Well the Freeway Series has started and this gives FAZ one more chance to scout and decide if they want to pull the trigger on a Caleb Ferguson/Mitchell Hanson trade for Mike Trout. Sure it is silly and extreme, but it is only slightly more silly than some of the Cole Hamels trade proposals I read. It’s easy to sit back and look at results and say that was a good trade, or that was a horrible trade. I recognize that GM’s are judged on results, but shouldn’t the basis for the trade also be considered? Why was the trade made? Why were the players traded? What I do believe is unfair is to criticize a GM for a trade that was not made; such as for Cole Hamels. I have read that Amaro asked for Pederson, Seager, and Urias on the high side, and that the Dodgers offered JDL and SVS. I am sure that it was somewhere in between. But since I doubt that anyone on this site (or any other Dodger blog) had Amaro’s phone wire-tapped, nobody has any idea what offers were made. I think it is unfair to criticize FAZ for a trade that was not made, not knowing the facts, though to many, FAZ choked.
In December 2015, FAZ engineered the Dee Gordon, Matt Kemp, Jimmy Rollins, and Howie Kendrick trades. Certainly discussions have been numerous and heated as to the results, so there is no reason for me to rehash. But what were the reasons for the trades? The Dodgers needed a ML catcher, OF & payroll relief; a SS bridge to Seager at a reasonable cost; multiple ML and ML ready role players, move a 2B that their baseball people thought had met his zenith; and acquire a ML 2B to replace the one they traded. The results are mixed and incomplete. I think we still need one year to fully judge the Dee Gordon trade; not just from the Dodgers side, but also to see how Dee Gordon performs this year. FAZ accomplished what they set out to, and while the results were not ideal, they were still generally positive.
There have been two Dodger trades that have generally been on every Dodger fan’s disastrous list; Pedro Martinez for Delino Deshields; and Mike Piazza/Todd Zeile for Gary Sheffield/Bobby Bonilla/Charles Johnson/Jim Eisenreich/Manuel Barrios. There was no justification for the 1998 Piazza trade and the trade has been thoroughly reviewed in the hardballtimes article below. But buried in that article was a paragraph that mirrors my premise.
“Take, for instance, the 1990 Jeff Bagwell-for-Larry Andersen trade. The playoff-bound Red Sox had a horrible middle-relief crew, with nobody to get the ball between their solid starters and Jeff Reardon reliably. They were desperate for a middle reliever, and while Bagwell was a pretty strong prospect, few could foretell that he would go on to have the career that he had. In retrospect, the Red Sox got swept that year by the A’s, Andersen was a Padre the next year, and Bagwell had a near-Hall of Fame career. In hindsight, it was a lopsided trade, but given the circumstances at the time, it was very defensible.”
http://www.hardballtimes.com/de-constructing-the-piazza-trade/
The Martinez/Deshields trade turned out to be just as horrendous, but the reasons for the trade, and the two players involved made some sense to people who were not emotionally invested into either team or player. If Jody Reed signs a very fair contract offer, the Dodgers are not looking for a 2B and Pedro would have remained a Dodger. I have linked a Tim Kurkjian authored Sports Illustrated article below that was written a few months after the trade. One quote stood out for me when I first read the article in 1994, and it still resonates today.
“It wasn’t a trade for the mild-mannered,” says Dodger general manager Fred Claire. “Dan and I talked about how we were going to get killed [in the public forum] on this deal. It was safer not to make the trade. But it made all the sense in the world.” What is forgotten (or never understood) by many Dodger fans was that Duquette was just as much villainized by Expo fans as Claire was by Dodger fans.
There has been a lot of trade speculation and discussion of late. Do the Dodgers move some of their surplus to get a top setup reliever? Do they move Puig and find another RH OF bat? Sometimes you have to beware of what you wish for. Here is a short list of one sided trades that featured prospects for ML established players and it is clear that the Dodgers are not the only team that has suffered seemingly one sided trades involving prospects.
- Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz. What makes this somewhat memorable was that the Tigers needed a SP for the pennant run and Alexander went 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA. They could not have asked for more. They made the playoffs but lost to the Twins in the ALCS. The Braves chose between John Smoltz and Steve Searcy, and chose wisely.
- Phillies traded Ferguson Jenkins to Cubs for Larry Jackson and Bob Buhl.
