Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made waves earlier this month when he announced that superstar Mookie Betts would play shortstop this season. The former MVP and seven-time All-Star is entering his 11th big league campaign and has played only 31 games at shortstop throughout his professional career. It was surprising enough in December when Roberts revealed that Betts, a six-time Gold Glove winner in the outfield, would play second base in 2024.
However, while Betts dominated the headlines, this move arguably had more to do with his teammate, 26-year-old Gavin Lux. The Dodgers originally planned for Lux to be their starting shortstop, but he will now play second base instead. Although Lux was primarily a shortstop in the minor leagues, he has spent most of his major league career at second. He has handled the keystone well, earning 16 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and 8 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 1346 2/3 defensive innings. As Lux prepares for a full-time role in 2024 (after missing the 2023 season with a torn ACL), the Dodgers decided it was in the young player’s best interests to keep him at second base for the time being.
When Roberts first spoke about the decision, he told reporters the new middle infield alignment was “permanent, for now” (per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic). Those words are something of an oxymoron, so yesterday, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman offered a little more clarity on the situation. Speaking to Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation, Friedman said the team remains “confident” Lux can play shortstop in the future. They will re-evaluate his health and position as they “get into the offseason next year.” That certainly suggests Lux will play second base and Betts will handle shortstop for the full 2024 campaign, but nothing is set in stone for the following season and beyond. In 2025, Lux will be another year removed from major knee surgery, while Betts will be 32 years old, an age at which many players begin to move down the defensive spectrum.
More Dodgers news as the team prepares to open the 2024 season in South Korea…
- According to Roberts, there is a “very good possibility” Kyle Hurt is in the Dodgers bullpen for the team’s opening series against the Padres at Gocheok Sky Dome (per Ardaya). Hurt, whom the team acquired from the Marlins in February 2021, has looked sharp so far this spring. The righty was selected to the 40-man roster last September and made one appearance for the big league squad, striking out three Padres batters in two scoreless innings of work. Nevertheless, he was optioned back to Triple-A the following day. As Ardaya notes, the Dodgers still see Hurt as a starting pitcher, but he has made appearances out of the bullpen in all three seasons of his professional career. He can offer the team a little extra bullpen depth early in the season before returning to the minor leagues to stretch back out as a starter. Hurt struck out five across 2 1/3 scoreless innings during an exhibition game against the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO on Saturday.
- Speaking to McKain, Friedman would not say the Dodgers are done making moves. “We really feel good about this team,” the executive explained. “That being said, we’ll continue to explore avenues, and if there’s ways to get better, we won’t hesitate.” Perhaps this should be every team’s approach to roster building, but hearing this from the Dodgers president is still notable. L.A. has significantly outspent every other team this offseason, signing the most sought-after MLB free agent, Shohei Ohtani, and the most sought-after international free agent, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They also made a deal for one of the most talented players on the trade market, Tyler Glasnow, and inked him to a nine-figure extension. The Dodgers have won at least 100 games for three consecutive seasons, yet they arguably improved their roster more than any other team this winter.
Lux DOES hurt.
Come, Shots for fans to get free tickets.
Got glove 1st SS Rojas on roster n if Betts@ SS doesn’t seem to be working out as season plays on u don’t think Friedman’s not gonna fix the issue @trade deadline or even before ? Trust the process. Go Dodgers !
Huh? Rojas is already on the roster.
If the process is not addressing shortstop and putting guys out of position, absolutely. Nothing like trusting the process of a team that should have at least 3 rings the last 10 years and barely clinched one.
Dodgers have earned skepticism.
Ur right Dodgers suk, in last 7 seasons they’ve won 100 or more 5x and 1 of those non yrs was covid schedule. And ur also right NOW w/all the new additions including best player on planet in his prime, if they don’t start bringing Home trophies now then I’ll be perturbed more than any1, sorry ur team isn’t ass kicking juggernaut Dodgers are, playoffs R crapshoot but I like our odds Go Dodgers !
You should trust the process of writing properly before you trust the Dodgers flaming out in the NLCS again.
Betts is the ultimate team player. Now he’s moving to SS. He’s definitely one of the best players in baseball. The curse of Mookie will continue for a long time, Boston fans. He’s worth every penny.
Betts was never going to re-sign with the Sox.
Betts has literally said that he would have signed the exact same contract with Boston but they never made that offer
Let’s not start this again. Betts is the perfect politician after the fact. At the time, he was going to test the market regardless of the Sox offer. The pandemic then happened and Betts took the Dodgers offer to lock it in as anyone would have done at the time.
Exactly
Also, why do people want to forget that every time he was up for arbitration? He always stated that he wanted to go to free agency to see what it was like. I know everybody hates ownership , but why do we want to give Betts a break on this?
Source or he didn’t say it.
It’s amazing to me how often fans not only dismiss what a player says but ALSO assume to know a players mind on a subject regardless what they say about it.
