Dodger pitchers and catchers will report to their spring training facility in Glendale, Arizona Thursday, one day before becoming the first in Major League Baseball to work out in 2024.
Following losses in their first postseason series in consecutive seasons, the Dodgers were aggressive in the off-season in seeking to strengthen their pitching staff. They first signed two-way player Shohei Ohtani to a 10- year, $700 million contract, the largest in professional sports history, even though he won’t be pitching in 2024 after undergoing elbow surgery in September.
The Dodgers then acquired right-hander Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays and signed him to a five-year contract extension for $136.5 million and signed Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract, the largest deal for a pitcher in terms of years and value in Major League Baseball history.
The signings continued in January with free-agent left-hander James Paxton.
Ohtani is expected to participate when the Dodgers conduct their first full-squad workout Wednesday. The Dodgers will begin spring training play Feb. 22 against the San Diego Padres in Peoria, Arizona and begin the regular season March 20 against the Padres in Seoul, South Korea.
The Dodgers are set to play in Southern California for the first time in 2024 on March 24 in a Freeway Series game at Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Angels, and play their home opener March 28 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Los Angeles Angels pitchers and catchers report to their Tempe, Arizona spring training facility Tuesday and have their first workout Wednesday.
–City News Service