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Dodgers Rumors: Sign Or Trade For ‘Impact Right-Handed Bat’ Considered ‘Likely’

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports

For as deep of a lineup the Los Angeles Dodgers have fielded over recent seasons, it’s tended to slant toward being left-handed heavy. Further complicating matters is multiple players struggled against same-side pitching.

The Dodgers addressed the matter by relying more heavily on platoons this past season, plus through a trade for David Freese. Manny Machado can also be factored into that equation but he primarily was added to fill the overall void left at shortstop when Corey Seager underwent Tommy John surgery.

With Machado now a free agent and unlikely to be re-signed, and with the trade of Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig to the Cincinnati Reds, the Dodgers again find themselves short on right-handed batters.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, that is an area the team will likely address this winter:

The Dodgers also are likely to add an impact right-handed bat, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Saturday.

Potential options for the Dodgers includes D.J. LeMahieu, J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos, among others. While LeMahieu and Realmuto would fill needs at second base and catcher, respectively, reported interest in Castellanos is a bit confounding.

He is coming off a strong season but profiles more as a designated hitter for an American League club than first baseman or outfielder.

Although Los Angeles has yet to be publicly linked to him, A.J. Pollock fits the bill of another right-handed batter who is capable of improving the lineup.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com