Projecting the Los Angeles Dodgers' Lineup, Starting Rotation After Adding Shohei Ohtani

Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will provide an immediate boost to the Los Angeles Dodgers' star-studded lineup in 2024 before joining their starting rotation in 2025.

The Los Angeles Dodgers just made one of the biggest splashes in baseball history by signing Shohei Ohtani on Saturday.

In doing so, they made their already star-studded lineup even more dangerous, while also bolstering their future starting rotation.

Los Angeles beat out the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants – as well as Ohtani's now-former team, the Los Angeles Angels – to sign the two-way Japanese superstar. They are adding him to a lineup that already included All-Stars such as Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, plus a few promising young bats.

Barring any other additions – including the potential returns of current free agents JD Martinez or Kiké Hernández – this is what the Dodgers' lineup could look like in 2024:

1. Mookie Betts, 2B
2. Shohei Ohtani, DH
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Will Smith, C
5. Max Muncy, 3B
6. James Outman, CF
7. Chris Taylor, LF
8. Jason Heyward, RF
9. Gavin Lux, SS

Given Ohtani's record-breaking price tag, it remains to be seen whether Los Angeles' front office will be able to add much more to that group. For the time being, however, the lineup has a combined 22 All-Star appearances, 12 Gold Gloves, 11 Silver Sluggers and four MVPs. 

Thanks to the Tommy John surgery he underwent in September, Ohtani is unlikely to pitch in 2024. Luckily for the Dodgers, however, they have enough starting pitching candidates under contract for the next few years to the point where they can still paint a decent picture of what their rotation could look like with Ohtani healthy in 2025.

Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urías are currently free agents, but Kershaw would be 37 years old in 2025 and Urías' status is up in the air due to his recent domestic violence arrest. Walker Buehler, meanwhile, will be a free agent next winter.

Looking beyond the fact that a lot can change in the next 15 months, this is the rotation the Dodgers could boast heading into 2025:

1. Shohei Ohtani, RHP
2. Dustin May, RHP
3. Tony Gonsolin, RHP
4. Ryan Pepiot, RHP
5. Bobby Miller, RHP

Former top prospect Emmet Sheehan is another candidate to potentially hold down a spot in the starting rotation.

Should some combination of Kershaw, Buehler and Urías return, the Dodgers' younger arms will certainly hit the trade block. If Sheehan, Pepiot or Miller are shipped elsewhere, Los Angeles would be in line for some satisfactory packages in return.

A rotation of five right-handers is pretty atypical, so there are likely to be some tweaks to that group before Opening Day 2025.

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