LOS ANGELES _ Moving to address their dearth of established right-handed hitters, the Dodgers have reached a five-year deal with free-agent center fielder A.J. Pollock, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The potential total value of the contract is $60 million, according to multiple reports, but the pact includes a potential opt-out after the third year and a $10 million player option with a $5 million buyout for the fifth year.
Pollock, 31, spent his first seven seasons in the majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks after the club selected him with the 17th overall pick in the 2009 draft. He enjoyed a career season in 2015, when he batted .315 with an .865 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 20 home runs, six triples and 39 stolen bases.
But elbow, groin, hand and thumb injuries plagued him the last three seasons and he hasn't been the same offensive threat. Last season, he batted .257 with 21 home runs and an .800 OPS in 113 games. His defense, however, remained elite in center field, according to most metrics.
The offseason had left the Dodgers, platoon loyalists, in need of a right-handed batter. They traded away Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp _ both right-handed-hitting outfielders _ to the Cincinnati Reds last month. A couple of weeks later, Yasmani Grandal, a switch-hitting catcher, officially ended his Dodgers tenure by signing with the Milwaukee Brewers. The three each hit at least 21 home runs in 2018, combining for 67.
Without them, Justin Turner, Enrique Hernandez, Chris Taylor and the catching duo of Austin Barnes and Russell Martin are the only right-handed hitters projected to play regularly next season. Only Hernandez and Taylor _ both utility players _ will see time in the outfield.
Their other four outfielders on the 40-man roster _ Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, Alex Verdugo and Andrew Toles _ are left-handed batters.
Pollock's splits have been about even for his career _ he's compiled a .275 batting average and .825 OPS against lefties versus a .284 batting average and .796 OPS against righties _ but he enjoyed considerably more success off right-handers last season. In 305 plate appearances, Pollock batted .275 with 12 home runs and an .830 OPS against righties. He batted .221 with nine home runs and a .742 OPS against left-handers.
Pollock figures to be the Dodgers' everyday center fielder, though Bellinger could also see time there against right-handed starting pitchers. The Dodgers plan on having Bellinger play every day between first base and the outfield after his struggles against lefties last season impelled the Dodgers to make him a platoon player over the final couple months.
The contract could keep Pollock in a Dodger uniform through age 35, but the potential opt-out after the third season, which would apply if Pollock surpasses a certain number of plate appearances, and the $5 million team buyout for the fifth year diminishes the chances of Pollock playing in Los Angeles through 2023.
The deal's structure, however, will remain $60 million over five years for competitive-balance-tax purposes. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, a $12 million addition per season would bring the club's CBT payroll total approximately $7.3 million below the $206 million CBT line.
