The Los Angeles Dodgers were the best team in baseball in 2024, winning their eighth World Series title in franchise history. They improved their roster in the offseason, adding starting pitchers Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki.
As the Dodgers prepare to start the season against the Chicago Cubs in next week's Tokyo Series, manager Dave Roberts has a decision to make. The team has yet to finalize its roster and name its starting second baseman and center fielder.
While 2024 NLCS MVP Tommy Edman will man one of the spots, it is unclear where he will play. Sonja Chen of MLB.com shared that three players are battling for the vacant starting role, writing:
Once one of these positions is resolved, the other will fall into place. The only certainty is that Tommy Edman will see a lot of playing time at one of the two, depending on which one of Hyeseong Kim, James Outman or Andy Pages makes the active roster. Pages has the better recent Major League track record, which could give him the edge.
Kim, Outman, and Pages have all struggled to produce at the plate in Spring Training. Nonetheless, the Dodgers' deep lineup makes that somewhat of a moot point, as they figure to get plenty of offensive production elsewhere.
Los Angeles will be allowed to take 31 players to Japan; however, when the Tokyo Series begins on March 18, their roster will need to shrink to 26. Outman shared that he has been told he will be traveling to Japan; however, it is unclear if he will be on the final roster.
Following the series, the Dodgers will return to camp before resuming their season on March 27, giving them another week to finalize their roster. They are looking to become the first MLB team to repeat as champions since the New York Yankees won three in a row between 1998 and 2000.