- Phillies made another trade to the Cubs that turned out only slightly better for the Phils. Ryne Sandberg/Larry Bowa for Ivan De Jesus. De Jesus was good for the Phils, but there is no question who got the better of that trade.
- But the Cubs were not always on the plus side of those deals. They traded a prospect by the name of Lou Brock (with Jack Spring and Paul Toth) for veterans Ernie Broglio/Bobby Shantz/Doug Clemens.
So while GM’s are absolutely judged on the results (and rightfully so), the reasons behind the trades should also be considered.
Interesting AlwaysCompete.
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The Gordon, Kemp and Kendrick trades you mentioned were actually engineered in December 2014. Seems like a common theme, “be very careful when dealing young players”. You never know what they may become.
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I know it has been argued many times, but the “Urias, Seager and Pederson” side of the Hamels argument makes a lot more sense (without the benefit of wiretapping). We KNOW:
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1. Hamels had a very reasonable contract.
2. FAZ was widely reported as in on Hamels.
3. The Phils had held off pulling the trigger on Hamels for over a year, trying to maximize the return.
4. There was LOTS of interest in Hamels, driving the price up.
5. What Jose DeLeon actually brought back in a trade.
6. What the Phils actually got from TX.
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Here is a quote (and link to entire article) from an article dodgerpatch posted on the “other” site.
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“Plus, they’ve (Dodgers) never been able to sell the Phillies on a package for Hamels that didn’t include someone like shortstop phenom Corey Seager or the Dodgers’ best pitching prospect, Julio Urias. We’ve heard rumblings that, if one of those two isn’t in the deal, the Phillies have asked for as many as six players back from the Dodgers’ 1-A prospect tier. And that ain’t happening, either.”
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In my opinion, the above quote sums it all up!
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http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/page/tradedeadline_hamelshunt/who-trade-cole-hamels-deadline-anyone
Box, you are right about the date. I knew it was 2014, but for whatever reason I used the first year FAZ were responsible. My bad, thanks for fact check.
I think it’s hard and almost unfair to judge a trade down the road, or a free agent signing for that matter, because so much of the outcome is dependent on unforeseen circumstances. No one can predict the future. You make the best choice with the best available information. Even with the Pedro trade, if I remembe,r a notable doctor the Dodgers consulted told them that, because of a separated shoulder, Pedro would never be the same pitcher. They tried to use the best available information to make the most logical decision. Sometimes those moves come down to a gut instinct.
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I think that is why the Billy Beane approach was so revolutionary at the time. How do you better predict outcomes? Up till then, and still, there is a little bit of a gambler’s instinct in evaluating talent. His scouts would drive him crazy with talk such as, “He has the build of a starting pitcher,” or, “he looks the part.” He wanted to find a better way by looking at data more effectively mostly, as we know, by necessity because the A’s don’t have any money. Necessity is the mother of invention. On the other hand, if you haven’t read it, I would recommend Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point. It is great in explaining the power of human intuition in accurately predicting outcomes and how powerful it can be, and how it can also be fooled. In my own experience at my job, I use both objective data measurement, but also my experienced eye. I know my outcome is successful when the data and my eyeball test agree with each other. In baseball, you’ll still need experienced guys who get it when they see it. I think that’s Dodger Rick’s argument, that experience still means a lot in a sabre-centric game.
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I think in terms of evaluating trades, for me, even if the outcome isn’t successful, I can still evaluate the reasoning that went into the trade – AT THE TIME, which means, based on the available and best information. I thought, at the time, that the Dback’s trade for Shelby Miller was pretty dumb, and sure enough, it turned out to be pretty dumb. I thought AJ Preller’s gamble to buy offense for the Pods, at the time, was pretty dumb, and, sure enough, the Pods stink worse than before. I can analyze why the reasoning for those trades was bad. If the reasoning for a trade or free agent signing is good, but it just doesn’t work out, I give the GM a pass.. McCarthy hasn’t worked out so far, but I still think the reasoning for that signing was pretty good.
