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With just a month to go until spring training starts (pitchers and catchers report February 8), the Los Angeles Dodgers are finalizing their roster and sending out final spring-training invites. With a fairly set roster, though, there are so many options the Dodgers have.

Last season, the backup shortstop was an integral part of the team because starter Hanley Ramirez played just 86 games. The rest of the time, Nick Punto, Dee Gordon, Justin Sellers and Luis Cruz filled in. As the primary backup, Punto was especially valuable—and indeed, he put up nearly 2.0 Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs.

However, Punto is now a member of the Oakland Athletics, and the only shortstops currently on the 40-man roster, other than Ramirez, are Gordon and Sellers, neither of whom has proven to be a quality major league backup.

In addition to backup shortstop, expect the Dodgers to look at bullpen arms and catchers—both of which are positions that organizations often look at for cheap alternatives.

Players mentioned here will be ranked based on their likelihood to make the team and contribute, and all free agents are courtesy of the extremely helpful list at MLB Trade Rumors.

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It’s been a relatively quiet but expensive offseason for the Los Angels Dodgers compared to years past. Last winter, they signed Hyun-Jin Ryu and Zack Greinke to big contracts. This year, it’s been…Jamey Wright?

Though the jury is still out on Masahiro Tanaka and extensions for Clayton Kershaw and Hanley Ramirez, the Dodgers seem to be pretty much set for 2014. The team could definitely bolster the bench a bit and look for a little more starting pitching depth, but the moves it’s made so far have shored up the bullpen and filled two holes in the starting infield.

How do the additions and re-signings the Dodgers have made so far grade out? Will they help the team earn a berth in the NLCS or get it to its first World Series since 1988? Or will they have little to no effect on the season in 2014?

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The Dodgers, who claim to be gearing their organizational philosophy more towards developing the farm system and spending less on flashy free agents, are now rumored to be the front runner for flashy free agent Masahiro Tanaka’s services.

This comes after spending a four-year contract on Cuban second baseman Alexander Guerrero and overpaying Brian Wilson and J.P. Howell (granted, these moves were necessary) to return to the bullpen.

So despite the ownership going back on their word about financials, the Dodgers are poised to repeat as NL West champions and have an even better team than the one which lost in six games in the 2013 NLCS.

But no team is perfect—the Dodgers still have some glaring holes to fill, and fans probably won’t get comfortable with the 2014 team until those needs are addressed. Read on to find out where the Dodgers can still improve before spring training.

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Is anything going to stop the deep-pocketed Los Angeles Dodgers from signing Japanese star Masahiro Tanaka? And if they do land the coveted right-hander, is anything going to stop the Dodgers—period?

Tanaka is in town to undergo medical tests that will be released to all teams interested in negotiating with the recently posted pitcher, per Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times. It’s no surprise, then, that the Dodgers figured now is as good a time as any to make it known they’ll be going hard after the former top arm in Nippon Professional Baseball, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today alerts Friday: 

To be clear, the Dodgers will have competition, as plenty of other clubs are lusting after Tanaka, a 25-year-old who went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles last year.

Among the other teams most often mentioned? Oh, just a few: The New York Yankees, the Seattle Mariners, the Los Angeles Angels, the Chicago Cubs, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox. Really, the list goes on.

Of course, Tanaka does have a say in the matter of where he winds up, which is a new concept for Japanese players who are posted by their teams prior to reaching free agency. John Shea of the San Franciso Chronicle points out the preferred destinations of the projected front-of-the-rotation arm:

But the Dodgers just might be the favorites for any number of factors, including their current status as a contender, their location on the West Coast (which Tanaka has been rumored to prefer) and, no doubt, their money.

If Los Angeles inks Tanaka, continuing a spate of spending and splurging in the past 18 months that shows no signs of stopping, the Dodgers instantly would jump from serious contender to no-doubt World Series front runner.

As is, the Dodgers are positioned to once again be the class of the weak NL West, which they won by 11 games last season—after being 9.5 games out in late June. But add Tanaka to a star-studded roster, and, well, the rest of the National League might be playing for second place.

