How Important Are Bench Players?

Posted By on January 31, 2026

Over the last couple of years, I have been concerned with what I have considered a lack of power off of the Dodgers bench. Players like Kike, Rojas, Taylor, do not exactly scare the opposition. The way teams are constructed now, especially the Dodgers, it seems versatility trumps the ability to crush baseballs. Back in the day, that role was usually filled by veteran players nearing the end of their careers.

In this era, it seems more about how many positions you can play late in the game. Having an awful postseason offensively, Andy Pages was inserted for defensive purposes in game seven and made a game saving catch that kept the Jays from scoring. Pages, who hit 27 homers during the season was 4-41 in the postseason. Pages though is considered a power hitter. He normally plays every game.

So, who supplied the power? The game tying homer was hit by Rojas, one of the team’s best defensive players. At the time, Miggy had only played one game in the World Series, game six. LA was one out away from losing the series to the Blue Jays. Will Smith would win it in the 11th with his own solo shot.

During the 2025 season, Dodger pinch hitters were 21-107, a .196 BA. They had 5 homers and 14 driven in. They struck out 32 times and walked 14. Not a very good record of success. The best pinch hitter in Dodger history was Manny Mota. Not a power hitter but a very good bat to ball hitter.

The record for PH homers in a season by a Dodger is 7. Dave Hansen, a backup third baseman has that record. I doubt it will ever be matched or broken the way pinch hitters are used in this era. Since power does not seem to be the primary goal, I would think they would at least consider getting players who were pretty decent hitters along with their abilities on defense. Let us look at some of the bench candidates.

Hyeseong Kim hit .280 in his short stint with the Dodgers. Kims OBP suffers from the fact that he does not walk very much, at least he did not do so last season. He walked just 7 times and struck out 52. A guy with his speed is most valuable when he gets on base. A little more awareness of the strike zone would be a huge asset to Kim.

Miguel Rojas is a defensive whiz. He has also had some big moments with the bat. In his career, Miggy has hit .232 in pinch hitting roles. He has 1 homer and 13 runs driven in. Last season, Miggy was probably the Dodgers best pinch hitter. He hit .429 as a PH and hit 1 of the 5 PH homers LA had. His OPS was over 1.200.

Alex Call was a .260 hitter last year. He did not have many PH chances during the season. He was used more as a defensive replacement. One of his assets is his ability to get on base. His OBP was .361. It was .333 with the Dodgers. He is also a very good outfielder who can play all three positions.

Andy Ibanez, recently signed by the Dodgers as a free agent is a 32-year-old glove first infielder. He has also played the outfield a little, but most of his experience comes as a 2nd or 3rd baseman. He has no power to speak of and does not hit very well at all.

Dalton Rushing is the one current bench player who has some power. He hit double figure homers in the minors twice. He only had 142 at bats in the major’s last season. He was replaced on the postseason roster by Ben Rortvedt, who after his trade to LA suddenly found his bat. Rortvedt was placed on waivers after the season and claimed by the Reds, so the backup job falls into Rushing’s lap. How much he will give LA on offense remains to be seen.

Alex Freeland got his first taste of the major’s last season and showed some good defense but did not really get many chances to show his offensive side. Freeland played at three different levels of the minors in 24, and last year he played 106 games at OKC. He batted .268 and clubbed 16 homers, so he also has showed some power. The issue right now for Alex is roster space. With Ibanez signing a MLB deal, and Rojas being retained, there is not any room for him. The only way he makes the 26-man out of spring is if someone gets injured.

The odd man out here is Ryan Ward. The Dodgers did him a disservice by adding him to the MLB roster. He is simply injury insurance. LA attempted to find trade partners for Ward and Bobby Miller according to reports, but there were no takers. Ward is a legitimate power threat having hit 133 homers in the minors. But he turns 28 in February.

Those are the probable bench players available on the 40-man roster. There are four players currently on the roster at OKC who have appeared in the majors, Chuckie Robinson, Ryan Fitzgerald, Matt Gorski and Nick Senzel. Currently there are no outfielders listed on the OKC roster, which means we will probably see AF sign some players to minor league deals.

In my humble opinion, which means little, the Dodger bench has plenty of defense and not much offense. Maybe that will change, and maybe it won’t. How benches are used has changed dramatically from when I first started watching the game. It will probably change more over the next decade or so.

