Steady As She Goes

Posted By on July 8, 2019

Well here we go, with my initial attempt to entertain you folks for the day and, hopefully,  provide you with an interesting and thought provoking read.  Admittedly, Mark T. tried his best to trade for Jon Weisman or Mike Petriello, two of the most elite bloggers out there, but he was unsuccessful.  Instead, rather sadly, he ended up giving you me, the Zac Rosscup of bloggers. 

As we take a break for the All-Star game, the figurative half-way point of the season, I thought I might take stock of where the Dodgers are at this point in the season.  Let’s get the easy stuff out of the way first:  Is there any one of you, if told at the beginning of the season at the break, the Dodgers would be 61 and 31( I wrote this before Saturday’s game and assumed we would split the next two games), that wouldn’t have signed up for that in a heart beat, no matter how we got there?   I know I would have and I am enjoying this ride immensely.

My observation of where the Dodgers are and where they’re headed can best be summed up by the nautical term,  “Steady as she goes.”    Steady as she goes is an instruction from the captain to the helmsman of a ship, to keep the ship heading steadily on the same course regardless of gusts of wind or cross‑currents.  As I look back at how we got here, that appears to be precisely the direction of the Dodgers.

The Dodger blueprint for success does not seem to be much of a mystery.   Stan Kasten has stated that he believes in scouting and player development, and a starting rotation.  As he put it, “With both, anything is possible.  Without both, nothing is possible.”   The front office prioritizes defense, positional flexibility, organizational depth, savvy, and run‑producing hitters.    Kasten has also stated, on the record, that he is focused on producing sustained success, not just one year wonders.   He has stated that “a franchise built on free‑agent signings and big contracts alone is unsustainable.”   Mark calls them “dope fiend moves,” Kasten calls such a plan “a fool’s errand.”  In addition, Kasten and the front office know the value of being patient and not expecting immediate success or overnight reward.   As Kasten puts it  “We know the media and fans are going to be biased about winning tonight’s game.  But that is not a productive guiding vision for building a franchise. ¼ If you only have short‑term goals, you cannot have sustained long‑term success.”   That’s true in business (ask Mark) and it’s equally true in sports. 

When Kasten took over the Dodgers, their farm system was ranked 27th out of 30 teams.   Now it’s regularly in the top 10, including being the best for a couple of years.   We are seeing the fruits of that philosophy at the major league level as players like Bellinger, Beuhler, Verdugo, Seager, Urias, Smith, Beatty, Garlick, Rios, and others contribute significantly to the teams success and give us continued hope for the future.  This didn’t happen overnight, but it has happened, all the while the Dodgers continued to experience success.   Personally, I don’t like it when the Dodgers lose a game.  Even in a season as successful as this one.   I want them to win them all.   I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to tank for several years (e.g. Cubbies,  Astros, Orioles, etc) while a rebuild is taking place.   I don’t think I would enjoy that at all.  

We also know that Andrew Friedman adheres to the same formula as Kasten and adds his own unique set of talents to the mix.   Friedman does not possess any special talents that would make him the best GM in sports.  Rather, he has an organizational philosophy that he carries throughout the organization.  While I don’t have any inside information of what that specific philosophy is, what I have observed about him is that he is indeed very analytical and yet he is also an astute baseball guy.  He is also fiscally innovative.   I marvel at some of the trades he has pulled off (the Culberson trade comes to mind) and how they make so much financial and baseball sense.  

Friedman is also, as one writer put it, most adept at finding talent at the margins.  That is, he seems to always find players with flaws who can be put in a position to maximize what they’re good at.  Examples are Ben Zobrist, Brandon Morrow, Chris Taylor, Kike Hernandez, etc.  It’s not always about finding the next superstar.  Rather, for Friedman, it’s about finding useful players who can play, in most cases, multiple positions.  

