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Dave Roberts said all the right things as he was being introduced as the newest manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, talking about grit, individual accountability and the only thing Dodgers fans truly care about—ending a nearly 30-year championship drought.

“I think everyone in a Dodger uniform and in the fanbase (wants) to win a world championship,” he told reporters (via Jon Weisman, the team’s director of digital and print content). “That’s first and foremost, and I think we’re all excited about that, and that’s the goal. There’s obviously a lot of work that goes toward that.”

While there are literally hundreds of choices that Roberts will have to make along the way for that goal to become a reality, his decision-making process in regard to three specific areas will ultimately make or break his first year at the helm. 

How He Manages the Bullpen

Perhaps none of Roberts’ decisions will be scrutinized as closely as those he makes when it comes to managing the bullpen, something that was always a point of contention during former manager Don Mattingly’s tenure.

While acknowledging that he’ll have to remain flexible, Roberts tells Weisman that his plans for the pen on any given day will be formulated before the first pitch, after consulting with pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and bench coach Bob Geren:

It’s obviously going to be my decisions, but there’s going to be some input and some dialogue. But I think a lot of the dialogue is going to happen before the game. I like to have matchups and ideas of potentially the different ways (the game) could play out beforehand, and see what kind of direction I like to go.

Then obviously, you’ve got to pay attention to the game and see how that goes and how that develops. I think the manager-pitching coach relationship is very important to managing a bullpen, and obviously listening to the bench coach’s input as well, but ultimately those decisions are going to fall on me.

The Dodgers return the bulk of a bullpen that pitched to the National League‘s fifth-highest ERA (3.91) in 2015, adding only Joe Blanton to the mix. But it’s a group that also tied St. Louis’ bullpen for the NL’s third-highest WAR (4.5), one of the 10 best in all of baseball, according to FanGraphs.

There’s talent there, besides All-Star closer Kenley Jansen, and it’s the team’s belief in that talent that led the Dodgers to not make a major addition to the group after they walked away from a deal for Aroldis Chapman.

The pressure is on Roberts, Honeycutt and the rest of the team’s coaching staff to get the most out of that trio—and anyone else they might call upon in relief.

With no track record to look back on, it’s impossible to know exactly what his tendencies will be, whether he’ll pitch his most trusted relievers into the ground early or spread the workload around evenly in an effort to keep everyone fresh.

However Roberts decides to utilize his bullpen, the results will make it pretty easy to determine whether he made the right call or not.

How He Handles Yasiel Puig

If we were to create a list of the most naturally gifted players in baseball, Yasiel Puig would be right at the top of that list, likely behind only Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. But sometimes, the most talented among us are the most difficult to relate to, to get along with.

So it’s no surprise that Puig has had his fair share of issues, whether it be teammates getting on him about what appeared to be lackadaisical play or his manager questioning just how injured he actually was. 

“For me, it’s more of ‘let’s wipe the slate clean and let’s start anew,'” Roberts told Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times about his first meeting with the polarizing star. “There’s the same core of players, but there’s a completely different coaching staff. And we just want him to be himself. So let’s start fresh.”

That fresh start is exactly what Puig needs, according to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who believes that Roberts, who has a reputation for being a people person, is the right manager to bring the very best out of the Cuban sensation.

“From my experience, Puig responds well to genuine people, when he understands there’s no agenda and people just really care for him,” Gonzalez told ESPN’s Mark Saxon.

As long as Roberts decides to be straightforward with Puig—whether he’s praising him, disciplining him or providing some constructive criticism—those past issues will be nothing more than a distant memory.

How He Changes the Clubhouse Culture

Growing up in a military family—his father, Waymon, was a United States Marine—Roberts spent his childhood bouncing around, forced to acclimate himself to new places and make new friends, often from different backgrounds and cultures, wherever his dad was stationed.

That’s much like the situation he’ll encounter in Los Angeles’ clubhouse, a melting pot for players from different parts of the world, with varying degrees of experience and their own, individual expectations about what the coming season will hold.

