The Dodgers signed outfielder Steven Duggar to a minor league deal last week, according to Duggar’s MLB.com profile page. Duggar hit the open market back in September, as he opted to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment to the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate.
The 29-year-old will now head to Los Angeles’ other team, and also make a return to the NL West after spending the bulk of his career in the Giants organization. San Francisco had some designs on Duggar as its center fielder of the future, but while his strong glovework earned him at least a part-time role in both 2019 and 2021, Duggar was hampered by both injuries and a lack of production at the plate. Shoulder injuries sidelined Duggar at the beginning of his MLB career, and an oblique injury sent him to the 60-day injured list last season.
Duggar has a .236/.293/.367 slash line over his 846 career plate appearance in the majors, 805 of which were in a Giants uniform. Duggar appeared in eight games with the Giants in 2022 after being traded for Willie Calhoun in June, and the Angels then claimed Duggar off waivers after Texas designated the outfielder for assignment in August.
Jason Heyward and Bradley Zimmer have also joined the Dodgers on minors contracts in the last few weeks, as Los Angeles seems to be looking to fill the left-handed hitting outfield void created when Cody Bellinger and Joey Gallo signed elsewhere. Like Heyward and Zimmer, Duggar is a good defensive player, and Duggar might yet have some upside at the plate. As recently as 2021, Duggar had a 106 wRC+ over 297 PA with the Giants, fueled by a solid .262/.328/.458 over 247 PA against right-handed pitching. On paper, there’s an opportunity for Duggar to win a roster spot as a platoon partner with Trayce Thompson in center fielder.
They can release Bauer to make room for Duggar.
Did the LAD just spank the Giants on this? Possibly..
He wasn’t a Giant before this signing. Never a big fan of him.
Smh
Bauer for Carlos Carrasco and Dodgers kick in $10m, who says no? Cohen wants to win at all cost this year
I thought he went to jail for being a pervo?
You know that’s a good question. I haven’t figured out what the outcome is on this yet. There doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer to this. Did he or didn’t he? It sounds like it comes down to “He said”, She said”, & his ruined career.
If he’s up to snuff, let him pitch…
Josh Duggar sentenced to 12 years?
No, Correa sentenced to 12 years
Maybe Boras 12 years, fraud?
Something smells worse than a burrito fart here. Boras keeps pressing..
I don’t particularly care for Scott Boras, but the only direct quote I saw was in the Mets signing article ……Correa’s camp, predictably, has denied there’s reason for concern. “There is nothing with him that is currently any sort of medical issue,” Boras said this morning, per DiComo….I don’t see any fraud/lie in that statement. He specifically used the word “currently” and by his play with the Twins he does look to be currently healthy. The concern is whether there will be long term effects from the leg issue.
I’m drafting Duggar #1 in fantasy
Chris Taylor will be the Dodgers CF, James Outman in LF and Mookie Betts in RF. Trayce Thompson 4th OF. Taylor and Betts flanked Bellinger most of last year. What the Dodgers will give up defensively not having Bellinger will be made up for. Outman will put up better numbers than Bellinger did in 2022.
With a name like Outman, I am skeptical
With a name like Ohtani, I’m not skeptical…
Outman is a great name for a number 9 hitter
Agreed! Outman needs to get a chance, and it looks more likely that he will.
Braves gave Morton 20 mil, If Bauer is in pitching form, he’s worth 22 mil by todays standards
Morton’s deal seemed very high at the time, but given this off-season of spending it’s not out of line. Crazy. But good for the players.
If half the baseball fans don’t want Bauer on their team, then he is an albatross for business economics. Maybe fans in somewhere like Texas can tolerate a misogynist who hits unconscious women, but in a liberal state like California there is zero chance that Bauer will pitch for the Dodgers, Giants, Angels, Padres or A’s. I should add that I have relatives in Texas, and they hate Bauer, too. Unless Bauer starts showing he has changed – like a big donation to WEAVE – and better apologies to the fans – even the red state teams will decline to pick him up for the league minimum. Time for Bauer to reassure the public and future teammates that he will not again jeopardize a team like he has recently done.
What do you have against people in texas?
Not a fan of Taylor starting in CF and Outman at LF. That probably weakens the lineup severely, not to mention Lux at SS. Bauer’s return certainly spoiled the plan to get below the CBT. Wondering what the Dodgers plan will be now. If they want to stay below that will severely hinder their playoff chances. They could have made a trade or two and obtained another arm or bat and stayed under the CBT, but now there is a lot less room to stay below and field a more competitive playoff type team. Decisions, decisions.
