Dodgers: Which Addition Would be Better, Corey Kluber or J.T. Realmuto?

The Argument for J.T. Realmuto

The case for Realmuto being a better addition than Corey Kluber has to do with the quality rotation that the Dodgers have.  The Dodgers’ starting rotation put together a 3.19 ERA last season which led the National League and trailed the Astros by three points for the best rotation in all of baseball.  Not only do the Dodgers have one of the best rotations but their depth is arguably the best in the league with quality starters such as Ross Stripling and Julio Urias waiting in the wings.

With another starter not being an essential need, the Dodgers could use an upgrade over Russell Martin and Austin Barnes at catcher.  Martin is in the twilight stage of his career and while he still provides steady defense and the occasional home run, his overall offense leaves a lot to be desired.  Austin Barnes broke out in 2017 to eventually become the starting catcher during the Dodgers’ first World Series run but he was overmatched at the plate in 2018.

Barnes posted a measly .619 OPS in 2018 and the only reason the Dodgers ran him out there in the 2018 postseason was that Yasmani Grandal became unplayable due to his defense.  One of the Dodgers’ main downfalls in the 2018 World Series was a lackluster offensive performance.  Realmuto would put the finishing touches on a very potent Dodger offense that should have no problem averaging 4-5 runs a game.