Most here want to see the Dodgers find a true CF, but do not want to trade Dalton Rushing or Andy Pages. You are not going to get a legit CF by trading Ben Casparius and Landon Knack. You are not going to get a star for depth, no matter how much depth you want to throw at them. Even for a corner OF. Casparius and Knack are not going to get Steven Kwan out of Cleveland. Those pitchers are not going to get Royce Lewis out of Minnesota.
Others have brought up Tyler Glasnow and Teoscar Hernández.
Tyler Glasnow will make $32.5MM the next two years (Age 32 and 33). In 2028, the club has a $30MM option that if not exercised reverts to a $21,562,500 player option. There has never been any criticism on Glas’ stuff if healthy. Those salary levels are not that onerous for a pitcher with his level of talent. But the rub for Glas is that he is not healthy often enough to justify that level of salary. That is an approximate 4.0 fWAR value. He reached 3.9 in 2024 with LAD and 3.2 in 2023 with Tampa Bay. Those are his high marks. The Dodgers value ceiling rather than floor and generally pay for ceiling. Why? Because they can.
Who besides the Dodgers are willing to pay that price? Very few teams would consider that price for an injury prone starting pitcher. So I do not believe he gets traded. With the number of pitchers the team has, they can allow for injuries, as they did in 2025.
Teoscar Hernández OTOH has had a cumulative fWAR of 12.3 for 2021-2024. That is an average just north of 3.0, or about $24MM value per year. Certainly not out of line with what he signed for. With his contract’s present value, his AAV is $19.940MM. Maybe he is more of a DH now than an OF, but even comparing his contract to DH only hitters, Marcell Ozuna and Jorge Soler, he is not out of line. He is a better option (IMO) than Nick Castellanos who still has one more year at $20MM with his 5 year $100MM contract.
Teo is tradeable as a DH. But not all teams like to have a single DH. It is possible that he could be moved, but it will be more as a salary dump rather than expecting value in return.
Every MLB team knows who Teo is, a streaky hitter who can carry a team at times, but stink up the yard on others. They also know he cannot make up for any of the bad offensive times with his poor defense. If the Dodgers can find a team that is looking for a DH, they might be able to move him, but they are not getting a quality player in return.
That leaves Andy Pages and Dalton Rushing as the top trade options the Dodgers have. Rushing is blocked by Will Smith. Smith is not even a decent fielding 3B and he is not moving there anytime soon regardless as to what fans may want. Maybe in two years when Freddie’s contract is up Will can play 1B. But Freddie will be 38 and maybe not ready to retire.
Dodgers value defense, pitcher knowledge, game management, pitch sequencing over offense for their backup catcher. That is Ben Rortvedt. Rushing is a better hitter than Rortvedt. No question. He is a catcher, not an OF, and deserves a chance to be a starting catcher in MLB.
Dodgers tried Rushing in LF; they were not overly impressed. There was no discussion that they had to get him into LF to get his bat into the game. If he could slug like Greg Luzinski or Jose Canseco, sure the team can look past OF deficiencies. If the standard is that he is better than Michael Conforto, that bar is set waaaayyyy too low.
The Dodgers had a better hitter in Michael Busch who was also blocked. The Dodgers traded him to Chicago and got a top 20 prospect (Zyhir Hope), and a top 100 pitcher (Jackson Ferris). Both have a better chance at sticking with LAD in the long run than Busch, and Busch should have been an All Star last year. Sometimes there just isn’t a fit.
The Dodgers tried Gavin Lux in the OF and it did not go well. They traded him to Cincinnati and Lux played more innings in LF than anywhere else, where he had a -5 DRS and a -6 OAA. He ended up starting more games at DH than any other position. The Dodgers got Mike Sirota a legit CF prospect and top 100 prospect in return.
Rushing struck out 37.4% with a 6.4% for BB. There is no real indication that Rushing can consistently hit MLB pitching. Maybe he will, but not as a platoon C/LF. Some have suggested that Shohei and Freddie need more time off, and Rushing can fill in there. Something tells me that Shohei and Freddie disagree. And I believe that AF/BG/Doc are going to go with the players here. They have just won back to back WS, so I am okay going with their judgement. Like with Busch, sometimes there just isn’t a fit. The Dodgers will get more value from trading Rushing than sitting him.
I do not think Andy Pages is a good CF defensively. I think his best OF position is RF. He was a positive defensive OF in RF but not in CF. And while the playoff lights might have got too bright for him, he is still a quality hitter with slug. He needs better plate discipline, but so did Cody Bellinger, and now he has.
