The Will Smith Era

This article has 139 Comments

1. Wow! That was some coverage. So, my take is that relievers may or may not be fickle. Am I close? 😉

   1. Yes, very close.

2. I really like Smith’s swing. Seems to be short and powerful.

   Four hypotheses:

   1. Is it safe to say that 90% of relievers including closers are failed starters?

   2. That they typical have one great pitch they rely on and a secondary pitch that they have less confidence in and few would use a third pitch in a tight situation?

   3. If true, that command and control is critical to be a success year in and year out?

   4. Relievers are giving up more home runs this year and those runs are hurting them the most rather than small ball rallies?

3. I never have an off day:

   https://blog.uswatersystems.com/2019/07/the-best-method-to-treat-surface-water-lakes-and-ponds/

   1. Mark, you might want to clarify (there is a pun there) that the water you are treating is the incoming water pulled out of ponds and lakes that will be used for drinking water. I doubt that chlorine would be added directly to lakes and ponds. A bacillus product would be a better remediation to many lake and pond problems and would not harm habitat.

      1. Yes, Bums, you could never add enough to accomplish anything…

         I saw the pen clearly!

4. AC, quite a write-up. Thank you.
   You may want to edit your answer of what you expect from Barnes to Smith.

   1. Got it thanks.

      Part 1 of the Minor League Report is updated above.

5. I am sorry that anyone would be disrespecting a player who is trying hard to succeed. But it is clear that sending Barnes to the minors is not the same as send Joc or Puig. Barnes is NOT is a slump, unless you want to say he has slumped 4 of the last 5 years. He had that one good stretch, the league adjusted and he did not.
   I wouldnt mind having two quality catchers on the team rather than have one and a backup that bats .220 to play 40 games.
   Finally with Hill and Stripling out I wonder if trading for a starter and have Maeda and Urias in the pen would do it.

   1. Ferguson played a lot of right field when he shared catching duties with Yeager and down the line it is possible that Smith could play a lot of third base while sharing catcher with Ruiz. But, what about Hoase?

   2. “I wouldnt mind having two quality catchers on the team rather than have one and a backup that bats .220 to play 40 games.”

      Thank you 50 year fan. I’ve been getting hammered for saying the same thing.

      1. You would prefer to have Ruiz catch 40 games rather than perhaps package him for a Felipe Vazquez or Thor or any other difference maker? I know you would prefer Giles, and Giles will not cost Ruiz. But I consider Giles as a backup to Vazquez candidate, and Vazquez will lead to more victories for the Dodgers than will Ruiz in 40 games. It is still difficult to get over the melt down that Giles had in the only post-season he has ever played in. It is not nearly as difficult to pitch without pressure with 2 last place teams.

         I would be hesitant to trade Ruiz right now (although I would), until I was certain that Will Smith can be the primary catcher for a full season. The next two months will help to clarify. It is difficult to even guess what AF will do, but regardless, K-Bear will not be a 40 game backup, when he could be traded for a difference maker even in the off season.

         1. Always Compete

            I would include Ruiz in a package for Syndergaard if it didn’t include any of my untouchables. But only Syndergaard, none of the rest of the names rumored to possibly be traded.

            And I’ll wait for someone like Hunter Feduccia to be the back up catcher.

            I don’t think Giles would cost any of my untouchables.

6. I think that Dave Roberts put too much pressure on Will D. Smith before the game by anointing him the starting catcher. He might wilt under that pressure… 😉

   Just to put it in perspective, if Will does what he is doing over 500 AB’s in a season, he will hit 69 HR and drive in 206. I am all for trading KayBear with that kind of production from Smith. You don’t believe he will slow down… maybe a little? Nah…

   It’s sure fun to watch, right about now.

7. What the heck is with Santana? Another terrible outing.

   1. TINSTAAPP

      1. No idea what that means.

         1. There Is No Such Thing As A Pitching Prospect

            1. HITWWWSTKT?

            2. Google?

8. As always, AC, great write-up regarding relievers stats. Very thorough and I am sure a lot of work for you. Thank you. Looks like Ryan Moseley is doing ok also.

   Question for you, Mark, DC, or 2D2……..what is on the pitcher’s arms when they are in the game? Their arms look wet and shiny. Is it from the heat or something else?

   1. My speculation is the heat. Pitchers aren’t allowed to have any foreign substance on their person while pitching. Otherwise, their gloves would be full of sandpaper and Vasoline.

   2. I don’t know the answer to your question but if their arms are bare I hope it is sun screen for day games. Probably also perspiration in the heat we are having this summer.

