Los Angeles Dodgers: Three trades to make after acquiring A.J. Pollock
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed a former all-star outfielder, just not the big name option, as A.J. Pollock will now be paroling center field in LA.
The Los Angeles Dodgers made the team’s second notable signing this offseason on Thursday, agreeing to terms with A.J. Pollock on a five-year, $60 million contract. There are opt-outs after years three and four and the contract is believed to be incentive based, which make sense as the Pollock has struggled with staying on the field and healthy.
This might not be the mega signing that the fans expected in the beginning of the offseason in Bryce Harper but Pollock does bring something notable to the table for the Dodgers. From the big league level throughout the minors, the Dodgers really lacked a traditional center fielder that could have an impact over the next three or four years.
Pollock is a true center fielder in every right and is a nice addition to the lineup, when he is healthy. The Dodgers needed a right-handed bat and got that with Pollock. You could make the case that he is best suited in the middle of the order sandwiched between lefties but Pollock will likely bat leadoff for the team in 2019.
The biggest concerns are if he can stay healthy and that his splits against left-handed pitching went drastically down in 2018. If health is an issue and he continues to struggle against southpaws, this signing can turn sour real quick.
Just because this is the biggest signing of the Dodgers offseason thus far does not mean the team is done; especially considering the rumors and speculation that the team is still embroiled in.
With that in mind, it seems likely that we are going to see a trade from Andrew Friedman and company. Here are three trades that I would make after acquiring A.J. Pollock.