This article has 112 Comments

    1. I concur with that. Mota was special. He could jump out of bed in December and hit a line drive.

  3. This from SI:

    Max Muncy explained on “Foul Territory” that the Dodgers have reverted back to using Spring Training as the time to prepare for a season rather than already reporting to camp in full swing.

    “I think the thing that most of us have done this year is, just having the experience of being in the World Series multiple years now, understanding how important rest is. Most of the guys I’ve talked to have been on the same program I’ve been on. We haven’t started any baseball activity until the middle of January almost. Some guys are still just now starting. Just trying to give your body as much rest as possible.

    “Knowing that if we want to make another run to November, you’ve got to be as rested as you can to get through the summertime. Most guys like to hit and throw all year round, but for us, we’ve got to have that rest. So most guys have pushed back their training until now.

    “Spring Training this year is going to be more like it was in the old days, where Spring Training is almost like your offseason. You’re really starting to ramp up in Spring Training instead of showing up to Spring Training fully ready to go.”

    One hallmark of Dodgers teams under manager Dave Roberts has been seemingly operating ahead of schedule. That tone was set by the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Justin Turner, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Muncy and more veterans.

    Betts, Freeman and Muncy are all at least 33 years old and have played a countless number of postseason games on top of their regular season experience. Each of the three have also dealt with injury over recent seasons.

    1. So, I would not be surprised if a few players (Muncy, Freeman, Teoscar, Smith, Snell, Yamamoto, Ohtani, et al.) started the season on the IL – not all of them, but a few. This could open the door for players to showcase themselves.

  4. A trade for Donovan would help a lot! That would move Edman into the “super” utility role he needs to be in. Love Rojas! But I’m not sure how much, or if how little he can help offensively this season. Call ? Late innings replacement for Teo, and occasional starter against right handed pitchers. Kim? We still don’t know what he is with a bat in his hands! We know what he can do with his glove, and with his legs. Dalton? He may reach his potential in a different uniform. I know it’s not realistic to say this. But if Ohtani played a position, Ryan Ward could be the DH. Who knows, he might hit 30-35 bombs. But he also might hit .180 and strikeout 60% of the time. Yes the Dodgers need a power bat on the bench. But who and where does that guy come from?

    1. It won’t be Donovan. Too many other teams willing to pay a higher price than LA. He also is not that big of a power threat. He is a contact hitter, and a good glove man.

      1. I agree Donavan is NOT the answer. The Dodgers can wait till the trading deadline to see what the final October tournament roster looks like. We are going to slow walk the regular season with our pitching staff so everyone is healthy for October baseball. A healthy Edman will solidify the lineup. when he returns from the IL. Also one of the prospect outfielders could show their worth and possibly contend for a roster spot. As I’ve stated many times, we will win the NL West going away if they choose to do so. We won the West by 3 games last year over SD after blowing 27 saves. Issue addressed. Our lineup has Tucker in it and NO Conforto. Lineup is much better. Starting pitching is second to none in MLB. Also are ptching depth is second to none. Did anyone in the NL West make significant roster improvements from last year. The answer is NO. Rookie managers in SD and SF.So we are in the proverbial driver’s seat in how may games we want to win the NL West by.

    2. Why are people so high on Ward? The Dodgers never called him up last year when there was a need and it’s been reported the team has tried to trade him with no takers.

        1. That sounds right. Might get a bit more for Ward + Bobby Miller.
          The Royals have two Top Ten catching prospects…. Plus, they just moved the wall in at Kaufman Stadium.

    3. Dalton isn’t going anywhere. The Dodger’s catching depth is minimal and not ready to hep at the major league level. Rojas is NOT going anywhere until he retires after the 2026 season. Kim, Call and Freeland all have minor league option. Lots of time for AF and BG to figure it all out. I believe they know more than all us amateur GMs.

    1. Most likely it did but it also got rid of a bunch of automatic outs and made it much harder to go through a lineup. Who would you rather have hitting, Ohtani or Glasnow?