“The No. 1 goal … is for us … to create an unbreakable bond within the group,” Roberts told McCullough. “Where no distractions … get us away from staying together … or getting our focus off track.”

Everything can’t be sunshine and rainbows all the time, especially over the course of a 162-game regular season. Bonds are going to be tested. Tempers will flare. Distractions are inevitable. How he decides to get the clubhouse to buy into his message will ultimately dictate how successful his first year is.

As he explained to McCullough, his message is clear.

“You can have all the money. You can have the highest payroll. You can have the best information. If you don’t have the best team, you’re not going to win.”

One thing that could work in Roberts’ favor is his longstanding relationship with Gonzalez, perhaps the team’s most respected veteran leader, as the two were teammates in San Diego a decade ago. 

If Gonzalez and the rest of the team’s leaders not only buy into his message, but push it in the clubhouse when Roberts isn’t around, his chances of success at getting everyone focused on the task at hand would increase substantially.

If not, it’s going to make Roberts’ job substantially harder—and the Dodgers season feel substantially longer. “That’s the secret,” he said of being able to build those bonds. “That’s the question. Because if we have that, then everything else will take care of itself.”

Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.

Hit me up on Twitter to talk all things baseball: @RickWeinerBR.

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In real life, Matt Duffy came out of Long Beach, California. But in 2015, he might as well have come out of Nowhere, USA.

Generally considered a non-prospect going into the season, the slender then-24-year-old earned a spot on the San Francisco Giants‘ bench with a hot spring and eventually found himself pressed into everyday action at third base. The next thing anyone knew, he was establishing himself as one of MLB‘s best third basemen and a contender for the National League Rookie of the Year.

But with the 2016 season drawing near, it’s time to ask the question that’s looming like so much San Francisco fog: After a breakout like that, can Duffy possibly avoid the dreaded sophomore slump?

The Giants certainly hope so. Duffy, now 25, carrying on as a star player would go a long way toward them keeping their even-year dominance alive. And for what it’s worth, his skipper has faith.

“He’s just a good ballplayer,” Bruce Bochy told Bleacher Report at a Giants media gathering Friday. “He’s a good offensive player [and] good defensive player. And he could be our best baserunner. He’s durable. He can go out there and play every day. I think he’s primed to have another good year for us.”

The projections for 2016 have Bochy’s back. Though neither the Steamer nor ZiPS projections featured at FanGraphs think Duffy will be quite as good as he was in 2015, both see him continuing to be an above-average hitter and ultimately producing more WAR than any Giants position player not named Buster Posey.

Of course, given Duffy’s modest background, determining whether he can avoid a sophomore slump in 2016 can’t be as simple as looking at a quote and a few calculations. Even upon a more exhaustive review, though, it’s hard to mistake his out-of-nowhere 2015 season for a fluke.

First of all, there’s no downplaying just how good Duffy was in 2015. He was a safely above-average hitter, as batting .295 with a .762 OPS despite regular action at AT&T Park is no small feat. Duffy was also one of the league’s most productive third basemen on the basepaths, and the defensive metrics agree he darn well deserved to be a Gold Glove finalist.

But was Duffy too good in 2015?

If you look at where Duffy’s coming from, the answer sure looks like a yes. He was only an 18th-round pick in 2012, and even that seems like a minor miracle considering he was exclusively a speed-and-defense guy in three seasons at Long Beach State. And throughout his career in the minors, the best Baseball America ever thought of him was as the Giants’ No. 9 prospect following the 2014 season.

Looking at all this, however, is only focusing on what Duffy was supposed to be. The picture is decidedly different when the focus is shifted to what he’s actually been.

Duffy hit over .300 across two low minor league levels in 2013 and .332 at Double-A in 2014, notably showing off a strong contact habit both seasons. And after a rough 34-game introduction to the pitching in The Show, he hit his way onto the Giants’ 25-man roster with a .361 average last spring.

