Sunday, January 28, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
Spring training is less than two weeks away. Since the Los Angeles Dodgers have had the busiest, most eye-catching offseason of all Major League teams, every Dodger fan is excited about the upcoming season. Many Dodger fans think if the Dodgers don’t win the World Series, they won’t have a successful season. Spending over a billion dollars this offseason does not guarantee a world championship.
The Dodger infield is ordinary defensively. Neither Mookie Betts nor Freddie Freeman isn’t an ordinary infielder. Both finished in the National League MVP race.
The Dodgers expect Freeman to have another exemplify season. He is a Gold Glove-caliber first baseman. He is a consistent offensive contributor who can win a batting title. While Freeman dislikes taking a day off, he could benefit a day off once a month.
During the winter meetings, Dave Roberts broke the news Betts would be an everyday second baseman. Betts loves playing second base, and playing infield keeps his body fresh. He can be a Gold Glove second baseman who can hit forty home runs. He might play in right field against left-handed pitching.
Coming off significant knee surgery to repair both ACL and LCL, Gavin Lux is slated to play shortstop. No one knows how well he will do at shortstop in 2024. In 2021, Lux played 59 games at shortstop while Corey Seager had a broken wrist and performed satisfactorily. He is a natural shortstop, so he should be an ordinary shortstop.
Offensively, Lux should be an average producer. He has a compact swing and should have a high average. During his rehabilitation, Lux added pounds of muscle in hopes of adding power. Hopefully, the extra muscle won’t hurt Lux’s average.
If Lux falters, the Dodgers have Miguel Rojas to be a shortstop. Rojas is a fantastic defensive shortstop but below average offensive player. He can backup second baseman and third baseman.
Max Muncy is a good offensive player, but he is no third baseman. He can’t throw accurately to first base, and he has trouble barehanded anything. While his range is limited, it could be hidden with a great shortstop, but the Dodgers don’t have an experienced shortstop. Lux must learn to play closer to Muncy than Betts.
While on paper, the Dodgers are an excellent team, their infield is ordinary. During spring training, the Dodgers may make a trade for an infielder.
