Who Will Play 2B

Lux will bring energy to the team next year.

Speaking of free agency,what about our future free agents and how much do we pay them.Be the GM and propose the contract for our guys.Kershaw is a F A after this season as is Seaver.Muncy,Bellinger and Urias become FA after 2023 season.Buehler becomes FA after 2025. How much will these 2 years affect contracts!

Is there any player in mlb we haven’t mentioned yet!

Exceptionally good content here recently.

I think AF is being coy about the RH bat. It’s clear Turner is as good any option out there but has the right to take a larger contact if offered.

Even with Turner we could use a bench RH bat beside Taylor [and Barnes]. I’d prefer a true OF as I think McKinstry will be able to replace Hernadez positionally if not in output.

Of course we’ll add a reliever or three, but I’d really like to shore up the rotation. A lingering memory of the postseason was our bullpen games. Yes the daily format was a factor but still there’s no reason not to devote $5-10 mil for rotation insurance.

And lock up Seags.

So here’s a wild, outside the box thought:

The Cubs will likely have a fire sale to shed salaries. Kris Bryant likely will earn around $18mil next year, after OPS’ing .604 in 2020. The Cubs don’t want to pay that, but also likely will have no takers that would take Bryant, pay him $18mil for 1 year, AND give up some quality assets in return. There’s even talk that the Cubs could just non tender him. I’m sure most teams are waiting for the Cubs to blink.

What if we jumped in, and said, hey, we’ll take Bryant, pay him $18mil in 2021, and in return give you Pollock, who earns $15, $10, and $10mil the next 3 years. We obviously would give decent minor leaguer(s), and/or pay some of Pollock salary. This would give the Cubs some cash relief, still have a quality LF, AND get a prospect or 2.

That would allow us to shed the rest of Pollock’s 3 years, and stick Bryant in LF. Assuming he’s healthy, and we can get him back to form, we get a young former MVP on a 1 year tryout, where he’d want to do well to get his big contract after 2021 is over. He could be that RH power bat we want.

Now, I say all this not having watched him that much the last few years, so I don’t know if he’s injured, or just lost it.

What about Daniel Murphy as a RH Bench Piece, and back up for Lux at 2B?

Kim from South Korea sounds like a worthy gamble to me. Only 25 years old, and would easily slot into top 100 prospect lists. And he won’t get the sort of deal established MLB players get. The versatility is a big plus too. He’d be a hedge on Seager not getting resigned and Lux not being an MLB shortstop. Lux needs to get a chance to swing the bat in MLB. 2nd base may be the ideal long term spot, but left field may be where the at bats are. No knowing if there will be a DH is a hang up for NL clubs.

Bring back Turner. 3B/DH sorta platoon with Rios to help keep JT’s legs under him.

Sign Kim. Unproven sure, but the glove/arm/fielding should translate pretty well. He’ll take less money than DJLM, and have upside. If Seager isn’t resigned he could be next shortstop. Until then, platoon with Lux at 2nd. Take short when Seager breathes, and even 3rd with Turner and Rios.

Lux at 2nd and LF. Spot start at short occasionally. He needs 400+ AB’s regardless of where he’s playing.

My dream scenario is Buehler, Seager, Urias, and Bellinger are extended. Buehler and Urias showed they can lead the pitching staff to a WS win. Seager will be a SS for a while, but maybe he’ll be amenable to 3B at some point with an extension. Bellinger has been a little up and down, but even his down years with the bat are great for a gold glove worthy CF, and MVP upside in an up year. It’d be spendy to lock these 4 down with Mookie but it makes me think of the Yankees dynasty when they had Jeter, Posada, Williams, Petite core that dominated for most of a decade.

Lux has had the “yips” on and off for a couple of years. I still see him as a 2B – I do not think he is MLB SS, but that is just my opinion. However, I thought that putting him in LF could help him focus on his hitting for a while and get hs mind off of the “yips.” Yips are a funny thing – some players NEVER got over them. My thinking is to put him in LF where it is less of a factor, but at some point move him back to 2B.

I do not think the market for any of the other free agents is great, so all could be back on lessor contracts. Nobody is going to be throwing money around this winter.