I am not looking to trade Andy Pages at all costs, but if you want a star via trade, you are going to have trade one. Pages is only 25, and has a lot of maturation to go, but he is a star.
If the Dodgers sign Harrison Bader to two years to play CF, I will not be upset at all with Teo in LF and Pages in RF. Bader is the only plus defensive CF on the FA market.
There are teams that need a front line catcher. Can the Dodgers get a MLB 3B or MLB CF with dangling Rushing as a headliner? If they keep him as a reserve/platoon player another year, his value will begin to drop precipitously.
IMO, to maximize Dalton Rushing’s value, there are more reasons to trade him than to keep him.
Well, if Dodgers can bring Cody Bellinger back and also sign free agent Tucker that would be your outfield with Teoscar moving back to leftfield then dodgers can trade Andy Pages and Daulton Rushing for like starting pitching or relievers.
They do not need starting pitching Bradley. And you do not trade sluggers like Pages for relief pitchers unless it was a star closer. There are a few of those on the free agent market, LA might go hunting Suarez who was the Padres guy the last few years.
The Dodgers don’t need another starter…
But what if the Tigers decide to entertain offers for Skubal?
I’d be willing to offer Glasnow + prospects….
According to a trade simulator I saw, it would take 2 top 100 prospects, 2 lower tier prospects. Detroit is not going to take on salary in a deal for Skubal. And Skubal would only be a rental for one year.
I don’t think GMs actually use “trade simulators.”
I certainly hope the Dodgers’ front office doesn’t do it. I think the process is much more sophisticated and requires a deeper study of a team’s needs and the talent involved in a deal.
But sure, the cost for Skubal would be hefty.
If the Dodgers went after Skubal, they’d want to lock him up long-term, as they did with Glasnow. The Dodgers wouldn’t view him as a mere rental, and my guess is that Skubal might welcome the chance to play of a perennial contender than simply sell his services to the highest bidder (which might be the Dodgers, anyway.)
While the Tigers may not want to take on salary, Glasnow’s salary will be a lot lower than than what Skubal will make in free agency. If the Dodgers really want to swing a deal, they could also absorb some the cost. It’s all negotiable.
If the Tigers can’t come to terms with Skubal–and at this point I would bet against it–they’ll face the dilemma that the Angels had with Ohtani. (I was glad the Angels tried to keep him–but they wound up with nothing. They’d probably be more talented team now if they had traded him.)
If Detroit decides to deal Skubal, they would get a bigger return now than later.
I don’t think it will happen, and I hope Detroit can keep him and he leads the Tigers to glory. But at some point they may realize that they can’t afford to keep him, much as the A’s realized with Mason Miller, or as the White Sox realized with Garret Crochet.
I get that, but why would the Tigers want to take on 86 million owed over the next 3 years if you add the buyout in 28 if the team does not pick up the 30-million-dollar team option for a pitcher who has pitched in just 40 games over the last 2 years? Does not make sense Duke. He has pitched just 224.1 innings in the last 2 years. Other than 2018, when he pitched in 45 games between the Pirates and Rays, he has never pitched in more than 22 games like he did with LA in 24. He is injury prone.
We already dumped Belli. We’re not going back.
Are you looking for a $1BB payroll? Bellinger would be foolish to leave NYY.
Interestng report that the Mets are interested in Belli, as both an OF and potential replacement for Alonso, who might be loved by fan but is less loved by ownership.
The report is that Mets management want Alonso to take a “very team-friendly deal.” To my mind, Alonso was dissed last season as the Mets went all-in for Soto but didn’t show much love to the “polar bear.”
Bizarre to me because Alonso really strikes me as the modern Mr. Met. But it could be Belli in, and Alonso out.
‘
Anybody want to take a flyer on my question from yesterday?
How far away are Hope and De Paula?
The answer likely is blowing in the wind but does one of both get a look in 26? With Pages, Hope and De Paula as a future outfield can Kim and Edman cover an outfield with little power but contact and speed.
I soured a ;lot on Teoscar throughout the postseason for reasons I previously mentioned and Jeff stated as well.
He’s showing his age, strikes out too much, doesn’t walk and is a defensive liability. I think the time in now to unload him to a team as a DH. I don’t care really what we get in return because he may be worthless in the cycle after this one.
I would say both by 27 Phil.
That seems correct….
Then there other OF prospects like Sirota, Tibbs, George and Quintero, who might be the best of the bunch. And then there’s that Taiwanese kid as well, and Uni of Arkansas player how came as part of the Lux trade….
