Plenty of Dodger fans wished Kenley Jansen was not the closer last year. For the past couple of years, Jansen was blamed for blowing crucial games, against the San Francisco Giants and in the playoffs, and a favorite target for fans who were frustrated with the Dodgers recent playoff failures.
In the Dodgers World Series run of 2020, manager Dave Roberts turned to Julio Urias in the ninth inning more often than Jansen. It was clear even Roberts’ confidence in Jansen was shaky at best.
But now, the Dodgers need Urias to be the best No. 2 starter in baseball and not the most reliable arm out of the bullpen.
Even though statistically speaking Jansen was one of the best closers in baseball over the past few seasons, he was not a fan favorite among the Chavez Ravine faithful. He was openly booed at times during the season last year. His time to walk away from the Dodgers was long overdue.
Jansen left the Dodgers for the Atlanta Braves and a huge hole in the bullpen.
The Dodgers filled that hole by trading for closer Craig Kimbrel. Now the question is, how good is the Dodgers bullpen?
It might be the best in baseball.
The Dodgers, by adding Freddie Freeman, put together one of the best lineups in the history of baseball. It is expected to rival the 1927 New York Yankees, the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, the 1975 Cincinnati Reds, the 1997 Cleveland Indians. The Dodgers led the National League with almost 5.1 runs per game. They are poised to certainly average more than that this year, the only question is by how much.
But the bullpen had lots of question marks with Jansen. Did adding Kimbrel answer any of those questions?
The short answer is yes. The Dodgers bullpen will most likely throw out Brusdar Graterol in the seventh inning, Blake Treinen in the eighth inning and Kimbrel in the ninth. If the Dodgers have a lead after six innings, it is probably game over. Opposing teams are going to have a hard time scoring runs late in games against the Dodgers.
Dodger fans who complained about Jansen finally got their wish. Now they’ll see if Jansen deserved all the grief.
Pollock traded for Kimbrel
The Dodgers traded outfielder AJ Pollock to the Chicago White Sox for Kimbrel. It was perhaps a high price to pay, but one the Dodgers could afford.
The Dodgers have an abundance of outfielders, including MVPs Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger. Losing Pollock leaves a huge role to fill on the team, but the Dodgers have plenty of options.
First, it gives Chris Taylor a place to play regularly. One of the benefits of having Taylor on the team is he is versatile. He can play outfield, he can play second base, shortstop, and DH from time to time now.
Second, it gives Gavin Lux a chance to play more. He has been working on his outfield skills in the off-season and spring training. He will almost certainly have chances to play in left field during the season.
Jake Lamb has become a pleasant surprise in spring training. His bat deserves a spot on the team and left field is a perfect place for him to play on a regular basis.
And finally, Zach McKinstry has played some games in left field in spring training. He showed he can play in the big leagues last year. He might not be an everyday player, but his bat off the bench could prove to be valuable.
Opening Day
The Dodgers season starts on Thursday in Colorado against the Rockies. Walker Buehler is set to start on Opening Day.
The Dodgers were 4-7-4 in spring training as of Saturday. The biggest question hanging over the Dodgers as Opening Day approaches is who will be the No. 4 starter. That’s not a bad position to be in with the season set to start in less than a week.
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