The Dodgers submitted a 25-man roster at noon on Sunday because they were required to do so, but it isn't believed to bear a whole lot of resemblance to what they actually will open the season with on Monday.
For now, the roster still includes pitcher Claudio Vargas and outfielder Delwyn Young, both of whom are expected to begin the season on the disabled list. It also doesn't include non-roster pitcher Will Ohman, who is expected to begin the season on the active roster.
The holdup appears to be a lack of available 40-man roster spots. The Dodgers cleared one last week when they outrighted catcher Danny Ardoin to the minors, but they still have 39 players on the roster and are expected to add at least three, if not four, non-roster players who were in camp on minor league contracts.
Perhaps the most intriguing decision is whether to keep veteran infielder Juan Castro, who entered Sunday's finale batting .400 for the spring. He would need a 40-man spot, while his chief rival, Blake DeWitt, already has one. The out clause in Castro's contract doesn't kick in until June 30, so the Dodgers could buy time by sending him to Class AAA.
The other decisions were in the bullpen where two spots are believed to be open, at least one of which might be filled by someone not presently on the 40-man.
THE DODGERS WILL CONTEND IF ...: Their front four starters not only stay healthy, but pitch better than their own track records suggest they will. RHP Hiroki Kuroda had shoulder problems last year that now appear to be behind him. LHP Randy Wolf is a year further removed from Tommy John surgery than he was in his last stint with the Dodgers in 2007. RHP Chad Billingsley led the team with 16 wins last year and has to continue to throw strikes and pitch deep into games.
PRIMED FOR A BIG SEASON: OF Andre Ethier finally overcame his tendency to fade down the stretch, hitting .462 last September. This year, he has a good chance to step into the cleanup role that was vacated when 2B Jeff Kent retired. With SS Rafael Furcal, 2B Orlando Hudson and LF Manny Ramirez hitting in front of him, Ethier should have endless RBI opportunities. He also matured last season, cutting back on his legendary on-field temper displays after making outs.
ON THE DECLINE: RHP Jason Schmidt is entering the final season of his infamous three-year, $47 million contract and still has made only six starts during that time. Although he allegedly is healthy now and competed early in camp for the fifth spot in the rotation, he appears tentative about letting loose with his surgically repaired shoulder. Because of that, he is expected to begin the season on a rehabilitation assignment.
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