5:56pm: Beaty actually has one option remaining, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic).
3:23pm: The Dodgers announced this afternoon they’ve designated corner infielder/outfielder Matt Beaty for assignment. The move clears space on the 40-man roster for Hanser Alberto, whose previously-reported one-year deal has been made official.
It’s a bit of a surprising move, as Beaty’s coming off an atypically good season for someone who now finds himself in DFA limbo. The left-handed hitter posted a .270/.363/.402 line with seven home runs in 234 plate appearances last year. He wasn’t a huge power threat, with just 12 extra-base hits and a .132 ISO (slugging minus batting average). Yet he made contact on an above-average 81.7% of his swings and drew walks at a roughly league average rate to post a quality batting average and on-base mark.
Beaty has tallied a bit less than one full season’s worth of playing time since debuting in the majors in 2019. He owns a .262/.333/.425 line in 556 career trips to the plate, overall offense that checks in a hair above par by measure of wRC+. He’s not regarded as a great defender anywhere on the diamond, but the 28-year-old has seen a fair bit of action at all four corner spots in L.A.
However, Beaty is out of minor league option years. The Dodgers had to choose between carrying him on the active roster all year or bumping him from the 40-man. They’ve taken the latter course of action. They’ll give the bench role to Alberto instead, seemingly prioritizing the greater defensive flexibility that comes along with him. Alberto isn’t as good a hitter as Beaty, but he’s a solid defensive second baseman who could be an option at shortstop in a pinch.
The Dodgers will have a week to trade Beaty or place him on waivers. Given his solid offensive track record in the big leagues, he could very well land with a team that’s not as deep as the Dodgers are on the position player side. Any acquiring team would also have to keep Beaty on the active roster or DFA him themselves, but it stands to reason he’d have a better chance of sticking as a bat-first utility option off the bench with another club.
Is don’t make sense that roster changes
Too many LH hitters on the bench.
Even so, Beaty is one of the few that can actually hit off the bench. Versatility is great and pitching depth is great, but Beaty has at least shown that he can fill in and hold his own with the bat. A couple of pitchers that could have been DFA’d ahead of Beaty.
That’s it.. Pinch hitting types, like this with little to no defensive value and lack of power are now of no use in the NL and fans of those teams, who for years saw this type of player with decent regard, will now see why no AL teams ever wasted roster spots on them.. Use the DH and might PH 1 time a game, if that for those who have weakness at a position, or a guy with bad splits.
Pitchers hitting and the dead outs are history, just like endless pinch hitting for the 9 hole.
This is a bad move by the Dodgers, Beaty didn’t get the nickname hitman for no reason and with rosters at 28 and a DH, there is no way he doesn’t make the opening day roster. Not to mention there is sure to be an injury prior to opening day.
Not about the 28. It’s about the 40. There’s a roster crunch and someone had to go. It’s absolutely not a bad move since he’s out of options, isn’t that great defensively, we have too many LHB, we have too many guys that can’t hit LHP, he’s nearing 30, doesn’t do anything in the postseason… also it wasn’t as much as Beaty or Alberto, it was more “move Beaty or one of the young guys” . More flexibility and potential in our young cats.. But even in the Alberto of it all, the guy can hit lefties. We need that. It wasn’t a bad move.
And if he’s as good as people are saying, then someone will trade for him by Friday…. unless….. he’s actually not…. we shall see.
We have too many LHPs that are not that great. Dump one of those before Beaty. Nunez has no business in the 40 man roster. Dodgers will likely have 4 lefties in the starting rotation and a couple more in the pen. Price probably off the pen, and then Vesia. You also have Gonzalez and Clevinger who will likely see the minors at some point. Nunez ahead of Beaty? C’mon.
Nunez is being DFA’s for Lamb or Pillar
The universal DH hurts guys like Beaty. He doesn’t have a lot of upside but he can give you at least one quality at bat per game when he came in to pinch hit for the pitcher. He could also give someone a day off. With the universal DH there will be much fewer pinch hitting opportunities, only really in platoon situations. And you can argue that with the DH you can rotate the regulars by giving them a day off from the field, so you don’t really need a dedicated DH. Plus, Beaty is not really a power guy so not your typical DH guy. I would have thought that he still has some value in case someone goes down because he’s relatively consistent.
Trade
Welcome to Philly.need another DH
Not enough dingers for Philliy. And he’s actually not terrible enough of a defender. We need dingers and errors.
“We”
You don’t know who Von Hayes is? He’s earned the right of we.
Cardinals say DIBS! From Memphis, LH bat that can back up Goldy at 1st and fake it in the OF. Would rather have him than Dickerson but the Dickerson money is already spent.. probably won’t end up with him
Wow. You know your roster is stacked when he’s the guy cut.
He’s younger and better than most our infield. I’d gladly take him. But someone will outbid the Angels.
Yeah, the article says he’d fit with a team not as deep in position players as the Dodgers. I.e. any of the other 29 MLB teams.
Matt Beaty rubbed management the wrong way by being vocal with his disapproval of being optioned over and over so had fallen out of good graces. Plus the fact that, although his stats look decent, he is really a below average hitter. Edwin Rios is simply better.