“Even in spring training, I was thinking, ‘He should make this team,'” Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford said. “He could play all over the place, and he was putting good at-bats together. And I figured it was probably just a matter of time before he came into his own.”

Crawford’s instincts were right. Duffy got his shot when it turned out Casey McGehee wasn’t the answer at third base, stepping into a full-time job in May. From then until late September, his average hovered right around .300. All told, he’s been a hitting machine for the better part of three years.

Duffy’s trick? Nothing too radical. He subscribes to the ol’ hitter’s creed of simply trying to see the ball well and put a good swing on it. He figures his success will continue if he keeps it up.

“There’s a big aspect of the uncontrollable when you’re hitting,” said Duffy. “I just try to keep my mind on what I can control, and it’s those two things: see the ball and put my best swing on it. If I can do that every pitch—and that’s a difficult thing to do, controlling your mind like that—then I think I’ll have a good chance at consistent results.”

Although, it would also help if Duffy maintains the swing he found last year. And there should be an emphasis on “found,” as it’s one he really had to look for.

Jorge L. Ortiz of USA Today noted Duffy began tinkering with his hitting mechanics while playing in the Cape Cod League during his collegiate years, and said tinkering seemed to culminate in 2015. On Fox Sports last summer, Owen Watson compared Duffy’s 2015 swing to his 2014 swing and found it had become quieter, more efficient and, therefore, more dangerous. 

The underlying numbers reflect that. Duffy bore the marks of a pure hitter in 2015, building on his 2014 major league debut by making more contact, making better contact and making better use of the whole field:

The bat control that allowed Duffy to use the whole field is arguably the most impressive aspect of his 2015 breakthrough. As hit maps at Baseball Savant show, Duffy could hit the ball to any field regardless of whether a pitch was inside, down the middle or away.

And as 2015 went on, that skill ended up being pretty important.

After being fairly predictable in the first half, pitchers began switching up their locations more against Duffy in the second half, again documented by Baseball Savant. This seemingly helped subdue his power, as his slugging percentage fell from .462 to .397. But where a lesser hitter might have been hurt by that, Duffy dropped his strikeout percentage from 18.2 to 13.5, started going the other way more and upped his average a couple of points from .293 to .296.

The notion Duffy can continue to be an above-average hitter in 2016 therefore rings pretty true. From his straightforward approach to his strong mechanics to his feel for hitting to his ability to adjust when the going gets tough, he fairly aces the smell test.

Arguably the bigger question relates to whether Duffy can be such a good defensive third baseman again—after all, his defense was an even bigger surprise than his offense. A natural shortstop, Duffy went into 2015 with all of 34 innings of experience at third base as a professional.

But not really. Duffy’s defensive skills are what got him drafted in the first place, and he got a hang of the quicker reactions a player is going to need when he moves from shortstop to third. Like so:

Though things move fast at the hot corner, Duffy worked with Giants bench coach Ron Wotus and special assistant Shawon Dunston and learned how to slow things down, gaining an understanding of how to play each ball. Basically, he learned control.

Earlier this winter, Duffy told Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle his goal was to become even more comfortable at third base. If all goes well, he’ll soon look as natural at the hot corner as the guy immediately to his left looks at shortstop.

“My offseason defense-wise has been about just keeping everything under control,” Duffy said. He continued:

It’s more of a mental thing than anything, but doing it over and over and just keeping yourself calm [helps]. I look at Crawford, and he seems like he’s sleepwalking. He’s just so under control and so smooth. I try to emulate that when I’m at third base.

So things look good here too. Duffy may have surprised many with his defense at third base in 2015, but it was just a case of a player who was already a defensive whiz becoming a defensive whiz at a different position. And, clearly, he’s not taking his success for granted.

Is all of this to say Duffy is a foolproof star going into 2016? Relative to guys such as Posey, Mike Trout or Clayton Kershaw, goodness no. Duffy will need to ingrain his star status a bit more before anyone can slap that kind of label on him.

