If the Dodgers Made No Moves This Offseason, What Does the Roster Look Like?

They still have their fair share of talent.

The Dodgers' 2022 offseason began much earlier than the team expected. After being bounced in the NLDS in four games, the team enters the offseason with many more questions than answers.

With so many pending free agents, and a need to spark some energy in the team and fanbase, you have to imagine the Dodgers will have an offseason of big moves. 

But it's also important to know where the team stands right now if they don't make any. It will definitely help us understand where the team will need to improve this offseason. 

So here's what the Dodgers lineup, rotation and bullpen could look like without any signings or trades. For the purpose of the exercise, any impending free agents and players with club options (Justin Turner) were not re-signed. Players under arbitration were brought back (as they're technically still under contract with the team):

Catchers (2): Austin Barnes and Will Smith 

Infielders (6): Michael Busch, Freddie Freeman, Gavin Lux, Max Muncy, Edwin Rios and Miguel Vargas

Outfielders (5): Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, James Outman, Chris Taylor and Trayce Thompson

Pitchers (13): Yency Almonte, Caleb Ferguson, Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol, Michael Grove, Daniel Hudson, Chris Martin, Dustin May, Ryan Pepiot, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia and Julio Urias.

The team's starting lineup (against a righty) could look as follows:

1. RF Mookie Betts
2. 1B Freddie Freeman
3. C Will Smith
4. 2B Max Muncy
5. DH Edwin Rios
6. LF Chris Taylor
7. SS Gavin Lux
8. 3B Miguel Vargas
9. CF Cody Bellinger

Obviously this won't be the Dodgers' Opening Day lineup next season, but if we're being honest, it's a pretty good lineup. If Rios can be the power hitting lefty the team expects him to be, and Muncy, Taylor and Bellinger can be a little better than they were in 2022, that's a pretty scary 1-9. The bench would made up of Austin Barnes, Michael Busch, James Outman and Trayce Thompson, which has a ton of guys with potential to crack into the starting lineup and make some serious noise in 2023.

As for the starting rotation:

1. Julio Urias
2. Dustin May
3. Tony Gonsolin
4. Ryan Pepiot
5. Michael Grove

The Dodgers have a ton of upcoming free agent pitchers, most notably Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney. It would not be in the best interest of the Dodgers to let them all walk, unless they had a solid backup plan in place. I didn't include the team's No. 2 overall prospect Bobby Miller on the roster, who should make his debut at some point in 2023.

Also, Walker Buehler, who will be out for an extended period of time in 2023, was not included.

The bullpen would then consist of:

Righties: Yency Almonte, Brusdar Graterol, Daniel Hudson, Chris Martin, Evan Phillips and Blake Treinen

Lefties: Caleb Ferguson and Alex Vesia

There's a clear question mark in terms of left-handed relievers. It'll also be interesting to see who ends up closing games in this bullpen. Graterol, Hudson, Martin, Phillips and Treinen could all make a case, so the Dodgers may not need to go out and get a closer for next year like they did with Craig Kimbrel at the beginning of this year.

With a roster like this, the biggest holes would be in the starting rotation. But you have to imagine the Dodgers will make a push to re-sign at least one of Kershaw, Anderson or Heaney, and could then look to the open market to fill that fifth starter spot.

But looking at the roster as is, if the Dodgers made no moves, they would still be able to compete for an NL West crown. It wouldn't excite the fans very much, but it's nice to know the core is in place to make another run in 2023.