      1. Despite having Ohtani I hate the DH. More strategy removed from the game. These days the pitchers were only hitting once or twice a game before the manager had to make a decision. The DH did kill the bench at least partially

    2. The change in pitching philosophy is what killed the bench. It use to be you had 8,9 or 10 pitchers on a roster and 15,16 or 17 position players. You could have a power bat or 2 that didn’t need to play in the field. You could carry 3 catchers 5 outfielders and up to 9 infielders depending on how many pitchers were on the roster Now days you have rosters of 13 pitchers and 13 position players you need more versatile players that can play multiple positions. The Dodgers can technically carry 14 pitchers because of Ohtani.

    1. Big D was a good hitter. Had some power, 29 homers in his career with 133 driven in. But he had just one really good year with the bat. He hit .300 9n 65 with 7 homers. His OPS that year was .839 and he drove in a career high 19 runs. But he had a higher OPS, .852 in 58, the other year he hit 7 homers. But overall, he was a career .186 hitter. By comparison, Hershiser hit .201. Newcombe is probably the best hitting pitcher the team ever had, his BA was .268. He had 15 homers and 109 RBIs.

        1. Hampton was a good hitter for a pitcher. Had a career .246 BA and posted a 7.5 WAR as a hitter. His OPS was .650. Ken Brett hit .281 over his career. Wes Farrell holds the record for the most career homers by a pitcher with 38. Ohtani will not pitch in the WBC. He will be on Team Japan, but he won’t be pitching.

  7. I was always amazed by Tony Cloninger hitting 2 Grand Slams in one game and Rick Wise hitting 2 home runs and pitching a no hitter in the same game. Both colossal feats worthy of mention even on a Dodgers site.

    1. Insurance is the issue preventing Rojas from competing

      “The WBC has a provision that will not allow players who have reached the age of 37 to be insured. Rojas is 36 years old, and his birthday is prior to the first game of the WBC.

      Rojas surely earned a chance to compete for his home country, but the fact that his birthday is Feb. 24 and he will reach the age that contracts are no longer guaranteed means that he will be denied the opportunity to compete. “It’s not right,” Rojas said. “I don’t feel it’s right.”

      We need him to be healthy for the regular season.

    2. I don’t think so. Arraez is a singles hitter with NO power to speak of and a glove with a hole in it. Why didn’t other teams consider signing him even for the one year deal he received by SF, They can have him.

  9. Does arraez play a position or DH? No matter, he adds a .300 hitter to that lineup. Was hoping he would go to the American League! Guy’s a tough out even though he has almost no power. He may play first and Devers will DH.

    So the opening day rotation for the Dodgers is? Glasnow. Sheehan. Yamamoto? Sasaki? Snell? Stone? Ryan? Ohtani? Who gets “slow walked” and who doesn’t? I’m sure they all will miss quite a few turns.

    I’m really excited about having Tucker in this lineup!

    Ohtani
    Betts
    Freddie
    Tucker
    Smith
    Teo
    Max
    Pages
    Kim
    If Kim hits .275, Look out! He and Ohtani on the bases! Mookie bounces back in a big way! Freddie will be very good! Teo could have a monster year if he has dropped some weight. IF. Max has a healthy season, he could get back to 30 plus homers. Andy Pages? I hope Mark is spot on about him. If he continues to get better, he could be an all star! Health is the only thing that keeps them from threepeating!!

    Congrats to my youngest son on being inducted into the Roanoke baseball hall of fame today! Very much deserved!

    1. Arraez signed with the Giants because they told him he could play second base. He played mostly at 1st for the Padres and was the DH sometimes. He started out as a 2nd baseman in Miami. He is okay at 2nd, a .988 fielding percentage. His worst defensive position is 3rd. They talk about the Dodger rotation on MLBTR today. Snell said he just never felt right at the beginning of last season. He does not want to repeat that. Ohtani should be ready by opening day.

    3. Nothing set in stone, of course, but Roberts has signalled that Tucker will bat 2nd and Mookie will bat 3rd….

      Kim hit .280 in ’25. He needs to cut his Ks and improve his on-base percentage. His defense is elite, and he’s been working on hitting higher-velocity over the winter. While Edman has the higher floor, Kim has the higher ceiling–and he makes the lineup younger.
      To quote my 15-year-old one, “Let him cook.”

