Los Angeles Dodgers’ former first round pick Gavin Lux had lofty expectations upon entering the organization following the 2016 Draft. However, his climb to big league stardom has been a slow one and people around the league have questioned whether or not Lux will pan out in LA. But the Dodgers recent trade of AJ Pollock for Craig Kimbrel confirms that they are going to allow Gavin Lux one more opportunity to prove his worth this season.
Had Pollock remained on the roster, there was destined to be plenty of platooning between Lux, Pollock, and Chris Taylor. But the trade will allow Taylor to set up shop in the outfield alongside Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts, while Lux should see consistent reps at second base with Trea Turner moving to shortstop this year.
One of the main issues for Lux to begin his career has been playing time. Manager Dave Roberts has elected to mainly play him against right-handed pitching only which is difficult for a young player. Lux should be in line to see more consistent playing time against boht righties and lefties which could lead to a breakout season for the 24-year old.
People tend to forget that Lux only has 144 total games of MLB experience under his belt. He was called up late in 2019 and played in only 23 games, before being limited to just 19 contests in 2020. Lux finally saw more action in 2021 with 102 games, but that is still far from enough playing time to truly gauge his overall worth.
Lux finished last season with a .242/.328/.364 line with 7 home runs, 46 RBI’s, and 4 stolen bases.
But once again, being able to produce at a high level is difficult when you are constantly swapping positions and not playing every day. It is something that truly has stunted his growth overall. Lux played six different positions in 2021 including: right field, third base, center field, left field, shortstop, and second base.
Now, there are players who excel in roles like that.
Current Dodger Chris Taylor and former Dodger Kike Hernandez both performed well while consistently moving all over the diamond. But Gavin Lux is a former first round draft pick with All-Star potential. He needs a full season with steady playing time at one position. Dave Roberts and Dodgers management need to allow him to feel comfortable in an everyday role if they want him to reach max potential.
And it looks as if they are prepared to do just that following the Pollock-Kimbrel trade.
AJ Pollock is a good baseball player. He hit 21 home runs last season despite being limited to just 117 games because of injury. Los Angeles could have held onto him and he would have played a big role on the 2022 Dodgers. However, as aforementioned, it would have taken playing time away from Lux. The Dodgers would have likely platooned Lux with Taylor/Pollock.
But Dave Roberts and Los Angeles opted to go in a different direction.
It is clear that the time is now or never for Gavin Lux.
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