Dodgers outfielder AJ Pollock had his best season as a Dodger in 2021. There's no doubt about it. Pollock logged Dodgers career highs in OPS (.892) and a WRC+ (137) in his third season in LA.
There's been some whispers that Pollock could be traded this offseason for some much needed starting pitching.
But according to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya, there's a good chance Pollock finishes his five-year contract with the Dodgers. That is, if there's a universal DH.
“The advent of a universal DH would give Los Angeles more opportunities to get him off his feet and keep him healthy after some hamstring issues in 2022. If that happens, I wouldn’t be surprised if Pollock does indeed exercise that 2023 option, particularly since a second payday wouldn’t be a lock entering his age-35 season.”
As Ardaya points out, Pollock has a $10M player option in 2023. If he doesn't opt in, the Dodgers would still owe him the $5M buy-out. That's only a couple dozen micheladas at Dodger Stadium.
Pollock was one of the better offensive left fielders in 2021. Among left fielders with 400 PAs, Pollock ranked fourth in OPS, fifth in wRC+, and ninth in WAR (3.0).
He also recorded a OPS over 1.000 in three separate months.
If Pollock can stay healthy, he'll continue to be a valuable part of the 2022 Dodgers.
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