As was discussed quite a bit earlier in the week, the Dodgers have a very prolific MiLB system even as far down the draft they have been picking from because of the continued success of the ML team. That is true when also taking into consideration a few of the early draft pick busts they currently have.
2015:
- 1 – Walker Buehler – Starting rotation
- 1b – Kyle Funkhouser – Did not sign – Jordan Sheffield was 2016 replacement pick
- 2 – Mitch Hansen – OF – Indy baseball – Highest level achieved Full Season A
- 2b – Josh Sborz – LAD bullpen
- 3 – Philip Pfeiffer – Traded to Atlanta in the Bud Norris acquisition
- 4 – Willie Calhoun – Traded to Texas in the Yu Darvish acquisition
- 5 – Brendon Davis – Traded to Texas in the Yu Darvish acquisition
2016:
- 1 – Gavin Lux – 40 man – Currently at secondary site
- 1b – Will Smith – starting catcher – currently on IL
- 1c – Jordan Sheffield – Still in organization
- 2 – Mitch White – 40 man – Currently at secondary site
- 3 – Dustin May – Starting Rotation
- 4 – DJ Peters – 40 man – Currently at secondary site
- 5 – Devin Smeltzer – Traded to Minnesota in Brian Dozier acquisition
2017:
- 1 – Jeren Kendall – Still in organization
- 2 – Morgan Cooper – Been on IL since signed – Still in organization
- 3 – Connor Wong – Traded to Boston in Mookie Betts/David Price acquisition
- 4 – James Marinan – Traded to Reds in Dylan Floro acquisition
- 5 – Riley Ottesen – Released by LAD July 1, 2020
2018:
- 1 – JT Ginn – Did not sign – Michael Busch was 2019 replacement
- 2 – Michael Grove – Currently in 60 man player pool at secondary site
- 3 – John Rooney – Still in organization
- 4 – Braydon Fisher – Still in organization
- 5 – Devin Mann – Currently in 60 man player pool at secondary site
2019:
- 1 – Kody Hoese – Currently in 60 man player pool at secondary site
- 1b – Michael Busch – Currently in 60 man player pool at secondary site
- 2 – Jimmy Lewis – Been on IL – Still in organization
- 3 – Ryan Pepiot – Currently in 60 man player pool at secondary site
- 4 – Brandon Lewis – Considered legit 3B prospect with big power
- 5 – Jack Little – Still in organization – Trying to become a starting pitcher
Outside of 2016 and Walker Buehler, the early draft picks have not panned out just yet. The 2019 and 2020 drafts are still unfolding. Four out of the five 2020 draftees made the MLB Pipeline Top 30 Dodger prospect list, while three made the Baseball America top 30. Landon Knack was not included in Baseball America, while Gavin Stone was not included in either publication. 2017 is very painful as only two are still with the organization (Kendall and Cooper) and neither one figures to be with the ML team. I know some hold out hope for Kendall, but the odds are not good of him passing the number of OFs to make the roster. None of the four on the 2018 draft figure to be stars at the ML level, but there still is hope they will positively contribute.
| Prospect # | MLB | BA | ||
| – | ||||
| 1 | Gavin Lux | 2B/SS | Gavin Lux | 2B/SS |
| 2 | Josiah Gray | RHP | Dustin May | RHP |
| 3 | Keibert Ruiz | C | Brusdar Graterol | RHP |
| 4 | Brusdar Graterol | RHP | Keibert Ruiz | C |
| 5 | Kody Hoese | 3B | Tony Gonsolin | RHP |
| 6 | Michael Busch | 2B | Josiah Gray | RHP |
| 7 | Diego Cartaya | C | Diego Cartaya | C |
| 8 | Luis Rodriguez | OF | Kody Hoese | 3B |
| 9 | Bobby Miller | RHP | Michael Busch | 2B |
| 10 | Clayton Beeter | RHP | Bobby Miller | RHP |
| 11 | Mitch White | RHP | Luis Rodriguez | OF |
| 12 | Jacob Amaya | SS/2B | Dennis Santana | RHP |
| 13 | DJ Peters | OF | Mitch White | RHP |
| 14 | Andy Pages | OF | Edwin Rios | 3B/1B |
| 15 | Miguel Vargas | 3B | DJ Peters | OF |
| 16 | Dennis Santana | RHP | Clayton Beeter | RHP |
| 17 | Jake Vogel | OF | Cristian Santana | 3B/1B |
| 18 | Landon Knack | RHP | Omar Estevez | 2B/SS |
| 19 | Gerardo Carrillo | RHP | Edwin Uceta | RHP |
| 20 | Michael Grove | RHP | Devin Mann | 2B/SS |
| 21 | Zach McKinstry | UTIL | Jacob Amaya | SS/2B |
| 22 | Victor Gonzalez | LHP | Zach McKinstry | UTIL |
| 23 | Devin Mann | 2B/SS | Miguel Vargas | 3B |
| 24 | Alex De Jesus | SS | Andy Pages | OF |
| 25 | Omar Estevez | 2B/SS | Jimmy Lewis | RHP |
| 26 | Edwin Uceta | RHP | Andre Jackson | RHP |
| 27 | Ryan Pepiot | RHP | Alex De Jesus | SS |
| 28 | Hyun-il Choi | RHP | Ryan Pepiot | RHP |
| 29 | Jimmy Lewis | RHP | Luke Raley | OF |
| 30 | Brett de Geus | RHP | Jake Vogel | OF |
Baseball America still considers Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, and Edwin Rios as prospects while they are not considered “prospects” by MLB Pipeline. Obviously the two publications have different definitions of who still qualifies as a prospect.
