The Los Angeles Dodgers made a notable move on Monday as they traded Gavin Lux to the Cincinnati Reds for prospect Mike Sirota and a competitive balance round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
The deal came less than a week after the team signed Hyeseong Kim to a three-year, $12.5 million contract.
The addition of Kim seemingly created a logjam in the middle infield, but general manager Brandon Gomes recently said the Dodgers remained committed to Lux at second base and Mookie Betts as their shortstop.
Although Lux is now out of the picture, Betts is still expected to be the Dodgers’ shortstop, via Fabian Ardaya and C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic:
The current expectation, a source said, is still for Betts to open camp as the Dodgers’ shortstop.
Betts opened the 2024 season as the Dodgers’ starting shortstop after Lux struggled at the position in Spring Training and was moved to second base.
Betts appeared in 65 games at shortstop (61 starts), but shifted back to right field after missing nearly two months due to a left hand fracture.
Although he is currently projected to start at shortstop next season, Betts’ long-term outlook may be at second base. He has appeared in 118 games at position over seven seasons, including 18 last year.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers trading Lux and planning to keep Betts at shortstop has Kim in line to receive plenty of opportunities at second base.
He profiles as a utilityman but most scouts believe second base is where Kim could best establish himself in the Majors. The 25-year-old won three KBO Fielding Awards from 2021-2023 while playing four different positions for the Kiwoom Heroes.
Mookie Betts: learning shortstop was difficult
The eight-time All-Star showed that he was more than capable of handling shortstop after primarily playing the outfield in the first 10 seasons of his career. Nevertheless, Betts admitted that learning shortstop on the fly was one of the most difficult tasks he has faced.
The Dodgers are confident Betts will be in better position to play shortstop in 2025 after spending an offseason preparing rather than just two weeks like heading into last season.
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