It’s good enough, however, that he doesn’t look like an obvious candidate for a sophomore slump. What Duffy built in 2015 looks not like a house of cards but a rock-solid foundation.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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Sources told Baseball Essential’s Robert Murray on Friday that the San Diego Padres have tried to trade outfielder Matt Kemp. 

Continue for updates.

Kemp on the Block

Friday, Feb. 12

In the next four years, he is still owed $86 million. 

One source suggested to Murray that the Padres tried to deal Kemp to the Oakland Athletics, but the A’s were “not yet willing to pull the trigger.”

Kemp batted .265 last season with 23 home runs and 100 RBI. It was the first time since he led the National League in 2011 with 126 RBI that he hit the 100 RBI plateau. He also recorded the first cycle in franchise history against the Colorado Rockies.

However, his .265 average was his worst since his rookie season of 2006 when he played in just 52 games. 

More importantly, he’s shown over the past two seasons that he can stay healthy, as he’s played in over 150 games in each of those years. From 2012-13, he missed a total of 145 games due to injury. 

Kemp’s arrival, along with Justin and Melvin Upton and reliever Craig Kimbrel, didn’t do much to change the Padres’ fortunes in the National League West. For the ninth straight year, the Padres missed the playoffs. 

Because he managed to produce, the Padres might be thinking of selling Kemp while his value remains high before the possibility of injuries or struggles decreases his worth.

After losing Justin Upton to the Detroit Tigers, the Padres’ lineup doesn’t pack much of a punch in a strong NL West that includes the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and a newly loaded Arizona Diamondbacks team that added Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller to their pitching rotation.

Dealing Kemp could bring in some young pieces in an attempt to revamp the team and build toward the future. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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A wild card exists in every Major League Baseball rotation. The Los Angeles Dodgers, though, have a deck of them.

Starting pitchers Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda and Alex Wood all enter the 2016 season with questions about how they may perform.

A history of arm injuries plagued Kazmir earlier in his career. Can he stay healthy enough to maintain top-of-the-rotation stuff in Los Angeles? He has only one 200-inning season in his 11-year major league career.

For Maeda, who played professionally in Japan the last eight seasons, will his stuff translate to the major leagues? Though the Dodgers protected themselves financially by only guaranteeing $25 million in an incentive-laden, eight-year deal, the rotation will still be dependent upon Maeda’s ability to succeed.

Then there’s Wood, who, considering his previous success, could be the rotation’s equalizer. The uber-talented lefty had an inconsistent 2015 season, particularly after being traded from Atlanta to Los Angeles on July 30.

But if Wood, 25, can revert to the success he had in 2014 with the Braves when he posted career bests in ERA (2.78) and strikeouts (170), what Kazmir and Maeda do would just be gravy.

That isn’t to say the Dodgers aren’t expecting a solid season from either Kazmir or Maeda. But Wood’s potential is greater.

Pairing the 2014 version of Wood with ace Clayton Kershaw would give the Dodgers an innings-eating duo that could actually make Kazmir and Maeda more successful.

How exactly?

If the front end of the Dodgers rotation is able to save the bullpen, guys like Maeda and Kazmir could throw harder in the early innings. With a well-rested bullpen on the days they start, they wouldn’t be pressured to go as deep into games.

Managing Kazmir and Maeda’s innings nets benefits, too.

A limitation of Kazmir’s innings would help prevent injury. Doing so for Maeda would allow a gentler transition to American baseball. The hitters are obviously better in MLB, so Maeda may need to work deeper into counts to get outs.

Along with Kershaw, Wood should be the workhorse starter. He is that talented—a top-of-the-rotation player who could help vault the Dodgers to another National League West title.

Yes, his 2015 season looked a lot like a heart monitor. He would touch his potential at times, but nearly as frequently he looked more like a back-end starter.

