The A-List

Posted By on July 5, 2019

Many Dodger fans want another High Leverage Reliever for the bullpen and for the record, I am down with that too… but not at any cost. I have a list of prospects I would not trade and I am sure that the Dodgers do as well. Here’s my list:

  1. Keibert Ruiz
  2. Gavin Lux
  3. Dustin May
  4. Tony Gonsolin
  5. Will Smith
  6. Jeter Downs

That’s it! I would not trade any of those six players, but under the right conditions, I would trade others. Josiah Gray and Michael Grove are also close… but not on the A-List.

The Dodgers are now 31 games over .500. 8 games better than any NL team and 4 better than any AL team… and they are getting two of their starters back in a week or so. Scary!

This is short and sweet because I am flying to NYC in a few minutes with my family to visit my oldest son, who lives in Brooklyn. We will be back late Monday night. AC is also on vacation but I will be posting… it just might be sporadic and DC will cover the minor leagues. We have a new poster Monday, 2Demeter2. I am looking forward to it.

DC’s Minor League Lowdown

Highlight of the Night: Luke Heyer grand slam.His second of the year.

DSL Dodgers (Bautista) 4 – DSL Braves 0

It was nice to see a strong pitching performance. Andrew Budier (4 IP), Jeremi Rodriguez(3.2 IP) and Carlos De Avila(1.1 IP) combined to hold the Braves to 3 hits along with 9 strikeouts and 2 walks.

One run scored in the 3rd inning on a WP, a second in the 4th inning on a Francisco Feliz single and 2 in the 5th inning on a Luis Yan single and a Carlos Santiago HBP.

DSL Dodgers (Shoemaker) 2 – DSL Pirates (1) 6

The pitching was not so good in this one. Harold Galindo allowed 2 runs in his 4 innings, Juan De La Cruz 3 in his 1.2 innings and Fran Castro 2 in his 1.1 innings. Eli Moron did pitch 2 scoreless innings.

Offensively the 2 runs scored  on a Brayan Rodriguez SF and a Marlon Cairo home run in the 9th inning.

AZL Dodgers (Lasorda) 1- AZL Royals 4

Israiky Berroa gave up all 4 runs, 3 earned, in his 3 innings. After that Adolfo Ramirez, Jeff Belge, Gabe Benavides, Max Gamboa and Nick Robertson combined for 6 innings of one-hit ball with 2 walks and 9 strikeouts.

The lone run scored in the 7th inning on a ground out. The Lasorda Dodgers had only 4 hits on the day.

AZL Dodgers (Mota) 0 – AZL Giants Orange 3

Huei-Sheng Lin gave up 2 runs in his 2 innings. Following Lin,  Mitchell Tyranski, Jacob Cantleberry, Ryan Pepiot, Aaron Ochsenbein and Jeisson Cabrera combined for one run on 6 hits in six innings with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts.

The Mota Dodgers were limited to 5 hits with Danny Sinatro collecting 2 of them.

Ogden Raptors  4 – Rocky Mountain Vibes (Milwaukee) 2

Alfredo Tavarez had a nice start for the Raptors tossing 5 innings of 1-run ball on 7 hits no walks and 6 strikeouts. Ricardo Hernandez allowed a run in his 2 innings while Corey Merrill had 2 scoreless innings.

The Raptors scored 2 in the 5th on a Zac Ching single and a Sauryn Lao steal of home  Two more came home in the 8th on a Sam McWilliams home run and an error on a Joe Vranesh fly ball.

Great Lakes Loons 8 – Lansing Lugnuts (Toronto) 1

Twenty-year-old right-hander Jose Martinez had another good outing after a dry spell and gave up only one run in 5 innings on 3 hits, one walk and 6 strikeouts. Justin Hagenman who has become a staple of the Loons relief corps followed Martinez and tossed 2 shutout innings on one hit and with 4 strikeouts. Justin Bruihl followed suit with a clean inning and 2 strikeouts as did Yeison Cespedes with a scoreless 9th.

At the plate the Loons scored one in the 2nd inning on a Leonal Valerie single and piled on 5 in the sixth inning. In that inning they had 6 consecutive hitters reach base, five hits and one walk. The big blow was a grand slam by Luke Heyer followed by a run producing sacrifice fly by Matt Cogen. Hunter Feduccia chased another run home in the top of the 8th inning with a double.

