The Los Angeles Dodgers have not been getting the production they would have liked from Max Muncy at third base. The St. Louis Cardinals could be the team to contact for teams looking for an upgrade at third base.
Nolan Arenado was the center of countless trade rumors during the offseason, and the Dodgers are reportedly his preferred destination. However, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale revealed that the Dodgers have decided to stay out of the Arenado sweepstakes.
“Meanwhile, (the Cardinals) still are trying to trade All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado,” wrote Nightengale. “The Los Angeles Dodgers have yet to express interest while still hoping that third baseman Max Muncy escapes his early-season struggles.”
Muncy is slashing .184/.313/.286 this season. The Dodgers have World Series aspirations, so it is unclear how long they will wait for Muncy to find his swing. However, they do not necessarily have to make a trade to find an upgrade.
The Dodgers could shuffle their infield and upgrade third base internally. The Dodgers called up Hyeseong Kim this week with Tommy Edman on the injured list. As of now, the Dodgers plan on using him as a bench player, but he could be part of the puzzle in upgrading third base.
The Dodgers could slot Kim at second base and move Tommy Edman to third base if they do not want to go after Arenado.
Kim was slashing .252/.328/.470 in Triple-A. He also had five home runs, 19 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. The Dodgers signed him to a three-year, $12.5 million deal from the KBO League this offseason.
The Dodgers are not an organization that will shy away from an expensive player like Arenado. He will not be a free agent until 2028 after signing a $260 million deal in 2019. The Dodgers can afford him, but they seem to prefer waiting on Muncy to find himself.
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