Dodgers’ rotation of questions

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

OK, let’s talk about your deepest Dodgers fear, that open secret still too close to home for the faithful to willingly address:

Starting pitching.

Don’t shudder now, this has to be done. Crossed fingers and heavenly gazes will not get it done.

Truth is, the Dodgers’ rotation could just as easily be the best in the N.L. West as it could be the fourth-best.

Each of the first four starters arrive this spring with serious questions, and there is precious little depth behind them. And as it always is, depth will be needed.

Hiroki Kuroda, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley and Vicente Padilla will head into spring with the first four spots secured. Eric Stults and James McDonald lead a long list of potential fifth starters.

Kuroda, 35, is coming off a reasonable season, considering he twice lost time to injury. Yet 8-7 with a 3.76 ERA was hardly an improvement from his previous season, and at his age, further injury is always a risk.

Kershaw remains an absolutely exciting prospect. He enjoyed an excellent sophomore year (8-8, 2.79, 185 strikeouts). He also threw a career-high 171 innings and will probably throw more this season. As much as he looks like a coming ace, the Dodgers will have to closely monitor the effect of the extra work.

Billingsley is in danger of becoming an enigma. There are times when he looks brilliant, and others when he appears fragile. He got off to a strong start last year and seemed to have built his confidence, only to fade in the second half. This is his fifth year, and he needs to pull it together.

Padilla essentially replaces innings-eating Randy Wolf in the rotation. After coming to the Dodgers Aug. 20, the mercurial Padilla, counting the postseason, went 5-1 with a 3.20 ERA. He did not throw at hitters, cause a riff in the clubhouse or say his daddy was bigger than your daddy. Now, can he keep it together a full season?

As a group, it could be strong. Then again, it’s not a stretch to imagine it going the other way.

Now look at the projected rotations of the Dodgers’ N.L. West rivals.

Arizona: Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson, Ian Kennedy and Billy Buckner.

Colorado: Ubaldo Jimenez, Aaron Cook, Jorge De La Rosa, Jeff Francis and Jason Hammel.

San Diego: Chris Young, Jon Garland, Mat Latos, Kevin Correia and Clayton Richard.

San Francisco: Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Barry Zito, promising phenom Madison Bumgarner.

Only the Padres are obviously overmatched. Lincecum is coming off consecutive Cy Young award-winning seasons and leads a deep staff. Webb and Haren are potential Cy Young winners for Arizona. Colorado is solid one through five.

Of course, none of the rival staffs figure to be supported by the kind of lineup the Dodgers will put together.

But to win consistently, the Dodgers will need plenty of rotation questions answered. If they expect to repeat in the West and finally advance to the World Series, the answers will all have to be positive.

And that’s pretty questionable.

-- Steve Dilbeck