I still do not understand all the negative comments with respect to Manuel Margot. He is a younger and more athletic OF than was David Peralta. LAD did just fine with Peralta in LF. Of course the Dodgers would have loved to get Randy Arozarena instead of Margot, but what was the asking price? Either it was too much for AF/BG or Arozarena really was not going to be traded.
Margot will never be a star, but he is serviceable. Not every player has to be a star. Margot is the perfect platoon partner with Jason Heyward. Heyward is not going to see any LHP and Margot will see limited RHP, although more than Heyward will see LHP.
Right now, Chris Taylor is the starting LF. Thus the Dodgers are going to need to find a better option than Taylor (33) for LF. I am not sure Tommy Pham (36) or Adam Duvall (35) are that player. IMO, not nearly enough of an upgrade.
If the Dodgers are truly looking for a RH power hitting OF, it probably behooves them to wait until Andy Pages is ready.
I am still an advocate for Lane Thomas. The Nats have three near MLB ready OF: James Wood, Robert Hassell III, and Jacob Young. Young has already debuted and was fairly productive 2023 with 122 PA in his initial callup. Washington will not be a contender in the NL East for the next few years, and Thomas will be gone after two. By the time Washington will contend (maybe 2026), all three of the near MLB ready should be in the OF.
The Dodgers could very well put something together to get Lane Thomas. Michael Busch would fit in nicely with Washington. The Trade Simulator advises that Busch is an overpay for Thomas straight up. I cannot see the Nationals buying that. Add Hunter Harvey coming to LAD and Yency Almonte to Washington. The Trade Simulator classifies that as a moderate overpay.
- To LAD – Lane Thomas and Hunter Harvey
- To Washington – Michael Busch and Yency Almonte
Although he is LH hitting, Max Kepler has been tied to the Dodgers. Last year, Kepler had a slash line of .260/.332/.484/.816, with 24 HR, 21.6% K rate, and 9.2% BB rate. His Statcast page is very red:
Kepler had good splits against RHP.
I am not a Dylan Carlson fan, and I do not see him as a logical everyday LF option, but there are reports that the Dodgers are looking at him.
Baltimore would like to move Anthony Santander.
Randy Arozarena is still potentially available.
The Dodgers are reported to still be linked with Teoscar Hernandez. How serious?
Besides Hernandez, Duvall, and Pham, there are other FA options. Jorge Soler (much more expensive), Harrison Bader, Michael A. Taylor, Michael Brantley…
There is also one of Miguel Vargas or Michael Busch who might find their way into LF, leaving CT3 to be the Swiss Army Knife, which is where he excels.
Bottom line there are multiple options, but none that are destined to be All Stars, except maybe Randy Arozarena and Lane Thomas, and either of those are longshots. I do not know if the Dodgers actively sought Manuel Margot, but he will be a serviceable platoon OF. There is also no reason that Margot could not be flipped.
IMO, I do think the Dodgers will be patient and let Andy Pages play his way onto or off the team sometime this summer. Maybe his shoulder will not let him give 100%. Maybe he will be fully recovered. We will not know until he shows up for ST.
If the Dodgers do sign another LF free agent, that could very well mean that both Busch and Vargas will be gone. As the roster is now constructed:
- 1B – Freeman
- 2B – Betts
- 3B – Muncy
- SS – Lux
- LF – Taylor
- CF – Outman
- RF – Heyward
- C – Smith
- DH – Ohtani
- Bench – Barnes, Rojas, Margot, Busch OR Vargas
AF/BG will have to decide if there is a better option than CT3 in LF and a platoon of J-Hey and Margot in RF. Of course they could do better, but they could also do a lot worse.
Agree with the projected roster. I personally think they should name CT3 the starting LF then have an open competition between Busch and Vargas to win that final bench spot; losing goes to OKC.
I’d hate to have Chris “Taylor made for striking out” Taylor as the regular leftfielder. If no trade is made, I’d prefer one of our rookies there.
I can’t speak for others but my problem with Margot is that according to every projection site I look at he just doesn’t project as a very offensive player. I believe they want a 20+ home run .800+ OPS player out there and that ain’t him. I believe that is why we are reading about the links to the others who project closer to that .800 figure.
I think if given a chance Busch or Vargas could be that player. I think Pages could be too eventually, and though I don’t know what Washington thinks of Lane Thomas, a controlled 3 WAR player I suppose if they believe they could get two potential 3 WAR players in return they might consider it. They need more better players but my gut tells me they wouldn’t trade one of their best players for unproven minor leaguers.
Teoscar Hernandez strikes out way too much. Yes, he has a lot of power. He is not the best defensive outfielder and to a point, he plays mostly in RF. No thanks.
Free agency continues to crawl along. No sense of urgency for the rest of baseball.
Why not Vargas in LF? If AF cannot find a place on this team for either Vargas or Busch it’s somewhat of a fail in my eyes. For being a highly ranked minors system for several years, it hasn’t really produced much. Recently it’s been Bobby Miller and James Outman. It will be interesting to see if other teams want any of the Dodger prospects in trades. But, with the aggressive approach in free agency the impact of limited help from prospects is insignificant.
Even with my above comment I’m so excited for the 2024 season to start. And it’s not so much a criticism, but an observation. The front office isn’t making the rankings.
Give Vargas and/or Busch a chance in 2024. Either here or with another team.
Carry on.
