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Will the Dodgers move Mookie Betts out of the leadoff spot?

February 24, 2023

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Mookie Betts has been the leading man in the Dodgers’ offense almost since he arrived in Los Angeles. But Dave Roberts said he is at least considering moving Betts out of the leadoff spot this season.

“Yeah. I’m thinking about it,” the Dodgers manager said Friday. “I think having that discussion is thoughtful, makes sense, given the fact that you don’t expect him to steal bases like he has in the past. He’s shown more power, which potentially could have been more production as far as runs batted in. So I think having that discussion is responsible.

“I don’t know how that manifests itself. But, yeah, I’m thinking about that.”

The Dodgers tried that – briefly – in the truncated 2020 season. To start the season, Max Muncy hit leadoff against right-handed hitters with Betts second. Against lefties, Betts batted first.

It didn’t last long. Muncy suffered a fractured finger when he was hit in the hand late in the preseason and slumped. Betts took over the leadoff spot, primarily in front of Corey Seager, in August and the Dodgers’ offense took off.

At the time, Betts said he was more “comfortable” hitting leadoff. Now, he says it doesn’t matter and he’s open to batting anywhere in the lineup.

“I think that was just how the roster was constructed. And at the time I did care,” Betts said of the 2020 experiment. “Now I don’t. Now it’s whatever. I’m to the point where it doesn’t matter.”

Why did that change since 2020?

“Just a year older and my care factor for it is gone,” Betts said. “It is what it is. Just go do whatever he says do and don’t worry about it.”

Roberts acknowledged moving Betts out of the leadoff spot now would be largely motivated by a desire to take advantage of his power. Twenty-six of Betts’ career-high 35 home runs last season came with no one on base.

“It makes sense – but who knows if I’m going to hit 35 homers again, you know what I’m saying?” Betts said. “That’s why I say I don’t care about it. Things can change. Just day by day, step by step, at-bat by at-bat – no matter whether I’m first or last, it’s still the same thing. It just took a little time to understand it.”

Betts was in the leadoff spot 242 of his 254 starts in 2021 and 2022 – even with Trea Turner providing an experienced alternative. There is no obvious alternative now.

“The thing is, if you’re talking about moving Mookie, you’ve also got to have a better option, an option that makes sense,” Roberts said, acknowledging that he didn’t know who might be a better option.

One of the two teams in Thursday’s intra-squad game had Betts at the top of the order, followed by Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Muncy – a right-left, right-left order that Roberts said “makes sense” as a starting point.

“It’s going to be hard to go wrong,” Roberts said.

“It’s just kind of trying to figure out – Mookie at the top, is it best? Where to put JD (Martinez), where to put Will Smith, where’s Max? I don’t think there’s a right answer. I think as we have conversations and let things play out it’ll kind of show itself.”

FORMER FIRST-ROUNDER RETIRES

When minor-leaguers report to the Dodgers’ training complex this spring, their first-round pick from the 2017 draft won’t be among them. Outfielder Jeren Kendall notified the team this winter that he was retiring.

“He called this offseason and just said he wanted to go back to school and wanted to move on from playing for now,” Dodgers director of player development Will Rhymes said. “Obviously we love Jeren, think he’s super talented, love the person and we support the decision even though we felt he had some career left in front of him.”

Kendall, 27, was the 23rd player selected in the 2017 draft and signed with the Dodgers for a $2.9 million bonus. The Dodgers were attracted by his athleticism and an enticing combination of power and speed. But even during his career at Vanderbilt, Kendall’s game featured a lot of swing and miss. That got more pronounced as a professional. Kendall hit just .209 and struck out in 39% of his at-bats.

He never made it to Triple-A. Meanwhile, 20 of the 22 players selected ahead of him in the 2017 draft have reached the major leagues. Rhymes acknowledged that Kendall “seemed to be” frustrated by the lack of progress in the adjustments he tried to make.

“He’s worked really hard. But to feel that maybe it was a little stagnant and wasn’t making the progress, I think, is fair,” Rhymes said. “He was a good worker. He always put forth maximum effort. Sometimes the performance in games takes time to catch up to that work. Maybe we were right on the edge of it clicking. Or maybe not. We don’t really know.

“It just didn’t work out – at least as of now – and he decided to move on.”

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Roberts said Miguel Vargas will play second base in the Dodgers’ Cactus League opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday – even though he won’t be swinging the bat. Vargas suffered a hairline fracture in the pinkie finger on his right hand and has not been cleared to resume hitting.

“He’ll play, call it, five innings on defense,” Roberts said. “But you can let the Brewers know he’ll be taking.”

Orange County Register

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Will the Dodgers move Mookie Betts out of the leadoff spot?

FORMER FIRST-ROUNDER RETIRES

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