I wanted Chris Sale at the 2016 trade deadline when he was burning bridges with the ChiSox. I cannot fault management because he was not traded until the Winter, and I have no idea as to who Chicago was demanding. We can speculate all we want, but nobody here knows.
I was a strong advocate for Justin Verlander at the 2017 trade deadline, but understood why the Dodgers did not want to go over the CBT threshold. I accept that. I was okay with the Yu Darvish trade even thought it did not work out. It was an attempt to get a top of the rotation starter.
I lobbied for Gerrit Cole in the 2017 offseason, and he ended up with the Astros. The Dodgers could have matched what the Astros gave up in the trade if they wanted to. They needed another top of the rotation starter, and Cole was controllable for two years. He should have been a Dodger (as should have been Christian Yelich).
Last year all of the emphasis was on Machado, and rightfully so. The Dodgers hoped that Machado was that RH bat they needed to take them over the edge to a WS Championship. It just did not work out. The Dodgers prospects included may turn out to be good but none will be elite. There is also the possibility that none of them will ever amount to anything more than a reserve at the ML level if they make it that far. Thus the moniker of prospect for prospects. We just never know.
This past winter, I was advocating a trade to get Corey Kluber. Trevor Bauer would have been fine as well, but a two time CY winner and 4 out of the last five years as a top 3 in the voting with three years of control at about $17MM seemed to be a logical pursuit. Only one of the years was guaranteed, so if he failed, the financial loss would have been acceptable. We can never know whether the Dodgers whiffed, because he was not traded, and we do not know how the Indians viewed any potential return.
But many here said the Dodgers do not need another starter because they have Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin in the system getting ready to make a call on the rotation. Great! 2020 and 2021 could look good for the future, but I want to win in 2019.
Some have suggested that Dustin May could make the rotation this year and the Dodgers do not need another front line starter. So I decided to take a little deeper look into how May might be able to help in 2019. Not even the most optimistic fan would ever step out and say that Dustin May is another Clayton Kershaw. It is not FAIR to May to make any such comparison to a future 1st ballot HOF. But I decided to make somewhat of a comparison for two the Texas HS pitchers drafted by the Dodgers.
Kershaw is 6′ 4″ 226 from Dallas, Texas, while Ginger Thor is 6′ 6″ 180 from Justin, Texas (42.5 miles from Dallas).
LHSP, Clayton Kershaw, was drafted in the first round #8 overall in 2006. He immediately was sent to Rookie League and dominated. In 2017, Kershaw moved to Great Lakes and then bypassed High A and went directly to AA (Jacksonville). He dominated at GL, and pitched extremely well for a 19 year old at JAX. In 2008, Kershaw started back at JAX but was called up in May to make his ML debut on May 25 against the Cardinals. Kersh went 6.0 innings surrendering 2 runs on 5 hits, 1 BB and 7 K. He did not get a decision. He made 6 more starts before he was optioned back to JAX until he was called back up for good with a start on July 27.
He was not the automatic CY candidate when he first came up as he finished the season with:
22 games pitched; 21 starts; 107.2 IP; 52 B; 100 K; 4.26 ERA and 1.495 WHIP. Not bad for a 20 year old, but he was not going to save the Dodgers 2008 pitching staff. He did appear twice in the NLCS but was not a factor. His MiLB career went as follows:
Year Age Level Games GS IP BB K ERA WHIP
2006 18 Rookie 10 8 37.0 5 54 1.95 0.892
2007 19 GL (A) 20 20 97.1 50 134 2.77 1.253
2007 19 JAX (AA) 5 5 24.2 17 29 3.65 1.378
2008 20 JAX (AA) 13 11 61.1 19 59 1.95 0.946
2008 20 LAD 22 21 107.2 52 100 4.26 1.495
So the HOF pitcher had a rather pedestrian start to his ML career even as hyped as he was. Now let’s take a look at Dustin May. May was drafted in the 3rd round, 10 years after Kershaw, and went directly to Rookie League as an 18 year old. While he did not dominate as Kershaw did, he did pitch well in 10 games; 6 starts. In 2017, Dustin pitched primarily at GL but did pitch a total of 11.0 innings at RC. In 2018, Dustin started the season at RC, but was promoted to Tulsa where he started 6 games. In 2019, as a 21 year old, he returned to Tulsa where he is pitching some excellent baseball.