Edwin Rios or the poor man’s Renato Nunez.
I wonder if they’re doing this now just to give him a chance to hook on somewhere else during spring training because they don’t have a spot for him. Doesn’t seem like the kind of thing a team usually does but with the dodgers……maybe.
I think that’s exactly why they’re doing this now. To do him a favor. And it’s a nice gesture if that’s why.
Obviously a cost cutting move
Just how does replacing a pre-arbitration eligible player with a 4 year veteran cut costs?
In jest…the Dodgers don’t care about costs!
The Dodgers care about costs, they simply have more to spend before having to care.
Did you know the word gullible wasn’t in the dictionary? If you don’t believe me, go look it up.
Man that joke went right over you
Cut this guy now – we’re not spending enough payroll on that roster position!
Maybe he will land in Miami. Seems like a logical place.
Padres if he makes it that far. Easy replacement in the OF, Probably gets claimed before then.
Trade coming for sure. No way he clears
not by the giants, they don’t need guys out of options or LH bats
Impossible he clears. Basically every team should claim him so they should have multiple trade suitors trying to jump the line
This move might have been about respect to Matt
They knew there was not enough abs and w No options it woulda been hard for them to keep him all year with McKinstry basically the same player w options
Playing (a better ) 3b is what got Hanser the job (being righty didn’t hurt as well)
Dodgers just needed a 3b and CF capable dudes – They got Pillar and Hanser for under 4 mill together. for the last 2 spots
* I believe Pillar “Minors” was just a gimmick to keep open a 40 for a week or 2 to sort things out
Somebody got a nice 250-350 abs today tho on waivers for {essentially} free, good for them and good for Matt…hope its a good fit and not Mr Z who gets him (highly unlikely w high waiver # tho)
Still got a week to trade him. You don’t think it happens?
I would have dumped Nunez instead, maybe even Phillips. And I would have put Rios and McKinstry in the minors as they both have options before DFA’ing Beaty. If you’re keeping Lux around to play all over the field (left handed poor man’s version of Taylor) I don’t know why you’d need McKinstry around who hasn’t shown much with the bat or glove. Puzzling move by the Dodgers.
Those others may well be optioned or released before the end of camp. And the fact that they designated him with an option remaining says they think they can trade him. Many other shoes will drop over the next two weeks, no doubt. A typical spring in that respect, at least.
“And the fact that they designated him with an option remaining says they think they can trade him.”
I think it also means they are confident in their other players. For instance, they must believe Rios would be healthy, since he’s a similar player. Jason Martin has performed well in ST so far, so he could also have made Beaty expendable if the FO believes in him.
Phillips has a wipeout slider. I wouldn’t give up on him just yet. I definitely think either Nunez or Cleavinger or both will go, as they are basically identical players in that they walk a lot of guys, strikeout a lot, and give up some hard contact. I would personally keep Nunez and get rid of Cleavinger, since Nunez has more options and his SSS performance came with a lot of bad luck in 2021. Rios is better than Beaty, I don’t get why you would put him in the minors first. Who knows if McKinstry will make the opening day.
I could absolutely see Beaty as a Pirate. I know they already have Tsutsugo and Vogelbach, but with the Clemente Wall at PNC they can’t have too many lefty bats with some pop. If he can play a halfway decent outfield, why not take a look?
This is exactly the type of move the Pirates should make.
I would like to see him stay in the area with the Angels
Rojas, Mayfield, Rengifo, all belong in AAA and it is painful to go the the A and watch them play.
Agree, but who would dodgers want in return? Has to be someone that doesn’t need to be added to their 40 man roster. We have plenty of prospects but who would Ben want to give up?
send him to Baltimore!
Thanks for your contributions Matt. You will be missed but this will be better for you going forward.
Ditto!
Matt had a tough time of it with the club last year too. Did he do or say something he shouldn’t have to Doc or Andrew? Anybody know?
Yes, he complained about being optioned. 45th best player on the roster. Says more about dodgers roster than Beaty. He’s also a decent dude, community service and all that. But pissed off Friedman by going to the nedia with his objections to all the back and forth to Oklahoma and back
to Oakland
Wow!! It’s unfortunate, but I already saw it coming. For a team of this level, he is an expendable player.
Wishing him the best.
Nice crystal ball you have
Jajaja. The same crystal ball told me that some genius was going to come out with something similar to what you said.
The Jays desperately need LH and this guy makes sense and hes cheap and at worse will cost a lower level prospect to get
Being subpar defensively hurts when your only path is as a utility guy. But ya, I definitely see a trade here; he has value because of the bat.
As for the O’s or the Pirates, Warren Beaty fits too. So does Ned.
Hey, if you can’t Beaty them, join them.
I don’t think Beaty makes any sense for the O’s. Plays all the positions the Orioles have covered.
1B And corner OF is the O’s strength.
Nice LH bench bat. Versatile fielder that plays many positions poorly. Bench player that will get exposed if you try to make him an everyday player.
Freddie Freeman will be traded to the Tigers at the deadline.
