Some people evidently think I hate Joc, so I went with that catchy headline. In reality, I am not a hater. I don’t hate Joc Pederson and I don’t even hate the Giants. I don’t like the Giants but I don’t hate them. I love the Dodgers, but the opposite of LOVE is not HATE. It’s ambivalence. When you hate something, it controls you. If you are ambivalent about it, you are back in control.
So, the reality is that I don’t hate Joc Pederson. I don’t even dislike him. I may love certain players. I loved it when Andrew Friedman traded for Yasmani Grandal. I envisioned a 30 HR guy with a .370 OB% who would provide a stellar defense. He got close to the 30 HR plateau, but his hot or cold streaks just became untenable and his passed balls, while not as bad as some fans made them out to be, became a distraction. If he would have taken the arbitration offer, the Dodgers would have been happy to have him back, but I am not sure they would be the better for it.
I was a big fan of Yasmani – I still don’t understand his post-season meltdown last year, but fan or not, it was time for him to move on. I wish him success except when he plays the Dodgers and the last I checked, his worst month of the season was May when he hit .271. He has cut down on his strikeouts by about 10% and is hitting .282 with a .385 OB% while OPS’ing .930 and hitting 15 HR. Right about now, he should be the starting catcher for the NL at the All-Star Game. Lots of fans hated Yasmani – I loved the guy, but his moving on was the right move.
Now, back to the title of this blog. I do not hate Joc, it is just that he has the same wild swings as Yasmani did – red hot or ice cold and my eyes, let alone the stats tell me that he has a hole in his swing the size of the Grand Canyon against Left-Handed Pitchers. It is my opinion that he will never hit lefties.
Andre Ethier was a career .303 hitter… against RHP. Against LHP, he hit .233. For his career, Joc is a .240 hitter against RHP, but he is 53 points below Andre against LHP – .180. Anyone who believes he can hit lefties is possibly delusional and probably believes these two guys are real too:
Now, I suppose I could be wrong. I was wrong when Joc was still in the minors when I said the best he would ever be was a 4th or 5th outfielder. A miracle could happen and he could suddenly start hitting lefties. Shoot, I might suddenly start looking like Brad Pitt. The latter is probably more likely than the former. Earlier, I said Joc’s career BA against lefties is .180. This year it has dropped to .167.
Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger have learned to hit lefties and both play every day because of it. When Joc is hot, he’s hot and when he’s not he’s really, really not. His clutch stats (baseball-reference.com has a whole category on that) are not good, which is why Doc bats him at leadoff a lot. If telling the truth is hating on Joc, then You Can’t Stand the Truth. Joc hits a lot of Home Runs… most of the solo variety. He is one of the TOP Home Run Hitters in baseball and of all the TOP HR Hitters, he has by far the fewest RBI. He still has more Home Runs and singles.
Now that Yasmani is gone, the Dodgers have one fewer “all or nothing” player and Joc is a better fit since Kike or CT3 generally hit lefties and are a good platoon partner for him. I would love to have a right-handed power hitter in LF who plays every day and I would trade Joc for that guy or as part of a deal. It’s no secret that I like Nick Castellanos (who has dramatically improved his defense). Then you are going to look at his stats and say “he’s not as good as Joc.” Nick is now an average outfielder (Mike Petriello said that) and he is on a team that is really bad and he has “checked out.” He knows he will be traded, The Dodgers need another RH Bat in the lineup.
Don’t look at Casty’s current stats. Andrew Friedman looks at what they can become, not necessarily what they are. On a good team with a tight-knit clubhouse and under Robert Von Socyoc’s discipline, I think Nicholas Castellanos could be a very good hitter. I loved Yasmani Grandal and I envisioned what he could become. He never realized that potential in LA and I also see huge potential in Casty. Max Muncy looks to be a LH batter who hits lefties, the same is true with Cody, Corey and Alex. Joc doesn’t and I don’t think he ever will. If the Dodgers had an excellent RH platoon partner for Joc, I might feel differently.
I like Joc, but I think he is the “odd-man-out” if the team could get a RH power bat. OK, maybe Castellanos is not the guy and so let’s say the Dodgers do keep Joc. Hunter Pence has re-tooled his swing and is having a nice year. He should be cheap as Texas is rebuilding and he is absolutely killing lefties. I’ll take him and keep Joc. Does that make you happy?
Dodger News and Notes
- To those of you who say Alex Verdugo has no power, did you see the laser that left his bat at 109 mph and went out at 459 feet in right-center field? His power will come. Mark my words.