Through July and August, which includes time with the Braves and Dodgers, Wood made it through seven innings only once. His ERA in 12 starts (11 decisions) with Los Angeles was an abysmal 4.35.

But his stint with the Dodgers last season did more to suggest he could successfully be the Dodgers’ No. 2 pitcher than the totality of his statistics may otherwise indicate.

Wood’s unsightly ERA with Los Angeles was largely affected by two starts. On Sept. 11 at Arizona, he allowed six earned runs in 1.2 innings. At Colorado on Sept. 27, he allowed eight earned runs in 5.1 innings.

Chase Field (home to the Diamondbacks) and Coors Field (home to the Rockies) were the two places Wood pitched the worst in 2015. In two starts at Chase Field, he had a 6.52 ERA, and in three appearances at Coors Field, he had a 12.27 ERA.

Starts at those parks skewed his numbers.

Further proof that his poor performance against the Rockies was, in part, due to pitching at Coors Field: Wood had his best start as a Dodger against Colorado at home. On Sept. 16, he allowed only one hit and needed just 78 pitches to go eight innings.

His ERA at Dodger Stadium was 2.21 in 2015. All five of his starts at the park as a Dodger were quality starts (at least six innings pitched and no more than three earned runs allowed).

So, he has a record of pitching well in the park that will house about half his outings in 2016. And if the team chooses, it can actually manipulate the rotation to get Wood more starts at home.

As the Dodgers built their rotation this offseason, they must have considered Wood’s performance in their ballpark. Otherwise, they may have pushed harder to retain Zack Greinke.

Regardless, it won’t do anything to quash the innumerable questions surrounding this rotation.

Wood, however, could easily be the answer to all of them.

Seth Gruen covers baseball for Bleacher Report among other sports. Follow him on Twitter @SethGruen.

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According to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, citing sources, the San Diego Padres signed utility man Skip Schumaker to a minor league deal on Tuesday.   

As a part of the deal, Schumaker will be invited to major league spring training.

Preparing for his 12th season, Schumaker hit the free-agent market this offseason when the Cincinnati Reds declined a $2.5 million club option, per Lin. 

The 36-year-old made his biggest impact with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he spent the first eight years of his career.

A slap hitter, he provided two seasons of over 150 games in which he batted over .300 from 2008-2009. He also came off of the bench as a part of the Cardinals’ World Series-winning team in 2011 and batted .380 in the playoffs. 

In those 2008 and 2009 seasons, Schumaker appeared in the top 10 among all hitters in singles.

While on the back end of his career with stops in Los Angeles with the Dodgers and with the Reds, Schumaker still provided a lift to his team despite his lack of playing time. 

He holds a career .278 average with a .337 on-base percentage and 905 hits.

Schumaker can play second base as well as the outfield, and according to Lin, he is expected to compete for a roster spot with the big club on the bench. 

Lin noted that 24-year-old Cory Spangenberg will be the favorite for the job at second base, with Alexi Amarista and Jose Pirela backing him up. Bringing in Schumaker, though, creates another option for the Padres at second base in case any of those three struggle during spring training. 

In an outfield that also lost Justin Upton to the Detroit Tigers this offseason, Schumaker can add some depth coming off the bench behind the likes of Matt Kemp, Melvin Upton and John Jay. Along with his winning experience with the Cardinals, Schumaker will be a nice addition to the Padres clubhouse if he’s able to make the team. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock turned in a career season in 2015, and the team rewarded him financially as a result.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN The Magazine, the Diamondbacks and Pollock avoided arbitration Monday with a two-year, $10.25 million deal.

Steve Gilbert of MLB.com noted the deal “covers his first two years of arbitration.”

Gilbert also shared a quote from Pollock: “It’s an exciting time to be a Diamondback. I’m glad to get the business side taken care of and focus on helping this team win.”

