There has been a lot of discussion about the potential of a slow start this year. I and others have pointed out how the “starters” cannot get through 5 innings before the proverbial melt down. Both Hill and Strip went a solid 4 innings, and then came the 5th. Hill is penciled for his final ST outing on Friday (Saturday?), while Strip is scheduled to start Sunday’s game against LAA in Anaheim. Buehler put in 2.2 innings in his sole start on Tuesday (46 pitches). If all goes well with how he feels after his Tuesday outing, Buehler should make his next appearance on Monday in Anaheim. Ryu is scheduled for his final ST appearance on Thursday. Maeda pitched in a minor league game on Wednesday. Yeah, I know it’s innings, but it is not MLB innings. Maeda is next scheduled to pitch on the final ST game on Tuesday.
I recognize that many of us who are concerned about the lack of stretching out the starters may not be arguing from a position of strength on this issue. While not starting out the gate with a hot March/April is a perceived concern, history tells us that the Dodgers catch fire later in the season…and it is a long season. Yes, I understand that games in March/April count as much as those in September. Knowing how the season ebbs and flows with winning and losing streaks, admittedly I guess I would rather be hot in September than March/April.
Last year, the Dodgers were 12-16 in March/April. That was followed by a 14-14 May before they started to warm up with a 17-9 June.
In 2017, the Dodgers were 14-12 in April followed by a 19-9 May and 21-7 June. Of course that was the year the Dodgers were hotter in the beginning of the year than they were in September. Because of their hot start they coasted to a 104-win regular season, even with a 12-17 September. How did that work out?
In 2016, the Dodgers started 12-13 in April, followed by a 16-12 for both May and June.
In 2015, the first year of the AF era, the team broke out to a 13-8 record, followed by a 16-12 record in May. Maybe there was a reason to get off to a fast start with a new FO regime.
In most of those March/April games, management was still trying to piece together a bullpen in those games. This year, the bullpen at least appears to be stable going into the season with a few middle relief questions, but the choices are quality. One of those questions is who replaces Kershaw while he is on the IL (Ferguson?). Another is what to do with Julio Urias. I know it is a popular opinion that Urias belongs on the 25 man, but with Strip given the nod to temporarily replace Kersh in the rotation, there are those who believe that since Urias is being stretched out as a starter, and that he probably could not be relied upon to pitch in back to back days, he will be pushed to OKC where he would start maybe once a week. That is not my personal preference, but it does have some legs. I think he can be better controlled at the MLB level. While his stuff looked good at times, he wasn’t very efficient and the Cubs did hit him pretty hard. He did not get a lot of defense behind him in his third inning.
This year the relief choices are certainly better than those in the past. Some of those illustrious relievers that have been trotted out the last several years include: Sergio Romo, Sergio Santos, Grant Dayton, Josh Ravin, Edward Paredes, Fabio Castillo, Casey Fien, Carlos Frias, Nick Tepesch, Chin-hui Tsao, Mike Bolsinger, Chris Hatcher, Danny Coulombe, David Huff, Zach Neal, Wilmer Font…I know there are others, but those are the ones that come to mind.
Other than in 2018, the Dodgers followed a slow start with a May record of at least 16-12. I think last year was an anomaly due to JT and Seager being out for most of the first part of the season, as well as most of the starting pitchers spending significant time on the DL. It sure seems that Dodger management strategy is to set up a 5-6-7 man rotation that will not be burned out by October. Of course, that may mean that the bullpen may get burned out as has happened, which makes it even more incredulous why the Dodgers did not go after quality relievers last year. Maybe this year is the year they do so. The strategy sure seems to be sound considering that the Dodgers have won the Division in each of AF’s four years, went to the NLCS the last three years, and to the World Series in the last two. Something must be working.
Last Nights Game –
- As I opined last night, Corey Seager seems to have answered the question as to whether he will be ready to open the season. I cannot remember the last time Corey had a problem free ST, and it does not seem to have hurt him.
- Dustin May looks like he is auditioning for a spot on the roster. But we should not get ahead of ourselves. He had 6 AA starts last year, and a couple of those were not very good. Let’s let him succeed at AA and AAA,and maybe he gets a September call. If not, he will definitely get an extended look in the rotation for next season.
- The season is getting closer so AJ Pollock is starting to feel it. He has found a groove the last couple of games, and makes a great heads up play defensively at 2B.