- The Rays team ERA has been steadily crawling up. It’s now 3.02 while the Dodgers is trending down. It’s 3.25. I can see LA in the ERA lead by the break. The Dodgers starters are now 2.76 in ERA while TB is 2.72.
- The Dodgers bats have cooled off with Seager on the IL and others slumping. The Dodgers are now 10th in MLB in Runs, 7th in HR, 7th in BA, #3 in OPS, but #1 in OB%. It will swing back as other players heat up. It’s the nature of the beast.
- It looks like Julio Urias will get a start soon. Of course, if someone goes on the IL, it will come sooner…
- Alex Verdugo continues to WOW me in CF. I can’t figure out how he got faster?
- Ross Stripling pitched a very masterful inning in relief.
Minor League Report by DC
Great Lakes Loons 6 – Dayton Dragons 3 (Cincinnati)
The Loons before a Father’s Day crowd of over 4,500 kept on winning in the usual fashion. That is, by putting the ball in play, hitting with two strikes and capitalizing on their opponent’s mistakes. With a 43-24 record in the first half through 67 games, .642 is the best winning percentage in franchise history for a first half.
On Sunday afternoon they spotted the Dragons two runs in the third innings and came back with six over the next four innings. In the fourth inning three runs scored on singles by James Outman and Dan Robinson helped out with a Dayton error. Two more came across in the fifth inning on two singles, an error and a Hunter Feduccia sacrifice fly. The last one in the sixth inning scored on a Gersel Pitre single following two walks.
On the mound the plan worked. That is, to use no starting pitcher. Jasiel Alvino pitched the first three innings giving up three runs, two earned and struck out five. Mark Washington pitched the next three on just one hit and Joel Inoa finished up by allowing one run in his three innings.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5 – Lake Elsinore Storm 11 ( San Diego)
The Quakes kind of took Father’s Day off. The pitchers basically couldn’t get anybody out. Starter Geraldo Carrillo gave up two runs without getting out of the first inning while Wes Helsabeck coughed up five runs in less than two innings. Bryan Warzek did break the trend with 1.1 scoreless innings while Austin Drury didn’t fare as badly as others with one run in 2.1 innings. Sven Schuller was unable to complete his two innings after surrendering three more runs. Outfielder Nick Yarnell came on to get the last out in the top of the eighth inning and pitch a scoreless ninth inning.
At the plate not very much was happening with three hits, two of them doubles by Donvan Casey and Jordan Procyshen accounting for the Quake run in the fifth inning. Things stayed that way until the bottom of the ninth as they scored four runs on a Starling Heredia single, a fielder’s choice, a Jeter Downs double and a passed ball.
Tulsa Drillers 1 – Amarillo Sod Poodles 2 (San Diego)
The Drillers got locked in a tight itching contest with the Amarillo. How is it possible to do that with Sod Poodles? Left-hander Victor Gonzalez pitched six innings for Tulsa giving up one run on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Right-hander Jesse Scholtens matched Gonzalez also with six innings and one run. Yordy Cabrera picked up Gonzalez in the seventh inning and pitched two scoreless innings with Shea Spitzbarth coming on in the bottom of the ninth inning. Unfortunately he gave up a run to take the loss.
Offensively the Drillers scored their lone run in the top of the first inning on a Gavin Lux single, a stolen base by Lux and a Cody Thomas double. They did match the Sod Poodles with eight hits, three by Lux and two by Keibert Ruiz.
OKC Dodgers 7 – El Paso Chihuahuas 10 (San Diego)
Left-hander Rob Zastryzny started for the Dodgers and quickly spotted El Paso three runs in the bottom of the first inning and another three by the end of the fourth inning. Stetson Allie allowed another run in his inning pitched while Justin Grimm chipped in with three more earned runs. The Dodgers tried to keep pace with a Will Smith solo home run in the top of the first inning and a two-run home run by Zach Reks in the third inning. They crept one run closer in the fifth when pitcher Rob Zastryzny was allowed to hit and singled eventually scoring on two wild pitches and a Connor Joe single. Edwin Rios homered in the top of the sixth inning to keep the Dodgers within two. They actually tied the score at seven in the top of the seventh inning on singles by Blake Gailen, Errol Robinson and Angelo Mora with a wild pitch tossed in. However, seven wasn’t enough to win the day. How is it possible to give 10 runs to Chihuahuas?
Who is this Joc guy you are talking about. I had to look him up. One would think he would have more two and three run home runs seeing that he hits lead off and the Dodgers have such good OBP guys hitting 7th, 8th, and 9th ahead of him.
