The Dodgers Can Afford Hyeseong Kim at 2B

I hope all are safe.

The news is calling Los Angeles HELLA

Everyone here is safe, right?

Not sure where in LA (other than Mark, obviously) people live.

I must see things a bit differently. Russell Martin is said to be a party animal. He played 14 years and had a great career. Some of his personal decisions may have cost him but at the end of the day Martin is a grown man and as long as he isn’t breaking the law he should be able to be or do what he feels is right. I understand that Ruth, Mantle, Ted Willams and Stan Musial loved the social life of being a star, yet they produced between the lines. I really can’t see a correlation of being a socialite being a factor in the locker room unless the player comes in and it affects his play. That is where leadership steps in and guides young players to moderate the after hours activities. When I was a basketball assistant at a University our head coach really didn’t care what a player did, he just wanted to make sure they got plenty of sleep. The players seem to understand this and our off the court problems were minimal. We treated the players as adults, when we had a problem we would ask a senior or an upper class man to have a chitchat with that player. If you guys have inside information that Lux’s partying effected his play or his relationship with teammates do tell.

Jarrett Siedler of Baseball Prospectus on the Dodgers farm system:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG7lqCIJFlg

Tommy Edman is a slightly heavier lite hitter who happens to be be part korean! baseball needs to start before you guys post each other to death!! And i do miss Bradley and his almost never close trade proposals! Glad you’re back Bear! I saw, ( didn’t make it up) , dodgers may be up to another significant trade! Maybe a second baseman? Maybe a certain white sox center fielder?? Which would then move Tommy to second base. who knows?

Mark I think Bluto reminds me of Ruben Sierra. You officially have a village idiot. Affectionately of course.

Book em

Bluto: It is really hard to let this one pass. You have consistently criticized others for spelling and grammar mistakes, and you come up with the sentence “Making up stuff about a player’s lifestyle habit, and what impact they may have.” Habit is singular and they is plural. It would be enormously better to make sure you are grammatically correct before judging others.

You have also consistently said each grammar or spelling correction was kind of a joke. That is entirely BS. I for one, am very tired of your condescending, arrogant attitude. Please have a little more respect for people in your responses.

I also have to comment about your continual criticism of the “light hitting Korean”. Once again, a clear example of your arrogance thinking you know more than the powers to be who run our team. Why don’t you wait to at least see what he brings on the field before saying what role he will play.

You bring a lot of positive to these blogs with your posts. It is entirely unnecessary to try to always be the “bad guy”.

I hope Gavin has a good career. I think Flaherty likes the night life too. And AF will not give big money to that type of player. It is impossible to maintain that high performance engine if you put too much antifreeze in the radiator. Bad boys, clubbers and selfish ballplayers need not apply. Fun Diego is 90 miles down the road. I remember when Pham got stabbed.Hmm. Out clubbing. I have nothing against Lux, he just didn’t fit the Dodger mold. Once Gavin reestablished his trade value, he was definitely on his way out the door. Thanks for the memories!

Book em

Let’s not forget all the people and Dodger fans who will be impacted by the Wild Fires. This is no joke.

The LA Times Ben Harris has a good article on how the Dodgers might look in 2025 (Hint: It’s that delusional stuff I told you):

https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2025-01-07/dodgers-gavin-lux-trade-roster-versatility

In part:

“So far this offseason, the team has remained committed to giving Betts an extended run back at shortstop, where he started last season before returning to right field. In a perfect world, Betts will continue to develop defensively into a legitimate everyday shortstop. But if he doesn’t, the club will have a much simpler fall-back plan, capable of sliding him over to second base, which he has handled more capably in recent seasons.

In the meantime, Kim could take over Lux’s role at second base, at least as a platoon option against right-handed pitching. And if a need at shortstop arises, Kim also could contribute there — something the Dodgers seemed more hesitant to do with Lux, after his defensive struggles at the position.

Lux’s departure also could alter Edman’s role. Instead of being locked into an everyday spot in center, there might be more infield opportunities for the smooth-fielding utility man, who served as the Dodgers’ primary shortstop in last year’s World Series run.

Where second-year outfielder Andy Pages previously seemed boxed out of consistent playing time, he might now have a pathway to more at-bats against left-handed pitching. There also should be more playing time for Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor as well.”