Year Age Level Games GS IP BB K ERA WHIP
2016 18 Rookie 10 6 30.1 4 34 3.86 1.352
2017 19 GL (A) 23 23 123.0 26 113 3.88 1.195
2017 19 RC (A+) 2 1 11.0 1 15 0.82 0.636
2018 20 RC (A+) 17 17 98.1 17 94 3.29 1.098
2018 20 Tulsa (AA) 6 6 34.1 12 28 3.67 1.136
2019 21 Tulsa (AA) 4 4 19.0 6 20 1.89 0.947
May has had a good start to his career, and undoubtedly will become a very good starting pitcher. Probably a #3, but certainly a potential #2. Although he did not dominate as Kershaw did in the beginning of his career. Kershaw did not burst on the scene as did Doc Gooden or Fernando. He has gone on to have a far better career than either pitcher. Can we expect May to become a better callup than Kershaw was at a similar age in the middle of a pennant race and become a top of the rotation type pitcher, even though he has not performed as well as Kershaw up to this point? I would not expect that he would, but that is sheer conjecture. The FO is supposed to plan for the holes, and for an ownership group with as much wealth as they supposedly have, and with the revenue base the Dodgers enjoy, finance should not be a major consideration, and yet it seems to be the primary consideration.
Maybe May gets a call in May as Kershaw did, and come up full time in July as Kershaw also did, but I would not expect a 21 year old to pitch like a CY candidate in the middle of a pennant race. I would expect him to more emulate how Kersh pitched when he first came up. Is the FO looking for a fill-in to give valuable experience as a 21 year old, or to find a top line pitcher that can help them win this year and not 2021. Are $$$$ going to be a factor? Who is going to be available? These are difficult questions for we fans to answer, but we can have opinions. I prefer the trades in the off-season rather than at the trade deadline. I prefer players to play a full season with the team rather than a couple of months to get acclimated to the new team.
I hope the 4 of Kershaw, Buehler, Hill, and Ryu can pitch all year and be in a groove in October. But I am more of a realist than an optimist, and while I hope that would be the case, it is not likely. It’s fine to want to say that the current Dodger pitching will get it together, but shouldn’t that same expectation be given to other pitchers. I would agree that Corey Kluber has not started out 2019 with much success, but if Ryu or Hill or Buehler or Kersh can get better as the season goes, so can Kluber.
The bullpen questions are even more of an issue. Overall, Dodger pitching is #15 in ERA with 4.24. I am sorry but that is not acceptable for a team that is supposed to excel in pitching to contend for a WS championship. Starters – 3.82 ERA (#11) and bullpen – 4.93 ERA (#25). Yes, good pitching is going to cost prospects. Kimbrel should not be considered until after the June draft, but if he is still unsigned after the draft, and the only consideration is money, I think Kimbrel should get a call. I think Kimbrel would consider helping the Dodgers win a WS and then trying for FA again. But this time be a little more realistic.
I am not at all disillusioned by the start of the season for the Dodgers. In fact, I am quite encouraged as I did not expect the team to be .500 at the end of April. It is also much too soon to be thinking who will be available at the trade deadline. But that does not mean that as fans we cannot have opinions as to how to help the team. That is true for those that believe that the Dodgers do not need to do anything because all of the current players are going to play like MVP and CY from May on, and all of the prospects are going to be better than any player that might be available in a trade.
Trades that the Dodgers could have participated in had they had the desire. They certainly had the prospects.
Chris Sale for Yoan Moncada (2B/3B), RHP Michael Kopech (recovering from TJ), Luis Alexander Basabe (OF), and RHP Victor Diaz, who has not pitched since 2017.
Gerrit Cole for RHP Joe Musgrove, 3B Colin Moran, RHfor P Michael Feliz, and OF Jason Martin.
Justin Verlander RHP Franklin Perez, Daz Cameron (OF), Jake Rogers (C).
Don’t get me started on Christian Yelich for Lewis Brinson (F), Monte Harrison (OF), and RHP Jordan Yamamoto.
Does anyone think Boston, Houston, or Milwaukee are upset with the trades and the prospects they gave up?