Another quality that both Kasten and Friedman share is that they hire good people and they let them do their job.   Many fans bitch and moan that Roberts is just a puppet, and that Friedman, et al. pull all the strings, etc.   Frankly, I find nothing that would suggest that to be the case.   Friedman has surrounded himself with some of the brightest and most innovative minds in baseball: Josh Byrnes, Jeffrey Kingston, Gerry Hunsicker, Pat Corrales, Brandon Gomes, Raul Ibanez, Billy Gasparino, Galen Carr, William Rhymes and the list goes on and on.   He hired Joe Maddon at Tampa Bay, before he was the Joe Maddon who we know now.   He hired Dave Roberts before he had any managerial experience.   Both of these managers were out of the box hires.   Do Roberts and his coaching staff rely on advance analytics?   Absolutely.   But that’s not the only thing they rely on.  Roberts, like Maddon, are both equally “baseball guys.”   In my opinion, what causes them to stand out, is that they possess a unique ability to communicate with players to get them to believe in what they are selling.  As I was thinking about Roberts and his staff for this post, it occurred to me that I don’t recall reading a negative post about Dino Ebel since the season has started.   That’s rather remarkable if you think about it.  It wasn’t that long ago when we were dealing with Ron Roenicke, Lorenzo Bundy, Tim Wallach and Larry Bowa.   Seems like then we were always complaining about them sending a runner at the wrong time, etc.  Same is true about Robert Von Scoyoc, Brant Brown and Aaron Bates.   During spring training, there were lots of questions and concerns about whether these “out of the box” youngsters knew enough to teach the art of hitting.   I don’t know how much of the Dodgers hitting success can be laid at their feet, but one thing I do observe while watching the games, is that after most every at bat, the hitter will go over and talk with Von Scoyoc and Brown.  I didn’t notice that as much with Turner Ward.    Not saying it didn’t happen(certainly he an Puig got lots of air-time kissing each other), I just didn’t notice it as much as I do now with the new coaches.   I have also noticed with the off season trades and the last few years of draft choices, that the Dodgers not only want good players, they want players of good character.   Chemistry, that positive blend of youth and veterans is very important to them.  

I have also noticed that Friedman is a firm believer that a team/franchise that remains static will eventually regress and deteriorate.   People, too.   So the antidote is to be proactive.   Change before you’re forced to.  Keep putting yourself in the best positions to succeed.  When things break the wrong way, break new ground, but remember the underlying adage “steady as she goes.” 

So with those observations, what do I predict is going to happen in the 2nd half of the season?   Simple it will remain “steady as she goes.”    Despite the success of the team, the Dodgers have still encountered gusts of wind and cross‑currents(injuries, players performing sub-par, the bull-pen) that attempt to push them off course.   The most significant of these gusts of wind being the bullpen of course(although the hitting hole at catcher is running a close second in my mind).   Looking at past history, the front office has shown a willingness to attempt to get the best player available to fill the most glaring current need of the team (i.e. Machado after Seager injured, Darvish, Hill and Reddick).   Whenever they make these trades they will generally let go of good minor league assets, but typically not their top prospects.  Some of these moves have worked out well, some didn’t.   But it wasn’t for a lack of trying.  As Friedman stated recently, “we are comfortable being aggressive, but we are not comfortable being stupid.”  

So what do I expect to happen before the end of the month?   I believe we will add a reliever, perhaps two.  We are also certain to see a “surprise” trade (i.e. A. J. Ellis for Carlos Ruiz) and we may add a few players on the margins(already started with Casey Sadler).   What I don’t expect to see is Lux, May, Ruiz, Gonsolin, Smith, Downs, Gray, or Jackson to be traded, unless it is for an impact player that can be controlled for several years.  That’s just not their model for success. As far as the 25 man roster, the only players that I could potentially see being traded are Maeda, Stripling and Barnes.   Though I seriously doubt that any of them will be traded. 

That said, let’s enjoy the ride we’re on for the entire second half, bring home the WS championship and keep it steady as she goes!  