      1. Thank you for answering DC and 2D2. Make sense it is the heat, but wondered.

   3. It’s a foreign substance to help get grip and increase spin rate.

      Or, if anyone asks…

      It’s sunscreen

9. Nice compilation AC. Relievers, you can’t live without them, and at times you can’t live with them. Reading over that list reminds just how difficult a game baseball is and how difficult it is to sustain success. I heard somewhere that there are more brain surgeons in the USA than there are Major League Baseball players. That puts some perspective on any players performance.

   Now that you’ve put together that wonderful summary, please tell me, which of those players will be wearing Dodger blue on Thursday.

   1. Kenley Jansen and Pedro Baez.

      1. Touché!

10. The fun part watching Smith was the location of the pitches he hit. The first three were outside and he went with the pitch. The last one was low and inside. He hit that one to left. Pretty good plate coverage. It was fun for one day anyway. He really looks quiet behind the plate. I would love to have another Roy Campanella type catcher. Roy is my favorite all time Dodger player. With Penguin a close second.

11. Keep hearing Amir Garrett’s name popping up as one of the guys Freidman is after. He would be a great set up guy for us, and wouldn’t really cost alot. I could see Freidman getting him as an under the radar trade, and then get a big fish for the back end of the bullpen.

    1. I see Garrett as a loogie, he has been death on LHH this year and affordable contract. He would be a nice add but not the only one and not a setup guy. I agree his price won’t be too high. The Dodgers have not had a dependable LHP in the pen besides Urias all year and Doc needs one.

       That Will Smith guy is pretty good! Gotta figure Lux is going to get a call soon-no announcement yet on Kike and possible replacement.

       1. Roberts said it won’t be Lux because he needs to play regularly. Looks like they’re committed to Joc/White at 1B and Muncy at 2B for the time being.

          1. If first base defense is a worry then during the last 20 games Belli could move to first and Verdugo to RF and Joc to LF.

          2. There is no infielder currently on the 40 man to call up to play 2B or SS. White and Smith can play 2B in a pinch but SS when Corey needs a day off? Lux coming up because both CT3 and Kike are injured would not be a big stretch. Is it because they don’t want to start his clock just yet? Doc said Kike can play defense but not swing a bat, he needs to be shut down and heal up. I guess Beaty can play 3B when JT needs a day off with Muncy at 2B, but there is currently no depth at SS.

    2. I totally agree. Garrett’s probably near the top of lefty targets. With Kenley’s stuggles, they’re probably looking for a controllable closer as well.

       Vazquez is the top choice, the Pirates are enamored with Ruiz, they aren’t gonna get May in the same deal unless we acquire Strohman and then the Pirates will have to include another piece on the way back. Diaz is the fallback plan. Not a single potentially available closer has been traded thus far. It’s getting to the point were the prices are going to start falling.

       Right now May is the best insurance we have if another one of our fragile starters goes on the DL.

       4 more days and we can put this to bed. I’ll go out on a limb and predict that we get two arms for the pen before this is all said and done. I’d say there’s a chance we get 3 arms with the possibility that one is a starter. Two on AC’s list from above.

       I’m just a “novice” so we probably won’t get any and we’ll roll into the post-season with what we have. There’s a zero percent chance this is true, novice or not.

       No name calling for players, but commentators are free game.

       1. Is a novice commentator a commentatortot?

          1. Bravo Bums. This one makes the season’s Top Ten List for sure.

          2. lol – commenters aka us simple folk who can’t spell either.

       2. You get what you give… maybe more!

12. Thanks for the homework AC. You’re amazing!

    I am all for the Dodgers getting Thor if elite relief options don’t materialize. I know Thor hasn’t consistently dominated like deGrom has, but I think a change of teams and perhaps a fresh perspective with Honeycutt might do him wonders. I think of Thor how I thought of Gerrit Cole; amazing talent that showed flashes but didn’t get to elite level until the trade. Cole on Houston is much better than Cole on Pitt, and I think Thor on LA would be much better than Thor in NY so far.

    A playoff rotation of Ryu Buehler Kersh Thor is nasty. A 2020-going forward rotation of Buehler Kersh Thor Urias and hopefully Ryu is electric!

    Thor may not be an ace, but he can be a dominating #2, and obviously a filthy 3 or 4. If the upside of Dustin May is a 3, maybe even 2, then I’d send him to NY for Thor, who already is a 3, maybe even a 2, and can help us win it all this season!