- Watching Austin Barnes with pitches in the dirt is a joy compared to Grandal.
- Edwin Rios needs more seasoning.
- Other than his 1st outing, Joe Kelly has looked pretty good. But I still want more lock down relievers.
Welcome back, Corey!! Great to see that ball fly over the wall. He looks good and it’s gonna help us tremendously. Pollock, Turner, Corey, Belli, Kike, and Barnes, all look good enough to begin the season. The next games that end ST should season any of the positional players that are not fully conditioned as of yet, including Corey if they play him.
My concerns center on Joc, Muncy, Taylor, and Verdugo who is on the cusp. None of these player have impressed at all except the HR’s of Joc. But Joc can’t hit consistently, and like all the others, none of them are hitting LHP. You can’t send these guys into major league games not being able hit a LHP. We will just have a repeat of the last 2-3 seasons. We might hope the other starters will tow the line, but it usually doesn’t work that way. Rallys are killed with SO’s and DP’s. This is an issue that the FO needs to work out. Verdugo no longer looks like the answer to me for the OF. Muncy looks like crap at the plate. His regression is severe. Taylor has not progressed an inch. He’s already near the top of the ST So list of all player, fanning 6x more than getting a BB. This is serious. Any great ideas out there? I sure don’t have any as to what to do in this situation.
I was hoping that Rios could step up because Muncy is doing so poorly in the hitting dept. But I think Rios is needs more time, much more time. The only possible prospects for the roster have been Miller and Castro. Castro is very good at SS, not sure about LF. Miller is an all around guy. Is he a better choice than Joc for an every day LFielder?
Pitching looks great, just a little more conditioning and we’ll be flying. Dustin May is the greatest surprise to me. I finally got to watch him last night. Beside his pitching prowess, my favorite thing about him is how he kicks his long, elegant leg out before the pitch is thrown. Has anyone noticed this ballet act? Pure aesthetics. He probably doesn’t even notice! It’s a thing of beauty. He’s got perhaps the smoothest delivery of anyone I can think of. Effortless.
Kelly is surprisingly good.
Sprezzatura
Yes. Sprezzatura.
Now we see why Friedman was loathe to trade May and Buehler. Gonsolin and Grove are also going to be flying through the system. These are four electric arms and then there’s Santana, Ferguson and several others. The Dodgers don’t need to trade for more pitching. They need to keep developing what they have. This business model is sustainable.
Dustin May is a pure all-around athlete. He can field, run and hit as well. This guy could be our number three next year. How about this:
1. Buehler
2. Urias
3. May
4. Kershaw
5. Maeda
But I digress… I do not see a slow start . Taylor Muncy and Pederson are having slow Springs, but there’s a lot of time between now and Opening Day. Too many arms, too many hungry players. I think there is just as much of a chance that they come out of the gate with guns blazing.
Never underestimate what Corey Seager brings to this lineup. AC was right – he is healthy and when healthy, he may be the best SS in baseball. He will make everyone around him in the lineup better. If a couple of guys are slumping, that’s baseball. Pollock, Turner, Seager, Kike, Barnes and Bellinger can handle it for now. They can help later.
Dustin May has came a Long, Long way since last spring. The potential was always there… now he is fulfilling it. He’s not far off…. Neither is Gonso! You also saw a video of Grove that Bluto posted. He is similar to Buehler… maybe a couple of ticks slower, but he can be a middle-of-the-rotation guy too.
Mark, I certainly agree with you about the pitching, but I do not see the same things with the positional players. This is why they’ve had slow starts and heavy slumping, the last few years. They haven’t fully addressed this area. Like you, I am hoping the players I mentioned above will carry them through, but this is not a complete team, yet, and I don’t see any prospects from this ST that can step in and change things. We can spin it as a work in progress, but other than FA signings, how can they do it? Pollock may be the first of the FA signings that make sense to the team and how the FO wants to build. I don’t think they have the confidence in the positional players in the farm like they do with the pitching. Big disparity there.
Agree about May’s appearance. It really did look like a performance they were studying for further use. If someone goes down for an extended time, May could probably eat up some starts. He’d probably get knocked around a little but the experience would serve him well for next year. He’s definitely close.