2Demeter2’s Minor League Lowdown

OKC lost to the Round Rock Express: 11-2

Conner Joe and Brandon Montgomery each hit home runs, otherwise this was a rather forgetable game. They happen. Dennis Santana continued his struggles as he allowed 10 runs in 3.2 innings, on 9 hits and 3 walks. He did register 4 strikeouts. Jaime Schultz did throw a nice inning in relief allowing nots and no walks and striking out 2.

Tulsa Drillers beat the NW Ark. Naturals: 4-0

Zack McKinstry and Logan Landon each had homeruns, with Landon chipping in with 3 rbis. Justin De Fratus threw a very solid 7 innings, allowing 4 hits, no BB and 6 ks. Yordy Cabrera and Jordan Sheffield each followed with a hitless and scoreless inning.

RC Quakes beat the Lake Elsinore Storm: 6-1

It was another very strong outing for Josiah Gray (are we still missing Puig?) Who pitched 7 innings, allowing only 4 hits, no walks and 6 strikeouts. Steve Berman was the offensive star as he had had two hits, drove in a pair and scored twice. Marcus Chiu also chimed in with 2 hits. Cory Seager and A,J, Pollock went hitless in a combined 5 at-bats in their rehab assignment.

Great Lake Loons lost to Fort Wayne: 3-2

Jacob Amaya had a nice offensive day going 2 for 3 with a homerun. Robinson Ortiz pitched 6 efficient innings, allowing only 5 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk and registering 6ks. Hunter Feduccia continued his solid season, chiming with a double. 3 relievers, Washington, Alvino and Inoa did their job by pitching a scoreless inning each.

Ogden Raptors defeated the Rocky Mountain Vibes: 19-8

Despite the score, Melvin Jimenez started and pitched 2.2 solid innings, striking out 6, walking none and allowing only 1 hit and no runs. Offensively everyone contributed, highlighted by Tre Todd’s 3 hits. Albeit they did not contribute to the scoring. Andy pages had 2 hits including his 7th homerun. Joe Vranesh, Justin Yurchak, and Andrew Shaps each had 2 hits, with Vranesh having 4 rbis. The Raptors were the recipients of 14 walks to go along with their 14 hits. A reminder that we shouldn’t get overly excited about Rookie ball statistics.

AZL Mota won over the AZL Reds: 7-1

Kody Hoese and Andres Noriega each homered. Kenneth Betancourt chipped in with 2 hits. Hyun-il Choi had a very good outing, tossing 5 innings, with 2 hits, no runs, no walks and 7 strikeouts. Recent draftees Mitchell Tyranski and Jacob Cantleberry each followed with scoreless innings, keeping their ERA’s at 0.00.

AZL lost to the AZL Cubs: 13-12

Aldrich De Jongh kept up his recent good offensive output with 3 hits. Rolando LeBron also had 3 hits. Meauz Landry hit a home run, as did catche Wladimir Chalo, who also had 3 rbis. Other than Gabe Benavides, who threw 2.1 scoreless innings in relief, the pitching was rather forgettable. Recently drafted Alec Gamboa had his first poor outing since turning pro, allowing 3 runs on 2 hits and 1 walk in 2/3 of an inning.

This article has 56 Comments

  1. 2Demeter2,

    I know this was not your inaugural post, but the first as a “roster regular” on LADT. It was an outstanding analysis of the Dodgers status at the Break. It encapsulates the relationship the organization is trying (and succeeding) to build, especially between AF and Stan Kasten. I look forward to your future posts (as well as your replies).

    1. Thank you AC! The last three games against the Padres certainly exposed some of our weaknesses and I was tempted to focus on the weaknesses exposed, rather than continuing to look at the long range picture.

  2. Nice article and perfect timing after going into the break losing three in a row to the Padres. While watching the games over the weekend, I felt they were a bit flat. Not to take anything away from the Padres, but I don’t think we played like ourselves. Like I was at work before the long weekend, I got some things done, but wasn’t as engaged as I normally am.

