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We’re back to five days a week! We have the first two of our team previews (Dodgers and Marlins), plus: Jen McCaffrey reports from Boston’s trip to the Dominican Republic, and Ken has notes on the Yankees embracing big personalities. I’m Levi Weaver here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to the Windup!

Dodgers preview

The Dodgers spent over a billion U.S. dollars this offseason.

In addition to Shohei Ohtani (who won’t pitch until 2025) they completely revamped the rotation, trading for (then extending) Tyler Glasnow and signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto and James Paxton. The rotation probably goes Glasnow, Yamamoto, Bobby Miller, Paxton and Gavin Stone to start the season. But there’s depth too — Emmet Sheehan should return early in the season, with Walker Buehler due back in May or June and Clayton Kershaw and Dustin May potentially arriving in August.

Oh, and the team that scored the second-most runs in baseball last year gets Gavin Lux back from ACL surgery, and replaced J.D. Martinez at DH with Ohtani.

It’s not that there aren’t any questions — Lux struggled on defense, so after just a few Cactus League games as a full-time second baseman, Mookie Betts is now a shortstop, a move manager Dave Roberts called “permanent, for now.” And will this aging bullpen be sticky enough glue to hold the super-machine together?

But sheesh. The Dodgers could challenge the 2001 Mariners’ record of 116 wins.

Key Departures: INF Michael Busch, LHP Caleb Ferguson, RHP Lance Lynn, DH J.D. Martinez, RHP Shelby Miller, RHP Ryan Pepiot, IUNF Amed Rosario, LHP Julio Urías

Key Arrivals: OF Teoscar Hernández, RHP Tyler Glasnow, DH/RHP Shohei Ohtani, LHP James Paxton, RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Prospect Corner: The Dodgers’ system isn’t quite as big a powerhouse as it has been in recent years, says Keith Law, but it’s still pretty dang good, headed up by Josue De Paula and River Ryan.

Ken’s Notebook: Yanks living it up a little

From my story today about how the Yankees are embracing Marcus Stroman and Alex Verdugo … and their big personalities:

Marcus Stroman, tone it down? Not happening. Stroman said even before he signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees, team captain Aaron Judge, general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone all gave him the same message.

Don’t change. Be you.

“There is nobody in this process who was like, ‘Hey Stro, you need to …’” Stroman said. “That was only the people who weren’t involved, the outsiders who were like, ‘Hey, Stro, you gonna put on a suit and tie and be Mr. Good Boy?’ I’m 33 years old. I am who I am. I’ve got 10 years in the big leagues. I don’t have to change for nobody.”

The Yankees, under previous captain Derek Jeter and now Judge, long have maintained a professional clubhouse. A longstanding ban on facial hair is the most outward, if outdated, manifestation of the team’s image. But by keeping the focus on winning, Judge and other veterans create a culture that, in theory, is capable of absorbing new players with strong, somewhat individualistic, personalities — players like Stroman and outfielder Alex Verdugo.

Neither is getting stripped of his identity with the Yankees. Stroman, according to Cashman, will be permitted to wear the durag that once drew criticism — and an apology — from Arizona Diamondbacks broadcaster Bob Brenly. Verdugo will not be allowed to wear the multiple chains he posed with early in spring training, but can still wear one during games.

“Obviously, we have the facial hair we have to keep up on. I can’t get carried away with my chains,” Verdugo said. “But they love the way I played. When I came over, they were like, bro, we faced you the past few years. We loved that passion, that fire, that swagger you kind of bring.”

Verdugo arrived in a trade from the Boston Red Sox, whose manager, Alex Cora, benched him twice last season. Stroman joined the Yankees on a two-year, $37 million free-agent despite making controversial social media posts in the past and once engaging with Cashman in a public feud.

The biggest name the Yankees acquired, outfielder Juan Soto, was part of a dysfunctional clubhouse last season in San Diego, but never considered a problem with his previous club, Washington.

“Honestly, when they step in this room, there’s a standard,” Judge said. “They can see that from other guys we have around this clubhouse. How they prepare. How when they walk through this door their egos are out the door. When you get to talk with them, let them know, ‘This is what we do,’ everyone just kind of joins in.”

