Ever since Zack Greinke signed with the rival Diamondbacks, the Dodgers' future sped up.
The Dodgers gave 16 non-roster invitations to participate in their 2016 spring training, The Los Angeles Times reported.
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Among the players to receive their invites are top-prospect pitchers Julio Arias and Jose De Leon.
Urias, a 19-year-old left hander from Mexico, signed with the Dodgers when he was just 16. He has a 7-7 career record in the minor leagues with a 2.91 ERA.
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While he also was invited to camp last year, Los Angeles now is hoping to see a pitcher much closer to his playing potential. Until now, Urias has not pitched more than 90 innings in a season. Urias is facing more pressure in 2016 to show improvement, thanks to Greinke's exit.
The Dodgers also invited the 23-year-old right-hander De Leon, who The Times says has turned himself into a big-time pitching prospect. After being drafted in the 24th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, he has a 16-12 record with a 3.61 ERA and a 12.3 strikeout average per nine innings.
Los Angeles is looking to fill the pitching void left by Greinke, who opted out of his contract after last season and signed a six-year, $206 million deal with Arizona.
The Dodgers signed Scott Kazmir as a fill-in for Greinke, but they'll need Urias and De Leon to grow up quickly and help the team. Los Angeles has arguably the best pitcher in the league in left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who will be 28 in March.
The Dodgers should count on some more good years from Kershaw, but he won't be dominant forever. If Urias and De Leon turn out to impress quickly, Los Angeles may be right back in the thick of a pennant chase. If not, the Dodgers may take a step back in 2016 before they take a step forward.
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