MLB Rumors: Dodgers Superstar “Open” To Major Position Change
#BREAKING: Mookie Betts is okay to make the move to second base so Aaron Judge can play RF.
— Dodgers Central (@DodgersNewsAC) October 24, 2022
We also heard earlier that the Dodgers are ready to let Trea Turner walk for Aaron Judge.
With rumors that the Dodgers will make a strong push for New York Yankees’ outfielder Aaron Judge in free agency, it’s possible that they could ask Betts to move to second base, in order to put Judge in right field and save him the wear and tear of CF. Judge played 74 games in center this season compared to 54 in RF, but he's been predominantly a right fielder throughout his 7-year career.
Second base is the position that Betts was drafted at by the Boston Red Sox in 2011. Mark Feinsand of mlb.com reports that his sources tell him that Betts would be open to such a shift.
The most Betts had ever played at 2B in a major league season was 14 games in his rookie year of 2014. After that, he played a mere two games total in the infield over the next six years. He’s tried to return to his roots a bit more in the past couple of seasons, however. He actually played seven games at second base this season, and did the same in 2021. He routinely takes ground balls there during batting practice, notes Feinsand.
“Being able to play second base is kind of something I’ve been doing my whole life,” Betts said last month. “Getting to go back there is just a lot of fun for me, personally. I really, really do enjoy it, but they pay me to catch these fly balls.”
Betts is the ultimate team guy, and if he’s asked to shift to 2B to accommodate a player of Judge’s talent, he’ll no doubt do it.
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