He hasn’t been the speedy power hitting, base stealing center fielder I hoped he would be but once I root for a player, I keep rooting for them. Joc historically has low BABIP and high exit velocity. That is an odd combination.
He is suffering from yet another 0 for 25 streak that he seems to get several times a year but at 4 PA per game that means he hasn’t helped for the last games 8 he has started and his hot streaks that follow those bad streaks carry the Dodger’s offence.
It’s not like he is not hitting the ball hard during his latest 0 for 25. He is hitting the ball right at people as opposed to striking out. His slumps are tied to BABIP.
Like him, hate him, trade him, be ambivalent about him–it won’t make him better or worse. But by the end of June he will have 24 home runs and be hitting .265. That will put him back in the pool of outfielders that will vie for the All Star Game.
If he can get that BA up to .265, they I keep him.
Thought batting average was irrelevant these days. I just hate it when Jock gets that look of “total bewilderment I’m lost never to be found” look on his face. The guy doesn’t adjust. Notice I didn’t say can’t, he just doesn’t. In MLB adjustment is an irreplaceable survival skill. If he showed any skill at all at that he would be a keeper. But so far nada. I do like when he hits those screaming line drive HRs though.
I support Joc because he is a Dodger. However it takes two players to fill one position. A good batter should be able to hit lefties and righties like Alex, Cody, Corey and Max. I just do not like platoons.
I like what Doc has done with Garlick and Beaty. He has given them a chance to play a little and both look good to me. They both look like good pinch hitters and pretty good defensively. I love Freese for the same reason. They know their role on the team and do it well.
In baseball you have more failures than successes. In batting, if you bat .333 you are considered very good, but you have failed 2 out of 3 times. We beat the Cubs 3 of 4 games. These players are human. They do not succeed all the time. It was a good game for Jansen. He struggled, but he battled. He still does not trust his off speed pitches. He will as time goes on.
I do believe Jocs latest slump has started when I started reading about him having lower back issues. Maybe a factor, maybe not. And what did you mean that those guys are ‘not’ real?
As for Martin it looked like he had left his contacts out. his last strikeout he couldn’t even see the ball. Then just stuck out his bat a few times and got that lucky hit.
On the ESPN broadcast yesterday they had a graphic showing relative arm strength for the Dodger outfielders. Verdugo was listed at 92 mph but Bellinger was listed at,I believe 83 mph. Anyone have a clue what they were talking about? Only thing I can come up with is they averaged throws back to the infield when he lobbed the ball back in or it was ESPN just being ESPN?
I think Verdugo was clocked at 98 on a throw earlier in the year and Belly was at 94 or 95. I believe Verdugo’s arm is a little more powerful, but Belly is more accurate and has a quicker release. Both are the real deal, however.
And Verdugo has shown some adjustment skills at the plate. He had some back issues too.
I thought the same thing. Both Bellinger and Verdugo have bazookas for arms. ESPN was way off on that graphic.
In this case, averages would seem meaningless and therefore ESPN was just being stupid (moronic?)
I’m totally okay with trading Joc for the right piece. With the positional flexibility the Dodgers enjoy, they can stand to put a right handed power hitter at second base, first base or in the outfield. That right handed power hitter is NOT Nick Castellanos because he sucks defensively. He has always sucked defensively no matter where you put him. He is as bad defensively as Joc is bad at hitting left handers.
Until then, I positively support Joc.
As a matter of fact, you can trade Joc and Kike in the same deal. Kike is another guy that’s always hot and cold and can’t hit same sided pitching. I don’t know why we don’t talk about showing him the door more often. Especially after his bone-headedness on the bases at the most inopportune times. Kike and CT3 are the same in that they can play anywhere. You don’t need both of the them, I would keep CT3 if I had to choose between the two.
I would not hesitate to trade Cartaya or K-Bear for the right return. I’m more than fine going with Will Smith and Barnes until Cartaya, or another young catcher develops. You don’t need both K-Bear and Smith anymore than you need both CT3 and Kike. However, I believe K-Bear is worth more than pretty much any closer judging by past trades for closers.
This is a very special team. But, we do have flaws. We have a hard time against pretty much every left hander we face and we need another closer type. We have prospects, use them!
If Smith wound up being the long-term catcher and became Yeagerlike then Ruiz might be the long range first baseman. I would not like his slowness but if he could back up catcher while mostly playing first base, I would not like to see him traded. Give me a great return in trade and I could get over losing Ruiz.
