The Los Angeles Dodgers no longer have a hole to fill at second base.
On Monday, the team traded pitcher Jose De Leon to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for second baseman Logan Forsythe. After spending most of the offseason trying to get a new second baseman, the Dodgers were finally able to find their guy.
Forsythe, 30, is a niece piece to add to the Dodgers infield. He batted .264 for the Rays last season and had 20 home runs and 52 RBIs. In 2015, he hit .281 with 17 homers and 68 RBIs. The Dodgers now have two talented right-handed hitters in their infield with Forsythe and third baseman Justin Turner. Slugging first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and young shortstop Corey Seager are both good left-handed hitters, so the Dodgers now have a nice balance in their infield.
After failing to get a deal done with the Minnesota Twins that would have sent slugging second baseman Brian Dozier to Los Angeles, the Dodgers decided to pursue other options. They found a good trade partner in the Rays. The Rays are rebuilding right now. It made sense for them for them to send Forsythe to the Dodgers, as they got back a good pitching prospect in return. De Leon was one of the top prospects in the Dodgers’ farm system. In 2016, De Leon went 7-1 with a 2.61 ERA in 16 starts for the Oklahoma City Dodgers in Triple-A. The 24-year-old will have a decent chance to make the Rays starting rotation this season.
The Dodgers accomplished a lot during Dave Roberts’ first season as manager. They went 91-71 and won the NL West. After beating the Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series, they lost to the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series. The Cubs went on to defeat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series, capturing their first championship since 1908. There is no doubt that the Dodgers want revenge on the Cubs for last season. It’s going to be difficult for any team in the National League to take down the Cubs, but the Dodgers were able to play competitively against them in the playoffs last year. Adding a talented player like Forsythe will make them an even better team come next postseason.
Now that they have their second baseman, the Dodgers are ready to go for the 2017 season. With the team that they have, it would not be surprising if they made the playoffs again this year.