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Cole Hamels pitched pretty well for the Rangers last year, but if you think about it, look at the situation. That was the first year of the FAZ regime. Their priority was to build the foundation of a successful organization, which means building up a depleted and dysfunctional farm system. We pretty much have a good idea that Amaro was asking for the marquee prospects. We get that from baseball journalists whose job is to get those scoops by talking to insiders, so you can’t dismiss it as mere “rumors.” Sorry Badger. We also understand from the best information that, if not those guys – Seager, Urias – then it would have been quantity, probably headlined by JDL. That means a haul, a lot of good prospects – probably five or six. If you look at the situation at the time, if FAZ was trying to build up the farm system, I can understand why they wouldn’t want to deplete it, even if it didn’t include a Seager or Urias, just for a slightly better chance of winning a championship in the short term. FAZ are playing the long game, which is the right approach. So, Hamels or no, I thought the reasoning – AT THE TIME – was sound. Maybe if the situation came up again today, since they’re operating on more solid footing with respect to the farm, maybe they make a trade. They did last year with Hill for exactly that reason, I think.
Another thought provoking article. Thanks AC. You and Mark keep the thoughts churning and conversation flowing – good job.
My fascination with trades includes not only looking at the trades that were made, but those that were not. I remember when Al Campanis wanted to trade Burt Hooten, Dave Stewart, Mark Bradley and a then unheralded Orel Hershiser to the Rangers for Jim Sundberg. Fortunately, Sundberg nixed the trade, otherwise it would rank in the Martinez-DeShields realm of bad trades. It was also rumored that Oakland had agreed to trade Ricky Henderson to the Dodgers for Alejandro Pena and a few minor pieces but were delaying confirming the trade, so Campanis infamously pulled out of the trade. What might have been had these trades gone trough as proposed?
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I thought the Dee Gordon trade made lots of sense at the time (and still do). The Dodgers needed an established bridge to the future, one that not only helped them win, but could instill a positive culture and work ethic in the younger players. They got that in spades. Whether Gordon goes on to be an all-star doesn’t matter to me. Frankly I hope he continues to be an all-star. I don’t think that would have ever happened with the Dodgers and I think it may have taken longer for some of the younger players (primarily Seager) to develop as they have. Everybody wins, and that makes for a good trade.
Only one element missing in the trade analysis: steroids. Without steroids Pedro and Bagwell wouldn’t have had noteworthy careers.
Teachers’ Pets: Kike and Barnes. I think the Barnes deal of yesterday, with Wilson, damages the credibility of the staff when it comes to non roster guys. Wilson beat out Barnes fair and square and is still without a ML job. Kike is not as good as the other 2 guys he beat out and who had good springs, and yet he is still standing and the others are at AAA. I can’t believe the attachment of the suits to these 2 guys. I don’t think versatility is the answer. The deals yesterday made the team weaker.
Let’s not forget who also has a big say in which players make the 25 man:Doc!
Barnes has now been in the organization for a couple of years, is younger, and is a very good defensive catcher. One hot spring does not indicate that Wilson found a magic hitting potion and would be better than any of his previous years.
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Taylor needs to prove that he can hit at AAA because again, one hot spring is not enough to predict what anybody will do during the season. Kike’s best defensive position is actually short stop. Maybe Taylor will get to play some CF at AAA.
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It was Taylor’s speed that I liked enough to put him on the team instead of Kike’.
Bobbie17
With Barnes, he was told he had the job, before spring training, ever started.
And we need to see if he will be able to hit major league, pitching.
And about Kike, I agree with you, about Kike.
I don’t think he should make this team, on what he did, in that one season.
But if he doesn’t produce, hopefuly he will be moved down to AAA, and he will have to prove that he can hit, at AAA.
Because he is not the best defensive player, of the bunch.
50 AB’s against ST pitching does not constitute beating out someone fair and square. Who were his hits of off? MLB pitchers or minor leaguers? Who does the staff like throwing to and trust? Who does Honeycutt trust? Who throws out base runners better? Who can play multiple positions? There is a lot more that goes into it than hitting off of minor league pitchers in exhibition games. The book is out on Wilson and no way did the Dodgers dump Chooch just to bring in Wilson no matter what the luxury tax is. Wilson had a nice spring and if he acts like a good boy and accepts his assignment to OKC, he has a chance to get back on the roster.
As for Kike vs Taylor. Kike has more offensive upside I guess. I think Taylor is a AAAA player, but he definitely had a nice spring. If Seager ever has to go on the DL for 10 days or more, I suspect Taylor would see the time at SS not Kike. Seager, isn’t coming out of ball games. He will get an occasional day off and maybe a double-switch forces him out of a game at some point, but in all honesty the Dodgers don’t need to carry either of them. Forsythe could hand a game or two there. As could Turner if he had to. Forsythe would be better defensively than Kike and Turner wouldn’t be any worse. Kike better hit or Thompson, Ethier, or Taylor will take his spot sooner rather than later.
