Spring training starts in about two weeks. The Dodgers roster for the time being seems set. There could be other additions once players report since several pitchers will be placed on the 60-day IL. 20 minor leaguers have been invited to camp including #1 prospect Sasaki, and Dalton Rushing, the Dodgers top position prospect.
One thing is for certain; the Dodgers have multiple options all around the infield. Thanks to the addition of Hae-Seong Kim, LA can play at least four different players at second base. Before he was traded, many thought that Gavin Lux would be given the starting nod. Kim as a major leaguer is an unknown, but his Korean league credentials are pretty impressive. .304 career BA there, and a gold glove second baseman.
First Base: Freddie Freeman is the primary first baseman. Easy choice. Dave Roberts would love to give Freeman a day off now and then, especially since the veteran is entering his age 34 season. He did not have a Freeman like season in 24. But he was injured and dealt with his young son’s illness, so if he was a little below par, he had all the excuses he needed. But that is not his way. He more than redeemed himself in the World Series. Freddie’s main backup will be Max Muncy. Muncy has shown he can handle the position ably. The emergency first baseman would be Will Smith who has exactly 1 game at the position in his career. Kike, who is not on the current roster, has played 43 games at the position.
Second Base: According to the depth chart the first man up is Chris Taylor, then Betts, Kim and Edman. Rojas is also capable of playing the position. My belief is that the Dodgers hope Kim wins the spot in spring training. If the Dodgers were to acquire a CF, or give the spot to James Outman during spring, I suspect the starter would become Tommy Edman, who has a gold glove at the position from when he was with St. Louis. The only way I see Mookie Betts moving there is if they found a stud SS in trade, which at this point does not seem likely although many fans want the team to trade for someone like Bichette.
Third Base: Until the team decides otherwise, third belongs to Max Muncy. Don’t get me wrong, there are more than a few third basemen who are much better with a glove than Max. But Max has improved enough to be very serviceable. But it is not his glove that keeps Max in the lineup. It is his power and his ability to get on base. Yes, he was injured much of the season, but when heathy, Max is an offensive force who can at times carry the team. His backups are Chris Taylor and Miguel Rojas.
Shortstop: Mookie Betts is the SS. The is where he wants to play, and the Dodgers will accommodate their superstar as long as he feels he can do the job, and actually does the job. Betts loves a challenge and becoming the everyday SS for the Dodgers at the age of 32 is exactly that. He moved there last season after Lux had challenges, and he did a decent job for someone who never had really played the position at the major league level. He moved to RF because that is where the team needed him. Mookie is the ultimate team player. But with Conforto-Pages in right, and Teo in LF, he will get to stay where he is for the foreseeable future. He has a very capable caddy in Rojas, with Taylor, Kim, and Edman, all having experience at SS.
There will be some young SS in camp, most notably, Alex Freeland. David Bote, who has played a lot at second and third in the majors will also be in camp along with utility man, Austin Gauthier. Other players like Zahir Hope, Kendall George, Josue De Paula, will also be on board. All in all, the Dodgers depth will be on display this spring in Arizona. 
White roses
In the red dirt
Fully agree with your assessment, Bear. And the Dodgers have so much depth and versatility that it will be hard for prospects like Rushing and Freeland to get a shot this season.
If either Smith or Barnes gets hurt, either Rushing or Feduccia may get the call.
If Conforto or Teo get hurt, the maybe Rushing is summoned–or perhaps it would be Outman or Pages, depending on which one wins the 4th outfielder scrum and which gets sent to OKC. (I’m rooting for Outman, a clearly superior fielder. So far, Pages seems best suited to a platoon role in a corner.)
Freeland’s best chance for a promotion could be an injury to Max or Freddie. From what I’ve read, Freeland can play a solid 3B, and as you note, Max would shift to 1B if Freddie is out. But if Freeland is struggling, perhaps Bote is summoned–or an outfielder. Taylor, Edman, Rojas and Kim are all capable of covering 3B.
And of course we are all staying tuned for a resolution to the Kike factor. Something’s gotta give, right?
Well according to Gomes and AF, the door is always open for Kike. But the only way he is signed is if they get rid of someone either by trade or sending them down.
