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Dream Dodgers starting lineup for the 2024 season
By Eric Cole
Without question, this offseason has a lot on the line for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Not only are they coming off another disappointing playoff exit, but their rotation is also looking very iffy going into 2024, especially if Clayton Kershaw can't come back from injury, and they could hand out the biggest contract in baseball history if they land Shohei Ohtani.
That is a lot of known unknowns for a team that has grown accustomed to being the class of the National League. There is a world, though, where everything breaks their way and they look like a juggernaut once again. What could the Dodgers' lineup look like if they did not care at all about their payroll and pushed their chips in for 2024?
Here's the dream 2024 Dodgers lineup
The idea here is simple: build the ideal Dodgers lineup using existing Dodgers players as well as available free agents. Trades are bit too hard to account for here and the logical step if they are included would be to build an All-Star team out of players that are very, very much not available in trade. That said, using just this free agent class could result in a lineup that would strike fear in just about any team. Let's take a look.
Batting first, Mookie Betts - RF
When you have a top two MVP candidate already batting leadoff, it is best not to mess with a good thing. Mookie Betts' 2023 season was truly special. Not only did he have to play half the season in the infield because the Dodgers desperately needed him to, but he did it well while also posting a 167 wRC+ and .987 OPS at the plate. If not for an historic season from the Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie would have been the runaway MVP this year (and he still has a slim shot despite everything that transpired).
As for lineup construction, Mookie is a great option regardless of whether one prefers to just bat your best hitter first or to stick with traditional lineup roles. Mookie can run, he gets on base at a high clip, and he can impact games in a variety of different ways. He gets a break from his infield duties here, plays right every day, and probably will be a top 5-10 player in MLB again next season at minimum.