I can tell for sure that Dave Roberts loves veteran bench players and that he really likes Kike. I’m sure that had a lot to do with it.
I can also tell you with 100% certainty that Friedman would not make Roberts take someone he does not want
I agree that there are many ways of evaluating a trade. One is the needs or goals of the teams making the trade; there is both a long term and short term outcome of any trade as well. This is often lost when evaluating a trade where prospects are traded. For example – the Dodgers just traded DeLeon for Forsyth. If DeLeon becomes a star and Forsyth is a journeyman middle infielder for the Dodgers for 2 years, the trade will be judged a bust for the Dodgers and a steal for the Rays.
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If the Dodgers go to the Series this year and Forsyth is an important part of that, the entire calculation is changed and the Dodgers have met their short term goals even if DeLeon does become a star. If not…
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If DeLeon is a bust or just so-so, the trade gets viewed differently.
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The Dodgers needed a 2B so they traded Pedro Martinez for Delino DeShields. Tommy thought that Pedro was too small to make it as a full time starting pitcher.
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/1/22/3903532/prospect-retrospective-pedro-martinez-dodgers-expos-mets
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The Dodgers needed a closer so they traded Paul Konerko for Jeff Shaw.
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You can point to dozens of trades like this. Shaw was solid for LA – DeShields not so much.
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The Dodgers traded Maury Wills to Pittsburg for Bob Bailey who went on to hit .224 for LA – they traded Ron Perranoski to the Twins for Zoilo Versailles who hit under .200 for LA while Perry was the top reliever in the AL. The Dodgers needed a 3B in Bailey and thought that Wills’ legs were shot but they ended up getting Wills back in 1969 and he pushed the Dodgers in a playoff run. Bad trades but you understand why.
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What if Konerko and Pedro were busts like most prospects prove to be? Maybe the best moral to the story is to be able to accurately judge which prospects will make it?
Maybe the best way to judge a trade is not at the player level but at the team level. The question might be was a team better during the next 5 years than it would have been without making that trade. Does it matter whether the other team was better or worse unless that team eliminated you from progressing to or in the post season?
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If the Dodgers had traded for Hammels and still not gotten into the WS in any of the years Hammels was on the team, would that be a bad trade even if Hammels was undefeated and had an ERA below 2.5?
Sometimes a player will catch my eye and I will think, who is that? DJ Peters caught my eye last night. He is 21 and will start the season in High A but there was something about the way he reacted to the line drive Trout hit against the right field wall that jolted my attention. Then he took a good swing for a base hit an inning later. He is a 6′ 6″ outfielder that bats and throws from the right side.
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He is on my radar. What do you think AC?
Bums, it is no wonder that DJ caught your eye. He has raw power with a long swing, a good eye at the plate, high exit velocity off the bat, plus arm, deceptive speed, can play all three OF positions. Remind you of anyone ? A lot of people are calling him a RH Joc Pederson. As a 20 year old he hit .351/.437/.615/1.052 at Ogden last year. At 19, Joc hit .353/.429/.568/.997 in Ogden. With 302 PA, DJ had 13 HR, 66K, and 35BB, while Joc had 11 HR 54K/36 BB in 310 PA when he was at Ogden.
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Currently DJ is listed on the Great Lakes roster. Some believe he could skip Great Lakes and move directly to Rancho, and do well. Joc had only 60 PA in Great Lakes. Unfortunately I was unable to see the game last night, so if it was mentioned that he will start in Rancho I was not aware of that. I hope so because I will see him next week in Stockton (A’s affiliate). If he starts in Great Lakes, he will not be there long. Unfortunately one of the downsides of the OF’s optioned/assigned to OKC has a snowball affect down the organizational chain. Currently O’Koyea Dickson/Brett Eibner/Ty Holt/Alex Verdugo with Bellinger and Segedin both getting turns in the OF. That probably leaves Garlick and Scavuzzo in Tulsa, and so on…
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Bums, DJ should be on the fast track. He is a good one to have your radar on. I have heard that he could reach Tulsa before the end of the year. IMO he is the best RH bat in the Dodgers farm system.
I forgot about Thompson. That leaves no room for Garlick or Scavuzzo at OKC unless somebody gets released.
