Cody Snavely
Continuing our Dodgers position review here at DodgersBeat, we move to perhaps the most prominent weak link to the team, Left Field. Between left and center, we will surely see a bunch of player alignments, whether based on performance, splits, or load management.
David Peralta (2022 [ARI/TB]: .251/.316/.731, 12 HR)
David Peralta played for the division rival Diamondbacks for his whole career until he was tarded to the Tampa Bay Rays at last year’s trade deadline has been a thorn in the Dodgers. With Cody Bellinger‘s departure and James Outman‘s unknowns, the Dodgers needed outfield depth and went with an experienced long-time MLB player.
Peralta provides a much-needed veteran presence in the line-up and has exceptionally great numbers against the NL West in his career. Peralta adds much-needed depth to this Dodgers roster while giving them a left-handed bat in the line-up. While Peralta’s best days are most likely behind him, the Dodgers do not need him to be a super-star or even his career-best 2018 self which saw him slug 30 home runs, but since then, he hasn’t hit over 12.
Chris Taylor (2022: .221/.304/.677, 10 HR)
Chris Taylor is coming off a very disappointing 2022 season which saw nearly all of his offensive production drop, and his strikeout percentage is almost 33 percent. Taylor, however, makes up those offensive numbers by being one of the most versatile players in baseball playing numerous positions daily.
Before Gavin Lux‘s season-ending ACL injury, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts suggested he would prefer to keep Taylor in the outfield, most likely splitting time in LF and CF. That said, Taylor will now spend time in the infield, which opens up the door for either Peralta or James Outman to get those reps in the outfield.
Other Options
The outfield will always be a position where many players can swap in, whether it be LF, CF, or RF; however, if one player deserves a chance at either, it is James Outman. Outman is having a terrific spring and has begun to open the eyes of the Dodgers management and put them in thinking mode, asking if Outman is ready to be a regular on the Major League roster. Along with Outman, you will likely see a mix of Jason Heyward and Trayce Thompson here, but they will likely play a majority of the time in CF.
When it comes to the left field position, there are more questions than answers, and this leads to a low grade. With Peralta getting older and Chris Taylor putting up 2022 Cody Bellinger esque numbers, it’s not hard to see the potential glaring hole.
DODGERSBEAT RATING: D+