We’ve seen several young outfielders on other teams break through as teens: Soto, Acuna, Trout, Chourio.
Something could click for any other these prospects in spring training. Who knows?
Good Lord, maybe 27-year-old Ryan Ward breaks through! (Didn’t the Blue Jays have a late-blooming minor leaguer on their squad?)
A guy like Kendall George, I think, has more value in a trade.
Not sure if any of the top prospects are close to being ready in 2026. Ryan Ward would be the closest with Tibbs III and Erhard being next in line if they ge promoted to AAA to start the year. The big problem is the front office slow plays prospects instead of pushing them.
If I was in charge and it’s a good thing I’m not. I would have Kim working in CF to platoon with Call. Pages in right Stowers in left. Edman at 2B. I don’t trust his ankle to be a regular outfielder. Resign Rojas to be a utility infielder. Sign Okamoto to platoon at third with Max and perhaps take over 3B in 2021. Send Rushing, Tibbs III, Kendall George and Landon Knack to Miami for Stowers. Trade Teo to a DH needy team for whatever they can get.
Lineup
Ohtani
Smith
Freeman
Betts
Muncy
Stowers
Edman
Pages
Kim
Bench Call, Rojas, Okamoto and Rortvedt
flame away
It would be fun to acquire a young talent like Stowers or PCA or ??? in a blockbuster.
But I suspect that AF might just write a fat check for Kyle Tucker.
Because he can.
Sports Illustrated thinks the Dodgers are going to sing him. They consider LA the front runner and no one else is close. But I would only do that if he moved to left field. Move Pages to right where he is much better and has the best arm on the team, and sign or trade for a CF. Edman is more of a utility guy and really does not have enough pop as an outfielder. They need to get power from somewhere because none of the utility guys mentioned are long ball threats.
2027
I’ll bite. I do not see either De Paula nor Hope getting a look at LAD in 2026. They will both get ST invites and probably Sirota as well. Unless the Dodgers trade Pages, I do not believe we will see De Paula and Hope in the same LAD OF, at the same time. De Paula has excellent bat to ball skills, but canot play defense. Scouts believe his slug will come. He is a lite Yordan Alveraz. Hope has more slug but not as good hit skill as De Paula. Hope is a better defensive OF with a good arm. He has speed and can play CF, but he really is a corner OF. The Dodgers need Sirota and/or Quintero to step up as a legit CF
Teo may be a weak defender but good enough to play RF on a WS championship team. Plus you (Jeff) said
“If the Dodgers sign Harrison Bader to two years to play CF, I will not be upset at all with Teo in LF and Pages in RF”.
It would seem Teo has trade value as an outfielder.
For those who think Kim could be the 2nd baseman or CFer for the Dodgers then it stands they would think he would have trade value as a CFer or 2nd baseman.
The Cubs will need to replace Kyle Tucker. Teo, Kim for Crow-Armstromg. Who else has to be included and/or how much money?
Teo is a weak defender and he’s likely to get worse as he ages.
If he stays with the Dodgers, he should play LF, with Pages in RF.
There are a lot of outfielders in the free agent market topped by Kyle Tucker but also including a good fit like Harrison Bader. The trade market should have some worthy targets as well, including Taylor Ward and Jaron Duran
I don’t expect the Dodgers to trade Pages; he could remain in CF or move to a corner. Jeff makes a good case for dealing Rushing, and I think Teo could be dealt as well.
Which teams need catching and which need OF/DH with power? I can imagine a blockbuster with Rushing and Teo packaged together, if the return is suitable.
Bums, I am not a fan of Teo as an OF. I said what I said because the the Dodgers already have a DH. If the Dodgers cannot move Teo, they are going to have to play him. LF is the least problems.
Jeff, you have made your thoughts on Teo clear. I’m saying if the Dodgers can play him in the outfield then other teams can too.
Who is our best OF prospect and is there all star potential? And we will have to sign someone for 3rd after the lockout season of 27.
From what I’ve read, Quintero may be the best overall OF prospect, but he’s only 18 or 19.
Hope and Sirota are closer…. and De Paula is learning to play 1B. Tibbs and George have ML potential.
Some of these guys could be traded to get a proven veteran like the Angels’ Taylor Ward.
Now that Mike Trout is mostly a DH, I doubt the Angels would have a strong interest in Teo. But they might.
