True Blue LA’s Dodgers of the Decade Team

Here is the final wrap up of True Blue LA’s Dodgers of the Decade team. This article will list each individual named and have a brief statistical summary of their production on the Dodgers during the last decade.

Catcher - Yasmani Grandal

Grandal was acquired during the the 2014-2015 offseason and he was the regular catcher for the Dodgers from 2015 through 2018. He was named to the NL All-Star Team in 2015.

Current status: Grandal signed a four-year contract with the Chicago White Sox

First Base - Adrián González

After the Dodgers acquired Hanley Ramírez prior to the 2012 trade deadline, the Dodgers made one of their biggest post-Guggenheim trade in terms of dollars involved when they traded for González in August 2012. González played well for the Dodgers until he was injured in 2017 and was eventually replaced by Cody Bellinger.

Current Status: Adrián González was traded to the Braves by the Dodgers in a salary swap for Matt Kemp and others. As part of that deal, González was released by Braves and he would eventually sign with the New York Mets. After playing 54 games with the Mets, González has not played in the Majors since June 10, 2018.

Second Base - Chase Utley

The Dodgers traded pitcher John Richy and outfielder Darnell Sweeney to the Philadelphia Phillies for second baseman Chase Utley in August 2015. Utley finished his fine career playing for the Dodgers until he retired after the 2018 season.

Current Status: Utley worked for the Dodgers front office during the 2019 season and also worked for SportsNet LA doing analysis of Dodger games.

Third Base - Justin Turner

Turner signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers just prior to spring training in February 2014. He would make the club as a non-roster invitee and then proceed to become one of the best hitters in the National League from that point of the decade.

In 2901 plate appearances, Turner hit .302/.381/.506 for the Dodgers from 2014 to the present.

Current Status: Turner enters final season under contract with the Dodgers and will be a free agent after the 2020 season.

Shortstop - Corey Seager

The first homegrown player on the Dodgers of the Decade team. Seager was drafted in the first round in 2012 and proceeded to become one of the top prospects in baseball before his 2015 September callup.

Seager would be the 2016 National League Rookie of the Year and was a National League All-Star in 2016 and 2017.

Current Status: Seager is currently entering his second arbitration-eligible session next month. He will be a free agent after the 2021 season.

Left Field - Matt Kemp

Kemp had his career best season in 2011 when he finished second in the National League MVP race and also was a National League All-Star and won a Gold Glove.

Kemp would be traded to the San Diego Padres after the 2014 season but then he was acquired during the 2017-2018 offseason and would be voted onto the 2018 National League All-Star team. Kemp would be part of a 2018-2019 trade to the Cincinnati Reds that also included Yasiel Puig and Alex Wood.

Current Status: Kemp signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins that included an invitation to Spring Training.

Center Field - Cody Bellinger

Cody Bellinger has accomplished a great deal in his first three seasons with the Dodgers. Bellinger was the National League Rookie of the Year in his debut 2017 season. This past season, Bellinger was named the National League Most Valuable Player and was also a Gold Glove winner.

Current Status: Bellinger enters his first arbitration-eligible negotiation in January. The Super Two player will have four such negotiation opportunities until he can become a free agent after the 2023 season.

Right Field - Yasiel Puig

Yasiel Puig exploded onto the Dodgers and Major League Baseball in June 2013 and he would remain a fan favorite through the 2018 season. He was named to the National League All-Star team in 2014.

Puig was traded to the Cincinnati Reds with Matt Kemp, Alex Wood and Kyle Farmer for Homer Bailey and minor league players Jeter Downs and Josiah Gray during the 2018-2019 offseason. He would later be part of a trade to the Cleveland Indians where he finished the 2019 season.

Current Status: Yasiel Puig enters his first offseason as a free agent.

Multi-Position - Chris Taylor

Chris Taylor joined the Dodgers during the 2016 season after he was acquired via a trade from the Seattle Mariners.

Taylor has played primarily four positions for the Dodgers, second base, shortstop, left field and center field.

Current Status: Chris Taylor is another of the arbitration-eligible Dodgers as he enters his second such negotiation next month. Taylor will be a free agent after the 2021 season.

Starting pitcher - Clayton Kershaw

See this article for more on Kershaw’s accomplishments this past decade,

Relief pitcher - Kenley Jansen

This article highlights Jansen’s journey to become the Dodgers’ all-time top reliever.

This article concludes this series, have a great New Year’s and here’s to a wonderful 2020 baseball season.

For further reading, see the prior articles