Dodgers making big change to Mookie Betts' position

On the surface, the move appears to have a lot to do with Lux more than anything else. After being penciled in as the team’s starting shortstop during the offseason, there were hints that the job might be slipping away from him after he struggled defensively during the first part of spring. Moving him to second will put him at a less important defensive position without taking him out of the lineup.

Perhaps the biggest ramification is Betts moving to shortstop. The team had been planning to shift him to second base full-time, which was already a radical move for a player who had spent virtually his entire MLB career in the outfield up until last year. Shifting him to shortstop — arguably the most important defensive position on the infield — is certainly a major risk, but also a big vote of confidence from Roberts. At the very least, it suggests the Dodgers do not think Betts will hurt the team there defensively as much as Lux would have.

The Dodgers began shifting Betts to the infield last season, and he made 62 of his 151 starts there last season. He also made 16 appearances at shortstop, but that is his only experience at the position at the MLB level. He got some time at shortstop during his minor league career, but that amounted to just 112 innings at A-ball in 2011 and 2012.