The Dodgers signed David Peralta on Friday, adding a left-handed outfield bat in a move that came as a surprise to a lot of people. In some ways, the addition of Peralta raises more questions than it answers, as Los Angeles had a crowded outfield competition scheduled for spring even without him.
One LA insider thinks Peralta’s signing is bad news for outfield prospect James Outman.
Mookie Betts is obviously entrenched in right field. Outman, Trayce Thompson, and Chris Taylor all have experience playing center, plus non-roster invitee Jason Heyward (although Heyward’s best defensive years came in right). All four of those potential center-fielders are also potential left-fielders, along with Michael Busch and now Peralta.
Busch was already looking at an uphill battle for a roster spot, and the Peralta signing seems to seal his fate as a Triple-A guy to start the season. I’m not as convinced as Toribio that Outman will start in the minors, though. Taylor is coming off a terrible year, and Thompson’s 2022 season was good but possibly the result of an unsustainable BABIP. Heyward has been good enough to start just twice in the last seven years, and while he remains an elite athlete and hopes are high, he was a minor-league signing for a reason.
Peralta won’t get many starts against left-handed pitchers, and Thompson might not make sense as a platoon partner for him since he was also terrible against lefties last year. That means Taylor is probably starting in left against lefties. Outman is the only pure center-fielder in the group, and there are various reasons why left field makes more sense for each of Taylor, Thompson, and Heyward.
Could Peralta bump Outman off the roster? He definitely could. But I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion is the odd man out, man.
Looking for more Dodgers News? Subscribe to our YouTube Channel! Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest news, updates, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more!