How Dodgers could arrange star-studded 6-man rotation

January 14th, 2025
;

0:00

0:00

      This story was excerpted from Sonja Chen’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

      All eyes are on Roki Sasaki this week, as the advent of a new international signing period means that he will choose which Major League team to sign with sometime between Wednesday and Jan. 23, when his posting window closes.

      The Dodgers are widely viewed as a favorite to land the talented 23-year-old right-hander from Japan, and as first reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, they are a finalist for Sasaki along with the Padres and Blue Jays.

      Signing Sasaki would not only cap another busy offseason -- it would also stabilize a rotation that has some question marks heading into 2025.

      Shohei Ohtani (right elbow surgery, left shoulder surgery) is not expected to be ready to join the rotation when the season begins, and both Tony Gonsolin (Tommy John surgery) and Dustin May (right flexor tendon surgery, esophageal tear) have not pitched since 2023. Los Angeles is likely to use a six-man rotation to help ease back its starters who have recently dealt with major injuries, and the No. 6 spot could be up for grabs during Spring Training.

      Let's take a look at the Dodgers' starting pitching before the Sasaki sweepstakes reach a conclusion:

      Who's in the projected rotation?

      Assuming L.A. goes with a six-man unit to open the season: Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Gonsolin, May and Landon Knack.

      Adding a two-time Cy Young Award winner in Snell solidifies the front end of this group, although he, Yamamoto and Glasnow missed time with injuries in 2024. Regardless, there's a lot to like about these three leading the way, as they were all impressive when healthy.

      Knack might be the most questionable name on this list, but he gets the edge over others on the 40-man roster because of his modest success in a limited sample last season (3.65 ERA in 12 starts and three long-relief appearances). Here's a stat that underscores how injuries ravaged the rotation in 2024: Knack's 69 innings last year were the sixth most among Dodgers pitchers.

      What does the depth look like?

      If the Dodgers are not able to sign Sasaki, they could be in the market to sign another starter. At the same time, they have depth that they believe in on the 40-man roster.

      Among the options on the 40-man who ended the season healthy are No. 23 prospect Ben Casparius, Bobby Miller and No. 6 prospect Justin Wrobleski. Emmet Sheehan should also be back at some point after undergoing Tommy John surgery last May, and perhaps Nick Frasso will be ready to make his MLB debut. The Dodgers' No. 12 prospect missed 2024 while recovering from right shoulder surgery.

      No. 5 prospect River Ryan and No. 18 prospect Kyle Hurt, who both had Tommy John surgery in the second half of 2024, could possibly be back late in the season, though it seems unlikely that either would have enough time to build up to a starting role. Gavin Stone, who led the team in starts (25) and innings (140 1/3) last season, is expected to miss '25 after having right shoulder surgery last October.

      Burning question

      There's an underlying theme with both the projected Opening Day rotation and the depth waiting in the wings: How much can the Dodgers realistically expect to get out of them?

      It's a talented rotation on paper, but with many returning from major injuries, it's difficult to predict how this group will perform over the course of the season. Some could return without missing a beat, while others may take additional time to find their rhythm on the mound.

      Ohtani will be a reinforcement, but how he performs is equally unpredictable given that he's returning from a second major elbow surgery. Clayton Kershaw is still expected to re-sign for his 18th season with L.A., but he's recovering from offseason left toe and left knee surgeries.

      The uncertainty even applies to Sasaki, given that he has dealt with shoulder and oblique injuries in the past couple of years and will be pitching in a new league. It's a risk that just about any team would take, of course, but it wouldn't be surprising if Sasaki took some time to hit his stride as a Major League pitcher.

      Even without Sasaki, the Dodgers' rotation feels deeper than it was last season. But the refrain remains -- especially after 2024 -- that there is no such thing as too much starting pitching.

      Did you like this story?
      In this story:

      Sonja Chen covers the Dodgers for MLB.com.