I would like to see Ryan Ward get a shot. Guy has a lot of power.
Me too. The best case, I think, would be for Ward to be traded to a team that doesn’t have a full-time DH.
What could the Dodgers get for Brasier + Ward?
If I was Ward, who is already 26, I would ask to be traded.
Ward’s in 2024 at OKC: .860 OPS with 33 HRs in 473 ABs. Poor K/BB ratio and only a .317 OBP, but he had 101 RBI. (By contrast, Outman’s OBP was .390, and Rushing’s was .396.)
I trust that all the OKC guys are happy for Trey Sweeney, whose OPS was a middling .760. He departed in the Flaherty deal and finished the season as the starting SS for the surprising Tigers.
Looking over the OKC stats from ’24, a couple of other details stand out:
–Gauthier slipped to .685 OPS. He had been pretty impressive with both his UT skills and offense while moving up thru the minors. His prospects of a promotion seem dim.
–On a happier note, Cody Hoese, who was drafted ahead of Busch, shows signs of being a late bloomer. He had an .835 OPS with 17 HRs. He’s been praised for his defense at 3B. If he plays well, an injury to Max or Freddie could give him a shot.
Lakers stole the thunder tonight trading Anthony Davis to the Mavericks for Luca Doncic, Max Kleber, and Markieff Morris. Mavericks get Davis, Christie and the Lakers 2029 first round pick, and the Jazz get Jalen Hood-Schifino and two 2025 draft picks, both in the second round. Lebron James found out about the trade while at dinner with his family after LA’s win over the Knicks.
Am I surprised by the Lakers deal, no. Am I surprised that people still watch the NBA, yes!
Hmm. Good trade.
Now trade James to GS so he can finish his career with Curry.
Just get James out of LA
Agreed.
I was scanning this quickly and thought you meant James Outman…
I know this has been discussed awhile back when we were all guessing but since Teo re signed it has been reported,and he has said, that he will return to right field where he has played most of his career. Reported on Dodger Blue as well as being rated as a rf by the Shredder
Depth chart on the Dodgers website has Teo listed as the starting LF. Now, he and Conforto could easily switch. Pages and Conforto platooning in left. But as of now, the depth chart has it the other way around. As a matter of fact, they have Taylor listed as Teo’s backup in left. Pages is only listed as a CF, which is not a position he excels at. He is a corner outfielder period.
It’s my opinion Andy Pages should play every day. It looks to me like that won’t happen in LA. Maybe he should play in the Midwest where the lights aren’t as bright.
I really want to see a lot more of Pages early on. He seems suited for RF, to me. Some shaky routes in center and I like Teo in left.
While he only has 98 at bats vs LHP, Pages is raking at a .357 / .917 rate that plays for me. Platoon mate, Conforto has a career .257 / .838 vs RHP, better than Pages .213. So that looks like a nice right field pairing.
We will see but Pages has earned a long, hard look.
I like Teo in LF and Conforto/Pages in RF. I am hoping Outman has a good spring and makes a case to start against righties in CF.
Now with Kim and Edman on the team plus Taylor, I think Rojas is least needed. Trade Rojas and both Pages and Outman have available slots.
Fred, in my opinion Rojas is the best SS on the team. I know he’s pushing 36 but I’ve seen no decrease in his great defense and he hit .283 last season. How is he the “least needed”? What’s this guy have to do to get respect?
He is a very good SS, a great teammate and a leader. See him talking to the pitchers during mound visits by the catcher or Prior? Least needed? Please.
I assume he has more trade value than worth as a limited inning player for the Dodgers.
He won’t be able to say much from the bench during mound visits and why not let the catcher have the time he wants with the pitcher instead of having to always put in his 2 cents.
He goes out there because he is one of the team leaders. Smith rarely goes to the mound at all unless sent out by Roberts. Always been one of the peeves I have about Smith. Ellis would go out and calm the pitcher down. Smith rarely does that.
There is a visit limit butt still, if he picks his visits carefully, he probably has something he wants to share.
Better think again. Taylor is the least needed.
