Dodgers Trying to Avoid Michael Busch Mistake With Andy Pages
When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded Michael Busch to the Chicago Cubs in January, they knew he was ready to be an everyday starter.
The problem was, he couldn’t play every day in L.A.
Busch is a first baseman and designated hitter, and while he is off to red hot start in Chicago, his name isn’t Freddie Freeman or Shohei Ohtani. He also isn’t a player that can be turned into an outfielder which is what the Dodgers needed.
The Dodgers, at the time, already knew that there wouldn’t be room for Busch: So why make him go through camp?
Now, the Dodgers are trying to prevent the same thing from happening with Andy Pages. He has more than proved himself in the minor leagues, hitting .371 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 15 games for Oklahoma City this season. He could have broken camp with the big league club but the Dodgers opted for the veteran platoon of Chris Taylor and Kiké Hernández instead and sent Pages to begin the season in Triple-A.
Pages made his major league debut on Tuesday night and singled on the first pitch he saw which already matches the same number of hits Taylor has through 35 at-bats. Coming into the game, Hernández had seven singles. His solo home run in the fifth inning was his first extra-base hit of the year.
“He’s a complete ballplayer,” Roberts said about Pages. “The head is good. The mechanics are good. He’s physical. So we just feel like, with the runway he’s gonna be given, it’s a great opportunity.”
The runway Roberts is referring to is also known as “not a platoon.” Roberts has been adamant about not platooning James Outman, and Pages will get the same treatment.
The rest of the outfield is completed by Teoscar Hernández, who has been a force at the plate, and Jason Heyward, who has been out with a back injury. The Dodgers tried to remedy missing Heyward with Taylor Trammell, but he went hitless in six starts.
Heyward opened the door for Pages but he has to out-perform his peers if he wants to stay.
“But really the driver is Jason not being around. That’s why we went out and got Trammell initially because we thought it was gonna be a shorter-term stint,” Roberts said. “But as each day passes, it just seems longer. So this seemed like a good opportunity to give Andy.”
Pages is in the starting lineup again on Wednesday playing right field and batting eighth. On Tuesday, he was in center field and batting seventh.
“I’ll try to get him in as much as I can to see what we have,” Roberts said. “He’s a complete player. A very heady player. He lives and breathes baseball. Very good defender. He’s got plus power.
“And coming back from this really traumatic surgery he had last year, he’s been nothing but fantastic since spring training. We’re really excited.”
At this point, Pages can’t be afraid to steal someone’s spot. Baseball is a game and the best players will play regardless of experience. If Pages is L.A.’s best option moving forward, then he needs to be in the lineup instead of being sent down when Heyward returns.
The Dodgers can’t treat Pages like Busch. If they do, he could be gone soon, too.
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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Let’s stop bouncing our guys around. LF belongs to THern, CF to JOutm and RF should be APage. This should have been the package from day one. Let these guys get comfortable. Keep CTay and KHern on the bench and when JHeyw comes back, have him ride the bench too. Boy, our bottom end is really struggling.
The Michael Busch trade was not a mistake. People should quit saying that. He had no where to play. Remember when they tried to play Gavin Lux in the outfield? He looked like he was on roller skates. The same with Busch. He couldn’t play the outfield in spring trainings of the past when they tried to turn him and Vargas into one. Vargas had better luck. Busch was lost out there. So where were they too play him. First base? Sorry, Busch is no Freddie Freeman. DH? In the past yes but the minute they signed Shohei Ohtani that was out. Third base? Max Muncy is a gold glover compared to Busch. So he had two positions, both occupied by bonified STARS. Trading Busch was a chance for him to play. Yes, he’s hot right now and holding his own at his natural position. But lets wait until the end of the season before we blame the Dodgers for making a “mistake!” Once major league pitchers found the hole in James Outman’s swing, he cooled off too. So will Busch. Better to trade him for prospects they could use than to have him be a career minor leaguer or an end of the bencher for the major league club. Its time to face facts!
Busch had no path to the show with the Dodgers. He is a 1B/DH and we have those positions sewn up for many years. I don’t know how he did at 2B, 3B, or LF. I think the big mistake they made with Busch was basically giving him away. They should have gotten more for him.
Small sample size thus far. Busch may still turn out to be a flash in the pan. Let’s see what he does when pitchers start making adjustments to him. We won’t really know if the trade was a mistake until we see how left-handed starter Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope turn out.
Get rid of 1-35 CT3 strikeouts a game!!