Potential Middle Infielders for LAD
Brice Turang is arguably the best 2B in MLB. You could get an argument that St. Louis’ JJ Wetherholt is a better defensive 2B, but I still like Turang. You could argue that Brandon Lowe was a slightly better offensive player. Lowe’s HR production gave him a slight edge in OPS over Turang (.824 over .816). Turang’s OBP was much better than Lowe’s. Turang is the most complete 2B in MLB.
Most commenters here would have given up on Turang in his first couple of years. Such are the fans of the Dodgers vs the fans of the Brewers.
I am not predicting that Alex Freeland will now become the next Brice Turang, but I am also not calling him a bust. He is a bust to many fans who are calling for the Dodgers to sign Brandon Lowe at 2B, or trade for Jeremy Pena or Zach Neto and move Mookie to 2B. Those are certainly options that the Dodgers could very well do. But like Jim Lefebvre and Steve Sax, I am holding out for the Dodgers’ kid, Alex Freeland, and see what he could do with a full year.
But if 2B is truly a place to improve, who are the middle infielders who may be available.
For me (and more importantly, the Dodgers), character matters. 2B is a position that has dubious characters. The one I absolutely do not believe the Dodgers would even inquire about is Jazz Chisholm Jr. As I stated last week when his name came up, last ST, Chisholm made highly publicized, critical comments regarding the Dodgers. He told NJ.com that he would rather join the LAA or "win by myself" than play for the Dodgers. He added, "I'd rather build my roof than go to the Dodgers." He also had public critical words about Miggy Ro. Apparently, Miggy Ro did not kiss his ass when with Miami. Chisholm is a hard pass.
There are two others with questionable character concerns who are being marketed: CJ Abrams and Ketel Marte. Abrams, who is not a good defensive SS, was upset that he was moved from SS to 2B.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7520695/2026/08/18/cj-abrams-nationals-unhappy-position-change/
Plus, there have been reports that have occasionally pointed to past lapses in hustle and off-field focus, which have tempered some internal and external extension talks. For instance, the definitive turning point for his trade market was his late-2024 demotion. Washington management publicly optioned him to the minor leagues after he stayed out until 8:00 AM gambling at a Chicago casino before a Friday day game at Wrigley Field. I am not sure that embarrassing Abrams by going public was the right approach, but it does not negate the fact of what he did.
Some will say the Dodgers’ vets can take care of that attitude. But can they? They could not with Puig. Abrams has two more years of team control. He is young and extremely talented (5.1 bWAR). What will the cost be? Character issues will be enough to turn the Dodgers away, but the cost will be another reason.
Ketel Marte? He has reached 10 and 5 status so he has a no trade provision. But if the Dodgers wanted to guarantee his 2031 player option and double his option amount, that might get discussions started. But would they even consider that. Marte has had numerous issues in the clubhouse.
Last year Marte had an unexcused "no-show" absence, poor communication, and a perceived emotional withdrawal from his team. He left his team completely in the dark when he failed to report to Fenway Park for a game against the Red Sox. In addition, insiders reported a frustrating pattern of Marte "retreating" or withdrawing like a kid when things go wrong, rather than communicating like a 10-year veteran. Add to that, Arizona is not going to trade Marte to the Dodgers without a massive overpay, even with his issues, and AF is not going to oblige.
There is only one FA 2B that the Dodgers will consider: Brandon Lowe. Lowe is widely considered a textbook "East Coast guy," and strongly suggests he prefers playing on the east coast. Lowe was born and raised in Suffolk, Virginia, growing up right along the eastern seaboard as a fan of the New York Yankees. He chose to stay local for college, attending the University of Maryland. He likes Pittsburgh and may be willing to take a discount to stay. Unfortunately, even the friendly discount will not be enough for Pittsburgh to spend. Or maybe NYY will want to sign him.
Outside of the three malcontents and possible FA, there are other potentially other viable options for the Dodgers to consider. The name getting the most traction is Houston’s Jeremy Peña. Peña has one more year of control, and while it will not be cheap, the cost will be more manageable from a player capital standpoint than other trade options. Admittedly, I am not good at evaluating prospect trade values. Baseball Trade Values rates Sheehan and Peña at the same value. Would Houston do that? Would the Dodgers? Houston is not in a rebuild and is not looking for just prospects, although they do need pitching. I would see what it would take along with Alex Freeland who could take over at SS. Would they take Freeland and Jackson Ferris. Ferris is MLB ready. Probably not enough, but for just one year of Peña, I would not be willing to give up Emmet Sheehan or even Justin Wrobleski. Pitching is too important for the Dodgers.
