Trayce says he still has that chip on his shoulder despite roster stability
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thomspon is no stranger to moving from team to team. He’s done that plenty of times in his career; he was a testament to that just last season.
Before coming onto the Dodgers to be a fill-in for Mookie Betts, he was a part of the San Diego Padres and their minor league system. After that, he was DFA’d and landed with the Detriot Tigers organization before being activated with the Boys in Blue.
He’s played over 1,000 games in the minor leagues with numerous organizations, and those days seem to be behind the 31-year-old; however, that chip on his shoulder will never go away.
“I’ve always been motivated. If anything I just have a lot more of an opportunity from the start,” Thompson said. “I’ve always had to scratch and claw in Spring Training — not that I won’t this year, but I think there’s just a little more mental stability. I know I’m going to be on a team. I’ve never really had that in my career. As far as the motivation stuff, it’s always been the same. I feel like I’ve always unfortunately had this chip on my shoulders. But I enjoy it. I’m just looking forward to getting going.”
Thompson exceeded expectations with the Dodgers in 2022. He played in 74 games, starting in 54 games, posted a .268 batting average while slugging .537, and had a .901 OPS. The Los Angeles native also had 13 home runs, 39 RBIs, and 55 hits in 205 ABs with the Boys in Blue.
Thompson earned a big league spot after his performance in the 2022 regular season and post-season. He will fight for one of the two outfield positions and has a solid chance at starting come Opening Day. The 2009 draft pick will prove he deserves to start come Spring Training, and we’re excited to see how he’ll perform in a 162-game season.