Sometimes as fans we get all wrapped up in our team’s beloved prospects, and I am more guilty than most. But to make any comparison of Michael Grove to Walker Buehler is just not fair. It is not a fair comparison, and it is not fair for Michael Grove, who could become a very good pitcher…just not as good as Walker Buehler. Right now, Grove has a 60 fastball, 60 slider, and 45 change. That is a legit late inning high leverage reliever, but without at least a league average 3rd pitch, he is not a top of the rotation starting pitcher. #4 or #5…sure. At the same development, Buehler had a 65 fastball, 60 curve, 55 slider, and 50 change. Buehler also had a 55 control vs. 50 control for Grove. Buehler’s 50 change is not good enough to become a useful pitch for anything other than show, but he has three others that he can utilize. Grove does not have that luxury. At this juncture I would be fine with a Caleb Ferguson comparison. I would take that as well.
While working on a blog post that I am researching, I come across a lot of scouting reports. Mostly they are positive and showcase the potential ceiling of the player. I came across the following report on Tony Gonsolin that I was saving. It appears to be less biased than most reports.
“I’m most intrigued by his changeup which scouts have called a split change thanks to its diving action. It’s flashed above average, but he doesn’t have a good feel for the pitch yet. And really, that’s the big red flag against Gonsolin. He’s got good control, especially when he pitches around the knees, but his command wanes. His fastball gets flat when he tries to throw it high. His slider doesn’t break enough from time to time and his split change doesn’t always have the same movement. Because of his success in the upper minors (granted, he was old for the levels, which is important to note), I don’t want to relegate him to the bullpen just yet. This was a two-way player in college who didn’t take on full-time pitching until three years ago. There is more development and maybe a touch more projection on his body. I’d argue that he’s already a success for a ninth rounder. He has a chance to debut in 2019 out of the bullpen as teams will usually do with their rookies who throw gas, but small improvements to his command could go a long way.”
There is a lot to like about Tony Gonsolin, and I do believe he can be a part of the rotation as early as 2020. But if the Dodgers could have made a trade for Corey Kluber without losing Dustin May or Gavin Lux, that would make the Dodgers better in 2019. But then again, unlike most, I would have been fine with trading Julio Urias for 3 1/2 years of Chris Sale. At some point, you have to ask; Why not this year?
I am not saying Grove pitches like Buehler. It’s just that his delivery is very similar. I was told by one person who saw grove this spring that his fastball had more life. I have no idea if that is true.
I understand your Grove/Buehler delivery comp. I have not seen Grove pitch, so I have no basis for comparison either. However in all honesty, I do find it hard to believe that Grove’s fastball has more life than Buehler’s, but again I cannot say for sure since I have not yet seen him. If Grove’s fastball has more life and he can fully develop a change or curve that shows a good MPH separation from his fastball, then he could be a TOR starting pitcher.
I think the Kluber ship as sailed and rightfully so. We have pitching, pitching and more pitching. We need to trade some of it for a bat. Here’s an “out of the box” lineup based on the best bats so far assuming Seager is good to go, and he looks like he is.
Pollock – CF
Seager – SS
Turner – 3B
Belli – RF
Kike – LF
Freese – 1B
Miller – 2B
Marnes – C
Of course, Verdugo and/or Joc can be inserted against righties and Belli can play first with Freese sitting. Muncy, Rios and Beaty can AAA until they get hot / healthy in Muncy’s case.
Maybe the Kluber ship has sailed, maybe not. Cleveland and SD are still talking. Like you holding out for Harper saying there was a chance as long as he had not signed, there is a chance for Kluber as long as he is being shopped. i recognize that it is a loooong shot, but if he is traded why not the Dodgers?
What bats are available? There are no JDM’s or Machado’s available. Castellanos? Jose Abreu? Starlin Castro? Of the other 2019-2020 FA, Anthony Rendon, Paul Goldschmidt, and Josh Donaldson all play for contenders and are very doubtful to be traded by July 31. Scooter Gennett has made it quite clear that he wants to stay with Cincinnati. I do not see AF trading the prospect capital for a DH (Castellanos), Abreu or Castro.
Abreu might just be the guy to go after. Surely the White Sox could use a future arm for an expiring contract.
I would send either Muncy or Verdugo down to keep Miller on the roster at this point. Muncy looks worse than Verdugo right now. There’s a few games left to get them going.
I do not disagree on Abreu. But at a $106MM CBT AAV, Chicago does not have a salary problem so they are going to want a fairly substantial return. I honestly do not know what is fair for a 32 year old 1B with a $16MM contract.