Another popular name is Zach Neto. Neto is a super-2 arbitration player, so he has 3 more years of arbitration. He made $4.1MM in his 1st year of arbitration. Three years of control is going to cost. He is also way too valuable of a SS to switch to 2B. If the Dodgers get him, it is more likely that Betts goes to 2B. Either way, Davalan will be blocked at 2B for three years with Neto on the roster. Also consider that Neto struck out 215 times in 2026 (30.5%).
After being rebuffed in their quest for Elly De La Cruz last deadline, Boston is now looking at trading for Peña. With only one year control for Peña, Boston is not trading Arias who was part of the proposed package for De La Cruz. They are not trading Rafaela or Tolle. Roman Anthony cannot stay on the field, and his value has greatly diminished. Although they did trade LHSP Connelly Early to Washington for 2B/3B Curtis Mead, which was an overpay (IMO). Houston is going to want MLB talent for Peña.
Below is a commentary on Zach Neto and why Minnesota may have dodged a bullet.
One of the two Miami middle Infielders is projected to be on the move. 2B Xavier Edwards is 27 and is entering his arbitration year #1. He has three years of control.
Xavier Edwards not a lot of slug (6 HR, 17 doubles, 6 triples), but he only struck out 13.9% while walking 11.4%. Because of the lack of slug, Edwards’ OPS was .730 with an OPS+ of 108. Edwards was a plus defensive 2B in 2025 but regressed in 2026. Will he continue to slide or revert to 2025? Edwards stole 21 bases and was caught 5 times.
The 2nd middle infielder is SS Otto Lopez. Lopez is 28 and is also entering his arbitration year #1, with three years of control. Lopez led MLB in hits (191). He has a 13% K rate, but only 5.8% BB rate. Lopez has more SLG than Edwards. He did have double digit HR (11) with 32 doubles and 9 triples. He is a strong defensive SS probably moving Mookie to 2B. Lopez is a more productive base stealer with 34 SB and 5 CS.
Both players are considered to have outstanding character. Lopez will require a healthy return. Probably in the Zach Neto range. Both are excellent defensive SS, with 3 years control. Neto has the SLG while Lopez has the bat to ball skills.
I am not including Elly De La Cruz, because IMO he is not getting traded.
Discussion (49)
Disagree, not disagreeable
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Dodgers activated Kelin, Casparious, Stone and Cousins from the IL. There are 37 players currently on the roster. Some interesting picks of where free agents will go and how much they will sign for on MLBTR. Skubal is projected to get 9-years, 425 mil, and the Mets are considered the front runner. One guy there thinks Morejon will sign with LA. All 3 think Vesia resigns with LA. They also expect Phillips back on a 2-year deal. No mention of where the other LA free agents might go.
From SI:
The perfect Red Sox trade offer for Hernandez Boston should put the following proposal on the table:
Red Sox receive:
OF Teoscar Hernandez. Dodgers receive:
INF Henry Godbout RHP Marcus Phillips
After the 27 season the Dodgers will have the best Super utility player in the MLB. Mookie Betts!! The young players like Morales, Quintero, Sirota etc, will be ready for the show. I live in Kansas so we get an overload of Royals baseball. The year they won the World Series they had a super sub, Ben Zorbist. He played nearly every day all over the field. I could see Betts following that mode.
Jeff D. spot on again. Seems like 2nd base has been a black hole in the recent past. In the last 5 years we’ve cycled through Gavin Lux, who has the most games played there, Max Muncy, Hannser Alberto, Chris Taylor, Mookie, Miggy Ro, Edman, Kike, and Miquel Vargas. I’m sure I’m missing one or three. I personally see no critical need for a 2nd baseman. If Freeland doesn’t cut it I think Edman would be fine and cleans up any outfield rotations, with a new left fielder, Pages and Tucker. Mookie inevitably move to 2nd and the need is a quality shortstop. Character does matter - So no Chisholm or other malcontents. Ole Jazz can’t even wear his cap without looking like a gang-banger. And way to often a bad apple spoils the barrel before the veterans in the clubhouse can patch that up. This isn’t rebab social work; it’s MLB and character is perhaps more important than anything.
