2026 in Preview: Centerfield and Rightfield

Posted By on January 5, 2026

You Can’t Consider CF without Considering RF

I don’t think we see what the final alignment of the outfield will be at this time. A move or “moves” have to be made:

  • Kyle Tucker is a long shot.
  • The Dodgers (rightfully) have little interest in Cody Bellinger.
  • Luis Robert, Jr. and Harrison Bader would be downgrades.
  • Byron Buxton would be a disaster or a genius move with 10 to 1 odds against the latter.
  • The Red Sox are asking for a King’s Ransom for Jarren Duran, but no one has pulled the trigger. I think the Dodgers can put together a package the Red Sox will like, centered on Sheehan et al. However, we don’t know.

Tommy Edman will likely not be ready to start the season, but all hands point to his being ready in May. Andy Pages has improved incrementally on defense throughout the 2025 season and could play there in 2026. Teoscar is horrible in RF and needs to play LF. I see two possibilities:

1. Trade for Duran and let him play CF; or

2. Put Teo in LF and Pages in RF and play Alex Call in CF until Edman and maybe Kike Return.

I prefer Option 1. Boston wants pitching. I love Sheehan, but I am willing to trade him for a hitter like Duran. It will take more than Sheehan, but I would consider it. Maybe Boston wants to keep Duran. I get that, so I would be willing to trade for Wilyer Abreu, a left-handed right fielder, which would move Pages back to CF. I am okay with that, as well. Sheehan for Abreu? Get ‘er done! If the Red Sox wanted Hyeseong Kim as well, I would not say no. Duran or Abreu (one of them) is the final piece.

Abreu would platoon with Alex Call in RF. Abreu is 26 and projectable to be a 30 HR guy. Maybe one of the Dodgers outfield prospects will be ready in the second half of 2026! If the Dodgers don’t do anything, Alex Call could start the season as the centerfielder. Alex Call’s defensive reputation, especially in center field, skews toward above-average to solid rather than elite — he’s got good tools. He gets the job done, but he doesn’t profile as a top-tier defender relative to the very best CFs in the league. Still, he could fill in until an elite Centerfielder appeared. Metrics and scouting reports peg Call as having good reactions and decent range, which helps him cover ground in the outfield. He’s not the fastest sprinter in the league, but his instincts and reads boost his effectiveness. Alex has above-average arm strength for an outfielder.

Alex Call in CF has to be a consideration. We shall see! He has a career OPS of .712, but OPS’ed .746 last year. He’s very close to Harrison Bader in career hitting, but not his equal in defense. Still, he ain’t shabby! The next time, we will look at starting pitching! Try this lineup out (no trades):

  1. Ohtani DH
  2. Betts SS
  3. Freeman 1B
  4. Smith C
  5. Muncy 3B
  6. Hernandez LF
  7. Kim/Rojas 2B
  8. Pages RF
  9. Call CF

So, we wait!

This article has 59 Comments

  1. My opinion is the Dodgers could nothing further till the start of the season and still run away with the NL West. Take your time AF and BG , there is NO rush. If you’re shopping, shop at the top of the market. You have Ohtoni and ownership’s blessing, but only if it makes total sense to get younger and contract-wise.

  2. I didn’t know Edman wasn’t going to be ready. If so, the current OF depth chart is:

    Pages
    Teo
    Call
    Siani
    Ward

    We have to add an OF

  3. I know Kim is not a favorite on this site but the guy has speed, a strong arm and was a good glove infielder in Korea. How much of a reach would it be to make him an outfielder?
    Mr. Forte is right on. Don’t mess with success. We have 3 solid pitchers in the wings and 3 more getting ready for ’27. We need to trade or get international help for 3B and catching support since we don’t have any strong prospects in those positions. Anything else we have in the farm. Unless we are talking about Tucker,.

