The outfielder signed a minor-league deal with the Dodgers earlier this month, and now has the chance to play for the defending World Series champions.
Rosario recently told Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain why he chose to sign with L.A. this spring.
“The decision is easy,” he told McKain. “I feel great to be in the organization. I know they won a championship last year. They’ve got the best player in the world. I went here to try to make the team.”
Ironically, Rosario’s best career performance came against the Dodgers when the team was knocked out by the Braves in the NLCS during the 2021 postseason. The outfielder recorded a mind-boggling 1.647 OPS over 28 plate appearances against the Dodgers that October.
Rosario’s MVP performance propelled Atlanta to sign him to a two-year, $18 million contract. However, since his remarkable October in 2021, Rosario has struggled to perform.
Now at Dodgers’ spring training, Rosario is competing with utility man Chris Taylor, infielder Hyeseong Kim, and outfielders James Outman and Andy Pages for a spot on the roster. The former NLCS MVP made sure to let the Dodgers know he was ready to make an impact after he hit the first homer of Cactus League.
Meanwhile, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been non-committal about Taylor’s role on the team this year.
“I don’t know right now,” Roberts said. “It could be from third base to center field to left field.”
Roberts was also candid when it came to Kim’s role with the Dodgers throughout the 2025 season, citing his struggles at the plate as something that could prevent him from making the Opening Day roster. Kim made the jump from the KBO to MLB this offseason, and could take some time to adjust to the major league pitching.
“I would say, if there’s one part of it, the question mark, I would say it is the bat,” Roberts said. “The competition is different over there than here. … Obviously he’s going through some swing changes that he believes will help him also make this transition easier and sustainable.
“He bet on himself to come here and to compete, and so right now he’s in a competition to earn a job with us. I would say that that’s still all in play, and we don’t need to make a decision right now, obviously, but I would say that if there’s one thing that … still is in question is the bat. And I think that’s a fair thought on our part.”
The future is uncertain for a number of players this spring, but the Dodgers will make sure to utilize whoever will help the team in its quest for a consecutive World Series title.