Jeff Todd of MLBTradeRumors.com added some context to Monday’s news:

And for Pollock, he won’t have to worry about injury or a performance decline sapping his earning power for 2017. Certainly, the new deal builds in a substantial raise for the burgeoning star. He’ll be promised nearly a $6.5MM raise — assuming the filing numbers’ midpoint as a baseline for 2016 — for the added season covered in the pact. … A longer-term arrangement still seems plausible for the 28-year-old, who cemented himself as the D-Backs’ center fielder with an excellent 2015 campaign. If nothing else, the major raise baked into the deal suggests that the team doesn’t expect him to fall off in the coming year.

As long as that falloff doesn’t come, the Diamondbacks will get what they paid for. Pollock appeared in 157 games in 2015, which was a significant increase in playing time after he tallied a combined 243 games in his first three seasons (31 in 2012, 137 in 2013 and 75 in an injury-marred 2014).

Pollock finished with a .315 batting average, 20 home runs and 76 RBI at the plate. He also stole 39 bases, scored 111 runs and turned in an OPS of .865 and WAR of 7.4, per ESPN.com. All of those numbers were career highs, and the outfielder earned his first All-Star nod as one of the league’s best all-around center fielders.

Pollock did more than provide on the offensive side, as the WAR number indicates. He won his first career Gold Glove in 2015 and was responsible for 14 total defensive runs saved above average in the outfield, per FanGraphs.

If Pollock replicates or even improves on his 2015 numbers, it will mean critical production for a team that could challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in the loaded National League West.

Arizona has bolstered its pitching staff with the additions of reliever Tyler Clippard and starters Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller in the offseason. Considering the Diamondbacks were eighth in the big leagues in runs scored last year, even a marginal improvement on the majors’ 16th-best team ERA could be the formula for a strong season.

With Paul Goldschmidt as one of the best offensive players in baseball, Pollock as an all-around star in the outfield and Greinke leading the way for a formidable pitching staff, Arizona could reach the postseason for the first time since the 2011 campaign.

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For the third time in just over one year, Tyler Clippard is on the move after agreeing to a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports first reported that Clippard signed a contract worth $12.25 million over two years, which MLB Network’s Jon Heyman supported. Rosenthal added that the deal includes a $4 million signing bonus, a $4.1 million salary in 2016 and a $4.15 million salary the following season.

The team went on to confirm the move.

Jack Magruder of FanRag Sports added that Clippard will serve as the setup man to closer Brad Ziegler.

Clippard was traded to the Oakland Athletics in January 2015, pitching 37 games before being traded to the New York Mets prior to the July 31 deadline. He had a successful season overall, posting a 2.92 ERA with 64 strikeouts, 49 hits allowed and 31 walks over 71 innings.

During the Mets’ playoff run to the World Series, Clippard did show signs of fatigue, with a 6.75 ERA over 6.2 innings. 

Given New York’s depth in the starting rotation, along with more pressing needs in the outfield and second base when the offseason started, he seemed like an expendable piece.

Early in the offseason, one executive was confident that Clippard would get a good deal, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick:

It’s a reasonable assessment because even in a down year, he had his third straight season with an ERA under 3.00 and sixth straight season with at least 70 innings pitched.

Relievers are naturally volatile, so finding one who is dependable with a long track record of health is going to generate a lot of interest from teams.

Crasnick referred to another reason the Diamondbacks should be eager to welcome Clippard into the fold: He’s made 440 appearances since 2010, the most among MLB relievers.

Arizona was able to wait out the market for Clippard and add depth to its bullpen, which is often hard to find. The 30-year-old may not be the 85-90-inning hurler he was in 2010-11, but there are few relievers who can take the ball for one or two innings and provide better results. 

The Kansas City Royals have proved the last two years that teams can win with a dominant bullpen, so the Diamondbacks are certainly hoping to embark on a similar path to success by acquiring Clippard to help close out games.

Pitching was a clear weakness for Arizona in 2015. The team finished 25th in quality starts and 17th in team ERA at 4.04.

