Major League Baseball

How will the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting rotation come together?

Updated Feb. 24, 2022 5:15 p.m. ET

By Pedro Moura
FOX Sports MLB Writer

In the seven seasons since Andrew Friedman took over as president of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the franchise’s starting pitching has perennially paced the league.

Since 2015, L.A. starters have a 3.30 ERA, nearly a full run better than the rest of the National League and a half-run better than the second-best team, the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Dodgers have done it with top-end talent and depth. Five weeks from what could still be Opening Day 2022, they again possess the former, but for the first time, they lack the latter. As of now, their rotation consists of Walker Buehler, Julio Urías and a great deal of uncertainty.

Of course, these five weeks won’t be like the typical five weeks before a season begins. Whenever a collective bargaining agreement is reached, teams will have an opportunity to pursue the acquisitions they considered before the Dec. 2 lockout.

It’ll be a rushed one. First on the Dodgers’ list will be determining if Clayton Kershaw will return to the team for the 2022 season. In November, Friedman said that was up to Kershaw. Players and teams can't communicate until there is a CBA, but when Kershaw appeared on television segments around the Super Bowl earlier this month, he spoke of preparing to play this year and, on the "Dan Patrick Show," referred to Buehler as "our" player representative. Many in the industry continue to expect him to return to Los Angeles for a 15th season.

That would be a great outcome for the Dodgers, as Kershaw is the best available free-agent pitcher, and they will have to sign at least one to enter the season with enough depth to survive it. Most of Kershaw’s proven peers elected to sign before the lockout, none earlier than Andrew Heaney, whom the Dodgers guaranteed $8.5 million right after the World Series. Heaney’s signing symbolized the cost of the early offseason market, for he struggled mightily in 2021.

Leading the rest of the free-agent pack would be left-hander Carlos Rodón, most recently of the White Sox, and Zack Greinke, of the Astros. Greinke and Kershaw are former Dodgers teammates and share a great deal of respect for each other.

It is possible, if not likely, that the Dodgers could add another starting pitcher by trade. Conveniently, the two teams best positioned to deal starters are two of the teams the Dodgers have dealt with most during Friedman’s tenure: the Oakland Athletics and Cincinnati Reds. Frankie Montas, a former Dodger, could be available from Oakland, as could Sean Manaea and Chris Bassitt, and Cincinnati’s Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo will attract many suitors.

Beyond trades and free-agent signings, the Dodgers will depend on the development of their in-house prospects. For much of Friedman’s tenure, that, too, has been a good bet. Last season was the first time in a long time that the Dodgers called on minor leaguers who did not deliver, especially in the outfield. Players clearly suffered from the 2020 shutdown.

Pitchers might not have suffered quite as much, but it’s worth noting that the Dodgers’ top two pitching prospects, Ryan Pepiot and Bobby Miller, have logged a combined 181 innings in their professional careers, in part because there was no 2020 minor-league season. They’ll play this season at 24 and 23, but they don’t have the in-game experience their counterparts would historically have had.

It’s not as if the Dodgers have to count on them. There is still time to add reinforcements — or there will be time, sometime. They also possess more skilled but unproven depth in the form of right-handers Andre Jackson and Mitch White. Tony Gonsolin is skilled and somewhat proven. Veteran left-hander David Price, too, could be an option in the final season of his seven-year contract. Trevor Bauer remains under contract but is considered likely to be suspended.

Remember, it is not as if every other team has its entire roster assembled at this stage. The rival San Francisco Giants took early action to bring back both Alex Wood and Anthony DeSclafani, and even they will need more pitching before season’s start. The Dodgers' other rival, the San Diego Padres, have more established starters, but fewer (one, Joe Musgrove) who actually impressed in 2021. Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Chris Paddack regressed. Mike Clevinger worked his way back from Tommy John surgery.

So it goes with starting pitching, though that’s not how it has gone for the Dodgers in recent seasons. As of now, this year projects to be different. Perhaps that’s an indication of how Friedman will attack the area after an agreement is reached.

Pedro Moura is the national baseball writer for FOX Sports. He most recently covered the Dodgers for three seasons for The Athletic. Previously, he spent five years covering the Angels and Dodgers for the Orange County Register and L.A. Times. More previously, he covered his alma mater, USC, for ESPNLosAngeles.com. The son of Brazilian immigrants, he grew up in the Southern California suburbs. Follow him on Twitter @pedromoura.