Looking ahead to 2014 - The Starting Rotation

[Villain]

Preface: I got an idea that we could make one of these threads for each position, or position group (Outfield, Infield, Starters, Relievers, Bench). I figure the starting rotation is a good place to start.

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For your consideration:

Current 2013 Starting Rotation
Clayton Kershaw
Zack Greinke
Hyun-jin Ryu
Ricky Nolasco
Chris Capuano

Starting Pitchers Currently Under Contract for 2014*
Clayton Kershaw
Zack Greinke
Hyun-jin Ryu
Chad Billingsley (Team Option for 2015 - 14MM or 3MM Buyout)
Josh Beckett (Contract Expires in 2014)
Stephen Fife
Matt Magill

*I have only listed the names of players who are currently holding spots on the 40-Man Roster.

2014 Free Agent Starters per MLBTradeRumors.com
Bronson Arroyo (37)
Scott Baker (32)
Erik Bedard (35)
A.J. Burnett (37)
Chris Capuano (35) - $8MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout
Chris Carpenter (39)
Bruce Chen (37)
Bartolo Colon (41)
Aaron Cook (35)
Jorge De La Rosa (33)
Scott Feldman (30)
Gavin Floyd (31)
Jeff Francis (33)
Freddy Garcia (37)
Jon Garland (34)
Matt Garza (30)
Roy Halladay (37) - $20MM vesting option
Jason Hammel (31)
Aaron Harang (36) - $7MM+ mutual option with a $2MM buyout
Dan Haren (33)
Roberto Hernandez (33)
Tim Hudson (38)
Phil Hughes (28)
Ubaldo Jimenez (30) - may void $8MM option for 2014
Josh Johnson (30)
Jeff Karstens (31)
Scott Kazmir (30)
Hiroki Kuroda (39)
Jon Lester (30) - $13MM club option with a $250K buyout
Colby Lewis (34)
Ted Lilly (38)
Tim Lincecum (30)
Paul Maholm (32)
Shaun Marcum (32)
Jason Marquis (35)
Ricky Nolasco (31)
Roy Oswalt (35)
Mike Pelfrey (30)
Andy Pettitte (42)
Wandy Rodriguez (35) - $13MM club option with a $2.5MM buyout
Jonathan Sanchez (31)
Ervin Santana (31)
Johan Santana (34) - $25MM club option with a $5.5MM buyout
Joe Saunders (33) - mutual option
James Shields (32) - $12MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Jason Vargas (31)
Ryan Vogelsong (36) - $6.5MM club option with a $300K buyout
Edinson Volquez (30)
Tsuyoshi Wada (33) - $5MM club option
Jake Westbrook (36) -- $9.5MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout.
Chien-Ming Wang (34)
Suk-min Yoon (27)
Chris Young (35)
Barry Zito (36) - $18MM vesting option with a $7MM buyout

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It's time to play GM! What moves do you want to see the Dodgers make?

 

[Silas]

The Dodgers will obviously keep Kershaw, Greinke and Ryu. If I am Colletti, I am hoping I can find a taker for Josh Beckett. That won't be at all easy. I don't believe Billingsley is going to be ready to start the season. I would look in to signing Nolasco and offering Kuroda a one year deal based on incentive laden terms. Kuroda may opt to return to Japan or re-sign with the Yankees, but it's worth a shot.

After 2014 I would say goodbye to Beckett and Billingsley and look in to bringing up Zachary Lee.

As it stands right now, the Dodgers Starting Staff figures to be Kershaw, Greinke, Ryu, Billingsley and Beckett. This is a decent staff if Billingsley can pitch and Beckett returns to some semblance of his former self.

 

[besaesa]

Our first three is obviously set with Kershaw Greinke and Ryu. I say have an open competition for the last 2 spots. Call up Zach Lee and see what he can do and if Bills is ready he may take 1 of those spots. Also Beckett is a wild card. He pitched bad this year because he was injured as he pitched well for us last year when he came over. If he is healthy he certainly could earn a spot.