You are not going to get a Ferrari by paying Volkswagen dollars. It is going to cost, but I am hoping that the Dodgers find that missing piece to get them a ring for 2019. 2020 and 2021 can wait.
There may be many of you who are as much of a prospect lover as am I, but nobody loves them more. But as much as I love prospects, I would much rather have a WS parade in November.
MINOR LEAGUE REPORT BY AC
Good night for the Dodger Affiliates going 3-1.
OKC Dodgers 3 – San Antonio Missions 4 (Brewers)
The Missions 2B uber prospect, Keston Hiura, hit 2 HRs to lead the Missions to the victory. Keston hit a 2-Run jack in the 5th off starting pitcher Brock Stewart and hit a solo shot off Zach McAllister in the 7th. Stewart went the first 4.2 innings allowing 3 runs on 6 hits 3 walks and 4 Ks. Stewart was followed by Joe Broussard who seems to be pitching better in non-high leverage scenarios. He went 1.1 IP allowing a walk with 1 K. JT Chargois finished allowing 2 hits in the 8th but no runs.
Offensively it was a quite night for the Dodgers outside of Daniel Castro’s 3-5 night and Matt Beaty’s 2-5 night. Edwin Rios did have a 2 run double in the 8th to close the score to 4-3.
Tulsa Drillers 6 – Corpus Christi Hooks 3 (Astros)
Justin DeFratus started and went 6.0 innings giving up 3 runs, 2 on solo shot HRs, on 7 hits, 0 walks, 2 Ks. He left after 6 with a lead, and Shea Spitzbarth and Layne Somsen finished the final three innings without allowing any more runs. Somsen got his first save on the year.
Offensively, somebody figured out how to cool down the hot start for Omar Estevez who went 0-5. Gavin Lux had a tough night going 1-4 but striking out twice and GIDP before singling in the 9th, stealing 2B, only to get thrown out at home trying to score on a Zach Reks single. Reks finished the night 3-5. Keibert Ruiz continued his resurgence with a 2-3 night, and Zach McKinstry went 2-4. Cody Thomas smacked his 6th HR and Angelo Mora contributed a double.
RC Quakes 8 – Modesto Nuts 6 (Mariners)
The Quakes found themselves down 4-0 after the first thanks in large part to two errors. The leadoff batter reached 1st on a fielding error, and after two ground outs, the cleanup batter reached on another error. Then the wheels came off and 4 runs scored on a single and HR. But the Quakes came roaring back with 2 in the 2nd and 5 in the 4th to take a 7-4 lead that they never relinquished.
The Quakes had 15 hits including 3 doubles and 2 triples. Donovan Casey again led the hit parade with a 3-6 night including his 5th double. Nick Yarnall also had a 3 hit night with a double and triple. Connor Wong, Drew Avans, and Brayan Morales each had 2 hit nights. Morales also stole his 16th base. Brayan is taking a huge advantage while Jeren Kendall is on the IL.
After the first inning, Edwin Uceta settled in and pitched 4.1 innings allowing only the 4 unearned runs on 6 hits, 2 walks, and 6 Ks. Max Gamboa (1.1 IP), and Ryan Moseley (2.0 IP) were outstanding in the middle 3.1 innings, before Jordan Sheffield came on to finish in a non-save situation. Unfortunately a pitcher generally does not go the season untouched, and tonight Sheff gave up his first runs on a one out 2 run HR in the 9th to close out the scoring at 8-6.
Great Lakes Loons 7 – Dayton Dragons 5 (Reds)
Staked to a 1-0 lead in the 2nd due to a Dillon Paulson HR (1), Stephen Kolek ran into a buzz saw in the 2nd surrendering 5 runs on 4 singles, a double, walk and stolen base. After the 2nd, Kolek was on his game allowing only a walk in the next three innings. Brett de Geus, Nathan Witt, and Jasiel Alvino pitched the final 4.0 innings allowing only 1 hit and 2 walks and registering 5 Ks.
Offensively, the Loons had 13 hits to support their 7 runs with 2 doubles and 3 HRs. Miguel Vargas continues his hot bat with 3-5 and raising his average to .286. I do not think it will be long before Miguel finds his way to RC. Dillon Paulson, Chris Roller, and Jair Camargo each had 2 hits including a HR. Camargo also had a double. Niko Hulsizer added his league leading 9th double.
