The Dodgers head into the offseason with plenty of question marks on their roster. Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge heads into the offseason as the biggest name on the free agent market. And those two things could end up being intimately related.
As Mark Feinsand writes on MLB.com, the Dodgers could turn their attention away from their own biggest free agent and look instead to the biggest free agent
Like the Mets, the Dodgers have other areas of concern heading into the offseason; Trea Turner and Clayton Kershaw are among the best free agents on the roster, making shortstop and the starting rotation two of their top priorities.
That said, it’s foolish to write off the Dodgers when it comes to any big-name free agent. In fact, sources say Los Angeles, which could have more than $120 million coming off the books this winter, could let Turner walk away and make a serious offer for Judge. Mookie Betts is apparently willing to move to second base, according to sources, which would free up right field for Judge.
There are a couple of holes in this idea, or at least elements that should be addressed. If the Dodgers walk Trea, they still need a shortstop. Presumably the idea here would be to move Gavin Lux back to shortstop and Betts to second base. Compared to the 2022 team, that defense would be weaker at both right field and shortstop. Judge is, of course, a great boost for offense, but if the goal is to build a team, this might not be the optimal way.
Time will tell, but this smacks a bit of someone taking their “sources” at face value for the sake of a story.
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