    It’s very good to be a Dodgers fan these days. We have the best club in the Bigs and our minor leagues keep churning out new players to be excited about. All this with 2 starting position players, both former All-Stars on the DL, a former World Series MVP joining them along with a lefty starter and a lefty reliever. And don’t forget about the best offensive catcher in Minor League limbo. Oh yeah, a budding Ace in the pen who’s about to join the rotation. How much better is this team gonna be without doing a thing?

    That said, I agree that AF is busy trying to improve an already great team. Not many holes to fill, just a couple of cracks to patch up. But, I wouldn’t put it past him to do something unexpected.

    1. The Dodgers definitely played flat. But then again, the Padre pitching was pretty good. If the Padres can keep it together, they have some nice young players on their team and in their system. Tatis, Jr. has the looks of a budding super-star.

      1. Tatis Jr. very fast and flashy and has some big time pop. Definitely a good cornerstone for them. Lot’s of pitching coming up as well. They’ll be our biggest threat for a while, but I like our chances especially with Lux and May just around the corner and Bellinger becoming one of the game’s best players. Just in time. The Rockies, D-Backs and Giants all had their turn. Fresh meat!

  3. 2D2 – you are so right. I am fortunate that at my age I have been able to look at the bigger picture and not live day-to-day with what happens on the diamond. I have longed for years, since 1988, for the Dodgers to be competitive every year. They don’t have to win every year, just have the chance to because of what they have built. That is what AF has given us, no guarantee of a championship but the opportunity to win one every year. You are right – if you build it, you will will win more than you lose. Building not buying looks like it will become the new normal for several teams.

    Justin Turner is starting to turn the corner (no pun intended) and I am sure AF already has plans in the works for when that days comes. That is, he is preparing now and won’t have to act when it happens out of desperation. The drive to make minor league players more versatile is intriguing. In a given game, you sometimes you really don’t know who will play where.

    I think AF has traded astutely with the minor leaguers. There are a couple I would like to have back but he has traded many that have not weakened the system. I expect not many are now fretting over the trade with the Reds that brought Downs and Gray on board. Also, some of the young players will have a better opportunity to progress with other teams and not be backed up behind the depth in the Dodger system.

    Character is high on the list and FA is also willing to take a chance. Why not draft a prospective TJ candidate when all draft selections are take a chance. His scouting team does a good job at looking at Junior College players, international players and players in independent leagues, plus non-drafted players.

    Looking at the coaching staff in the minors, they have gotten younger and younger with former catchers leading the way. Quite a few have never made it to MLB or even high in the minors. That is where character shows through in the coaching staff helping build character and quality with minor league players.

    Good job 2D2 – steady as she goes.

  5. My first day back from my week 1 vacation. If you can call it a vacation. Being in Anaheim for 7 days (guess where), was not my idea of a restful vacation. And then I got to experience yet another earthquake. How much fun was that? The first one hit while we were in the Haunted Mansion on July 4, and then while I was back at the Hotel icing my knees and feet on July 5, the rest of the family was out to dinner, the larger one struck. Losing a house in the 94 Northridge Quake, I know the damage that Mother Nature can afflict on us, but it really did not phase me. My wife called and asked if I left the hotel, and I told her I was fine. I am looking much more forward to next week when I will be in wine country.

    This Friday (July 12) at 2:00 PM PT, all 2019 draft picks will need to be signed or they will return to school in the fall and some will be eligible again next year, while others will need to wait 3 years. The Dodgers have signed 15 of their first 16 picks (25 of the total 41). The only unsigned draftee in the first 16 picks is Texas High School 6’ 6” RHP Jimmy Lewis. As you will recall, Lewis was the compensatory pick (2nd round) for the loss of Yasmani Grandal, and was 78th overall selection. He was selected with a bonus slot of $793,000. The Dodgers can spend up to $1,575,755 to sign Lewis and not incur a penalty, and they will undoubtedly need to spend a significant portion of that number to get Lewis to sign out of his LSU commitment. If the Dodgers do not sign Lewis, they will lose that pick and they will waste another opportunity to sign a projectable high school starting pitcher to follow Dustin May. The Dodgers had to have known what the minimum bonus it would take to sign Lewis, right? The amount available is nearly double the slot.

