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With Mookie Betts the 'everyday' 2B, Dodgers' outfield options are plentiful
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The biggest Los Angeles Dodgers-related news this offseason, of course, surrounds their pursuit of Shohei Ohtani. They've been angling to sign the two-way superstar for more than a decade, since he was coming out of high school. Whether they sign him will have massive implications on not only one of baseball's most storied franchises but the entire sport.
But as Ohtani's decision continues to loom, the Dodgers must move forward with other orders of business. Enter the winter meetings, where the brass of every team is in attendance and has a prime opportunity to alter rosters for 2024 and beyond.
For the Dodgers, much of the focus beyond Ohtani this winter has been on the depleted and unsettled rotation, and rightfully so. But manager Dave Roberts revealed something Monday that raised eyebrows: Mookie Betts will be L.A.'s "everyday" second baseman.
What can we take from this?
The Dodgers began using Betts in the infield — he also logged 12 starts at shortstop — as early as the fourth game of the 2023 season, but it's worth noting the degree to which it ticked up in the second half. Consider Betts' positional start splits by month:
- April: 6 2B, 3 SS, 15 RF
- May: 4 2B, 3 SS, 20 RF
- June: 6 2B, 4 SS, 14 RF
- July: 13 2B, 2 SS, 6 RF
- August: 16 2B, 0 SS, 12 RF
- September: 17 2B, 0 SS, 8 RF
While the season totals tell the story of a player who bounced around all year long, Betts increasingly settled into playing second base as the season progressed. The degree to which he played there over the final two months may be more in line with what the Dodgers have in mind for 2024. Taking the outfield completely off the table doesn't make much sense, even if it won't be Betts' primary position anymore. Was Roberts' use of the word "everyday" hyperbole? Or will Betts actually start 95% of his appearances at the keystone next year?
The answer to that is rooted in how the Dodgers continue to fill out their outfield. Roberts on Monday cited the return of right fielder Jason Heyward, but it's no secret the inspiring comeback case almost exclusively faced right-handers in his first year in L.A. There are clearly more at-bats to be had in the Dodgers outfield, and based on the free-agent market, it seems the front office has concluded that it'll be far easier.
Shohei Ohtani & Los Angeles Dodgers could be the best match in all MLB | Flippin' Bats
Roberts noted how much Betts enjoyed playing second base while asserting it could also keep him healthier and fresher with less running around in the outfield throughout a long season. This could be true. At the same time, such a declaration at this point in the winter would also seem to suggest that L.A. feels far more confident in continuing to improve its outfield situation than addressing second base with something other than, "Hey, Mookie, wanna just do this second base thing all the time?"
That would be a sound assessment. The top middle infielders in free agency are Tim Anderson, Whit Merrifield and Amed Rosario, who underwhelmed with the Dodgers after they acquired him at the trade deadline. The outfield market, though, is far more robust, with the likes of Teoscar Hernández and Jorge Soler offering the most pop, while veterans like Adam Duvall and Tommy Pham are still capable of making an impact in the bottom half of a contender's lineup.
Since we're talking about the Dodgers, why not an investment in 25-year-old KBO star Jung Hoo Lee? There are options here, and it's not surprising they'd prefer exploring those than the dregs of the infield market. Mookie's got them covered for that.
Anything involving the Dodgers this winter must also be connected to Ohtani. If he signs elsewhere, players like Hernández and Soler might become even more attractive, as they could reasonably fill the DH spot in addition to taking regular outfield reps. Another option would be a reunion with J.D. Martinez coupled with a more significant commitment to a corner outfielder who regularly plays left field but can cover right field when Heyward sits against lefties. This would put Chris Taylor in the super-utility role better suited for him than the everyday left field job he currently projects to have.
Should the Dodgers land Ohtani, DH-leaning types like Martinez and even Soler obviously become less attractive. But I also wonder if an everyday outfielder like Hernandez or Lourdes Gurriel Jr. would still be desirable. The focus aside from Ohtani still needs to be on pitching, a far more unsettled portion of the roster than any of these various defensive alignments.
Assuming Betts' next position switch isn't to the mound, rotation issues are one thing he won't resolve.
Jordan Shusterman is half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball writer for FOX Sports. He has covered baseball for his entire adult life, most notably for MLB.com, DAZN and The Ringer. He's a Mariners fan living in the Eastern Time Zone, which means he loves a good 10 p.m. first pitch. You can follow him on Twitter @j_shusterman_.