My biggest concern as far as the Dodgers roster is concerned is catcher. Will Smith is one of my all time favorite players but he’s caught a lot of innings. He will need to take more time off next season and hopefully stay healthy. With Rushing a huge question mark next season and not any proven veteran I think the Dodgers need to go get an experienced catcher like a Rick Demsey in 1988. I think it would be wise to get Smith some reps somewhere on the field to keep his bat in the lineup. I want to stress that I believe Smith is still one of the better catchers in the MLB.
In Turang’s rookie season (2023) he hit .218/.285/.300/.585 with 448 PA. He had a 61 wRC+ making him 39% worse than a league average hitter. That is more PA than Freeland’s career PA (366).
In 2024, analytics writers highlighted that Turang’s profile had become a caricature of a slap hitter. To combat his initial struggles, he had intentionally dropped his bat speed by over 2 mph to maximize his contact rate (which surged to the 97th percentile). Despite the ugly power metrics (only 7 home runs in 2024), Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy famously insisted that Turang was on the verge of a "quantum leap" at the plate. Insiders were initially skeptical of this high praise until the underlying changes began to surface. Turang improved to 88 wRC+ in 2024. Still below league average, but a big improvement. Murphy did not quit on Turang, and he has blossomed into the best MLB 2B.
I do not expect Alex Freeland to be the next Brice Turang. One has to be a “moron” to expect Freeland to all of a sudden become the best 2B in MLB. But I do suspect he can be a good regular 2B. Elite? No. That begs the question. Why do all of the players have to be elite, or at least considered elite, or even once elite but now older? Why can’t there be a grinder in the lineup?
Last year the fWAR for LAD 2B was 2.2 (15th) and their Wins Above Average (WAA Baseball Reference) was 0.4 good for 11th. And yet they won 100 games. 2B was not the problem. I fully acknowledge that it needs to get better, but does it need to be elite?
For most of his 1st two MLB/AAA years, Freeland had moments, but the pitchers caught up with him, and he went into a tailspin…quicksand. He failed to adjust. Early in his career, Freeland was a free swinger. He asked a coach what he needed to do to become a MLB hitter. The advice was to be more deliberate with his aggressiveness. What has happened is he is letting too many good pitches go by and finds himself in an 0-2 or 1-2 count where he is at the pitcher’s mercy. He has always had a good + OBP. Perhaps he was looking for a BB more than wanting to hit a borderline pitch.
Freeland never got the support from Roberts that Turang got from Murphy. When Freeland was last optioned, he was told by Roberts to not think so much and to not listen to the negative talk. Just be himself. When he came back in September, he was a different hitter. For the month of September, 46 PA, .250/.413/.389/.802, 2 doubles, 1 HR, 10BB, 6 K (13%). For his last 10 games when things were finally really turning positive, in 31 PA, .333/.484/.542/1.026, 2 doubles, 1 HR, 7 BB, 5 K (16%).
Freeland consciously abandoned the "take until you get a strike" mentality. Against major league arms, he frequently ambushed pitchers who tried to steal an easy first-pitch strike, resulting in multiple hard-hit balls off a first-pitch fastball (TJ Stats).
In an interview with The Athletic, “it was revealed that Freeland implemented a major physical change to support this aggressive mindset. He shifted his stance to hold his hands much further out in front of his body than ever before. He called the adjustment "super drastic", specifically designed to cut down on his passivity, get his bat through the zone quicker, and attack pitches early before getting deep into pitcher-friendly counts. This mechanical tweak directly addressed the scouts' primary critique that he couldn't handle major league heat. By cleaning up his bat path and hunting early pitches, he managed to punish fastballs rather than letting pitchers dictate the plate.”
If the Dodgers prefer to get a more elite 2B/SS for 2027, I hope that Freeland gets moved along with Emmet Sheehan, two LAD players who have fallen out of favor of Dave Roberts. Maybe packaged for Otto Lopez? Miami turned around Miggy Ro. Perhaps Alex can do the same, closer to home. Or maybe Atlanta, his childhood favorite team.
Lots of great info on middle infielders. First of all, as far as Kim and Freeland are concerned, forgetaboutit. Dodgers don't want speed without hit or minimal to average power. Freeland hit 3 more homers than Kim and had average speed. Kim has exceptional speed and defense but lacked the bat. The Dodgers will use ST to find a trading partner for them. If Lopez or Del La Cruz hit the market, expect AF to go balls to the wall for one of them. Both are classy clubhouse guys oozing talent, youth and skills the Dodgers need. Of course, that's if he learned his lesson from this year. Why buy a middle IF? Because that is the the only hole he can't plug with prospects and he has a glut of talent on the farm. Besides, we need a Hispanic to replace Miggy. (grin) Cincy won't keep their star SS more than one more year, if that. Those last two years of arbitration will probably cost them much than they want to spend.
