The Los Angeles Dodgers just got their hands on three excellent pitchers in a few days. Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani are all in LA for the next part.
I know, I know: Ohtani isn't going to pitch in 2024. But still.
By necessity, there is a lot of talk about the newcomers and the fact that the club's rotation is better than it was.
But how dominant is she? IM asking you. Without Ohtani, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May in 2024, it's a big blow.
I'm not here to make you believe that this isn't a good base for a rotation. But what I'm saying is that Yamamoto never pitched in the majors.
Tyler Glasnow and Walker Buehler? They are prone to injuries.
Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheenan are good pieces, but with all the guys already injured, they could quickly have too big a role if the massacre comes to California.
So I'm going to tell you something that's not a state secret because even the Dodgers know it: it takes more.
I'm not saying it takes a Dylan Cease, a Corbin Burnes or a Shane Bieber, but it still takes depth.
And this is where we must bring Clayton Kershaw's name back into the discussion.
Kershaw, as you may know, is a free agent. He had shoulder surgery and won't start the 2024 season on time, but he wants to pitch this summer.
It is not yet known whether it will be in Texas or Los Angeles, but the Dodgers could, more than ever, need him during the summer.
I don't know if he'll wait until he's healthy to sign, but hey.
But above all, we must not forget this: if Kershaw wants to be a member of the Dodgers, he must be. He deserves that respect.
And honestly, right now, it must be cool to be a member of the California organization. The guys will be motivated in 2024.
More than ever, we need to see him, one last time, in LA in 2024. Whatever the role, he must be the heart of his team's rotation. And this, failing to be the driving force.