Wouldn’t it be unique if down the road Smith played third and Ruiz first and Cartaya caught all while giving Smith and Ruiz enough catching innings that the team would not need a backup catcher separate from those two.
I generally agree with your post Mark. Joc is a solid major leaguer who can’t hit lefties. At his best he is a streaky hitter who wows you with power. The dodger brass do not think he can hit lefties and think they have better options than giving him an extended look. So, I agree he is the odd man out. But, he will remain a dodger until they have a better option. When pollock comes back I would prefer to give him the bulk of the time in left and leave verdugo in center. There is enough playing time for all. Somebody could be trade bait and verdugo has the highest upside so joc, Taylor, kike could be involved.
Unfortunately for Milwaukee grandal will come back to earth and it will be a dramatic crash. Stripling did look good. He was throwing darts and seemed very confident. Verdugo is a fine player on both sides of the ball. It is huge that he can put the bat on the ball which will be crucial with the game on the line. martin looked like a junior high player totally overmatched and got lucky. Ryu was phenomenal last night. That was a playoff performance. He makes it look easy and demonstrates tremendous poise and confidence. He just needs to be pitching the way he can at the right time.
I must say, I always thought there was more in there for Joc. He always had such a long swing and such a great eye. I thought it would come together and lead to more hits with a shortened swing. Unfortunately, he seems to be fall back into swinging as hard as he can, and trying to pull everything. With a year and a half of control remaining, and three other capable major league outfielders with more control, it’s time to move on for the right deal.
You can add Stripling to the list of guys to include in a trade package. After we go through the rotation merry-go-round we will still have 2 long men in the pen. Somehow, Strip still has many more years of control, so I’m not saying he is a must trade. But, I would consider him and Maeda trade-able under the right circumstances as I don’t really consider a 92 MHP throwing darts unless you’re comparing him to Kershaw or Jansen.
Martin was clearly off last night striking out 3 times before coming up HUGE. I don’t think he looked like Jr. High kid. On the contrary, I thought he looked like a grizzled veteran who knew what he had today and dug deep to get the job done.
I meant stripling was throwing darts because of his precision. Everything he threw split the box. Most of his pitches could not have been better placed. Losing hill and ryu next year puts stripling in the rotation probably so he would be hard to part with.
As far as Martin well we can agree to disagree. He went out of the zone to strikeout on his earlier at bats. With second and third and nobody out he couldn’t make contact. Even the announcers were puzzled at his swings but he did make contact the last time. He looked lucky to me. I will say this he was great defensively behind the plate blocking balls in the dirt and hanging on to throws to the plate.
When he finds his next hitting streak, Joc will get back to having really respectable stats. He’s a good player, and if the Dodgers got a really solid return, he is a good trade candidate for them. I’m in favor of a trade only if they get really great players in return – because I think he’s a good player and deserves to merit a good haul.
The issue I have with Joc is that he can’t/won’t make adjustments. Every swing, in every situation, in every game, is a huge dinger hack. Some times he will connect and hit one out. However, there also situations where he can help the team by doing more situational hitting. Joc has not shown he can do situational hitting. Bellinger and Verdugo have worked extra hard to be able to hit LHP. Joc has not made the adjustments to hit LHP. When Joc goes into a slump, he doesn’t make adjustments to get out of the slump sooner. He’s currently in an 0-25 slump. And he often bats leadoff – which aggravates the frustration for everyone during his hitless streak.
Remember that Russell Martin AB last night in the 8th inning? Russell had gone 0-3 with 3 strike outs. He had 2 strikes on him and the go ahead run was in scoring position. Martin then battled hard by spoiling a lot of pitches that were close to being strikes. Finally, he just peppered one over the short stop and plates the eventual winning run. Those types of AB’s are needed to win games and win championships. I don’t see Joc ever having an AB like that. I see Joc taking his big home run swing and going down easily.
Minor League Report posted above.
Ever since the “Joc Hating” started (not by Mark), I have said that I was ambivalent to Joc. He is a Dodger that I root for, but if he were on some other team I would have never thought of him as a difference maker the team should pursue. He is cheerleader who loves being a Dodger (or maybe just being on a ML team). He is a good guy, just not a difference maker. As long as there is no other difference maker out there available, I am fine with Joc and Kike’/CT3 platoon in LF. Joc will come out of his slump. He always has.
