For the Los Angeles Dodgers, the road back to the top may come down to a simple roster puzzle: where do you put Josue De Paula?
The Dodgers won’t be crowned Major League Baseball’s champion for the first time since 2023, and the expectation is that most of the roster will be back in 2027, Shohei Ohtani included at designated hitter. That’s where the issue starts to sharpen. De Paula, one of the organization’s top prospects, looks like he could be ready for a bigger stage - but the club may need to make room for him in the outfield.
“There admittedly isn't much that the Los Angeles Dodgers can do other than hope for better years from their core position players, but one thing they can and really must do is clear room for Josue De Paula,” FanSided’s Zachary Rotman wrote.
Rotman pointed out that DH may be De Paula’s best position, but Ohtani’s long-term presence there makes that route unavailable. That leaves the Dodgers looking for an opening in a corner outfield spot for the 21-year-old.
De Paula gave a glimpse of what he can bring in a small sample of 42 plate appearances, batting .323 with one homer and three doubles. He also showed impressive discipline against big-league pitching, drawing 11 walks while striking out only five times.
Rotman floated the idea of the Dodgers moving on from one of their corner outfielders, though he doesn’t see Kyle Tucker as the likely answer.
“Many Dodgers fans would probably love for the team to trade Kyle Tucker away after his wildly disappointing debut season in L.A., but given his contract, the odds of that happening are slim to none,” Rotman wrote. “That leaves Teoscar Hernandez as the player likeliest to get dealt, or at least placed in a short-side platoon role, with De Paula playing most of the time against right-handed pitching.”
If Los Angeles can find a trade partner for Hernandez, De Paula could slide into an everyday left field role and give the Dodgers more space to keep developing the 21-year-old.
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