Dodgers: A Fresh Look at 40 Man Roster Following Recent Signings and Moves
After signing new players, the Dodgers have been moving around pieces to reset their roster.
One adjustment the team has already made was placing Jake Reed in roster limbo after designating Jake Reed for assignment. This change was done to make room on the 40-man roster after officially signing JD Martinez on Thursday.
Looking at the Dodgers current roster, this is how things are in place as of now:
PITCHERS
- Yency Almonte
- Phil Bickford
- Justin Bruihl
- Walker Buehler
- Caleb Ferguson
- J.P. Feyereisen
- Tony Gonsolin
- Victor González
- Brusdar Graterol
- Michael Grove
- Daniel Hudson
- Andre Jackson
- Clayton Kershaw
- Dustin May
- Shelby Miller
- Ryan Pepiot
- Evan Phillips
- Noah Syndergaard
- Blake Treinen
- Julio Urías
- Alex Vesia
CATCHERS
- Austin Barnes
- Diego Cartaya
- Will Smith
INFIELDERS:
- Jacob Amaya
- Michael Busch
- Freddie Freeman
- Yonny Hernandez
- Eddys Leonard
- Gavin Lux
- Max Muncy
- Miguel Vargas
- Jorbit Vivas
OUTFIELDERS:
- Mookie Betts
- Jonny DeLuca
- James Outman
- Andy Pages
- Chris Taylor
- Trayce Thompson
DESIGNATED HITTER:
- J.D. Martinez
Of the 40 players listed, 26 of them will be on the Opening Day roster.
Injuries will, of course, hinder active play from Feyereisen, Buehler, and Treinen, as the three of them will be out for the majority of the 2023 season and put them on the 60-day injured list to start the year.
Another name to keep in mind is Trevor Bauer since, although he is currently off the 40-man roster, the Dodgers will have to decide to add or cut him by January 6.
In regards to Reed, the Dodgers have seven days from the time of DFA to trade him and put him through waivers. This leaves Reed with a couple options: he could automatically join a 40-man roster if a new team picks him up off waivers, or if he goes unclaimed, he could be released to the minors, and still within the L.A. system.
If the Dodgers need another roster spot, one other player on the list could be up for DFA. When looking at performance and productivity, the players that could possibly slip through waivers are Vivas, Leonard, and Hernandez. In comparison to the listed infielders, these three players may have greater effectiveness in the minors.
Because there are not many free agents left that Los Angeles would feel a desire to swoop up, the team may decide to work with this current 40-man roster and steer from signing anyone else this offseason.