Here is the Long and the Short of it:

1. Lux is gone. I will check in on him from time to time (like I do ex-Dodger players), but he is out of my mind (come to think of it, maybe I am too)

2. Mookie is going to play SS in 2025. Only an Act of God will change that. Nothing has been decided for 2026, but CT3 and Miguel Rojas will likely be gone and if Alex Freeland does well, he will be the SS.

3. In 2026, if Freeland mans SS and Mookie Mans 2B, then Kim will be what Kike and CT3 were.

4. Food for Thought – 2026:

C- Rushing

1B – Freeman

2B – Betts

SS – Freeland

3B – Smith

LF – DePaula

CF – Edman

RF – Teoscar

DH – Ohtani

Bench: Kim, Miller, Pages, some catcher

Time to move on. Lux is gone

Time will tell, but 2B will likely be a platoon with Kim against RHP and Taylor, Rojas, Kike (maybe), and /or Edman against LHP.

Talking about players who liked to party:

Russell Martin=Party Animal.

It’s what will keep him out of the HOF.

He would have been twice as good, if he partied less. For real!

I’ve read all the comments and I am still laughing at unrequited man love.

Verlander signs one year deal with the Giants.

Ahhh rumors, a single player likes to go out. Probably the first player ever that enjoyed the night life. I have trouble believing that other teammates would call out a teammate publicly. In my opinion they are bigger assholes than the player that’s partying. To say Lux is an average player while he sat out one season and he’s going to be 27 plus he’s getting paid half of what Kim is being paid to say he’s average at this point is nonsense. Check back in two years then pass judgement. He may end up sucking.

Lux was a league average player at best during his time with the Dodgers. He has untapped potential. Will he ever achieve what he is capable of?

Kim is 2 years younger, they have more years of team control, he is faster, and a better defender. Lux has more power but not great power. And his platoon splits were more extreme than I thought. Last year he OPS’d .394 against LH pitchers vs .739 vs RH pitchers. for his career it was .552 vs .745.

The other thing that I have heard when Dodger players are interviewed – Lux likes the nightlife. I wonder if he is disciplined enough to reach his potential?

Don’t want to belabor the point but I will. At the age of 24 Lux hit.276. At the age of 25 he had to sit out the season with an awful injury. Coming back at the age of 26 Lux absolutely sucked in the first half of the season. In the second half of the regular season he hit .304. Lux is still in his prime and after sitting out a season it’s hard to come back and do the hardest thing to do in sports hitting a baseball. Next season he will be 28, making less than 3 million. To me Lux was a grinder (dog), which is a compliment. History I believe will prove the Dodgers undervalued Lux.

I might be the only guy thinking that Mookie is going back to second base. He’s always played on the right side, as in right fielder. Sees and anticipates the ball slicing off a right handers swing. Knows how left handers pull the ball. I admit , I had no idea Kim committed 35 errors at SS. But, I really think Mookie is more comfortable playing second and is better defensively there too. I’m high on Freeland and thought he had a chance at starting at SS THIS year. 4 of our top 10 prospects on most scouting lists play short. I don’t see any upside by putting Betts there. He’s moving back to second base, I hope. My 2 cents today.

The late and great manager was quoted “you don’t run the ball to home plate.” Earl Weaver said this when asked why he doesn’t run his pitchers more. I know we are not talking about pitching here but the only baseball sense of bringing Kim in to play second is his defense. No doubt defense is critical in having a great team but my unprofessional opinion is Lux was adequate at second base.

Again I’m not disillusional enough to believe I know more than our front office, but I don’t like this trade even a little bit.

I’m getting off my soapbox now. Bear I’m hoping your doing great. Mark I’m looking forward to meeting you at a ballpark near you next summer. As of Monday of next week I’m officially done with my current job.

I think he will play 2B for the Reds and Matt McLain will move to the OF or 3B, but you never know.

I keep hearing from the pundits that Lux will play “all over the diamond”.

If that’s really what the Reds plan to do (and they haven’t actually said so), then I think they made a bad trade.

Our front office has used Lux all over the place since he arrived and came to the conclusion that he’s a very serviceable second baseman, but really doesn’t fit anywhere else.

He couldn’t cut it at shortstop, he didn’t work out well in the outfield (although he really wasn’t given much time out there), and with his questionable arm, I doubt he would make a good third baseman.

I hope the Reds stick him at 2B and let him play there every day, against all pitching. That way we’ll all find out if he can ever become the player we hoped he’d be when he was in L.A.