Great post AC and thanks for grounding me. I too am quite pleased with a 17-11 record out of the chute…
Is there any chance these teams don’t want to trade with the Blue??? Or is it were tighter than a frog’s ass with our wallet???
I want this 2019 ring more than anything because being a realist, I don’t how many seasons I got left…
As usual, I believe the FO will put us in a good position at the deadline…
P.S. Watching the team south of me scares the hell out of me…The Madres will be a team to reckon with…
Not to worry – AJ Preller is fully capable of screwing it up!
Good article. One wild card this year is the firm trade deadline of July 31st. How many teams are going to call it quits that early in the season? If you around .500, with players that are going to be free agents, do you trade or hope to sneak in as a wild card?
I always enjoy articles that look back, especially regarding potential trades. Absolutely agree on Yelich. Not sure the Dodgers really pursued him and the Marlins are a somewhat difficult front office to deal with … obviously, a trade involving Verdugo and a couple lower level prospects would have made a lot more sense for the Marlins than what they ended up with … but at the time, the Brewer prospects were highly rated. Verlander had just shut down the Dodgers and I’m sure they wanted him, but the contract was the issue because they seemed focused on getting under the cap. But, the Dodgers could have also pursued adding years to Greinke’s contract prior to the opt out season and could have worked out a much better deal. But they chose to wait, had pretty much wrapped up a deal, then comes Arizona with a crazy offer out of left field. Greinke probably would have been that difference maker, especially against Houston. None of this stuff comes with guarantees, of course, and my guess is Verdugo will be a starter at some point in the season. Then there were the potential trade deals prior involving prospects like Seager, Bellinger and Urias. The Dodgers wisely walked away. As to May, you’ve got to really like his upside and with potential starting pitching changes next year, he will probably be in the mix.
Epic post AC and great food for thought! I have no doubt the team will make several late season moves to bolster the team, but not until seeing what is really needed for the stretch run. It could be a RH bat but hopefully it’s a proven set up guy or closer with big game experience. If, and it’s a big if KImbrel will take a 1 year deal after the draft then bring him in, even if it hurts Kenley’s feelings. It fits the team’s MO of a high dollar rental and costs only money. OTH they have a lot of expendable players they will be unable to protect in the next rule 5 draft and they can’t all be placed on the 40 man so why not package them for something useful? They are also a preferred destination as a team who could get a vet player a ring AND help get a big payday in free agency.
The fact the team is playing so well with some key players not yet consistent is a promising sign. Verdugo has waited for his chance and he is ready now to contribute, the final piece being his mental maturity. Trying to force kids up before they are ready can have a negative effect on their development but one player who would not be forced is Will Smith. His defense plays right now and his bat is at least as good as Barnes. I think he gets a chance at some point to at least split time at the big league level this season. The OKC bullpen is a mess right now, not sure who might help the big club besides Schultz and Shaggy, and possibly Stewart. There will be a roster move for Hill very soon and even though his ERA is still ugly Yimi Garcia is looking like a major league pitcher recently and has Doc’s confidence-I think he stays with no options left. Cingrani is going out on a rehab assignment and would be a big help if he can stay healthy. The Dodgers are in very good shape at the moment and are still not playing their best baseball. The team we see now will get some tweaks and reinforcements but has enough to go the distance right now and will be better at the deadline, from within and without the organization.
I agree with Peterj that the Fryers are going to provide good competition in the coming years. But, don’t forget that our core guys are still pretty young with a couple of good ones on their way up soon, May, Gonsolin, Lux and K-Bear. It looks like the FO picked the Red’s pockets with Downs and Gray.
Has anyone noticed how good the NL West is so far this year? Everyone thought it was all about the Central and the East, but you can make an argument that we’re in the toughest division judging by the standings right now. It’s a long season and a lot will change, but for the most part the West is faring well against the East and Central.
Come on AC, you know as well as I do that our prospects are better than everyone else’s. I really don’t think our Farm get’s enough credit. Organizational Farm Rankings are usually sorted by the combined rankings of prospects in the top 100. Our system seems much deeper than most and there’s always East Coast Bias and other reasons that effect the rankings. It just seems we have wave after wave of minor leaguers to trade and develop.