Thank you. I already know about http://www.baseballreference.com a long time ago and i am very much a baseball nerd since way back . I did not said Schebler or Peraza are better than Joc or Taylor, i said that has been one of the worst trades made because we did not get nothing basically. Thompson and the other 2b Micah Johnson or whoever it was did nothing. Thompson had 1st good half and then did nothing. So they are for sure much better than those. And Signing Olivera, Sierra, etc. One of the worst signings.
Kluber’s value is probably at its highest right now. Wouldn’t Cleveland be willing to deal at the deadline? The NL West is probably the weakest division. The chances are pretty good the Dodgers will be in a good place in the standings in spite of a slow start, and can then better evaluate the market and what they will need for the playoffs and potentially upgrade then – and pay less.
It’s related to the idea of peaking at the right time, and you can put that in context with the discussion of not stretching the pitchers out enough, or whether the Dodgers being slow out of the gate is a problem. Baseball is a long season. Arms get tired and pitches lose velocity and become flatter (Alex Wood/Stripling), players get fatter (Kemp) and I thought the month by month win percentage someone posted was interesting. The Dodgers maybe had the best team in my living memory in 2017, they started hot and stayed hot until September, when they slumped and went into the playoffs perhaps a little flat.
Adding a top of the rotation pitcher at the deadline is a way to reset and inject some life into a team, either with Kluber, or a fresh Urias if he’s been on ice for the first half of the season.
Too many arms, not enough bats. Lot’s of assets to trade. Joc will be Joc, Kike needs to start at 2B at least until he slumps. 1B is a gaping hole right now. Verdugo hasn’t earned a spot, but might be a default choice. If Muncy can’t get going, you might need to send him Beaty and Rios down and bring up whoever gets hot first. Freeze and Belli can share 1B. I would rather have Verdugo in RF, than Muncy at 1B right now. At least Verdugo can make some contact. Miller gets Muncy’s spot until one of those 1Bs can come back. Hell, maybe Belli goes to 1B and Kike plays RF with Miller at 2B. Kike has the arm for it. It’s too bad they have to get “Creative” with the offense right now. Maybe this is our best bet for a lineup…
Pollock – CF
Seager – SS
Turner – 3B
Belli – RF
Kike – LF
Freese – 1B
Miller – 2B
Marnes – C
When will super sub be used as sub and not starter.
FWIW, Dustin Nosler–of DD & TBLA–is predicting Brad Miller making the roster over Alex Verdugo largely due to versatility, roster status, and Joc’s presence.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see this happen, PalmDale. After all, the FO has been reluctant to insert Verdugo in the lineup for anything but short stints. The way Verdugo is playing in ST, hasn’t increased his stature. If there was someone else really competing for the OF job, we wouldn’t be talking about this. Like 59’s lineup, Kike would have to be moved to LF and Miller at 2B.
Miller played 36 games last season in the OF, had 2 errors. Joc, otoh, had 2 E’s in 132 games.
Miller played 156 career games at 2B with 15 E’s. Joc has a career 519 games in the OF with only 8 E’s.
Do the math. I truly doubt Miller replace Kike at 2B and he’s never going to replace Joc in LF. We just need a better player than Verdugo and Joc in the OF. Perhaps next season, we’ll see another FA signing like Pollock’s to complete our OF.
Since you guys won’t allow me to trade for Haniger then I hope what we have now will keep everybody happy this year and beyond.
Lefty homers:
Pederson 35
Bellinger 35
Seager 35
Muncy 20
Verdugo 12
Righty homers:
Pollock 30
Turner 30
Hernandez 25
Barnes 12
Taylor 12
59
I think Abreu is a good idea.
Because right now, we really don’t have a true clean up hitter in our line up.
And the good thing about Abreu is that he is not just a power hitter, he also hits for an average too.
But the front office will probably wait until the trade deadline to see what we have, as you probably already know.
I didn’t even think about Freeze, but that is not a bad idea, if we can’t find another bat, and if Muncy doesn’t turn things around, once he is feeling better.
Freeze does have even splits between lefties and righties, and he can pop one out on occasion.
One advantage with Freeze, he is very capable of putting the ball in play, and because of that, he would make our offense more productive, and we have plenty of players in this line up that can pop on out, anyways.
AC said he wasn’t sure what it would take to get Abreu, but although he is not the same athletic first baseman that Goldy is, he is not that much older, so maybe that would be the best comp for now, although I know Abreu is going to cost a little less.
