Dodgers must keep AJ Pollock following 2021 surge

The Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t going to get to keep every talented piece they have beyond the 2021 season.

Corey Seager will demand a big-money extension. The essential Chris Taylor is going to get paid, too, and the Dodgers probably can’t let any other MLB team dole out that check. Having too many good players is never a problem, but having too many good players all commanding starting salaries without enough spots might turn into a pride issue.

Hot take, though? Instead of signing Taylor and worrying about AJ Pollock getting squeezed out of work, we’d much rather deal Gavin Lux now and ask questions later.

Because, whether you’ve noticed it or not, Pollock’s been essential for 162 games now.

The ex-Diamondback’s Dodgers reputation may be weighed down a bit because of his inauspicious debut season. When he arrived on a four-year deal with a player option for a fifth, Pollock was viewed as an uber-talented former rival who had a propensity for suffering freakish injuries and rarely living up to his full potential.

In his first campaign in LA (2019), it seemed he might be deteriorating as he aged instead of shaking off that reputation. He hit just .266 in 86 games, posting an OPS under .800 (.795) and an OPS+ of 108, barely above average and mimicking his 2018 and 2019 seasons (108 and 100, respectively).

Maybe Pollock…really was just a potential-driven pipe dream who was starting to be worn down?

Well, not quite.

Dodgers shouldn’t let AJ Pollock go in a salary dump.

Want to be surprised? Taylor, who’s felt like the heartbeat of this bizarre Dodgers team all year long, has actually been out-OPS+’d by Pollock, thanks to his extended run of success. By quite a bit, actually.

143 to 133. You’re welcome.

Still, though, it’s easy to get caught up in Pollock’s reputation as a disappointment, and it’s also simple to be swayed by Taylor’s incredible steadiness and work yourself up into a lather where it seems like one has to stay and the other must go.

Taylor should absolutely be re-signed, and it shouldn’t cost much more than $16 million AAV over three or four years. Don’t get us wrong. But re-upping Taylor shouldn’t preclude you from maintaining the sunk cost of Pollock, as opposed to trying to ship him elsewhere to recoup costs.

Remember how sloppy the outfield picture got this year when Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts both went down? Don’t invite that upon yourself by sacrificing the bird in the hand here.

There’s no denying that Pollock has been polarizing and Taylor has been universally beloved.

Over an extended period of time, though, the Notre Dame masher has been the more effective baseball player, and he shouldn’t be cut loose in the name of making absolutely certain Gavin Lux gets everyday infield reps.

Dodgers: 3 Gavin Lux trades LA should pull off after Trea Turner deal

The Los Angeles Dodgers should probably extend Trea Turner, huh? Even if not, Gavin Lux is now very much expendable this offseason.