It’s Time to Get Back to Reality!

December 10, 2017

OK, I’ll put down my crack pipe, if you put down yours.  Stanton and Ohtani were crack!  Just say no to drugs! This Team Is Still Pretty Special. The won 104 games and just missed winning the World Series by “that much.” Let’s start with this:  The Dodgers are set at a number of positions with some high quality players, most of whom are young enough to improve even more….

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Brandon Morrow’s Replacement

December 3, 2017

By the time Brandon Morrow got to the big leagues in 2017, the Dodgers were ready for someone to set-up Kenley Jansen on the back of the bullpen.  Brandon Morrow filled that bill and while I would love to have him back, there are two problems:  (1) He was healthy last year, but he has generally never been that healthy at any time in his career; and (2) some other…

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Luxury Tax Concerns

December 1, 2017

I continue to read that Dodger Ownership/Management wants to get under the luxury tax threshold THIS year.  That is certainly a laudable goal, and under normal circumstances I can see why that should always be the goal.  But is 2018 the year to draw the line?   Sometimes you need to spend money to make money.  In home building, finishes are upgraded to get buyers to sign. Buyers are visual…bling…

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GM’s Aren’t That Stupid! (Are They?)

November 30, 2017

Yes, some GM’s have made “dope fiend” moves in the past… the recent past, but they eventually figure it out (or get fired), which is why I think the Free Agent Signing Market has been non-existent so far.  The signings of Cueto, Samardzija, Price, Greinke and may others to idiotic, dope-fiend contracts has not been the pathway to success for major league teams.  Houston won the World Series this year…

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FAZ and Unpredictability

November 28, 2017

Anyone who really believes they know what the Master Plan is could be delusional.  One thing I have learned is that one never knows in what direction FAZ goes.  Did anyone truly believe that FAZ would have signed all three 2016 FA?  Most did not even think Hill was a consideration, and that FAZ would only sign one of Jansen and Turner.  I thought that Turner would come back (LA…

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What Is The Master Plan?

November 26, 2017

Lest we forget, the Dodgers were so close, so very close to winning the World Series last year and they were (for the most part) a very young team.  The CF, SS and 1B were all under 24.  The RF was 26 and the catcher was 27. Next year, they will be even younger after Chase Utley, Andre Ethier and Adrian Gonzalez are gone, but that’s not to say they…

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Rule 5 Draft and 40 Man Roster

November 20, 2017

This year’s MLB Winter Meetings will be held December 10-14 in Ontario, Florida. On the final day of the MLB’s Winter Meetings, the annual Rule 5 draft takes place. Players eligible for selection must meet the following criteria: Not on the MLB team’s 40 man roster. 5th Year after signing initial contract is signed at 18 or younger, or; 4th year after signing initial contract is signed at 19 or…

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Trading For Stanton as a Way to Cut Payroll

November 13, 2017

OK, that headline brands me as crazy, right?  Well, that’s old news!  Everyone knows that Gioncarlo Stanton is going to cost almost $30 million a year right?  Maybe over the life of the contract, but next year, he might be FREE. Here’s a really important fact:  The Dodgers don’t need to do anything, but if they do, it should be significant and it should reduce payroll.  I think the Dodgers can…

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Return on Investment – Risk vs. Reward

November 7, 2017

Many have posited (including me) that the depth the Dodgers have generated were critical in their march to 104 wins. I have also written that the depth needs to be pruned at times so that the organization will continue to grow by clearing the way for new prospects or ML 25 man roster help.  That is why I had no problem with sending Jharel Cotton, Grant Holmes, and Frankie Montas…

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2017-2018 Hot Stove

November 4, 2017

One of the positives about getting to the WS and extending it to 7 games, is that there is only 5 weeks before the Winter Meetings in Orlando.  We are going to have to pack in a lot of thought and suggestions about the restructuring of a 104 win team into a WS champion.  We are all so much smarter than Friedman and Zaidi sitting in front of a computer…

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