I’m 100% in agreement with your analysis of Rushing, Jeff. He’s a catcher and he deserves to go to a team that will use him that way. Also agree that the longer we keep him here as a part timer, the more his trade value goes down.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve pretty much done a 180 on Tucker. I’m now very much in favor of going after him. He’s a bat to ball guy (almost equal k’s and bb’s) and a good fielder. A good on base and RBI guy as well. When everyone in the lineup is hitting homers or striking out, at least there’s a good chance he might get on base.
Question: If Tucker and Pages are in the same outfield, which of the two is the better center fielder?
Tucker is no longer a good OF. Adequate at best. Maybe the leg issues have created that problem. I am in the process of writing a column on why I do not want Kyle Tucker.
DH Ohtani
2B Betts
1B Freeman
C Smith
CF Crow-Armstrong (Teo, Kim,?)
3B Royce Lewis (traded Rushing)
LF Edman
RF Pages
SS Freeland
Bench: Muncy, Rojas, Rortvedt, Call
I was beginning to get concerned at how often I was agreeing with you, but the above lineup has allayed those concerns.
PCA is a huge fan favorite in Chicago and it would take a lot more than Teo and Kim to get him, even assuming that the Cubs would have interest in Teo, which I have my doubts about.
Then you have re-done the left side of the infield to accommodate Lewis and Freeland who, if they duplicated last year’s offensive production would give us the lowest batting average of any left side in MLB.
Although I am a major Edman fan, I don’t like the idea of his being our every day left fielder.
I do like your bench, except that I think if Max only plays occasionally his bat will become pretty ineffective (see Daulton Rushing).
I’d rather spend the money and sign Tucker. Outfield is Teo, Pages, Tucker from left to right (or Teo, Tucker, Pages). Since we’ve picked up Max’s option, he’s the third baseman for one more year.
We then trade Rushing and a young pitcher (Stone or Ferris) for a really good third base prospect who will be ready in late 2026 or early 2027.
As always, your thoughts are just as valid as mine, but I like mine better.
Chicago is not trading PCA. Not a chance in hell.
I’m with you on that bear, why would they trade him, he is a cornerstone for the cub franchise, and he’s in his second year. Everyone needs to think of a different trade option for CF, if they want to move Pages to a corner.
Fine, I’ll put Betts back to SS and Edman to second. Help me find a LFer.
If you think Lewis will hit less than Muncy then you should go back to agreeing with me.
Who do the Cubs replace Tucker with? Why not Teo?
Steven Kwan in LF.
You’re welcome.
Kwan isn’t a free agent. Tucker has a QA, which might scare others off but I doubt that will trouble the Dodgers.
I can’t project any possible trades. I’ve tried before and am seldom right, so I’m working with what is, and what is is Kyle Tucker’s free agency. We need an outfielder and there he is. He’s going to get a long term contract so I figure it’s LA or NY.
And what I would do is get a center field guru and start teaching Pages how to play that position and start now. He has all the tools, what he doesn’t appear to know is what he’s doing out there. Take the time to teach him. It begins with hitting your cutoff man. Hell I could teach him that, he’ll be the infielder waving his hands over his head. Aim your throw about a foot over the top of his cap. Easy peasy. Now, let’s try that a hundred times before lunch, and another hundred times after lunch. We’ll be doing this 5 days a week until ST starts. You can pick the days.
The Dodgers were reportedly talking to the Guardians about Kwan but the two sides couldn’t come to terms, and so the Dodgers wound up with Alex Call instead.
The easiest free agent fix would be Harrison Bader,who is excellent in CF. He would push Pages to RF and Teo to LF. The most expensive, of course, would be Tucker. But the trade market could have nice possibilities.
Fact is, Teo should have played LF last season, but the brass unfortunately signed Conforto for that job.
Some people forget that during Teo’s first year with the Dodgers he shuttled between RF and LF while Mookie shuttled between RF and 2B.
We should also remember how, in ’24, Teo was playing LF when he gunned down Giancarlo Stanton at the plate. Perfect strike and a nice tag by Smith.
The Cubs have Happ in left and PCA in center and they would much rather DH Suzuki than play him in right. That’s why I don’t think they’d be anxious to get Teo and wind up playing him in right.
The Reds could use Teo if you’d like to come up with a trade in that direction. And I’m sure he’d love hitting in that park.
PCA is not getting traded. Do LAD fans believe the Cubs do not want to win? If Kim is a better CF than PCA, then why should the Dodgers trade him? The Cubs need pitching not a DH and utility player.
Regarding Kim, I’m poking the bear or in this case Badger and a few others that have given him a lot of love.
