With pitchers and catchers set to report for spring training exactly two weeks from today and position players a week later, one gets the sense that if the Dodgers are going to make the major off-season move that many Dodger fans believe – and even expect – them to make, it will probably happen this week. Call it a premonition, a hunch, or perhaps even a wish, but there is “something brewin’,” as the great Dick Van Dyke said in the 1964 blockbuster movie Mary Poppins.

Granted, one could certainly argue that Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts both suggested to fans and the media at last Saturday’s record-setting FanFest event that they are set to begin spring training – and even the season – with the pieces that they already have in place, most of whom are returning from last season’s National League championship team. But Roberts himself said that the fifth spot in their starting rotation is still up for grabs behind Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

But here again, one can argue that right-handers Ross Stripling, Brock Stewart, and top-ranked right-handed pitching prospect Walker Buehler are already in place and are expected to compete for that coveted fifth starting spot this spring. Realistically, however, Dodger fans and undoubtedly the Dodgers brass themselves would still very much like to land (or re-land) right-hander Yu Darvish or right-hander Jake Arrieta before pitchers and catchers arrive at Camelback Ranch in Glendale on February 13.

Twenty-three-year-old Lexington, Kentucky native and Dodgers 2015 first-round draft pick Walker Buehler made the first pitch on his major league career on September 7, 2017 following his September 1 call-up last season. He figures to be among three current Dodgers competing for the fifth spot in the Dodgers starting rotation this spring. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Although the 31-year-old Darvish was pretty much run out of town on a rail following his brutally painful 1.2-inning meltdown in Game-7 of the 2017 World Series (this in addition to his Game-2 loss after also lasting only 1.2 innings) thus leaving Dodger fans with a very bitter taste in their mouths, it is impossible to ignore his excellent 56-42 career record and 3.42 ERA over his five MLB seasons. But even with his ugly Game-2 and Game-7 World Series performances, he is considered the best free agent starting pitcher still on the market with spring training looming large.

Where things get a bit dicey with the 6′-5″ / 220-pound hard-throwing Habikino, Japan native is that he is seeking at least a four-year and preferably a five-year deal, something that Zaidi and Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman have clearly – and repeatedly – stated they are unwilling to do. That being said, Darvish has clearly – and repeatedly – said that he would very much like to return to the Dodgers, if for no other reason to avenge his horrible World Series performances … and they were indeed horrible. F&Z have hinted that they might be willing to offer Darvish a two-year deal with a higher average annual value (AAV) but will not, under any circumstances, offer him a multi-year deal that would take him into his age-35 or age-36 seasons.

Although many Dodgers fans would be perfectly OK if Darvish never dons a Dodgers uniform again, the simple truth is that he is the best free agent starting pitcher still on the market.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

As for Arrieta, he is probably a better choice for the Dodgers, with his career 88-56 record and slightly higher 3.57 ERA over eight MLB seasons. But here again, the 6′-4″ / 225-pound Farmington, Missouri native will be 32 years old on March 6. That being said, the 2015 NL Cy Young award winner might … might be more willing to accept a shorter-term deal than what Darvish is seeking, albeit (probably) for more AAV money.

…which brings us back to the young stallions already in the Dodgers stable.

During Saturday’s FanFest event, Roberts was asked if he plans to stretch Stripling and Buehler out this spring to possibly fill that fifth-starter role, should the Dodgers choose to simply walk away from Darvish and Arrieta.

“It is. It is the plan to stretch those guys out, Brock Steward as well,” Roberts said. “As we all know, you can never have enough starting pitching, so to kind of take the necessary steps to stretch them out early and to build them up to see how spring training plays out, you can always taper them back a little bit. But yeah, at the outset you want to have those guys stretched out a little bit more.”

While we all fully understand Zaidi’s and Roberts’ ‘best laid plans’ theory and fully understand the Dodgers plan to stretch out Ross Stripling, Brock Stewart and Walker Buehler to possibly fill that fifth starter vacancy, it’s hard to ignore what Dick Van Dyke also eloquently said:

“…but I feel what’s to happen all happened before.”