Los Angeles Dodgers: Constructing the team’s NLDS roster

Bullpen

• Kenta Maeda
• Hyun-Jin Ryu
• Brandon Morrow
• Tony Watson
• Josh Fields
• Brock Stewart
• Luis Avilan
• Kenley Jansen

I think that the Dodgers will roll into the NLDS with 12 pitchers and 13 position players due to the nature of a five-game series. If the team moves on and starts getting into seven-game territory, I could see where an extra arm could benefit down the line.

However, with the two new additions to the bullpen in Kenta Maeda and Hyun-Jin Ryu, the Dodgers bullpen should be deep enough for the NLDS. Both Maeda and Ryu can pitch two or three innings out of the bullpen if the matchups are right. If they are dealing, this could be a seamless transition to Kenley Jansen in the ninth.

The postseason usually doesn’t work like that, though. Roberts and Rick Honeycutt will likely micromanage once the game gets into the bullpen, meaning that we may only see Ryu and Maeda good for one inning. However, both men could then effectively pitch every game, and if they are on, well then the Dodgers may seem unbeatable.

In total, this bullpen hosts just three left-handed pitchers and five right-handed pitchers. While the Dodgers could substitute quality for matchup by swapping Josh Fields with Tony Cingrani, the extra right-handed arms may be okay against the Diamondbacks or Rockies.

The biggest snub here is obviously Pedro Baez. I have been the biggest Baez supporter, defending him at first when he started struggling. However, he simply has not proven enough to make the postseason roster.