Opening Day Jitters

A long, or short, depending on what team you follow, offseason has passed us and that spring feeling is back. Baseball is back.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were expected to make moves this offseason, but not just any moves. BIG moves. Those big move never came, unless you count A.J. Pollock a big move. Manny Machado is playing in Dodgers Stadium south for the San Diego Padres, and Bryce Harper yo-yo’d everyone before signing a 12-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.

So, this is your team for the foreseeable future Dodgers fans. The one thing the Dodgers have, as always, is amazing depth. I wouldn’t expect the opening day roster to look anything like the roster come the All-Star break. There are some really talented prospects banging on the Chavez Ravine door who won’t be able to be kept in the minors forever. Will they help the major league club with their talents, or will those talents be used as collateral come the trade deadline?

The current roster has some unanswered questions that will come over the next few months. Is Austin Barnes going to be able to handle the majority of the time behind the plate, with Russell Martin getting three starts to Barnes four? Will Alex Verdugo be a straight platoon or will he rake too much to be kept on the bench? What is Max Muncy’s production going to look like?

Then, there are the current question marks in the starting rotation. Both Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill are starting the season on the Injured List, Walker Buehler was held back in spring training due to shoulder soreness, and there are still questions in the bullpen.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, today we start seeing answers to those questions. There is no doubt this team is talented, and likely, plenty enough talent to win seventh straight N.L. West title. It’s can they change the October endings they have endured each of the last two seasons?