13. Thanks AC for the tremendous write up. I gotta say I was surprised that there was a lot more consistent results from last year to this from relievers. Makes me think AF should be very aggressive in picking up a top reliever for us! I also noticed that Joe Kelly was missing from your lists!

    1. Not nearly enough saves or holds. I had to have a standard that I was basing it on. There actually were a lot of other good relievers who could have been considered, but then I would have had to have written a War and Peace sized novel.

14. Regarding Lux, I posted this near the end of the previous thread:

    “So the Dodgers will soon need someone to back up Corey Seager and Max Muncy in the middle of the infield with Hernandez soon to join Chris Taylor on the shelf. Roberts said that relief will not come in the form of the organization’s No. 1 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, second baseman/shortstop Gavin Lux. Lux owns a 1.476 OPS and has hit eight home runs with Oklahoma City this season.”

    “I would say not,” he said. “As with most teams with young players that need at-bats to come here, to not play consistently doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.”

    The above comes from this article on the Dodgers website:

    https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/news/ross-stripling-biceps-injury

    Sounds like Lux is NOT about to be called up.

    1. Not that it is intentionally misleading, sometimes I get the impression that Doc is not made fully aware of all of the player movement or medical updates. I have to believe that Lux will get a call in September, but unless Kike’ is out for any extended period of time, there is no urgency to bring up Lux right now. The lead in both the NL West and NL are significant (6.5 over Atlanta and 12 over St. Louis), and lead both NYY and Houston for overall home field advantage by 2 games, the Dodgers can withstand some defensive issues for the short period. While maybe not stellar, it has not cost them in the last two games against the Nats. I know people do not like it when I write that the defensive lapses have not cost the Dodgers, and I do not like sloppy play anymore than anyone else. I just like to pick my battles. I have yet to see a team go through the season error free (physical and mental), so I will live with a couple of misplays playing with house money.

15. AZL and DSL Rookie League Minor League Update above,

16. Alex Wood is back and starting for the Reds today. Good for him !!

    1. His contract is up at the end of the year. I wonder if a contender would be interested in trading for him if he pitches well today? Certainly wouldn’t take much to get him. I could see a team like the Brewers who are desperate for pitching taking a chance on him.

       I just checked. Four scoreless innings so far. Go Alex!

17. Buehler pitching looks very average of late. Another Joc error at 1B and Beaty looks shaky in LF. Why not flip those two and have both LH bats in the line-up and in positions that offer the best defense and where the players are most comfortable?

    How about a Joc for Merrifield trade. Insert Whit at 2B and move Muncy to 1B full-time. Who says yes?

    1. The Dodgers would say YES, but the Royals would laugh their a$$ off.

    2. Or, Joc, Pollock, and Verdugo in the outfield and Bellinger at first.

    3. AF would say yes. I doubt that Dayton Moore will.

18. Guess what team leads the NL in errors. Yep you guessed it.

    1. Same team as wins and win percentage?

       1. BOOM!

          1. BOOM! There goes another chance for a world series championship? Or BOOM what a burn on me? Or both? Or neither. Or BOOM we’re still in 7th grade. I mean…. defense is the easy part.

    2. They might as well have 14 errors because it’s hard to win when you only have 2 hits.

       BUT… 2 out of 3 on the road is good all day long!

       1. Especially against a nasty Strasburg.

19. Just how good are we offensively?! Really. Especially against quality pitching. And we’ve been just horrible defensively the last month or so. Incredible starting pitching has fueled our run but a lot of improvement is needed to make a WS a possibility!

    1. First, you have to factor in the “We are 15 Games Ahead Malaise.”

       These guys are just focused upon getting back to the World Series,

       Secondly, look at runs scored:

       #1 Boston – 620
       #2 NYY – 601
       #3 Minn – 593
       #4 Dodgers – 576

       The Dodger are right there with any of them – good and bad teams.

       Factor in the pitching and they lead MLB in “Run Differential.”

20. End the experiment at first base.

    1. BUT, it had no bearing on today’s loss.

       In my mind, it’s lose the battle but win the war.

       1. I am afraid that you and I are on a short list for those who believe that. Or maybe we are both guilty of thinking too much.

