Mookie Betts Has Been Asking Dodgers for '3 to 4 Years' To Move to Second Base
Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts is a six-time Gold Glove Award winner in right field. He's the MLB's active leader in Gold Gloves at the right field position, and is one of the best defenders in all of baseball. He won the award from 2016-2020, and then again this past 2022 season. And there's no reason he wouldn't be able to win another one in right field as long as he stayed healthy. Well, there may be one other reason.
Betts has consistently talked about the fact that he loves playing in the infield. He loves being at second base, and reportedly has been asking the Dodgers to move to the infield for the last three or four seasons. Considering he's entering his fifth year with the club, it's safe to assume he's wanted to move to the infield ever since coming to Los Angeles.
Betts recently told MLB Network Radio about this desire to move back to second base.
"I've been having that conversation for probably the last three or four years. It's just my desire to get back in the infield because that's my home, but they pay me to be out in right. And I definitely enjoy being out in right for sure... but you only play the game for so long and I would like to get back to my roots before it's all said and done. But if I gotta stay in right, I gotta stay in right."
Obviously Betts made it clear that he'll do whatever is asked of him, but clearly, moving back to the infield is very important to him at some point in his career.
This past offseason, the Dodgers were among the teams linked to superstar outfielder Aaron Judge. If they were to sign Judge, Betts made it clear that he would have welcomed a move to second base.
While the Dodgers didn't end up signing Judge, Betts' desire to move to the infield definitely opens the door for them potentially adding a right fielder at some point in the near future. And for what it's worth, Juan Soto is scheduled to enter free agency after the 2024 season — and he'd look really good manning the Dodgers outfield for the next decade. But let's not get too ahead of ourselves just yet, especially because the incumbent Padres have made it clear they'll spend just about whatever it takes to keep Soto in San Diego.
