Dave Roberts Gets Honest About James Outman’s Struggles in Dodgers Camp
The Los Angeles Dodgers are currently having a productive spring.
Although the records have no implications on the regular season, L.A. has won its last eight spring matchups going into Saturday’s contest with the Chicago White Sox.
More news: Shohei Ohtani Played Role in Decision to Pause Pitching Progression for Dodgers
As nice as the 2025 spring training campaign has been, a few weaknesses have been exposed for Los Angeles.
A key signing in the offseason, four-time Korea Baseball Organization standout Hyeseong Kim, has struggled with the velocity shift from overseas to stateside baseball. This is raising many questions about not just where Kim will begin the season, but who else will be rostered if Kim starts his MLB career in the minors.
Another name that the Dodgers have yet to make a decision on is outfielder James Outman.
Outman showed a lot of promise for the Dodgers in the 2023 season as an up-and-coming center fielder. Finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting, Outman finished the campaign with a .248 batting average, a 3.3 WAR, 23 home runs, and 70 RBIs.
Then, the 2024 season came.
Last season was bleak for the 27-year-old as he made a drastic drop to a batting average of .147 and only notching 20 hits in 53 games. He was designated for assignment in mid-May of 2024 and was briefly brought back up in July before being recalled in late September ahead of the postseason.
This spring has unfortunately been more of the same for Outman and manager Dave Roberts noted his new swing.
“Early on, he looked really comfortable with kind of a little revamped swing,” Roberts said. “But right now, he’s swinging and missing a lot. I don’t know if he’s pressing. He just doesn’t look as comfortable.”
The struggles of both Outman and Kim will likely cause the Dodgers to turn to other players in order to find more depth in the outfield and second base.
Dodgers fans should hope that Outman is able to turn a new leaf and get back to where he was at in 2023 ahead of the new season.
More news: Dave Roberts Declines to Name Tanner Scott the Dodgers’ Designated Closer in 2025
Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
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Kim was a mistake. He was not needed. He was never going to be as good as Lux. Trading Lux was a mistake. Outman is of no value. Failing to wait 11 days to have Yates sign his contract, giving away Brazier as a result, was a mistake. This is a great team overflowing with talent, possibly 117 wins, but give other front offices as much money and maybe they would do better. I wish they would think more carefully about the lack of need for utility players. Next year manage the 40 man roster better. It will be much harder next year with 18 legitimate starting pitchers. Yes, 18.
I’m not worried. The Dodgers will win another WS preferably against cheat machine Detroit[ the manager who was the Astro manager in 2017] or Cleveland.
I don’t see Kim as a “mistake” if he was signed primarily for his glove. The “mistake” was moving Betts to the INF and creating a logjam where none existed previously. Trading Lux wasn’t a necessity, as, he, Kim and Edman could’ve been a solid 3-some up-the-middle. This team has so many sluggers that burying Kim and Lux in the bottom-third of the lineup couldn’t possibly have prevented this team from competing for the division anyway. Is really so bad that they wouldn’t have hit as many HR’s if they could’ve possibly been more solid defensively by adding Kim and simply keeping Betts and Lux where they were?
except you forget that Betts WANTED to move to the infield… it’s not like they moved him for no reason
I admit I don’t know **** compared to what scouts and coaches do. At least on up and coming players. But Outman had a good ’23, I think he’s got more in him, I don’t know if it’s more ABs or what, but I think he has it, they just need to bring it out and harness it. I have more confidence in him than Pages, but they’ve got to go with the hot hand so to speak.
Crossing my fingers for him, I think he’s got it, but he sure didn’t last year.
More ABs? Sorry Mike but that was why he was sent down to the minors. He has had lots of ABs down there, and he has not shown any indication that he will ever regain the form form year 1 with the Dodgers. It happens……remember Alex Verdugo…….Puig?????
The Dodgers have the luxury of so many talented players on the roster. The young guys knew they had to prove themselves this spring. In some cases, not for the first time too. They are deep in both the OF and infield. They’ll be fine.
Outman was not DFA’d in 2024. The Dodgers exercised his second minor league option but he remained on the 40-man roster
Outman needs to b traded as soon as possible! Always swings and misses. He looks scared all the time and lives up to his name OUTman! Why have you kept him so long!’