Joc has a chance to get well against NL West foes by the end of June. The Dodgers have 4 against the Giants, 7 against the Rockies, and 3 against the DBacks. The Giants are looking to start 2 LHP (Pomerantz and MadBum) and two RHP (Beede and Anderson). The DBacks have one LHSP and 2 LHRP, and the Rockies have 0 LHSP and 2 (LHRP), so Joc should get plenty of opportunities to get that BA up to .265 before the end of June as Bums has predicted.
IMO, there is only 1 RHH difference maker on a seller team that would interest me…Baltimore’s Trey Mancini. But the cost to get Mancini who is controlled through 2022, should prove to be prohibitive to AF. It is most probable that Baltimore will not trade him and build around him, but if he becomes available I would hope that AF will look in on him. He is someone I mentioned two years ago, but was chastised because of his 2018 season. But he is back in 2019, and the cost is going to be even more. Vs. LHP – .326/.398/.593/.991 — vs RHP .302/.348/.560/.909 in 98 and 198 PA respectively.
Would you rather spend your prospect capital on Trey Mancini or on a relief pitcher?
Why not both? I know that’s not AF’s style, but they have shown a willingness to try for the best player available at the trade deadline.
Relief pitcher(s). That’s our biggest need especially with Pollock coming back. But, at this point, with a great team, I would get anyone and everyone to make this team better. So, I agree wholeheartedly with 2demeter2.
Castellanos is having a crap year, albeit he’s woken up a bit the last month. His defense is still pathetic. For a guy who’s approaching free agency in 4 months, if he really has ‘checked out’, it shows me he doesn’t have it mentally. It’s quite a reach to assume he’ll come to LA and become Manny Ramirez 2008. Keep that mental midget away from this World Series squad. He and Puig are costing themselves a lot of cash this season as they approach free agency.
In about 1 month, we will be acquiring a right handed outfielder who can actually play defense. His name is AJ Pollock. And since Verdugo has proved he’s a much better all around player than Joc, Verdugo will be in the lineup and Pollock might be Joc’s buddy in LF. Or Pollock goes to CF and Verdugo gets LF for a while. Either way, we’re getting that right handed bat for the 2nd half of the season without needing to trade anybody.
Our #1 and #2 and #3 need is an impact reliever. We need a 2003 Guillermo Mota or a 2008 Takashi Saito, or a 2017 Brandon Morrow. Go get Brad Hand. If it costs us a May or a Gonsolin or even Will Smith, do it. A ring is a lot more important than a prospect.
Oh, and as far as opposite of love: I HATE the giants when they’re good (which is more fun), but now that they’ve bottomed out and won’t return for a few years, I”m ambivalent. Except for the next 4 days of course, when I expect we take 3 of 4 in this upcoming series.
In case you missed it, Doc said Pollock’s going to go back to center when he comes back and that Verdugo has done well filling in. If you want to read between the lines, more platooning and three set positions Turner 3B, Seager SS, Pollock CF with more off days than he’s used to. Belli RF, 1B, Muncy 1B, 2B, 3B Freese part time1B, CT3 2B, LF, Kike 2B, LF, Joc LF against righties, Verdugo LF, RF, CF and two catchers and Doc trying to keep everyone rested and relevant at the same time. Turner will get his rest like he tends to do and Belli will play full time and Seager somewhere in between Full Time and Regular rest.
I have seen BOTH Bellinger and Verdugo get off throws between 98-99 mph. I think ESPN also showed a graphic that had the Cubs outfielders with numbers slightly higher than those displayed for the Dodgers. I have no idea what criteria they’re using, but whatever it is, it doesn’t compute in my brain.
I don’t hate Pederson, but simply “dislike” what I see on the field. I really liked him a lot when he first came up, but over time I’ve soured on his play, and have advocated that the Dodgers should try to move him. Given his power, I can’t imagine that he doesn’t interest other teams. In fact, for a team that has time to wait, he might be a candidate to be “fixed” over time. Whether as part of a straight-up deal or package, I can’t imagine that he wouldn’t bring back significant return.
No question our first priority is a lock down relief pitcher! JOC will be fine and I disagree about him as a difference maker. He has come up big in the post season when it matters most!
Overall playoff numbers for Joc are .235/.322/.471/.792. Joc had a MVP type WS in 2017 (and should have won, because LAD should have won). With his 6 HRs, he has all of 11 RBIs. Other than his 2017 WS, his numbers are rather pedestrian. 18-84 (.214) with 3 HR (all solo), 8 BB, and 29 K (30.2% rate). Of course they are better than Cody’s .172/.226/.336/.562 with 4 HRs and 13 RBI and a 36.2% strikeout rate.