After landing a legitimate ace in Zack Greinke to headline the staff, the Diamondbacks did well to bolster their bullpen with Clippard coming aboard.

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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There’s a credo among baseball executives nowadays: Get younger.

Whereas putting together a World Series contender was once as simple as writing a check for some big-market teams—ahem, the New York Yankees—the emphasis for organizations more recently has been on improving their minor league systems.

Free-agent spending still has its role—an important one—but building an organization is much like building a house. You’re not going to put mahogany on the walls (high-priced free agents) without building a foundation first (prospects).

It’s a combination that makes the Los Angeles Dodgers best set for the future. Other big-market teams, like the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, deserve credit for similarly building upper-echelon minor league systems.

With their mega television deal, however, the Dodgers will be able to add to their young core more easily via free agency and in the foreign market.

Are the Dodgers ready to compete this year? Definitely, despite issues surrounding the team—namely star outfielder Yasiel Puig. In November, former player Andy Van Slyke told CBS 920 (h/t InsideSTL.com) that Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw wanted Puig traded.

Regardless, 2016 will be an opening act as some of the organization’s young stars begin to matriculate to the major league club.

The main event won’t come for a few years.

“We’re really excited about the group of talent that we have and probably more important the group of humans—the group of men—that we have,” Gabe Kapler, the Dodgers’ director of player development, said in a phone interview with Bleacher Report.

Among those expected to be promoted to the major league club this season is Corey Seager, who, at 21 years old, should be the Dodgers’ starting shortstop on Opening Day.

But Seager is just the headliner in a crop of prospects that might be baseball’s best.

Left-handed pitcher Julio Urias, 19, is the Dodgers’ best pitching prospect since Kershaw, and right-handed pitcher Jose De Leon is a 24th-round pick from the 2013 MLB amateur draft who has developed into one of the organization’s best prospects. Baseball America ranked him third in the Dodgers’ organization behind Seager and Urias.

According to MLB.com’s minor league organizational rankings in August of last season, the Dodgers had five prospects in the top 100.

While the Dodgers have baseball’s best position player-pitcher duo in Seager and Urias, they should be most heralded for their depth. Kapler was specific in mentioning 26-year-old catcher Austin Barnes.

“If you just gave him the opportunity to go out and play right now at the major league level, you have a guy that is a good, quality major league catcher today,” Kapler said.

When might these heralded prospects arrive at Dodger Stadium?

That is somewhat unclear, and Kapler cautioned not to generalize how the organization may handle its young prospects. They won’t come all at once. A sweeping claim about the team’s philosophy in handling prospects is that there really isn’t one.

Kapler emphasized that the organization wants to take an individualized approach to handling its prospects and their potential promotions.

That much was apparent Tuesday when the Dodgers added Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux and Raul Ibanez as special assistants to Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations. Expanding the team’s baseball operations department allows for more individualized attention throughout the organization, which can only help development.

It’s a luxury, though, and much easier when you consider that the Dodgers have a major league roster that can compete now. There’s no need for the organization to rush the development of any of its prospects.

When needs at the major league level do arise, the Dodgers’ limitless payroll allows them to seek a short-term solution via free agency.

But where the Dodgers’ payroll flexibility will really benefit them is when all of their prospects arrive. Then they can spend on big free agents to bolster the roster. We’re getting back to the idea of building the house with the mahogany walls.

Moreover, the Dodgers’ developmental philosophy preaches versatility.

So when the prospects arrive, might the Dodgers use their bottomless pocket to fill a need? Of course. But the group’s versatility may also allow the Dodgers to identify the biggest-impact free agents—whether or not they fill an apparent need.

Any time a team has players who can fill multiple roles, it allows for more flexibility in the players a team can target in free agency.

“As a philosophy, versatility is critically important and I don’t mean just in a traditional sense where [a guy] can play shortstop, he can also play second base,” Kapler said.

