Status Quo: Let's Ride!

Last year, Andrew Friedman said he did not want to wait until the trade deadline and then overpay for players to improve the team. That is what he thought as he signed Michael Conforto, Kirby Yates, and Tanner Scott in the offseason, all of whom were major trainwrecks. He also re-signed Teoscar Hernandez, who had his worst season ever. Now, Teo has the opportunity to reset and come back with a vengeance, OR he could be in decline. We shall see.

I keep hearing Steven Kwan’s name, but if the Dodgers traded for him, not only would they have to pay dearly in prospects and players, but Teoscar would have to stay in RF. That is unacceptable. Harrison Bader had a career year last year, and I would consider him on a one-year deal. He will give you good defense and let him hit 8th or 9th. That puts Teoscar in LF and Andy Pages in RF, where he might be a Gold Glove! I would give Bader a 1-year deal at $18 to $20 million. It’s more than he’s worth, but he might be a good “bridge” to Sirota or Quintero. The Farm’s outfield is going to start to produce.

If the trade deadline comes and the team needs more, Friedman knows what to do… and he has the chips to trade. Let’s ride with this lineup:

1. Ohtani (L) DH
2. Betts (R) SS
3. Freeman (L) 1B
4. Smith (R) C
5. Muncy (L) 3B
6. Pages (R) RF
7. Teoscar (R) LF
8. Rojas/Kim (R-L) 2B
9. Bader (R) CF

Bench: Rushing, Edman (when healthy), Ibanez, Call

FROM AVF:

Like many organizations, the Dodgers have long turned to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the nation’s capital, to land some big fish on the amateur international market. This year is no different as the club has agreed to a deal with 6-foot-3 switch-hitting shortstop Ezequiel Melbourne, the No. 29 prospect in the 2026 class.

Last year, the club put all its proverbial eggs in one basket during its dogged pursuit of right-hander Roki Sasaki (No. 1 prospect in 2025). This go-round, Los Angeles has been able to spread out its funds and allocated its $6,679,200 in pool money across a diverse group of talent.

While it’s far too early to say Melbourne is on the same track as former Dodgers international signees Adrián Beltré and Carlos Santana (among many others who have called Santo Domingo home), he has tremendous physical projection. A switch-hitter with a quality eye and a smooth stroke from both sides of the dish, he’s presently focused on line drives, but scouts believe there will be plenty of pop to come as he enters the professional environment.

Melbourne ($747,500 signing bonus) has a quick first step defensively, backing the idea that he could stick at shortstop despite his taller frame. His long legs enable him to cover ground on the basepaths and he could tap into some stolen-base prowess as he continues to hone that aspect of his game.

Dodgers Spring Training Tickets are on sale now!
The club also reached an agreement with left-handed-hitting outfielder Rubel Arias for $997,500. Melbourne and Arias have trained together with the highly esteemed Jaime Ramos, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program, in the Dominican Republic. (Emil Morales, the Dodgers’ No. 7 prospect, also trained with Ramos during his amateur days.)

Arias, who has a smooth stroke in the box and plenty of power potential to grow into, landed just outside the Top 50 prospects in his class. He’s expected to command the highest bonus among this year’s Dodgers crop and could well prove worthy of that investment with his offense-first profile.

Los Angeles – which MLB Pipeline ranked as having the No. 1 farm system in the sport last August – already has a gargantuan amount of talent at both shortstop and in the outfield down on the farm with 10 of its top 12 prospects and 19 of the Top 30 in one of those two demographics.

Two of those standouts – Josue De Paula (No. 1/MLB No. 13) and Eduardo Quintero (No. 3/MLB No. 34) – were relatively modest international signings, receiving bonuses lower than $400,000. But getting them into the club’s player development program proved pivotal, as even evaluators across the league recognize the work the organization does in building up the talent it brings aboard – whether hitter or pitcher, domestic or international.

An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year.

That means players born between Sept. 1, 2008, and Aug. 31, 2009, will be eligible to sign in the current signing period. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible to sign.

Pipeline
Kershaw to represent USA in Classic to cap Hall-worthy career

“LOS ANGELES — Months removed from a storybook ending to his big league career, one of the greatest pitchers of his generation is coming out for an encore.

Clayton Kershaw will represent the U.S. in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, Team USA announced on Thursday. This will mark the Dodgers legend’s first time participating in the Classic, as he had to withdraw from the 2023 edition due to insurance issues”.

From Bluto

Baseball America on the Dodgers’ INTL signings ($$$$)
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/los-angeles-dodgers-2026-international-class-scouting-report/

Dominican outfielder Rubel Arias,.. Scouts highest on Arias praised his feel for hitting, as well—some scouts think it will be a hit-over-power profile

Dominican shortstop Ezequiel Melbourne, signing for $750,000, jumps out quickly for his actions at shortstop. Young for the class—Melbourne turns 17 on June 2—he’s a switch-hitter with a slender 6-foot-2 frame…

Dominican shortstop Ariel Reynoso is an offensive-minded middle infielder with a strong, thicker 5-foot-10 build. He shows a good balance of both hitting ability and extra-base impact from both sides of the plate. ..

Another shortstop from the Dominican Republic, Jose Victorino, has grown several inches throughout the scouting process and is now 6-foot-3 with longer limbs and a chance to hit for power from the right side of the plate with physical upside for that power to jump more once he fills out his rangy build….

One of the up-arrow players for the Dodgers in this class is Tom Apfelbaum, a 17-year-old lefthander from Germany. Apfelbaum, who pitched for Germany in the U-18 World Cup last year, is 6-foot-4, 190 pounds and has seen his fastball steadily rise over the last few years to now sit in the low-90s and touch 94 mph…

Another lefty, Miguel Herrera from Venezuela, is 6-foot-1 with good pitchability for his age. He’s up to 91 mph, throws an advanced changeup for his age…

Jose Requena is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, a strong corner outfielder from Venezuela with a power-over-hit offensive game from the right side of the plate. Raw power and a plus arm …

Josh Thomas @DodgersDigest has his own look:
https://dodgersdigest.com/2026/01/15/rubel-arias-ezequiel-melburne-highlight-dodgers-2026-ifa-signings/

Arias, a 17-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic, is the class headliner,…

Melburne (whose name also appears as Melbourne in places, but I’m using the spelling from MLB Pipeline) signed for $747,500. … though he shows pop that is at least a full grade better from the right side than the left:

Apfelbaum (whose surname means apple tree in German) is a tall and lanky lad at 6-foot-4, 190 pounds…. began receiving more widespread notice last April, as he traveled to the Dominican Republic