Los Angeles Dodgers: Five Moves for the 2017 Season

Find a left fielder

For as solid of a lineup that the Los Angeles Dodgers put together last year, left field was a concern. Eleven players received an at bat as a left fielder, as the Dodgers looked to find some level of consistency at the position. Eventually, Howie Kendrick, who was expected to fill a super utility role, settled in as the primary left fielder.

Even with the plethora of players that took the field in left, the Dodgers received little production. In total, left fielders for the Dodgers produced a .240/..316/.386 batting line, as their .702 OPS ranked 23rd in baseball. They tied for 21st with 14 homers, ranked 24th with 233 total bases, and were typically in the lower third of the league in production by any metric.

This is an area where the Dodgers need an obvious upgrade. Despite their perceived logjam of outfielders, no one was able to take over that position. Fortunately, they have options, both internally and in free agency. Yeonis Cespedes opted out of his contract with the Mets, and while he would draw a great deal of attention on the open market, the Dodgers lack of payroll constraints would make him a possible target.

Internally, the Dodgers have top prospect Andrew Toles, who appears ready for the Majors. In a brief trial last season, he produced a .314/.365/.505 batting line, hitting three home runs and nine doubles. Although Toles is a natural center fielder who spent only 14 games in left in his minor league career, he had 18 games in left for the Dodgers. He acquitted himself well, notching three assists while putting forth a claim for the left field position next year.

In what was a solid lineup, left field was a glaring weakness. They need to find a way to bring in an upgrade, either with Toles or externally.