2026:

C Smith

1B Freddie

2B Mookie

SS Freeland 20/20

3B Bichette JR

LF Teoscar

CF ???

RF Pages

DH Ohtani

Bench:

Rushing

Edman

Kim

???

RIP Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. Passed away at age 86.

Kim brings something to the table that Lux did not. Elite speed.

This trade involving Lux smells a lot like the Paul kenerko trade, though the Dodgers received a top reliever in the trade. I’m speaking of Lux and how he will develop into a well above average hitting second baseman. I’m afraid this trade will not age well. That being said I also believe Vargas will become a good MLB player.

What’s wrong with CT3 at 2B.

I see a huge resurgence year for him…..

BA had thi to say about Sirota before the Draft:

Sirota entered the 2024 season as one of the top prospects in the draft class from a mid-major college program, with a chance to be a top 10 overall pick. He had a well-rounded profile and set Northeastern’s single-season runs record in 2023, when he also hit 18 home runs. The 6-foot-3, 188-pound outfielder took a big step backward in 2024 and didn’t look like his usual self at the plate. Sirota hit under .300 for the first time in his career, and scouts thought his swing backed up and noted struggles to cover the plate middle-in. Sirota employs a crouched and wide setup at the plate without many moving parts and fires quick hands through the zone, though he’s more of a contact hitter with a level path than a power hitter. He’ll need to add more strength to a frame that still has some room to fill out. Despite his draft year offensive struggles, Sirota still managed an excellent 23% walk rate and has always made high-quality swing decisions. Multiple strong summers in the Cape Cod League will reinforce the idea that he’s a solid hitter. Sirota’s supplemental tools are strong, thanks to plus running ability and above-average center field defense with a strong throwing arm. Sirota is young for the college class and could still fit in the second or third round.

Kim `is not going to be the starting 2B, not sure where that came from but it’s delusional.

Keith Law ($$$$) on the Kim signing and the Lux trade:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6043336/2025/01/06/gavin-lux-trade-analysis-reds-dodgers/

likes the trade for both sides, thinks Dodgers development will add lift and power eventually for Kim.

How can Mark not have access to a spell checker?

In this day and age.

I’m going to be a contrarian and say I’m not super excited about the trade and the signing of the Korean kid.

I think you have to start with what the Dodgers expect to be getting by signing Kim to a long-term deal. I think they’re hoping to get a younger version of Miguel Rojas who can play great D all over the infield, but will predominantly play 2nd base while Mookie plays SS, perhaps eventually sliding over to SS as Mookie gets on in years and presumably slides over to 2nd.

Kim is a gold glove caliber 2nd baseman, but when he played SS for his Korean team he had 35 errors, perhaps because of his unorthodox side arm throwing motion. He can’t play 3rd (Rojas saved Kershaw’s no-hitter playing third, so he definitely can) So, defensively he might already be limited to 2nd base unless he figures out the throw from SS to 1rst.

Can he hit? Again, realistically the comp is Miguel Rojas, so no. I think Kim’s wRC+ in the Korean league was 118, which would be above average in the MLB, but the Korean league is not MLB. His career high in home runs in Korea is 11, so no thump whatsoever. He can run. His steal percentage is over 85%, but he has to get on base first.

So, he’s probably a good to great defensive 2nd baseman, but there are question marks about his ability to play anywhere else, and he will likely not be much more than an average major league hitter.

Lux is about the same age. He’s probably destined to only play 2nd base, which he played pretty well last year. He’s not a gold glover there, but he’s passable and not too much of a liability. Kim definitely has the edge defensively.

A little bit like Mark’s unrequited man love for Miguel Vargas, I will be forever tantalized by Lux’s AAA performance in 2019, where he hit nearly .400, was described as a future “perpetual All Star” by Fangraphs, and had like a 70 rating for power. He just never got traction at the MLB level. Covid in his rookie year screwed him over somewhat. A major knee injury obviously set him back a great deal. He showed he didn’t have the arm for SS. He had to deal with a case of the yips.

His bat definitely showed life last July and August after a horrid start to the season, but he tailed off a bit in September. I still think he’s a .280/15 HR hitter. As far as 2nd basemen go, I think he still has a higher offensive ceiling than the Kim kid. Maybe.