Is there a fantasy team in your league named the Tigers?
He’s been in the doghouse ever since his wife complained about playing time on social media
Source?
Internet: Everything that you read on the internet is true!
It is well known.
I’m pretty up on Dodgers news and this is the first I’ve heard of it. Does anyone have a source or is this just I know it cuz I say it?
Hey Ben C. We’ve got a dozen middle infielders looking to get to the bigs in the next two seasons. Go get this guy. We are definitely short on big league ready outfielders who can hit.
The Rangers need to be in on this. He would fit a needed role and is perfect in both age and experience level/service time for their desired competitive window.
Beaty makes so much sense for Texas.
Going to assume that there will be so much interest in him that a team without waiver priority might actually give up something somewhat decent for him considering there’s no chance he’s getting too far through the waiver order.
Hoping for this scenario
Yeah, this is literally the first DFA article where I’ve seen almost a fan of every single team say that they want him…
Well, I haven’t seen the Braves yet, so as a Braves fan, we could definitely use him. The Braves lineup is very RH heavy, and they need a good corners bat or at least a 1B backup in case anything happens to Riley or Olson for any extended period of time…
Beatty, Arcia, Gosselin, Dickerson, B.Holt, and Valaika can all battle it out for the remaining bench spots alongside Heredia and Piña…
Depending on how deep their bench is I certainly wouldn’t mind a bench of Dickerson, Heredia, Pina, Arcia, and Beatty…He should likely be a solid upgrade over Brock Holt or Gosselin…
Blue Jays
Do we know the dollar value for the Hanser Alberto deal?
This makes so much sense for Cleveland
As new 3rd baseman !!!
This has Pirates written all over it.
Trade most likely, Beaty is a solid lefthanded hitter. He’s the type of player the Yankees need versus the swing and miss go for broke home run.
Not a fan of this move whatsoever. If we’re talking about versatility then let’s replace Beaty with someone who is actually versatile.
He won’t last long , might start for some clubs but a great bench option and ph. I hope that Atlanta looks , Matt Olson will need some off time over 162 games.
He would get 400 at-bats for the Rangers, for whom he would be about a perfect option to platoon in left field with Nick Solak.
I really hope Texas makes a play for him. He would be the perfect low-cost acquisition to complete their lineup heading into the season.
This sucks but it happens with a team who is loaded with talent, and not many spots for a player like him. I am sure he is going to go via trade by Dodgers to an American League team so he can finally get time to show his skills. Wish him the best, but not against the Dodgers
Would be a great fit in Milwaukee… they can use a bat and they love versatility plus there not deep on the infield corners… he would see plenty of playing time between 3B, 1B and dh…. I’m sure they could find 350-400 at bats for him with his versatility
The Rockies don’t typically play the waiver wire game, but this would be a good pickup as a back up to Cron and others along with a bench option.
that makes too much sense, maybe if he had a cost of an expensive long term contract they would look at him though
Maybe if he was a former (and future?) league MVP, he would have an expensive long term contract.
Rockies don’t typically do anything right….
Giants should get this guy
Padres need to sign him!!!
I agree with you 100% ..
I predict a really good year for Matt. He’s been a good hitter at every stop. I can see him landing somewhere like Miami or Pittsburgh. At this point, I think LA is looking for defensive versatile bench players. Matt just doesn’t fit in… unfortunately. That play at first the other day when he went way off the bag to try for a grounder at 2B probably sealed his fate. Just doesn’t have a good glove. Good luck Matt.
Quite the stroke of luck he ended up having one option remaining so they can keep him in the fold for a while longer.
There’s no room on the 40-man. They still need to use his spot for Alberto. The option doesn’t help with that.
Should trade Beatty & Lux for another starter.
Padres,they have to sign. it’s cost money,or prospet. I prefer send money, to the Dodgers.
Calling all GMs.
Probably a side effect of signing Freeman and now Lux is a super utility guy.
Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland
That’s not how you spell Texas.
I’m hoping the Jays, he would fit right in, only that he can’t play center
Exactly what I was thinking. He’s a Guardian.
Deepest roster in baseball problems….Once again, Dodgers’ fans, I hope you all truly know and appreciate how lucky you guys are!!
You all have a great owner that will spend what it takes to improve each and every year, you have a GM and scouting staff that is one of the best in baseball at identifying talent, and you guys have an organization that is extremely well structured from Rookie Ball to the ML club with excellent coaches and hitting and pitching coordinators that consistently keep everyone on the same page. Most importantly, as an organization from level to level, there is consistency, and they make sure their players and prospects are individually developing appropriately at a pace that best suites each player…
That last part is overlooked by most teams, and they end up running prospect after prospect by either making too many adjustments or simply moving them too quickly through the system…Phillies fans know precisely what I am talking about…Sorry, it is just the truth, not trying to talk down about them..
Good versatile.bench guy.Dodgers prefer to having flexibility so his minorleague option forced him to be DFAd.
Look for Jake Lamb to take Beaty’s role. He’s having a strong spring for LA so far.
Going to be tuff, there’s only 1 spot open.