Mookie Betts to Play Shortstop for Dodgers in 2025; What Does That Mean for LA?
Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said Monday at the Winter Meetings in Dallas that Mookie Betts is planning on playing shortstop in 2025.
With Betts at shortstop, Tommy Edman would mostly be playing in center field.
With Betts at shortstop and Edman in center field, the Dodgers would technically have room for Gavin Lux at second base. Lux has been considered a trade candidate ever since Gomes announced Betts was moving back to the infield. However, with Betts at shortstop, Lux would be able to remain at second base in 2025 and beyond.
Betts graded out as a below-average shortstop in 2024. However, he was trying to learn the position on the fly after Lux struggled in spring training. With a full offseason and spring training, the Dodgers are betting on Betts turning into at least an average defender at shortstop. If not — like they did last year with Lux — they’ll adjust.
For what it’s worth, Miguel Rojas told Dodgers Nation last month he’s preparing to help Betts become an even better defender before next season.
“Knowing that Mookie is going to be back, it makes me happy. It makes me excited to keep working with him and to keep going at it with Mookie at short and second base, because I know how better he got when the time was there,” Rojas said to Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain. “Imagine now that we can work in the offseason. He’s going to be working on his own throughout this time, and he’s going to be really good at wherever he has to play.”
Beyond Lux, the Dodgers are filling a big need by playing Edman in center field. With newly-signed Michael Conforto taking up one of the corner outfield spots, the Dodgers just need to add one more to finalize a solid starting core. If Conforto mostly played against right-handed pitching, Andy Pages would be a perfect platoon option in the outfield.
The Dodgers remain interested in Teoscar Hernández, but have some stiff competition following Juan Soto signing with the New York Mets.
Following the reported Conforto signing and Gomes’ announcement regarding Betts, here’s a look at how the roster stacks up as currently constructed:
C: Will Smith
1B: Freddie Freeman
2B: Gavin Lux
SS: Mookie Betts
3B: Max Muncy
LF: Michael Conforto
CF: Tommy Edman
RF: Andy Pages
DH: Shohei Ohtani
Bench: Austin Barnes, Chris Taylor, Miguel Rojas, James Outman
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Why not sign Teoscar, sign a REAL shortstop, (Kim), leave Mookie in RF, move Muncy to 2B trade for Arenado for 3B and sign another Starting pitcher (Sasaki), and a closer (Williams) and repeat!
Not a good call. That was tried and failed last year. Get a real SS (Kim) and a third baseman (Arenado), sign Teoscar, and move Muncy to 2B and sign Sasaki and closer Williams and repeat!!!
The difference is that Mookie gets time to prepare from December-February to prepare. Before, he moved randomly with no time to properly train. I think that Mookie has a shot to be a real good defender this year.
1. Ohtani (DH) 2. Betts (2B) 3. Freeman (1B) 4. T. Hernandez (LF) 5. Muncy (3B) 6. Smith (C) 7. Bichette (SS) 8. Pages/Conforto (RF) 9. Edmans (CF) Rotation: Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Ohtani, Kershaw, Sasaki
Get Arenado at third. Then Miggy can roam around the infield, Kike as a second backup and also in the outfield, trade Munchy for a new batboy.
This could be the weakest Dodgers outfield in a very long time. For each of the past 3 years Conforto has hit in the .230’s without a lot of power, Edman, despite what he did in the postseason, is just a .263 lifetime hitter with a .317 lifetime on base percentage and little power, and Pages only hit .248 without much power either. (Outman had a better season than him in 2023). Why not keep Betts in right field where he’s a gold glover, instead of shortstop, where he’ll have to work hard just to be average, and put Edman back at 2nd, where HE was a gold glover? Either get a real shortstop or put Rojas, who is well above average defensively there. The Dodgers always seem to take gold glovers and play them at another position.
I’ll believe it when I see it. I can see Mookie at SS for 2025 as a bridge until Bo Bichette is a FA.
The Dodgers will change the roster SIGNIFICANTLY before opening day. Whether that means one, two or more new faces only time (and Friedman) can tell. One thing for certain, Mookie will not be the opening day shortstop. At this point, the Dodgers have a lot of flexibility and money. They will exercise both. Very exciting!!!!!
Mookie Betts will do just fine at shortstop this time around. The last few weeks prior to his broken hand, he was doing a fairly good job. Like the man said, a full off season and a full spring training preparing will do a world of good. Mookie will be a GOOD shortstop. Oddly enough, his fielding percentage was the same as Adames’ last year. He is such a perfectionist at his craft; that he is going to do his best to compete for a Gold Glove. With Max on one side and Gavin on the other, he will do fine. Both are +WAR defenders. The Dodgers have opened a slot in the outfield for a reason. Is it Teo coming back? Or Dalton Rushing showing something as an outfield defender? Time will tell.