I see them winning it all in 2025, when they get back 3 of their better pitchers. Only the Rangers proved you can win it all with money and player development!!! Go Rangers defend our title!!!
“Only the Rangers proved you can win it all with money and player development”
What?
That’s how every single team who’s ever won the world series was built.
Ever?
There was baseball before Scott Boras, ya know.
what do the rangers have to do with this post?furthermore all teams that have won the world series do it with player devepment.
slimray
“all teams that have won the world series do it with player devepment.”
And money
I don’t understand the “Perhaps this should be every team’s approach to roster building” comment. Other than budget constraints being different for every team, I’m pretty sure it is every teams approach. Even the As took advantage of the opportunity to add JD Davis this late in the off season. Virtually every team is watching the waiver wires. Teams that can afford to, are still watching to see how the demands of Snell, Montgomery, and JDM change. The only thing unique about the Dodgers is their budget.
Yeah LA has $$, but they are run well.. Dollars don’t dictate success. Look at Tampa Bay… small market and they compete every year.
Tampa, and the Mets in the opposite direction, are the only exceptions. The match between payroll size and team success over time (there are always fluky seasons) is getting better and better. The rich teams aren’t guaranteed to win, but they almost never are uncompetitive. The poor teams aren’t guaranteed to be bad, but they are rarely competitive.
Well you can cherry pick your data and with that in mind I bring you the Anaheim team that has spent wads of cash on free agents and have a horrible farm system, are run poorly and are consistent bottom feeders.
The Angels are a proxy retirement plan, paying players for past performance, as a favor to their previous employers who probably underpaid them. I fully expect the Cleveland baseball team to take on a similar financial role for players early in their careers. They would be developing players in order that they can maximize their income with future employers.
That way Cleveland and Los Angeles can be the Guardian Angels of baseball.
You’re welcome.
@seamaholic: “the poor teams aren’t guaranteed to be bad but they are rarely competitive.”
And God said: “Let there be Central Divisions !”
That was a long walk, but worth it.
Every team’s approach IS different than the Dodgers…many of them don’t, won’t or can’t work using deferrals…MLB has allowed the Dodgers to use unlimited monopoly monies ($1 billion) to build this team!
LA has adhered to the rules permitted. Criticism of LA can only be attributed to emotion and faulty thinking. You may not like LA but that’s personal choice. If you have a problem with LA perhaps better directed to those who make the rules.
the point is financial disparity with no attempt at a solution…every fan wants their team to simply have a fair chance (of course some obvious $ restraints- market size, etc)…not to mention, salary cap and tiers but allowing deferrals to avoid the cap is oxymoronish, is it not?! Hey to Rex!
Who wouldn’t feel good about their team built on $1 billion deferrals + salary cap…
This scumbag team is never done forcing it down everyone’s throat
Cry!
Yet, here you are.
Gavin Lux for Javier Baez.
Hurt’s so good he made the team.
Gavin Lux won’t be a Dodger on March 17, 2025.
Trade Lux and get some prospects. The Gavin lux situation is not gonna end well. He’s the weakest link on a loaded roster!
He’s coming back from injury. There would be a situation if Mookie said no to moving to SS but none exists right now. And why would the Dodgers trade Lux while his value is at its lowest? He’s also a very solid depth piece if that’s how you look at him.
I still see the Dodgers being stronger with Betts in RF, and a real good SS, Rojas, being in the lineup more often than not. Heyward and Taylor may have more power, but are not exactly great hitters. I don’t think its enough of a gain offensively for the loss defensively.
If the FO decides by the trade deadline that Mookie isn’t the answer, they can move him back to 2B and acquire a SS. He likes 2B now, and Pages is the future right fielder, possibly as early as this season if Heyward gets hurt or reverts to pre-2023 Heyward..
The Dodgers recently signed Kiké Hernández to one-year deal. I would rather they put him at short. The Dodgers are strongest with Betts in right. Plus it will keep Betts fresh during the season and keep him healthy.
Any chance LA trades Lux to NYY for Torres. Yankees could use another Lefty in the lineup for more balance?
Why would they give up 3 years of Lux for a single year of Torres?
Moving Betts to 2B was actually no surprise to Dodgers watchers. Playing him on the infield has been in discussion for the last couple of years, as way to help take stress off his legs as he ages. The move to SS was more surprising, but even that not so much if you saw how Lux was struggling at the position.
Also, for the record, Roberts didn’t come up with the oxymoron “permanent, for now.” This was the wording of a question asked by a reporter. Roberts just agreed with it.
I remember when Dodgers fans on TwittX said they wouldn’t trade Lux for Lindor because Lindor was washed and Lux would be better than him that season. lol.
If there’s one team that doesn’t have to fix a single roster question immediately, it’s the Dodgers. I’d guess it’s about 50-50 Lux gets his act together and is the starting SS at season end, and there’s no point in not taking the next 4 months to find out. If it has to be fixed, it can be at the trading deadline, or by just playing Rojas in October. Nothing has to be done now.
Good God, I read “Lux hurt”. That’s all we need