    1. Kim does not have the power to be an everyday player at any position but he is a nice utility man.

      1. Kim doesn’t need power to be an everyday player.
        What he needs to do is (cue “Moneyball”) GET ON BASE.
        Especially batting 9th, ahead of Shohei and Mookie.
        Or maybe Shohei and Tucker…

  4. “The Phillies announced Monday that they’ve hired Don Mattingly as the new bench coach to manager Rob Thomson. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski acknowledged last month that he’d spoken to Mattingly about the vacancy. Last year’s bench coach, Mike Calitri, changed roles this offseason and became the team’s major league field coordinator. Mattingly has spent the past three seasons as the Blue Jays’ bench coach but chose not to return in that role for the 2026 season as he instead explored other opportunities”.

    1. It can’t be to get a rebound because of his of height ,but to get a pass for an easy layup or player that comes to him in the right deal.

    2. AF is waiting around till prices come down on free agents where the player will take a high annual salary and a shorter term and realize there’s a good possibility of making the playoffs each year and advancing to the World Series and playing with the greatest player whoever played the game in Ohtoni in great weather and a packed stadium. Money isn’t everything if you’re signing with a loser. Ask Juan Soto.

  6. There is no indication that the Dodgers don’t have interest in Bellinger. I personally don’t think they should sign him but your comment indicating they have little interest is purely speculative and not based on any real info. No way they are trading Sheehan for Duran, starting pitching is too valuable and why would they want to trade a guy who averaged more than 11 K’s per 9 in his first full year. He’s better than Stone too.

    1. This is dingbat, double negative logic.

      It reminds me of a nonsensical argument I found myself in on the other board when Inpointed out Austin Barnes had never, ever said he wants to be in MLB management.:

      “But!” the others noted, “Barnes had never said he DIDNT want to be a manager.”

      Dingbat logic.

      There is smoke and there is fire.

      In the case of Bellinger, neither.

    2. I would certainly trade Sheehan for Duran or Abreu. Both players are far more proven than Sheehan is.
      Nothing against Sheehan…..but didn’t Bobby Miller also have a strong rookie season? Plus, River Ryan and Gavin Stone should be ready to step up.
      I’ll say it again: The Dodgers could do nothing more before Opening Day and still be the favorites to win the World Series.
      Or they could also go a little bit bonkers and sign Bichette and pull off a blockbuster trade.
      Very unlikely but plausible lineup:

      Shohei DH
      Mookie SS
      Freddie 1B
      Buxton CF
      Smith C
      Max 3B
      Bichette 2B
      Teo LF
      Pages RF

      Or maybe Duran instead of Buxton…
      Some speculation lately that the Dodgers, by hanging around that backboard, could wind up with Tucker or Bichette–whoever doesn’t sign wiith the Jays.

  8. To me there’s uncertainty at 2 positions – CF and 2B. They could let Rojas and Kim play 2B while Edman rehabs and then slot him in as primary 2B, play Teo and Pages in the OF corners, leaving CF as a question. Or juggle until Edman returns and slot him in as primary CF and fill a hole at 2B.

    Tucker or Bellinger can play RF of course meaning that Pages plays CF for a while longer, but since the team’s best position player prospects are all OF it doesn’t make sense to sign an OF looking for a long term deal. They could sign a stopgap like Bader to cover CF for a couple of years. Bellinger isn’t a good defensive CF any more according to metrics.

    I wonder if signing an infielder makes more sense. Bichette can play 2B and is an impact RH bat. I don’t know if his arm is strong enough to shift to 3B if necessary if Muncy leaves after the 2026 season. In the short run, signing Bichette to play 2B means that Edman can play CF when he comes off the IL and they don’t block their OF prospects when they are ready.

    1. If Bichette wants to come here with what the Dodgers offer, then I am down with it. I did not think he had the arms for 3B, and many agree with that, but there are some MLB Radio guys who think he could play 3B. Opinions!

  9. Reasons why the Dodgers aren’t interested in Cody Bellinger:

    1. He is not the same player he was when he was in LA;
    2. Yankee Stadium was made for him – he road splits are not good;
    3. Andrew Friedman is not a moron, and
    4. Cody wants to be in NY.