    There is still a chance that a couple of other players (not high school or community college) will sign, but none will have the impact that Lewis can have. Of the remaining 15 unsigned draftees (other than Lewis), 7 are high school picks, 3 community college picks, and 5 four-year college picks. I was hoping that there might be some bonus money to sign Georgia high school infielder Brennan Milone, and if Lewis does not sign, then Milone could get some bonus dollars above $125,000. In the end, I think the Dodgers and Lewis will come to an agreement before the deadline, and Milone will matriculate to South Carolina.

    1. AC, thanks for the update on the draft and Lewis. I was also thinking that Milone was drafted so late because he would be a tough sign and would be a nice fallback. Lewis is the priority but they could use that money to sign multiple other players if given time and the deadline is fast approaching.

      2Demeter2-nice post today-very steady! The team is in a good place and set up for the long season and will be ready for the playoffs and a deep run. No one will be truly happy without a WS trophy this year.

    2. I agree (perhaps more hope) that Lewis will sign. It would be disappointing if he didn’t. As to the others, I don’t think that Andrew Baker (16th round), Braidyn Fink(19), Trey LaFluer (21), Brennan Milone (28) or Tres Gonzalez (37) will sign. The lure of and opportunity to paly D-1 baseball would be too great, unless they received life-changing money. The same is probably true for Chet Allison (24), though I hope the Dodgers can reel him in. It’s hard to know what would keep college players like Johny DeLuca (25), Parker Brahms(27) and Matthew Kanfer (36) from signing.

  6. Nice write-up. Of the three players currently on the 25 man roster that might be traded, the only one that I think is safe is Maeda. Stripling and Barnes won’t net much in return, but both are cost-controlled veterans that are coveted by all teams.

    The Dodgers need some some offense right about now and the return of Seager, AJ and Freese could not come at a better time. While I was impressed with Garlick, it now appears he is not ready for the big show.

    Will Smith would look good as the starting catcher sharing the position with Martin. Barnes’ AB’s are futile and Smith gives a competitive AB every AB. Barnes’ spot in the starting line-up is a “black hole” and much like we saw the last two post seasons where he took over for a slumping Grandal, I think we might see Smith take over for him.

  7. Hello Mark and DC. Welcome back AC and welcome to the writing part of DT, 2D2, nice article. I was also in SoCal, in San Dimas and felt the 7.1 earthquake. The earth was rolling under your feet. Glad to get home to NorCal. Wondered what you guys thought of Dennis Santana walking off the field during a game. He is just a young man, only 23 and hope he can put this behind him. Does anyone know when he might be back?

      1. I got the information today from reading Think Blue La, written by Ron Cervenka. He wrote that Dennis Santana gave up 10 earned runs, walked off the field, went to the clubhouse and got his things and left the ballpark. I felt bad for the young man and wondered what would happen to him.

  8. That was a very ‘safe’ post, 2Demeter2. There is little that I disagree with but I’ll try to find something. lol.
    Steady as she goes is definitely the ship that the Dodgers have built except for Doc. Can anyone really call Doc a steady as she goes manager? It’s hard for me to fit him into this bag. Doc makes staggeringly weird decisions that are anything but steady and logical. Some work, but so many don’t. The Dodgers, though, are good enough to survive his unsteadiness.

    Hard to see Maeda being tossed into the ring. His contract is good, he’s a yes man, and he fills a nice role both as a starter and possible BP player. He’s pitched convincingly well this season. Stripling has not. Neither has Barnes, so we agree mostly on this.

    I have said many times, the Dodgers need nothing, but the FO is famous for their surprise moves, so nothing would surprise me more if they did nothing. A trade or two wouldn’t hurt but I’m not hoping for anything.