“It’s very important to us that our players come into our system with the mindset that they are athletes. They are not 2-hole hitters, they are not 5-hole hitters, they are not shortstops, they are not starters. They are athletes and highly trained ones that can play multiple positions, hit multiple spots in the lineup, work in various roles.”

We’re still talking about prospects here. Things dramatically change when it comes to teenage and early-20-something baseball players. So Kapler wasn’t suggesting each of the organization’s players will come to the major leagues with limitless flexibility.

Development doesn’t end at the major league level.

But once the likes of Seager, Urias, De Leon and Co. get to Los Angeles, it very well could make a milestone beginning.

Seth Gruen covers baseball for Bleacher Report. He previously worked at the Sun-Times, where he covered baseball in addition to a multitude of other sports. Follow Seth on Twitter @SethGruen.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to add more brainpower and manpower to their front office, hiring former big leaguers Greg Maddux and Raul Ibanez on Tuesday. 

According to the Dodgers’ official Twitter account, Maddux and Ibanez have joined the team as special assistants to the president of baseball operations and baseball operations department.    

The Dodgers have had an eventful offseason, though not for reasons most fans in Los Angeles like. They lost Zack Greinke to their National League West rivals in the Arizona Diamondbacks, opting to sign Scott Kazmir and Kenta Maeda for their starting rotation. 

Yet what the Dodgers have lacked in free-agent buzz, they have more than made up for with the bolstering of their front office.

Already boasting a group that included president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, senior vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes and general manager Farhan Zaidi, the Dodgers brought in former Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos as vice president of baseball operations. 

The job of special assistant to the president of baseball operations, which Maddux and Ibanez will be serving, is often left vague. Many former players serve in that role, with Chipper Jones returning to the Atlanta Braves under the same banner. 

According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Jones’ role in Atlanta includes spending time with the team during spring training and doing work at major league and minor league levels throughout the regular season. 

Maddux and Ibanez could conceivably do the same thing for the Dodgers, helping inform Friedman and Zaidi about personnel decisions throughout the year and about when to bring players up from the minor leagues. 

Regardless of what Maddux and Ibanez will be doing for the Dodgers, their hiring continues the franchise’s trend of adding as many smart, informed baseball voices as possible to the mix so it is making the best decisions for 2016 and beyond. 

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The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired right-handed pitcher Tyler Wagner in a five-player trade with the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, the team announced.

Along with Wagner, the Diamondbacks received 2013 All-Star infielder Jean Segura, while the Brewers acquired infielder Aaron Hill, pitcher Chase Anderson and shortstop Isan Diaz.

MLB.com ranked Wagner as the No. 15 prospect in the Brewers farm system. Milwaukee drafted the 25-year-old Las Vegas native in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. Wagner had a stellar 2015 campaign with Double-A Biloxi, going 11-5 with a 2.25 ERA and striking out 120 batters.

He also had a small stint with the Brewers in 2015 but struggled heavily in his three starts. Wagner pitched 13.2 innings and gave up 11 earned runs, finishing with an ERA of 7.24.

MLB.com highlighted Wagner’s fastball as his strongest pitch, while he continues to improve his changeup:

Using that closer mentality from his days at Utah, he goes right after hitters, inducing weak contact early in counts. His slider is a solid average hard breaking ball with bite that misses bats. While his changeup isn’t quite as good, it is effective at neutralizing left-handed hitters. His walk rate has gone down each year since his summer debut and he continues to get a good amount of groundball outs.

His brief big league debut was just a taste, with Wagner very close to being ready to fulfill a ceiling as a mid-to-back of the rotation type of starter at the highest level.

He may need another year or two before making it to the main roster, but Wagner will be a good addition for Arizona. The Diamondbacks have already bolstered the top of their rotation by signing star pitcher Zack Greinke and trading for 25-year-old Shelby Miller in the offseason. Wagner proved in his Double-A stint last year that he has a high upside with plenty of room to grow.

In two years, the Diamondbacks may have one of the best pitching rotations in the major leagues, and Wagner could be a part of it.

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