With the Los Angeles Dodgers rolling in the National League, what can they do to improve their team for a title run?
As expected, it has been an excellent start to the season for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers have arguably some of the best hitters in all of baseball at the top of their lineup and that is resulting in a lot of wins.
In addition to the offense, the Dodgers’ pitching staff has been top-notch to go along with one of the best bullpens in baseball. Despite having a lot of strengths, the Dodgers do have some glaring weaknesses. Considering their success, it is a bit surprising.
One of the main issues is in their outfield. With injuries and poor production, the outfield has hampered the potential of the lineup for the Dodgers this season. Recently, Jeff Passan of ESPN spoke about addressing the outfield at the trade deadline. Here’s what he had to say.
It’s easy to look past deficiencies when a team’s first four hitters are as good as Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith, but L.A. needs to figure out what it’s going to do in the outfield. It’s conceivable James Outman returns from Triple-A and plays like he did last season, or that Chris Taylor remembers how to hit, or that Andy Pages overcomes his 2.5% walk rate. Absent that, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman cannot run the risk of wasting his core four’s brilliance, particularly with a rotation holding opponents to a .220 batting average and a bullpen that’s even better at .205. With the scarcity of outfield bats, incremental upgrades might be the best bet, but with MLB so wide open, the Dodgers owe it to themselves to do more.
With an opportunity to win a World Series once again this season, the Dodgers will certainly be buyers at the trade deadline as expected. In recent years, the Dodgers have been able to utilize their excellent farm system to acquire who they want.
While the Dodgers do have assets to move, an impact outfielder might not be available for them at the trade deadline. Likely, the Los Angeles Dodgers will be able to add some platoon players, but that will likely only be a patchwork fix.
A lot can change between now and the trade deadline, but the outfield of the Los Angeles Dodgers is certainly an area to keep an eye on.
Do you want the latest news, updates, and rumors surrounding all sports? Click here. Make sure to check out our sister sites as well: NFL Analysis Network, NBA Analysis Network, Packers Coverage.
