Dodgers: Three veteran bats to replace David Freese

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He wasn’t just a platoon first baseman. He wasn’t just a clubhouse leader. He wasn’t the best Dodger, but he certainly deserved to be your favorite.

With David Freese on to greener pastures in retirement, the Dodgers need both a new clubhouse-saving veteran and a new platoon-able first baseman, or at least a veteran hitter with both postseason experience and a solid bat.

It will be hard to find a player who can play first base, who has playoff experience, and who can hit anywhere near as well as Freese, but the Dodgers can afford to only satisfy one or two of those categories.

The team already employs Matt Beaty for an extended amount of time and for a very reasonable contract, so finding a first baseman is less important than finding a solid right-handed bat, or at least a hitter who can hit lefties better than Beaty’s sub-.200 AVG against southpaws.

Beyond the positional and splits requirements, Andrew Friedman did claim to be open to changing the “complexion” of the team. Thus, he may want to move away from the power-hitting that the team does in general and look for a contact bat, or maybe even a non-platoon option at first base.

That option would likely be Max Muncy though if Friedman trusts Gavin Lux to be his everyday second baseman, otherwise, José Abreu or some other right-handed first baseman would be a potential target. So really, the option will be a platoon option or an option who can pinch-hit or provide Muncy and Beaty rest. As such, it would benefit the team if they could play multiple positions and not just first base like Freese.

All of the solutions I’ll look into here will be free agents, but as the offseason progresses I’l begin to focus on trade targets as well. Let’s get into it.

Steve Pearce

He could be the second Dodger Killer from the 2018 Red Sox to become a Dodger in the last two offseasons (thanks a lot Joe Kelly), but unlike Kelly, he is not directly coming off of a career showing in the postseason.

Instead, Pearce, the 2018 World Series MVP for the Red Sox, only had 99 at-bats in 2019 in the MLB, and in those ABs he hit just .180 with one home run.

Obviously, Pearce would be both a buy-low and a reclamation project, but aren’t both of those exactly what the Dodgers love to add?

Pearce has not always been this bad. In 50 games with the 2018 Red Sox, Pearce hit eight doubles and seven home runs while slashing .279/.394/.507, which is good for an OPS of .901, which is fairly close to the numbers Freese put up in 2019 for the Dodgers.

Plus, Pearce not only has playoff experience, but he has a history of playoff success (he hit .289 with four home runs in the 2018 playoffs), and unlike almost every Dodger on the roster (again, thanks a lot Joe Kelly), Pearce actually owns his own World Series ring. In all of those areas, and in his right-handedness and ability to man first base, he is exactly like Freese.

Pearce’s problems in 2019 stemmed from injury problems and a torn PCL that kept him from fully rehabbing after his June injury.

The 36-year old power hitter made just over $6 million in 2019, and with such a limited sample size in 2019, his cost should be depressed to around $500,000 at the top end, or more likely, will be even lower if he only garners a minor league invite to Spring Training.

Brock Holt

Ok, so there is a former-2018 Boston Red Sox theme going on right now, and I wish that was not the case, but Holt really does deserve a look.

Like Pearce, Holt also dealt with injuries in 2019, but unlike Pearce, he was able to play more than just a handful of games at the MLB level. In 2019, Holt had 259 ABs, hitting .297 with 19 extra-base hits in that time.

Also like Pearce, Holt has been a solid playoff performer in the past. Across his 12 postseason games (from 2016 , 2017, and 2018), Holt hit .297 with seven extra-base hits, seven RBI, four walks, and a steal.

Holt is also known as a clubhouse favorite and leader, due at least in part to his grinding attitude. In 2015, he won BoSox Club Man of the Year, which recognized his clubhouse and community service excellence.

An All-Star in 2015, Holt may even have more regular-season success under his belt than either Freese or Pearce, and as the 2014 Red Sox Rookie of the Year, he’s got a pedigree of success as well.

Even better than Pearce and Freese, Holt is like a switch-hitting Kiké Hernandez or Chris Taylor in that he can play every position. In 2019, he did everything except pitch, catch, and play centerfield, logging 11 games at first base with no errors.

With Holt’s wide skill set and history of success, he could be the perfect fit for a Dodgers team looking for a new veteran leader.

Maikel Franco

The main qualifications to replace David Freese in 2020 are to be able to hit lefties and to be able to play first base. Franco can likely satisfy both of those, while being given a fresh start with LA.

(Even though he technically is under team control for two more seasons, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand believes Franco is likely to be non-tendered this offseason.)

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In 389 ABs with the Phillies in 2019, Franco hit just .234 with 17 home runs. But in 2018, he hit .270 with 22 home runs in 433 ABs and he has 102 career home runs in five full seasons, demonstrating his higher ability than his 2019 self demonstrated.

Against lefties, he hit .245 with six home runs in just over 100 ABs in 2019, which is better in the batting AVG department at least than his numbers against righties, though his 2017 and 2018 splits are less favorable, as he hit much closer to .210 in both of those seasons against lefties.

If the Dodgers were to sign Franco, he’d likely work out with the team in Spring Training like Brad Miller and Travis d’Arnaud did in 2018, and like them, he may be shipped off to bring in a meager return. While he could fit with the Dodgers, he’s never played in the postseason, which puts him at a disadvantage in comparison to the other candidates I’ve laid out in this article.

Next. Dodgers need a second ace to make it in 2020. dark

But his power, relative youth, and full-time potential makes him an intriguing possibility.

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He wasn’t just a platoon first baseman. He wasn’t just a clubhouse leader. He wasn’t the best Dodger, but he certainly deserved to be your favorite.

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