Los Angeles Dodgers: Building our all-time Dodgers budget lineup

The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the most historic teams in Major League Baseball so it can be hard trying to compile together an all-time team.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are deep with history. As one of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball, the Dodgers have had decades of success and a historic lineage.

Not only have some of the greatest players of all-time suited up for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but some of the most influential as well. There is no player in the history of American sports that was more influential than Jackie Robinson. He was a Dodger through and through.

To make it easier in trying to create an all-time roster, we created a budget system. You have probably seen something similar before, we ranked the top-three options at each position, gave each a monetary value and gave a budget of $20 to complete the team. You can see the graphic we created below.

We didn’t want to just create the graphic, we wanted to fill out our own as well. Here is how we would build our all-time Dodgers lineup, on a budget.

Starting pitcher: Sandy Koufax ($2)

The biggest feedback we received from the graphic was the fact that Clayton Kershaw was considered the top pitcher over Sandy Koufax. It really could have gone either way between Kershaw and Koufax for the $3 player.

What swayed it to Kershaw was that he has a better career ERA and is the franchise leader in strikeouts despite having fewer innings pitched than Koufax.

Koufax is one of the greatest southpaws of all-time, and with a budget to adhere to, we have no problem taking him as the $2 player.

Relief pitcher: Eric Gagne ($2)

Kenley Jansen is the Dodgers’ all-time leaders in saves and games played but it doesn’t get better than prime Eric Gagne. While Jansen has the overall numbers over Gagne, Gagne had the most dominant stretch by a closer in MLB history. We are taking him.

Catcher: Mike Piazza ($2)

Again, Roy Campanella got the nod for his career as a Dodger. Campanella may have only played 10 seasons with the Dodgers but is one of the most influential players in MLB history, was a three-time MVP and went into the Hall of Fame as a Dodger.

Mike Piazza does not have that same career resume with the Dodgers but as one of the greatest hitting catchers of all-time, while also being a $2 player, we cannot pass him up.

First base: Pedro Guerrero ($1)

It was hard to find a position for Pedro Guerrero as he played both the corner infield and outfield positions but we settled on first base with a need for a third player at the position.

Guerrero is a great budget player to select for just $1 as he was a four-time all-star, one-time Silver Slugger and a one-time MVP finalist with the Dodgers. In 1,036 games played with the Dodgers, Guerrero slugged 215 home runs, drove in 898 RBIs and hit exactly .300.

Second base: Jackie Robinson ($3)

Is there anyone else to pick at second base other than Jackie Robinson? Davey Lopes and Jim Gilliam both had great careers in Dodger blue, but they do not compare to Robinson, who has his number retired by all of baseball because of the impact he had on the sport and how dang good he was.

Robinson was a six-time all-star, Rookie of the Year, one-time MVP and won the batting title in 1949. He finished his career with 1,283 games played for the Dodgers, garnering 1,518 hits, 137 home runs, 197 stolen bases and a lifetime .311 batting average.

Third base: Adrian Beltre ($2)

Adrian Beltre was lethal when he was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In fact, Beltre had one of the greatest non-MVP seasons in MLB history, which was not an MVP season because Barry Bonds was too busy putting up video game numbers.

Beltre’s 2004, which was his last year as a Dodger, saw him hit .334 with 48 home runs, 121 RBIs and a 1.017 OPS. I will take that player in the middle of the lineup any day and the only reason he is not a $3 player is because of the historical impact that Ron Cey has on the franchise.

Shortstop: Corey Seager ($1)

It might seem like recency bias, but Corey Seager is worth the selection as a $1 player. Pee Wee Reese is a legend and is a Hall of Famer and Maury Wills is one of the best base stealers in MLB history.

However, we have seen how good Seager can be when he is at his best and we probably have not even seen his best yet. Seager could absolutely win an MVP in his career and go down as the best Dodgers shortstop of all-time. Heck, he is already in the franchise’s top-50 in total WAR.

Leftfield: Andre Ethier ($2)

Andre Ethier spent most of his career in right field but he did spend time in left field, so we decided to fill a gap and use him there. Ethier is one of the most clutch players in Dodger history and before injuries got to him Ethier was one of the most menacing left-handed bats in the league.

Centerfield: Matt Kemp ($2)

Matt Kemp is my favorite Dodger of all-time, period. Granted, I am young and did not get to see any of the legends play the game live but the impact Kemp had on this team during the Frank McCourt era was remarkable.

He nearly joined the 40-40 (home runs and stolen bases) club in 2011, which should have been an MVP-winning year until he was robbed out of the award by Ryan Braun. Prime Kemp is a menace at the plate, an above-average fielder and a speed threat.

Rightfield: Cody Bellinger ($3)

If Cody Bellinger continues the pace that he is on, which is still a lot of work, then he will go down as the greatest slugger in Dodgers’ history.

He has already achieved so much in just three years in the league and is off to one of the best starts in MLB history. In fact, only 15 players in MLB history have had a higher WAR through three seasons than Bellinger’s 17.4.

Our lineup would be Robinson, Kemp, Bellinger, Piazza, Beltre, Ethier, Guerrero, Seager and Koufax, with Gagne out of the bullpen. How would you build your Los Angeles Dodgers all-time budget team? Let us know in the comments.