But then again CT3’s playoff numbers are .265/.395/.480/.875 with 4 HRs, 10 RBI’s, and a 19.3% strikeout rate. So if we are hopping onto a bandwagon based on playoff numbers, CT3 should be getting a lot more love than he is getting now.
Playoffs are a crap shoot. If a player gets hot (Steve Pearce), then they look great. But look at Pearce this year. Including last season’s WS, Pearce has a playoff slash line of .231/.351/.462/.812.
Joc is a good player, but not a difference maker. He could have another 2017 WS in him, as can a number of Dodger hitters. IMO, I do not think a team should keep or trade a player based on what may be expected in a playoff series.
AC – I bailed you out. I forgot the Raptors this morning in the Minor League Report. I got a pinch hitter to do it – Andrew Haynes.
Here is what he wrote: https://www.milb.com/ogden/news/lebron-hits-winning-shot/c-308161858
I had hoped for a lot more out of Joc when he was a prospect. The combination of speed and power seemed like a nice package. I don’t know what happened to the speed, and the pop, while still there is, as Mark has stated, probably the least productive pop I’ve ever witnessed. Also, while I’m very happy with this team to this point, how sustainable are Pederson, Pollock, Taylor, Hernandez and Barnes all hitting .230 or under in the playoffs? That gives me pause for some concern. I would like to see us add an additional right handed hitter with good bat to ball skills and some power. Mike Trout comes to mind, but I’m thinking he’s not available. As to trading Joc, I would have no problem with that for the right return (I do think he has trade value). My concern would be that he appears to be Kershaw’s new best friend on the team and I don’t know how trading him would affect CK, if at all.
Ask AJ about CK’s BFF
Not sure what you mean…
AJ Ellis was traded and was CK BFF, no?
When Pollock comes back, Pollock will play. Pollock, Verdugo and Bellinger can hit both righties and lefties. Pollock has been a good hitter all his life. Those three outfielders can throw and run. The fourth outfielder will fit Garlick and Beaty better. I do not think Joc will be happy as a fourth outfielder. Joc just has not adjusted. If I could get a good relief pitcher by trading Joc and one farm kid, I would do it.
Nick Castellanos defense is dramatically improved. He is not “pathetic.” If you put any trust in the video of him not getting a fly ball last week, the person who posted it said that the winds were swirling and he is now an average outfielder. To jump to the conclusion that he doesn’t have it mentally is 180 degrees wrong. In the last three years, Nick has dealt with a divorce, his parents divorce, his father having brain cancer. moving all over the diamond and being on a crappy team who will not discuss an extension with him. The Tigers are a disaster and has has checked out, but not because he doesn’t have it mentally.
The Athletic did a piece on him recently: https://theathletic.com/1018280/2019/06/10/nicholas-castellanos-opens-up-on-his-defensive-development-i-dont-know-what-easy-is/ In part it said:
Interviewing Castellanos, though, is a little bit different from interviewing most players. He is the son of a distinguished doctor, highly intelligent in his own right. He doesn’t tolerate fools, and he can sniff out phoniness in a heartbeat. Castellanos has lived a lot of life in these past few years — he cared for his father during a cancer scare. He got married and divorced. He’s been on the trade block and yet hasn’t moved, stuck in a limbo with the Tigers that will continue into the summer, if not beyond. That and surely plenty more contributes to Castellanos being complex, and that is a compliment. He’s not someone you go to for filler quotes or clichés. There’s likely to be some back and forth, and if you can handle it, you’ll walk away having learned something
Nick has made a lot of improvement in RF this year. He is intent upon improving his defense. If he were to play LF, I think it would be much easier. The fact that he is having a poor year should make him less expensive. I would jump on him in an instant. It’s not called “sight” It’s called “vision.”
Read the article and I think you will feel differently.
It really depends on the cost. He is not JDM so the cost should be less than what Detroit got for him. Give Detroit 2 from a list of Luke Heyer, Starling Heredia, Marcus Chiu, Chris Roller, Nathan Witt, Mark Washington, or Sven Schueller. I do not beleive that 2 months of Castellanos is worth 1 of our top 30. Unless you include Yadier Alvarez.
I really don’t know why you are obsessed with Nick Castellanos. He has been an underachiever for 4 years. He was supposed to be the next big thing. He was the 44th player chosen in the 2010 draft and was the Tigers’ top prospect . He has been bad at every position that he has played in the field. I don’t know the basis for the author of the article that you site saying that he is a major league average OF at this point, but his career numbers show a different picture. He has been way below average every season that he has played in MLB to now. Those who believe in new age defense stats say doubt a given years’ numbers and to look at career numbers as there is volatility in defensive numbers from year to year.