An interesting article about Zaidi here: http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-farhan-zaidi-20170330-htmlstory.html
That is a great read. I’m watching the stroller while the kids are on a kiddy ride. Sitting here with an Oil Can. I only ride roller coasters.
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Life is good.
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I’ll interview Farhan soon.
From http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/221708346/los-angeles-dodgers-2017-statcast-preview/
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Crushing in the clutch
Joc Pederson posted a very good .846 OPS with runners in scoring position last season, but he might have deserved a higher OPS judging by how hard he was hitting the ball. Pederson’s average exit velocity in all RISP situations was 93.7 mph last season, which tied several other sluggers for the third-highest average among all players who put at least 50 balls in play.
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Joc was only one of several players that statcast praised but he has more doubters than the others.
Bums – I don’t have any data or analysis to back this up but I seem to recall a lot of Joc’s hard hit outs were due to the shift. It’s just a gut reaction, but I remember getting frustrated regularly when Joc would crush a line drive but it would be in the 3-4 hole (which is not a hole with the shift in play) so it would be just a loud out. Is there any way to fact check that theory? did the shift have a measurable effect on Joc’s OPS?
Statcast might have data on the effectiveness of the shift. They will be coming out with more and more stats. I watched the first 4 innings on MLBtv and then watched the rest of the game this morning after taping the MLB Network 2 AM delayed broadcast.
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Either the Dodger announcers or the Angel announcers made a comment about the shift and said positioning is getting better an better as data becomes more abundant and pitchers pitch to the shift. A few weeks ago, Turner said he was trying to get the ball in the air to go above the shift instead of adjusting his swing to hit it where they aren’t.
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I’ve noticed that the second baseman plays in short right field against Agon due to his slower running speed.
The most impressive thing on that article you posted, was from Corey.
Corey had the second highest exit velocity against a leftie pitcher.
Papi was the only player, that hit a leftie pitcher, harder then Corey.
And Corey hits the ball, where ever it is pitched.
Really great topic today about the trades. I can’t believe how much my baseball knowledge has gone up reading some of these posts. With that said, I posted a couple of weeks ago how I wasn’t too crazy about FAZ when they came on the scene. I was a Donnie baseball guy, and also couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t pull the trigger on the last couple of July deadlines to get us a knockout starter or two. I feel like grasshopper getting educated by Kung Fu by sitting back and looking at what FAZ has done and is doing right now. Now dont’t get me wrong, I’m not putting these guys up on some kind of pedestal, but there is definitely a method the their nerdy madness. To get an idea of what they have accomplished so far, all you have to do is look at this blog the last few months or so and see some of the articles Mark and some of the other guys have wrote. The one that really blew me away was the one about Greinke and Mark talking about low risk and high reward pitchers. Makes total sense once you read that post, something the normal Dodger fan and myself don’t really see on the surface when we see Hamels, Price, Sherzer and Co. go to other teams while we just hang back. I love the comment about how they are spreading the risk around instead of going all in on one stud pitcher. The risk factor is there. By holding tight and catching crap from alot of people, myself included, FAZ is now dealing from an enviable position of too many good players. I have heard the last week or so about the Dodgers from some of the MLB, Fox, and ESPN guys, and one thing they all agree on is how friggin deep the Dodgers, and how they use the entire 40 man roster.
I know the FAZ haters out there are thinking I’ve been drinking too much of the Kool-Aid, but like this theme today about past trades are saying, it is too soon to pass big time judgement on these guys, they are still a long ways from the doing what they have visualized. So far, I like the product. Gonna be a fun year.
One more thing, what are the chances of A.J. Ellis coming back to the Dodgers in a couple of years as a coach or possible minor league manager? The guy loved being a Dodger, and I think he will be one helluva manager one of these days.
Keep in mind that FAZ found a way to avoid the “either-or” last year. They both spread the risk around (early on) and then acquired a pitcher with Kershaw-esque numbers (Hill) at the deadline. Look for them to use these same approach in the future.
At the time I remember wanting Delino Deshields, but not being happy Pedro was dealt for him. Delino wound up being an astro-turf player. He got a lot of hits because the balls got through the holes quicker on Montreal’s turf. It just didn’t play in LA. Damn that Jody Reed and his agent.
He also had chronic leg issues most of the time he was with the Dodgers.
If DJ Peters proves this year he’s the real deal, it’ll make Alex Verdugo (another leftie hitter) extremely valuable trade bait!