Ranch Cucamonga Quakes 3 – Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego) 0

Leo Crawford (5.2 IP), Max Gamboa (1.1 IP) and Sven Schueller (2 IP) held the 66ers to 9 hits, struck out 14 and walked 4, 3 by Gamboa.

Out hit 9-5, the Quakes had two long flies. Marcus Chiu homered in the 2nd and Starling Heredia hit a 2-run home run in the 4th. A.J. Pollock was hitless in 3 at bats in his first rehab game.

Tulsa Drillers  2 – Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Kansas City) 7

Parker Curry got the start for the Drillers pitching 5.1 innings with 6 hits, 3 earned runs and 5 strikeouts. He left in the top of the 6th inning with one out and 2 on. Yordy Cabrera came on to try to settle things down and although it was not totally easy he did strand the runners with a double play. In the top of the 7th Cabrera exited with the bases loaded without a Naturals hit and with one out. Logan Salow took over and struck out two to close out the inning. Unfortunately a run came home with a walk sandwiched between the strikeouts. Nolan surrendered a further 2 runs in the 9th inning.

The Drillers scored 2 runs in the bottom of the first inning on a Christian Santana double and a Chris Parmalee single. Santana had a 3-hit game.

OKC Dodgers  13  – Round Rock Express (Houston) 7

Daniel Corcino led things off with 6 innings limiting the Express to 2 runs. Shea Spitzbarth was considerably more generous surrendering 4 runs in an inning. Chris Nunn got touched for one and Kevin Quackenbush once again cleaned up with 1.1 scoreless innings and stranding 2 runners.

The offense did put on a fireworks show with 16 hits, 9  for extra bases. Gavin Lux had another 4-hit night while Connor Joe had 3 including a  home run  and a double. Besides Joe, Ben Moore, Shane Peterson and Jon Kemmer homered.

This article has 54 Comments

  1. Good list, but I would probably add Gray. The Dodgers can still make some good prospects available to pursue Will Smith and another good bullpen piece. They had a good draft, both the college hitters should move up quickly. The July deadline will be interesting with an expected flurry of activity, especially with the removal of waiver trades.

  2. I would like to know what players the Dodgers could obtain with Ruiz as the key piece of a package. The Dodgers have Smith and Cartaya and other catchers in their system.

  3. The is absolutely no way AF trades Ruiz. I said the same about Seager, Urias, Belli, and Verdugo. He’s of that ilk!

    1. Remember back in high school when we didn’t know the answer to a true false question we could get it right if we marked false anything that had the words always and never?

        1. You are playing a dangerous game against the the metaphysical forces of the universe.

  5. I would trade Downs if the return was worthwhile but agree with sbuffalo that Gray is a keeper. He’s a former shortstop who has only concentrated on pitching fairly recently. I think by next year we’ll be talking about him like we do May and Gonsolin this year.

  6. If Verdugo remains as good as he has been and keeps the outfield crowded, might the Dodgers be better off trading Pollock for Goldschmidt and extending Pederson? Rumor has it that Goldschmidt hits fairly well at Dodger Stadium.

    1. Bum, I worry about your state of mind when Joc isn’t elected into The Hall of Fame.

      2. You have me wrong. I like pulling for somebody. Before Joc it was Loney. Neither has been the player I wanted them to be. Smith will be my next project.

    3. Bum and I disagree about trading Joc, but I agree that he is a pretty good player.

      Per Jon Weisman:
      Career home runs for Dodgers on active roster:
      * Joc 107
      * JT 94
      * Cody 94

    4. If you look at Goldy’s recent numbers, the Cards might be interested in Pollock! It could work for both teams. Keep Joc!

    1. Not drunk, but def had a great buzz from the indica I used as I watched our Dodgers win again!

      1. No better nightcap! But, I also found myself into a bottle of Laphroaig 10 last night. I know Mark likes Scotch.

        Mark, what do you think of Laphroaig 10? I loved it! It was totally unexpected for me. Very complex. Strong flavor, but smooth finish. I’m a big fan now, I’ll probably get back to it over the weekend.

  8. Bum – you’re pulling my leg to get it even with the other one, right?
    32 y.o. Goldy in 2020..Scintillating! !

      1. Phil, A sign of not having a great first baseman is a team with 5 guys getting time at first.

    2. Goldy will have solid numbers throughout his contract which averages $26M through age 36. He is a strong right bat with a solid history of performance.

      While I suggest Goldy to yank at those that dis Pollock, it is odd that anybody would think that Goldy isn’t a top 5 first baseman.