By the way, the article that you cite doesn’t really establish that NC can actually play OF:
“This conversation is relevant because of the way Castellanos’ defensive metrics have improved since last season. In 2018, Castellanos ranked last among MLB right fielders with -19 defensive runs saved and a -12.9 ultimate zone rating.
This season, Castellanos is 15th out of 17th qualifying right fielders with -3 DRS, and he ranks 11th with a -3.2 UZR/150. He’s still toward the bottom, but the numbers are not near as striking. ”
In other words, he is still a bad defensive OF but not so horrible that you have nightmares when you see him with a glove on his hand.
I really don’t think that a rental of NC, who will cost valuable prospects and only mean that the Dodgers keep him for 3 months, really solves the Dodgers’ greatest need. Even Ray Charles (to quote MT) can see that the team’s biggest need is to solve the bullpen problem. They have a right handed OF coming off of the bench with a much better track record than NC (Pollock) and they have their 2 RHH utility players (Taylor and Hernandez) who are still available to play as far as I know.
The Dodgers need relief pitching.
Well they play defense with no offense!
In response to AC’s question above, I would much rather spend prospects on a good reliever or two than I would in getting a right handed hitting outfielder. As many have pointed out, we’ll have one when Pollock returns.
With regard to Mancini, I could be very wrong here, but I thought that his defense was not very good either. I’m hoping we keep Garlick around for a few more weeks so we can see exactly what he has to offer.
Will Smith (the catcher) has been doing just fine at OKC and he will certainly be up in September, if not sooner. If he produces again like he did when he was here earlier I could easily see him making the playoff roster at the expense of Martin or Barnes.
The reason for the early departure from Gerardo Carrillo in yesterday’s game was not because of performance, but because of arm injury. No need to speculate about the seriousness just yet, but the injury doesn’t look like a quick 7 day IL and back. He is only 20 and with a very bright future, so the Dodgers need to take their time and make sure whatever has happened gets correctly properly. Speculation has already started that his injury has been an issue for awhile because of his past several poor performances. I am not in that camp.
Minor league promotion:
Outfielder Drew Avans has been promoted from High-A Rancho to Double-A Tulsa. Avans hit .293/.353/.488 with three homers in 123 ABs with Rancho. The 2018 33rd rounder becomes the first member of the Dodgers’ 2018 draft class to reach Double-A.
Draft Signings:
6th-rder Aaron Ochsenbein for $72,500 (pick 191 = $249k). Eastern Kentucky RHP, with nasty upper-80s splitter, up to 97 with fastball, flashes solid slider.
9th rounder LHP Alec Gamboa for $17.5k, per @MLBPipeline. Slot value for pick 281 is $150.1k.
11th-rd Big RHP Logan Boyer for $297.5K ($172.5K counts vs bonus pool). Reportedly l has good stuff, poor injury history.
10th rd of Zac Ching from VCU gets $2.5K (pick 311 value = $142.3K). Scouts say: Solid SS, maybe winds up at 2B. Good contact skills.
All in, estimates are that the Dodgers are now $376.8k underslot with all reported bonuses.
Thanks for the update Bluto.
I like Joc. I don’t love him as a player though. He’s a decent left-fielder who gets good reads on the ball. The reason his exit velocity doesn’t match his BABIP is that he rarely beats the shift. Before his recent slump we all had to be happy with what the Dodgers were getting out of Joc this year. Unlike Grandal, he usually has more than two hot streaks a year and might show up in the post-season. I suspect he will bounce out of it soon. I would be perfectly content with Joc hitting 7th or 8th with Verdugo at the top of the order. Let’s hope Pollack is the RH bat that is needed. He didn’t hit lefties worth a darn last year and he’s been more of a .265 hitter the last few years. I would be happy if Verdugo played so well that he can’t be taken out of the lineup. However, I suspect the rookie will initially get the short end of the stick when AJ returns. I’d be good with AJ platooning with Joc.
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I think we need bullpen help much more than a RH bat. With Seager and Pollack returning, theoretically the offense should get a boost if they can return to full potential before the season is over. The guy that I’m ambivalent about is Maeda. I like him. He’s good for a #5 starter, and would probably be a 4 for most teams and a #3 for some bad teams. His contract has to be appealing to some teams. He’s not a big upgrade over Stripling and Urias so why not deal him with Kike and a prospect if they can get a top notch relief pitcher. He’s a nice security blanket for the Dodgers though. With Hill and Ryu potentially leaving after the season, I’m sure the front office likes having a decent pitcher like Maeda around for security.