Taylor and Kike are the only two LA Dodgers to hit three homers in a playoff game. Taylor is just as good in the field as Kike. Now, give the guy some credit, he has been injured in each of the last three seasons. But when on the field, he usually contributes. And he has 17 million owed to him. Doubt LA just cuts him loose.
I didn’t say anything about cutting him loose.
No, but saying he is the least needed implies that he is expendable. They just do not have any openings right now. Kike and Taylor are basically the same guy. Taylor is a better player during the season most of the time, Kike is the post-season darling.
I would not go so far as to saying Taylor is better than Kike in the regular season. Like you said, they are basically the same player. Kike has a career WAR of 17.7 in 11 seasons. Taylor has a career WAR of 17 in 11 seasons.
Kike’s career BA is .238. Taylor’s is .250. His career OPS is .752, Kike’s is .713. His OPS+ is 93, Taylor’s is 103. Kike has never suffered a major injury, and Taylor has missed significant time the last three years. Their projected stats for this season are almost identical. So, tell me where Kike has an advantage over Taylor? Same guy, guy with big contract is still a Dodger and Kike is looking for a job.
Taylor plays infield and outfield.
So does Kike. What is your point?
Depth Charts per Roster Resource and ESPN have Conforto as the starting LF, Teo the starting RF, and Hyesong Kim as the starting 2B.
Dodgers depth charts are sort of irrelevant as they have so much versatility that they can move everyone around. The Dodgers only have 15 position players on the 40 man. The two projected to be back in OKC are Hunter Feduccia and James Outman. James can play himself onto the 26 man in ST to be the 4th OF because of of defense. AF/BG may prefer Pages playing everyday in OKC. It could also be the Dodgers sign Kiké and both Pages & Outman are optioned.
That all makes sense to me.
A bench of Kike, Taylor and Barnes lacks a lefty bat–but that may not be a big concern with Shohei, Freddie, Max, Conforto and Kim all expected to play everyday, as well as the switch-hitting Edman.
Teo is our RFer.
According to the depth chart, he isn’t. Argue with the website. Or better yet, read it for yourself.
A lot on the line this spring for Outman and Pages. The loser of this battle probably gets traded
That might not be the worst fate.
In 2024 Teo started 104 games in LF and 50 in RF.
Pitchers and catchers report next week. Shortly after injured pitchers can be placed on the 60 day IL opening roster spots.
Reading AFs comments yesterday at fan fest I strongly believe Kike and the Dodgers have an agreement and are waiting for the roster opening to announce it. What happens to CT3 or Miggy Ro will sort itself out during ST.
Same could be said of Kershaw.
I think it is crucial to keep Rojas on the team. From what I saw during the playoffs in the after the game activities in the clubhouse, Miggy is the leader and glue that holds this team together. Miggy is the go to leader of this bunch, he plays no second fiddle to Roberts in that respect. Not to mention he is a a great mentor to the younguns.
So I was just checking Conforto stats, and projections, and must admit I don’t get it. His numbers clearly suggest he peaked in his mid 20s and now, at 32, projects a .727 OPS and negative numbers in DRS and range factor in right field. His career numbers show he hits RHP pretty good but he sure didn’t last year, OPSn .724 against them in 382 PA’s. He was better the year before at .753. I guess the plan is to platoon him with someone, Pages being the most likely candidate. That means Pages will get fewer at bats. As I already mentioned, I think he should be an every day player.
I feel the same about Outman who looks to be a platoon player as well. Platoons in center and right, platoon at second base, a new older shortstop. Hope it works.
Re Conforto, a key stat from ’24 was his home vs. away splits.
He was a much better hitter on the road than at whatever the Giants’ beautiful ballpark is called now. (FWIW, Conforto has sucked at Dodger Stadium–but then, he was facing Dodger pitchers.)
I trust the brass on this one. Seems clear that they targeted Conforto as a priority and signed him to a nice, one-year deal to join the champs. Reminds me a bit of the one-year deal for Teo, whose offense suffered in Seattle.
Plenty of experienced outfielders are still looking for jobs. Bader, Canha, Verdugo, Laureano, Pham, Grichuk…..
Kike.
Jack Flaherty has signed a two year $35MM deal with Detroit with an opt out after 2025. We will probably see him the first home series.