Six-time Gold Glove winner Mookie Betts is likely to move from the outfield back to the infield for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025, general manager Brandon Gomes announced Wednesday.
“It could be second, it could be short,” Gomes said (h/t Sonja Chen of MLB.com). “We don’t really know yet. We need to continue to have those conversations. But I think it’s much more [that] Mookie’s looking to get back in the infield more than anything else.”
Though Mookie Betts has made a living playing in right field, the eight-time All-Star is one of the league’s most dynamic players, making him playable at almost any position.
However, Betts is no stranger to the infield. Since joining the Dodgers in 2020, the 32-year-old has made 103 appearances at second base and 81 appearances at shortstop.
Last season, Betts expected to man second base, but the early struggles from Gavin Lux forced Betts to start the year at shortstop. However, after fracturing his hand in June, Betts returned to his usual position in right field and a mid-season trade for Tommy Edman patched any remaining holes in the infield.
“For Mookie, winning is always No. 1,” Gomes added. “I know the toll on the body is less in the infield for him. So you can make arguments on both sides of it. But the beauty of Mookie is [he’s] the most selfless superstar we’ve ever been around.”
Betts has been one of the most impactful players to the Dodgers, and his availability alongside his desire to win has been the catalyst behind two championships in five years for Los Angeles. His flexibility has now provided the Dodgers with options to load up its roster for another title shot.
Betts’ shift to the infield will now make the outfield one of the Dodgers’ top priorities this offseason. With Edman, Lux, and Miguel Rojas all under contract for 2025, Mookie Betts will add more talent to the infield, making Dave Roberts’ decision-making much more interesting.
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However, the move to the infield now leaves a void in right field, which could be a spot for free agent Juan Soto.
Soto is the top player in free agency and with how aggressive the Dodgers have been in recent years, the 25-year-old outfielder will be in Los Angeles’ headlights.
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This also wouldn’t be the first time the Dodgers have tried to acquire the highly sought-after Soto. They tried in 2022 but ultimately got outbid by the San Diego Padres.
Though Soto would be the dream of every Dodger fan, a much more realistic outcome could be an in-house move. And with the future of Teoscar Hernandez still being unsettled, the outfield without Betts remains thin.
Nonetheless, the Dodgers will have plenty of decisions to make following its eighth World Series title as it looks to be the first team since the New York Yankees in 2000 to win back-to-back championships.