Lowe has been extremely injury prone and has been a horrible defensive 2B until last year. I don't believe he can stay on the field. Also he has extreme platoon splits and can't hit LHP. No thank you.
Hard no on Jazz. And Marte. No to one year of Pena.
I think that a combo of Edman, Freeland, and Kim is serviceable. Good defense and enough offense. And you don't ever know whether Freeland or Kim will be good major league hitters. It's too soon to say. They can both flash the leather
100% agree: But like Jim Lefebvre and Steve Sax, I am holding out for the Dodgers’ kid, Alex Freeland, and see what he could do with a full year
3b. Betts 2b. Freeland SS Elly 1b. Freeman Lf. Sirota
I'm not saying you guys are missing the boat. We all do sometimes, even AF does. But one player makes the most sense for 2nd base. Oh and he can play 3rd, ss, lf, cf and rf. He's right handed and he was a thorn in the Dodgers side this Oct. He just won a gold glove and he's 32. For all you we're too old crowd, AF loves veterans. And since we're a dynasty and win with them, I'm good with it. Don't worry, we will get younger. It's inevitable, year after year. Maricio Dubon Book em
Sentimentality is often the keystone to what we think is a purely rational approach to thinking. I understand Jeff having a soft spot for MLB players on the periphery, those AAAA players who perhaps aren't oozing the talent of major league stars who nevertheless show up and toil away for their chance to make it.
I think Alex Freeland is a perfectly serviceable MLB infielder. He's an overall good defender, and can play multiple infield positions. I understand he's a good locker room guy.
He needs to hit if he's to be a starting infielder for the Dodgers.
His overall wRC+ for the parts of two years he's been with the MLB club is 86 (100 is league average), and his ISO, which is a metric that measures power, is a less than pedestrian .098. His MLB batting average in parts of two years is .222.
One of the more glaring stats is his K%. He's struck out nearly 30% of the time. Strikeouts were an issue with him early in his minor league career. In both A and AAA he struggled with making contact, but he adjusted in both circumstances and brought down his K% in his 2025 year in AAA to more manageable 22%. He has not yet adjusted to big league pitching. Whether he can, and can cut down his strikeouts and become a starter in the major leagues is a question that every player on the bubble usually faces. If I were a decision maker, he'd have a role on the team to provide the opportunity to excel, but I'm not handing him a starting position because of sentimentality. His career MiLB batting average is .260, so the ceiling is not exactly limitless. He did have some decent pop in the minor leagues, and he's always had a respectable walk rate.
And I think we're forgetting there's Tommy Edman out there who will be healthy and be the front runner to start at 2nd. Freeland/Kim are going to have to be a credible alternative.
As for De La Cruz, I read that the Reds are actually open to offers. How exorbitant those offers would have to be is up to the imagination - but I can imagine a lot. I don't want to give up JDP.
And just for the sake of comparison, Miggo Ro's career wRC+ was 86, the same as Freeland's. Miggy Ro was a defensive wizard and a great mentor, however. Freeland's D is very good, but not at the level of a Miggy Ro or Turang.
I'm in favor of adding a true 2B and moving Edman to super-utility or commiting to Edman at 2B. I don't think Freeland beats him one on one.
191 hits? 32 doubles? 9 triples? 34 sb? Nah, he doesn’t fit the mold for The RVS method of hitting! Did the Dodgers get 11 homers from the second base position? Lopez will be in high demand this offseason. The Dodgers have what it takes to acquire him. Would they? Lowe makes a lot of sense. I’m good either way. But the Dodgers are in charge! Probably neither one will be a Dodger!
As for Otto Lopez's defense....
2026 Defensive Highlights & Metrics
• Shortstop Defense: Posted a .975 fielding percentage with 10 errors across 394 total chances in 111 games (107 starts) at shortstop. • Second Base Defense: Started the year with a .986 fielding percentage with 2 errors in 139 total chances across 32 games (31 starts) at second base. • Statcast / Range (OAA): Ranked in the 96th percentile in Outs Above Average (OAA) with +10 range at shortstop. • Fielding Run Value: Ranked in the 83rd percentile with a +6 fielding run value (plus-10 defender at shortstop by Fielding Run Value/FRV).