    2. Why?

21. For those that want Baur on the Dodgers
    https://twitter.com/ZackMeisel/status/1155569730264195072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1155569730264195072&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdisqus.com%2Fembed%2Fcomments%2F%3Fbase%3Ddefault%26f%3Delysian%26t_i%3D5737%2520http%253A%252F%252Flinkmeister.com%252Fdodgers%252F%253Fp%253D5737%26t_u%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Flinkmeister.com%252Fdodgers%252F2019%252F07%252Fgame-107-2019%252F%26t_e%3DGame%2520107%252C%25202019%26t_d%3DGame%2520107%252C%25202019%2520%257C%2520Elysian%2520Fields%26t_t%3DGame%2520107%252C%25202019%26s_o%3Ddefault%23version%3Db15faad917a86955321887125ecb56cc

    1. I would still take him. This reminds of a the 2016 antics of Chris Sale cutting up throw back jerseys he did not want to pitch in. The rumors were rampant that Sale was gone after that. That is when the Dodgers got very involved with the potential of getting Sale. Didn’t close the deal then, and I doubt they will now. It is a kid’s game played by kids.

       1. Bauer will not be traded! I call “fiction” on that… but I loved the throw.

22. We’ve discussed a number of potential bullpen acquisitions and I know his name came up once or twice, but I hadn’t realized how really good Seth Lugo has been for the Mets.
    In his last ten appearances over 11 innings he hasn’t given up any runs, only 3 hits, hasn’t walked anyone and has struck out 16 batters. He has quietly been really excellent over the past two years and is controllable through 2022.

    1. Well we know that Jaime Schultz is not the answer.

       1. When you are out of Schultz, you are out of here!

          Some of you won’t get that.

          1. All of us old folk will.

          2. Never considered Schlitz real beer anyway.

             1. How about Schlitz Malt Liquor?

             2. Better then Ballantine ale.

23. Mark, AC, I also don’t see the problem with the Joc experiment at 1B. If it works it’s a definite asset, and if not, they have the option of abandoning it in the post season. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

    It may not make much of a difference in this game, but it’s nice to see Cory hit one out. When his bat comes alive the Dodgers lineup will become a lot more formidable.

    1. I mean come on!

       Pederson has like an .850 OPS.
       He gets asked by management to play a new position hoping they can optimize for October.
       He does what he’s told and has struggles.
       Now people want to get rid of.
       It’s dumb.

       1. Not a politically correct post… but then again, when have I been politically correct?

    2. At some point the FO has to come to the realization that the Joc @ 1B experiment is not a good look to continue while in-season. He just lacks the footwork and glove work to be a ML 1B as of right now. Beaty needs to play 1B or move Cody back there and go with Joc, AJ and Verdugo in the OF.

       1. You and I agree about Joc at 1B and Beaty in LF but not exactly on what to do about it. I leave Cody in RF and tighten up 1B another way.

24. That was one of the ugliest games I have seen in awhile and turned it off at the end. It was ugly on almost every level a game can be ugly and all the lipstick in the world can’t even make it a good looking pig. I though Farhan was to blame for some of the mad scientist experiments but it was AF all along. Someone earlier said if Beaty and Joc are both in the game for their bats why not Beaty at 1B and Joc in LF? Neither are great but both looked out of position today. Joc back to LF and split with AJ, with AJ getting some of Dugie’s AB’s in CF. Muncy to 1B, call up Lux to play 2B and I don’t care what happens to White. Or Muncy at 2B and White and Beaty divvy up 1B and Corey never gets a day off until they shake up the 40 man to call up Jackson, or trade for some journeyman. Call up the kid and let’s see what he’s got until CT3 or Kike are healthy again and play Lux every day. In the meantime some bullpen help please! One last thing: Buehler loses it sometimes like Billingsley used to, cruising along then the wheels come off. He let the umpire get in his head and then the defense let him down. Watch how Ryu slows the game down and limits the damage and rarely gets rattled. Pitchers earn their money by pitching out of trouble or at least the best ones do.

25. I agree with Mark, I will take two out of three on the road with a red hot National team any day. Like Uncle Ned always says, “Hey, the other team gets paid too”, meaning we just can’t show up and win everyday. Nats are a good club, we may see them in October. I thought we had a great series against them. Turn the page on today and get ready for the House Of Horrors in Colorado.

    1. Winner, Winner – Chicken Dinner!

       1. Yada yada, nothing to see here folks, yes I get it but I don’t have to like it. That was a painful game to watch and exposed so many things on so many levels and yes a sweep on the road was not expected against a good team but they did not even show up and compete today.

26. Two out of three on the road against a pretty good team which is fighting for the playoffs, is commendable. However, we didn’t face Scherzer, and Strasberg pretty much dominated today. If we face the Nats in the playoffs, we will see both of those. I know it is completely obvious, but playoffs are different than regular season; you don’t get to face #5 starters, and you often see your opponent’s top starters pitching an inning or two in late relief, as with Boston in the Series last year. Anyone want to see Scherzer coming in with a one-run lead in the eighth inning? We do not have a starter of that caliber who can do that.