Friedman does such a great job building and maintaining an organization that’s focused on player development. But, he should hire a manager that can fill out his own lineup card and leave game management to said manager. I hate hearing that the lineup is built by committee. I think it’s micro management.
The entire league wishes they had traded for Yelich now. He didn’t put up numbers anything like he is now when he was with Miami. It’s easy being a Monday morning qb. Your right you have no idea what teams were asking from the Dodgers and possibly Bellinger and Buehler would be franchise cornerstones for another team!
Agreed with Monday Morning QB, but I was advocating for Yelich while others were pining for Stanton or Ozuna, and said so in print several times.
Of course his MVP 2018 season is what most will remember. But Yelich did not just burst on the scene in 2018. He had a good 2017 season and won a Silver Slugger in 2016.
I was all in for Yelich as well and at the time it looked like he would be a left fielder so Joc was very much at risk and I still wanted Yelich. I was hoping he would play in CF or RF though.
The one free agent I thought the Dodgers could have gotten and should have gotten was Scherzer. The Nats gave him a back loaded contract and I thought the Dodgers could have offered him a front loaded contract with an early opt out. The opt out could have allowed him to still move soon enough to the his preferred east coast while putting more $$ in his pocket.
AC
Thanks for keeping us up on what is going on and what choices we might think about making, at the trade deadline.
The Marlins asked for Bellinger + prospects for Realmuto. What might have been their asking price for Yelich, if that is what they thought Realmuto was worth?
With Mattingly and other coaches in Miami, it always seemed harder to trade with them because they had the inside perspective of how the Dodgers valued the prospects in their system.
I can only judge what Miami may have asked by what they eventually got. I am sure Verdugo would have been included, but after that I have no idea. The Dodgers could have easily bettered the deal Miami got without including Belli. If that is what was demanded, then yes it was best to walk.
I am curious of others believe (as I do) that other teams require the Dodgers to pay a premium in trades. No one likes getting fleeced for the likes of Chris Taylor, Max Muncy, et al. After a while, teams insist on a little more from the Dodgers just in case they missed something on the value for their outbound talent.
Regarding Realmuto, I am sure the Dodgers could have come up (and perhaps did offer) with a better package than the Phillies’ Jorge Alfaro, right-hander Sixto Sanchez, and left-hander Will Stewart. But the Marlins insisted that any Dodger offer had to start with Bellinger. It’s possible that it was just negotiations posturing, but I tend to believe that other teams just insist on charging the Dodgers more than what they would accept from others.
I have heard that Miami asked for Diaz, Lux, Buehler and Ruiz. Miami did not like Verdugo (allegedly). That’s from a scout, so he really is also relying on hearsay. I know that the FO did like Yelich… but even Ray Charles could see that. The Dodgers are bringing Verdugo on slower than I would, but they have a better perch than I do too, so I’ll leave it up to them.
Yet again, there seems to be a gap here – the Marlins accepted Lewis Brinson (F), Monte Harrison (OF), and RHP Jordan Yamamoto from the Brewers in exchange for Yelich. If Mark’s source is correct, the Marlins asked the Dodgers for Diaz, Lux, Buehler and Ruiz. Were the Dodgers correct in passing on this? I would certainly agree. Could the Dodgers have beat the Brewers offer without giving up these guys? I would like to believe so. So, why is it that the Marlins insist on more when negotiating with the Dodgers than what they accept from other teams?
Think about it this way:
How does Miami value, certain players? We really don’t know.
For example, I know a scout who said “Alex Verdugo might be the next Tony Gwynn.” Yes, I stole that from him. But, I know another scout who said that Verdugo was over-hyped and was no better than a 4th outfielder. Both are among the best, but they have to make decisions. So, we really don’t know if we could beat the Yelich deal. In OUR mind we could, but what about THEIR mind?
AC,
The dirtiest word we could use for the starting rotation is INJURY. This is the factor that can a change a team’s fortune with a blink of an eye. We all know what injury has done every year to our club. But there is no way to control this factor. All bodies function differently and process stress differently. Our starters are particularly vulnerable to injury. 3 out of our 4 top starters have been hurt every year for at least the last 3-4 years. I would need to check the stats, but you get the gist of what I’m saying. Being realistic, I will expect Kershaw, Hill, and Ryu, to spend more time on the IL in the coming months. For me, it’s not if, but when. This has nothing to do with how talented our staff is. Look at what happened to Turner last season. It derailed us and made it extremely difficult to fight our way to the top.
