December 11th, 2013 at 6:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka Remember when the Dodgers broke spring training camp in 2013 with more starting pitchers than they had roster spots for? They were paying guys like Ted Lilly, Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang a combined $24 million to sit on the bench or in the bullpen or on the DL while they had guys like Stephen Fife and homegrown Dodger prospect Matt Magill chomping at the bit at Triple-A Albuquerque. It was truly a luxury that few MLB teams ever get to enjoy.
Yet within a month the injuries came – in spades. Harang had been DFA’d, Billingsley finally underwent the Tommy John surgery that he should have had eight months earlier, Zack Greinke suffered a broken collarbone during a benches-clearing brawl against the Padres two weeks into the season, Ted Lilly assumed his normal spot on the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes roster rehabbing for this or that, Capuano pulled this muscle or that muscle, Fife developed bursitis in his shoulder and Magill struggled in his spot starts and was sent back down to Triple-A. Before playing even 40 games, the Dodgers had used every one of their so-called abundance of starters, thus sending Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti frantically searching for replacements.
Not only did Colletti rebuild a starting rotation on the fly, he rebuilt a starting rotation that got the Dodgers deep into the 2013 postseason. (Ron Cervenka – ThinkBlueLA.com)
Fast-forward to December 11, 2013 – the MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando, FL. If the season were to start today, the Dodgers once again appear to have an abundance of starting pitching. Their number 1, 2 and 3 spots are secure with 2011 and 2013 Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw, former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke and Korean phenom Hyun-jin Ryu respectively. They will most likely have Josh Beckett back when Pitchers and Catchers report for spring training on February 5, 2014, they still have Stephen Fife and Matt Magill, and they should have Chad Billingsley back by the All-Star break.
So where is the abundance of starting pitching, you ask?
Believe it or not, the Dodgers actually have it Down on the Farm – and for the first time in a very very long time we may finally see some homegrown talent make it to the big leagues during the 2014 season.
Dodgers 2010 first round draft pick Zach Lee will probably be the first homegrown Dodger starter to make it up (excluding Matt Magill, that is), perhaps even out of spring training. The 22-year-old McKinney, TX native has spent three seasons in the minors and finished the 2013 season at Double-A Chattanooga with a 10-10 record and a very impressive 3.22 ERA and 1.171 WHIP. He struck out 131 while walking only 35 for an impressive K/BB ratio of 3.74 in his 142.2 innings of work.
It’s a safe bet that Zach Lee will be called up to the Dodgers at some point during the 2014 season. (Ron Cervenka – ThinkBlueLA.com)
And then there is Dodgers 2011 first round draft pick Chris Reed, who will be 24 in May. Although the London, England native (who grew up in nearby Reseda, CA) didn’t fare nearly as well as Zach Lee with the Lookouts in 2013 going 4-11, he did have a respectable ERA of 3.86. The hard-throwing left-hander struck out 106 while walking 63 for a K/BB ratio of 1.68 in 137.2 innings of work.
Some believe that left-hander Chris Reed may ultimately end up as a reliever rather than a starter, although I wouldn’t give up on him starting just yet. (Ron Cervenka – ThinkBlueLA.com)
This brings us to the guy considered by many to be the Dodgers best kept secret Down on the Farm and the guy that many believe will become a permanent fixture in the Dodgers rotation for many years to come – Ross Stripling. Stripling, who just turned 24, split time between Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Chattanooga in 2013 finishing the season with a combined 8-4 record and a Zack Greinke-like ERA of 2.82. The Southlake, TX native struck out 117 while walking only 30 for an outstanding K/BB ratio of 3.90 in 127.2 innings pitched. While most eyes will undoubtedly be on Zach Lee this coming spring, Stripling is the guy who very well may leapfrog him on the starting pitching depth chart.
Don’t be surprised if 24-year-old Ross Stripling becomes the first homegrown Dodger since Clayton Kershaw to become a permanent fixture in the Dodgers starting rotation.
(Ron Cervenka – ThinkBlueLA.com)
So why all of this talk about three Dodger minor leaguers possibly being in the 2014 starting rotation with the Winter Meetings in full swing? Because Colletti said on Tuesday that their focus is not on acquiring additional starting pitching.
“That’s not where our concentration is right now,” Colletti told Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Granted, this is a rather ambiguous statement, but it suggests that starting pitching is not the Dodgers primary target at the Winter Meetings. That being said, and with Masahiro Tanaka and David Price rumors running rampant on Twitter and blog sites from coast to coast (not to mention Colletti’s history of not always being forthcoming with the media), I wouldn’t count the Dodgers out on either Tanaka or Price… or both.
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I think Chris Reed will become a reliever as he seems to run out of steam into the fourth/fifth inning. However, being a lefty, I don’t think that move will come in the near future.
Stripling has been a favorite of mine from the beginning, noted for his mound presence and command. He is 24 so 2014 is a pivotal year for Ross.
I too am skeptical of Ned Colletti comments and it makes sense for him not to lay all of his cards out on the table. I would not at all be surprised to see Price or Tanaka become a Dodger. Certainly Lee or Stripling would go in a trade for Price.
It does seem Colletti has a low tolerance for young pitchers with a higher tolerance for veteran pitchers
IMO, I still think the Dodgers will make a strong move for Tanaka, especially now that the posting limit if $20 million. But it’s now going to cost them more in a player contract and with Tanaka being able to work the competing teams it’s still to be expensive, especially with the Yankees involved. I don’t think the Dodgers will offer all of the key players Tampa will want for a Price trade so I don’t see it happening. But, it was noted today that Price would not sign an extension if traded to the Mariners but he would with other teams, suggesting or assuming the Dodgers are one he would consider. End of the day, IMO only one for these two will be a Dodger in 2014 which leaves the #5 spot open. My money is on Fife, he has the most MLB experience.
I believe that there is more going on with Fife’s shoulder than simply bursitis and that he will be soon be going under the knife. I think that Matt Magill stands a better chance of making the Bigs on a full-time basis over Fife for this reason.
I also believe that Tanaka will be wearing pin stripes, not Dodger Blue – if the Rakuten Golden Eagles even post him, that is.
I also also believe that Colletti and the Dodgers are not finished yet and that there is still a blockbuster deal coming down that may involve Matt Kemp.
As much as I have always liked Zach Lee, I think Ross Stripling (who I have also always liked, Harold) is the better of the two. I believe that the Dodgers will give Reed one more season (or at least part of the season) as a starter. If he continues to struggle, I then think they will move him to the bullpen.
I tend to forget that Zach will pitch all of next season as a 22 year old so it is not surprising Ross is ahead of him with mound presence.
2014 is also a big year for Zach to build on his good year in 2013. His control has improved considerably.
Stephen Fife’s shoulder is a concern. Even if healthy I expect he will take the Eric Stults route to a MLB job.