Dodgers News: Dave Roberts and Co ‘Open to Trade’ For a Shortstop And Move Injured Mookie Betts In Preparation For October

Saying that the Los Angeles Dodgers are in trouble would be a slight overstatement. With a 49-31 record, they’re comfortably leading the NL West. As of now, there’s more chance of them having yet another 100-win season than falling below in their division. However, the regular season hasn’t ever been an issue for them; it’s the postseason that has troubled them. As a result, the trade deadline becomes extremely important and the biggest question that comes with it is: Where will Mookie Betts play?

Though the 2018 MVP is currently on the shelf due to a fracture, he’ll be back by August. So when he returns, will he return as a shortstop or will the Dodgers look elsewhere? It’s not hidden that, despite Betts’ athleticism, he hasn’t been a particularly great shortstop this season. As a result, famous insider Ken Rosenthal thinks a trade might happen but isn’t sure how. 

“Dodgers, they have an offensive need. I don’t know where the need is going to be filled, infield (or) outfield,” Ken Rosenthal said in Foul Territory Show. Certainly, the team’s infield is going through a rough time with Max Muncy and Mookie Betts’ injury. However, will a trade be possible? “In the infield, what happens when Mookie comes back sometime in August? Is he your shortstop or do you go get a shortstop, move Mookie to second? If it’s possible. It might not be possible,” Rosenthal said. The reasons were simple.

The trade market doesn’t have a deep pool of shortstops to offer. Though there is Bo Bichette (And he has been linked with the Dodgers), he hasn’t been particularly impressive on offense in 2024. Fox Sports’ Rowan Kavner linked the Rays’ Jose Caballero to the Dodgers; however, as of now, those links haven’t turned into anything serious. 

But with the Dodgers looking to avoid another first-round exit in the playoffs, an addition looks like a real possibility.  Especially as Betts’ best position remains 2B.

The Dodgers’ shortstop issue runs deeper than Mookie Betts 

Though utilizing Mookie Betts to his best is a big issue, the shortstop position remains a giant mystery for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team had bet their future on Gavin Lux owning that spot but he hasn’t been consistent enough to warrant a full-time stint in the spot. As Rosenthal noted,  if Lux were qualified for league leaders, he would have “among the lowest OPS in the majors.” (.566 OPS)

Such has been his performance that the team prefers to field the 35-year-old veteran Miguel Rojas over him in the shortstop position. It doesn’t hurt that Rojas is turning into a sort of lucky charm for the team (the Dodgers are 23-0 when he gets at least one hit). This season has been a revelation for Miggy Ro, a comeback that he had needed for a long time. But at his age, one can’t expect him to carry on the highly demanding shortstop duties all the time.

As a result, it brings the team back to square one. Could they risk going to the playoffs with an underperforming Mookie Betts (defensively)? Will Dave Roberts risk a third straight NLDS exit for the Betts experiment? Perhaps not but one never knows.