There’s always a chance things to be slow at any moment with the Dodgers as when certain players get into a funk the whole team follows suit. But I don’t see any reason or evidence this’ll be the case to follow these ST games. Actually I see evidence towards the opposite and Dodgers will get off to a great start. From where I’m sitting it seems the players I’ve always counted on are ready and on the same page. Pollock fits well, Seager seems healthy, Turner is solid as always, Muncy obviously worked on his defensive skills and his offense should click when he gets more relaxed. Everywhere looks much better than the start of last season. Pitching, both starters and relievers are without any major leaks and adjustments are close at hand if needed. I’d say the ducks are pretty much standing in order. Lets get this party started!
I like Joc too.
Verdugo’s in CF today. Spring stats don’t matter for veterans but for guys trying to make the team it’s probably time to do something. C’mon, Alex, showcase some skills today to show Doc you need to be on the team.
Palmdale
I am surprised that Verdugo hasn’t been better up to now, and I am sure Mark is suprised too.
But your right, it would be nice to see Verdugo break out in these last few games.
But to tell you the truth, I would be surprised if Verdugo was sent down, because Roberts almost already said, that Verdugo would make the team, unless some unforeseen thing happened, in the rest of spring training.
I was wondering when fans would pickup on Dustin May’s very real potential. Just keep stocking arms-r-us. Pitchers rule and hitters drool.
Palmdale
I think if Verdugo was sent down, and that is a big if, to have Miller make the roster, it is not only about Joc, it will be even more, about Taylor.
I have no idea one way or the other but it does seem like for whatever reason both we don’t give him full opportunities to prove himself AND he doesn’t take advantage of them when we do.
It reminds me a little of Puig’s status to tell the truth.
But really we have no way of knowing what our highest level decision-makers think. It does seem he’s not a perfect fit as a 4th OF. Maybe playing every day in AAA for x weeks would be the way to go.
I don’t know.
Palmdale
That is why it is not fair to compare him to Joc, because Joc has been given 4 years to prove himself.
But at the same time, I thought Verdugo would do more in spring training.
I know Toles is out of question right now, but he has done more in the last two spring trainings, then Verdugo has up to now.
And Toles got his playing time cut last year too, about at this same time, like Verdugo.
I guess that is because Toles has the combination of both power and decent bat to bat skills, along with speed.
But after thinking about it, I understand your comparison to Puig.
There may be more to this, then we see.
I totally agree with you, we have no idea what the front office is thinking at this point.
I think Verdugo will be a good fourth outfielder like you said, but could he be more, if he is giving more of a chance, is the question.
I thought Corey Seager was ready a year before he got his shot, but they got Jimmy Rollins.
I thought Cody was ready at the end of Spring Training, but they made him wait until an injury.
Last year, with the logjam in the outfield, Toles could have hit .900 and would not have made it.
Alex Verdugo has been merely OK, but has not seized the day. That is disappointing… maybe he’s still a knucklehead, because that is exactly what Yasiel Puig was: A stone-cold card-carrying member of the Knucklehead Club.
I would have no problem sending him down and seeing if he could “tear up the PCL.”
Mark
I think everything you have said here, is exactly right.
You were actually saying Cody was ready even before spring training, and remember Cody didn’t have a particularly good spring training.
But once he went down he really started to take off, and because of that, he only played a month in AAA.
MJ,
Big difference between Verdugo and Joc is power. Joc has always had the power and still does. This is the main reason why he will be hard to displace by Verdugo, plus Joc is a good fielder with few errors. The FO values power a lot. Combine power with BB’s and you have a very good OPS figure which GM’s salivate for. Verdugo doesn’t seem to be this kind of player.
Jeff
How many errors a player makes, is not a good way to judge a player’s defense.
Because some players get to some balls, that other players couldn’t touch.
And remember outfielders don’t get an error most of the time, if they don’t touch a ball.
As you know, power isn’t everything, especially if they don’t hit with that much power, when there is runners on base.
Or a player can’t adjust to these different situations in games, where less a swing, is sometimes more.
That is why an OPS alone can be deceiving, as you already know.
But like I told Mark, Verdugo has not did enough to take left away from Joc.
Toles’ OPS in both spring trainings, was in the 800s.
And I believe Toles hit three HRs in both spring trainings, and he also had good averages to go with that, although last year, he was just above where Verdugo is right now with average.
Verdugo has not only not hit with much power, he is not even hitting 300.
