With many of the Dodgers key pieces coming back, the Dodgers have had to make very tough decisions the last few days with many of their key pieces coming back. Let’s talk about it all, player by player.
Dodgers IL/Other Updates:
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to begin rehab.
- Walker Buehler could be shut down for the season.
Discussing the Tough Choices the Dodgers Have Faced
Jason Heyward
When you have a roster like the Dodgers have, even a few errors or a little skid could cost you a starting job. If you can prove that you’re an amazing player during that time, you’re not going to get released. As simple as that. This is something that’s normal, especially for the Dodgers. It’s hard when a fan favorite like Jason Heyward gets released.
It’s something they had to do. Chris Taylor has a contract through 2026, and he’s making $15 million a year. They can’t release him. In fact, this move was meant to get Chris Taylor’s spot back. Then you have gold glover in Kevin Kiermaier. Why would you make a separate trade to get this guy, only to release him a few weeks later? He’s owed $10,500,000! So, why not release Enrique Hernandez? Heyward isn’t a utility player like Kike. Another reason is that he’s an amazing postseason hitter and a performer who’s locked in.
Another reason why Heyward was released is that Tommy Edman was activated from the IL. Although Heyward’s a great player, he’s not as good as Tommy Edman, who will be way more helpful than Heyward in the playoffs. Heyward has a career .148 average in the postseason, while Edman is hitting .224.
Heyward’s old. That’s for sure. He was the main guy who helped propel the Cubs to end their 108-year championship drought, was well-respected in the Dodgers clubhouse, and had done so much for the Dodgers during his one-and-a-half-year tenure with LAD. Thank you, Jason Heyward.
Amed Rosario
This one is a bit old but still worth talking about.
In 83 games this season, Amed Rosario is batting .306 this season, one of the best seasons in his career. Even then, he’s been thrown around everywhere, from the Rays to the Dodgers to now the Reds, it’s been a rollercoaster of a season for him. The Dodgers went ahead and traded for him because they had absolutely no depth in the middle infield at that time. In the five games he played with the Dodgers, he dominated with an average of .273. Things were looking good.
The Dodgers could’ve made a different move, but if you look a bit deeper into things, this was probably the best move they could make. The person who replaced Rosario? Mookie Betts and I don’t have to add any reason why because you know the reason why. The move for Rosario is also why we even had a conversation about Betts going back to the middle infield, although we all knew that that wasn’t going to be the case.
Honorable Mention: Andy Pages
Andy Pages is following the same exact route as James Outman. Outman was the main guy at the start of the 2024 season but was playing so badly that they called up Andy Pages who was sooo hot at the plate in Triple-A. That’s exactly what he did after he was called up. He was super good in his first month, then slowed down as we got to the all-star break. After the break, he just couldn’t find the bat. He had a.200 average with 14 hits, a home run, 10 RBIs, and 10 runs after the all-star break. He was eventually demoted to triple-A.
Other News
- The Oakland Athletics are now 4th place!
- This is becoming less and less possible unless the Dodgers suddenly go on a losing streak.
- Danny Jansen to Become 1st Player in MLB History to Play for Both Teams in Same Game. ⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇
