Despite an electrifying series win against the New York Yankees, the Blue Crew has an issue. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ hitting staff is just not performing like it could. On top of that their infield reeks of a massive imbalance in the Shortstop position. That’s a surprising thing to hear, right? After all, Mookie Betts is playing there and is perhaps one of the most athletic players of all time. But then, things haven’t been easy for him. And that has brought on talks of Bo Bichette.
On top of that, Betts is better in 2B. But if the Dodgers shift him there then they’ll be left with Gavin Lux as a shortstop. That isn’t a desirable situation to be in as Lux’s hitting numbers haven’t been particularly good this year. So that brings the talk to the trade deadline – could the Blue Crew look outside for much-needed support? The answer is yes, according to top insider Ken Rosenthal.
“I’m going to be a broken record on this; they’re going to seek help,” Rosenthal said. “But the big question is what they do with their offense.” Later Rosenthal noted that while their attackers are doing good, the Blue Crew can add one more hitter to the mix. Especially if that means adding an infielder to the team like Bo Bichette.
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"I'm going to be a broken record on this: they're going to seek relief help. But the big question is what they do with their offense."
More from @Ken_Rosenthal on what to expect from the Dodgers with just 50 days until the trade deadline. pic.twitter.com/pPhSjjMeiz
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 11, 2024
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Rosenthal noted that the Los Angeles Dodgers might like Toronto Blue Jays’ shortstop for a simple reason – he gives them much-needed flexibility. “You get a shortstop and move Mookie to second and Gavin Lux is out of the equation,” Rosenthal said. While that could be an encouraging trade, one needs to remember that Bichette hasn’t been his usual amazing self this season.
On top of that, his contract situation makes things a little murky for the Dodgers. However, it’s undeniable that there’s a lot of potential in this move.
How Bo Bichette could potentially upgrade the Los Angeles Dodgers
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Though Bichette is currently hitting at just .236, this is a hitter who has remained above .300 in three of his six seasons. So while this downturn in form is a little concerning, what’s important to understand is that almost the entire Toronto Blue Jays has underperformed this season. That raises a question – how much of this bad form is Bo Bichette’s fault and how much is Blue Jays’? But then there’s another issue here – Bichette will be a free agent after the 2025 season. Will the Dodgers overpay for him? That can be answered by understanding the value that he’d bring to the team.
On top of that, the biggest benefit is that Mookie Betts can finally be shifted to second base. The star performed exceedingly well in that position last season. But when it comes to shortstop, yes, Betts has shown improvement but with 9 errors in 59 games – he hasn’t been consistent enough. And if the Los Angeles Dodgers want to increase their playoff chances – they need to think about improving their infield. So can Bo Bichette be that answer? Perhaps he could be.