Dodgers News: Top MiLB Stars May be Forced to Change Positions Next Season
One of the bigger parts of the Dodgers offseason is them figuring out how their outfield will look for the 2024 season. Star utilityman Mookie Betts will likely slot in as the right fielder for the team, but his versatility also allows him to play in the infield.
Alongside him will likely be second-year player James Outman, but after that, it’s anyone's guess. The team is likely to lose both David Peralta and Jason Heyward in free agency, so they will need to add some players. Or we could see some existing players make the shift over to corner outfield.
Dodgers General Manager Brandon Gomes left the door open for the team to move prospects Miguel Vargas and Michael Busch to play some outfield next season.
The Dodgers value versatility from players on their roster, and they likely want to see if they can do that with these two. Both players have some experience playing outfield, and the Dodgers likely want to see if they can make it happen more often.
Busch remains a likely trade candidate this offseason, but if he does return, it makes sense to have him play outfield at different times. In 27 games for the Dodgers this past season, Busch hit just .167 with two home runs and seven runs batted in. He struggled to find any consistency while up with the big league squad, and the team may have soured on him a little bit
Vargas remains the player between himself and Busch that the Dodgers seem to be more committed to. While he did struggle during his first full year in the big leagues, his upside is high going forward.
He hit only .195 with seven home runs and 32 runs batted in this year before he was optioned to Triple-A at the All-Star break. But LA remains high on him, and will likely give him another chance to prove himself.
If the Dodgers do decide to move both to play more outfield, it could open things up for others across the roster. Betts would likely take over within the infield more often as well, giving the team more chess pieces to work with.
LA simply wants flexibility all across their roster, and this would give them that. It isn’t a final decision, but they want to be ready for any situations that may arise this winter, and having plans in place will help them immensely.