    The Dodgers are so well set up for the regular season. They have depth and versatility, and their starting five pitchers, if healthy, are probably the best in the game. But in the playoffs, you would rather have three top starters, than five good ones. Versatility becomes less important. The bullpen, particularly the back end, is crucial. If the Dodgers take this trade deadline casually, just pick up a couple of average arms for the bullpen, while Vazquez and other high-end relievers go to contenders, it could be determinative, whether we win 103 games or not. And while I want us to win all of our games, sometimes I think that every time we win a few right before the deadline, the cheerleaders in the media minimize the necessity of major acquisitions.

    I really want us to get Vazquez. If that is impossible, then get the second best closer who is available, not the sixth best. Remember that when Roberts gets a new pitcher to play with, he uses him a lot, and if the pitcher has couple of scoreless outings, he and everyone else get all excited, as if we’ve solved out problems, when we haven’t. Put in that context, this weekend’s results are more problematical, since we lost handily to the one top pitcher we faced.

27. Strasburg is an elite pitcher and he was on his game .

    Buehler had awesome stuff but was wild.

    Dodgers got thumped.

    A high pop up directly behind a first or third baseman is a difficult catch, no angle, and those balls are always caught by the second baseman or the shortstop. The shift prevented the second baseman from helping.

    Joc made a good catch on a hard hit two hopper, he knew what to do and did it without hesitation. Unfortunately he threw a short hop to the catcher. The day before he failed to scoop up a one hop wide throw from Turner and it looked like he tried to just reach for the ball instead of scooping it. He is also getting used to a first baseman’s glove.

    These are the dog days of summer. Humidity is high in DC and the Dodgers are cruising to another Division title. It isn’t as bad as it looked today.

28. Mets get Stroman pending medicals.

    1. WTH?

29. Don’t look now, but the Giants are in second place. Not that it matters much because they are still 15 games back, but they are only 3 out of the WC.

    1. Funny, they have the same record as the DBags with a 116 difference in run differential. They’re not going to win a wild card.

30. Is anyone worried about the post-season? No one’s run differential is anywhere close to ours and we have the best record in the league while throwing away handfuls of games by playing people out of position and poor bullpen performance.

    Stroman to the Mets is great! One less pitcher for the Yankees / Astros to fortify their rotation.

    Of course it makes sense to play Joc at first base and to give him time to see what happens. But, how many games is enough to trust him in the post season? 17 games in and this game was as bad any any. Do you think he’s gonna have it conquered in 30 games? 40? The worst thing that can happen is that he starts to look comfortable and then choke in the post-season when the pressure is on.

    Where are these damn relievers? Do we really need to wait until Wednesday to get a deal done?

    Stras was on his game today and Bueller wasn’t. Maybe it’ll be the other way around next time. 2 of 3 against a playoff team in their yard is always a good thing. Off to the Devil’s Playground. I hope I don’t have to watch a bullpen game.

    1. Wouldn’t you rather wait until Wednesday and get the right guy or guys? With a 14 game lead, it doesn’t matter if we get our BP reinforcements a day sooner or later. On the other hand, if we get Axeford.2 it doesn’t matter that we waited either. Look at it this way 59, it’s like waiting for Christmas. Of course, sometimes Christmas is a big disappointment.

       1. Great analogy. I would rather it be more like Hanukkah where you get something each day. Maybe a lesser present first, like a situational lefty, then a closer, then a big right handed hitting first baseman for the big surprise at the end, then just when you think it can’t get any better, you’re uncle that you haven’t seen in years drops an ace in your lap.

          1. Love it! Although maybe we’ll just get a dreidel.

31. Mets getting Stroman almost assures they trade Thor. Be interesting who pays for him now!

    Just saw the video of Bauer’s throw over the centerfield fence. I”ll take that guy any day!

    1. Thor actually hits free agency a year after Stroman which makes me think they really want to trade Wheeler. As in, “If you give me a little more for Diaz and I’ll throw in Wheeler.”

       The Dodgers should pounce on that! And turn Wheeler into the Hader type and put Urias back into the rotation.

32. Please Santa, leave a top notch reliever or two under the tree. I’ve been a good boy this year so far. Ha ha! Great Christmas slant, Singing!

33. Nobody but me brings this up. Pollock vs right handers this season .193/.252/.360/.612

    Now do you get where Joc should be playing vs right handers? For the record I have no problem with Joc playing 1B. But if you don’t like his defense at 1B then look at that stat above.