I love players with good plate discipline who work counts, swing only at pitches they can hammer, and earn their share of walks. JdP seems to have all those qualities, and the minor league reports on Davalan are promising in this regard. I've always like the adage "a walk is a good as a hit." It's the Moneyball ethos: "He gets on base." But then along comes a sort of stealthy, unhyped guy like 28-year-old Otto Lopez, who doesn't walk much at all but collected an ML-leading 191 hits last season. Great bat-to-ball skills. So I think: A hit is as good as a walk... and often better. Otto's hits included 11 HRs, 9 triples and 32 doubles. Stole 34 bases in 39 tries. Scored 94 runs in 157 games. Seems durable. Plays both SS and 2B. Intriguing. What would it take? Who says no?
I wonder how many millions Jazz has cost himself with his attitude and mouth... Talented player, but a poor reputation. He had a nice run with the Yankees for a while...then seemed to wear out his welcome. Again. I wonder if the Dodgers lucked into the reunion with Miggy Rojas because of the bad blood between the veteran and the young, exciting, even Jazz-y star who, back then, was expected to be the face of that franchise...
While the middle infield is a place the Dodgers could improve, I would not be surprised if another proven catcher is acquired. Feduccia seems like an OK backup, but Smith seems to play better with regular breaks that minimize wear and tear. Rushing should be back after the all-star break.
Great takes as usual JD! I completely agree: give Freeland/Kim a chance, unless they both blow it at ST or a too good to pass up deal appears. Hard no to low character guys like Chisolm, Marte, and Abrams. No need to overpay for Pena or even Neto. Elly De la Cruz, for the right price--all day long. I say inject the youth at 2B and LF with De Paula. Also, add a youngster to the bench. Shore up the relief pitching and we should be fine.
The question to me boils down to this: At what point should Mookie move to to 2B? That's been the plan for a few year--and probably ever since AF signed him longterm. He had come up as a middle infielder with the Red Sox, and was blocked at 2B by Dustin Pedroia. Boston might have played him at SS, but they had Bogaerts. Mookie, a superior athlete, took over RF and excelled. But when AF signed, surely the plan was for the aging superstar to move back the middle infield. With his abiding, misplaced faith in Gavin Lux, the plan was for a Lux-Mookie keystone. But finally the vaunted LAD brass saw what a lot of us fans had seen: Lux fell short as a shortstop. And it was Mookie to the rescue! So how long should this last? The SS market now has a lot of good options that have (a) outperformed Freeland and Kim and (b) make the Dodgers younger. You say Otto Lopez has a good glove? I'm good with a terrific fielder who piles up 190 hits but doesn't walk much. What will he cost? Is Brice Turang really available? Great! How much? He was drafted as a SS, so maybe young Brice and Old Man Mookie can switch roles in a couple seasons. You think Freeland will have a breakout season like Turang did a couple years back? Well, Turang was a 1st round pick (like Lux, only better), so Milwaukee understandably had great faith in the lad. Freeland had had some good moments, but in '26 his elders Rojas, Edman and Kike out-played him. He was not pushing them toward retirement. Freeland got a greater opportunity that Kim, but Roberts opted to play the old guys more, because they delivered, and he wanted to win. Will Freeland blossom like Miguel Vargas? Well, the Dodgers brass wanted desperately for the Lux-Vargas keystone to work. But Miguelito didn't blossom until he left the Dodgers. The way I see it, the gap between Freeland and Kim is pretty narrow, like the 1 point difference in their ML OPS. Even though Freeland got double the ML opportunity than Kim, the Dodgers passed over Freeland for Kim in the postseason. Kim has the edge in speed, Freeland the edge in pop. The gap between these two is so narrow that I find myself hoping that a dark horse like Davalan or Geloff could change the 2B equation in Spring training. Both appear to have higher ceilings on offense. But I find myself circling back to the Elly question... Just as the Dodgers brass has to think about the best time to shift Mookie to 2B, Cincy has to be thinking about the best time to put Elly on the market. My guess is that it won't be this winter, but probably next winter. So maybe Freeland--or Kim or Davalan or Geloff--have one season to stake their claim at 2B. A year ago, a lot of fans, including myself, were predicting that Skubal would probably become a Dodger. The writing was on the wall. Now people are wondering about Elly.