This story was excerpted from Juan Toribio’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
LOS ANGELES — After a quiet few days at the Winter Meetings, things have started to pick up for the Dodgers in the free-agent market.
Over the last few weeks, Los Angeles has come to terms on one-year deals with right-hander Noah Syndergaard and designated hitter JD Martinez. With a few holes left on the roster, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman surely has other moves up his sleeve.
Until then, let’s take a look at three questions the Dodgers still need to answer before the start of Spring Training in mid-February.
1. What will the infield look like?
It’s been an offseason of change for the Dodgers, and no unit will feel that more than next year’s infield. Trea Turner started all 160 games he played at shortstop last season, but he’ll be playing for the Phillies for the next 11 seasons. That means Gavin Lux will likely slide over from second to replace Turner.
There will also be some change at third, given that Justin Turner will be playing for the Red Sox. To replace him, the Dodgers will lean on Miguel Vargas and Max Muncy. Both Vargas and Muncy could also play second base, allowing Chris Taylor to play in the outfield, further maximizing his versatility.
The players appear to be in place for the Dodgers, although they could benefit from one more addition. How it all comes together is something they’ll have to figure out before Spring Training and over the six weeks they spend at Camelback Ranch.
2. Who will play center field?
Cody Bellinger was a liability at the plate over the last two seasons, but few players patrolled center field better than the 2019 National League Most Valuable Player. Bellinger’s defense in center helped every pitcher on the Dodgers’ roster, but that won’t be the case moving forward.
With Bellinger now with the Cubs, the Dodgers have a huge hole to fill and no clear answer at the moment. Los Angeles pursued Kevin Kiermaier, but the three-time Gold Glove Award winner ultimately took less money to join the Blue Jays because he felt more wanted in Toronto. Now, the Dodgers are left with no obvious target in free agency, but they will continue to explore the trade market for a center fielder. Another option would be to acquire a corner outfielder, allowing Mookie Betts to play more center field.
As of now, the Dodgers’ options in center are Taylor and Trayce Thompson, two significant downgrades defensively from what Los Angeles has enjoyed over the last six seasons.
Those are five legitimate options — but is it enough? It’ll be interesting to see what the Dodgers decide.
A baseball season is extremely long, and injuries are going to happen, particularly to starting pitchers. Gonsolin hasn’t pitched a full season since 2019, and May is still working through things after coming back from Tommy John surgery. Then there’s Kershaw, who landed on the injured list twice with a pair of back injuries that could creep up at any time.
Because of that, the Dodgers are still in the market for another experienced pitcher who could provide length. A six-man rotation to start the season isn’t out of the question. Or, remember, Tyler Anderson was supposed to be a multi-inning reliever last season, but turned out to be one of the most important pieces on the roster.
If the Dodgers don’t add another pitcher, Ryan Pepiot (ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 6 prospect in the organization), Andre Jackson and Michael Grove (No. 24) could all contribute, although they could use some more reps in the Minors. If they stay healthy, Bobby Miller (No. 2) and Gavin Stone (No. 7) will contribute at some point in 2023, but they won’t be ready until at least midseason.
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