Marlins pitcher Jesus Luzardo (Jonathan Dyer – USA TODAY Sports)

Marlins preview

The Marlins made the playoffs last year, and their pitching rotation has talent: Jesús Luzardo, Trevor Rogers and Eury Pérez should all be very good. But the depth … could be an issue. With Sandy Alcantara already set to miss this season after Tommy John surgery, and Braxton Garrett (shoulder) behind schedule on his throwing program, the rotation suffered another possible setback yesterday: Edward Cabrera exited the game as a precaution after experiencing right shoulder tightness while throwing his warmup pitches.

Cabrera might be fine, but — while A.J. Puk and others are available — the Marlins need their pitching to be good.

They might need it to be great. Last year’s offense ranked 26th in baseball with 666 runs scored, then lost Jorge Soler in free agency. Having a healthy Jazz Chisholm Jr. should be a boost, and Luis Arráez is a prolific table-setter, but they still need a few mashers who can really eat.

A best-case scenario: Tim Anderson, Josh Bell and Avisail García all return to form while Jake Burger and Bryan De La Cruz hit about 30 home runs each. More realistically, they may have to address the offense at the trade deadline if they’re in contention.

Key Departures: 1B Yuli Gurriel, INF/OF Garrett Hampson, LHP Steven Okert, RHP David Robertson, OF Jorge Soler, C Jacob Stallings, INF Joey Wendle

Key Arrivals: SS Tim Anderson, RHP Matt Andriese, C Christian Bethancourt, C Curt Casali, RHP Yonny Chirinos, LHP Caleb Ferguson, RHP Mychal Givens, INF/OF Nick Gordon, 1B/OF Trey Mancini

Prospect Corner: It’s not the strongest farm system in the league, but Keith Law’s Top 20 list is headed up by two picks from last year’s draft: RHP Noble Meyer and LHP Thomas White

Sox in the Dominican

Jen McCaffrey has been in the Dominican Republic with the Red Sox, so let’s throw it to her for a report.

When Rafael Devers stepped into the batter’s box at Estadio Quisqueya on Saturday night, he was shaking.

“He told me he’d never been so nervous in a game before,” said manager Alex Cora, noting that even the World Series was less nerve-wracking for the Dominican third baseman.

Horns blared, beating drums echoed and a wave of emotion swept the ballpark as the raucous Dominican fanbase, a crowd of roughly 12,000 sounding much louder, welcomed their native son.

Devers had so many family and friends on hand for the exhibition series between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night that he lost count. But he did know it was the first time his grandfather was watching him play in a major-league game.

The exhibition series this past weekend in Santo Domingo — they defeated the Rays 4-0 on Saturday and 7-6 on Sunday — was part of a series of international events MLB and the player’s union have agreed to in order to expand the global reach of the sport. But for the people of the Dominican Republic, the fervor for baseball needs no introduction.

Red Sox baseball, in particular, resonates in these parts. There are five Dominican-born Hall of Famers — David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Adrian Beltre, Juan Marichal and Vladimir Guerrero — and all but Guerrero played for the Red Sox.

Martinez and Ortiz were part of the opening ceremonies on Saturday, throwing out a pair of first pitches in front as the crowd roared in excitement. But the festivities for the day had kicked off hours earlier when the Red Sox officially announced a six-year, $55 million contract extension for 24-year-old starter Brayan Bello, another Dominican native.

The hope here is that MLB will one day play regular season games in the D.R. like they do in London and this year in South Korea for the Dodgers and Padres.

“A lot of Dominicans, they’re not able to go to the U.S. to watch a major league baseball game,” Ortiz said. “So whenever we can bring major-league baseball into the country, people get very excited.”

Handshakes and High-Fives

Toronto native Joey Votto is in camp with the Blue Jays. Yes, it’s on a minor-league deal, but in Votto’s words, “I think I can still bang.”

Keith Meister is one of the most prominent Tommy John surgeons in the world. He’s sounding an alarm about how two pitches in particular are leading to more injuries.

Sam Blum has a story about the Angels maybe, finally getting those renovations done at their spring training complex. Probably.

David O’Brien has a great in-depth profile on Braves outfielder Michael Harris II.

Pete Crow-Armstrong was sent to minor-league camp. What’ll it take for him to get back to the big leagues?

Tim Britton wrapped up extension week by asking: who should sign, and who should wait?

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(Top photo of Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)