With the departure of Cody Bellinger, and both Trea and Justin Turner, the Dodgers will have more battles for starting positions than they’ve had in a long time. Last year the Club rolled into Spring Training with every position nailed down, except Left Field, but that is far from the case heading into 2023. 

2023 promises several battles at several positions and sets up one of the most anticipated, and possibly the most exciting Spring Training in recent history. Today’s article is Part I of all the battles and possible scenarios that could take place, and with a little narrative speaking from a position of having seen the Minor Leaguers play many times.

Replacing Bellinger

Cody Bellinger, despite his struggling offense, is a big loss. First of all, he was drafted by the Dodgers way back in 2013 and has been with the organization ever since, so he has been a Dodger his entire career. But, beyond just that, we’ve also shared some of the greatest moments in the history of the franchise with him, and he has created a few of them on his own, and many of us spent countless hours watching him grow up in the system.

So, whether you’re a fan of his offense, frustrated by his strikeouts, or no matter what your opinion of Cody Bellinger is, it has to sting, at least on some level.

But, on the other hand, I think everyone wishes him the best, most all feel like it was the right time to part ways and are, as a result, ready to move forward. 

But, with who?

The Dodgers haven’t signed a Center Fielder in Free Agency, at least not one that is on the 40-man roster, so, at this point, it’s leaving Dodgers fans with reactions that range from apprehension to frustration, to at the very least, curious as to what the next move may be. Trayce Thompson returns and we know he is very good, if not elite, defensively, but it’s only natural to question if his offensive rise in 2022 will become permanent. 

Thompson hit .256 in 2022 with an OPS of .860, both of which are substantially higher than his career average. In fact, he is a lifetime .221 hitter as a Major Leaguer with a career OPS of .737, so, having concerns and/or questions about the longevity of his offensive success is fair.

I’m sure the organization has the same questions.

But, the same could have been said for Max Muncy back in 2016 when he was designated for assignment by the A’s, cleared waivers, and was then signed by the Dodgers to a MINOR League contract.

To that point in Muncy’s career, he was a .195 lifetime hitter in 215 Major League at-bats and had been in professional baseball for 5 years already. He had posted OPS numbers of .660 and .565, but, between then and the beginning of last year, as a Dodger, he had averaged hitting 30 home runs a year and posted an OPS either close or over .900 in all but 1 year in the shortened season of 2020.

Or, Chris Taylor

When Taylor came to the Dodgers he was a lifetime .234 hitter in the MLB in 2 seasons plus 3 at-bats with Seattle and his highest OPS to that point had been .693. In 2015, his last season with the Mariners, he hit .170 with an OPS of .443, so although he came to the Dodgers full of talent and potential, he also entered into the organization limping. Since becoming a Dodger he’s been a .257 hitter and has posted an OPS either above or close to .800 5 times. 

Or, Justin Turner who, when he came to the Dodgers, increased his batting average by 60 points and his OPS by 193 points over any year he spent with the Mets.

So, is Thompson what he was or what he has become? That’s a question that only he can answer, and one that the organization surely would like to see answered as well. So, from that perspective, one would have to figure that he will get plenty of playing time in the outfield this coming season in an attempt to assess his long-term viability.

Chris Taylor would be another veteran option, but I’ve already covered his rise with the Dodgers, and we’re all familiar with what he brings to the table, so this section will be short. My only comment on him being the everyday center fielder is that his biggest value, in my opinion, is his versatility.  

Well, and this.

In 2016, when the Dodgers traded for him, he played mostly shortstop and I got to see many of his games at that position. My thoughts at the time were that he was one of the most impressive players I had seen come through in my long memories of watching AAA baseball in OKC. So, I have not in any way been surprised at the success he has gone on to have and neither is anyone who got to see him with OKC. 

He was that impressive, trust me on that. 

The interesting part of his equation is that he hadn’t played a single inning in the outfield to that point in his career so I still have it in my head that he is an infielder. 

The next most logical choice in centerfield, in my opinion, will be James Outman. Outman is one of the best athletes in the system and has come a long way offensively since becoming a professional. Outman hit .294 in 2022, hit 2 grand slams, hit for the cycle twice, had 31 home runs, and knocked in 106 RBIs. When you combine that offense with the type of defense he always has played, he has turned into a top-shelf outfield prospect. 

If you’re reading a scouting report on Outman that is anything older than this time last year, throw it in the trash can, use it to start your nightly fire in the fireplace, or do whatever you want to do with it, because it’s not worth reading at this point.

Outman still swings and misses too much, and if he doesn’t end up being a top-shelf MLB everyday outfielder, that will be why. But, his strike-out rate was down to 25% last year which is the lowest since his first year in professional baseball and his offensive production speaks for itself. 

Of course, that’s all at the AAA level and so he has to prove himself all over again in the MLB. But, that’s nothing new, and, in fact, that’s exactly what professional baseball is. As players climb the ranks, what they did at the previous level doesn’t matter and they have to keep proving themselves over and over again every time they advance. So, it’s something that guys in Outman’s position are used to, and, as long as he’s given the runway to reach his potential, he most likely will. And, if he does reach his potential at the MLB level, Dodgers fans will fall in love with him. 

Today’s article is Part I in the Dodgers Daily Series of the Position battles for 2023. This episode covers the most likely candidates to fill the 2 available outfield spots between left field and Center. We hope that you read Part II tomorrow when we cover some of the underdogs in the Dodgers system that might get playing time in the outfield this year as well.

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