Decent power and average. Doesn’t walk, which hurts his wRC+. Below average defense, which maybe doesn’t matter as much in left.
Still, he’s a marginal upgrade or a wash compared to the Adam Duvall’s and Teoscar Hernandez’s. Why give away a talent like Busch when you can just spend 8-10 million for a one year deal for one of those guys like they did with Peralta?
I don’t think Taylor is the permanent answer there. Outman had poor splits against lefties, and there’s a good chance he regresses, so he’ll likely need a platoon partner option, which is where Taylor fits, as well as his utility infielder role. Margot is likely going to be Heyward’s righty bat partner.
As for a more long term solution, I get conflicting reports on Vargas’s speed and athleticism, some saying it’s not great. He did not play well defensively at second, and was always considered fringy at third. How hard is it to learn LF? I am reminded of video clips of Hanley Ramirez trying to play left in Boston. It was comedic.
Andy Pages is maybe a long term OF solution, but I think his arm plays up in right, and the Dodgers will be needing a replacement for Heyward next year.
Thus far I have heard many more No’s than Yes’ on potential OF for LAD. A little bit of a breakdown on some of the ones most identified. There does not seem to be a consensus choice or even near consensus choice.
Teoscar Hernández – 31 year old RHH:
The only player identified with a career OPS of .800+. Career K rate 29.7%. Bad 2023, but three of last four seasons, his OPS was north of .800 each year. From 2017-2022 he slashed – .263/.320/.503/.823. Maybe he just does not hit in Seattle:
Home – .217/.263/.380/.643
Away – .295/.344/.486/.830
Started out as CF, then went to LF, and has moved to RF the last few years. 2022 and 2023 almost exclusively in RF. Not a good defensive player, but not awful. Undoubtedly better than either Busch or Vargas.
Adam Duvall – 35 year old RHH – Career OPS is .763. Career 28.7% K rate. As it calculates, in 600 PA, Hernández would strike out 6 more times than Duvall. I do not believe a decision can be made on that alone. Better defensive OF than Hernández, but has been below average the last 2 years.
Chris Taylor (as everyday LF) – 33 year old RHH – Career OPS – .763 – Career 29.0% K rate. Right between both Hernández and Duvall. Better defensive OF than either Hernández or Duvall, but a better use as a Swiss Army Knife.
Anthony Santander – 29 year old switch hitter – Career OPS .766 – Trade candidate. Not worth a Top 100 prospect, nor a controllable MLB ready pitcher. Landon Knack for Anthony Santander works for the Trade Simulator.
Dylan Carlson – 25 year old switch hitter – Career OPS .717 – Good defensive OF
Harrison Bader – 30 year old RHH – Career OPS .706 – Good defensive CF
Michael A. Taylor – 33 year old RHH – Career OPS .683 – Very Good defensive OF
Michael Brantley – 37 year old LHH – Career OPS .794 – Cannot stay healthy
Tommy Pham – 36 year old RHH – Career OPS .786 – Depending on the cost, he could be an option.
Jorge Soler (not an OF) – 32 year old RHH – Career OPS .797. If you include Soler in this discussion, you should also include JDM. Both are comparable OF, meaning they are not.
I left out Manuel Margot because his role is already being defined as Jason Heyward’s platoon partner.
Thus, outside of 2023, where he could not hit in Seattle, Teoscar Hernández would be my choice, but he will also be the most expensive. Duvall would be an upgrade with CT3 going to full utility role. Otherwise, go with Busch or Vargas, whichever is left standing after the trades.
This is not the year to try to acquire an OF.
I will be very honest about this, I just do not like Margot period. Has nothing to do with his skills. Maybe it is because he played with the Padres. Or maybe it is because he was with the Rays when the Dodgers beat them and I saw him make a huge blunder trying to steal home. What ever the reason, he is low on my list of likeable players.
RIP Tom Smothers of the Smothers Brothers. Passed away today.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has officially been signed as announced by the Dodgers. Bryan Hudson was DFA’d to make room.
Damn. Missed out on Trayce Thompson 3.0. Mets signed him to a minor league deal.
Just finished watching the Yamamoto presser.
Boy does he project confidence. Not ego driven, just “give me the ball and get out of the way” confidence. Strikes me as a huge competitor.
A nice touch, he started off by saying a little bit in English.
This guy, at least at the podium and in a nice 3-piece suit, seems like the real deal.
I think the RF platoon will be Hayward/Betts.
Margot has options, I’ve long said he may not play in the Ravine.
Trading for Thomas doesn’t “feel” like a Friedman move. He’s not a superstar and he won’t come cheap.
Anyone ever notice that Brandon Gomes speaks exactly like Andrew Friedman ?
I closed my eyes during Gomes’ interview, and I swear it could’ve been Friemdan talking.
I apologize, but I am still in celebration mode with USC beating Louisville 42-28 at the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. So my mind is not on what third/fourth tier free agent is going to sign. So I will get back to writing tomorrow.
Alemany’s Miller Moss threw 6 touchdown passes. Even the defense had a more than a couple of excellent plays, as well as their normal bad plays. This was a great way to start the 2024 season.
Fight On. ✌
How hard can it be to learn to play left field? And hoe hard can it be to make a trade? If the skill set isn’t there w Busch or Vargas they need to be traded. I’m sure they have both been working on that at Camelback this off season so the Dodgets know what they are capable of.
P loop loop