Remember, Los Angeles already has a rotation filled to the brim with top-notch starters in reigning NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, masterful right-hander Zack Greinke and second-year southpaw Hyun-Jin Ryu. Beyond that, there’s the trio of veteran bounce-back candidates in righties Dan Haren, Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley.

Inserting Tanaka into that talented, deep group means the rich would only be getting richer, which is nothing new for the Dodgers these days.

In fact, with a front foursome of Kershaw, Tanaka, Greinke and Ryu, L.A. might enter the 2014 season with the best quartet of starters in baseball, even ahead of the impressive rotations in Detroit and Washington, among others.

The last time a team’s top four starters were that good? Last year’s Tigers, featuring Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez and Doug Fister, merit consideration. Prior to that, there’s the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies, who rolled with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt.

It may not be a coincidence, then, that a Dodgers team with Tanaka, playing in a division they’re poised to dominate, could threaten to become the first club to crack the 100-win mark since—wait for it—those very Phillies.

In other words, if they pony up for Tanaka, the Dodgers could be setting themselves up to take over the top seed entering next October.

Of course, neither that Phillies club nor last year’s Tigers team managed to make it to the World Series. Detroit, remember, lost to the Red Sox in the Championship Series last season, while the Phillies fell out even earlier in 2011 when they were upset by the St. Louis Cardinals in the Division Series.

The common thread? Both Boston and St. Louis went on to win it all in their respective postseasons. Goes to show that even with a first-rate five-man rotation, nothing is a given.

Here’s where it should be noted that the Dodgers actually led all teams in rotation ERA last year—their 3.13 ERA was more than eight percent better than the next-best—and they, too, came up short of the Fall Classic.

So even with Tanaka in tow, nothing is guaranteed for the Dodgers. Plus, they might be shaping up as a 2014-or-bust team, given that Kershaw and shortstop Hanley Ramirez are set to hit the open market after next season.

After all, one imagines that giving $100-plus million to Tanaka might impact even the Dodgers’ ability to keep both Kershaw and Ramirez, each of whom will command their own nine figure contracts, in town for 2015 and beyond.

At this point, the Dodgers have to be considered one of the favorites—if not the favorite—to land Tanaka, who would put them in position to win the winter and then dominate the spring and summer.

Still, with a bunch of high-priced talent already on the roster and two of their top players on the verge of free agency, paying up for Tanaka now could burn the Dodgers in the future if they don’t win it all this fall.

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11

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Months after a season-ending press conference turned awkward for the Los Angeles Dodgers, manager Don Mattingly received what he wanted all along: a contract extension.

According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, the Dodgers have reached an agreement with Mattingly to keep the former lame-duck manager in tow for the next three seasons. Now, after months of speculation about Mattingly‘s long-term viability in Los Angeles, the franchise has committed to him for the foreseeable future.

The deal, confirmed by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, replaces the existing one-year deal for 2014 with a contract that spans through 2016.

In order to reward their faith in him, the former on-field great must morph from a good leader to a very good tactician in the dugout in order to help the talented Dodgers reach their ceiling and win a championship over the next few years.

The Dodgers retained their guy, hoping he’s the right man to ascend to the throne of champion. After a long, storied career that left Mattingly on the outside of the championship chase in New York, his best chance at a ring comes now.

Heading into the 2014 season, “Donnie Baseball” will enter spring training with the best roster in the sport.

Yes, the Dodgers will arrive at spring training with more talent on their 40-man roster than the World Series champion Boston Red Sox, defending NL champion St. Louis Cardinals, maturing Washington Nationals and re-stocked Texas Rangers.

With NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw spearheading the rotation, and Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez poised to play full seasons, the Dodgers have MVP candidates littered throughout the roster. If former NL MVP runner-up Matt Kemp can regain his health, the roster is loaded enough to expect 100-plus wins and a trip deep into October.

