Second base has been a bit of a revolving door for the Los Angeles Dodgers over recent seasons, and 2019 could see more change. Since trading Dee Gordon during the 2014 Winter Meetings, the Dodgers have used Alex Guerrero, Howie Kendrick, Chase Utley, Logan Forsythe and Brian Dozier, among others at second base.
Kendrick was productive in his time with the Dodgers but was also squeezed out to left field and eventually traded in November 2016. While the club reportedly pursued Dozier on the trade market, it was Forsythe who was acquired prior to the 2017 season.
He was dogged by injury and inconsistency and included in a trade for Dozier this past July. Normally a strong second-half performer, Dozier didn’t exactly meet expectations before becoming a free agent.
As the Dodgers look to find a solution, D.J. LeMahieu reportedly remains a point of interest for them, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com:
#Dodgers showing continued interest in free agent 2B DJ LeMahieu, source says. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 10, 2018
The Dodgers were previously linked to LeMahieu in early November and again within the past two weeks as one of the teams to have preliminary contract discussions with him. After making his MLB debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2011 and appearing in 37 games that season, he’s spent the past seven years with the Colorado Rockies.
LeMahieu won the National League batting title in 2016, earned a second career All-Star Game selection in 2017, but is coming off somewhat of a down season. He still was productive in some regard, batting .276/.321/.428 with 32 doubles, 15 home runs and 62 RBI.
Defensively, the 30-year-old has won three Gold Glove Awards, including one this season.
While Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman indicated the team is not against acquiring a second baseman, he left open the possibility of Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor receiving more opportunities at the position in 2019.
