Dodgers President Andrew Friedman Says Top Prospect Doesn't Belong In Triple-A
There's always a tricky balance between promoting prospects and keeping them at a lower level for continued development.
Showcasing prospects for a trade can exist on both levels, either by keeping him in the minor leagues where he's had success, or by promoting him to the majors to compete against more proven talent.
In the case of the Dodgers, it's still unknown as to what they'll do with Michael Busch.
Use the word "prospect" lightly. Busch is already 26 years old. He was a first-round pick of the Dodgers in 2019. Since then, he's routinely ranked as one of the best hitters in the organization. He hit .323 with 27 home runs and 90 RBIs this past year in AAA, earning the Pacific Coast League's MVP award.
In an article by The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya, President Andrew Friedman offered this thought on Busch:
"He showed very clearly that he doesn't belong in Triple A, that he's a major-league player."
-- Friedman on Busch per The Athletic
If Busch is a major leaguer in 2024, will that be with the Dodgers? In limited time with the big club last year, Busch hit a meager .167 in 72 at-bats. While we saw glimpses of the thunder in his bat, his performance was as inconsistent as his playing time. Not having a chance to play every day most likely hindered Busch's ability to get into a rhythm at the plate.
Busch came up as an infielder, but has also played some left field since. Playing time at the major-league level with the Dodgers could be an issue for Busch again based on several factors.
Shohei Ohtani will be the team's designated hitter if the Dodgers get their wish. Max Muncy seems ensconced at third base. Gavin Lux is expected to regain the primary shortstop role he was poised to take over before a knee injury cut his 2023 season short in spring training. With Jason Heyward re-signing (his one year, $9 million contract became official Wednesday), Mookie Betts will operate at 2B on an everyday basis.
As such, where does this leave Busch? He might be able to play left field. However, he'll be battling Chris Taylor and Miguel Vargas for at-bats, at the very least.
Friedman's endorsement of Busch as an everyday player in the big leagues should give Dodger fans something to think about as they contemplate the 2024 roster. More than that, it signals to 29 other teams that the Dodgers have a major-league ready player who they don't have an obvious roster spot for in the moment.
It might be best for both Busch and the Dodgers if Friedman can find a trading partner this off-season. The Dodgers could use Busch to address a more obvious roster shortcoming – starting pitching in particular – and Busch could get a better shot at consistent playing time.
