3 Dodgers whose futures are now in question after Mookie Betts' position change

Miguel Vargas

One of the big reasons why Mookie had to get moved to second base in the first place is because of how things went down in 2023 with Miguel Vargas. Vargas was given every chance to seize control of that starting spot last season and it went rather poorly, to say the least. In 304 plate appearances in 2023, Miguel put up a .195/.305/.367 line at the plate and he ultimately got sent back down to the minors in July.

There is no denying Vargas' talent. He was a top 50 prospect in baseball before the 2023 season and was coming off back-to-back seasons in the minor leagues where he posted an OPS north of .900. When he is right, he hits, draws walks, and provides more than enough power to be an impact bat in the major leagues. However, his struggles with the big boys are cause for concern even though he did bounce back and have a nice 60 game stint in Triple-A after he was sent back down to the minors.

With Mookie now playing in the dirt, the Dodgers have Max Muncy, Freddie Freeman, and Betts playing at the positions that Vargas would normally play, even if there weren't concerns about his bat. Muncy's status with the club is clearly the most vulnerable of the three, but Vargas would really have to impress to supplant a guy who has as much power as Muncy has, especially since he's owed actual money over the next couple years and was just re-upped.

However, one solution would be just to try Vargas out in left field. Vargas already has played a bit out there in the minors over the last couple of seasons and, assuming he can turn things around at the plate in the big leagues, his bat would absolutely play out in left. If the Dodgers go a step further this offseason and sign or trade for an outfielder, then Vargas could be headed out of town in a deal to bolster the Dodgers' rotation.