With pitchers and catchers due to report exactly one month from tomorrow and with contracts for all arbitration-eligible players now finalized, it appears that the Dodgers 2016 Opening Day roster will be comprised of players who currently make up the team’s 40-man roster. In other words, the blockbuster trade for a big-name starter, reliever or position player that Dodger fans were hoping for this off-season probably isn’t going to happen – although with Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi you just never know.

Oh sure, you can probably count on the Dodgers’ brain trust making a few last minute acquisitions of guys returning from significant injuries or cut loose by other teams like they did last spring with pitchers Dustin McGowan and Brandon Beachy, but for the most part, the wheeling and dealing is done.

Realistically, there was little doubt that the Dodgers would not come to terms with all six of their six arbitration-eligible players. I mean, why wouldn’t they? They are among the youngest and least expensive players on the team – except for pre-arbitration-eligible players who will make the MLB minimum of $507,500 in 2016.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen was the last of six arbitration-eligible players to agree to a one-year deal last Friday. His $10.65 million contract was also the largest – and by a very wide margin.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

But what is still very much up in the air for the Dodgers is their starting rotation – at least its order. Although there is zero doubt that three-time Cy Young award winner and 2014 NL MVP Clayton Kershaw will get the Opening Day start for the Dodgers, it’s a toss-up between left-hander Scott Kazmir and right-hander Kenta Maeda for the number two spot, with perhaps a slight edge going to Kazmir because of his MLB experience. This leaves left-handers Brett Anderson, Alex Wood, Hyun-jin Ryu and right-handers Brandon Beachy, Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias vying for the number four and five spots – with pitching prospects Frankie Montas, Julio Urias, Jose De Leon, Zach Lee, Ross Stripling and Jharel Cotton also in the mix.

The thing to remember, however, is that even though Hyun-jin Ryu claims that he is fully recovered from his May 2015 shoulder surgery and says he’ll be ready to go on Opening Day, with so many other options available, the Dodgers will more than likely be extremely cautious with Ryu and he probably won’t be on the team’s Opening Day roster.

Over the next couple of weeks the Dodgers will be naming their invitees to major league camp. As a matter of course this will include an abundance of catchers to accommodate the large number of pitchers in camp. And although Yasmani Grandal and A.J. Ellis certainly figure to be on the Dodgers Opening Day roster, you can bet that the Dodgers brass will be keeping a watchful eye on 26-year-old Austin Barnes and 26-year-old Shawn Zarraga as catching depth behind Ellis and Grandal. Additionally, you might even see Dodgers farm hands Kyle Farmer, Ryan Scott and Tyler Ogle getting a little action behind the dish this spring.

While we’re on the subject of catchers, Scott Lucas, a writer for the Newberg Report which covers the Texas Rangers and their minor league affiliates, reported Sunday night (via Twitter) that the Dodgers have apparently signed 29-year-old former Rangers catching prospect Vinny DiFazio – most likely to a minor league deal.

(h/t to True Blue LA’s Eric Stephen for the retweet)

Although DiFazio hasn’t played in the MiLB system since 2012, he spent the last two seasons playing in the American Association’s Independent League. In fact, DiFazio was named the American Association Player of the Year in 2015 where he hit .361 with 17 home runs and drove in 82 runs for the St. Paul Saints. While it is highly unlikely that the Hampton, New Jersey native and former 12th-round draft pick (2009) will make the Dodgers Opening Day roster, if he can continue to hit like he did in Indie ball last season, he could very well move ahead of both Barnes and Zarraga as catching depth at Triple-A OKC in 2016. Talk about chasing your dreams.

Could 29-year-old Vinny DiFazio be the power-hitting catcher the Dodgers have long been searching for? (Photo credit – Dan LeMoal)

As has been well documented this off-season, the Dodgers do not have what can be considered as an everyday second and third baseman. And while 31-year-old utility man Justin Turner will undoubtedly see more playing time at third base than anyone else currently on the Dodgers 40-man roster, they do not have what can be considered an everyday second baseman. Although the obvious fan-favorite is 24-year-old super-sub Kiké Hernandez, the most likely semi-regular second baseman will probably be 37-year-old / 13-year MLB veteran Chase Utley – at least to begin the season, that is. However, one has to believe that new Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is going to be extremely careful with the team’s oldest player and will probably give him several days off every week. That being said, one also has to believe that if Utley continues to hit as poorly as he did with the Dodgers and Phillies in 2015 (for a combined .212 batting average), he may not even be a Dodger at the All-Star break.

It goes without saying that Friedman and Zaidi are extremely partial towards using a platoon system to run their team and this will probably continue in 2016. That said, they are undoubtedly hoping that 25-year-old second baseman Micah Johnson – who they acquired from the White Sox on December 16 – will eventually develop into their everyday second baseman. Although Johnson hit only .230 in 36 major league games for the White Sox last season, he has a career minor league slash-line of .301 / .368 / .431 for a .799 OPS through four MiLB seasons, including a .315 / .375 / .466 / .841 slash-line last season with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. But of greater interest – especially for new Dodgers manager Dave Roberts – are the 153 stolen bases Johnson had in the minors – and element that has been seriously missing from the Dodgers’ offense since the departure of Dee Gordon. By no means is Johnson even remotely close to being the caliber of player that Gordon has become, but adding a base stealing threat to the Dodgers offense would be an enormous boost to a team that finished 26th in stolen bases in 2015 with only 59.

Although there is little doubt that Friedman and Zaidi will continue to pick up a piece here and there between now and the first day of spring training, the chances of them now making a big-name or blockbuster deal are very slim.

So basically, what you see is probably what you’ll get on Opening Day 2016.