 

[Villain]

If I am Colletti, I am hoping I can find a taker for Josh Beckett. That won't be at all easy.

It won't happen. I doubt he will even be able to play at all. No one would take him. If he's still hurt he will just ride the DL all year then retire.

I don't believe Billingsley is going to be ready to start the season. I would look in to signing Nolasco and offering Kuroda a one year deal based on incentive laden terms. Kuroda may opt to return to Japan or re-sign with the Yankees, but it's worth a shot.

Kuroda will cost a first round pick. There is no way in hell that the Yankees won't make him a qualifying offer. Do you still want Kuroda on that condition?

As it stands right now, the Dodgers Starting Staff figures to be Kershaw, Greinke, Ryu, Billingsley and Beckett. This is a decent staff if Billingsley can pitch and Beckett returns to some semblance of his former self.

So it will be the same staff that opened 2013.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

It will be nice to see Bills comeback next year & pitch the way he did during the 2nd half of last season...he was unbeatable!

 

[Villain]

It will be nice to see Bills comeback next year & pitch the way he did during the 2nd half of last season...he was unbeatable!

I agree. What would you do with Beckett?

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

I agree. What would you do with Beckett?

I would try & get rid of him but it would be hard but then again it is his last year...i hope that we can give Zach Lee a spot & maybe trade Beckett & eat some of the contract!

Next Years Rotation 2014
Kershaw
Greinke
Ryu
Billignsley
Lee

 

[Villain]

I would try & get rid of him but it would be hard but then again it is his last year...i hope that we can give Zach Lee a spot & maybe trade Beckett & eat some of the contract!

Next Years Rotation 2014
Kershaw
Greinke
Ryu
Billignsley
Lee

I agree. I don't think we'll be able to trade Beckett, though. It's all going to depend on how healthy he and Chad are when Spring Training rolls around. If one of those guys isn't 100%, I think that makes it Zach Lee's time to shine. One of the things with Lee, though, is that you can't call him up like the Dodgers have been doing with Stephen Fife and Matt Magill. When Lee gets called up, he needs to stay up unless he proves that he needs some time in the minors to work on things. It will hurt Lee's development to get called up and sent down like that and that's not something you want to be doing with a guy you drafted with the hopes of maybe being an Ace or number 2 starter. Fife has shown that he can handle it, but I think he's pretty close to his ceiling - I don't think Fife has much more developing left (what you see is what you'll get).

I do like that no one has called for re-signing Nolasco or going after Matt Garza. I don't think free agency is the right move for next season. I think the Dodgers have the depth to avoid another high salary addition, however if it's the case that Billingsley and Beckett are going to be liabilities and Nolasco can come with a cheap 2-3 year deal, that would not bother me. I think Nolasco is a great fit for this rotation and this club, but he is getting older so I would expect him to be after one last pay day.

The last thing we want is to have a situation like we had in June - too few pitchers.

 

[Silas]

Villian....

I agree that Beckett would be very hard to move, but I'm pretty sure he will be able to pitch next season and the Dodgers aren't going to pay him that big salary just to sit.

I wouldn't be inclined to take Kuroda if the Dodgers had to give up a first round pick.

Billingsley won't be pitching when the season begins. I'd be more than willing, based on what we know so far, to re-sign Nolasco. He'd be far ahead of Fife, McGill, or anyone else in the Minors.

I wouldn't bring Lee up until after the 2014 season. I'd give him a season at AAA next year.

 

[LASports96]

Lee at AAA is not a good idea

 

[besaesa]

We need to see when Bills is going to be ready first before we can really say to trade Beckett. I also think Beckett will be better when he is healthy and sucked this year because he was pitching hurt. Also who would take Beckett and his contract? We need to see who is healthy in spring training next season and have an open competition for the 4 5 spots in the rotation.