    Even Ray Charles can see that!

    1. I’m completely with you. I don’t see how AF goes against his own counsel and makes a move that reverses 3-4 years of team history.

      It’s not like we’ve struggling without him!

  10. (1) I like Kim . Can he hit MLB pitching?

    (2) I like Teo, Can he play right field ? NO!

    (3) I like Call. Can he be an everyday outfielder? Probably not.

    (4) l like Bichette. Will he play second? Absolutely in LA!

    (5) I like Duran . Can a deal be made? Yes, but not easy..

    (6) I like Rushing. Will he get enough AB’s? Maybe, but not at Will’s expense.

    (7). I like Kike. How long will he be out? 2 months minimum?

    (8). I like Glasnow. Do they go back on their word and trade him? NO!!

    (9) I like Edman . is he an everyday player? NO! But a damn good one!

    (10). Is there anything I don’t like? YES ! Sweet potato!!

    2. Not pickled but cooked. Served in a salad with feta, pecans & vinaigrette. Shallots optional.

  12. It was mentioned earlier that Don Mattingly would be the bench coach for the Phillies.

    Why?

    Former Dodger, Preston Mattingly is Philly’s GM!

    Now you know the rest of the story.

  13. Only five players left on the roster from the 2020 Champs. Smith, Muncy, Betts, Graterol, and Treinen. Pop signs MLB deal with the Phillies.

      1. Treinen and Rojas for sure will be gone, Rojas plans to retire and enter coaching. Muncy will most likely be gone, but he could land with another team depending on how healthy he remains and what kind of stats he puts up in 26. 27 is not a certainty yet.

        1. So should we be looking for a replacement for Muncy this year, maybe move one of the OF in the minors to 3B in preparation for the inevitable or get a FA or trade?

  14. Buster Onley reporting that the dodgers are “hovering” over both the Bichette and Tucker markets waiting for long term deals to fail to develop so they can get one or the other on a short term deal with higher average salary. Similar to the way the Freddie Freeman market developed (or rather didn’t develop) leading to a deal with LA.

    1. Bichette makes more sense to me than Tucker. I’ve been advocating for his signing since the start of the free agent signing period. We don’t really need Tucker with all the outfield prospects a year or two away. We may even see one or two of them in 2026.
      Bo Bichette is represented by Vayner Sports, NOT BORASS..He was previously represented by CAA Sports.
      Vayner Sports is a sports agency that represents numerous professional athletes across various sports.

      1. I think that ultimately, both will get 7 to 8-year deals.

        Both are “nice” players. Neither is a “superstar.”

        1. I believe Bichette gets a high annual salary and a shorter deal probably 5 years with opt outs.He is better than the Dodgers presently have to play second base with right handed power and batting average.

  15. For those that are interested, the International Signing Period starts next Thursday January 15th on Martin Luther King Day. By signing Edwin Diaz the Dodger’s signing pool was reduced by 1 million dollars.The Dodger’s revised signing pool number is $5,679,200.

    1. Projected Dodgers Signing
      Rubel Arias (Dominican Republic, OF): The only projected Dodgers signee among the current top 50 international prospects by Baseball America, Arias is a 17-year-old outfielder. He is an athletic outfielder with good physical projection.

      1. Scouting Report and Profile

        “Scouts highlight Arias as a well-rounded athlete with several “plus” tools:

        Offensive Profile: He is a left-handed hitter known for an advanced feel for hitting and significant bat speed. While currently described as having a “skinny frame,” scouts expect him to develop above-average power as he matures physically.

        Speed and Defense: He is considered a plus runner with a strong arm, making him a likely candidate to remain in center field.

        Training Background: He trained with fellow Dodgers prospect Emil Morales, who has already emerged as a top-10 prospect in the organization.

