Los Angeles Dodgers: Right-handed bench bats that fit perfectly in LA

3. Juan Lagares

Juan Lagares is in the perfect situation for a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers to come in, trade for him for some ridiculously low price and reinvent his career with a new approach at the plate and a new situation.

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He is in the Chris Taylor and Max Muncy situation—although it is going to take a lot of work to get him to the same level as Taylor and Muncy.

Lagares is in a weird situation with the Mets where he started to see his playing time take a dive late in the season as he does not appear to be in the Mets’ long-term plans. The Mets do have a team option for Lagares and may just let him walk, but would definitely be enticed if they could accept that option and get something out of him.

That is where the Dodgers come in and offer some low-level pitching prospect that has a chance to be something but is not someone who we all know about. Someone like Andrew Sopko, who was traded for Russell Martin last winter and posted a 5.72 ERA this season after promising years in the Dodgers’ system.

Lagares’ 2019 numbers were not great but he is still a .264 career hitter against southpaws. More importantly, he is an elite defensive option that the Dodgers can use late in games. He is a former Gold Glover and would provide a lethal late-game defensive outfield alongside Cody Bellinger and Alex Verdugo.

The Los Angeles Dodgers can definitely afford the $7.5 million owed to Lagares on the team option and can remove any competition by trading for him for a low-level prospect. It is a low-risk acquisition with a potentially high reward.