And he is not hitting in these situations where it stands out, or getting on base at a high rate either.
Buy you have to remember where Joc was in his first year too.
We will see, because no season is ever predictable, and we don’t know who will be in this line up at the end of the year.
Haven’t see the terms yet on the Paul Goldschmidt contract [extension?], but whatever it is he’s worth it. He’s a true impact bat and any team would love to have him.
Palmdale
I didn’t know the Cards extended him.
Maybe these long drawn out off seasons, have scared players from wanting to go through something like Harper, and Machado, went through.
Although most players probably don’t think as highly of themselves, as Machado, and Harper do, either.
Jeff
I didn’t mean to sound rude when I told you about defense.
I had to learn from someone too.
I am sorry if I sounded rude, but I knew you would want to know why we don’t look at errors alone, like we did in the past.
But I knew you would want to know, like I did at one time too, so sorry if it sounded rude.
MJ,
I didn’t think you were being rude. I know E’s are not the be all end all of defense, but they do mean something. I agree there are intangible elements of defense that are also important and no stats to cover them, but like you said, Verdugo is not helping himself.
Please don’t underestimate what I said about the FO already being decided on Joc getting the start. Dodgers have a system in place. Joc fits the system. The only way to break into this system is with staggering stats, stats you can’t avoid recognizing. Miller is a victim of this system along with Toles and Verdugo. As long as the Dodgers own their rights, they can string out prospects until they flip or fly. Most will not succeed. We may not agree with the FO many times, but there is no way to change them, and no way to change Roberts. Mark, of course, doesn’t want to change anything. Failure is the best motivator to change. Losing the WS is not considered failure in the overall scheme of things. Like I’ve said before, this is not a complete team no matter how or who spins it.
Rumored to be 5 year extension (2020 thru 2024) at between $110MM and $130MM. That is two different rumor amounts, but both say 5 years in addition to 2019.
I used to watch Goldschmidt play for the Visalia Oaks [now Rawhide]. Seems like Goldschmidt went from minor leaguer to MLB star in a heartbeat. One of the best pure RH bats in the business.
Palmdale
Remember the Dodgers drafted Goldy first?
He seems to be a good guy too, so good for him.
AC thanks!
I like Verdugo better now than i did before spring training. Maybe that is because I had low expectations for him; and maybe he looks worse to some at this point in spring training because of high expectations.
Pederson is out early today. Sick or traded?
Nothing on Alanna Rizzo’s Twitter about that.
Neither sick nor traded (yet). Perhaps it’s the .167 batting average he’s sporting so far in spring
Probably because Roberts, unlike every other manager, doesn’t want his best lineup to play together until opening day. Even then he’ll find a way to screw it up. Remember it’s impossible to reuse a line up more than 3 times in a season.
59
You know I agree with you about some of the things Roberts does, but at the time this was a good move, because Ryu was already on base from a hit, and Miller immediately came up for Joc, and also got a hit, and then Turner hit a three run HR.
That gave us a hree run lead at the time.
But I was disappointed last night, that Corey didn’t get a fourth at bat, so I know what you mean.
Although I am not aware of Corey’s health, but sometimes I think they are being to over careful at times, too.
I do like your Abreu idea, and Freeze too, but Muncy did get two hits today, and one hit was a double, so maybe he is coming around.
59: Now that’s funny! I hope Utley can help him some.
Miller actually got two hits today.
MJ: So did Muncy as you stated above. The double was nice butI liked the way he just tapped a bad pitch he fought off the other way and beat the shift without a throw. That’s the small edge that adds up by just making contact. It looks like a line drive in the box score, and sometimes that’s what you need to break out of a slump.
Vegas
I said that right above you, one was a double so hopefully he is coming around with his timing, and his wrist issues.
I bet this is going to be the best night’s sleep, that Muncy has had in some time, because you know, he was fighting with himself.
Vegas you certainly know your stuff, when it comes to hitting.
I just read Joc is having Back spasms, so they took him out for precautionary reasons.
I am surprised some of the guys don’t have more issues with their backs, including Joc, with as often as he swings so hard.
Puig gets that from time to time, sometimes when he over swings.
Vegas
I didn’t see Muncy do that, but that works for me.
Remember that is often what a lot of the Giant players use to do, to just try to get it over the infield.
Charter didn’t feature that game today, and they won’t tomorrow either.
