BREAKING: Dodgers make MULTIPLE moves... New Updates | Los Angeles Dodgers News

The Los Angeles Dodgers have just made multiple moves as we have some major updates as well inside the hitting room. As at the end of the season, the press conference, Andrew Friedman, he was asked about his coaching staff and said, quote, I expect status quo. But now the Dodgers have made a move inside there. The Dodgers lost a hitting coach who had been in the organization for 12 years. And today they made two roster moves that almost nobody else is talking about. So the question is simple. Are the Dodgers fixing the bats that went cold in October or are they just filling the bench? We find out. Let's start with why anyone cares about a hitting coach in the first place. Because the regular season, well, was not the problem. The Dodgers scored 801 runs in 2026, 4th in baseball, and they were 2nd in OPS at .762. They went 162 and hit 204 home runs, so the lineup was not broken. Then October happened. They beat the Braves 3 games to 1 in the NLDS, and then the Brewers swept them 4-0 in the NLCS. However, in those four games is where the problem lies. The Dodgers scored 11 total runs and could not get the long ball at all. Across the whole postseason, they hit just .195 as a team, and they went five for 43 with runners in scoring position. And this was not just a bad week in October. The slide goes back further than that. The Dodgers scored 906 runs in 2023, 825 in 2025, and 801 this year. In the second half of 2025, they scored 307 runs, 12th in baseball. In the second half of 2026, they scored 295, 11th. So the team that is second in OPS for the whole year ranked 11th in runs after the break. That is the stretch where the pressure on a hitting coach comes from. And to be fair, nobody has shown that you know Bates is the reason for any of it. No report I found names a single hitter he fixed or broke, but I'm not going to invent problems here. A lineup that was good was held to .195 when it counted. That is the backdrop of what happened, and that's the reason he's not here. So Aaron Baines, he's not coming back. The Dodgers and their hitting coach have parted ways after 12 years. Over that stretch, the Dodgers won the World Series in 2020, in 24, and now, of course, most recently in 2025. He worked his way up. He started coaching in 2015, became an assistant hitting coach in 2019, and since 2023, he's been a co-hitting coach next to Robert Van Scoyock. Now, here is where it gets messy, because there are two versions of how it ended. In what trade rumors report the Dodgers offered him a multi-year contract, and the two sides cannot agree to terms. Bates told the LA Times it was, quote, not a competitive offer. And the Dodgers told him, quote, I think we should go our separate ways. He said he was, quote, very taken aback. He also said that my kids grew up Dodgers and I grew up a Dodger as a coach. So I would not say that he's fired and I would not say that he quit. So it was reported. The sides, they didn't agree. And he says the offer wasn't competitive. Before we go on, a quick word from our sponsor, Otis Edge. If you're tired of the fake picks, the paid tipsters, and the money you keep losing, stop guessing and try Otis Edge for free. Six analysts, one subscription, one price that is less than a dinner out. Download the free Otis Edge app and you get the free pick of the day every single day. Plus a full library of free content, no card required. Become a subscriber and you unlock six different analyst perspectives on every game. Daily Expert Picks in Otis Edge University, where you'll learn disciplined betting strategies and bankroll management. You can follow one analyst, or you can follow all six. It's all included. Now, right now, you can use code DIGEST at checkout for 50% off for life. Yes, that's right. As long as your membership remains continuous, you're getting that 50% off for life. Download the free app today using the link in the description. It's time to set yourself up for success, because that is the Otis Edge. Let's get back to the Dodgers. So who is the hitting coach of the Dodgers next year? Robert Van Scoyock is expected to stay as the hitting coach, according to Jack Harris, so he'll take over as the main one now. Now that is a report, not an announcement, so I would hold it loosely. Clutch Points reports the team is considering adding another major league hitting coach. And Dodgers Nation lists three names from inside the organization. JT Watkins, Dylan Nazatenka, and Blake Galen. Watkins is the game planning and communication coach, Nazatenka is the AAA hitting coach, and Galen is the AA hitting coach. The outside name on that list is Brett Pell, the Rockies hitting coach who used to be a Dodgers minor league hitting