Personnel Weirdness as Dodgers Add Alex Wood to 28-Man NLCS Roster
Don't want a "burner" in Terrance Gore for the National League Championship Series after going that route during the NLWC and NLDS? Fine, Dodgers, knock yourselves out.
A third catcher in switch-hitting Keibert Ruiz in the wild card but not in rounds two or three? I don't like it, but I'll live.
Struggling left-hand batting Gavin Lux, who was on the outside looking in for the first round, then on the inside and batting just once in the second round and out again now? Sure. That, as I wrote yesterday, makes good sense with Edwin Rios returning. It's weird that Lux was included in the first place, but OK. That's one problem fixed.
But a 15th Los Angeles pitcher and Alex Wood of all people getting the nod? Really, Andrew Friedman? Alex Wood, who after going a whopping 35 2/3 innings, with a 5.80 ERA and 6.38 FIP and 1.402 WHIP for Cincinnati in the non-pandemic season of 2019 and followed up with 12 2/3, 6.39, 5.01 and 1.816 for the Dodgers in 2020? The one who allowed runs in five of his nine appearances this season and five earned in the four innings of this final three outings (11.25 ERA) and who hasn't pitched since September 26? That Alex Wood? All I can say is wow, just wow.
In noting the chances of Kenley Jansen being removed from the roster to be the longest of long-shots yesterday, and suggesting that his replacement be "Mitch White, Josh Sborz, Dennis Santana, Scott Alexander or even Alex Wood, in order of preference," I never imagined that the powers that be would add a second semi-lost and mostly-frightening pitcher rather than remove the one who's usefulness was already in question. But here we are. With roster weirdness.
Maybe Jansen and Wood will pitch in runaway games only, or pitch well in their high-leverage opportunities. It's a physical possibility. But I'm left with the feeling that sentimentality has won out here, which is precisely what I warned against yesterday.
Here is L.A.'s 28-man NLCS roster:
Starting pitchers (5): Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Julio Urias, Dustin May.
Relievers (10): Pedro Baez, Dylan Floro, Victor Gonzalez, Brusdar Graterol, Kenley Jansen, Adam Kolarek, Joe Kelly, Jake McGee, Blake Treinen and Alex Wood.
Infielders (6): Matt Beaty, Kiké Hernandez, Max Muncy, Edwin Rios, Corey Seager and Justin Turner.
Catchers (2): Austin Barnes and Will Smith.
Outfielders (5): Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, Joc Pederson, A.J. Pollock and Chris Taylor.
And remember, glove conquers all. Perhaps even weirdly-constructed rosters.
Howard Cole has been writing about baseball on the internet since Y2K. Follow him on Twitter.
