Dodgers Looking to Add Right-Handed Hitter; Tommy Pham or Teoscar Hernandez Could Join Outfield
The Dodgers started the offseason off with a bang by signing Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and trading for Tyler Glasnow. Now that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman addressed the team’s biggest needs — starting pitching and a designated hitter — he and the front office must look elsewhere to put the finishing touches on an already-loaded roster.
Depending on the opposing pitcher, the Dodgers’ lineup could have up to six left-handed bats. A group that includes Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Jason Heyward and Gavin Lux is enough to strike fear in any right-hander.
For a left-hander, the fear factor beyond Mookie Betts and Will Smith is not as intense. There’s a natural hole for a right-handed outfielder on the roster. Juan Toribio of MLB.com proposed a couple players the Dodgers might target this offseason:
The Dodgers have been in the market for a right-handed-hitting outfielder, and some of those options could include Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Pham, according to sources.
Juan Toribio – MLB.com
Hernandez is the antithesis of a typical Friedman free agent signing. He tends to target players with good bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline. Hernandez has a career .305 on-base percentage, and his 211 strikeouts last season ranked second in the American League.
The 31-year-old struggles defensively in the field, and would represent a significant drop-off in left field from what the Dodgers got last year. Hernandez is reportedly seeking a four-year deal worth upwards of $20 million annually. As a pure hitter, he is a better fit at designated hitter than left field, and the Dodgers have no need at DH.
Friedman could ostensibly sign Pham for a much shorter and cheaper deal. He was a roughly average fielder last year, has some pop in his bat, and would not have to platoon.
Last year, Pham had a .787 OPS against left-handers and a .768 OPS against righties, with far more power against lefties. After the season ended, he mentioned he wanted the Dodgers to trade for him at the deadline.
The Dodgers have another chance to acquire Pham as a free agent. They could do far worse than a player who plays at least 130 games a year, wants to be on the team, and can do damage against lefties.
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Photo Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports
Forget Hernandez, at the 100% tax they are now in he would cost them more than Acuna and Bryce Harper combined, can’t field, and strikes out more than Chris Taylor, but great article.
Hell no on Teoscar.
I still have faith in our younger guys. Right handed hitters like Vargas and Pages. Dep[ending how Busch does, you may want to find room for him in the infield….3B’s? Depends how Muncy does. Play some second base if Mookie goes to right field for some games. Time, and health, will tell.
Agreed. Dodgers really do not have much depth at third base. Muncy is not a good defensive third baseman. Busch may be an option at third, second (when Mookie is in RF) and left field. Yet the dodgers seem to be in a hurry to trade one of the best hitters in the minors.
HUH?? The Dodgers have a Left Fielder as good as these two players…defensively speaking. All that is needed is for him to get in shape to play the position again. His name is J.D. Martinez! Now that’s a right-handed bat to compliment ANY line-up! Why not keep his bat on the roster?
What?! JD is a FA and there’s no way that he’ll ever be even closer to average as a defensive outfielder. Plus, he’d likely get hurt even more out there.
Pham sucks! Of course he wants to come to the Dodgers, but no thanks!
Martinez can’t and won’t play in the field. He does not want to. He played 12 innings in left field for the Dodgers last year and that was enough for him. It would be great if he could, but he can’t and won’t. Poor defensively, an injury risk when in the field, and not happy when he plays in the field. He lives to hit. Teoscar Hernandez — is he likely to be a better player than Michael Busch (AAA player of the year 2023) or than a platoon of Michael Busch and Miguel Vargas (AAA player of the year 2022)? Maybe not. And he will cost 40 times as much as either of those two, year after year after year for the next 3 years. So, platoon Vargas and Busch for one year (with Chris Taylor ready to help), then sign Soto. In the future, all they need to add is Soto and Sasaki. They have enough existing talent on the big league roster and at AAA to not need any more players. In 2025 the rotation gains Ohtani, Gonsolin, May and perhaps Kershaw, and one or more of 5 AAA pitchers, Gavin Stone, Michael Grove, Kyle Hurt, Fraso, Landon Knack (at least one of them should be MLB rotation-ready in 2025, maybe after the ASG 2024 Maybe more than one or even two of them as they compete to outshine each other at OKC in 2024). And maybe Sasaki, better than everyone else, including Yamamoto. Of course, 1 year of Burnes or Bieber would be good, but just one year. In 2025 they are already looking at a 10-man rotation: Yamamoto, Glasnow, Buehler (but maybe lost as a free agent) Miller, Sheehan, Ohtani, Gonsolin, Dustin May, Kershaw (?), Hurt, Gavin Stone, Frasso, Landon Knack, Grove. Maybe Sasaki. 15 candidates for a 6-man rotation in 2025