Former GM Praises Dodgers for Sudden Recent Moves

“Getting younger gives them a better shot to win,” Bowden added.

Rushing is Los Angeles’ No. 1 prospect and provides it with far more ability at the plate than Barnes, who, at 35 years old, was batting .214 with a .518 OPS and a 47 OPS+. Barnes was always a better defensive than offensive catcher, and this is a little surprising given his rapport with the staff.

However, even with the Dodgers’ laundry list of injuries, they opted for the far more dynamic Rushing, who set Triple-A Oklahoma City on fire this year with a .308 batting average, a .938 OPS, five home runs, and a 21:29 BB:K ratio over 31 games.

Then there’s Taylor, who has played all over the diamond for Los Angeles since joining the franchise in 2016. Much like Barnes, he is an aging (34 years old) player with limited abilities at the plate in this stage of his career.

He has always been reliable in the field, but does not offer the athleticism or juice of Pages, who is quickly making a name for himself. A second-year player, Pages continues to display his exceptional defense in center and is batting .280 with an .827 OPS and a 132 OPS+ over 164 at-bats.

It is still sad to see Barnes and Taylor depart so unceremoniously, but the Dodgers have an exciting youth infusion that should dissipate any disappointment.