One of the reports on Kim:

https://www.prospectslive.com/featured-articles/2020/10/8/crunching-the-numbers-ha-seong-kim-is-the-free-agent-that-every-team-should-be-trying-to-sign

Because we just paid Mookie, and we will have to shortly pay, and I mean PAY, Seager, Buehler, and Belly, you can bet your left buttcheek that Gavin Lux will get every single opportunity to fail at 2b. Even the rich Dodgers aren’t going to go pay for stars at every position. 2021, most likely, won’t be a truncated season where every game matters 3 times as much. We’re good enough to allow the #2 prospect in the game last year to get 3 months of full time play next year and learn/grow on the job. If he stinks it up, then we can go get a vet 2b in July.

In my mind, there is ZERO chance we trade for Lindor, or even Arrenado, unless we plan on moving on from Seager, Buehler, or Belly. The money still needs to be allocated properly. Friedman knows that. Once Kersh and Kenley’s large contracts are off the book (Kersh likely resigns but not a $33mil a year), the next group of guys to get paid will get paid. And that entails having cheaper guys filling other roles. Smith, Lux, May, Gonsolin, Graterol, Beaty, McKinstry, etc.

And don’t forget to throw Urias into that group too, because he will get a nice big contract in a few years.

p.s. I’ve read some really nice reports of Kim out of South Korea. I wouldn’t be opposed to signing him at all, if he is willing to come.

I go back to the idea that the most obvious thing is probably the right thing.

Lux will be given every chance to win the starter’s job a 2B.

Friedman will have at least 2 backup plans. Taylor is an obvious one. I don’t know enough about McKinstry to have an opinion about him. There will be a dark horse or 2 created by some under-the-radar free agent signing or trade.

LeMahieu is 32 and will be 33 next July. Friedman doesn’t usually sign long term deals for players over 30 and middle infielders don’t age particularly well. Second basemen tend to develop back problems over time due to the number of times that they are hit by baserunners while in awkward positions. Infielders also lose range over time.

By the way, AC didn’t mention Kike Hernandez as a free agent who can play 2B. Given his positional flexibility and his ability to hit LH pitchers, while I don’t think that he will return it’s just as likely that the Dodgers keep him as it is that they sign some other free agent.

Players will insist on getting full salaries for each game played regardless of when fans can attend. I don’t see payrolls expanding this year.

Adding Lindor or Bryant would have to be offset by not signing Turner etc. or swapping payroll.

I question Turner’s legs more than I question his glove or bat.

Would Seager get a bigger contract as a shortstop than he would as a 3rd baseman?

Excellent article. Jeff!

I am still in the camp of re-signing JT and giving Lux every chance to earn 2B position. We also have in-house 2B backup options with Taylor, McKinstry and even moving Muncy back to second.

Of the options outlined, DJL is by far the best, but would likely be only if JT didn’t resign. Cesar Hernandez and Kim are also more affordable, good options, but probably don’t have the upside that Lux could bring.

With so much uncertainty still in MLB with virus, DH, and CBA expiring, I expect Friedman to be patient and evaluate many alternatives. It is possible that Bryant, Arenado or another big RH bat becomes available without having to give up any top prospects.

Good morning everyone. Thank you for the write-up, AC. I am a Lux supporter and want to see him do well at 2nd, not left field, and I think he can with some hard work which he has shown in the past to be able to do. Remember, he comes from a city called Kenosha, Wisconsin, who suffered a lot of strife this year. Who knows how that might have affected his focus at the short spring training he had with a late arrival that could have been related to the problems there.

If he can not win the position, then I would welcome JDLM.

No fans equals no spending. Got to believe it’s gonna be slow going on free agent signings into first of year or until mlb owners get a sense of what next year looks like.

Quiz…..who was the first free agent the Dodgers ever signed? history: When Joe Black won the rookie of the year award in 1952 he beat out Hoyt Wilhelm, Dick Groat and Eddie Mathews. 2 of those guys are in the Hall.

Lux was the MiLB player of the year just a year ago. He hit almost .400 at AAA in 232 PAs. His OBP was nudging upwards toward .500. His wRC+ was 188.

To say he raked is almost an understatement.

I find it premature, to put it mildly, to write Lux off after 69 plate appearances in the weirdest of weird pandemic years in the history of the game. The delay disrupted a lot of preparation and development for a lot of players. He made huge strides in his game because he put in the diligent work. If you remember, he was drafted as almost a glove first 2nd baseman. He essentially flipped the script, retooled his swing, began to mash – and also developed a little Steve Sax Syndrome defensively. Give him a real off-season and Spring Training to put in the work again with whoever it was he was working with, maybe he regains that magic.

He should be given the leeway to be the frontrunner for the 2nd base job.