  10. So I guess the strategy by having a bench of defensive players is that we have plenty of clout in the starters. So we should have the lead going into 8th and 9th inning and can afford to take guys like Teo out to replace them with good defensive guys. Or when Max or Freddie are hurt or need rest, we can pop a guy in and the other guys take up the slack. How much better can we be than being in first place every year?

  11. “It’s an especially precarious position for San Diego’s front office leader to be in considering previous reports of behind-the-scenes tension between Preller and club CEO Erik Greupner. It will be worth watching Preller’s status until an extension is revealed, as he would surely be a coveted talent for rival franchises around the league if the Padres were to decide to let him go. Preller took over in San Diego in the final weeks of the 2014 season, and while the Padres have only made the playoffs four times under his leadership, the team’s body of work over the past six seasons represents the most successful stretch of baseball in franchise history”.

    This could be the main reason the Padres have done very little this offseason to improve their roster and Preller could be heading for the exits with a rookie former player as manager. Not a good situation but some here said Preller’s days would soon come to an end with some of his trading the farm away.

    1. Top 100 Prospects

      The Padres currently have between zero and two prospects in the top 100, depending on the publication:
      MLB Pipeline: Two prospects—Ethan Salas (C, No. 77) and Kruz Schoolcraft (LHP, No. 95).
      Baseball America: Only one prospect—Ethan Salas, who fell to No. 90 on their list.
      ESPN (Kiley McDaniel): Zero prospects in the top 100. Their top-ranked player, Salas, dropped to No. 110.

      Overall Farm System Ranking
      The Padres’ farm system is currently ranked as the worst in baseball by major outlets:
      ESPN: Ranked 30th (dead last).
      The Athletic (Keith Law): Ranked 30th.
      USA Today: Ranked 30th.

  12. “The Dodgers have signed left-hander Cole Irvin to a minor league contract, Just Baseball Media’s Aram Leighton reports. Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds that Irvin’s deal includes an invitation to the Dodgers’ big league spring camp. It’s a late birthday present for Irvin, who just celebrated his 32nd birthday yesterday.

    Irvin makes his return to North American ball after spending the 2025 season in Seoul with the Doosan Bears of the KBO League. Over 28 starts and 144 2/3 innings with the Bears, Irvin posted a 4.48 ERA, 19.7% strikeout rate, and 12.2% walk rate. For comparison’s sake, Irvin had a 4.54 ERA, 17.1 K% and 5.6 BB% over 593 innings at the Major League level from 2019-24, so the lack of control is a sudden red flag. Irvin did display a severe lack of control over a handful of games with the Twins in 2024 and with the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate, but over a small sample size”.

  13. If Kim could raise his .OBP and learn to bunt he would be a hell of a weapon in the 9 hole. With his speed he should be able to bunt for hits.

  14. For a bunch of commenters and monitors who are just chomping at the bit to dump Kim, nobody asked why we didn’t we spend the 12Mil to pick up a 3 time batting champ 2B with average defense and excellent walk/strikeout ratio and keep the Giants from picking him up.
    I assume it is because he doesn’t hit home runs either. Arreaz would have looked good batting in front (9th) of Ohtani with his high OBP and low K rate and he is a one year rental at worst.

    1. I have never personally met anyone who wanted to dump Kim OR to sign Arraez. But I hang out with a pretty solid class of people.

      1. With Edman probably going on the IL ,second base is wide open. Let the kids, Kim and Freeland have a chance to win a roster spot as the left handed platoon to Rojas and Ibanez both right handed. The bench will be Rushing, either Ward or Call, either Kim or Freeland, Rojas and Ibanez.

    2. You’re being generous with his defense. Arreaz is a butcher. His offensive numbers seem to be on the decline to me. Not that he wouldn’t be a good offensive weapon in the 9-hole but $12 million is $24 million for the Dodgers. I’m good with Edman, Kim, Rojas, Ibanez, and Freeland.

      1. I’m with you on Kim. My point was that Kim was always being mentioned as trade bait when he is probably the best defender. It’s good to see support in this site for him getting a fair shake at 2B. Hopefully the Dodger brass will feel the same.

        1. A second year in the states hopefully makes him more comfortable and we see a bit of a jump. He could be such a weapon if there were.