@mlbdodgerfan2015 Lux could fail at SS, Outman might not make it in the outfield, Vargas might not be able to handle 3B and Busch might not be the 2nd coming of Muncy, but Bellinger was a well below average OPS+ batter and despite his defense has not been a starter level WAR player the past 3 years, Justin Turner will be 38 years old in 2023. Will i miss Trea, yes, but he’s gone. Freeman and Betts will still be awesome, Smith and Taylor will be solid and a healthy Muncy gives them a solid core and I think Vargas will impress out of the gate, Lux will be solid and Outman & Busch will be ok
C Smith
1B Freeman
2B Taylor
SS Lux
3B Muncy
RF Betts
LF Vargas
CF Thompson/Heyward/Outman
DH JD Martinez
Backup catcher Barnes
Position player depth Busch, Hernandez, Pages, Duggar
SP1 Urias
SP2 Kershaw
SP3 Gonsolin
SP4 Thor
SP5 May
Starting depth Stone/Miller/Pepiot/Grove
CL Phillips
Pen Vesia, Graterol, Miller, Ferguson, Almonte, Jackson
IL Buehler, Treinan, Feyereisen, Gonzalez
Released Bauer the misogynist
I am confident Dodgers will make the playoffs in 2023 unless they lose two of their top three starting pitchers for more than half the year. Looks like a 95 win team. An upgrade for CF would be great, but I don’t see it as likely. If they could get someone like Donovan Solano for the league minimum salary it would be a big get for the team
95 wins lollllllll
Bellinger’s bat dropped is the only positive comparison from a lineup more stacked with young players this season. And nobody currently on the roster can play the same CF defense. Sure, the youngsters could end up doing a lot better than expected.
But Taylor had a very bad 2022 season and not a guarantee he bounces back. Again he is best served as a super bench player not starter.
Lux will likely not come close to what T Turner produced.
J Turner’s numbers were down in 2022 and he was hurt but still those numbers are probably higher than what the young guys will produce in 2023.
The Dodgers still have talent to potentially eke out a playoff team but lots of holes and question marks. I have to think that there will be a trade or two to fortify the roster.
I really don’t like the CF options internally. To me, that needs to be addressed with a trade. Betts moving to CF is the best option if you’re not going to make a trade. Trusting too many players that have not demonstrated enough success at the MLB level with a longer sample size. Thompson, Vargas, Outman, Busch, Pages, young pitchers, etc. I think at least a couple of positions need to get addressed if you’re thinking that the Dodgers are serious contenders. Right now they look like a team that will be fortunate to make the playoffs.
@Manny Nothing wrong with this team.
Don’t sleep on Jonny DeLuca making the big club. F.O. is really high on him. Right handed with terrific bat-to-ball skills, with pop, speed, and plays a decent left field. He has also shown a penchant for being a run producer.
Taylor will play more infield in 2023. OF utilization last season was higher for his post-op.
Big deal.
Meaning what?
The dodgers becoming thrift store shoppers?
Dodgers never stopped being able to find players other teams weren’t able to get the most out of. In this case I doubt he makes the 26 man roster but he will be in AAA as depth.
Why am I not getting the perv reference
Because it hasn’t been proven duh
Different Duggar.
Steven Duggar
It was an attempt at humor that failed to land
Maybe the Dodgers are waiting for the after Christmas sales??
Another humdrum white dude on a team full of them…yawn.
You sir, are what’s wrong with this country today. You label everything you can in a negative way. If anything is humdrum, it’s your negativity & ignorance
You’ve posted 12 responses above. Maybe leave mommy’s basement today?
The only thing in the basement is your bottom layer attitude & race baiting attitude.
Time to get off the computer, Curly. You’re sucking up all the air.
I’m sorry for you, you were never treated right, & that sucks. Don’t beat up on others who have the right attitude
Lol somebody’s projecting. You know nothing…
I have the right attitude, but I don’t know everything
Neon cop trolls the Dodgers in everyone of his posts. Last week, he claimed Dodgers would be third or worse in their division.
every one*
I fail to see why Duggar’s race is relevant or important. Here’s one of probably 60+ players that will be in training camp and likely doesn’t make the team unless he has a ridiculously great spring or something has gone horribly wrong
Picking out of the Giants dumpster now I see…
It was just a matter of time before the Dodgers made a splash!
Unless LA wants the least productive outfield in the majors, they’d be better served by dropping that Mookie to 2B narrative. Play Mookie in the outfield and sign Jean Segura as your 2B. That allows Taylor to play LF.
Could also play Taylor in CF and reunite with AJ Pollock for LF. Far as I know, AJ is still on the market.
The rest of their outfield signings are meh with the possible exception of Trayce Thompson who played decently for them last year when called upon.
AJ Pollack has fallen off a cliff. Made the Kimbrell trade an even swap for both teams, which doesn’t speak well for either side.
The Dodgers have plenty of depth at 2B between Lux, Muncy, Taylor, and Busch, I really don’t think there is any serious consideration of playing Betts there with any regularity. What they really need is a shortstop, as Lux and Taylor are fill-in options there at best.