Cody Snavely
The offseason is officially in full swing, as General Managers from all thirty clubs will attend the annual general manager meetings in San Antonio, Texas, from November 5th until the 7th.
Fresh off the franchise’s eighth World Series Championship, Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager Brandon Gomes spoke with the media about the organization’s plans for the 2025 season, which included dropping the assumption that the organization will place eight-time all-star Mookie Betts back in the infield.
As you might recall, it is not the first time the Los Angeles Dodgers will be trying to make Mookie Betts a full-time infielder, as just last winter, Brandon Gomes confirmed that Betts would be the club’s primary second basemen.
The Dodgers gave Betts brief looks at second base in each season from 2020 to 2022 but then ramped it up, putting him there for 485 innings in 2023.
Betts graded out nicely at 2B compared to shortstop, who is where the Dodgers, out of necessity, moved the 2018 American League Most Valuable Player Award winner due to Gavin Lux‘s struggles defensively in spring training.
Casually, with less than one week to go before the start of the 2024 season, Betts had to essentially learn one of the most demanding positions on the fly, but it seemed to be working well enough for a time. He got a -4 grade from Outs Above Average at shortstop this year, but +3 Defensive Runs Saved. He did that while producing a massive .304/.405/.488 batting line and 153 wRC+ through the middle of June, seemingly putting himself in the Most Valuable Player conversation.
However, after a wrist fracture in mid-June, which would sideline Betts for almost two months, the Dodgers would place Betts back in the right field, a position for which he had six career Gold Glove Awards.
So, for the Dodgers, this leaves a clear opening for both corner outfield spots, one of which should be taken by rookie outfielder Andy Pages, who made his debut this season.
The other is hopefully taken up by fan favorite and current free agent Teoscar Hernández, who has made his intentions clear he’d like to return to Los Angeles.
However, what this means for former top prospect Gavin Lux remains to be seen, especially with the Dodgers linked heavily with top shortstop Willy Adames in free agency.
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