With the bulk of the offseason in the rearview mirror, the Los Angeles Dodgers expect to have a slightly different look than in years past after multiple key contributors left in free agency. Members of the front office, coaching staff, and guys on the roster, including Chris Taylor, believe young Dodgers prospects will have a big impact on the team.
Trea Turner signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, Tyler Anderson signed for three years with the Los Angeles Angels, Andrew Heaney joined the Texas Rangers, and fan favorites Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger are no longer with the club as well.
However, the Dodgers have put their faith in the talent their farm system has churned out before, and they’ll need to lean on them in 2023.
There already were flashes from rookies Miguel Vargas and James Outman this past season, both providing some big swings after making their respective MLB debuts. During an appearance on “Access: SportsNet Dodgers,” Taylor spoke highly of the rookies and the chance for them to see a significant opportunity this season:
“I think it’s exciting for some of our younger players that have been doing really good things in our Minor League organizations for a long time and are well overdue to get their chance in the big leagues and create their legacy.
“I really think those guys are going to step up for us. We’ve had one of the best organizations top to bottom in baseball for the last six or seven years. I think that’s a big reason why we didn’t bring back some of those guys that obviously we all wanted to keep. But we know we have these guys waiting, and they’ve been working their asses off to get to this point. I think they’re going to step up and help us win ballgames.”
The Dodgers are known for consistently having one of baseball’s best Minor League systems, which is why there is so much faith put in who they’ve produced. Bobby Miller, Ryan Pepiot, Gavin Stone, Landon Knack, Michael Busch, who was recently protected from the Rule 5 Draft, and others could soon see time with the Dodgers.
Pepiot, Miller, Vargas and Outman figure to have some significant roles in the near future after spots became available because of the Dodgers’ unwillingness to spend in effort to remain under the $233 million luxury tax threshold for 2023.
Outman, known for his defense, is an option to serve as a replacement for Bellinger in center field.
Meanwhile, Vargas has shown an ability to play multiple positions in his development, and could easily see time at both second base and third base.
Dodgers prospects make MLB Pipeline Top 100
The Dodgers Minor League system is well represented on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list, headlined by Diego Cartaya and Miller.
But the list doesn’t stop with them, Vargas, Busch, Andy Pages, followed up by Pepiot and Stone. This crop of prospects is the most on MLB’s top prospect list in the past 10 years for the Dodgers, providing them with the ability to deal a few in trade packages, or simply allow them to contribute to the big league roster.
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