A New Third Baseman & Much More…
For the greater part of nine seasons, Justin Turner has been the one player you could count on, day-in-and-day-out! The Dodger’s Manager just penciled his name in at 3B just about every day. Justin was the heart and soul of the Dodgers during this run… and that run is over…
For the greater part of nine seasons, Justin Turner has been the one player you could count on, day-in-and-day-out! The Dodger’s Manager just penciled his name in at 3B just about every day. Justin was the heart and soul of the Dodgers during this run… and that run is over. Father Time caught up with JT. He is no longer a Top Third-Baseman, and his bat has slowed up. I am not saying he can’t be a productive player, but I would rather have a younger JD Martinez at DH than JT… especially when the Dodgers only had to commit $10 Million to JD while the Red Sox had to commit $22 Million to JT. JT did the right thing for his family, and Andrew Friedman did the right thing for his Dodger Family in letting JT walk..
Now, there will be a new look at 3B, and it will most likely be Miguel Vargas or Max Muncy. Miggy will be given every opportunity to win the position, but if he proves that he is not ready or capable of playing third base, then Max Muncy will end up there. However, if Vargas does what I believe he will do – become a ROY Candidate as a Third-Baseman, Max Muncy has to play 2B, which he can do at an AVERAGE LEVEL, although his bat will play up there. Forget what he did last year – he will be back to the normal Max Muncy next season. That moves Gavin Lux somewhere else. Most Dodger Fans think it is SS. I am not even close to being convinced of that. In fact, I am convinced that will not happen. The Athletic had this to say yesterday:
“Lux is a former top prospect whose natural position is shortstop, but he possesses below-average arm strength and footwork, and had issues throwing in the minors.”
Fabian Ardaya
Those are facts! But we are supposed to believe that his arm is getting stronger, and his footwork is improving at a position he has played very little in the past two years at SS… parts of 68 games, to be exact, and he has logged just 367 games at SS in the Minors and Majors – COMBINED? His fielding percentage as a SS is .942. If you believe that Andrew Friedman is going into the season with Gavin Lux as his starting SS, I have a Bridge you might be interested in. Think about it… and tell me that it makes sense. It makes no sense to me. There are two choices on the Dodgers’ Roster to play SS (IMHO): Jacob Amaya (can he hit enough?) and Chris Taylor. CT3 has never played there regularly, but he has a much stronger arm, and he is a pro. He can play there for a year… or two. I also look for Chris Taylor to have a huge bounce-back year. Eliminating the shift and the larger bases will help him a lot.
That moves Lux to the outfield – LF or CF, depending upon how James Outman performs. It appears that Willy Adames will not be traded (at least not right now). I can see AF being all over Adames If and when, he hits the market. Adames is not Trea Turner – he is a 7,8, or 9 hitter, but he would be a solid, useful player for the Dodgers. However, it does not appear to be happening… at least NOW.
The Dodgers are barely under the Luxury Tax Threshold, but if certain players hit their bonus levels (such as Thor) then they are over – I do not think that will happen unless everyone overperforms and the Dodgers believe a big trade could yield a World Series win, and we already know that making a big trade and winning a World Series are not Mutually Exclusive!
I suppose Andrew Friedman could work out a deal with one of his fellow GMs to trade Trevor Bauer to them, and they take over a portion of Bauer’s salary for a Top Prospect…, and then that team cuts Bauer. The higher the prospect, the more the trading team would eat! But that is going to hurt. You could probably get a team to eat all of Bauer’s salary for … Diego Cartaya! The Dodgers may be forced to do something similar to that in order to re-set that Luxury Tax… and regardless of what you might think, they really do need to do that.
Justin Turner Farewell
The above is the latest prospect rankings from Baseball America. The Dodgers are indeed “strapped” with a lot of top prospects. The next ten will also “wow” you. The Dodgers are trying to give these guys a “runway” to the majors, but I cannot help but think that Diego Cartaya will get traded this year. The Dodgers are deep in catchers, and Dalton Rushing is going to be a monster hitter. They also have Hunter Feduccia and Yeiner Fernandez, so they have the luxury of trading Cartaya in a deal for Reynolds and/or Adames. I could see a blockbuster… maybe just not right now, but it could happen in the late Spring or Summer.
My preference would be to keep Lux as I think he will be a very good player with a high OB% (think: Leadoff Hitter). I’ll let Andrew Friedman figure out the particulars – I just advise him! 😉
P.S. Save the Vitriol – I like Gavin Lux. I want him on my team. I just do not think he can play SS. It’s as simple as that!
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Discussion (105)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Put Lux in center field and Outman in Leftfield and go trade for a shortstop that has experience playing short stop. Since Muncy has to play 2nd base or 3rd base. I am all for that. Theres short stops out there that could help the Dodgers. The short stop in Cleveland is good Rosario. He is a veteran who can hit in the eight or nine spot in the lineup. Remember when the Dodgers got Alfredo Griffen late in his years. And he was decent for the Dodgers. He played almost every day. Go get a guy like that. I am good with Lux in Center field. And if there’s no where for Lux to play. You then trade him. Who needs a second baseman.
