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The Los Angeles Dodgers feature no shortage of roster depth. Sports fans have likely heard the saying, “there's no such thing as too much depth.” Although that may be true, it can lead to difficult decisions in reference to which players make the final roster.
The Dodgers signed stars such as Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell this offseason. LA features plenty of quality players who are not necessarily considered stars, though. Additionally, there are a number of pitchers who would be locks to make any other starting rotation that may end up in the bullpen or the minor leagues for this Dodgers squad.
Without further ado, here are two Dodgers' spring training position battles worth watching.
Dodgers' starting rotation
Injuries do unfortunately occur, so anything can happen. The Dodgers are planning on utilizing a six-man rotation, and there are seemingly four pitchers with guaranteed spots right now.
Sasaki, Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow will likely earn spots in the rotation. There are no shortage of other options, something the Dodgers' depth chart confirms, via MLB.com.
Tony Gonsolin, Bobby Miller, and Landon Knack are just a few of the potential candidates to earn the fifth and sixth spots in the rotation. It is worth mentioning that Shohei Ohtani will join the rotation once he returns to pitching later in the season.
Still, the Dodgers will need two other starting pitchers to begin the '25 campaign. Another interesting candidate is Dustin May.
May, 27, features some of the best pure stuff in all of baseball. He is filthy on the mound, and baseball fans know that's a good thing. The concern is his injury history.
May has not pitched at the big-league level since the 2023 season. He's never appeared in more than 14 games in any campaign so far in his career. The right-handed hurler features an especially high ceiling, though. May is determined to bounce back and impact the Dodgers.
No, I did not forget about future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. The fact that he has yet to be mentioned speaks to the Dodgers' immense amount of depth. Kershaw is hoping to return at some point this season after undergoing offseason surgery. However, his role is uncertain, as the Dodgers feature more than enough starting pitching.
Dodgers' outfield depth
The storyline here is the Dodgers' outfield depth, but the real question is whether or not Chris Taylor will remain with the team. Taylor's versatility has been helpful throughout the seasons, but his production has diminished in recent years. He has not hit over .237 or recorded an OPS better than .746 since his All-Star campaign in 2021.
Taylor's 2024 performance was especially forgettable as he hit just .202 with a .598 OPS. Is it time for the Dodgers to move on from Taylor?
Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman, and Michael Conforto will likely all have spots in the outfield. Enrique Hernandez, Andy Pages, and James Outman are all candidates to earn spots as well. The fact of the matter is that MLB teams are only allowed to keep 26 players on the roster once spring training comes to an end.
The Dodgers value Taylor's veteran leadership and versatility, but he is going to need to have a big spring in order to make the final roster. Otherwise, LA may need to make a difficult decision.
The fact that Taylor can also play multiple infield positions helps his case to make the team. Hernandez can also fill that role, though.
Most team's depth battles are not especially interesting, but the Dodgers have a former All-Star working hard just to make the roster. This will be a position battle worth closely monitoring.
