Dodgers: 3 free agent replacements for Justin Turner

2. Jake Lamb

Jake Lamb doesn’t have the flash of other options for the Dodgers, but he has momentum.

Jake Lamb found a home in the back half of 2020, but unfortunately for him, there’s no chance it’ll be a permanent one.

The 2017 All-Star in Arizona battled injuries and backslid over the course of his next several years in the desert, but when the A’s called him this season in dire straits, Lamb was immediately rejuvenated.

In 13 games filling in for the injured Matt Chapman, Lamb hit .267 with a trio of homers and played adequate defense in deference to perhaps the best glove in the game. But Chapman will be back manning the hot corner before too long, and the A’s seem unlikely to bring Lamb back on, say, a one-year, $6 million deal. Oakland simply doesn’t value backups that way, and that’s their (likely correct?) prerogative.

Lamb would be a largely disappointing follow-up to Turner, of course, but we’re talking about 2020 here. This isn’t a typical offseason. If LA is able to extend Hernández on a two-year deal to man the utility role and wedge Lux into an everyday spot, then all they’ll need to finish off the bench is a capable third baseman with the potential of exploding like the ex-Diamondback.

If Lamb truly did find his swagger at the tail end of 2020, he’ll be a good bargain addition for whoever opts for such a thing this offseason.