Los Angeles Dodgers: 3 backup plans if Justin Turner signs elsewhere

3. Marcell Ozuna

Marcell Ozuna has been a target of the Dodgers this offseason.

There are two truths that are seemingly working against the Dodgers bringing in Marcell Ozuna. The first is that, as of now, it appears there will not be a universal DH next season. The second is the fact that Ozuna is an outfielder, not a third baseman.

But there aren’t any attractive free agents available on the market to play third base for the Dodgers next season. Thus, the team could utilize its versatility to replace Turner at third by signing a right-handed bat at another position. That is what happens here with Ozuna.

The Dodgers have been connected to Ozuna earlier in the offseason and his market seems to be relatively cold. With the universal DH put off for at least one year, I would not be surprised to see Ozuna sign a one-year deal with a higher AAV before hitting the market again next offseason, when the universal DH will hopefully be instituted by the new CBA.

Ozuna is not a great defender, but the Dodgers would survive. The Dodgers are one of the best teams in the league in positioning their outfielders before every at bat. After all, it’s not like Joc Pederson or A.J. Pollock are great fielders, either. Alongside Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts, he would be just fine.

So how would this look? Ozuna could be the everyday starting left fielder. There are then two paths to take at third base.

Chris Taylor would be the team’s third baseman against left-handed pitching. Against right-handed pitching, the Dodgers would start Edwin Rios at the hot corner. They then have Pollock to potentially play center with Bellinger at first and Muncy at third if Rios is hurt/cold at the plate.

They have so many options because of their versatility. Just adding that one extra right-handed outfielder removes the need for Taylor to primarily play the outfield, adding depth at third base.

2. Kris Bryant

The Dodgers have been linked to a Kris Bryant trade for what feels like forever.

If there’s any third baseman that the Dodgers trade for, I would bet it’d be Kris Bryant, who is entering his last season of team control in 2021. It’s clear the Cubs don’t have any plans to keep him around long-term, and they’re shedding payroll this offseason, so Bryant being traded almost feels like a foregone conclusion.

This is very similar to the Mookie Betts situation last year when the Red Sox were looking to get something for the former MVP knowing they weren’t going to extend him. The chances of a Byrant extension seem to be zero, so a trade is simply a matter of if, not when.

If there’s any team that knows how to construct these kinds of trades without sacrificing too much of the farm it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even better for the Dodgers, Bryant is coming off of an extremely disappointing season, which likely lowered his trade value in the process.

Bryant would not be extended like Betts and would instead be a one-year rental. In fact, I would not be shocked if the Dodgers just don’t do anything this offseason and wait until the deadline to add Bryant as they did with Manny Machado.

Regardless, the Dodgers have the farm system depth to get a deal done. The team could focus the package around Michael Busch, who is a promising player bat but is kind of redundant with the slew of left-handed bats that the team has at every level of the organization.

It all depends on the asking price, and I do not think the Dodgers will nor should trade any of their big three pitching prospects (May, Tony Gonsolin, Josiah Gray) in a deal for Bryant.

1. Keibert Ruiz

Could Keibert Ruiz be the option to help replace Justin Turner?

Perhaps the Los Angeles Dodgers only have their eyes set on Justin Turner but have a readily available internal option if he signs elsewhere. If that’s the case, the best way for the team to do so is to call up the big-league-ready prospect Keibert Ruiz.

Ruiz has long been the best catcher in the Dodgers’ farm system (although Diego Cartaya might be even better) but was essentially leap-frogged by Will Smith, who has been the best hitting catcher in the big leagues since his call up, creating log jam the position for Ruiz.

Turner signing elsewhere could open the door for Ruiz on the 26-man roster. Smith can also play third base, which he did in the minor leagues. He started 54 games at the hot corner across four seasons.

I would not be surprised if they convert Smith down the line. He’s not a terrible fielder, but he certainly is not as good behind the plate as Ruiz or Cartaya. That could start this season if Turner leaves.

Ruiz and Austin Barnes could take care of the catching duties in the event Smith makes this transition. This knocks out three birds with one stone. The Dodgers get better behind the plate defensively, find a spot for Ruiz to finally get big-league looks, and remove the constant need for off days for Smith.

Ruiz is a switch-hitter who had nearly identical splits in the minors last season. The ceiling is higher in 2021 with Bryant or Ozuna, but the Dodgers would not have to trade prospects and could spend money elsewhere by going this route.

What do you think? Of the three plan B options proposed, which would you like to see the most? Let us know in the comments down below!

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