Kody

Hoese

No real surprises among this batch of early spring cuts, as none of the five players were expected to crack the Opening Day roster. With the Dodgers opening their season in Japan against the Cubs in a couple of weeks though, expect them to cut down their roster quicker than they would have in a traditional spring training.

The 23-year-old backstop doesn’t have much left to prove in the minor leagues, but with Will Smit and Austin Barnes holding things down at the game’s highest level, he’ll need to work his way into the crowded outfield mix in order to have any shot of breaking camp. He’ll be an intriguing option for fantasy purposes when he does finally arrive in Los Angeles, but it’ll probably take an injury to Smith or Barnes for it to happen. Roki Sasaki and Zyhir Hope also received official invitations to spring training on Friday.

Very few prospects improved their stock more than Hoese did last year; he was a 35th-round pick last year who was viewed as a Day 3 player coming into the year. Instead, he goes here, and he’s viewed as one of the best power hitters in this class after hitting 23 homers for the Green Wave. He also has a decent shot at average, although there will be some swing-and-miss. He may need to move to first at some point, but the Dodgers will give him a chance to stick at third. If he can, he’s a potential well above-average regular.

Jim Callis of MLB.com reports that Hoese will receive $2,740,300, which is the full slot value for the 25th overall pick. The 23-year-old improved his stock in a big way this year at Tulane while showing off his power stroke. The thought is that he could stick at third base.