Dodgers: Biggest Remaining Upgrades May Come Internally

The Dodgers are as close to flawless as a team can get, but there is no such thing as perfect. They can still improve, but it would not require going into the waiver trade deadline.

In sports, you can never stop improving; there are always upgrades to be made. For these 2017 Dodgers, upgrades are still possible, but they aren’t as vital as other teams. The biggest remaining needs for the team is another reliable bullpen arm, preferably left-handed, and more production out of center field.

The Dodgers have a plethora of left-handed relievers to choose from, but they still have a lot to prove whether it be because of health concerns or lack of production. In center field, Joc Pederson has gotten the majority of the starts but has a measly .214/.329/.415 slash line.

He looked to be turning a corner once he came off the DL in June as he had a 1.149 OPS in 18 games that month and a .878 OPS throughout July. However, he is back to slumping again (one for his last 38), showing us once more that he is a streaky hitter.

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And with the non-waiver trade deadline upon us, you would think that making a move for another player, granted they clear waivers, would be the best course of action. Even if a big name clears waivers, the front office should not look to acquiring outside help.

First off, it’s already hard to find playing time for everyone as it is, and it will get tougher once Adrian Gonzalez returns. Second, why waste any more assets and take on more money when you have options within the organization to help improve?

Yes, I’m talking about LA’s prized prospects that are near major league ready.

To help alleviate the bullpen problem, top pitching prospect Walker Buehler should help significantly. He is close to a promotion and will add another power arm to the pen. He is not a left-hander but has done a good job against them in the minors.

At Triple-A he has held lefties to a .138 average. And again, while he may not be a left-handed pitcher, he is a power arm, and power arms play up in October. A hard-throwing right-hander who excels at missing bats will have more value in the playoffs than a southpaw who consistently relies on the defense behind him.

And miss bats Buehler does. He has a 12.7 K/9 this year in the minors, and that number jumps to 13.50 K/9 with OKC. It’s no secret that LA is prepping him for a bullpen stint in September (and hopefully October). His last three appearances have been in relief.

His transition wasn’t the smoothest of ones, but he has bounced back in his latest two appearances, throwing four scoreless innings. In his last outing, he faced six batters allowed zero hits, runs or walks and punched out five.

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The Dodgers already have Kenley Jansen, Pedro Baez, Josh Fields and Brandon Morrow as their hard-throwing righties, but with the recent trade of Chris Hatcher, and the lack of reliable southpaw relievers, Buehler may be just what the doctor ordered. He could also be an upgrade over Brock Stewart. Plus, there is no such thing as too much quality.

In center field, there are two things the Dodgers can do. First is, when Adrian Gonzalez returns, hope he is healthy and productive enough to be any semblance of himself. He doesn’t have to be the elite hitter he once was, Cody Bellinger has taken his spot, but anything better than what Joc Pederson is doing would be accepted.

If Agon can be a decent hitter, he can return to first, push Belli out to left field, and put Chris Taylor into center field, thus putting Joc on the bench.

If not, then Los Angeles call upon Alex Verdugo to supplant Joc Pederson and have him be the Corey Seager of 2015. Seager came up in September of ’15 and played his way onto the postseason roster.

Verdugo has raked all year long and has nothing left to prove in the minors. Although he does not have Joc’s pop, he is a much better all-around hitter who walks more than he strikes out. Think about that for a second.

On top of that, he could, and probably will be a better defender in center. He isn’t blazing fast, but his speed is comparable to Pederson. And he has a much better arm than Joc. Remember, Verdugo was able to touch 94 with his fastball when he was in high school. Just take a look at this.

I mentioned earlier how power arms play up in the playoffs. Well, the opposite is true on offense; you want contact hitters who can, at the worst, put the ball in play. We all know about Joc’s strikeout problems. But it’s not even that. Verdugo hardly strikes out. He has a 10% K rate compared to a 10.2% BB rate.

With a man on third and less than two outs, who would you rather have up to the plate, Joc or Verdugo?

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The Dodgers can still make improvements, but they should not go looking externally for this help. They have the prospects to do it and should capitalize on them. There’s a reason they held onto them.

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