    I think the team is presently in a slump, if you can call it that. This team’s slump is still many teams dreams. RISPect is what we need as we’ve been looking more like last year’s team for the last 2-3 weeks. Some of our boys look drunk at the plate, swinging at balls far from the strike zone. Hey, it’s hard to be on top all the time. I, too am looking forward to getting our IL players back and playing.

    1. Definitely tried to be “safe.” I’ll stir the pot more in the future. My thoughts on Maeda are that because he has done well and because he has a very owner friendly contract, he might bring back a better player in a trade. Al Campanis used to say that it is better to trade a player a year to early, than a year to late. That being said. I don’t think Maeda gets traded. It should also be remembered that Campanis was wanting to trade a young Orel Hershiser for Jim Sundberg!

  9. Great info on the draft picks. I don’t know anything about Jimmy Lewis. What I’m wondering is why the Dodgers, despite having the funds, might be willing to part with a substantial amount of money over the slot money? If this guy was worth a million plus, why did he fall to the 78th pick. Or did teams pass on him knowing the kind of money he wants to keep him out of LSU. (ie. Scott Boras agent?) He obviously has some leverage but he was the 78th pick.

    1. Lewis fell because he is strongly committed to LSU, so if the Dodgers want him they are going to have to pay overslot. Many teams stay away from those tough to sign that fall out of the top 20 picks. I think the amount overslot is what is being negotiated. He was not a Top 20 guy, but he was on a number of late 1st round mock drafts when looking at value rather than signability. The Dodgers did not go overslot on any of their top 10, but did go overslot for #11 Logan Boyer, so they do have $379,300 of their original bonus cap available , and and additional $403,455 at 5% over cap they can spend without penalty.

      I do not think they will need to spend $1.5 MM. but they can and not go over the bonus penalty cap.

      1. Thanks for the information AC. So, due to a sign ability issue Lewis falls to 78. The question becomes is his projectable talent equivalent to a 49th pick, up 30 slots? That pick is slotted at 1.5. It’s so hard to predict on high school pitchers and so many now are turning down serious (like 2.5 million, serious) money to go to college. It’s sure made college baseball more fun with mid 90’s dudes on the bump. Almost never used to see that. Those guys signed. Looking at the signees in general this year, I’m surprised at the number of top picks signing for less than slot $. Reichman at #1 took a $300K discount, Abrams at #8 – $730K, Langeliers at #9 -$959K (wow) and Bishop at #10 -$639K. Thats a lot of money left on the table. I guess they will all make it back someday.

  10. Freese has been reinstated from the IL. As expected, Garlick and Rios were optioned to OKC

    1. So, Freese and Corey right after the break and Pollock soon after? Otherwise why would they send two down with only one reinstated? Maybe a trade expected to be completed before the end of the break?

      1. I think they probably just want to have Garlick and Rios get their at-bats. Plus they save a little money sending them back down. One or the other would have been sent down for Seager. Then they have to make a move for Pollock.

