Stan Son is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Stan, check out his archive and follow him @Stan_Son.
After losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2013 NLCS, the Los Angeles Dodgers came back in 2014 with a fervor. They roared to their second straight NL West Championship with a 94-68 record. In the playoffs though, it was once again the Cardinals who sent the Dodgers home in a humiliating 4-0 sweep. To make matters worse, it was the rival San Francisco Giants who once again hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy, their third in the last five years.
As a result, CEO Stan Kasten relieved general manager Ned Colletti of his duties and brought in former GM of the Tampa Bay Rays, Andrew Friedman, to be his President of Baseball Operations. Friedman then hired Farhan Zaidi to be the team’s new GM. The two quickly got to work in remaking the Dodgers to fit their vision, resulting in 10 trades in less than a month. These are exciting times to be a Dodgers fan because Friedman has proven his abilities with the Rays, and Zaidi learned from one of the best in Billy Beane.
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Projected 2015 Lineup:
- SS – Jimmy Rollins (S)
- LF – Carl Crawford (L)
- RF – Yasiel Puig (R)
- 1B – Adrian Gonzalez (L)
- 2B – Howie Kendrick (R)
- C – Yasmani Grandal (S)
- CF – Joc Pederson (L)
- 3B – Juan Uribe (R)
Projected 2015 Rotation:
- Clayton Kershaw (L)
- Zack Greinke (R)
- Hyun-Jin Ryu (L)
- Brandon McCarthy (R)
- Brett Anderson (L)/Joe Wieland (R)
The basic philosophy of Andrew Friedman on offense is high walk rate and high OBP. The Rays have led MLB in walks three of the last five years, and the other two years they were in the top five. He is not a huge believer in stolen bases and sacrifice bunts. Beane adheres to the same philosophy so Zaidi should be on the same page. Playing good defense is obviously important and the types of pitchers that he looks for are generally high K/9 and low BB/9.
An old baseball mantra is having a good defensive team starts up the middle (i.e. your catcher, second baseman, shortstop and center fielder). What did Friedman do? He traded for catcher Yasmani Grandal, who just happens to be one of the best pitch framers. Think Jose Molina was on the Rays for his good looks? Friedman also acquired shortstop Jimmy Rollins and second baseman Howie Kendrick, which upgrades the defense tremendously from Hanley Ramirez and Dee Gordon. Moving on from Matt Kemp to super prospect Joc Pederson upgrades the defense in center field.
The New Guys
Jimmy Rollins
He’s 36 years old and in the last year of his contract. As such, he’s a stop gap option until prospect Corey Seager is ready. With that said, he’s a great veteran presence in the clubhouse and can still hold his own. He stole 28 bases last year so there is juice in his legs. He only managed a batting average of .243, but had a .323 OBP. Rollins still possesses pop as evidenced by his 17 home runs. Double-digit home runs and steals should be in the cards with a ton of runs scored.
Howie Kendrick
Kendrick is another veteran in the last year of his contract. He is Mr. Consistent as you can pencil him in for a .290 batting average with a .330 OBP. He will swipe around 10 bases and hit 7-10 home runs. He drove in 75 runs last year as the the Angels batted him cleanup. Hitting behind Adrian Gonzalez should provide him with many RBI opportunities.
Yasmani Grandal
Grandal is a 26-year-old switch-hitting catcher. He was linked to the Biogenesis case in 2013 and had ACL and MCL surgery on his knee the same year so there are concerns and baggage. He also has issues throwing out baserunners. The positives are that he is considered one of the best pitch framers in baseball, which accentuates the strength of the Dodgers, their starting pitching staff. He’s also a switch hitter with power. He only hit .225 last year, but posted a .327 OBP and slugged 15 home runs. Moving on from the Padres and Petco Park to Chavez Ravine with the Dodgers’ lineup, should help boost his numbers.
Chris Heisey
Heisey is a 30-year-old outfielder who will provide right-handed power. A curious signing as he sports a career .299 OBP, but he can hit the ball out of the park. Friedman and Maddon loved to employ platoons in Tampa Bay, but outfielder Scott Van Slyke may take that role. However it plays out, it doesn’t look like Heisey will be a significant fantasy contributor.
Brandon McCarthy
A power sinkerball pitcher, McCarthy had a career year with the Yankees in 2014. He posted a 2.89 ERA in 90.1 innings pitched with a 1.151 WHIP. He struck out 82 batters while only allowing 13 walks. He’s reportedly gained a few MPH on his fastball, but the most significant change should be credited to the Yankees’ staff. They asked him to throw his four-seamer and cutter more often. The results speak for themselves. Coming to the NL, being on the same staff as Clayton Kershaw, and having Grandal framing pitches could make McCarthy a cheap, yet productive fantasy asset in 2015.
Brett Anderson
Anderson was a promising young pitcher for the A’s until injuries derailed his career: Tommy John surgery in 2011, oblique strain in 2012 and back surgery in 2013. Before he got shut down last season, he logged 43.1 innings, posted a 2.91 ERA and a 1.315 WHIP. He looks to be slated for the No. 5 role or long relief. I wouldn’t count on him making a significant fantasy impact in 2015.