I just don’t see AF trading Rushing this off season unless the return is a starting OF. Always important to build the farm but it’s time the Dodgers graduate position players to the big leagues.
If a Rushing trade nets a big league player that starts immediately rather than continuing his development at AAA I’m all for it. Short of that, I’m holding onto him to see what we got.
Who is to say that Rushing doesn’t end back in OKC so he can play everyday. Rushing is a catcher, not a LF. He is blocked at catcher, 1B, and DH. You have no problem with his 37+% strikeout rate? He was not successful offensively in a limited role in 2025. So what happens when he does not improve in a limited role again in 2026, and his trade value craters.
Yeah, it’s a little bit of tail wagging the dog if we trade Rushing to make room for Rortvedt.
They would not be trading Rushing to make room for Rortvedt. They would be trading Rushing to a team that needs a catcher, and the Dodgers would get a player in return. Rortvedt is a more than capable backup catcher. You did see who the backup catcher was in the playoffs?
The Dodgers could get a proven player for Rushing… or maybe unproven prospects.
They got prospects for Lux and prospects for Busch. We think they all have ML potential, but we still wonder if they are really “suspects.”
If the Dodgers sign Tucker, the OF would read Teo-Pages-Tucker. Maybe not a great defense, but they could combine for 100+ HRs.
While I love Kwan’s game as a top-notch contact hitter and Gold Glover, I think the Dodgers place a priority on offense, which has me wondering about the Angels’ Taylor Ward. He’d provide Teo-like pop and better defense.
I’m not eager to deal Teo at all, but his defensive liabilities are better hidden in LF, and with a late-inning substitution.
BTW, I’m not yet fully convinced that the brass prefers Rortvedt to Rushing. But if they do, I rather see them deal Rushing than stash him in OKC. He’s already paid his dues.
Taylor Ward would be a fantastic addition. But everyone seems to want to ignore the elephant in the room…Arte Moreno. I cannot see Moreno EVER agreeing to trade with LAD. He backed out of one deal, and the stigma of losing Shohei to LAD does not sit well with him.
I cannot speak for everyone, but for me, it is not a case of Rushing over Rortvedt or Rortvedt over Rushing. Because Rortvedt is an exceptional BACKUP Catcher, and has no intrinsic trade value, why not maximize the value of both players. Rushing should be a starting catcher for a MLB team, not in MiLB or on the bench so he can start 30-40 games for Smith.
By himself, Rushing is not gioing to bring back an established starting OF, or 3B, or closer. But he will be a huge addition for a catcher hungry team. Every business organization must maximize the value of their assets, without emotion. Keibert Ruiz/Jo Jo Gray, Michael Busch, and Gavin Lux did just that.
One other point. You are right that Hope, Sirota, and Ferris are all suspects until proven MLB players. But so is the established player who comes to a team via trade. AF has been right most of the time with trades and FA. I turst his judgement.
I hope AF has better luck with his acquisitions this off season than last off season. Yates, Conforto, Treinen, and Scott really flopped badly. Hopefully Scott can turn things around and become an asset.
Those were FA signngs and not trades. I agree that Yates and Conforto were busts, but Treinen and Scott are TBD.
Playoffs aren’t the regular season. Rushing would start 30-40 games if the back-up.
You’re right. The playoffs are different than the regular season. The Dodgers chose who they thought was the best backup catcher, and it wasn’t Rushing.
So you keep a player who could bring back quality talent in a trade just so he can start 30-40 games a year? If I was a Rushing fan, I would hope he was traded to a team that he can compete to start. He does not hqve that with LAD.
Rortvedt can bunt, something Rushing cannot do.
So would Rortvedt. A big part of the job is to provide the start with rest.
You want to see Ben start 40 games?
I have no problem with that. New to the team, Rortvedt started 15 games in September. The Dodgers were 11-4 in the games he started. Rushing started 7 and was 4-3 in those games. Yes, very small sample size, but you cannot convince me that Rortvedt cannot be a very successful backup catcher.
Doesn’t bother me.
In ’25, Rushing played in 53 games and had 142 ABs. He compiled an OPS of .582. In the minors he showed good plate discipline, but in the majors he walked only 10 times against 58 Ks.
Of course we expected more offense from him, and still do. The excuse was that Dodgers failed to provide him with consistent ABs. But the fact is, Rushing really didn’t show much as a rookie. Underwhelming.
So maybe Jeff’s right that he should just be shipped back to OKC for more work.
