Dodgers: Logan Forsythe’s 2017 season grade

The Dodgers acquired Logan Forsythe last off-season to fill a much-needed hole they had last season. Forsythe had his fair share of ups and downs with his new ball club in 2017.

In 2016 the Dodgers had trouble finding a solution at second base. They had Chase Utley who started strong but his age finally got the best of him, and he wore down as the season progressed. Therefore, a top priority for the Dodger brass was to acquire an everyday second baseman.

The Dodgers did that by acquiring an old friend of Andrew Friedman. Logan Forsythe. They did this by shipping over one of their top prospects, Jose De Leon in exchange for Forsythe. Many were underwhelmed with the move, expecting to land a bigger name like Brian Dozier or Ian Kinsler.

Forsythe was a perfect fit for what the front office has always looked for. He was versatile, a stout defender, good clubhouse guy and the definition of a big leaguer. He fit the scheme perfectly as he could play multiple positions and hit in multiple spots in the lineup.

The fact that the Dodgers gave up one of their most well-known prospects to get Forsythe to Los Angeles, made the expectations for him to perform sky-high. He may not have lived up to those loft expectations, but he was still able to be productive enough for the Dodgers to want him back for the 2018 season.

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He performed as expected defensively. Forsythe was very good at any position he played. Always solid at second base and without injury may have been a legitimate threat to earn a gold glove. He was an all-around defender.

Loggie bear’s most valuable asset to the team may have been his versatility. He gave Justin Turner some much needed days off at third and filled in for him while he was banged up. Also getting some spot starts at 1B he gave Roberts the flexibility that he loves to have. He also hit in different parts of the lineup.

His bat during the regular season was not what the Dodgers expected to have when they traded for him. He had a .224 average and hit just six long balls in the 119 games that he played during the season. His struggles came down to 2 major factors.

The first of these factors was an injury that had him miss half of April and most of May. It was a toe injury which tends to linger. Especially with a player that is starting to get older. This injury was big because it did not let him make a strong first impression which can be detrimental to a player trying to get the fans on his side.

Other than the injury hurting his confidence it also is the type of injury to linger. Forsythe may have come back earlier than he needed to and was not at full health. This may have affected his swing.

The second factor was Forsythe just taking way to many pitches. It was frustrating at times seeing him hit. He would get himself into perfect hitters count (2-0,3-1) and take a fastball right over the middle of the plate. He was trigger shy for some reason; luckily he was able to fix that late in the season and into the postseason.

The postseason was where Forsythe finally endeared himself to the Los Angeles faithful. He hit.297 and had a .435 OBP. He looked healthy swinging a bat and looked like he had his groove back. He was also much more aggressive early in the count and in hitters counts. This was the Forsythe we expected during the regular season, but at least we got to see him show up when it mattered most.

In the playoffs, he also flashed his leather making some remarkable plays while manning second base. He also filled in nicely in the World Series at third base when Justin Turner had a bum knee that kept him from playing the field.

Some people, probably even Forsythe himself will say this year was a disappointment for the veteran second baseman. But I don’t see it that way. He did more for the team than what we may have seen on the field. Also, he may not have done so hot during the regular season, but he stepped up when the lights were brightest.

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Forsythe stepped up in the playoffs and earned himself another year with the Dodgers. Logan will be back in 2018 and ready to perform. He will have a full off-season to get completely healthy and work on his new approach at the plate. I believe he will be in for a breakout year in 2018. This year was filled with ups and downs and a very average to slightly below average year for Loggie Bear.