First the Los Angeles Dodgers tried veteran Jimmy Rollins as the team's leadoff hitter. He batted .192 in 18 games in that role. Then manager Don Mattingly tried up-and-coming outfielder Joc Pederson. He's currently hitting .188 in 17 games. As June approaches, what options do the Dodgers have?
Despite Pederson's seven home runs as the leadoff man, that's not what Los Angeles needs from that spot. The leadoff hitter needs to get on base frequently and score runs. Both Pederson and Rollins have performed better in different areas of the lineup, so Mattingly needs to keep them where they succeed and look for other options.
"The offense has been so successful that it's been easy to overlook the problems at the top of the order. At some point outfielders Carl Crawford and Yasiel Puig will return, and both frequently bat second," writes Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.
"That still would not erase the leadoff problem."
This wouldn't be an issue if Los Angeles hadn't traded Dee Gordon in the offseason, but what's done is done. The club has lucked out in other ways, particularly with the emergence of Alex Guerrero, who signed with the team last offseason out of Cuba. What about him as a leadoff hitter?
The 28-year-old is batting .328/.361/.687 with 12 runs scored, 6 home runs and 16 RBIs in 28 games (72 plate appearances). Although he hasn't seen much time on the field, he has consistently been making good contact, which is no surprise considering his previous eight-year career in Cuba's Serie Nacional.
Guerrero batted .303/.386/.528 with 332 runs scored, 102 home runs and 407 RBIs in 547 games from 2005-2012 and his numbers have remained in that ballpark since arriving in the United States and beginning his career in the Dodgers' farm system.
Mattingly has given Guerrero half of his playing time in the outfield, but that will soon change once Puig and Crawford return. Guerrero's other reps have come at third base and it's probable he continues to receive more time there because he's been out-performing fellow third basemen Juan Uribe and Justin Turner. There are also a few other factors that weigh in here.
"With Hector Olivera due to arrive in L.A. Thursday night, then take his physical and finalize his $62.5-million deal Friday, the Dodgers will have a quartet of excellent third baseman, including holdovers Juan Uribe, Alex Guerrero and Justin Turner," Jon Heyman of CBS Sports wrote last week. "With Guerrero having an opt out in his contract if traded ('he's more valuable to the Dodgers than anyone else,' one rival said, referring to the clause that stipulates he can opt out of his deal at the end of the season if he is traded) and Turner turning into a versatile magician in L.A., Uribe seems like the most logical trade candidate."
At the end of the day, it's likely the Dodgers need to find more playing time for Guerrero. He's signed through the 2017 season and still has a majority of the $28 million he's owed left on his contract. The demand for Guerrero on the trade market is rapidly diminishing because of that opt-out clause and his lack of MLB experience is also something teams will take into consideration.
So why not try him at leadoff hitter until the situation with Olivera sorts itself out? Guerrero has previously reiterated he's willing to undertake any role that will help the team and it's clear anything better than a .192 batting average will help the leadoff spot.
The Dodgers lead the NL West by 3.5 games with a 24-14 record and it would be prudent to solve the issue at the top of their lineup before they run into other problems or face fierce competition with the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres.
