With Game 1 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers kicking off Monday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers will have some real decisions to make.
The seven-game build-up to this series will likely necessitate the addition of an additional pitcher. This could be a simple one-for-one trade of a position player for a reliever, considering Shohei Ohtani serves as both.
More news: Dave Roberts says Dodgers can’t win the World Series if Shohei Ohtani doesn’t get going
Manager Dave Roberts addressed this situation during a virtual press conference with the media on Saturday. He admitted that changes will come.
There are interesting speculations about what these changes will be. With Tanner Scott unavailable for the NLCS, the team could simply move forward with their decision to bring in Justin Wrobleski as a replacement. But with the excessive number of left-handed pitchers already on the roster, could the team drop Wrobleski and another position player and prefer to double up on right-handed relievers?
If Wrobleski stays, one position player will still be cut. It probably comes from a group that includes Ben Rortvedt, Dalton Rushing, Hyeseong Kim or Justin Dean. One of the catchers could be left behind, with Will Smith seemingly healthy to resume his role as the team’s everyday catcher.
Rortvedt is the clear choice as a defensive option, although Rushing offers real power and comes off the bench as a left-handed bat. There’s also a chance all three are still on the roster, with Rushing primarily classified as a pinch hitter.
When it comes to Kim and Dean, both give the Dodgers quick, defensive athletes. Dean played quite often as a defensive midfielder during the play-offs. Kim scored the remarkable run to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS.
Of the two, Kim is the more talented hitter, although Dean has played more throughout the postseason thus far. It seems ideal to have both, with the speed each brings as potential base-stealing threats late in games.
The decision on adding a new pitcher will also be something to watch. It’s almost certainly guaranteed to be a right-handed arm – with the likes of Edgardo Henriquez, Kyle Hurt and Ben Casparius waiting in the wings as possible options.
More news: Dodgers veteran wants to become MLB manager after retirement
Photo credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn images
Have you downloaded the new Dodgers Nation app yet? Click here for Apple users And here for Android users to be part of the redesigned app to give fans everything they need, all in one placee. Don’t miss it live GameCast with play-by-play, news and analysis, Dodgers Nation podcasts and videos, all the stats you want and more!
#Dodgers #making #change #NLCS #roster #Dave #Roberts