Trouble In Paradise: The Dodgers' Superteam Is Already Having Issues

The Los Angeles Dodgers are widely expected to run away with the National League West and make a deep run into the 2024 postseason. 

The unquestioned winners of the offseason, Los Angeles added Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, along with key depth acquisitions like Teoscar Hernandez, Kiké Hernandez and James Paxton. Clayton Kershaw is back for the second half, Ryan Brasier provides more back end bullpen help with top closer Evan Phillips, and Jason Heyward was resigned to platoon in the outfield. 

With the return of Gavin Lux from an ACL tear in 2023, it seemed like the infield roster and lineup construction had been determined. Will Smith at catcher, Freddie Freeman at first, Mookie Betts at second, Lux at short and Max Muncy at third. 

Until Friday afternoon, when manager Dave Roberts announced that Betts was going to be the starting shortstop on a "permanent" basis moving forward.

What now? 

Betts has won six Gold Gloves in his career as a right fielder, making his move to second already a bit unusual. But to make him the starting shortstop, arguably the most challenging defensive position on the field? Why in the world would the Dodgers do that? 

And therein lies the problem. 

Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

Dodgers Moving Mookie Betts After Gavin Lux Concerns

Concerns about the Dodgers' defense were raised on Thursday due in large part to the defense from Lux and Muncy during Yoshinobu Yamamoto's start. 

Some of those plays were far from routine, but the team's concerns were apparently so severe that the announcement came down less than 24 hours later that they'd flip Betts and Lux.

There's no way around it; moving Mookie Betts to shortstop is not what the Dodgers front office wanted to do. Betts is now 31, and has seen his sprint speed drop to the point where it's now below average. And though he wasn't a disaster at second base in 2023, his defensive metrics declined from where they were in right field. Now he's moving to an even more demanding position that requires even more range. 

But Lux's throwing problems necessitated a change, lending more credence to rumors that the team was, and maybe is, looking to trade him for an upgrade at short. For a team that's supposed to be nearly invincible though, it's already a sign of weakness.