Guessing the Dodgers' bullpen to begin the season
It's a bit tricky
Just like that, the 2025 season kicks off eight days from now. The Dodgers begin their quest for another title next Tuesday.
Entering spring training, it seemed fairly easy to predict who would be in the bullpen to begin the season for LA. Unfortunately, even in spring, injuries happen. A lot of injuries, I should say.
As of right now, there are a number of pitchers who will either begin the season on the IL or miss the entire season. Here’s a look at what pitchers won’t be ready for Opening Day.
Brusdar Graterol
Michael Grove
Edgardo Henriquez
Kyle Hurt
Clayton Kershaw
Michael Kopech
Evan Phillips
River Ryan
Emmet Sheehan
Gavin Stone
Shohei Ohtani*
You know what they say…. you can never have enough pitching!
I’m not going to try and predict the bullpen for Tokyo because that will be an 11-man bullpen. Since there will be only two games, you only need to carry two starters. I’ll be guessing the domestic Opening Day on March 27.
LOCKS: Anthony Banda, Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Kirby Yates
It seems pretty remarkable that we’ll be entering the season with only five players locked into their roles. Well, that’s what happens when half the bullpen gets hurt. Barring injuries over the next few weeks, those five arms are going to be in the bullpen to begin the season. That means there are three spots that will be up for grabs.
IN THE MIX: Dustin May, Ben Casparius, Landon Knack, Jack Dreyer
This is a really interesting group of names. I say that because 3/4 of these guys are essentially starting pitchers, not true relievers. Jack Dreyer is the only true reliever in this group.
Dreyer has been fantastic for the Dodgers this spring and will definitely be an option at some point in 2025. I just wonder if the Dodgers want to begin their season with four lefties in the bullpen. If they don’t care, Dreyer should be a no brainer.
Casparius is a player who I want to put in the “Locks” category, but nothing is 100 percent. However, I’d put the odds at 90 percent that Casparius begins the season on the active roster. He showed a lot of promise last year in his brief sample size and has impressed this spring. Casparius also gives the Dodgers a guy who can go multiple innings out of the bullpen.
The same could be said for Knack, who also impressed during his rookie campaign. He can go multiple innings as well if needed. I just wonder if the Dodgers would carry two guys who can give them multiple innings. If they prefer only one, my guess would be that Casparius gets the slight edge.
May is an interesting one. While I think he would thrive in a bullpen role, I actually could see the Dodgers opting to send him to the minors to begin the season. We do have to remember that it has been nearly two years since May appeared in a big league game. I don’t think that after a couple of spring training outings the Dodgers would feel comfortable having him on the roster.
NAME TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Matt Sauer
This one is a little surprising. Matt Sauer wasn’t really making an obvious case to make the team, but he’ll reportedly be joining the Dodgers on their trip to Tokyo. That right there shows the Dodgers see something in him that a lot of us might not. He’s a righty with big league experience, so I think he’s someone we can see get a shot. Who knows, he could be the next Evan Phillips.
Even when looking at all the options, it still feels like there could be a spot or two still open by the time the season kicks off in 2.5 weeks. There might be a few more names who emerge. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dodgers just add a couple of relievers to the roster when they gotta transfer players to the 60-day IL. After a few weeks, they could potentially just DFA them once Kopech and Phillips are ready to return.