UKAmericanSportsFans.com brings you previews of all 30 MLB sides, in just 30 days, from our team of Jonathan Northall, Callum Carson, and Max Whittle.

Los Angeles Dodgers

2012 – Finished second in NL West

Record: 86-76

How about this for your knowledge before you read any more of this Dodgers preview – Los Angeles has nearly doubled its payroll from 2012 Opening Day. Its new ownership hasn’t cut any corners or hidden behind its mission to spend big and build a contender. They have already added new starters, more position players and utility men in the offseason after several midseason trades in 2012.

Last year was a strange one for the Dodgers. They got off to a great start, winning ten games with only one loss and star player Matt Kemp was hitting so well in April it seemed he would break every aspiration he had going into the season. Dee Gordon was a work in progress and LA were enjoying the ride. But soon Kemp was picking up various injuries and hit the DL a couple of times – and suddenly it was an uphill struggle as the Giants got hot. LA added pieces at the July trade deadline – Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett were just a few – but fell even further off the pace in the NL West for several reasons, eventually finishing eight games back in the division and getting shut out of the wild card race during the last week of the regular season.

Don Mattingly will be under no illusions this season. It’s win or bust. The Dodgers skipper would rather have it this way, but he has to find a way of bringing all those egos and new faces together in the clubhouse and better what is a hugely competitive National League this year.

INCOMINGS

P Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, J.P. Howell, Rob Rasmussen
IF Skip Schumaker

OUTGOINGS

P Joe Blanton, Randy Choate, Jamey Wright, Todd Coffey
UT Juan Rivera
IF Adam Kennedy
OF Shane Victorino, Bobby Abreu
C Matt Treanor

Before you think the incomings list is rather short, just remember that the Dodgers did most of their work last July, and with the new additions have made their rotation considerably strong, and that is perhaps what let them down last year along with a lack of run production down the stretch.

Outfielders

The Dodgers are fully expecting Matt Kemp to be ready for Opening Day after recovering from shoulder surgery during the winter.

He has already competed in exhibition games and his progress has gone according to plan. If Kemp can stay healthy this year – and no one will be hoping that that happens more than Kemp himself as he hates sitting – he will no doubt make another MVP run. He is undoubtedly one of the best players in the bigs. The big question hangs on leftfielder Carl Crawford, who the Dodgers acquired from the Red Sox last year in a blockbuster with the Red Sox. Crawford played just 31 times for Boston last year and had a miserable first season there, and the really bad news came when the Dodgers had to shut him down last week after suffering a setback during his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Whether he’ll be ready for Opening Day is not known, but LA wants him at 100% when he does return because the loss of Victorino and Kemp and Ethier’s injury concerns – there has been talk of moving Ethier and his salary, but the 30-year-old will be in right – means the Dodgers outfield is both one of their strongest assets and yet their biggest potential concern.

Infielders

Adrian Gonzalez will be at first after competing for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic this month, Mark Ellis returns at second, Hanley Ramirez will play a full season at shortstop after bouncing between there and third in 2012 and Luis Cruz, after his late-season breakout will be the starting third baseman on Opening Day. Gonzalez didn’t have the same power last year that we usually associate him with, but he still batted .299 with 108 RBIs. With the Dodgers, however, he only hit three home runs in 36 games after arriving in August. Ellis and new signing Skip Schumaker will platoon at second. Ellis batted .258 with 62 runs while Schumaker batted .276 with 37 runs for the Cardinals in 2012. Don’t expect much else from these two this year. Ramirez won’t blow you away defensively but he is one of the best offensive shortstops in the game. He has to lift his average from last year’s .257 but 24 home runs, 92 RBIs and 21 steals is very solid. Cruz is also playing for Mexico this spring and although only 78 games last year doesn’t guarantee anything over 162, his .297 average, 20 doubles and 40 RBIs in that span shows he can do it at the major league level.

Catchers

A.J. Ellis had a very good first full season with the Dodgers, batting .270 with 13 homers and 52 RBIs. Since Russell Martin’s departure from LA it has been a bleak time behind the plate, but Ellis has given the position some assurance with solid defence and very patient at-bats that makes him hard to strike out. Treanor’s departure means Tim Federowicz will serve as back up, despite only three at-bats last September. In 115 games in Triple-A last season, he batted .294 and drove in 76 RBIs.

Starters

The Dodgers have eight starting pitchers on their 40-man roster, so perhaps Aaron Harang and/or Chris Capuano will be traded or move into the bullpen. Ted Lilly and Chad Billingsley are returning from 2012 injuries while the additions of former Cy Young winner Greinke and Japanese starlet Ryu solidifies the rotation. Clayton Kershaw will be the Opening Day starter and figures to have a great season again before signing a huge contract when he enters free agency in two season’s time.

Relievers

Brandon League was resigned to a three-year, $21.3million deal and will be, at least to start with, the Dodgers full-time closer after his performance in late 2012 following his trade from the Mariners. J.P. Howell has been brought in to replace southpaw Randy Choate while Kenley Jansen has recovered from personal health issues.