Rortvedt only had 49 regular-season ABs with the Dodgers, but in that time he modestly out-hit Rushing to a .636 OPS. In the post-season, he had 7 more ABs and collected 3 hits, including a double. So 56 ABs with the Dodgers–a small sample.
His career numbers, however, look closer to Rushing’s, but with 549 ABs.
But if the offense is roughly equal, why did the Dodgers brass evidently decided that they prefered Rortvedt to Rushing for the postseason. The pitchers praised him, and perhaps they preferred him to Rushing as well.
Who saw that coming?
I’m still trying to figure out how the Dodgers convert their third string catcher, Feduccia, into two interesting pitcing prospect and Rortvedt. He might be the most consequential acquisition of the trade deadline.
Am I missing something here?
Not missing anything. The Feduccia trade was another huge win for AF, but because of the Rortvedt addition (with LHSP Asam Serwinowski and RHRP Paul Gervase), that will be a precursor to another trade of Rushing. That is maximizing value.
One thing about Rushing that turns me off is he seems to be injured a lot. I think he has turned into a good catcher with a rifle arm. I believe he can hit but a lot of swing and miss. I think he is a bit too good to be a backup but smith is not going anywhere. He is prepared to take on a full time role. He will probably hit enough but I doubt he stays healthy enough.
Alex Vesia and his wife, Kayla, shared a joint statement on Friday, Nov. 7, announcing that their daughter, Sterling Sol Vesia, was stillborn.
The couple began a joint statement on Instagram, alongside a photo of their hands placed on top of their daughter’s.
“Our little angel, we love you forever & you’re with us always.”
“Our beautiful daughter went to heaven Sunday, Oct. 26. There are no words to describe the pain we’re going through but we hold her in our hearts and cherish every second we had with her.
“Thank you to the Dodgers for their understanding and support, during this time.
Our baseball family showed up for us and we wouldn’t be able to do this without them.
“Thank you Dodger Natiogo out ton, Blue Jays organization and all baseball fans for your love and support. We have seen ALL your messages, comments and posts. It’s brought us so much comfort,
“Lastly, we’d like to thank Cedars Sinai and all the medical staff who helped Kayla and Sterling. Every person we came across was truly so incredible.”
“With Love, The Vesias.”
Our prayers go out to the Vesia’s and their daughter.
Extremely sad for the family. Losing a child is devastating.
Indeed. May little precious Sterling rest in eternal peace.
Heartbreaking!
God Bless the Vesia’s. My heath is broken for your loss.
12 D-Backs minor leaguers filed for free agency including several with MLB experience. Matt Mervis, Christian Pache, Matt Foster, Tristan English, Ildemaro Vargas, James McCann and Jalen Beeks.
At the trade deadline, it was reported the Dodgers were interested in trading for Kwan. I’m curious to see if AF revisits this option during the off season.
Kwan is a great fit. Might have to part with Sheehan to get him.
Kwan is a good target. Superior contact hitter with multiple Gold Gloves in LF.
There are some other corner outfielders who could be on the market that might appeal to the Dodgers, including the Angels’ Taylor Ward and Jo Adell, and the Red Sox’s Jaron Duran and Wilyer Abreu.
But if the Dodgers decide to go after Kyle Tucker, any other outfielders would be an afterthought
so Sam, we would have an outfield of Kim, Edman, Kwan, Pages and Teoscar?
That doesn’t light my candle.
Who leaves?
Kim needs to prove he can hit. If he does he can split time with Edman at second. Edman becomes a utility player. If his ankle is fully recovered, he can replace Pages against right hand pitching. I’m not sure what’s going on with Edman’s ankle but it seems like some sort of surgery might be needed to completely fix the problem.
I could see it if they decide to keep Pages in center and Teo in right, otherwise it does not make much sense.
The Dodgers will add somebody new. It could be a big swing like Kyle Tucker or a modest on like Harrison Bader.
I’m ambivalent about Tucker because writing checks just seems too easy. I’d rather see some wheeling and dealing, and opportunities for the talent on the farm to move up.
I would cheer for Tucker in Dodger blue, of course. But still….
Tucker is going to be way too expensive for what he brings. He is a better hitter than Teo, but his fielding has deteriorated since his injury.
Tucker is not a great defender anymore as Jeff noted. Also, I don’t think the Dodgers add another Mega contract this year. They need a CF. Tucker can’t play CF.
This all makes a lot of sense to me.
Last winter, I was surprised when AF didn’t get Bader. He struck me as sort of a poor man’s Kevin Kiermeier–and AF loved Kiermeier enough to dump Heyward to keep KK around. (I figured an OF mix of Bader, Pages, Teo and Outman would be strong.)
