Exploring some random guys on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster – Hitters edition

We all know most of the guys who we’ll see on the field for the Dodgers this year, but it’s probably a good time of the year to review the 40-man roster, especially those players who don’t have numbers listed.

We went over the pitchers earlier this week. Now it’s time to talk about random guys who are position players. The Dodgers seem to have improved depth up the middle, but much of their roster is aging and the team will almost certainly depend on some less-known guys at various positions at some point in the season. Will they be more productive than players like Drew Butera and Miguel Rojas?

I guess we’ll find out.

Austin Barnes

Everyone is talking about the addition of Yasmani Grandal behind the plate. Grandal and A.J. Ellis will provide a nice tandem at catcher, but both have missed games in recent years and it’s likely at least one of them will miss at least a little time.

That’s where Barnes, one of the players the Dodgers picked up in the Dee Gordon trade, could come in. The 26 year-old catcher out of Arizona State is 5’9″, 185 pounds, and has played four seasons in the minors — never above the Double-A level. Last year, Barnes’ combined line with two minor league teams was a .298 avearge and .870 OPS.

Despite his place on the 40-man, I suppose it’s possible that Barnes might not be the next man up. His never being above AA prior to this season could cause the Dodgers to make some kind of other plans if a need should arise. Barnes has also played second base and third base pretty decently in the minors, though I’m not sure he figures into major league plans anywhere but at catcher for the near future.

Enrique Hernandez is a player who has enjoyed some limited success at the major league level. By EricEnfermero (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons

Enrique Hernandez

Hernandez, a 23 year-old second baseman, played 42 combined games in Houston and Miami last season. In that limited time, he was pretty good, posting a 1.5 WAR in only 135 plate appearances. The Puerto Rican prospect also played shortstop, third base, and all three outfield positions last season. He figures to challenge the much older and better-paid Alex Guerrero for a spot on the major-league roster.

Hernandez also came from the Marlins in the Dee Gordon trade and figures, according to ZiPS projections, to possibly be more valuable (projected 2.0 wins) than Gordon. To be fair, Steamer projections don’t like Hernandez as much, especially considering they say he’ll only get 20 major league at-bats.

That said, Hernandez is another player who gives the team flexibility with players off the bench both offensively and defensively. He’s probably buried behind names like Darwin Barney and Guerrero, which is a good reason for the low Steamer projection. He can truly play multiple positions and is the kind of guy I imagine Andrew Friedman might really like. He has all the words.

Young. Flexibility. Options.

Chris Heisey

Heisey might be one of the most interesting fresh faces the Dodgers have brought-in this season. While Joc Pederson is presumably going to take the reigns in center field, the 30 year-old Heisey will compete for at-bats, especially against left handed pitchers. Heisey has never played in more than 120 games, but has value defensively.

He and Scott Van Slyke still have some redundancy in that they are both right-handed outfielders. As the current roster stands, they could both be battling for the fifth outfield spot. As it stands, nobody is on the disabled list yet either. If things break right for him (and maybe wrong for the Dodgers), Heisey could get his share of at-bats this season — especially against lefties and especially if Joc Pederson really struggles.

Scott Schebler

Schebler is on the 40-man roster, but is only 24 years old and is probably a low-man on the outfield totem pole. He is a former 26th-round community college draft pick of the Dodgers who has worked his way up the system over the past five years.

Last season at AA Chattanooga, Shebler posted an OPS of .921, hitting 28 homers in 560 plate appearances. Given how he’s hit at every level he’s played, I would imagine he gets a look at AAA this season. Even with Matt Kemp gone, it would take a huge number of guys going down for a player like Schebler, a left-handed slugger, to get moved up this season.