Last year, despite injuries to Zack Greinke, Ramirez and Kemp, along with Puig toiling in the minors until June, Mattingly led the Dodgers to a 92-win season. With that came an NL West crown and an NLDS victory over the Atlanta Braves. After beginning the season with a dismal record of 30-42, the Dodgers reeled off 62 wins over their last 90 games.

That run was a testament to Mattingly‘s resolve in the dugout. By keeping the roster together, even in the face of rumors of his impending firing, the young manager proved that he has what it takes to manage talented players in the face of adversity. The speculation about Mattingly‘s long-term status in Los Angeles had little to do with his ability to lead, motivate and calm the roster during difficult times. 

Instead, any debate around Mattingly‘s ability to win a World Series stems from strategy, specifically his in-game acumen. 

During the aforementioned press conference in which Mattingly asked for a contract extension, he alluded to the criticism of every move weighing on him, per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. 

“Really what it does, it puts me in a spot where everything that I do is questioned because I’m basically trying out or auditioning to say, ‘Can he manage or can he not manage?'” Mattingly said. “To me, it’s at that point where, three years in, you either know or you don’t.”

Three years into Mattingly‘s managerial tenure, here’s what we know: Through 485 games, he’s a winner. With a .536 winning percentage, the 52-year-old manager is off to a good start.

By handing their manager a three-year deal, the Dodgers are signalling that they acknowledge his good work. In the minds of the Los Angeles brass, Mattingly is the right man to lead the team to a World Series championship for the first time since the 1988 season. 

But now that he has the backing of the organization, the focus will squarely fall upon his performance. If Mattingly thinks the scrutiny around his decisions will end upon signing this deal, he’s very wrong. As Dodgers fans expect more winning, every move will be up for debate. Fortunately for him, the debate won’t immediately center around his job security with every puzzling move he makes in 2014.

And make no mistake, there will be puzzling moves. 

Last October, despite holding a 2-1 series advantage in the NLDS over the Atlanta Braves, Mattingly sent Kershaw to the mound in Game 4. Despite holding a lead, the Dodgers chose to ride their ace on three days rest. Conventional wisdom would have dictated to hold Kershaw back for a potential Game 5, putting him out there to rescue the series on full rest. Of course, Kershaw won the game and series, taking Mattingly off the hook if Game 5 became a reality.

Furthermore, as John Harper of the New York Daily News detailed, Mattingly decided to pinch-run for Adrian Gonzalez in the eighth inning of a tie game in the NLCS. When Dee Gordon, Gonzalez’s replacement, didn’t score in the inning, the game stay tied and cost Los Angeles two more turns at bat for one of their best run producers.

Those moves are just a few that illustrate Mattingly’s gambling style of managing.

Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. With a new contract emboldening him, expect more of the same moving forward.

The thinking here is that the Dodgers know exactly what they have in their dugout: an excellent leader, capable of winning with big talent and unafraid of taking risks in big moments.

Over the next few years, Mattingly will be expected to win a World Series, and despite all the puzzling moves, he’s a proven winner and has shown that he is deserving of the extension.

Agree? Disagree?

Comment, follow me on Twitter or “like” my Facebook page to talk all things baseball. 

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Heading into the 2013 season, we figured that the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting rotation would be a strong point. That turned out to be true, as the staff’s average game score (a Bill James creation that summarizes pitching outings into a single number) was the second-highest in baseball.

In 2014, the rotation figures to be of similar benefit for the Dodgers. Headlined by Clayton Kershaw and with a deep reservoir of talent to pull from throughout the season, the Dodgers’ rotation is the strength of the team and undoubtedly one of the best in the entire league.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers system took a hit last season with the graduation of top prospect Yasiel Puig to the major leagues. However, the organization had a slew of other promising young players step up in his place.

Left-handed hitters Corey Seager and Joc Pederson both had strong seasons at their respective levels and continue to move at an accelerated pace through the minor leagues. But with the organization’s aggressive spending on free agents (both international and domestic), it’s not even guaranteed that there’ll be a spot for either player in the everyday lineup once they are deemed major-league ready.