    Beaty at 1B.

    1. Every time you bring it up, I tell you that he’s hit righties his whole career and have given you numerous reasons why they aren’t going to turn him into the small side of the platoon. That’s why no one else is bringing it up.

    2. They promised Pollock he wouldn’t be platooned. After 60 days on the DL I think that promise should be flushed. However it appears they’re going to give him a chance to hit his way out of it.

       1. Well, he did get 1 of 2 total hits for the team against an elite righty today. But, I have a feeling BB is going to remind us every day until his splits look better, or until Joc is traded.

34. If Hernandez goes on IL why wouldn’t they bring up Lux? If he can play 2nd, he would not have to sit on the bench and would be a good backup for Seager. Just my opinion.

    1. Because they’re still committed to Joc/White at 1B with Muncy at 2B.

    2. Mom’s are always so logical.
       On the other hand, if they play Lux at second they have to move Max back to first and then Joc can’t play there.
       Hmmmmmmmmm…………………………………………….
       You know what Mom, I’m letting you make out the lineup tomorrow.

    3. Some combination of Arbitration years and Playing time I reckon.

35. I could make up the lineup but my dart board is broken.

    1. You can borrow Doc’s dart board!

       1. Sometimes I think Doc’s dart board is broken too.

          I understand the theory behind having Joc at first. It keeps him in the lineup while they can also play Verdugo or Beaty. And I give Joc credit for being willing to learn on the fly and look like a fool at times while he’s doing it.

          But does anyone ever take the pitchers into consideration. I guess they’re supposed to grin and bear it, but I really don’t think it helps team morale when, as a good staff, you’re pitching in front of what has lately been the worst fielding team in the league. It hasn’t hurt us much in the standings and maybe Doc has discussed it with them and they’ve all signed on, but I’m thinking there has to be a real frustration level building up there.

          1. Agreed, just a matter of time before the players start getting pissed, starting with the pitchers.

36. Has anyone here ever looked at Vasquez stats vs left handed hitting this season? And you want to trade the farm for him? Not litterally the farm but 2 top 4 Dodger prospects plus others.
    Before you tell me it won’t cost that much, yes it will. The pirate don’t at all NEED to trade him. You’re going to have to pony up a great package to get him.

    1. A great package, yes, but AF won’t trade two of the top four. If that’s what it takes, he won’t do it. The Pirates will wait till the very last minute and then go with the best offer. They’d be stupid to hang on to Vazquez because they aren’t contenders and even without 2 of our top 4, they can score some great prospects which will help them more than a premier reliever when they probably aren’t making the playoffs for the next couple of years.

    2. I’m happy for us to go in another direction, but when has this particular front office (limited by the self-imposed financial constraints of the ownership) made smart choices in going after bullpen pieces? Not very often. Morrow was the best, and I think that he surprised everyone, including the Dodgers. Blanton for his second go-around, after the first was bad. But so many poor pickups: Madsen, Alexander, Hatcher, Axford, Johnson, and that other Braves pitcher who came along with him, various others. I had always thought that AF’s bullpens in Tampa were good, but maybe that was due to Madden’s use of them. Most of the relievers we acquire are duds. Therefore, I am hoping we get someone who has strong stats, and is highly regarded, because the odds are much better that way, than imagining that we are going to surprise everyone by getting some struggling or erratic reliever and turning him around. Otherwise, might as well make no trades, and save all the prospects for the next few seasons. That is better than getting another mediocrity whom we have to watch regularly pitch here for two or three years

    3. With all due respect, AF is NOT going to give Pittsburgh 2 of their top 4. I am not certain that AF will give them any of the top 4, making Vazquez less likely. This is very similar to Hamels and Sale. AF would rather walk away than trade a top prospect, and did so both times. Last year Baltimore was holding out for Lux or May in the Machado package, and finally agreed on Yusniel Diaz as the primary return.

       You have been clear that you want Ken Giles. You continue to ignore that Giles failed miserably on the big stage. He may not this time around, but then again he may pull a Yu Darvish. But to ignore it doesn’t make him any more palatable to those who have concerns. There are very few (if any) GM’s who would take Giles over Vazquez. You also can’t make Giles look any better by trying to find negatives on Vazquez. All players have flaws.

