to the Dodgers. So the Dodgers starting rotation will see two former Cy Young Award winners added shortly in Kershaw and Scherzer. They should be able to make a strong run at a potential ninth straight division title. The Dodgers also look like a strong favorite to head to, perhaps even win, a second-straight World Series.
The Dodgers are not looking like the team that won the World Series in 2020 this season, however. They are not in first place in the NL West and have lost seven out of the 13 games since the All-Star break. Five of the seven losses came at the hands of the San Francisco Giants, who have the best record in baseball. At the time of writing, the Dodgers sit three games back of the Giants in the NL West. This is not what the fans expected to see from the Dodgers this season. But then Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers front office struck again to change the entire outlook of the Dodgers’ season after the trade deadline.
Dodgers Lineup Outlook After Trade Deadline
With the acquisition of Trea Turner and the activation of Corey Seager from the injured list, the Dodgers lineup will look a bit different Saturday. In addition, Mookie Betts is close to returning from the injured list, which makes the new lineup look even more devastating. Trea Turner was placed on the COVID-19 list prior to the trade, so he will not be able to join the Dodgers until he clears the COVID protocol. But in about ten days, the lineup will look almost unbeatable.
- Mookie Betts, RF
- Trea Turner, 2B
- Corey Seager, SS
- Max Muncy, 1B
- Justin Turner, 3B
- Chris Taylor, LF
- Cody Bellinger, CF
- Will Smith, C
- Pitcher Spot
The caveat here is that Chris Taylor has been so hot lately that Dave Roberts may struggle to find the right spot for him. Taylor has amassed a .280/.374/.487 slash line on the way to earning his first All-Star selection this season. In addition, Taylor earned the Player of the Week award when he slashed .414/.1.000/.433 last week. Lately, he has been batting leadoff. Regardless of where Chris Taylor bats in the order, this new Dodgers lineup should be particularly difficult for opposing pitchers.
Dodgers Rotation Outlook After Trade Deadline
With the acquisitions of superstar starting pitcher Max Scherzer and starter or potential reliever Danny Duffy, the Dodgers have options for their rotation. In addition, Kershaw’s activation from the injured list is taking place soon. Duffy, however, is also healing from an injury and should require two or three more weeks to recover. The new additions and players healing from injuries may radically change the Dodgers rotation.
- Clayton Kershaw
- Max Scherzer
- Walker Buehler
- Julio Urias
- Tony Gonsolin / David Price / Trevor Bauer / Danny Duffy
There are a number of caveats here as well. First, Danny Duffy is injured and may return out of the bullpen instead of returning to the rotation. He pitched both in the starting rotation and as a reliever for the Kansas City Royals but has been a starter this season. People may point out that Walker Buehler has become the club’s ace, but Kershaw began the season as the number one starter. For the playoffs, it’s possible that Kershaw, Scherzer, Buehler, Urias, or Bauer opens game one. Any one of the five pitchers would be a fantastic option to open a playoff series. This is provided that the Dodgers make it into the playoffs. But it seems likely that the Dodgers will be in the playoffs.
David Price may be pushed back into the bullpen. He opened the season in the pen and only joined the rotation because the Dodgers needed help. Trevor Bauer is still on paid administrative leave from the league and it is unknown when or if he will return this season. Bauer was accused of sexual assault and has yet to be able to argue his side in court proceedings. The league is still investigating the claims made by the alleged victim. The next court date is scheduled for August 2nd.
Dodgers Bullpen
The Dodgers bullpen will likely receive a shake-up from the latest acquisitions to arrive at Chavez Ravine. David Price will likely return to the pen and Danny Duffy may start and relieve, depending on what the Dodgers need. The front office will have some decisions to make when considering the bullpen in the near future. Corey Knebel is almost ready to return from injury. Jimmie Sherfy and Scott Alexander were recently placed on the 10-day injured list, but they both looked good in recent outings. Brusdar Graterol, Victor Gonzalez, and Jimmy Nelson recently returned from IL stints. Blake Treinen and Joe Kelly are mainstays in the Dodgers pen and will likely stay there.
Kenley Jansen
Then there is Kenley Jansen. Some fans have been losing faith in the longtime Dodgers closer. But, this is nothing new to Jansen. Kenley has been hearing negative noise from fans about his declining velocity for years now. But his velocity has increased since last season. His average cutter velocity is 92.4 MPH this season, which is up from 90.9 MPH in 2020. Jansen’s average sinker velocity is 93.8 MPH, which is up from 92.3 MPH last season. Kenley has the highest average fastball velocity that he has had since 2017.
Some may point to less movement in Jansen’s cutter as the main cause of his recent struggles. His cutter lost 5.4 inches of average vertical movement between last season and this season. But his cutter still has more movement on it than it did in either 2016 or 2017. The difference may be that his velocity was higher in those two seasons – and he was also utilizing a 4-seamer in his pitching arsenal. But one statistic stands out more than any other: Kenley’s walk rate. In 2016 and 2017, Jansen’s walks per nine innings were 1.4 and 0.9, respectively. This season his walk rate shot up to 6.2 walks per nine innings, which is the highest in his career. If Kenley can forget the velocity and movement and simply throw the ball into the glove, he ought to remain the Dodgers closer.
Dodgers Bench
The Dodgers have a lot of options for their bench. The first player needs no introduction because he is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer: Albert Pujols. AJ Pollock would probably be starting on another team, but he’ll likely come off the bench or sub for other players throughout the season and playoffs. When Gavin Lux returns from the injured list, which should be soon, he will likely be returning to a bench role. He would also likely be starting on another club. Matt Beaty and Zach McKinstry will likely fill out the bench, but the Dodgers will be able to choose between any number of players that have been on the roster at various times this season.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
Players Mentioned:
Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Corey Seager, Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Justin Turner, Chris Taylor, Cody Bellinger, Will Smith, Danny Duffy, Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, David Price, Trevor Bauer, Corey Knebel, Jimmie Sherfy, Scott Alexander, Brusdar Graterol, Victor Gonzalez, Jimmy Nelson, Blake Treinen, Joe Kelly, Kenley Jansen, Albert Pujols, AJ Pollock, Gavin Lux, Matt Beaty, Zach McKinstry
