Dodgers Drop Roster Bomb in Ruthless Push for Back-to-Back World Series Rings

The Dodgers are streamlining their roster as they chase another World Series, cutting loose some players who haven’t quite lived up to expectations. One of those is Alexis Diaz, who came over from the Reds in May. Now, if you remember, Cincinnati had spent years trying to get him on track. And when they finally traded him, there was always the chance that LA might figure him out and make the Reds regret it.

However, the opposite happened where Diaz kept struggling in Dodger blue. And the team finally decided it was time to move on, closing the book on that experiment. The result? Before wrapping up their series against the Pirates, the Dodgers called up catcher Ben Rortvedt as a precaution in the event Will Smith landed on the injured list. Furthermore, to make room, they sent rookie infielder Alex Freeland back down and designated reliever Diaz for assignment.

“The Dodgers have DFA’d Alexis Díaz,” B/R Walk-Off quoted MLB insider Fabian Ardaya.

Reportedly, the Dodgers picked up Diaz in May and stashed him in the minors until July. And once he got his shot, things never really clicked. The former All-Star posted a 5.00 ERA over nine outings with LA, a far cry from the strong numbers he put up early in his career. For the unversed, that’s a 1.84 ERA as a rookie and 3.07 the next year.

Notably, his lone highlight in Dodger blue came against his old team in Cincinnati, when he tossed just eight pitches to four batters and picked up his first win with LA in a 5-4 victory. But outside of that, though, his time with the Dodgers didn’t leave much to remember. But the shuffle in the Dodgers’ lineup is not yet over.

Well, the Dodgers also sent infielder Alex Freeland back to the minors after 29 big league games, where he hit .190 with two HRs, six RBIs, and a .601 OPS. This comes with Hyeseong Kim just activated and Max Muncy on the verge of returning. So, with Freeland’s playing time about to shrink anyway, this gives him a chance to keep developing with regular at-bats in the minors.

But the story still doesn’t end here.

There are a few more names to be trimmed from the Dodgers

“The pending returns of the injured players will jeopardize the roster spot of Michael Conforto, whom the Dodgers signed last offseason to a one-year, $17 million contract,” MLB insider Ken Rossenthal said.

Well, if you remember, the Dodgers took a flier on Conforto this past offseason. They hoped he could add some pop to their already deep lineup. And things started off promising enough, as he put together a solid first stretch of games. But since then, it’s been nothing short of frustrating. Conforto has slipped into a prolonged slump, batting just .188 on the season with 10 home runs. Something that hasn’t matched expectations for a player brought in to make a difference.

On the pitching side, Kirby Yates is another player whose future with the Dodgers is reportedly under scrutiny. Signed with plenty of optimism, the veteran reliever was expected to give the bullpen stability and experience. Instead, injuries and inconsistency have clouded his season. For the unversed, through 39 games, Yates has a 4-3 record with a 4.31 ERA. Yes, respectable at times, but not what the Dodgers envisioned when they invested in him.

More importantly, moving on from Yates would clear about $13 million in salary space. This would give the team flexibility to pursue other options down the stretch. With the postseason race heating up and the team tightening its roster, both might find themselves on the outside looking in sooner rather than later.