Miller just opted out of his contract. I’m assuming that means they told him he wasn’t making the opening day roster. He had a great spring. Shouldn’t have a problem hooking on with someone.
What a douche! Been nice knowing you! Rather find out now than later he’s a ‘me not we’. Great springs playing for a contract mean diddly. (now watch him hit 20 taters for someone else)
He was on a minor league contract. Why in the world would he settle for that when he can probably get a major league contract from someone else? He’s supposed to have loyalty to a team he’s never played for? Or did I misunderstand your comment?
That’s a bit harsh Vegas. To make the Dodger team is not an easy task. He’s doing everything right and still no cigar. You can’t blame a player who is playing well to seek better employment.
I wish him well and perhaps it was too harsh but if he went down and played well he’d be back up soon enough. He had to know that going in and should thank the Blue for showcasing him.
I agree with Vegas. This late in spring training Miller should have accepted a minor league assignment knowing that he would have eventually been called up due to injuries.
Which brings me to my next point. Of all the bitching and complaining about Freidman screwing up this and missing on that, have any of you guys watched most of the Spring Training games? We are almost too loaded, in young pitching and some position players.Veteran guys like Miller are getting blocked. As fans, we can sit behind our keyboards and be critical about all the FO moves, or lack thereof, but in the real world, not the blog world, it is really hard to crack the 26 man roster this year. There is almost too much talent coming up, someones gotta go. Listened to Roggin and Rodney the other day on SportsTalk LA, and they were talking about Trout’s mega contract, and asked Dodger fans to call in and voice their opinion about it and what impact it had on the team. To a person, they all wished Trout well, but double downed on the Dodgers this year. Once again, and it ain’t the Zin talking, we will be in the World Series yet again, Kike will be in the All-Star game at second base, Seager and Turner will take each others votes for MVP, and Bueller will be a top 5 Cy Young candidate. I have SO much confidence in this team compared to last years. Getting a healthy Seager is like signing a major free agent. Another thing, if we can keep Pollock on the field, we are going to kick some serious ass. Freidman also has some major cash and prospects in his poker hand come July 31st. Book it, World Series for the 3rd year, and this time we ain’t bridesmaids!!
Vegas,
He probably did know that going in and probably did thank them for showcasing him, but he took his best shot and knowing the Dodger history with minor leaguers, his chance with this club was probably less than 50% to stick. Guys have been stuck in this limbo for years. Go ask Toles and Verdugo who can’t get any lasting traction. Having a steady job/income is more important than ever in this bloody world. Let’s hope he’s getting good advice.
https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/news/joc-pederson-exits-with-back-spasms
So there you have it-Joc with back spasms
Ryu vs Hill for Opening Day
Taylor had another tough day too.
But like Mark has said, they are going to give Taylor the time to try to straighten out himself.
Connor Joe from the Reds to the Giants.
MJ,
Like I’ve been saying, the FO has already made their minds up about the roster long ago. Now the fans just have to live with it and hope those players who have already proved themselves can carry this team with all the slumping that we will see from the same players that have always slumped. The Dodgers run on Power and Pitching, not hitting. That’s the way they are built. That’s the formula that’s been in place. There’s plenty of room for argument and the fans will jump on it first chance they’ll get.
Jeff
I was just going to remind you of that too.
Like you said, there is not to many true competitions in spring training, and they shouldn’t tell players that either.
The difference with this year, this team is not going to be carry anyone player, like in the past.
But with that said, I am ready to start the season, and see what we have.
So much for Miller.
As Mark said long ago, Verdugo’s a lock for a roster spot.
Miller had the Spring of a lifetime. Worst case scenario is he signs a minor league deal where the path to the bigs is clearer than with the Dodgers. I can’t blame him at all. His best season was good with power, bad OBP. He knows Taylor and Kike are better than him and that there’s plenty of young guys in the system that play the same position. It would have been criminal for the Dodgers to start Verdugo in the minors, even with a mediocre Spring. Time will tell if he’s the one that got away, or just another guy.
Pretty sure management told him they were taking Verdugo and he would have to start in the minors. It could be Pride, or just him wanting to put some money in the bank while he can. I hope he finds a MLB gig, but I’ll probably forget all about him by the time May rolls around.
Back to the not Opening Day lineup today. Roberts wants to make sure he doesn’t use his Opening Day lineup until Opening Day. He wants to make sure his guys are used to getting a new lineup everyday to get the ready for the season.