The Dodgers’ outfield pipeline is crowded enough that even a trade out of the picture hasn’t really cleared the lane.
Before the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline, Los Angeles already had a jam on its hands.
After Zyhir Hope was dealt to the Detroit Tigers in the package that sent Tarik Skubal to Los Angeles, the squeeze is still there. The organization’s top three prospects are all outfielders - Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota and Eduardo Quintero - and each is considered a consensus Top-100 prospect by MLB.
Add in Charles Davalan, the 41st overall pick in 2025, and James Tibbs III, who came over from the Boston Red Sox in the Dustin May trade, and the Dodgers still have plenty of young bats stacked near the top of the system.
That kind of logjam usually forces a decision somewhere: move a player to the majors, or move him somewhere else entirely.
According to Andy McCullough of The Athletic, the Dodgers have thought about another route - shifting some of their top minor league outfielders to the infield or behind the plate. But as August rolls on, nothing has actually changed.
De Paula, 21, has stayed in the corner outfield since the start of the 2024 season. Sirota, 23, remains stationed in right field and center field.
Davalan, 23, has kept bouncing between left field and center field. Quintero, the youngest of the group at 20, has been the most intriguing possible fit for a switch, since he throws right-handed and could conceivably move to catcher or any of the four infield spots.
Even so, he has only played center field and right field since May 21.
Tibbs has been the most versatile of the bunch, moving between left field, right field and first base during his third pro season. Still, even that has quieted down lately. He has played only one game at first base since the calendar flipped to August, and his last seven appearances through week's end came in the outfield.
Midseason position changes don’t happen often, and the Dodgers appear more likely to revisit the idea after the 2026 regular season ends than with just a little more than a month left on the minor league schedule.
For now, Tibbs is the name closest to the big leagues. If injuries hit Kyle Tucker, Teoscar Hernández, or both, he could be the one who gets pushed into the Dodgers’ corner outfield mix. He’s been scorching lately, too, hitting .366/.480/.561 over his last 10 games at Triple-A Oklahoma City, with eight walks and nine strikeouts in that stretch.
If the front office decides his future includes more time at first base, it doesn’t sound like it’s in a hurry to force the issue.
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Dave Roberts followed with the part fans usually want to hear most when the results have been uneven: the Dodgers need to move with urgency and get better. There was a quick response on the field, too, as Los Angeles beat Arizona in the next game and showed signs of more life at the plate, a small but meaningful step for a team trying to stabilize its rhythm before the next skid has a chance to linger. [Read more 🡒]