  15. For 2026, Keith Law of The Athletic has ranked the Milwaukee Brewers as having the top farm system in baseball. His rankings are divided into eight tiers, with the San Diego Padres currently ranked last at #30.

    Keith Law: 2026 MLB Farm System Rankings
    Rk Team Tier
    1 MIL 1
    2 LAD 1
    3 SEA 1
    4 PIT 2
    5 CLE 2
    6 WAS 2
    7 DET 3
    8 CHW 3
    9 BAL 3
    10 BOS 3
    11 STL 3
    12 NYM 4
    13 SFG 4
    14 MIA 4
    15 PHI 4
    16 TBR 5
    17 CIN 5
    18 MIN 5
    19 KCR 6
    20 NYY 6
    21 ARI 6
    22 OAK 6
    23 TEX 7
    24 TOR 7
    25 CHC 7
    26 ATL 7
    27 HOU 8
    28 COL 8
    29 LAA 8
    30 SDP 8

  16. Keith Law’s 8-tier minor league system is a grouping method he uses to categorize all 30 MLB farm systems based on their overall talent depth, star potential, and long-term sustainability. Instead of just a 1–30 list, Law groups teams into tiers to show where there is a significant gap in quality between organizations.

    Understanding the 2026 Tier Structure
    In his January 2026 rankings for The Athletic, Law used these tiers to distinguish between elite “powerhouse” systems and those that are either top-heavy, shallow, or in deep rebuilds.

    Tier 1 (The Elite): Systems with multiple top-100 prospects and significant depth across all levels. In 2026, this tier includes the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Seattle Mariners.

    Tier 2 (Very High Quality): Systems with high-ceiling talent but slightly less depth than Tier 1. The Pittsburgh Pirates (ranked No. 4) and Cleveland Guardians (ranked No. 5) currently lead this tier.

    Tier 3 (Strong Depth): Systems that might lack a “marquee” superstar but possess many future big leaguers or specific development strengths (e.g., the Boston Red Sox’s newfound pitching depth).

    Lower Tiers (4–8): These tiers represent a gradual decline in impact talent. Tier 8 systems typically have very few top-tier prospects and lack the depth to sustain a winning MLB roster without heavy outside spending

  17. “Eugenio Suarez is returning to Cincinnati, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the slugger has signed a one-year, $15MM deal with the Reds that includes a mutual option for the 2027 season. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the option is worth $16MM, though mutual options are rarely triggered by both sides. The deal will become official once the Reds clear a spot on their 40-man roster, and presumably when Suarez passes a physical. Suarez is represented by Octagon”.

  18. What if Rushing got 3 starts a week behind the plate until September. Will Smith stays strong for the post season and Rushing gets the at bats he needs to develop. Seems like a good idea to me.

  19. River Ryan supposedly has his fastball sitting 98-100 ! He said he’s working on another pitch would increase his total to 7 different pitches! Some analysts are comparing him to Gerrit Cole. When, not if he joins the rotation, he may just be a # 1 or 2 starter slotted as a # 5-6 starter. The Dodgers brass may have really fleeced the friars! Can’t wait to see to see him cut it loose this upcoming season! Just think, Sheehan and Stone and Ryan! How many teams can put 3 like that on a 40 man roster? Oh , I forgot to mention Sasaki!!

  20. Let’s give Rushing 4 starts a week. 2 at catcher per Mr. Perkins suggestions, 1 at 1st base to ease father time on the great Freddie Freeman, and one either in the outfield (where he has played and can’t be a worse fielder than Teo), or at 3rd to give Max a rest (if he can play there – I don’t think he has and there may be a reason).

    1. Got to convince Freddie. He said at Dodgersfest he wants to play 162 and four more years. He’s eyeing 3000 hits

  21. I was traveling to Florida yesterday and I could not respond.

    I am not in the category of wanting to get rid of Kim, not do I want Arrizz. That said, the Giants are better with him. Wanting him and making the Giants better are not mutually exclusive. The Giants could be pretty good this year… especially if Devers and Eldridge can play to their potential.

    I simply do not think Kim as a bat that will play everyday.

    1. The Dodgers brass must have seen something in Kim they liked before they signed him. I am willing to give him a chance his second year to see what he can do strictly against right handed pitching only. His glove and speed plays in MLB. AF and BG know more than all of us here.
      As far as Devers goes, his contract and attitude will not end well with the Giants. If the Giants plan on playing Arraez at second base ,good luck! The Giants will be lucky to win 86 games. The NL West stinks!!!

