At the GM Meetings, Brandon Gomes told reporters that the Dodgers planned to move Mookie Betts back to the infield in 2025. We're going to assume that means second base (please), but the move away from the outfield has the potential to change the Dodgers' lineup drastically next season and presents a host of new opportunities in free agency.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, there are a few Dodgers already within the organization whose futures will almost certainly be directly impacted by the switch.
3 Dodgers whose futures in LA just changed after Mookie Betts move
Andy Pages
If the NL rookie crop weren't so outstanding this year, Pages would have a good argument to place pretty high in Rookie of the Year voting (he certainly would if he had played for an AL team this year). In mid-April, the Dodgers designated Taylor Trammell for assignment and called up Pages in his place. He appeared in 116 games through the rest of the season, starting most of them all over the outfield, but mostly in center as James Outman continued to struggle at the plate and was eventually demoted.
However, Pages' defense graded much better at the corners, and Betts moving out of right field next season could mean that an everyday role is in the cards for the rookie. If LA can't sign Juan Soto or Anthony Santander or (heaven forbid) get Teoscar Hernández back, they'll almost certainly give Pages more starts in the lineup.
Gavin Lux
Lux's future in LA seemed to be in imminent danger as soon as the Betts move was announced. All indications (the Dodgers chasing Willy Adames for shortstop) point to Betts going to second instead of shortstop, which will immediately put Lux out of a job. If Pages gets a full-time role, there may be room for Lux on the bench, but he'd also be an effective trade piece.
His performance this season was suboptimal, to say the least, he did get hot through a couple summer months and showed flashes of his old, top prospect potential. But for a team that's actively trying to optimize at every position, there may not be room for Lux on the roster anymore.
James Outman
Outman has been in something of a holding pattern this season. After a rookie season that put him in third place for Rookie of the Year in 2023, Outman came out of the gate completely cold in 2024 and he was demoted by mid-May. Although he was called up a few more times throughout the season, it was always temporary, and he ended up with a paltry .147 average and .521 OPS over 53 games.
He's mostly a center fielder, a role which will presumably be taken up by Tommy Edman next season. However, if the corners remain unoccupied when the Dodgers come out of the offseason, they might be inclined to give Outman another shot. Like Lux, if Pages were to move into the outfield permanently, there could be space for Outman on the bench, but he'd also make a decent trade chip if the Dodgers run out of options for him in LA.