Then AF overpaid for Conforto… which did not work out. And it struck me as another case of the Dodgers valuing offense over defense–but of course Conforto flopped.
So yes: An OF that reads Teo-Bader-Pages would be simple, sound upgrade. A two-dear deal for Bader would provide ample time for the OF prospects to mature.
That’s a minimalist approach to improvement.
Perhaps that’s just step one. Step two might involve deals involving Rushing, Teo or maybe, just maybe Pages.
The maximalist approach is to write a massive check to Kyle Tucker.
Don’t want Bader. We got Call, who fell short, but is that type.
Tucker solves almost everything but do we want to commit.
Still thinking true CF is way to go, with Pages moving to RF and Teo to LF. Teo can’t be out there anymore.
I see the name Bader and I read Badger, and I know that guy can’t play center field.
Bader projects as a league average hitter with positive d numbers in center. The Dodgers could do, and have done worse. That said, Tucker, Pages and Teo may be the way to go.
I’ve been fairly bullish about Steven Kwan, but his bat in ’25 performed below his usual standards, though he still delivered Gold Glove defense.
So I find myself wondering whether the Dodgers should target Kwan or perhaps the Angels’ Taylor Ward, who just had a career year with 36 HRs and more than 100 RBIs. His defense, I think, is considered solid but nothing special.
The Angels could be enticed with pitching, pitching and maybe a prospect like Kendall George and/or Ryan Ward.
The Dodgers will likely have to overpay to acquire an OF. I think the best they can do is someone like Kwan for Pages + Rushing + young arm.
Nobody is going to take Teo off our hands unless we pay 30%+ of his salary.
I think Edmund needs to play CF with ~Kwan in LF and Teo in Right. We’ll need a 4th OF off the bench, perhaps a rookie.
The infield needs work. Max will miss games due to injury, and we need depth with Mookie and Freeman getting older. Rojas and Kim are a good utility combo but we still need an infielder. What about the Freeland?
The Dodgers would be wise to get a batter who can mash lefties. Any team with WS aspirations will make sure they have 1-2 LH starters and BP arms.
They still have Call and Ward is going to get a chance this spring. But they won’t trade Pages for Kwan. Pages is much better in right.
Can i be the first person this offseason to recommend trading for Luis Robert?
Sure, why not? He’s a +dWAR CF who projects 20 home runs. The White Sox, who need young affordable players, picked up his $20M option, FA in ‘27. He’d fit right in on this team, a slugger who is injured often enough to give other players opportunities.
Reviewing mlb.com’s outlook for every roster heading into ’26, I noticed that the scribe assessing the Twins commented: “if Byron Buxton was willing to waive his no-trade clause…”
Among the Twins biggest needs: Catcher and bullpen.
Maybe Buxton just loves the Twin Cities that much. Or maybe he’d waive the clause to join the champs.
Yes, hia career has been hampered by injuries. But when healthy, he’s pretty awesome on both offense and defense. In ’25, he produced an .878 OPS with 35 HRs in 126 games.
So here’s the offer: Rushing + Teo + an RP for Buxton. The Twins would get their catcher and reliever, and Teo could DH or play a corner OF position, perhaps next to old friend James Outman.
And Buxton would rule CF for the Dodgers and replace Teo in the lineup.
Very doubtful that the Twins would want Teo and his salary.
What RP?
Relief pitcher.
Two types: RHRP or LFRP.
Thx. Do you have a name? What RP do we have that could entice Twins to give us Buxton?
It is not enticing the Twins, it is enticing Buxton to agree to waive his no trade clause, which he has consistently vehemently denied.
MLBTR has a list of minor league free agents. Several exe Dodgers on there along with some interesting names. Seven Dodgers are on the list, Grove, Funkhouser, Luken Baker, Gallegos, CJ Alexander, Okey and Zack Penrod. Former Dodgers on the list, Trayce Thompson, Yency Almonte, Andre Lipcius, Zack Pop, Edwin Rios, John Rooney, Nick Robertson, Cavan Biggio, Drew Avans, Phil Bickford, Tim Locastro. Dylan Carlson is also a free agent now. Former Cardinal CF.
There are no scraps in our scrapbook.
Might not, but a couple of those guys had some very good performances as Dodgers. Trayce Thompson had a 3 homer 7 RBI game in 23. Edwin Rios hit some big homers for the Dodgers including a game winner against the Astros in Houston.