      Joc and Freese or a Freese clone could easily hold down first base for a number of years so anybody that thinks that Joc won’t be a Dodger past 2020 is on the short side of the odds.

  9. The Cubs gave up Torres to get Chapman. Do you think they’d give up that trophy to get him back and Torres is better than any prospect we have. I’d include Gonsolin, Smith or Downs to get Vazquez in a heartbeat!

  10. I was impressed with Shaggy striking out all 5 batters he faced last night. He struck out 5 another time in 2 innings a couple weeks ago. He is filthy with his movement and almost never leaves the ball up with ground ball and swing and miss stuff, his only problem is consistent command of the strike zone. Let the kid have some run, he is young and cheap and already here. Along with the resurgence of Kelly they only need a lefty in the pen and don’t look now but Caleb is doing well at OKC.

    After Busch signed they can go over slot and full court press on Jimmy Lewis to have him forego his college commitment. If they fail there they have lots of money to sign some of the late round flyers they took on other HS guys judged as ‘tough signs’ but Lewis is the priority. Wish AC was here to do the numbers but I think they can go to $1.3M or so for Lewis without penalty with his slot value at $793K.

    Doc commenting how Muncy ‘protects’ Cody in the lineup batting 5th-only took him a couple months to realize what I was preaching but now that’s one of the few constants in the lineup. The only other guy who should bat 5th sometimes is Freese-put your best OPS guys besides Cody in the 5 hole if everyone is healthy.

    1. Shaggy looked that way at the start of last year. I think he’s got good stuff but has to show me a lot more before I believe he has command.

      1. Agreed, I’d just like to see Shaggy get more opportunities which will help his command. I agree on Lux too-when he was drafted out of HS he looked like the teenager he was and now has grown into a man with that same sweet swing. He has good speed and range with his arm the only question which to me rules out playing 3B.

        1. It sounded like playing in Wisconsin gave him a lot less opportunity that a lot of higher ranked prospects in high school.

  11. Mark ranked his top 6 Do-Not-Trades. Others have chimed in with their Do-Not-Trades.

    I find it fascinating that not only are we enjoying the best record in baseball, (and yet still arguing about who should be playing and who should be shipped out of town or sent down, etc) but we also have an abundance of riches in the minor leagues that we can argue about who needs to be protected and who is excess that can be dealt away.!! Life is good if you’re a Dodger fan.

    My 1 cent (because I don’t know that my thoughts are worth the full 2 cents) is that for this current MLB team, which has only 1 goal, AND has a lot of young talent (so it’s not some vet team on its last run), ANYONE from the minors is expendable in the right deal. We need to address our bullpen, and as much as we’d all love for Kenley to become 2017 Kenley, and for Chagois and Floro and Kelly and Roscup and whatever else we toss out there to magically all get hot in October, it’s a huge risk to assume or hope that happens. The risk is we lose another World Series because we went cheap on the bullpen again, and that’s just unacceptable. It’s like we’re riding in an Audi A8, but the car is sitting on tires from my old Toyota Corolla an we refuse to buy good tires.

    Most of these minor leaguers we want to hoard on to won’t become the MLB impact players that they are in the minors. We have to take the risk that we ship out a potential multi time all star for something we need today and for something we need this October.

    If we ship out Lux, well we have Downs and Esteves and maybe this Michael Bush behind him. If we ship out Ruiz, well we have Will Smith and Cartaya and others behind him. If we ship out May or Gonsolin, then we always have a Mitchell White, Edwin Uceta, and Josiah Gray and maybe even this Lewis high school kid if he signs. The farm will be replenished by Friedman and Friends. Now it’s time to replenish the MLB bullpen and win a damn ring!

    Oh, and today is the day that Kawhi will decide!!!!

    1. I’m hanging on to Lux. They refused to deal him last year and he’s only gotten better. I think they need to get him playing 2B more. I was shocked to see Estevez hitting .338. I was very impressed with his glove work during spring training a couple of years ago. Seems like the Dodgers need to get him and Lux starting together at AAA.

      1. for the record, I’ve been super high on Lux since we drafted him, and thru his initial struggles when others brought out the bust word on a 19 year old.

        he’s my fave of all of our current prospects (now that Verdugo has graduated). I hope we keep him and I hope he starts playing 2b now.

        But I”m also practical enough to know that you have to give to get. And if we have to GIVE Lux, then we had better GET a stud, and not a Ryan Madsen type!