DJ only makes sense to me if the Dodgers don’t sign JT and they slot DJ over to 3rd. He would probably be an upgrade defensively even though it’s not his natural position. Offensively, he’s not as much as an upgrade as you’d think. Yes, he’s had 1 1/3 very good years at Yankee Stadium, but I don’t trust 1.33 years when he entire prior career he’s really been subpar offensively except for 2016, even playing half his games at Coors.

His last 1.33 years have made him overvalued in the market. If there’s one thing we know about AF is that he looks for value that’s under market (except if it’s a real difference maker like Mookie). …and he’s 32. Not happening,

The Dodgers are not immune to the economic losses of last season and they sre laying off some employees. So I believe Lux needs an opportunity to succeed or fail. I’m in agreement that a good rh bat coming off the bench would suffice. A proven veteran a la David Freese. We should be spending our time looking for who that player is, probably thru a trade.

Make that trade, sign JT, get a couple bullpen pieces, and then put the phone down, you’re done!

No one knows which way AF will lean. It is all guess work until it isn’t. We do not know what his strategy will be during the winter meetings which now are just a little over 2 weeks away. Who do they protect from the rule 5 draft? Although there seems to be a murmur that not many teams are going to go that route this year. Too much uncertainty. We know the NBA has cut the schedule to 72 games from 82. The Pac-12 is playing 6, and have already had some cancelled due to positive tests. The meetings will be sort of surreal since they will be of a virtual nature. No face to face in smokey hotel rooms. It will all be done by phone. I watched part of the NBA draft last night and it was weird to watch with all the interviews and no fans in attendance. And I only watched it because there was nothing good on TV. There has been very little movement in free agency with the Braves signing of Smyly the only free agent of any significance to sign. I was surprised he got 11 million. AF is going to do what he deems best and I can live with that. Even as much as I like JT, if AF goes in a different direction, well there is nothing we can do about it. Most pundits think the Yanks will bring DJ back. And I think he really wants a shot at a ring. I do not think AF even considers Bryant unless he is non tendered by the Cubs. He won’t trade a bunch of prospects for a one year rental. Just like he won’t do it for Lindor.

I really like the idea of DJLM and I love that career OPS against lefties. I think he’s very much like a JT type hitter. He makes a lot of contact and has pretty good pop and hits mostly line drives. He has hit in the top of the order pretty much his entire career and could easily slide into that 3 hole in the lineup. He can play second and give Lux another year of seasoning. He can play 3rd, or even wind up in LF at the end of his contract, or when Pollock ultimately gets injured as he frequently does. I would say he’s a perfect fit. Maybe, just maybe he would like a shot at a ring and wants to sign with the Dodgers.

Ha-Seong Kim is an interesting thought. But, a team that needs a RH bat in the middle of the lineup with World Series repeat aspirations should avoid such a risky endeavor. I think we need more of a sure thing. Korean hitters have been pretty hit and miss transitioning to the MLB.

The others on the list don’t excite me whatsoever. Especially Left Handed Hitting Tommy La Stella as he does not solve the problem.

I’ll be holding out hope for DJLM or Kris Bryant. Or, maybe the longest of longshots, Nolan Arenado with JT as the fallback plan. No need to consider DH until we hear that the DH in the NL has been agreed to.

Molly Knight again with an article that makes sense to me. Probably not to those who think I’m dug in on my p.o.v.. Just re-sign Turner for two years. He’s earned it. She also mentions then moving Seager over which with I also agree, but I know how unpopular that is in some circles.

As I have repeatedly said, I don’t give up on Lux, but that’s me and for those who want to sign DJLM that would be fine but I believe that means trading Lux. He’s a middle infielder who hits and wouldn’t be at all difficult to move.

I think the team looks good as is. The rotation appears to be set 6 deep and the starting lineup is the one that just won a championship. If we lose replacement players to free agency just find more replacement players to replace them. Ours were actually pretty good, but replacement players are replaceable. I’m thinking there are some veteran players out there that would love to be sitting on our bench.

This isn’t rocket math. Friedman has proven to be pretty good at what he does. I trust the team will be good again.

I posted last week that I wondered if Friedman was having any thought’s about Ha-Seong Kim, I think he would be a very good signing for the Dodgers and a good backup at second if Lux fails to win the second base position. Also can play short and third and only 25 years old.

Interesting choices. But I still believe they are committed to seeing what Lux can do. If not him I would prefer DJLM. But that is just me. I thought they should have signed him 2 years ago before he went to NY.