Looks like the Giants will have an entirely new coaching staff.
Perhaps this is why Doc kept putting Conforto in the lineup all year. Some of these numbers are pretty ridiculous.
https://x.com/BlakeHHarris/status/1987344285939982780/photo/1
I don’t have X anymore so unable to read the tweet. Was it something positive about Conforto?
I was one of the guys that thought the Conforto signing was going to work out well, but it definitely came up short of what I was expecting.
Yep, me too. Just didn’t work out. I don’t consider signing him a mistake, but, sticking with him for so long was.
Squared up = wee tu lo
Will Miggy be back or retire?
Came upon this in my Dodger research:
“Dodgers supporters were not the only ones grateful for Rojas’ heroics. Shohei Ohtani was also appreciative of Rojas’s efforts, and made an effort to send a message about his future.
“I think one of the coolest things that happened in my life, so far. I hit the homer, right? And everybody’s kind of like on top of me, right there in front of the dugout,” Rojas told Chris Rose Sports.
“But then, Shohei, he’s hitting next, right? He popped it up to left, to make it two outs in the inning.
“Came back to the dugout, and I’m by the back rack, like laying my helmet, and Shohei came to me and he say, Miggy, you can’t retire next year.
“You’re playing with me for 10 more years. And I got a picture of him kind of like holding me, and telling me that I can’t retire next year, that I have to play 10 more years. And I say, Shohei, I’m old, and I don’t know if I can play for 10 more years, but I’ll play with you next year, for sure.”
Miggy announced he wants to play one more year. And he wants to play for LA>
The bench is shaping up. Muncy, Rojas, Rortvedt, Call.
I’m thinking Freeland and Kim start or are traded
Munch will be the starting 3rd baseman and Kim is not going anywhere
Where do they play?
Muncy – 3B, 2B, 1B, DH
Rojas – 2B, SS, 3B
Rortvedt – C
Call – LF, CF, RF
Infield or another team.
Infield? Can you be a little more specific?
I think I saw you had Betts at SS. Who plays second? Both of Freeland and Kim can play multiple positions. Kim plays all three up the middle positions, which when you think about it is as valuable a utility guy as a team can have. Same thing can be said about Edman. And it looks like Rojas is coming back. That’s three utility players. Does the team need any more than that?
If one has to go, I keep Kim.
This is an offense which was one of the worst in baseball the 2nd half of the year and has hit .200 in the last 2 WS. And it’s not getting any younger. Our greatest need is another big bat, preferably right handed.
Tucker hits both RH and LH pitching very well. Does he work for you? If not, who you got?
I’ve always liked Tucker, so I’m on Badger’s “Tucker bandwagon” for several reasons.
Tucker can definitely play RF better than Teo, and Teo is definitely a better LF than RFer.
I looked at the FA for 2027 and there aren’t any that come anywhere close to the talent that Tucker has, there really isn’t a “Big Fish” in that free agent class.
After the 2027 season 50 mil comes off the books between Teo and Freeman, so I know there will be a couple of years with a high payroll, but I’m sure the team can bite the bullet for a couple of seasons.
Finally no one knows what’s going to happen after next season when the new contract is negotiated, the owners would like to restrict the Dodgers from spending more money.
A good argument for Will Smith is that he had an extended break during the season. Snell? Glasgow the same. Because the playoff season is much different than the regular season, all the mainline players should get a break during the season especially since their off season is so much shorter. Personally I would keep Rushing until at least the deadline.
Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase of the Guardians were indited on federal gambling charges. Ortiz has been arrested, Clase is not yet in custody. Report by Jeff Passan.
Keith mentioned earlier that the other owners want to limit the Dodgers spending. If so, it could be a reason to spend more this year than they might otherwise.
My thinking exactly
There really is nothing that the owners can do to the Dodgers except to further penalize them with luxury tax and loss of draft picks. I do not believe there will be a salary cap, but I do think the owners will try and further penalize the Dodgers, NYY, NYM, Philadelphia, Toronto…The Dodgers are not going to get a reprieve in what has already been committed. So whatever they do this year will have an impact on future years. Maybe they move the CBT way up, but then really hit those who go past that amount.
Then again, I do not see the players allowing the owners to take the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Blue Jays out of the negotiations for their stars. But I do think it is possible that the MLBPA will allow the owners some degree of penalty in place of a full salary cap.
I can’t believe the players will ever go for a salary cap, but I do think it will become more punitive for surpassing the competitive tax balance thresholds with every new contract that is negotiated.