As far as what the Dodgers got for Lux, Mike Sirota seems like a defensive-first outfielder. Depth. The 37th pick is the 37th pick.

If the Dodgers can get a comp to that other Hayseong Kim 2nd baseman for the Padres, then it’s a good signing and a definite upgrade over Lux. They both play fantastic defense at 2nd, but I’m not sure that the Dodgers Kim will be as good as the Padres Kim offensively, who’s above average and has more power.

If the Dodgers new 2nd baseman hits like Rojas, but can’t play SS or third like Rojas, then I don’t think it’s a great signing.

Time will tell.

I wonder if this signing is driven in small measure by a renewed emphasis by the Dodgers on defense. In the WS, we saw that defense, or a lack of it, can be decisive.

BTW, best wishes to Bear and hope he makes a speedy recovery.

There are a couple of others who project that the Yankees or San Diego will sign Sasaki.

Most of this stuff is probably writers or pundits trying to create something to write about. Do they have inside information? Probably not. They twist a word here or there, take a sentence and spin a story.

It seems logical that Sasaki would sign with the Dodgers. California is the gateway to the Pacific and the Asian market. The Dodgers are the most successful organization in baseball. The marketing opportunities are endless. The weather is exceptional. The crowds are amazing, even on the road. The Dodgers don’t rebuild. They sustain success. What’s not to like?

But maybe Sasaki isn’t focused on that. Maybe none of that matters. We’ll know in the next couple of weeks. But I wouldn’t bet against the Dodgers.

My only gripe with Kike is that he was involved in wrecking Cody’s shoulder

Jim Bowden of The Athletic had this to say about Rooki Sasaki:

Seven teams have reportedly met with Sasaki and his agent, Joel Wolfe of Wasserman, in Los Angeles, including the Dodgers, Padres, Cubs, Yankees, Mets, Rangers and Giants. Other teams still could be added to the list, but in all probability Sasaki is probably going to sign with one of those seven.

Of that group, most in the industry believe he’ll end up signing with the Dodgers. However, I’m not in that camp because I think endorsement deals with Japanese companies are going to be important for him financially since he won’t be eligible for arbitration for three years or eligible for free agency for at least six years. In Los Angeles, he’d be in the shadow of both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, lessening his endorsement ceiling. And there are other reasons I don’t believe he’s destined for the Dodgers.

(Sasaki can only be signed through each team’s international bonus pools, which range from roughly $5.1 million to $7.5 million.)

I don’t think the Giants make a lot of sense for him based on their weak farm system and mediocre major-league roster. I view the Rangers as a long shot, though they would be a good fit because of their strong pitching room and leadership group. The Cubs also seem like a stretch to me. That leaves both New York teams and the Padres.

Wolfe recently provided an update on the 23-year-old star’s unusual free agency, but none of us know how this ends or what exactly Sasaki is thinking. His favorite player growing up was Masahiro Tanaka, which would lead me to guess he was at least somewhat of a Yankees fan. He considers Yu Darvish a godfather-type influence, and the Padres veteran mentored Sasaki during Japan’s championship run in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Therefore, for no other reason, I’ll predict he signs with either the Yankees or San Diego.

Last. Key move to make is bring back Kike. He’s not gonna cost a lot, he loves being a Dodger and was HUGE in the post season this year.. I don’t care if the dude hits under 200 all year, just let him do his thing in the playoffs, he is just one of the few guys who shines when most guys get the pucker factor. When he dropped the F bomb on national TV and asked if they were live before he said it, right then and there I said there is the Dodgers Alpha Dog, he won’t stop until he gets a parade . He is one of the few energy guys the Dodgers have, big time glue guy .

I like the move. Kim did not seem to fit the super utility role because of the number of utility infielders already on the roster even without a return by Kike. Taylor is a better outfielder than Kim just due to experience and Betts is going to play almost all games at short. Not to mention Kim and Lux are both left handed hitting 2nd basemen, at their best. I was skeptical that Lee was truly going to be a super utility guy. This move of Lux makes more sense. This trade has the feel of the Michael Busch trade with Cubs. Kim now gets to play his best defensive position though I can see a Pages/Kim platoon of sorts where Edman plays second against left handed pitching and Pages handles center.

Nice chess move….

Even if Sirota and the player to be drafted later fail to blossom, it’s good to create room for Kim and enable some of that “optionality” the Dodgers like.