The Whit Merrifield comparisons are inevitable… except that Whit may have a little more footspeed and is RH. Drew is 23 years old and might even pull an Andrew Toles this year: Go from A to AAA. The dude is a hitter and very good baserunner.
speaking of , does anyone have an update on Andrew Toles? Last I read, he left the team again?
Everybody knows. No one is talking. He is with his family.
I have no opinion. You could jump to a conclusion and it might be wrong.
Yeah, I have zero idea of what’s happening. Hopefully he’s getting things taken care of, whatever it is.
All I know is, I liked his story of how he came back to baseball, and he always seemed pleasant when being interviewed.
Today vs some pitcher on the giants named Beede (I’ll assume he’s a right hander):
Joc
Verdugo
Beaty
Belly
Muncy (3b)
CT3
Kike
Barnes
Maeda
Tyler Beede has an 8.10 career ERA… which means he might pitch a perfect game.
Willie Calhoun activated today from his left tree trunk strain.
😉
Was his leg barking at him or knot.
You are a real sap!
You should try and branch out.
Don’t go out on a limb.
Just make like a tree and leaf!
😉
Just read that Morgan Cooper has been promoted from AZL to Ogden and if his recovery goes as planned, he will be pitching in August or September. It’s been a long wait to see the 2017 2nd round pick pitch. Hope he makes it through all his injuries.
At this juncture, I have no expectations.
I have no clue.
Ok, i know it’s only the 2nd inning, but Maeda’s non-aggressive approach against this crap team is putting me to sleep.
Freaking go after them Maeda. Nibbling way too much! Urias back into the rotation soon enough????
Reminds me of when Pau used to go soft, and Kobe told him “black swan”. Go after them!!!
Maeda often starts slowly. Giving up 2 runs early, marked his day and the batters have not stepped up at all after 5 innings, aside from Muncy’s solo shot.
Dodgers fielded one of their weakest hitting lineups, so far. Let’s see if they can score any runs to tie and go ahead for the win. Urias in for Maeda. Uh-oh, leadoff walk!
Lets hope AJ’s return will give the offense a boost because CT3 and Keekay look horrible. Are they versatile and excellent journeymen…yes, but their offensive game doesn’t look big league like.
Keekay was given the starting 2B job after a good ST but he has fumbled that opportunity and it just might possible AF gets a 2B at the deadline.
A 2nd baseman might not be in the cards for LA. I mean, Friedman’s swung and missed at least 3 times on the position (Kendrick, Forsythe, Dozier that I can recall). Third time was not the charm, so perhaps it best to make do as is instead of burning thru more prospects. Competition brings out the best in professional athletes, maybe once we have our full roster healthy, Kike and Taylor can compete for 2nd base and the competition might actually raise at least one of their performances for the stretch run. I really hope Lux is ready next year and we reduce these guys to back up, utility roles they’re best suited for. Same goes for Will Smith and the Barnes/Martin band aide.
I am going to recant my approval for Taylor at SS being adequate for defensive ability. If we look at his history, Taylor has been woeful as a SS committing high numbers of errors. I think his play at 2B and the OF colored my opinion of him before I checked his stats. Combine his weakness as a SS, his batting is getting worse. If we have Kike struggling, we can’t have Taylor struggling. Kike is the better fielder with more potential than Taylor on both ends. Dodgers need a call up, ASAP.
Urias is struggling with his control. As Orel said, ‘there is no later for a RP’.
Ferguson walks the leadoff batter. Same template in play. Ferguson has not delivered much help this season, yet they keep trying. Oh well………….
Disappointing loss – yet another of those games you think you should have won.
Offense looks very anaemic.
Joc, CT3, kike, JT, Marnes & Verdugo all struggling at the same time does not help.
Dave Roberts needs to break up this part of the lineup.
Taylor
Hernandez
Catcher
Pitcher
That’s just about 4 automatic outs in a row.
The Dodgers lineup needs a contact hitter driving in runs in the 7th spot. That batter was Verdugo 320/419/580/999 in the 7th spot.
That part of the lineup was 1-14 tonight, the only hit by Maeda.
Barnes isn’t struggling. He’s just terrible! His time is up. It’s Smith’s time and we need his bat. And Kiki is now just a late inning defensive replacement. And sorry but Beaty and Garlick aren’t the answer. Could be a struggle until the all star break!