       Last year I was touting, in order, Jose Leclerc, Ryan Pressly, and Taylor Rogers. Only one of them got traded, This year, I think my favorite target is Aaron Bummer. A good young LHRP with years of control that only figures to get better. Just like with Leclerc and Rogers last year, I do not see the ChiSox trading Bummer. They can and probably will trade Alex Colome’, a decent backup. Maybe they look at Ken Giles, but I still have not seen them tied to Giles. I am not convinced that AF is going to p off Jansen and get another closer, so he is going to look more at late inning high leverage relievers, for a setup role, who have pitched well thus far in 2019. I can also see them looking at a starter and turning them into a reliever or leaving them as a starter and putting both Maeda and Urias in the pen for the year. The one thing we can be sure of is that we will probably never be able to outguess AF. As Mark so often says, AF is playing chess while we play checkers. Another thing we can be sure of, no matter what AF does or does not do, he is going to upset a lot of fans.

37. Just a thought here. There been a lot of buzz around the Dodgers and the Mets. The Pirates want May and Ruiz for Vazquez. Could it be that the Mets are saying “Screw the Pirates, we’ll give you Diaz and Wheeler”. The Dodgers probably want Diaz and Thor and AF is playing both sides trying to get one to blink. Did the Stroman trade make Thor available?

38. Now that Bellinger has come back down to Earth, bring him down to first and put Verdugo where he belongs.

    1. Too easy, that makes too much sense.

       WTF isn’t Kike on the freaking DL yet? Makes me think a deal is in the works and is about to be finalized.

       Or, I’m losing my mind waiting for something to happen.

39. Gonsolin called up. Coors Field sacrificial Lamb.

40. With Gonsolin being called up to pitch in Colorado, it kinda seems to me that management has lost interest in Gonsolin or never had interest in him. Great way to reduce his prospect status.

    1. AF is the master chess player. He desperately wants to keep Gonsolin, so he brings him up to pitch at Coors and he looks so horrible that other teams stop asking about him.
       I’m surprised you didn’t see that BB and I had to explain it to you. 🙂

    2. Let me get this straight, we are now so short-sighted that we think prospect status will be impaired by a single start?

41. Why the negative thoughts? I see Gonsolin turning in the game of his life. Let’s at least let him pitch before we skewer him. Actually I am more concerned about Ryu again at Coors.

    1. Actually, bringing up Gnsolin to pitch at Coors is genius. He has 4 or 5 pitches and is not as dependant upon breaking stuff. If any AAA pitcher can come up and pitch well there, it’s Tony.

       1. He is due to pitch Tuesday. How many advance scouts are going to be at Coors to watch Gonsolin less than 24 hours before the deadline.

    2. Not skewering, more like feeling his pain. That’s a tough place to start when you’re brought back, especially after not having been all that successful at OKC this year. Maybe the fact that it’s Coors will take some of the pressure off and he’ll do well. I know we’re all rooting for him.
       I don’t know how well he’ll pitch but I’m predicting he hits a homer. He’s hitting .375 at OKC this season and .500 with the Dodgers.

42. The market for Thor is getting more into focus. Marcus Stroman with one year less of control, cost the Mets two highly regarded pitching prospects. 24 year old LHP, former 2016 1st round draft choice , Anthony Kay, and 18 year old RHP, former 2018 2nd round draft pick, Simeon Woods- Richardson. These pitchers are the #5 and #7 prospects in a top farm system.

    Thor will probably cost more, and Wheeler considerably less with respect to what NYM will require. If the Pads are willing to include Luis Urias for Thor, AF will not match it. I know Wheeler is not having a good year, but he may be worth the risk if the price is right.

    We are now within 66 hours of the deadline, so things should start to pick up on Monday, or maybe not.

    1. According to John Morosi, neither of the prospects NY sent to Toronto is a top 100 prospect. They may be 5 and 7 from NY, but they weren’t top 100 guys. Also, he said the Pads won’t include Mackenzie Gore in a deal for Thor.

       If that’s the case, a Dodger deal for Thor could be centered around Dustin May (who had another great game for OKC) and maybe another top 10 Dodger prospect

       1. I know I’m probably in the minority but I don’t include May in a deal for Thor. We need a premier reliever more than another starter and I don’t think Maeda or Stripling are premier relievers in case the thought was to move Syndergaard into the rotation and one of those guys into the bullpen.
          Thor has had some health issues in the past, isn’t having the greatest of seasons this year and only has two more years of control. Although the baseball world is littered with prospects who never fulfilled their promise, I’d rather take my chances with May.