        Immediate 2026 Expectations
        Signing Details: He is projected to sign for a seven-figure bonus shortly after the international signing period opens on January 15, 2026.

        Professional Debut: Following his signing, he is expected to begin his professional career in the Dominican Summer League (DSL), the standard entry point for international teenagers.

        2026 MLB International Prospects Bonus Board
        Jan 4, 2026 — Rubel Arias ranked No. 47 on Baseball America’s list of top international prospects expected to receive seven figure bonus”.

  16. FYI:

    MLB teams can trade International Signing Bonus Pool money, and they do it quietly all the time. Think of it as swapping lottery tickets rather than players.

    Under MLB rules (set by the CBA), each team gets an International Signing Bonus Pool every year to sign amateur players outside the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

    Teams may trade pool money to other teams

    Pool money cannot be traded for cash directly

    It’s usually bundled with players or draft picks

    A team cannot exceed 60% over its original pool, even after trades

    Pool money expires after that signing period

    You can’t “bank” it for future years

    Trades must be completed before the international signing deadline

  17. Per Andrew Marchand:

    NEWS: Clayton Kershaw a top studio target for NBC in its return to baseball on Sunday Nights, The Athletic has learned.

  18. Moves involving former Dodgers made today. Justin Dean DFAd by the Giants. Kirby Yates signing with the Angels finalized. Justin Bruhl traded to the Cardinals by Cleveland for cash.

  20. “LOS ANGELES — As we all await the first days of spring and the return of baseball, what better way to pass the time than reliving some of the top moments from one of the best to play the game?

    Today marks “Shohei Day” on MLB Network, featuring an entire day of programming focused around Shohei Ohtani’s astounding achievements in the Majors. The broadcast date, Jan. 7 (1/7), is a nod to the No. 17 that the Dodgers superstar has worn throughout his Major League career”.

  21. Two Los Angeles Dodgers players are currently in Venezuela: pitcher Edgardo Henriquez and prospect Eduardo Quintero. Both are safe, and the Dodgers organization is actively working to help them return to the United States amidst recent travel disruptions there.

  22. Does anyone else get the feeling that Kyle Tucker is falling into the Dodgers lap? The Jays are considered the favorites, but it’s not a given that will happen. If he does end up a Dodger, that would be just fine with me. But I would still prefer Bichette and him playing second base. Either way the Dodgers get better instantly!

    What’s up with the Dodgers being interested in Freddie Peralta? I get it, the Dodgers are interested in everyone! Could it be that they are talking to the Red Sox about Duran and putting Emmit in a package for him? It would only be one year of Peralta since he’s a free agent after the upcoming season. Very good pitcher! Interesting!

    Hey Bear! How about you doing one of your fabulous stories on Davy Lopes?

      1. Funny I believe that the Dodgers will get one of them. Tucker is not in the position Harper was years ago. A shorter deal with opt outs would give Tucker the chance to re-set his market. It appears to me that the mega-deal that his camp had hoped for isn’t coming to fruition. If Tucker does go to Toronto it would most likely be at the expense of Bichette.

  23. We don’t know what “chance “ they have. Expectations are high for this team. Money came off the books, so AF is never out on any affordable free agent.

  24. Dodgers avoided arbitration with Graterol, he will make 2.8 million this season. Cubs finalized deal with the Marlins for Edward Cabrera. Marlins get three prospects in return.

  25. The stars will need to lineup for the Dodgers to sign Tucker or Bichette. Similar to the Freeman signing. The market somewhat dried up on Freddie.

    Unlike Freeman, both Tucker and Bichette are still in their 20’s and someone is bound to take a chance on these “younger” good, but not elite players. Since neither will require Soto type money, several teams are going to remain in the hunt.

    I don’t think we can ever say never with AF, but I would venture to say the odds are low that we end up signing either of them.

    Even if it’s a 1% chance, it would be foolish to bet against the Dodgers. The Dumb and Dumber “you’re telling there is a chance” scene comes to mind. 🙂

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