Former Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Brian Dozier announced his retirement after nine years in the Majors. He spent the first seven of those with the Minnesota Twins before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2018 season.
Dozier then went on to spend one year with the Washington Nationals during their World Series campaign, and finished his career with the New York Mets last season. He signed a Minor League contract with the San Diego Padres in February 2020 but never played a game for them before being released that July.
Dozier batted .248/.325/.441 (928-for-3742) with 593 runs scored, 202 doubles, 21 triples, 167 home runs, 491 RBI and 98 stolen bases in 955 games for the Twins from 2012-18. He participated in the 2014 Home Run Derby at Target Field, was an All-Star in 2015 and won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2017.
When the Dodgers traded for Dozier, in exchange for Logan Forsythe and prospects Devin Smeltzer and Luke Raley, it was with a need to upgrade at second base. Though, Dozier wasn’t having his best offensive season in Minnesota, hitting just .227/.307/.405 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI through 104 games.
He was a notorious second-half player, so the Dodgers were hoping that Dozier would turn it around. Dozier got off to a good start in Los Angeles but quickly cooled and was never able to turn things around.
He batted .182/.300/.350 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 47 games. Those struggles carried into the postseason when Dozier batted just .125/.364/.125 without an extra-base hit in 11 games.
Dodgers still need solution at second base
Now entering a third season since Dozier’s stint with the team, the Dodgers remain in search of an answer at second base. Gavin Lux figures to have the inside track — much like last year — but he will need to prove capable of taking on an everyday role.
Should Lux falter, the Dodgers could turn to Chris Taylor or potentially Zach McKinstry. Taylor recently said he had not yet spoken with manager Dave Roberts or the front office on possibly spending more time at second base in the wake of Kiké Hernandez signing with the Boston Red Sox.
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