The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to find success during the regular season but come up short in the playoffs. Los Angeles has won only a single World Series victory over the course of the past 30 years despite consistently reaching the postseason. So what moves do the Dodgers need to make in order to find the postseason consistency that has been lacking?
Signing Shohei Ohtani is the most obvious answer. Everyone knows the Dodgers are expected to pursue the two-way phenom in free agency. Today, we will be looking at other moves the Dodgers must make, but yes, signing Ohtani would obviously be a smart decision.
Without further ado, here are four other moves the Dodgers must make following their 2023 playoff failure.
Free agent tracker provided via Spotrac.
Give Gavin Lux another chance
The hype surrounding Gavin Lux in 2023 spring training was immense. The infielder was expected to replace Trea Turner as the Dodgers' everyday shortstop.
Lux, however, suffered a season-ending injury in spring training. It was a heartbreaking injury for a young player who had worked hard to earn such a big opportunity with the Dodgers.
Some people around the MLB world have suggested that Los Angeles should spend big on a shortstop in free agency. After all, the position was questionable at best following Lux's injury for LA.
But Gavin Lux is a good player. He slashed a respectable .276/.346/.399 with a .745 OPS in 2022 for the Dodgers. Lux doesn't offer much power but is capable of getting on base at a decent rate while stealing some bases as well.
The upside is also present with Lux. At the very least, he should end up being a respectable shortstop at the big league level. There is a chance, however, that Lux emerges as a star down the road. After all, he was a highly-regarded prospect.
The Dodgers need to give Lux another chance at earning the starting shortstop job.
Sign/trade for a star corner outfielder
Mookie Betts may play a lot of second base in 2024. Regardless of where Betts plays, the Dodgers need to upgrade the outfield. Even if he stays in right field, left field must be addressed.
Los Angeles leaned on various platoons in 2023 when it came to left field while James Outman played center and Betts was primarily in right. Although the Dodgers' lineup is already solid, and it will be even better if they sign Shohei Ohtani, signing/trading for a star corner outfielder makes a lot of sense.
Cody Bellinger would be the perfect fit. But there is history between the Dodgers and Bellinger, so he probably won't re-sign in LA. Although, it is a possibility.
Teoscar Hernandez is a former All-Star who could slot in nicely as a quality corner outfielder. He offers pop from the right side of the plate and can help make the Dodgers' lineup even deeper.
Other possibilities in free agency include Whit Merrifield, Jorge Soler, and Michael Brantley.
There is one player who would be the perfect fit on the trade market, but the deal would never happen. San Diego Padres star Juan Soto has been mentioned in various trade rumors, but the odds of San Diego trading the star to their rival seems extremely unlikely.
Tyler O'Neill or Dylan Carlson of the St. Louis Cardinals, Anthony Santander of the Baltimore Orioles, and Lane Thomas of the Washington Nationals are also players to keep tabs on.
Oh, and that Mike Trout guy wouldn't be terrible either. Although, it's difficult to imagine the Los Angeles Angels trading Trout in the first place, especially to the Dodgers.
Dodgers must pick between Diego Cartaya, Will Smith
This is another in-house move the Dodgers need to make. Diego Cartaya is a top prospect and has a bright future as a catcher, but the Dodgers already have Will Smith as a catcher.
They can't simply move one of them to first base since Freddie Freeman is patrolling the position. Cartaya could end up being moved to a different position, but it appears more than likely that the Dodgers are going to need to decide between one of them.
And the Dodgers should consider trading the other.
Will Smith is arguably the best catcher in baseball. He's under team control through 2025, but the Dodgers will likely start to engage in extension talks if they envision Smith being their catcher of the future.
If Los Angeles prefers Cartaya though, then Smith could be traded for a massive return package. The Dodgers could get strong current MLB players along with impressive prospect capital for Smith.
The same can be said for Cartaya. Although he isn't as proven as Smith, his ceiling is arguably higher.
Sure, the Dodgers could utilize both players as a starting and backup catcher. But between Smith's talent and Cartaya's potential, there is realistically only room for one of them on the Dodgers.
Pitching depth, not necessarily star-power, is important
Finally, the Dodgers must address the starting pitching rotation.
Many fans are calling for LA to sign/trade for an ace. Acquiring a superstar hurler wouldn't be a bad move, but what the Dodgers really need is reliable pitchers who have track records of durability.
Pitchers such as Eduardo Rodriguez, Alex Wood, and Wade Miley are all pitchers the Dodgers must consider. Each of these hurlers can give LA innings while hopefully staying healthy.
Again, adding a superstar isn't out of the question. But we saw the Dodgers' rotation completely crumble this past season due to injuries. They need to add more than one arm, so making a move to acquire two or three veterans makes sense.
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