3 Dodgers players Max Muncy’s contract extension affects the most

2. Gavin Lux

Don’t worry, Dodgers fans, this is a good one! Remember how we mentioned Trea Turner’s potential extension? Well, what if the decision to bring back Muncy was because the Dodgers aren’t exactly bullish on the speedy shortstop returning after his contract year?

It’s possible! We’ve heard the buzz about Turner reportedly preferring an East Coast team, or one that holds spring training in Florida. So what if he leaves? Maybe the Dodgers go after someone like Dansby Swanson or Xander Bogaerts — not out of the question.

Or how about a promotion for Gavin Lux, who’s witnessed a breakout in 2022 and is quietly one of the most important players on the big-league roster? His bat has reached its potential after falling short of expectations from 2019-2021, and he’s been able to enjoy that promising production while playing second base, shortstop and left field. Impressive!

Most LA fans might agree, however, that they’d rather not see Lux in a utility role. Second base is definitely his strong suit, but he came up as a shortstop and was heralded as the league’s No. 1 overall prospect a few years back while he was holding down the position at Triple-A. Might he be able to handle the full-time position switch after gaining more confidence with his bat?

Lux filling such a void would allow the Dodgers to pursue starting and relief pitching (they’re gonna need a whole lot of it) as well as some outfield help. Muncy being able to grab more of those second base reps, perhaps alongside Chris Taylor, will help a lot, too.

1. Justin Turner

If Muncy’s option was already scooped via an extension, then what’s the wait on Justin Turner, who’s rebounded more emphatically and is further solidified as a Dodgers legend?

JT was another curious case, considering he holds a $16 million team option for 2023 but had a dreadful start to 2022. And with Vargas waiting in the wings, Turner, at the time, was making the potential tough decision for the front office a lot easier.

But thanks to Padres starter Joe Musgrove, Turner has shown life. In the 28 games since, the veteran is hitting .337 with 3 HR, 21 RBI and an .876 OPS. Though promising, is that production worth $16 million, especially with declining play on the defensive end?

Perhaps one option is to keep JT as a DH, utilize Vargas/Muncy at third, and keep the train rolling. Turner can always fill in at third when needed in 2023, which doesn’t exactly put pressure on Roberts — it just gives him another option on the roster.

Turner at $16 million as a DH (and one last hurrah as a Dodger) really isn’t a bad deal, and Muncy’s return actually helps that argument, because he’s played 59 of his 101 games at the hot corner this season compared to Turner’s 51. Last year, Turner played 143 games at third compared to Muncy’s seven. See what we’re saying?

That’s the happy ending, though. The bad one is that Turner is jettisoned for a better offensive option or as a cost-cutting measure to acquire more pitching. That’d be cutthroat, though, so we’re going to suggest the friendlier version of this potential scenario.

Pitchers the Dodgers could sign to replace injured Walker Buehler in 2023

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