  23. Luis Arrzez has amazing bat-to-ball skills.

    His ball-to-glove skills are legendarily horrid!

    Still, they have Chapman and Adames at 3B and SS and Bader in CF. I think they are a sleeper. Their new manager could get them to play like wildmen this year!

      1. Very cocky college coach with NO managing experience in MLB who won’t relate to Major League players in the long run. This isn’t college and let’s see how he reacts during a 162 game schedule.

  24. I agree mark! I still say the west is no way the weakest division in baseball. It just happens to have the Dodgers in it! The giants won’t have the strongest infield defense with Arreaz. At second base and devers at first, but the left side of the infield will be just fine. I believe eventually devers may have to go back to being a full time DH. That would allow them to move. arreaz to first. I know what they promised him, but if his defense starts hurting them, well then he has no choice.

    Is it just me, or is anyone else not getting the fuzzies over the Super Bowl? I’m going to watch it, but I have no vested interest in it. I guess if I have to choose, I’ll pull for the Seahawks since they have never won one.
    I
    I HATE SNOW!!!!

    1. I actually think it could be a good football game. NE’s defense is underrated [Oregon dude in secondary] & Seattle is prone to choking.

      1. NE is not great. Good yes, not great, not a SB team.

        Weak as water schedule and they played Stidham in the title game…..

    2. Will not watch the Super Bowl….

      Rams-Seahawks was the super Bowl.

      ST cant get here soon enough….

      1. Nobody! I never said that anyone other than the Dodgers would win the division! I just don’t believe the west is the weakest in baseball. I believe the giants , Dbacks, and padres all will be competitive teams. The central teams in both leagues will be weaker than the NLwest. And if the giants do sign Framber? Top 3 in their rotation is very good. But not enough to overtake the mighty dodgers! Dodgers should win the division by 10 games on paper. But paper isn’t where they play the game. But 10 games would be sweet.

        My bad Matt! I was thinking Mariners.

  25. I think Edman is a key this year. I like to reflect on the outside brought in to supercharge our talent base. I start with Mookie then Glasnow & Freeman. Obviously Yamamoto & Ohtani but also Teo. Snell, Sasaki & Tucker. (Scott & Diaz too.)

    But Edman’s a bit different from the rest. More of a straight complementary player despite the NLCS MVP. Would love to see that player again.

  26. I think the key is “there is no key.”

    The Dodgers have the players and the farm system to weather any storm.

      1. Edman is an important piece, but to deem him the “key” is a stretch. If you were to single out a single key, I would venture to say is the health of our veterans. However, the Dodgers system is deep and built to weather the storm. It would have to be a catastrophic level event(s) to cripple the system.

  28. Mariners Close To Acquiring Brendan Donovan

    The Mariners and Cardinals are closing in on a deal to send Brendan Donovan to Seattle, per a report from Katie Woo and Chad Jennings of The Athletic. The report adds that a third team may be involved. Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that the Rays are also involved.

    I want to see what teams involved are giving for a utility player with 2 years of control. I’m glad we didn’t get him.

    1. The Cardinals send infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan to the Mariners, getting prospects Jurrangelo Cijntje and Tai Peete plus a competitive balance round B pick (#68 overall) from the Mariners, as well as receiving outfield prospect Colton Ledbetter and a competitive balance round B pick (#72 overall) from the Rays.overall) from the Rays.
      The Rays send outfield prospect Colton Ledbetter and a competitive balance round B pick (#72 overall) to the Cardinals, receiving infielder Ben Williamson from the Mariners.

      1. 100 games at 2b & 44 elsewhere last year.

        I’d say he’s a 2b with some defensive versatility.

        Be careful what you get good at.

        1. TRADE DETAILS
          Mariners acquire: INF/OF Brendan Donovan
          Cardinals acquire: RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje (MLB’s No. 91 prospect, per MLB Pipeline); OF Tai Peete (was Mariners’ No. 11 prospect, now Cardinals’ No. 15); OF Colton Ledbetter (was Rays’ No. 24 prospect); Competitive Balance Round B picks (No. 68 overall, from Mariners; No. 72 overall, from Rays)
          Rays acquire: 3B Ben Williamson

          1. Cijntje and Ledbetter in this trade played at my alumnus Mississippi State .Cijntje was very unusually talented!He pitched with both hands!