  11. This year the All-Star break (which I normally hate) seemed to arrive at the perfect time. This club looks like it could use a breather. Turner has been hit by pitches what seems like 100 times this year. Bellinger is moving down the line a little slower after dealing with knee tendinitis he picked up at the Trop. Seager and Pollack are getting close to return. I’m sure the catchers love getting a breather. Kike looks lost at the plate, Garlick looks over matched lately. It’s a good time for a breather and let AF get to work on supplementing this roster.
    ~
    Slow and steady is a good analysis of the club. They’ve always believed in having the best 40 man roster. However, that doesn’t necessarily win the World Series where you need the best 25 man roster. AF has always swung for impact players at the deadline and has usually been successful. There is a bit of a different feel this year though. The pen which is a league wide problem stands out as big weakness to me and everything else looks good if you’re content with the catching duo. I look forward to seeing what AF does because it would be a shame to go down in the playoffs or World Series because they once again didn’t shore up the bullpen. Other than 2017, when Morrow worked out well, each year in the post-season there hasn’t been enough in the pen. To beat the best of the NL and the New York Yankees or Astros the Dodgers need another high quality arm. It’s great to see Kelly improving but do any of us really feel good about this pen if it were the World Series and the game was on the line. AF was the most coveted front office man in baseball. He turned down offer after offer to leave Tampa. He’s done an excellent job in LA but he was brought here to win a World Series so I look forward to what will be done at this deadline. It will be interesting to see if getting rid of the post August 1st waiver period is a good idea or it backfires because so many are still in the hunt.
    ~
    I would hate to see Joc get dealt. I like seeing kids come up from the minors and make it with the Dodgers, but this playing Joc at 1st thing looks awful to me still. Should we celebrate when he catches a routine ground ball? Every run is valuable in the post-season. Could Joc get dealt? Stripling? If Urias is joining the rotation, should Ross be dealt while he’s not to far removed from being an All-Star or does the impending free-agency of Hill and Ryu keep him around. Beaty? Could he be a piece in a deal? With Seager and Pollock coming back and Joc playing 1st, how does Beaty get on the diamond. I would say he’s below avg defensively right now, but his bat plays. He’s not as good as Joc in LF, but better at 1st Base.
    ~
    AC, I find it interesting that you put Jackson in the untouchable crowd. What makes you think so?

    1. 2D2 included Jackson in his untouchables. I am not sure which Jackson (Drew? Andre?), but there is not a Jackson that would be in mine. But we all have different untouchables, and they change from time to time. It is the wise GM who knows when that time comes. Last year there were a lot of people who included Dennis Santana on that list…not so much this year. Yadier Alvarez has been an untouchable. DJ Peters is an untouchable on many lists. The only untouchable that counts is AF, and I believe his untouchable list is long.

      1. Yeah, I’m not ready for Peters to be on my untouchable. Sorry, I should have looked closer. 2D2, is that Drew Jackson? Where in the world is Yadier Alvarez these days? Sure wish they would have signed Moancada instead.

      2. I meant Andre Jackson. He’s 2 years removed from surgery and seems to really be coming into his own. Right now I view (limited as my view is) him as being a slightly lesser version of Gray.

        I agree with you that Friedman’s list is a lot longer than ours. I’m relatively confidant they know the prospects a whole lot better than we do.

  13. Last things first. I’d also be interested in an answer to Hawkeye’s question as to why you put Jackson on your list.

    2D2 – very nice write up and I’m reminded every time you post that I always rooted for Don Demeter when he played here. Of the three guys you mentioned as possible trade candidates, I think some team would be very wise to grab Stripling. He really has gotten a lousy deal, being shifted back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen and when in the bullpen not getting used often enough to stay sharp. If I’m a team trading a reliever to AF, I make sure to have Stripling included in the deal. Barnes trade value is minimal at this point but if someone asks for him it would seem easy enough to sign Martin for another year. All things equal, I would still rather have Barnes than Martin to back up Smith next year.

    With regard to Joc – many have wondered if we were playing him at first to increase his trade value. I’m wondering if management figured that would be the place he would get most of his playing time in the second half and based on what they’ve seen, he may now be more likely to be traded, not because of his extra value but because we may not have a place to play him. Not every poor play he has made shows up in the box score, and of course it’s totally unfair to make him learn a new position on the fly, but if it were me I would definitely explore what he would bring back in a trade. I know others will vociferously disagree with that opinion but that’s what comment sections in blogs are for. 🙂

  14. Thank you STB. I was 6’4″ tall entering the 7th grade. Weighed about 125 pounds. Essentially I was the poster boy for the before pictures in the old Charles Atlas advertisements. Don Demeter was also a long and lanky fellow. I remember listening to a game when Demeter hit a triple and Vince Scully said he was “galloping around the bases like a gazelle!” Since coordination was not a close friend of mine (still isn’t), I began dreaming of the ability to gallop like a gazelle and Don Demeter soon became a favorite of mine. One of my first heartbreaks was when he was traded to the Phillies.