coordinator. And there's a clock on this. Clutch Points notes a lockout is expected, of course, December first, which can limit how much teams talk to players and, for instance, some coaches as well. Which is probably why the Dodgers were also busy today with roster moves, so let's look at those two. First, it's an infielder, Christian Cairo, and I have to correct the headline. The Dodgers haven't signed him just yet, but they have claimed. First up is the infielder, Christian Cairo, as he has been claimed off waivers by the Mets. The Dodgers had three open spots on their 40-man roster, so they did not have to cut anyone to make this move. He is 25 and the son of Miguel Cairo, who played 17 MLB seasons. At AAA Lehigh Valley in 2023, he stole 25 bases, but was caught stealing 11 times. He also got on base at a .378 clip, and he led the league in walks. MLB trade rumors puts it plainly. He doesn't need to hit much to be a useful utility piece. The reason is his glove. He is strong defensively at shortstop and has played every position except catcher in his career. And now look at the trail. The Phillies designated him on September 13th. The Mets claimed him two days later. Then the Mets cut him again on November 2nd. Then, of course, here the Dodgers claimed him on November 9th. That is four transactions in just 57 days. He has two minor league options left, so he can go up and down without the Dodgers losing him. Over three minor league seasons, he has hit .236 with a .360 on-base percentage and a .318 slugging percentage, which works out to a 93 weighted runs created plus. He walks 14.5% of the time and strikes out 19.9% of the time, which is why the glove and the legs carry the profile. The Mets also designated infielder Kyron Parris last week, and MLB Trade Rumors says teams sign players like this to split deals and designate them to keep cheap depth. Now, that is not the whole point of the claim like this, but it's cheap, it's a depth, but it's not exactly a plan. Now, the other name is a guy who actually was in the Dodgers organization earlier this year. It's Tyler Fitzgerald. He's back with the Dodgers this time on a minor league deal for 2027. This is the second time he's been through this. The Giants designated him for assignment on March 30th, and the Dodgers got him for some cash from the Blue Jays on April 28th. In 24 AAA games for OKC, he hit .293 with a .400 on base percentage and a .598 slugging percentage. The Dodgers ultimately released him on June 10th, only 43 days after they got him, and he was, of course, on the minor league injury list at the time. Now, he re-signed on June 14th and stayed on the injury list the rest of the season, according to this Wikipedia page. The desk also shows a split worth watching, which is a .449 OPS at home and against a .705 OPS on the road. The Desk also has him at .333 with a .750 slugging percentage over 25 plate appearances against Colorado pitchers, his best of any club. Now against San Diego, he's at a .186 with a .209 slugging percentage over 52 plate appearances, the worst of any club, he has. Now they're tiny samples, and I would not build an argument on either of them. It's a small sample, and he's a depth piece, so to not make him this big thing, but the big thing is, you know, who's next in line, you have him right there. The place where depth actually matters the most is that second base, which MLB trade rumor says is open. Edmond Freeland, and Kim are in the mix, but ultimately it's not exactly the creme de la creme for the Dodgers. The same piece says Betts, Muncy, and Freeman hold shortstop and third bases in first base. Bleacher Report's offseason guide lists Brandon Lowe, Jazz Chisholm, Luis Urias, and Gleyber Torres as potential options for the Dodgers to go out there and grab them. Now, the writer idea is not report, so nothing is close to a deal just yet, but definitely for the Dodgers, they're looking to add. Now, here's how I see it. Cairo and Fitzgerald, they're not going to change October at the end of the year, but the Dodgers, they know that. This is moves that great organizations make to fill the depth chart, and maybe one surprises you. Now, that is the big thing about this, but the real move is who coaches the hitters and whether second base can get a real answer this all season. Last month, the answer was status quo, and this week, the status quo has one fewer hitting coach. So what are you picking? Does Cairo or Fitzgerald make the opening day roster in 2027? Let me know in the comments. And if you want more Dodgers news, make sure you watch this next video on your screen. Peace out. But he slugged only .298 with four home runs and 516 plate appearances. Now he can go up and down without the Dodgers losing him as he has two options left.