Final month, the Dodgers revealed shortly after their victory within the World Sequence that they deliberate to return versatile star Mookie Betts to the infield, the place he spent the primary half of the 2024 marketing campaign earlier than transferring again to proper subject down the stretch, for the 2025 season. Now, Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes has added a bit extra specificity to that plan by informing reporters (together with The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) Monday that Betts will enter the 2025 season because the membership’s beginning shortstop.
As famous by Ardaya, that transfer again onto the outfield grass late within the 2024 season was preceded by a months-long absence as a consequence of a damaged handed he suffered when struck by a pitch again in June. On the time, the membership determined to maneuver Betts again to the outfield in the meanwhile thanks partly to the emergence of Miguel Rojas and Tommy Edman as viable choices on the place but additionally as a result of Betts was considerably abruptly moved to shortstop simply earlier than the season started as a consequence of Gavin Lux struggling on the place throughout Spring Coaching. Ardaya notes that Betts struggled at occasions with the transition from making throws as an outfielder to ones as a shortstop, however that Betts and the membership really feel extra assured that he’ll be capable of deal with the place on an day by day foundation in 2025 now that he has a full offseason to arrange for the transfer.
Given the obvious lack of curiosity on the a part of L.A. in partaking within the shortstop market this winter, it’s maybe not particularly shocking that they plan at hand the keys to the place again to Betts subsequent yr. The Dodgers had been loosely related to prime free agent shortstop Willy Adames earlier this offseason however didn’t appear to be amongst his most aggressive suitors earlier than he in the end landed with their division rivals in San Francisco over the weekend. Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner is a commerce candidate who has gotten some buzz this winter and the Dodgers had been beforehand related to over the summer time who has loads of shortstop expertise himself, however there’s been on indication of that curiosity carrying over to the winter.
With Betts now formally ticketed for normal reps at shortstop, the membership’s lineup has seemingly begun to fall into place. Gavin Lux and Miguel Rojas determine to share time at second base, with Ardaya suggesting {that a} robust second half from Lux ought to earn him a crack on the lion’s share of taking part in time on the keystone subsequent yr. That would go away Max Muncy to proceed taking part in third base frequently whereas Tommy Edman figures to behave because the membership’s common middle fielder. Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani are in fact locked in at first base and DH respectively, and newly-signed outfielder Michael Conforto figures to be an on a regular basis participant for L.A. in one of many outfield corners.
That leaves one apparent emptiness within the membership’s lineup on the outfield nook not occupied by Conforto. Given the heavily-reported mutual curiosity in a reunion, it looks like the Dodgers hope to fill that void with Teoscar Hernandez. With that being mentioned, the edges are reportedly going through a niche in contract talks, and with a variety of studies suggesting Hernandez might have a strong market as maybe the highest outfield possibility out there with Juan Soto now off the promote it appears there’s no assure he’ll wind up in Dodger blue subsequent yr. There’s loads of different attention-grabbing choices out there on the free agent market reminiscent of Anthony Santander and Jurickson Profar ought to the Dodgers miss out on Hernandez, nevertheless it’s additionally no less than believable the membership decides to go along with a platoon of inner kids Andy Pages and James Outman to fill out that closing spot within the lineup.