 

[Silas]

Dodgers don't need to rush Lee. I'd only have him in 2014 if Billingsley and Beckett can't pitch, and a decent veteran FA can't be signed.

Too many pitchers are rushed to the majors and I'd hate to see this guy come up and fail. He needs to face the next level where he is going to see a lot of major league ready hitters before we can burden him with trying to get guys out at the big league level.

He's still young. There is plenty of time to have Zach Lee in the starting rotation.

 

[ksudodger]

No way Beckett is back in a Dodger uniform unless he takes a HUGE paycut. I think your rotation will be Kershaw,Greinke,Ryu,Nolasco and Billingsley and then use Lee if Billingsley falters. No Capuano, no Fife

 

[BigDDude]

Pretty much the most important info about the 2014 Dodgers I could find today.


Vin Scully is coming back for his 65th year.

"
“It has been such an exciting, enjoyable, wonderful season — the big crowds in the ballpark, everybody is talking about the ballclub, and I really respect, admire and love the management — so everything just fell into place,” Scully said. ”I really still enjoy it immensely. My health is good, thank God. So why not? And my wife said, ‘Why not?’ as well."

 

[LASports96]

No way Beckett is back in a Dodger uniform unless he takes a HUGE paycut. I think your rotation will be Kershaw,Greinke,Ryu,Nolasco and Billingsley and then use Lee if Billingsley falters. No Capuano, no Fife

Beckett is under contract next year..

 

[Villain]

Villian....

I agree that Beckett would be very hard to move, but I'm pretty sure he will be able to pitch next season and the Dodgers aren't going to pay him that big salary just to sit.

I wouldn't be inclined to take Kuroda if the Dodgers had to give up a first round pick.

Billingsley won't be pitching when the season begins. I'd be more than willing, based on what we know so far, to re-sign Nolasco. He'd be far ahead of Fife, McGill, or anyone else in the Minors.

I wouldn't bring Lee up until after the 2014 season. I'd give him a season at AAA next year.

I agree with everything you said. Everything hinges on health. However, if Beckett is "healthy" but still sucks, I won't be surprised to see him get DFA'd the same way that Lilly was this year.

Lee at AAA is not a good idea

Why is that?

Dodgers don't need to rush Lee. I'd only have him in 2014 if Billingsley and Beckett can't pitch, and a decent veteran FA can't be signed.

Too many pitchers are rushed to the majors and I'd hate to see this guy come up and fail. He needs to face the next level where he is going to see a lot of major league ready hitters before we can burden him with trying to get guys out at the big league level.

He's still young. There is plenty of time to have Zach Lee in the starting rotation.

I agree, but I think he's got to be getting close. I wouldn't be surprised to see him as soon as next summer.

No way Beckett is back in a Dodger uniform unless he takes a HUGE paycut. I think your rotation will be Kershaw,Greinke,Ryu,Nolasco and Billingsley and then use Lee if Billingsley falters. No Capuano, no Fife

What are you talking about? You can't force Beckett to take a paycut.

 

[besaesa]

Beckett is already under contract so I dont see how he would take a pay cut.

 

[Silas]

I have to believe that with Bills and Beckett coming off injury that the Dodgers are going to make a real push to sign Nolasco and at least one more SP. It may be something like last off-season when the Dodgers started out with 50 Starters and then were scrambling when 47 of them got hurt!

 

[LASports96]

Why is that?

Because he could get rocked in the PCL, awful for his confidence

 

[besaesa]

I have to believe that with Bills and Beckett coming off injury that the Dodgers are going to make a real push to sign Nolasco and at least one more SP. It may be something like last off-season when the Dodgers started out with 50 Starters and then were scrambling when 47 of them got hurt!

^^^^^^^ True this is why I believe you do not have too much starting pitching. I think we resign Nolasco and then Zach Lee comes up and competes for a spot in spring training.