Los Angeles Dodgers: Five steps to return to the World Series next season
By Jason Reed
4. Sign a number two right-handed arm behind Clayton Kershaw
Going back to right-handed players, the Dodgers desperately need a right-handed arm in their starting rotation. While that role did go to Kenta Maeda, he may have found his calling in the bullpen with the Dodgers. Outside of a Jose Altuve home run in game five of the World Series, Maeda was lights out in relief during the postseason.
While Maeda can still start, the team may look to start him in the bullpen like Alex Wood and move from there. If so, Los Angeles is faced with a starting rotation consisting of Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu and either Walker Buehler or Maeda.
Even if the team does keep Maeda in the starting rotation there still is a hole directly behind Kershaw. Alex Wood was great last season, but having him as the number two arm moving forward is a big risk — especially considering how fatigued he got late in the season.
Thus, the Dodgers must go out and spend big on a right-handed arm behind Kershaw. Realistically, there are two options for the Los Angeles Dodgers; Jake Arrieta or Yu Darvish.
Darvish is the last person Dodger fans want to see right now. Although he is a great pitcher and seems to be an even better person, Darvish blew up in the World Series and was instrumental in the Dodgers losing in seven games.
That leaves Arrieta, who is no longer the same ace in 2015 but is a great pitcher that dominates in the postseason. Regardless of who the Dodgers do go with, they are going to have to open up their pocketbooks and spend big on an arm.