Dodgers GM Stresses Need For Depth This October Following 2021 Meltdown
The 2021 Dodgers had the talent to win a World Series. There are few in baseball who would doubt that argument. But after fighting with the Giants all season in the NL West and grinding out a Division Series win over them, they didn’t stand a chance against the Braves in the NLCS.
Atlanta walked all over a Dodgers team decimated by injuries and a pitching staff that was burned out by the time October rolled around. Walker Buehler looked gassed, Julio Urias was pitching way more than he should have, and Max Scherzer’s arm was dead.
So depth was something to address coming into 2022. The Dodgers made some fringe moves to add pieces, but they really excelled with the minor league additions of big league talent. General Manager Brandon Gomes spoke about the importance of depth this year, and a lot of it does come from the 2021 experience. (quotes via OC Register)
“I think having depth is paramount at all turns. We did feel going into this offseason with some of our minor-league signs, adding depth to the minor leagues, that our depth was at a much better spot. Last year, you can point to the shortened 2020 season, and that is what caused those later injuries. This year you could point to a shortened spring training. Or it’s just baseball. I don’t know.”
Injuries are once again rampant in Major League Baseball in 2022. The Dodgers have had their fair share of those injuries, with so many guys currently on the 60-day injured list. But the difference this year is that many of those guys are expected to come back right before the playoffs start.
That’s going to be a monster advantage for Los Angeles as they head into October. Getting fresh arms back will be the biggest thing, with Blake Treinen, Dustin May, Brusdar Graterol, and Walker Buehler all expected back before the regular season is up.
The Dodgers needed depth this year, and they went out and got some.
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