While we can’t expect Kim to equal his KBO stats, his offensive profile may not change:

–He’s a contact hitter with a good eye who hits both lefties and righties.

–He walks nearly as much as strikes out.

–He adds extra speed to the bottom of the lineup.

Maybe he won’t achieve the .380+ OBP he had in Korea, but .350 would be terrific for a fast guy batting in front of Shohei and Mookie.

The Korean “gold glove” isn’t strictly a defensive award, but goes to the best all-around player at a position. But yes, Kim is a quality defender.

New likely lineup:

Shohei DH

Mookie SS

Freddie 1B

Teo RF*

Max 3B

Smith C

Conforto LF*

Edman CF**

Kim 2B

*I saw an interview in which Gomes said that Teo prefers RF while Conforto prefers LF. So I think that’s the likely alignment. (Either Pages or Taylor could platoon with Conforto.)

**The Dodgers can maximize Edman’s UT value by shifting him between CF, 2B, 3B and SS. With a strong spring, Outman could play his way onto the roster again, just as he did as a rookie. An injury to just about any starter or reserve (such as Rojas and Taylor) could create some opportunity and musical chairs.

You seem pretty confident about Sasaki.

No question the Dodgers want another top shelf reliever.

Not totally surprised about Lux. Hey, when they said that Lux was not going to be traded, that means he’s gone.

I hope you’re right about Dreyer.

11″ inches of snow in the last 24 hours. We had 8 inches all winter last year!

Shadrack… the snow dog! He loves it!

In case you are wondering, Mookie is staying at SS.

DODGERS TADE LUX TO THE REDS AND AQUIRE THEIR COMPETITIVE DRAFT PICK AROUND 37TH AND MIKE SIROTA:

AGE

21

BATS

R

DOB

06/16/2003

THROWS

R

HT

6′ 3″

DRAFTED

2024, 3rd (87) – CIN

WT

188

ETA

2027

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

“Sirota was relatively unknown when he was selected out of the Connecticut high school ranks late in the 2021 Draft by the Dodgers, but he went on to play for Mike Glavine at Northeastern University in Boston. He had hit everywhere he’d been, from his first two seasons in college (1.060 OPS) to back-to-back turns in the Cape Cod League (.942 OPS), making the grand-nephew of Whitey Ford the best Huskies product since Carlos Peña went No. 10 overall in 1998. He failed to live up to top-of-the-first-round expectations by really scuffling for much of his junior season, though he righted the ship enough to land to the Reds in the third round and sign for right around slot value.

Lean, athletic and strong, Sirota has an intriguing collection of tools. He has plus bat speed with excellent bat-to-ball skills from the right side of the plate, though his timing was off for much of the spring, keeping him from squaring up the ball as consistently as he has in the past. There’s raw power for him to tap into — he had 18 homers in his sophomore season — and when combined with his plus speed, he has 20-20 potential at the highest level.

That speed makes Sirota a legitimate longterm center fielder. He makes good reads and routes and has a tick-above-average arm to boot, with his all-around tools and makeup giving the Reds confidence he can rediscover his consistency.”

Mike Sirota, OF

Age: 22

Sirota was a third-round pick in 2024 out of Northeastern. He entered the spring season as a first-round talent and arguable top 10 overall pick but had a poor platform season, hitting below .300 for the first time in his career and struggling to repeat the power surge he managed as a sophomore. Sirota has a well-rounded toolset that includes plus speed, above-average defense and arm strength in center field, but his offensive profile is now more questionable, and he’ll need to add more power and physicality. His offensive strengths include a strong batting eye and a 17.5% career walk rate. He has not yet made his pro debut.

2025 Supplemental First Round Pick

The exact draft order is not yet set, but the Dodgers acquire an extra pick in the middle of the first supplemental round. The 37th overall pick in 2024 came with a slot value just over $2.5 million. The pick itself and the bonus pool money that comes with it will be a nice addition for a Dodgers team that perpetually picks at the back of the first round. Supplemental round draft picks are the only picks teams are able to trade. Last July, the Nationals acquired the 39th overall pick from the Royals in a deal that sent Cayden Wallace to Washington and Hunter Harvey to Kansas City.

It’s a good deal for the Dodgers trading Lux. They open up a spot on the 40 man roster,pick up approx. 2 million in 2025 Draft money and a player they know,scouted and drafted in 2021 in Mike Sirota. Win,Win!!