The Los Angeles Dodgers have been in search of a center fielder since non-tendering Cody Bellinger, who went on to sign a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs.
The club passed on the likes of Aaron Judge and Brandon Nimmo, missed out on Kevin Kiermaier, and thus far have only added Steven Duggar and Jason Heyward on Minor League contracts.
The Dodgers, however, continue to be linked to some of the top options on the trade market, including Dylan Carlson, Jarred Kelenic, Bryan Reynolds and Alex Thomas.
While finding a center fielder remains the focus, the Dodgers are also open to acquiring a corner outfielder, via Jim Bowden of The Athletic:
The Dodgers’ top priority right now is to acquire an outfielder — ideally a center fielder, but it could be a corner outfielder instead. They’d prefer to trade for one and are one of the many teams that have been involved in trade talks with the Pirates regarding Bryan Reynolds.
As Bowman noted, the Dodgers are among the teams that have discussed a potential trade for Reynolds, but the Pittsburgh Pirates’ asking price is said to be exorbitant.
Reynolds would check off many boxes as he is a 27-year-old switch-hitter that won’t become a free agent until after the 2025 season. The Pirates are said to be seeking a top pitching prospect to headline their return in a Reynolds trade, and Bobby Miller could be key to a deal getting done.
If the Dodgers go the free agency route for an outfielder, some of the best remaining options are Jackie Bradley Jr., Andrew McCutchen and Jurickson Profar.
What if the Dodgers don’t acquire another outfielder?
While the expectation is that the Dodgers will acquire another outfielder this offseason, they could simply offer offer the center field job to a player like James Outman, Chris Taylor or Trayce Thompson.
Taylor has made 196 appearances in center field since the 2017 season, but he is arguably more valuable to the team in a utility role. Meanwhile, Thompson and Outman are primarily corner outfielders, with only the former having Major League experience in center field.
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