And then, of course, there was the emergence of 17-year-old Julio Urias—technically, it was his age-16 season—who thrived as the youngest player at a full-season level. In what would have been his sophomore year of high school, the left-hander carved up considerably older hitters in the Low-A Midwest League.

Meanwhile, right-hander Zach Lee, the team’s first-round bonus baby from the 2010 draft—he accepted a $5.25 million signing bonus to pass on a football scholarship to Louisiana State—turned in the best season of his professional career at Double-A Chattanooga.

2012 fifth-rounder Ross Stripling spent most of the year pitching alongside Lee in the Double-A rotation, and he continued to quietly post impressive numbers against advanced hitters in the Texas League. Expect both right-handers to receive their first tastes of the major leagues in 2014.

The Dodgers also added a pair of advanced college arms in Chris Anderson and Tom Windle through the first-year player draft in June, and both pitchers impressed in their respective professional debuts. While neither player is expected to contribute in the major leagues next season, there’s a realistic chance they both finish the year in the Double-A rotation.

Here’s a look at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ top 10 prospects for the 2014 season.

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There are only a few potential items left for the Los Angeles Dodgers to attend to this offseason. With the inking of Juan Uribe to a contract, only optional moves remain.

The Dodgers roster is basically set, so general manager Ned Colletti doesn’t need to panic or make any desperation moves. Instead, any transaction would be solely to improve a Dodgers team that won 92 games last season.

As the market has slowed down over the past couple of weeks, there are no hot rumors surrounding the Dodgers—aside from, of course, the general hubbub over Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

Cited rumors compiled by MLB Trade Rumors.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have gotten so accustomed to adding big-name talent and payroll over the last two years that the idea of them trading a superstar like Matt Kemp is insane.

Of course, when you already have a surplus of expensive outfielders on your roster, everyone becomes available for the right price.

Kemp has been the source of much trade speculation this offseason. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the former National League All-Star was getting a lot of attention at the winter meetings:  

The #Dodgers getting plenty of action on Matt Kemp but say a deal unlikely to be consummated at winter meetings.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 11, 2013

Dave Stewart, who represents Kemp, told ESPN’s Jayson Stark that the Dodgers don’t plan to move Kemp this offseason: 

Matt Kemp’s agent, Dave Stewart, says #Dodgers informed him today “they have no plans to move him.” More to come at http://t.co/J9TlkjRmi3

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) December 11, 2013

Who knows what’s really going on behind the scenes in Hollywood?

All of this uncertainty has piqued our interest, getting us to think about which teams could make a deal for Kemp. These are teams with money to absorb Kemp’s contract, prospects to offer the Dodgers and a need in center field. 

Putting together packages for Kemp is more difficult than it might seem, because no one knows how healthy he is heading into spring training. For the purposes of this discussion, we will assume he can be the MVP candidate from 2011 once again. 

Note: All stats courtesy of Fangraphs and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted. 

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It’s that time of year again. Everyone is swearing off junk food, buying gym memberships and looking up local charities in order to hit their New Year’s resolutions. But if the Dodgers want to return to the NLCS and have another shot at the World Series, they better make a few of their own.

With the re-signings of Brian Wilson, J.P. Howell and Juan Uribe, the Dodgers addressed their biggest needs in the offseason. They strengthened the bullpen further with Chris Perez and Jamey Wright coming to Los Angeles. Dan Haren was brought in on a one-year deal to give the rotation a slight boost.

The starting lineup is ready to roll with the only identifiable weakness at catcher, where A.J. Ellis is slightly offensively challenged. There’s a question mark at second base with the unproven rookie Alexander Guerrero taking over, and plenty of injury questions between Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford and Hanley Ramirez.

So as good as the Dodgers may look on paper, there are plenty of things that can still be tweaked. Which resolutions should GM Ned Colletti, owner Stan Kasten and manager Don Mattingly be making for the new year? Read on to find out.

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