The case for the Dodgers to win it all

After reaching the World Series for the first time in 20 years and coming within a game of capturing that elusive World Series championship, the Dodgers entered the offseason with the challenging task of figuring out just where things went wrong — if they could be improved externally or simply by giving it another shot as is. Instead of jumping head first into more blockbuster moves, the Dodgers' front office spent its time doing internal housekeeping, save for a few fill-in-the-blank moves necessitated by departures. 

For the most part, the team that fell just short in 2017 will get another shot at getting it done in 2018. The Dodgers are still more than equipped to do so, once again boasting baseball’s most complete roster. Will their three-year ascent throughout the National League complete itself with a World Series championship, or will climbing the mountain again prove to be too much to take on?

Why the Dodgers could win it all in 2018:

Roster depth. Whether it be the everyday lineup, starting rotation or bullpen, the Dodgers' greatest strength is not their impressive upper-tier talent, but the sheer variety of ways they can win. Aside of their superstar core, there is also an unmatched cast of supporting acts as well. For every Clayton Kershaw, Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Yasiel Puig or Kenley Jansen, there is an Alex Wood, Chris Taylor, Austin Barnes or Matt Kemp. Take Kiké Hernandez for example, who came out of nowhere in Game 5 of the NLCS last fall to bury the Cubs with a three-homer, seven-RBI breakout performance.

The ability to make the extra move. For all their talent on the diamond, the considerable resources within reach of GM Farhan Zaidi and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman remain substantial advantages as well. If an opportunity to acquire an elite talent at the trade deadline shows itself, they are rich in both prospects and financial means to make a move to pull themselves back to the top of the pack.

The hunger for more. They pushed their pursuit of that elusive World Series title as far as it could go last fall without it resulting in a title, and wetting that pallet could be the motivation for getting the job done this year. The Dodgers are a resilient bunch that has shown the ability to thrive at their peak powers, while also understanding how to pull themselves up by their bootstraps when they are down.

Why they won't win it all in 2018:

The injury bug again becomes too much to overcome. Much of the club’s recent success has come while overcoming sweeping injuries, including some that have impacted their most important contributors. Two years ago, the team set a record for sending the most players to the disabled list ever in a single season. Last year proved to not be an exception either, as the Dodgers were forced go out and land Yu Darvish partly due to uncertainty about what shape their rotation would be in by October. Kershaw has not pitched 200 innings or made 30 starts since 2015 as he has been unable to shake lingering back troubles, and the team will be without Justin Turner to open the year as he rehabs a broken wrist.