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Newsletter: Dodgers Dugout: Adding Utley and Gutierrez means Dodgers will have some roster decisions to make

Chase Utley will be back this season.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Hi, my name is Houston Mitchell, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. It just really hit me the other day that we won’t be able to hear Vin Scully this season.

Chase is back

The big news recently was the Dodgers re-signing Chase Utley to a one-year deal. Utley’s deal is worth $2 million and he is expected to back up Logan Forsythe at second, Adrian Gonzalez at first and Justin Turner at third. And Utley is fine with that.

“I think it’s not secret that I’m not getting any younger,” Utley said. “I understand that things change, and if I want to be part of a winning organization, there’s a possibility that I take this type of role. I’m up for it. I’m up for the challenge.”

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Bringing Utley back was an important move for the team. The players love him, especially Corey Seager, who was mentored by Utley last season. He’s no longer the hitter he once was, but he brings a lot of value behind the scenes. I thought signing him before last season was a mistake. I have probably never been more wrong about something. This season, it’s great to have him back, because he will be a valuable role model to the Dodgers’ young players.

Welcome aboard Franklin Gutierrez

On the same day they signed Utley, the Dodgers also signed outfielder Franklin Gutierrez to a one-year, $2.6-million contract. Now you may be wondering why a team that already has too many outfielders added another one. Here’s why:

Gutierrez vs. left-handed pitching

2015: .315/.357/.615

2016: .280/.373/.511

Career: .289/.351/.495

Considering the Dodgers made every left-hander they faced last season look like Sandy Koufax, Gutierrez will be a welcome addition to the team if he hits them as well as he has throughout his career.

TV or not TV

A lot of you emailed me wondering about the TV situation this season. There has been no change, meaning the majority of Dodgers fans won’t be able to watch them play on television.

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In November, the Department of Justice sued, alleging DirecTV violated antitrust law by sharing information about SportsNet LA negotiations with other carriers. AT&T, which owns DirecTV has asked that the suit be thrown out. A hearing is scheduled for March 13.

Puig to play

The always polarizing Yasiel Puig is at spring training and appears to be in the best physical shape since he joined the team. The Dodgers are counting on him heavily and still want him to be the starting right fielder.

Manager Dave Roberts said: “We expect him to be out there the majority of the time. Yasiel put in a lot of work this winter with his swing, his swing mechanics. And, obviously, the body looks great.”

As noted before, the Dodgers have a lot of outfielders, so Puig is going to have to really excel in spring training to be handed the starting job. Fans will be rooting for him, but it is all up to Puig now, in what will probably be his last chance to seize a starting role before he goes from being the right fielder of the future to the right fielder of the past.

Next season’s team

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Let’s take a look at a projected roster if the season started today:

Catchers: Yasmani Grandal, Austin Barnes

First base: Adrian Gonzalez

Second base: Logan Forsythe, Chase Utley

Third base: Justin Turner

Shortstop: Corey Seager

Left field: Andrew Toles and/or Franklin Gutierrez, Trayce Thompson, Scott Van Slyke

Center field: Joc Pederson, Enrique Hernandez

Right field: Yasiel Puig, Andre Ethier

Starting rotation: Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda, Julio Urias. The fifth spot would go to Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir, Hyun-jin Ryu, Alex Wood, Brock Stewart or Ross Stripling.

Note: The Dodgers want to conserve Urias’ innings (they would like to limit him to 160 to 180 innings this season), so it is entirely possible that he will not start the season with the team. If he doesn’t then whoever pitches best in spring training will get the fourth and fifth spots.

Bullpen: Kenley Jansen, Sergio Romo, Luis Avilan, Pedro Baez, Grant Dayton, Josh Ravin, Josh Fields or any of a cast of thousands.

Added since last time: Utley, Gutierrez.

Say goodbye to: Darin Ruf, who will be playing in Korea this season.

The Dodgers will probably start the season with 13 position players and 12 pitchers. They will need to cut a couple of outfielders before opening day. Pederson, Puig, Gutierrez and Ethier are locks to make the team, barring injury. That leaves two spots to be decided among Toles, Thompson, Van Slyke and Hernandez. Hernandez has an advantage because he can also play the infield, but if he plays as poorly in the spring as he did last season, they may decide to go with Chris Taylor as the backup infielder. Thompson will probably be sent down to get at-bats as he plays himself into shape following his back injury. So that leaves Toles and Van Slyke battling for the final spot.

They also have too many starting pitchers. If Urias stays behind for extended spring training to conserve his innings, then that leaves McCarthy, Kazmir, Ryu, Wood, Stewart and Stripling to vie for the last two rotation spots.

Of course, any injuries that come up over the next six weeks could make those decisions much easier.

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Ask Ross Porter

Former Dodgers broadcaster Ross Porter will be back this season, answering reader questions. Email me a question for Ross, and I will pass it on.

And finally

Adrian Gonzalez is going to be out for about two weeks because of a sore elbow. Read all about it.

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me and follow me on Twitter: @latimeshouston

Houston.mitchell@latimes.com

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Twitter: @latimeshouston

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