PHOENIX, AZ – SEPTEMBER 25: AJ Pollock #11 of the Arizona Diamondbacks scores a run against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on September 25, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Dodgers have now lost back-to-back World Series, and are looking to make it back to a third in 2019. Signing A.J. Pollock could help them get there.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are not devoid of offensive talent even after trading right fielder Yasiel Puig earlier this offseason. With guys like Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy, Justin Turner and the impending return of former rookie of the year Corey Seager they’re pretty much set.
The only hole you could probably find among their position players is in the outfield. Right now on their 40-man roster, they have Joc Pederson, Andrew Toles, Enrique Hernandez and Alex Verdugo.
Toles has played a total of 96 games in his three-year career, Hernandez is a utility man and Verdugo didn’t have a postseason at-bat last year. Suffice to say that the Dodgers need help in the outfield.
It seems the team has found help in the form a former division rival. According to Ken Rosenthal and multiple reports, the Dodgers are signing former Arizona Diamondback A.J. Pollock. The exact terms of the deal are unknown but according to John Heyman, it will be for $55 million-plus.
Pollock gives the Dodgers help in the outfield both offensively and defensively. He’ll immediately be plugged into the starting center field role which will put Verdugo and Pederson at the corner outfield spots.
When Pollock is healthy he’s a guy with speed and can hit for power. That’s been the problem though as he’s only averaged 79 games played in the last three seasons. In the last three seasons, he has recorded a .797 OPS and you can’t ask for much more than that.
One thing having Pollock on the roster does is it allows Cody Bellinger to play first base almost exclusively. Bellinger is by no means in a bad center fielder, he’s actually a really good one, but he’s also a really good first baseman and not having to move back and forth between those spots on a nightly basis will allow him to get more comfortable at first where he is a Gold Glove-caliber player.
The Dodgers are banking on Pollock’s health to help them get back to the World Series.