I liked baseball a lot better when I was totally ignorant of sabermetrics. The game and the times were simpler. If Lux doesn’t have the arm to play SS, he damn sure does not have the arm to play center. Left field is the only outfield position where a cannon of an arm is not necessary. I like my corner outfielders to have some power. Lux has not shown that ability in the majors yet. He hit more than 20 just once in the minors. He has 18 in parts of four seasons in the majors. Okay Bradley I’ll bite. But first let me clarify a couple of things for you, okay? One. Rosario is a veteran, but he is not old. He is only 26 and would cost you some high-rated prospects. Two. Cleveland made it to the playoffs last season with Rosario at short for 140 games. And they have no replacement on the bench. So, explain to me why a pennant contender like the Guardians, would trade their starting shortstop without having his replacement in place. Nothing at this point in time with the Dodgers is set in stone. They need spring training to figure out who is going to play where. You might be good with Lux in center but having seen his misadventures out there the last time he played the position, he is no centerfielder. In my very humble opinion, he is no outfielder at all. If he is not playing SS, then he needs to play second base. But it will all be worked out in spring. If Cleveland did make Rosario available, maybe the Dodgers could expand the trade and get their third baseman, Jose Ramirez also. That to me would be a package worth exploring. Even better, add Shane Bieber to the deal and make it a blockbuster. Ramirez is signed through 2028 so that gives you 4 more years of control. You would have to offer a new contract to Rosario because he is a free agent after the season. Bieber you would have through the 24 season so he would be eligible for a new deal at the same time Walker Buehler is. If Cleveland decided to trade Rosario, it would most likely not be until the deadline when they can MAXIMIZE his trade value. At any rate, they are not trading him until then.
Thanks Bluto, for Posting the Links above. Fangraphs ranked Milke Busch #3 and James Outman #26. They evidently don’t think much of Outman. I think they dissed Eddys Leonard!
Iisnt Elvis Andrus still out there as a free agent. He played shortstop for the Rangers and As and a free agent. That’s the kind of player the Dodgers find and they turn them into an all-star. Then at least we know he can play short stop .
From above- No doubt Kershaw had the best 5-year peak of the three (possibly the best 5-year peak of all time). Please check the last 5 years of Sandy Koufax!
A lot of users are talking a Cartaya and Miller trade.
AF did not trade those kids at last years deadline to improve the team for the stretch run and playoffs (and we had some holes back then too) so why should he trade them this season when it is very obvious the Dodgers a) are trying to hit the reset button on the luxury tax and b) are willing to give 3-4 rookies a shot at starting or at least tons of playing time ?
I mean would an Adames make the difference this season ? IMHO this season will be a transitional year with no real shot at a WS title. Too many questions marks on the roster. Almost everything would have to unfold perfectly for the Dodgers to win the pennant, let alone a WS title. This team with or without an Adames is not good enough.
Hold the fort, keep the kids , reset the luxury tax and go all out after a WS title beginning in 2024.
Give the kids playing time and experience in 2023, decided who is a keeper and who is not, go after Ohtani and Sasaki next offseason and make a trade or two for a missing piece . That is what it looks to me what the Dodgers are attempting. And I am fine with it.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trevor Story’s surgery means that Boston is in the market for a SS too. If the Dodgers are angling for one, they now have a bit more competition.
Okay let’s talk about possible managers to replace Roberts when he has this rebuild team next season. I think a great manager would be Chase Utley. He should be the manager at AAA. So he gets familiar with these young kids. That’s what Lasorda sis hw came up with the young kids when he took over. Any other managers you would like to see take over for Roberts. Of course fans would love to see. Mike Scioscia as the next manager I know I would.
This coming Sunday Jan. 15 2023 is officially known as the first day of the international signing period and it means everything to the prospects from across the globe who sign during the 11-month span. For these prospects, it is their first step in professional baseball. It’s also when their dreams are realized.The international signing period starts Sunday and runs through Dec. 15, 2023.
The Dodgers are tied to signing Joendry Vargas, SS, Dominican Republic
At 6-foot-3, the long and lean teen will face questions about his ability to stay at shortstop, but he already shows a quick first step, good hands and plus instincts for position. He’ll stay in the middle of the infield for as long as he can, but his plus arm potential will serve him well if he transitions to third base in the future.At the plate, he shows an advanced approach with the ability to hit for average. One of the top hitters in the class, he hits line drives to all fields and shows home run potential with a mechanically sound swing. Vargas is expected to show more raw power and rack up extra-base hits as he fills out his frame. He is ranked third on MLB’s list of International players.
The Dodgers and Rangers each forfeited $1,000,000 from their pools for signing players who had rejected qualifying offers to lower their pool to $4,144,000.The Dodgers surpassed the luxury tax threshold the previous season and had to forfeit $1,000,000 for Freddie Freeman. The Rangers forfeit $500,000 each for Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.*The forfeited monies are redistributed to the other clubs. *Teams will be allowed to trade international bonus slots during this signing period starting Jan. 15.