Advertisement

Dodgers experiment with key position shift for Miguel Vargas at Triple-A

Adam Weinrib
Adam Weinrib

Dodgers Way

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 23: Miguel Vargas #71 of the Los Angeles Dodgers warms up between innings against the Cleveland Guardians during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch on March 23, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Last week, we wondered how long the Dodgers could feasibly keep top prospect Miguel Vargas in Triple-A if he continued to rake while big-league third baseman Justin Turner scuffled and crashed into the aging curve.

Now? It seems clear the Dodgers are approaching a decision point on Vargas, and would like to get a few different “last looks” in before making the all-important call.

If Vargas receives a big-league promotion in the weeks to come, it might not be to fill Turner’s role part-time. In fact, the team might want to get his bat in the lineup more regularly by rotating him around the diamond — or even using him to help solve a problem they created prior to Opening Day.

The Dodgers’ outfield depth hasn’t looked quite right all year after they traded AJ Pollock for Craig Kimbrel a few days prior to Opening Day. It’s possible to both understand why they made the move and bemoan the scrambling that trading Pollock has caused, resulting in off-the-wall additions like Trayce Thompson and the overuse of Eddy Alvarez/Zach McKinstry.

Once the first line of defense was breached by Mookie Betts’ injury, Los Angeles ran into an even bigger problem. Suddenly, Cody Bellinger/Gavin Lux became all the more important, creating a depth chart scramble behind them like the Albert Pujols/Yoshi Tsutsugo blitz of 2021. Therefore, it might be easier to just use the slugging Vargas, who played his first ever game in left field on Wednesday night.

Dodgers’ Miguel Vargas getting Triple-A reps in left field

Vargas has taken to Triple-A OKC quite well so far in 2022, triple-slashing .282/.381/.485 with an .866 OPS, both spectacular and somehow lower than his 2021 total of .906. We’re “concerned” about that step back for sure.

In his left-field debut, he went 1-for-3 with a single, but perhaps (definitely!) more importantly, he tracked a long fly ball into the gap perfectly and gloved it, showing off significant potential out there.

Vargas is just 22, and still has plenty of time to establish himself as a big-leaguer whether he gets a shot in left prior to the All-Star break or not.

But replacing McKinstry or Alvarez with the Cuban slugger would be the first appealing solution to the loss of Pollock we’ve heard yet, and it proves the Dodgers are getting creative with their top talents.

Yes, even if it’s to scramble and patch a hole they somewhat unnecessarily created.

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib is a Content Director on the FanSided network, and has been the co-editor at Yanks Go Yard and Dodgers Way for 4 years. He also co-hosts The Baseball Insiders Podcast twice weekly, alongside FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray, as well as the Yanks Go Yard Podcast. Previously, he was a Senior Editor at 12up.com, and has been covering MLB and NFL for eight years. Previously, he was a headline and features contributor at ClickHole and Onion Sports, as well as the Associate Producer of the ESPN 30 for 30 film "Believeland". An avowed fan of the New York sports teams -- specifically the Yankees -- as well as the North Carolina Tar Heels, you can find Adam complaining mid-game on Twitter, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn if the game goes really poorly.