Los Angeles Dodgers: Three players that may not be in LA in 2020
By Jason Reed
1. Ross Stripling
The Los Angeles Dodgers have a lot of pitching, it is their bread and butter, and it would not be all that of a shock if the team did move on from at least one significant arm this offseason. If that is the case, the front-runner to be traded has to be Ross Stripling.
It is a shame, really, as I am a huge fan of Stripling and he truly is a great big-league pitcher when he can stay healthy and on the mound. However, in a rotation that is already too deep for comfort, and some potential big-name pitching free agent targets, Stripling becomes the odd man out.
Right now, the starting pitchers on the Los Angeles Dodgers consist of Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Kenta Maeda, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Julio Urias. That is not mentioning Rich Hill or Hyun-Jin Ryu, who could be brought back, or any big-name free-agent pitchers.
Chances are that some of those guys will end up in the bullpen. And while Stripling is a great arm to have in the bullpen, the Dodgers could get a fairly decent return out of him from a team that needs starting pitching.
What the return would be is still unclear. Perhaps Stripling can be in a Major-League talent in a prospect package for an elite bullpen arm.
Regardless, Stripling is an easy piece to move for the Dodgers not only because of his talent but because pitching isn’t easy to find.