March 31st, 2015 at 6:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka (Edited March 31, 2015 at 7:45 am PT)
With Opening Day 2015 less than a week away, now is a good time to have a little fun prognosticating the Dodgers Opening Day roster.
Yesterday morning our good friend Eric Stephen over at True Blue LA wrote that due to a series of injuries and a few pending (and likely) opt-out clauses, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, general manager Farhan Zaidi and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman still have eight cuts to make to whittle down the active roster to 25 before Opening Day – two position players and six pitchers.
Keeping in mind that Hyun-jin Ryu will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list but could return about the time that his second scheduled start will come around (which I see as being very optimistic), the Dodgers must decide whether to start the season with 13 position players and 12 pitchers or vice versa. But because a fifth starter won’t be needed until April 13th or 14th, the likely choice would be 13 position players. And while there is still an outside chance that Andre Ethier could be traded before the April 6 season opener, my money is that he will begin the season in a Dodgers uniform.
After a slow start, Andre Ethier has been red hot during the last two weeks of spring training. But is it enough to keep him in Dodger Blue? (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
It’s also a safe bet that Alex Guerrero will make the Opening Day roster – not because of the “may not be optioned to minors without permission after 2014” clause in his contract but because he flat out earned a spot on the roster with his outstanding spring. And with veteran Gold Glove second baseman Darwin Barney and 23-year-old Kike Hernandez still having options, they both figure to end up at Triple-A Oklahoma City on Opening Day or shortly thereafter because of that 13-man versus 12-man thing.
Where things really get complicated is with the Dodgers bullpen. With only a couple of exceptions, nearly all of the Dodgers relievers in big league camp have had a very good spring – especially Paco Rodriguez, Sergio Santos and Chris Hatcher. And although J.P. Howell and Joel Peralta have struggled at times this spring, they are both pretty much a lock to make the OD roster. As such and because they still have minor league options, it’s probably a safe bet that Pedro Baez, Yimi Garcia and Adam Liberatore will begin the season at OKC.
Clayton Kershaw is the only Dodger with more strikeouts than Paco Rodriguez this spring with 20. Paco and Yimi Garcia each have 12 but in 10 fewer innings pitched. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
So without further ado, here is my prediction of what the Dodgers 25-man roster will look like on Opening Day – based on who is still in camp as of this morning:
Pitchers:
- Kershaw
- Greinke
- McCarthy
- Anderson
- Huff
- Nicasio
- Aardsma
- Howell
- Peralta
- Hatcher
- Rodriguez
- Santos
Position Players:
- Gonzalez
- Kendrick
- Rollins
- Uribe
- Crawford
- Pederson
- Puig
- Grandal
- Ellis
- Turner
- Guerrero
- Van Slyke
- Ethier
Feel free to comment on who you think should be added to or subtracted from this list and indicate why.
EDIT: Although I including him in the article, I inadvertently left Andre Ethier off of my prediction roster. Unless Andre is traded within the next several days, he will definitely be on the 25-man roster, with Darwin Barney beginning the season at Oklahoma City.
Posted in 
As much as some would like to believe it was a purposeful decision, you forgot Ethier in the position players…
Oops! An error on my part. Andre is indeed on my 25-man roster. Barney goes to OKC.
I am not sure Andre will be traded by opening day so see him on the opening day roster. In that case Barney starts at AAA. However, a trade just has to be imminent. I expect Andre plays in the games with the Angels and hope he hits well upping the ante on a trade.
Other than that I would not disagree with you but might with F&Z. I guess there is little chance the older guys in relief will all make it through the season without injuries so Garcia and Liberatore will have to wait their turn. Also Hernandez will be on speed dial if any of the infielders get injured , perhaps even outfielders.
Oops! An error on my part. Andre is indeed on my 25-man roster. Barney goes to OKC.
“: New: Predicting the Dodgers Opening Day roster – http://t.co/KWZQXmoNzJ #Dodgers
Oops! An error on my part. Andre is indeed on my 25-man roster. Barney goes to OKC.
You put him in the picture, but not on the roster. What’s to become of Ethier?
Oops! An error on my part. Andre is indeed on my 25-man roster. Barney goes to OKC.
I think you have it about right, Ron. I also feel that Ethier is on the border line. I think the decision will be based upon other teams’ needs.
I think Nicosio may not make it!
Joe Weiland might be auditioning for Nicasio’s spot today although Nicasio has a $2.3M contract.
That’s a nice long roster, no matter what ends up happening. Very excited for the real season to begin.
Yimi Garcia has to be on that opening day roster.
Can you post the current DL? Several bullpen guys on it right now and I’m struggling to keep track.
In the right sidebar column of our site is a direct link to Dodgers Injury Updates, which is the official DL. That said, it does not include non-roster invitees such as Erik Bedard and Chad Gaudin who are nursing injuries.
Hope this helps.