  30. MLB Network’s Top 10 Catchers (2026)
    Rank Player Team
    1 Cal Raleigh Seattle Mariners
    2 William Contreras Milwaukee Brewers
    3 Will Smith Los Angeles Dodgers
    4 Drake Baldwin Atlanta Braves
    5 Alejandro Kirk Toronto Blue Jays
    6 Gabriel Moreno Arizona Diamondbacks
    7 Yainer Diaz Houston Astros
    8 Sean Murphy Atlanta Braves
    9 Iván Herrera St. Louis Cardinals
    10 Shea Langeliers Athletics

    1. Hard to hate on 60 homers (& my son’s name is Cal) but Smith is #1 to me. My favorite Dodger and it isn’t close.

          2. I’m sure that has nothing to do with the team he plays on. Cal clears Will Smith both offensively and defensively and that’s not a shot against Will . The dude hit 60 HR’s …. AS A CATCHER.

  31. There are still 8 unsigned players left on MLB Trade Rumors’ Top 50 FA List. All of them are pitchers.
    With Eugenio Suarez returning to Cincinnati, the last bat has been taken off the board in the Top 50 Free Agents list. The remaining players are all pitchers. The list right now is:

    Framber Valdez

    Zac Gallen

    Chris Bassitt

    Lucas Giolito

    Nick Martinez

    Zack Littell

    Justin Verlander

    Max Scherzer

    1. Those last 2 have been pretty spectacular . I respect their great talent and they will be future HOF

  32. What’s the word with Michael Kopech? Haven’t seen any rumors about him lately.
    I know the Dodgers don’t need him, but I’ve always liked Chris Bassitt. He’s pitched well against the Dodgers. Probably a good fit with the A’s.
    It’s hard to believe Framber Valdez hasn’t been signed! Unless that incident with his catcher is a lot deeper than reported. Maybe he’s a bad clubhouse guy.

    Really hate Pittsburgh didn’t add any position players of big time talent. I’m guessing Skeenes will be just another in the long list of superstar pitchers who get out of town as soon as possible. Tight wad owners are “ruining “ baseball, not the Dodgers!

    Top 10 catchers? Can’t say I’m surprised Cal is #1. But Contreras over Will? Not sure I agree with that assessment.

    1. Current Signing Rumors
      New York Yankees: Reported as having “checked in” on Kopech as a high-upside bullpen depth option. Insiders suggest he is a “buy-low” candidate for a Yankees staff seeking late-inning strikeout ability.
      San Francisco Giants: Have reportedly been “in touch” with Kopech this winter. Analysts predict he could serve as a closer candidate for the Giants, potentially on a short-term, team-friendly deal to rebuild his value.
      Detroit Tigers: Suggested as a speculative “fixer-upper” fit, though concrete reports of negotiations have been light compared to the Yankees and Giants.

  33. As I enter my 79th year of Dodger fandom, I’d like to thank all the savvy posters who have made the hot stove season so enjoyable. Speculation on Tucker, and reporting on 16 year-old bonus babies leant spice to the off season. With baseball at a pinnacle, and so much $ sloshing around, it seems inconceivable that it will self-destruct in 2027. Greed rules, just as it does in the highest offices in the country.

  36. Infielder Andy Ibanez, who just signed a one-year $1.2MM deal with L.A. earlier in the offseason, has been designated for assignment to open a roster spot. As is relatively common around the league, they’ll now hope that a guaranteed salary helps sneak Ibanez through waivers unclaimed, so he can be stashed in Triple-A as a depth piece.

  37. Here is the MLB Network “Top 10 Right Fielders Right Now” list for 2026, as determined by the statistical model known as “The Shredder”:

    Rank: Player, Team
    Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
    Juan Soto, New York Mets
    Kyle Tucker, Los Angeles Dodgers
    Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
    Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
    Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
    Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs
    George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays
    Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
    Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox

  38. Mickey Lolich passed away this morning. He was 85. 1968 World Series champion, he won 3 of the 4 games the Tigers won. RIP.

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