3 hidden gem free agents that Andrew Friedman may lure to Dodgers

3. Tyler Naquin

If the Dodgers are looking to add a power-hitting left-handed bat for cheap then Tyler Naquin might be the best bet. A power-hitting left-handed bat certainly would be nice, especially with Cody Bellinger’s regression and Edwin Rios not having a tangible big-league impact.

Naquin is not someone who would start every day for the Dodgers but could be a platoon starter in the outfield that pinch-hits in key spots late in games. While he does not have infield versatility, he would add depth to the outfield to allow the likes of Chris Taylor and Gavin Lux to primarily stay in the infield.

When things are going well for Naquin it is really impressive. He has put together several impressive seasons with an OPS near or above .800. Over his entire career, he has a .794 OPS against right-handed pitching. Naquin finished in the top 5% in max exit velocity in 2019 and finished in the top 8% in WOBA in his rookie season.

The biggest hole in Naquin’s game has been his walk and chase rates. When he makes contact with a ball in the zone great things happen. However, he has not been able to stay in the zone and work walks throughout his MLB career.

While that is a concerning trend, the Dodgers have consistently been one of the best teams in the league in taking pitches and working into great counts. With the right team and the right scouting, we could see Naquin’s chase rate decrease and his walk rate increase as a result.

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If Naquin can just get to around league average in those two rates then his overall numbers are going to shoot through the roof. A cheap signing could turn into one of the most valuable depth bats in the league.