          1. I like your Seth Lugo idea.

          2. I would tend to agree with you, even though I really do not follow the minor leagues, nor have I seen May pitch. But from what I have read here and other places, he is a real talent, and I think we should hold on to him. Now, if the Dodgers scouts believe that Syndergaard’s problems this year can be fixed with some small changes to his motion or the way he uses his slider, then it might be worth it. In the rather distant past, Dodgers scouts and GMs were superb at finding pitchers who were struggling somewhat with average or poor clubs, but who could be extrapolated to thrive with our team, pitching coach, and stadium. Remember Claude Osteen, Tommy John, and Burt Hooten?

             I wonder what the Dodgers brass thinks of Stripling long-term. His being on the IL is not helpful for trades. Is he at best a #5 starter for us, or can he be more? Right now, we have one potential great pitcher in Buehler; a veteran who is having a great year, but was never before in that category (Ryu), a starter who is one of the all-time greats, but not what he was (Kershaw); a veteran who when healthy is quite good, but who has had a significant injury and is certainly on the tail end of his career (Hill), and another #4 or #5 starter type (Maeda). Additionally, with both Ryu and Hill potential free agents, this is not a formidable pitching staff going into next year, and I do think that we need another pitcher with star potential. Since we will never do a long-term contract with a top pitcher, maybe Syndergaard at the trade deadline is the best that we can do in that regard? Or do we just not think about this now, and worry about it in the offseason?

       2. They were not top 100 guys. Stroman was never going to get a top 100 guy. But both pitchers have 50 grades by MLB Pipeline. An equivalent is probably Tony Gonsolin and either Mitchell White or Dennis Santana. NYM is asking for Urias for Thor from SDP. Urias is a top 20 prospect. The Dodgers have 4 top 100 guys, and the Padres have 7. The Dodgers have 4 players with a 55 grade or more, and the Pads have 8. Who does NYM want to deal with?

          Would you include May in a package for Thor? It only matters what AF would do, and he has never blinked before. With how May has been pitching at OKC, I am not in any hurry to trade him. He should be in the rotation next year.

          1. Do you think they’re asking more for Syndergaard or for Diaz?

             1. Syndergaard. Diaz is more ego for Brodie, and relievers are fickle.

43. Tonight at OKC . May another fantastic start. 6.0 IP, 1 run on 3 hits. Also Rios hit his 22nd HR and DJ Peters his 11th (with zero K).

44. The Dodgers have announced the acquisition of utilityman Kristopher Negron from the Mariners in exchange for minor league infielder Daniel Castro.

    1. A poor man’s Kike with a good glove, makes me worry they will go cheap on the bullpen. Meanwhile Bo Bichette just got promoted and he was drafted after Lux and was not breaking out this year in AAA like Lux is.

45. Here’s the stats for Negron and Castro. I doubt if Negron is anything more than a temporary fill-in, if even that. AF probably wants to have a warm body with MLB experience around to be a backup at short with both Kike’ and CK3 on the IL, and the reluctance to bring up Lux at this time.

    https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/negrokr01.shtml

    https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/castrda01.shtml

46. Wanted to ask you guys……whose decision is it to put someone on the IL? Can the player refuse to go? Thanks.

    1. The coaches, manager and front office are all involved, but the medical staff has to sign off. The player can appeal through the CBA, but I think most teams document it so that it is easily provable. Teams have to maintain these medical records.

47. I doubt if the acquisition of Negron is anything more than a temporary move to provide a player with MLB experience who can play short, given the unavailability of Kike’ and CT3. In no way do I consider this move any indication that the Dodgers are going to go cheap.

    Bo Bichette is in the Blue Jays system, which is a lot different than being in the Dodgers system. The Blue Jays are not a contender for a post-season berth, and are not thrusting Bichette into a pressure packed pennant race. Maybe Lux is ready, and maybe not. Case in point was Cory Seager in 2015, who did not perform well in the NLDS against the Mets. And it’s also possible that the Dodgers are considering Lux for a call-up, but want to wait as long as possible before doing so.

48. For me, the Negron trade is really not understandable. If the Dodgers need a utility man and not a hitter, Castro was already there and would cost them nothing. Both are RHH. Both can play multiple positions. Negron has slightly more mlb games, 118 to 89, but Castro only made 1 error, and Negron, 6. Both are mendoza line hitters and going nowhere in the big leaugues. Negron makes .5M. Castro makes next to nothing. Anyone care to explain the logic behind this one?

    1. Negron was hitting .310 at AAA this year with close to .400 OB%. Castro was at .241 and does not have much experience in the outfield, but the biggest difference is that while both players have close to the same MLB Experience, Castro has a negative WAR and Negron is +1.7 WAR. Neither are stars, but Castro doesn’t compare to Negron… and Negron is not all that – just a placeholder.

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