Joe Wieland
Wieland is a 24-year-old RHP that was part of the Matt Kemp deal. Most view him as a throw-in, but there may be something of significance here. He’s 6’3″ 210 lbs. and throws a low-to-mid 90s fastball with a solid changeup and a good curveball. His command is rated as excellent. In the minor leagues, where he faced 1,970 batters, he produced a 1.6 BB/9 with only a 0.6 HR/9 while striking out 8.4/9. No wonder Friedman wanted this kid.
Joel Peralta
It’s no secret that the bullpen was one of the main reasons the Dodgers faltered last year. While Kenley Jansen is an elite closer, getting to him was a major issue. One of Friedman’s first trades was to acquire RP Joel Peralta. While he posted a 4.41 ERA with a 1.184 WHIP last year for the Rays, he did strikeout 74 batters in 63.1 innings while issuing only 15 walks. Peralta is not elite, but has good control, can rack up strikeouts with his splitter, and should be a dependable asset for Mattingly to utilize (he’s posted at least 69 appearances per season over the last four years).
The Studs
Clayton Kershaw
The Alpha and Omega for the Dodgers … three Cy Young Awards and an MVP. I don’t really need to say much here. The only question is do you use a first-round pick on him?
Zach Greinke – The righty is a great complement to Kershaw. He went 17-8 last year with a 2.71 ERA and a 1.152 WHIP. He struck out 207 batters while walking 43 in 202.1 innings. Wins are impossible to project, but with a better defense and upgraded bullpen, 20+ wins is not out of the question.
Adrian Gonzalez
The 32-year-old first baseman has been a rock since coming over from Boston. Pencil him in for 160 games played, 20+ home runs, 100+ RBI, .290 average, and a .340 OBP. He has a career .364 OBP! While the power is lacking, compared to other fantasy first basemen, the counting stats will be there. His home run total did increase to 27 in 2014, up from 22 the year before. He could be a great bargain because he won’t be at the top of the first baseman rankings. Another thing to consider is that Rollins, Crawford, and Puig will be batting in front of him, potentially allowing for more RBI opportunities.
Yasiel Puig
The Cuban sensation had a productive 2014, totaling 148 games played, .296 avg, .382 OBP, 16 home runs, 69 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. While they were solid numbers, they did not meet the “Man-Bear-Puig” expectations from the prior year. When Puig was called up in 2013, he seemingly resuscitated the Dodgers and led them to the playoffs. He played in 104 games and batted .319 with a .391 OBP. He slugged 19 home runs, drove in 42 RBI and stole 11 bases. The debate was Trout or Puig. Trout is definitely in another stratosphere, but Puig can be a star in his own right. Puig won’t steal as many bases as Trout. The home runs could increase, but they could also stay in the 20s because he is more of a line-drive hitter. He became more patient last year and took what the pitchers gave him, but he was prone to bouts of free swinging. The Cardinals embarrassed him in the NLDS. This will be an interesting year to see how he has developed as he possesses all of the physical tools, and as mentioned above, the lineup may actually be better than last year.
Sleeper
Carl Crawford
The Tampa Bay Crawford, who hit 19 home runs and stole 59 bases, is long gone. After a terrible tenure in Boston, Los Angeles has been a good fit for him. He’s no superstar, but he can be an asset on the Dodgers and your fantasy team. Last year he played in 105 games and batted .300 with a .339 OBP. He hit eight home runs, drove in 46 runs, scored 56 times, and stole 23 bases. He ended as the No. 41 outfielder on ESPN’s player rater. A .290 avg and .332 OBP with a shot at 10 home runs and 20 stolen bases is a viable commodity. Add in 40 RBI and 60 runs scored and you’ve got yourself a player.
Odd Man Out?
Andre Ethier
Five years ago Ethier slugged 31 home runs, drove in 106 runs and hit .272 with a .361 OBP. Now, he is not even a serviceable platoon bat. Last year, Ethier hit .222 against lefties with no home runs. He struck out 14 times in 51 plate appearances. Against righties, he batted .253 and hit four home runs in 329 plate appearances. He struck out 60 times. Ethier stated that he wants to start. That’s defnitely not happening, and it’s tough to even say he’d be on the good side of a platoon. Ethier signed a five-year, $85 million deal in 2013. Thanks Ned! Current ownership hasn’t been shy to take on money to trade a player, but it’s tough to see anyone giving up anything for Ethier.
The Super Prospect
Joc Pederson
The kid is as ready as can be. Last year in the Pacific Coast League, Pederson became the first player in 80 years to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases. He was named MVP of the league and was selected as Baseball America’s Triple-A Player of the Year. Friedman remains noncommittal on Pederson in center field, but the top prospect should be given a fair shot for the job following the Matt Kemp trade.
Down on the Farm
Corey Seager
The younger brother of Mariners third baseman, Kyle Seager, Corey is the future. However, it’s unclear what position he will eventually fill. He’s currently a shortstop, but many project him as a third baseman. Interestingly enough, the Dodgers have contracts at third base, shortstop, and second base that are up after this year. Jimmy Rollins and Juan Uribe will probably not be re-signed, so third or short could be options. Kendrick at second is an extension candidate. Regardless, there are options, but it seems likely that Seager will fill either third base or shortstop in 2016.
Julio Urias
Urias is an 18-year-old lefty from Mexico. He stands 5’11” 160 lbs., but has been playing professionally in Mexico since he was 16 years old. His fastball registers in the low-to-mid 90s, and he has an above-average changeup and curveball. You won’t see Urias making his big-league debut anytime soon, but he’s one to keep an eye on for the future.