Can Blake DeW-itt? Yes He Can!

One of the major questions for the Dodgers entering the 2008 season was who would fill the void at third base created by injuries to incumbent Nomar Garciaparra, top rookie 3B prospect Andy La Roche, and utility-man Tony Abreu late in spring training. That question has been answered, authoritatively, by 22 year old, lefty-swinging Blake DeWitt. Nomar has struggled mightily in with injuries over the past several seasons. His shift from shortstop to the first base in 2006 for LA seemed logical because the acquisition of Rafael Furcal blocked Nomar at his primary position. The emergence of young 1B phenom James Loney prompted the shift of Nomar to third base, where he entered spring training expecting to compete for playing time with La Roche, younger brother of Pirates 1B Andy La Roche. In the absence of Nomar and La Roche, the desperate Dodgers took a chance on young 3B prospect Blake DeWitt.

Since his callup, DeWitt is hitting .325 through 39 games. He has hit four home runs and driven in 23, while scoring 22 times. DeWitt has held his own defensively, too, with a .953 fielding percentage. He has also proven himself to be the Dodgers’ best clutch performer at the plate since his callup. Don’t believe me? DeWitt has batted six times this season with the bases loaded, and has six hits. On May 19 DeWitt capped off a Dodgers comeback with a walk-off single off of reliever David Weathers to beat Cincinnati 6-5 on May 19. DeWitt went 2-5 in that game and drove in two of the LA runs. Every win the Dodgers can come up with will be of utmost importance in that division with the emergence of the D’Backs as the NL West’s best, and the Rockies cannot possibly stay dormant for much longer.

Another option has emerged as a potential candidate to push DeWitt and La Roche for the 3B job in the long term, as Terry Tiffee has been tearing up at Triple-A Las Vegas, hitting at a .412 clip over 44 games (182 at-bats) and driving in 36 runs. This potential three headed monster at third base composed of DeWitt, La Roche, and Tiffee will inevitably make one, if not two, of the trio expendable should the right offer come along and should the organization definitively decide who will be the third baseman of the future, with Tony Abreu continuing in his utility role. A shift for any of the three to first base is simply not going to happen because James Loney will be covering the far right side of the LA infield for years to come. Also, a shift of any of the three to an outfield position is not likely because that area is already overcrowded with Juan Pierre, Andruw Jones, Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp, all of whom should have a starting role in the Major Leagues. The Dodgers should be reluctant to give up both Kemp and Ethier and are stuck with Pierre for three more years and Jones (who needs surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee) for at least one more year. A shift to shortstop pending the departure of current SS Rafael Furcal is also unlikely for any of the three young third basemen.

Another possible trading chip come the deadline, should he show he can stay healthy for more than nine consecutive days, will be Nomar Garciaparra as his 2 year deal expires at the end of this season.

The most highly touted of the DeWitt/ La Roche/ Tiffee trio over the past year or so seems to have been La Roche. However, DeWitt certainly is making a case for himself. He has been, arguably, the most pleasant surprise for the Dodgers and at third base around the league, especially considering his offensive performance and his young age (22). In my opinion, the most likely to depart is Tiffee given the fact that he is already 29.

I certainly hope that GM Ned Coletti is keeping a close eye on the situation and that he is no longer taking the advice of whoever told him to give 5 years/ $44 million to Juan Pierre. There had better be some money left over to secure talents like Kemp, Ethier, Loney, DeWitt or LaRoche, catcher Russell Martin, and possibly Furcal long term.