Presently, we are on the top and all of our starters are supposedly healthy, but for how long? This is a rhetorical question and I’m not looking for anyone to answer this. But if our starters go down, I would not expect the results we have been seeing thus far. This is not even taking into account the same logic applied to our positional players. Corey and Turner were big blows to the offense last year. This year we seem to have a superstar carrying the team like no other, Cody. My point is that the unexpected often happens each year to many teams and prevent them from reaching their potential. The Dodgers are not immune to this factor.
While they are not immune, their depth prevents a total collapse. May or Gonsolin … at least one, is likely ready.
1. Kershaw
2. Buehler
3. Ryu
4. Hill
5. Maeda
6. Stripling
7. Urias
8. Gonsolin
9. May
10. Ferguson
11. Santana
I’m pretty confident the Dodgers can field 5 good starters. They may have to make a more or two in the pen… or not!
What you are saying is very true….usually. But for now with most of our starting pitchers spending time on the DL the Dodgers have the best winning % in the NL and Hill is just about to be reinstated. I’m of mind that the best is yet to come and we’re soon to see another run of the likes we’ve seen the last several seasons. Hopefully Dodgers will avoid the running in the funk as they’ve done so far this season with our starting pitchers spending time on the DL. As long as this stays true I’m all for these short stays on the DL. Asking Bellinger to keep up what he has been doing thus far is asking a bit much as he has to fall back to earth at some point. I mean he’s human, isn’t he? The whole team is human with some super human moments. It comes to timing and just perhaps the timing just might be intact for 2019. The teams look pretty close in the rear view but soon will shrink down in size. Over optimistic? Perhaps. But being so sure is fun this morning!
Happy for JT last night and now if he can put a few games together, look out…
Great time for baseball fans with the bringing up of Tatis Jr. and Vladi Guerrero Jr… Loved watching both Dads play ball…
Hoping Kersh can give us 6 or 7 IP…
I mentioned yesterday about bring up Smith and let him catch & play 2B a little…
The Dodgers have been pretty good in the early going. I don’t think that anyone expected Cody Bellinger to come out of the gate hitting like he is the next Ted Williams (he’s not, you know), so they can’t rely on him hitting .420 the rest of the way, or being on pace to hit over 70 HR.
In general, when they have won, they have gotten very good starting pitching and I still think that the starters are the strength of the team. They go 7 deep right now – don’t try to tell me that Caleb Ferguson is a starting pitcher right now – he’s not. No one knows what May or Gonsolin will do in the Majors because they haven’t done it yet, but they sure looked good this Spring.
I agree with AC that a 2 ace rotation would be great, especially in the post-season, I hold out hope that with Kershaw (even diminished he is an ace) and Buehler they already have this.
When I looked at the Dodgers this off-season, my estimate was that the 2 biggest needs were right-handed bats and bullpen arms. They dumped Kemp and Puig (I know, neither is hitting this year and Puig had reverse splits the last 2 seasons) and grabbed Pollock. Pollock has been a very good to elite player when healthy but has only been healthy one season in 6 thus far. The Dodgers had reason to believe that his production would be much better than it has been. He has a track record of success and I think that he will revert to form.
The same is true with Turner. He was on fire this Spring and he too will revert to form. Another RHH with a track record, David Freese, hasn’t hit yet but probably will. I do had all of the platooning here though – Roberts should use Freese as a pitch hitter primarily. He can’t field at 1B or 3B and Muncy didn’t have big platoon splits last year.
Kike Hernandez, Chris Taylor and Austin Barnes do not have the track record of excellence to justify the Dodgers’ faith in them. Kike has done this year what he has always done – he’s streaky and better against LHP. I have no problem with him starting at 2B – he has the chance to l be the best starting there since Jeff Kent probably and he plays defense at a high level.
