Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
After the Los Angeles Dodgers won their first full-season world championship since 1988, many people think the Dodgers don’t have any questions for the upcoming season. The opposite is true.
Since the Dodgers plan to move Mookie Betts into the infield, they don’t have an outfielder. Tommy Edman can play center field, but the Dodgers might need him to play shortstop or second base where he won a Gold Glove in 2021.
Almost everyone believes Teoscar Hernández will re-sign with the Dodgers since he has expressed a wish to remain with the Dodgers. His new signing probably will be announced after Juan Soto’s signing.
Hernández was an integral part of the 2024 Dodgers, and he enabled the Dodgers to have a powerful offense, especially against left-handed pitching. In 154 games, Hernández had a .272 batting average with 33 home runs and 99 RBI. While Hernández isn’t known for his fantastic defense, he wasn’t a defensive liability. If he returns to the Dodgers, he will play right field.
The Dodgers thought James Outman would have been an integral part of the 2024 season; after all, he was third in the National League Rookie of the Year in 2023.
However, Outman stepped back in the 2024 season, so he disappeared from the Dodger roster in June. In his 53 major league games, Outman had a .147 batting average, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI. His defense in center field was poor. The Dodgers should trade Outman to another team for a promising minor leaguer. Outman’s skills don’t fit in the Dodgers’ high standards.
Andy Pages had a good rookie season even though he wasn’t eligible for the National League Rookie of the Year. He also played an important role in the NLCS against the New York Mets. In his 116 major league games, he had a .248 batting average, 13 home runs, and 46 RBI. While Pages has a strong throwing arm, he doesn’t have great defensive instincts. The Dodgers should make Pages a left fielder even though he can play in center field.
Chris Taylor is a backup outfielder. His past Dodger glory is gone, but his defensive skills haven’t decreased. He can’t maintain his complicated swing, so he doesn’t contribute to the offense. In his 87 games, Taylor had a .202 batting average, 4 home runs, and 23 RBI. Dave Roberts should use Taylor as a defensive replacement or a pinch runner.
If the Dodgers don’t re-sign Teoscar Hernández, they need to acquire another outfielder. There aren’t many good outfielders on the free agent market, except for Soto, who wants a long-term lucrative contract that the Dodgers don’t want to take on. Some Dodger fans want the Dodgers to trade for Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs. While Bellinger isn’t the same player as in 2019 when he won the National League MVP in 2019, he is a solid major league veteran. In 2024 with the Cubs, Bellinger had a .266 batting average, 18 home runs, and 78 RBI in 130 games. Since Bellinger has lost a step, he should play right field instead of center field.
Although re-signing Teoscar Hernández is a better option for the Dodgers than trading for Bellinger, the team has options to improve their outfield. Before spring training, the Dodgers must figure out their outfield. They need to have an improved outfield to have a chance of repeating as world champions.