        1. If you are willing to trade Lux for a reliever how can you question trading Pollock for Goldschmidt.

    2. I agree with Bobby regarding the need to not be too conservative with a deadline deal for a top notch reliever. And I’ve been on board with Friedman’s approach the previous few years, but this team deserves a real shot at a ring. And this pen isn’t going to get it done vs Yanks or Astros.

      But if Jansen remains the closer I don’t think the Dodgers will win it all, regardless of what moves are made. They can likely win the NL again, but to win the Series will mean at least a couple of close games. The Yanks and Astros will feast on that lifeless cutter.

      So we need to make a big trade, and let the bullpen be a meritocracy. What are the chances?

  12. Wouldn’t be better to have Seager move over to 2B and have Lux at SS??
    I suppose we can speculate all we want, but does anyone have a clue what AF is going to do? I think not..
    All I know is I’d love a ring. Getting to the Twilight of my career.

      1. Shortstops twist and turn more than other positions and Seager has had ailments. He might have a longer career at 3rd.

  14. Let’s give him a go at 1st – he can platoon with Goldie.

    Shelby Miller anyone?

  15. Today’s lineup vs LHP Eric Lauer:

    CT3
    Verdugo
    JT
    Belly
    Muncy
    Kike
    Garlick
    Barnes
    Kersh

  17. Max Muncy has been named as a replacement for Anthony Rendon on the All-Star team.

  19. The post I put up with links to articles about Muncy replacing Anthony Rendon has suddenly disappeared. Maybe it will appear later, but just in case, here are the links.

    https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2844363-max-muncy-shane-bieber-liam-hendricks-named-replacements-for-2019-mlb-asg

    https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/news/shane-bieber-liam-hendriks-max-muncy-all-stars

    And I’m adding this from the LA Times, which some of you may not be able to open without a subscription.

    https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-max-muncy-all-star-20190705-story.html

  20. Guessing that everything I’ve posted is still awaiting moderation.

    I forgot to ask in my previous posts today, whether or not anyone has any information regarding players the Dodgers may have signed since the international signing period opened on July 2nd.

  21. DODGERS MAX MUNCY NAMED NL ALL-STAR
    LOS ANGELES     – Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Max Muncy was named to the 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which will take place on July 9 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. The infielder is replacing Washington Nationals Anthony Rendon and will join teammates Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu at the 90th MLB mid-summer classic.
    Muncy, 28, will make his first trip to the All-Star Game after competing in the 2018 T-Mobile Home Run derby. The infielder is slashing .276/.379/.921 with 21 homers and 59 RBI this season. Since May 1, he is batting .290 (58-for-200) with 16 homers and 42 RBI. The former Baylor Bear is among the National League leaders in homers (10th), RBI (13th), OBP (14th, .379) and OPS (14th, .921). On the road, he boasts the seventh-best OPS in all of baseball (.995) and has amassed 14 homers and 36 RBI away from Dodger Stadium.
    Los Angeles will have the five representatives at the game, the most in the NL and second to the Houston Astros who will have six players at the game.

    1. Joc is in the HR derby … yet no one is concerned that it will make him worse off. I find that pretty humorous.

      Think about it – will the HR derby
      a. cause Joc to use more of an uppercut swing
      b. change Joc’s approach to swing for the fences every AB
      c. make Joc more vulnerable to off speed and/or breaking pitches
      d. jinx Joc so that he becomes an all or nothing hitter

      No one is worrying that Joc will be worse off after the HR derby. There’s only upside for Joc.

      By the way, there is a fierce competition between Jose Vizcaiano and Dino Ebel to be selected to throw to Joc during the HR derby. Joc is keeping his cards close to the vest… no one knows who it will be. There have been conflicting reports that Joc has made a selection, but Joc insists that he is taking time to think through this important decision. Forget Kawhi, LA fans are waiting with baited breath on who Joc chooses to throw him BP!

    1. First time through the lineup for the Quakes and apparently all the thunder came from the lower part of the order:
      * Pollock flied out. Seager with an RBI ground ball single up the middle, but then…
      * Connor Wong just missed a HR, wound up on 3rd – Liput singles him in
      * Niko Hulsizer with a 2 run bomb!

  25. Mark,

    I haven’t lived in Brooklyn since 2006. Prior to leaving, I lived there from birth in 1946. I now live in Rockville Centre on Long Island. Although I was in Brooklyn earlier this week visiting a former, now 96 year old neighbor, who I drop in on once in a while.

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