Chris Taylor has a hole in his swing that you can drive a truck through. He swings in the same slot at every pitch. John Smoltz called it a “grooved swing” during last year’s post-season and it leads to lots of swings and misses. I agree with those who say he should go to the minors and try to get it together. I find Roberts’ comments almost laughable – he was quoted in the Dodgers’ webpage thusly: “”When you get into the season, you still have to give guys that you feel give you the best chance of winning each day. Where he’s going, there’s a balance of still trying to get him untracked.” Using that logic, you would play your worst players every day in hopes that you would get them all “untracked”. He isn’t helping the big league team with an OPS of .511.
Austin Barnes is another player without a track record. He has had 1 good year. You can hope for another one but you can’t make your plans assuming that he will. He isn’t thus far. I disagree with those who say it’s because Russell Martin has been on the IL. You can play or you can’t. I opined that catcher would be a weakness for the Dodgers after essentially trading for Martin to replace Grandal. I know – the prospects will save them and maybe they will, but probably not this season.
That leads me to the bullpen. The Dodgers have the 2nd most relief innings in the NL but the 11th best bullpen ERA. The bullpen WHIP is solid and BAA is good. The problem has been certain pitchers. Number 1 on my hit parade is Wild Man Kelly. He has been who he has always been. Historically, he has gone months with very bad performance, straightens himself out for a while and then has been very good. He had 2 or 3 months with ERAs over 8 last year and figured it out at the end of the season. He has never been reliable for long stretches and probably won’t change after a 7 year major league career.
One other pet peeve – the Dodgers do a crummy job getting their starters stretched out in the Spring and ready for the season. Losses in April count too. They found that out last season after starting 16 – 26 and having to struggle to make the post-season. The team should be ready out the gate to play and win.
One other note – they haven’t played too well against teams outside of the Division yet. By the end of the year, the Giants, Snakes and maybe the Rox and Pads will have sub .500 records. They will have to play better against better teams to get anywhere this year.
I post this at the risk of being called a “moron” or other perjoratives. I see the good (LHH, starting pitching at times) and the bad (RHH, bullpen, catcher). My frustration is that the bad is the same bad that they had last year and they haven’t done much to address it.
I happen to agree with all of it.
Well written and researched.
I’ll just remind you their record is 17-11, but there are concerns…
Also, 70% of the team is not hitting. That will change.
Good takes DR, we need some yin with the yang. I think they can afford one defense 1st position-catcher for this season, but I’d like to see Smith get a chance at some point. CT3 is eventually going to get going but for now needs to sit more. He will never be a HR hitter so a change in approach may be needed to get more contact and use his speed. His defense is above average at multiple positions. I would like to see them use Floro more since he still has an ERA of zero.
Rack him.
My only place where I agree with the facts but not the perspective is the lack of stretching out of pitchers in spring. If a team plays in the WS then they need to go easy in Spring Training IMHO.
DRick,
Good takes, but….
While Cody is not Ted Williams
(that’s moronic) I think he is on the way to having the type of career that rivals the likes of Williams. ( barring injuries or some other drastic intervention) I like to think of Cody as ” The Kid ” in waiting.
But maybe I am optimistic and not realistic, but it’s fun to dream.
Seager and Bellinger look like splendid splinters physically at least. Neither one has flown planes in a war though like Williams did in his prime.
DODGERS ACTIVATE C RUSSELL MARTIN
C ROCKY GALE OPTIONED TO TRIPLE-A OKLAHOMA CITY
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today activated catcher Russell Martin from the 10-day injured list and optioned catcher Rocky Gale to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Martin, 36, who was sidelined with lower back inflammation on April 10, will return to the team after missing 16 games on the injured list. Prior to the injury, Martin played in six games for the Dodgers, batting .333 (5-for-15) with a homer in two RBI. In 673 career games with Los Angeles, Martin is hitting .273 (643-for-2359) with 55 homers and 302 RBI.
Gale, 31, played in four games with the Dodgers, recording his first hit and scoring his first run as Dodger on April 16. In two seasons with the Dodgers, Gale has logged seven games, batting .215 (2-for-16) with a run scored.
Sent Taylor down until he cuts his strikeouts and fixes his long swing. Bring up Drew Jackson or Connor Joe or someone else.
