OFFSEASON Meanwhile, Down on the Farm

https://x.com/BaseballAmerica/status/1990572028253123003

I'm sure that trying to predict the Dodgers lineup four years from now is an exercise in futility. Just for shits and giggles, I'll play...

Catcher - Will Smith seems like a sure bet given the WS he just had, and especially since he's only two years in on a ten year contract.

1B - Rushing, really? Look, I like Rushing and think we'll see more of his bat come alive in '26. But something tells me Dodgers will cash-in that potential in a year or two to a team needing a catcher. He just doesn't seem like a prototypical first baseman to me. Freeman, Goldschmidt, Alonso, Rizzo, Pujols... these guys are all 6-3, 6-4. Even Vlad Jr and Harper are 6-2. Rushing is 5-11. Not saying that there haven't been shorter guys with success at first... Christian Walker comes to mind. I just don't see a high likelihood that he sticks there. Freeman's contract is up after the '27 season, and right now he's talking like he wants to keep playing. Maybe he gets resigned on a one-year deal and then again in '29? We'll see...

2B - Edman? I suppose that's possible, considering he's signed through '29.

SS - Mookie. Likely. I don't see him going back to the OF at this point. Only other possibility is if he loses a step, he gets moved back to 2B.

3B - Of my three favorite Dodger prospects, only one of them made this list - more on that ahead. Unfortunately, SS Emil Morales, who's one of the three, is not on it. He's a big dude at SS and the thinking is that he'll eventually move to 3B. I'd rather see him there than Alex Freeland in '29 - he just has the bigger bat. Freeland will likely be a third baseman on some MLB roster, but I don't think it will be in LA.

OF (left to right) - De Paula, Quintero, and Pages. De Paula is the team's #1 prospect, so that makes sense. Quintero is my top pick, so it's good to see him potentially anchoring the outfield. Pages in right is a definite possibility, assuming he gets smarter at the plate and on the base paths. It's interesting though that with all the outfield prospects in the system, these are the three. It's certainly possible, but how about Hope, Sirota (with Quintero and Morales, the third that I have high hopes for), George, Tibbs, Ko, etc? I know they're not all going to make it, but any of those guys could be up with the Dodgers too.

DH - Shohei obviously.

Starting pitchers. The group in the BA list are plausible, but this omits Stone, Ryan, Ferris and others. Pitchers are probably the most difficult to predict, with their seemingly high propensity for arm troubles and the chance that they're never the same afterwards. I'll just leave it at that.

Closer - Henriquez. Interesting... does he have the mental makeup?

 

no kim?
racist

 

Exactly. In four years, Kim is more likely than Edman.

 

Cool article with some video highlighting the prospects Dodgers got in trades this year: https://www.mlb.com/news/dodgers-prospects-who-were-acquired-in-trades

It's always good to see when the front office can move a player that no longer fits in the team's plans for potential talent down the road. There were three such moves made this year that returned five prospects now in the Dodgers top 30.

Mike Sirota, outfielder (#5) for Gavin Lux. Dodgers also received the Reds Competitive Balance Pick, which they converted into outfielder Charles Davalan who has slotted in as prospect #15 (the author of the article missed this one). If Sirota can stay healthy, he's going to be a star.

James Tibbs III (#8) and Zach Ehrhard (#27), both outfielders, for Dustin May. Addition by addition, twice, plus addition by subtraction (hope the door didn't hit you on your way out, Dusty). Doesn't get better than that.

Adam Serwinowski, pitcher (#13) for Hunter Feduccia. Dodgers top 30 isn't exactly teeming with pitchers, so Serwinowski was a big get. Side note - glad that Hunter gets his shot as it wasn't there with LAD, but I wonder if things would have worked out worse for the team if they hadn't traded him and instead of acquiring Rortvedt, who was instrumental down the stretch, they tried to get by using Fedducia.

Not in '25, but you can add Hope (#2) and Ferris (#6) for Busch as prospects received via trades.