    Stripling is a hard player to peg. I would think he would be tradable. But, I’m not certain how much he could fetch in return. Sane goes for Joc. What would you expect in return and who do you replace him with?

  15. If you ever get tired of 2d2, you can always call yourself “The Galloping Gazelle”.
    I guess my feelings about Stripling are that he’s probably underappreciated here and some sharp GM should try to have him included in a trade (not as the main piece). He may never be more than he is this year, but I don’t think his performance in the first half last year was a total outlier. At that point he was starting every 6th day. He hasn’t been given that opportunity this year. By the second half last year, he was pitching more than he ever had and probably just ran out of steam. Will he ever be an All Star again? I seriously doubt it, but worth a gamble for a team that needs starting pitching.
    Trading Joc would be a gamble, but I just can’t handle seeing him at first base. They’ve made it fairly clear that they want to have an outfield of Bellinger, Pollock, Verdugo going forward. Yes, Pollock may get injured again but if you don’t want to play Joc at first (and I don’t), why keep him just in case someone is injured. I don’t consider him a good pinch hitter, so I’m willing to have CT3 and Beaty as options if we need another outfielder. That said, if there is no trade market for Joc you keep him, but with that kind of power and reasonable defense in the outfield he should bring back something worthwhile, either one for one or as a piece in a multi-player deal for a reliever.

    1. You keep Joc to play against RHP. You keep him because he is a powerhouse. You keep him because he will platoon with Freese who it seems cannot play day in and day out. You keep him to relieve LF. Joc’s not going anywhere. He’s been an asset this year. His BA is up, HR’s up, RISP up.

      1. Although I stand by what I said Jeff, I think your reasoning is closer to AF’s thinking than mine is, so I expect you’ll be correct and Joc will spend the rest of the season in Blue. And I wouldn’t be horribly upset if that happened.

    1. Are we talking baseball or politics Bums? And why did you draw that conclusion?

      1. I wasn’t referring to baseball.
        I like to guess about those things based on non-political things people say.

        1. I more or less consider myself a moderate in most things, not really crazy off to one side or the other. Does it change your guess any to know I went to Cal Berkeley in the 60’s?

          1. I can’t remember why I asked. Conservatives tend to see more things as black and white and less things as grey. Joc may never be an average first baseman but I like watching him play a new position. It adds a twist to games much like when Muncy first started playing second or Reggie Smith playing third base. That is the grey of Joc at first base. Thank you for not taking offense. I promise I wasn’t being anything more than curious.

          2. Absolutely no offense taken Bums. Like I said, I’m moderate about most things. 🙂
            With regard to black and white, I’m about the most grey person you’ll ever meet. Maybe my writing just sounded very proper.
            Anyway, always good to have dialog.

  17. I thought it was a very good post. Congrats I kept wondering if it was Mark in the 3rd person for a few minutes.

      1. Looked like Dino was the only pitcher waiting for the ball to land. Is that still a rule?

        1. Joc’s team stopped waiting for the ball to land in round 2. Great showing by Joc. I thought he had Vlad beat.

  21. Next season the All Star Game is at Dodger Stadium.

    As a season ticket holder I’d assume I have the right to buy tickets for the hr hitting contest. Cannot wait!

  22. Trade him? What the hell kind of Kool-Aid are you drinking? Mark my words and I will stand by them, when October comes and some of our guys wilt under the big lights, Joc totally reminds me of Juan Uribe, never got cheated on a swing, could strike out the first 3 times, then deliver the DAGGER home run to win it. No, BS, you keep Joc for this 2019 run, he will be one of the KEY guys in the play-offs, not batting average wise, but BIG MOMENT wise. He has the IT factor on the big stage. Dude just wouldn’t back down from Vlade, just a big pair of brass ones going down in defeat. New found respect for the Jocster.

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