Could Pollock be the next Aaaron Rowand ? I hope not. Only one month but very ugly OBP so far. I hope he gets better and starts hitting like he was the first week or so. Verdugo needs to start and i would move him to leadoff or second in lineup. I know Joc has been good hitting 10 bombs but 16 rbi’s . I know he has been hitting leadoff but is not getting on base as much and hits for power so he should be hitting lower in order and maybe move Pollock up. Another thing Pollock 0 SB. A few years ago i remember him stealing 39. Dodgers do not use SB and not run enough. They should use the money they wanted to pay overrated Harper to sign Kimbrel as Jansen has been decent but not great anymore and gives up too much home runs now.
Good god that is an excruciatingly apt comparison
I do think Pollock might have more athleticism than Rowand did but his age is a concern. We didnt break the bank so st there is that.
Why is everything you post negative? Just asking….
You Negative Nelly. You are getting as mean and nasty Mark. I don’t understand the change in you lately. lol
Dodgers don’t steal because it’s not worth risking the out.
Stealing bases has a lot to do with the mindset of the coach and the overall speed of the players. Dodgers are built for power, not speed. They don’t have a natural base stealer, ala Wills. 39 SB for Pollock must have been in another lifetime, at least the player we see now, is not the player he was back then. I think we generally expect too much from him.
Base stealing can be cultivated. Guys like Verdugo and Bellinger can steal more bases than they have, but Roberts is a conservative guy when it comes to SB’s and bunts. Power is the game of the Dodgers offensively.
Verdugo was so solid in today’s game. No one missed Pollock. But to play Taylor like they have been, is sheer fantasy. Let him work it out in the minors. That makes sense, not the way Roberts is doing it. Bring Taylor back to reality which is a stint in the minors. Even the mighty Puig, spent time there. Is Taylor too important for that? C’mon gents, you all know the answer.
Jeff you are too mean and nasty as usual.
But Stealing is so fun. No risk no reward. Boring Baseball
What about Joe Broussard he seems to have solid numbers overall and should get a chance as bullpen sometime during the season. ?? https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=brouss000joe
OK, now I realize what it is…
Illegal psytrophic drugs.
Tom Niedenfuer is still available
Pederson LF
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Bellinger RF
Muncy 1B
Verdugo CF
Taylor 2B
Barnes C
Kershaw P
Mark, could you kindly invite Mike Petriello to write just a word or two here every so often. It’d be really cool an good for all and I’m sure a small part of him misses his MSTI . I know he’s a busy guy but his stacking of two cents is always a gift. Here is a perfect place for a rare word from him now and then.
Quas,
I doubt that Mike can do that since he is under contract with MLB, even though he used to comment here. I have reached out to Jon Weisman however… we will see what becomes of that.
Hey thanx Mark!
AC – Thank you for all the time and effort you put into your posts. They make LADT the best Dodger blog on the web.
Looking in the rearview mirror its clear you have been right on several players being stars before anyone else noticed. You have earned enough capital with me so that now when you mention a player I take notice and put them on my watch list.
Thanks also to Mark and DC. And Dodgerrick its nice to have you back. Your posts sound like my grandfather – and that’s a complement – even though nobody dares get on his lawn. Go Blue!
Ferguson loaded the bases with no outs.
Here comes Pedro Baez or el Gasolino….
You pick!
The Fire Extinguisher!
Pedro Baez is the hero. Wow!
who would have thunk it…… Tampa Bay and Minnesota are the only two teams with a better record than the Dodgers
Bellinger Sucks. He didn’t hit a Home Run tonight. The dream of a run at Ted Williams .406 is over also.
Pedro Baez, wow. He got a standing O from the Dodger stadium crowd after coming in with the bases loaded, no out, and a precarious 3-1 lead, Gasoline retires the next three batters. He strikes out the Pirates 4 hitter for the 3rd out.
59 called out the difference in Baez this year – his command (and confidence) with his secondary pitches. I hope he keeps this up. Hitters used to sit on his 97 mph fastball and light him up. It seems that his changeup has a good amount of bite (and fade) – so much so that it sets up his high fastball as the out pitch.
Just like that, Bellinger goes from The Kid, to ‘ The Chump ‘ !
And did you see ‘ Pedro Martinez ‘ out there last night. Wow. Happy for Pedro, that was good for him.