David Stearns

I think sometimes we often equate youth with unpredictability.

I think young starting pitchers have a pretty good history in this league, especially of late, especially when they have certain stuff packages of coming up to the big leagues and having success.

Doesn't mean we're going to count on a staff exclusively of young starters, but certainly over the course of the year, we are going to expect significant contributions from a group that we think is really talented and about to get to the major league level.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I don't think we'll know that until we get much farther along in the offseason and until we get to spring training.

I also think that...

Oftentimes on opening day, the person you thought was the number one starter in a playoff series, you actually get to the playoff series and it's someone else.

And we lived that a couple of years ago.

I think even really good teams that go on and win a World Series like the Dodgers can live that over the course of a season.

So I'm less preoccupied by that.

thinking about who is going to start game one of a playoff series than I am about making the transactions that put the best possible team on the field that we can do.

You always want more ceiling.

Do I think we need more ceiling?

I don't think I'll go that far, but you always want more ceiling.

Yeah, Kodai has had an outstanding offseason, and I think maybe that's the most encouraging development we've had in terms of our offseason player progression.

He feels great.

He feels as good physically as he has since that 2023 season.

He's going through his normal offseason routine.

He's actually going to come over to the States at the end of the month and throw here as well, which I think is a great sign.