Reason for optimism: The Dodgers have averaged 92 wins per season in winning four straight NL West titles, and even an injury to Clayton Kershaw didn't slow them down in 2016.
Reason for pessimism: Bullpen dominance is difficult to duplicate.
Dave Roberts' projected starting rotation for 2017 made 100 starts for the team last season. Those starts went fine, as the starters posted a sterling 3.16 ERA. In the other 62 games, however, the Dodgers got lit up, posting an ERA of 5.44, worse than the starting rotation of the Twins and the Diamondbacks and worse than (gasp!) the bullpen of the Cincinnati Reds. The fourth of four division banners doesn't have an asterisk on it, so many won't remember that the Dodgers were lucky to win the division last year.
It does, however, raise a crucial, cautionary question for 2017: How many starts do you think a rotation with Rich Hill (37 years old, no more than 100 IP in a season since 2007), Scott Kazmir (33 years old with declining skills) and a 20-year old with 15 career starts (Julio Urias) is going to make?