Hatcher with a nice inning there
I too was taken by DJP the other night. Have really enjoyed watching these young guys perform in ST.
Wanted to say how well it’s working with AC & Bums writing for LADT, and the whole feel of the new site.
I’m disappointed for Taylor – not sure what message this sends out for those guys striving away at AAA, the ones that AC described so well recently. Not sure what purpose ST served other than as a tune up for the upcoming season?
Agree totally with RC Ray above. I think that FAZ sees the season in two halves, each side of the TD. If we are on track & they consider a Stud SP is needed for the playoffs then they will now pull the trigger. I think in the first couple of years, they did not really believe in the team they had, that it was still a work in progress, and as a result were not prepared to take the risk of trading away their elite prospects, when by doing so they were not guaranteed immediate success, but ran the risk of derailing the longer term strategy. They were not prepared to go all in. Now, I believe they are seeing this team as WS ready & have assembled so much depth that they will move to win now mode.
On a different note, I’m so pleased for Ryu to have won a spot. The fact that we can keep Urias in reserve tells us that things are on the right path.
Let’s be honest, a rotation of,
Kershaw
Maeda
Hill
MCarthy
Ryu
With Urias in the wings is very strong.
I’m very much looking forward to getting going, but I’m with MJ in having a feeling that the bottom of our lineup (Grandal, Puig, Joc) is very hit or miss, and the numbers that particularly Puig & Joc put up will be pivotal to our season.
Watford,
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I agree with everyone on DJ Peters. He is a good-looking player. He could be very good or he could be Kyle Russell. He has a lot of work to do this year, as he has a very long swing. Bellinger learned what to do and Peters can do so too. He can also play CF or LF but profiles as a RF due to his cannon of an arm. He moves like a much smaller man – he is quick like a cat!
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I am not so sure the reason that FAZ did not trade in 2015 was because they lacked confidence in the team, so much as they did not have the depth to do so. I think it has been established that Friedman will not give up who he considers TOP PROSPECTS. That could change this year, but barring total disaster, I can’t see them trading for a starter… maybe a setup guy.
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On the bottom of the lineup being “hit or miss” I think you should look at the production. Too many people are hung up on bating average being the indicator of productivity. Yasmani Grandal was actually #1 on the Dodgers last year with Frequency of Runs Batted in – he had an RBI every 5.4 AB. Compare that with who everyone says is our “butter and eggs men,” Turner and Gonzo who averaged an RBI every 6.2 and 6.3 AB’s. Even Joc’s average was better at 6.0. Nolan Arrenado led baseball with an RBI every 4.6 AB. Matt Kemp with 108 RBI was at 5.7.
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That’s why I think Yasmani is in better shape – so he can have more AB’s and more RBI’s. It’s also one of the reasons I think he will hit higher in the lineup than most of you do.
Here are the Minor League Rosters:
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http://www.insidesocal.com/dodgers/2017/03/31/dodgers-minor-leaguer-season/#more-19484
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Yadier Alvarez and Julio Urias are nowhere… evidently both are in extended Spring Training.
Spring Training gives a very small sample size, especially with the way the Dodgers liberally use their organizational players and prospects. I do not think you can get any trends until the hitter reaches at least 100 AB. But while Turner was the leader in RBI with 16 he did so in 52 AB with a 3.25 frequency. The three players with the most ST AB were Pederson/Grandal/Toles with 62,61,60 respectively each have 9, and Bellinger with 58 AB has 10 (one great AB/RBI last night). The old man Utley has 12 RBI in 53 AB. I also like to throw in one of those organizational guys…Brett Eibner with 10 RBI in 36 AB.
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With what is perceived to be the base lineup…Forsythe/Seager/Turner/AGon in the 1 through 4 positions, I think Grandal can move to the #5 spot, and that would put the OF in the #6, #7, #8 slots. When your OF is in the bottom 3rd of the lineup, that does not bode well for a position that you are looking for offensive production from. Right now I do not expect much more out of Joc than good OBP and power, and a solid defensive CF. That would put the burden on Toles/Ethier and Puig. Corner OF have to produce for any team to score runs, and LAD is no different even if JT has another career year in him. FAZ is going to wait to see if their are any potential hiccups in the starting rotation before they do anything, but corner OF is still a position of need for the Dodgers.
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Maybe I am seeing something that is not there, but to me Puig does not look happy. He does not look like he is having fun.
I think you are right – he is highly frustrated.