Dodgers: Three veteran bats to replace David Freese

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.