He’ll likely just provide some depth at the position.
As of right now, the Dodgers are not entering 2023 with a lot of depth at the shortstop position. Only including the players likely to be on the Opening Day roster, the Dodgers have two guys who can play the shortstop position — Gavin Lux and Chris Taylor.
However, the Dodgers don’t have a lot of outfield depth, either, meaning the Dodgers will need Taylor in left or center field a majority of the time — the Dodgers also don’t have a lot of depth at second or third base, which Taylor has the ability to play.
Basically, it’s a little bit of a mess right now, which is why The Athletic‘s Fabian Ardaya doesn’t see Taylor playing a prominent shortstop role next season, as they’ll need him to move around a good amount to fill some holes across the diamond.
“I’d expect most of Taylor’s work in 2023 to be at left field and second base, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he got double-digit starts at shortstop and in center field.”
However, there is a world in which he could have a bigger role at the shortstop position.
“Maybe some more regular work can make him a presence at short if the Dodgers need to platoon for Lux, who had a .684 OPS against lefties last year.”
The big takeaway from all of this is that the Dodgers shouldn’t be done making moves, even if they’re minor ones. The Dodgers could definitely use another outfielder, and should look to add one more bench guy who could fill in at any infield position outside of first base (Freddie Freeman has that pretty locked down).
If they can fill those minor needs, they would be entering 2023 with a lot more confidence, and many more options for their defensive setup.