Looking at the MLB Pipeline prospect list, they are very RHP heavy with 14 of the 30. Two are currently on the roster (Brusdar Graterol and Dennis Santana). The list also includes:
- 1 LHP
- 1 2B
- 2 3B
- 1 SS
- 4 OF
- 2 C
- 4 2B/SS
- 1 Utility
There was some discussion as to what AF inherited when he signed with LAD after the season. I really do not care if they were rated 5th, 8th, or 20th. What matters is who was on the prospect list and did they eventually contribute. Below I have listed the top prospect list for the Dodgers from 2014-2017 to show how AF has transformed the prospect discussion. I have used MLB Pipeline as the source, as I am very comfortable with how Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo evaluate the prospect talent. 2014 was determined at the end of the season and did include December acquisitions.
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
| – | ||||
| 1 | Corey Seager | Corey Seager | Cody Bellinger | Walker Buehler |
| 2 | Julio Urias | Julio Urias | Alex Verdugo | Alex Verdugo |
| 3 | Joc Pederson | Jose De Leon | Willie Calhoun | Yadier Alvarez |
| 4 | Grant Holmes | Frankie Montas | Yadier Alvarez | Jeren Kendall |
| 5 | Chris Anderson | Grant Holmes | Yusniel Diaz | Yusniel Diaz |
| 6 | Zach Lee | Walker Buehler | Walker Buehler | Keibert Ruiz |
| 7 | Chris Reed | Alex Verdugo | Jordan Sheffield | Mitch White |
| 8 | Scott Schebler | Micah Johnson | Gavin Lux | Will Smith |
| 9 | Alex Verdugo | Chris Anderson | Austin Barnes | Gavin Lux |
| 10 | Jose De Leon | Cody Bellinger | Will Smith | Jordan Sheffield |
| 11 | Pedro Baez | Yadier Alvarez | Omar Estevez | Starling Heredia |
| 12 | Darnell Sweeney | Yusniel Diaz | Starling Heredia | Dennis Santana |
| 13 | Zach Bird | Austin Barnes | Brock Stewart | Omar Estevez |
| 14 | Joe Wieland | Mitch Hansen | Josh Sborz | Dustin May |
| 15 | Julian Leon | Starling Heredia | Imani Abdullah | Edwin Rios |
| 16 | Yimi Garcia | Trayce Thompson | Chase De Jong | DJ Peters |
| 17 | Carlos Frias | Jharrel Cotton | Brendon Davis | Drew Jackson |
| 18 | Austin Barnes | Brendon Davis | Jacob Rhame | Imani Abdullah |
| 19 | Kyle Farmer | Zach Lee | Jacob Scavuzzo | James Marinan |
| 20 | Cody Bellinger | Chase De Jong | Ronny Brito | Caleb Ferguson |
| 21 | Omar Estevez | Johan Mieses | Ronny Brito | |
| 22 | Johan Mieses | Kyle Farmer | Morgan Cooper | |
| 23 | Jacob Rhame | Keibert Ruiz | Carlos Rincon | |
| 24 | Josh Sborz | Edwin Rios | Kyle Farmer | |
| 25 | Ross Stripling | Mitch Hansen | Connor Wong | |
| 26 | Jacob Scavuzzo | Andrew Toles | Cristian Santana | |
| 27 | Julian Leon | Mitch White | Luke Raley | |
| 28 | Kyle Farmer | Trevor Oaks | Errol Robinson | |
| 29 | Jordan Paroubeck | Dustin May | Matt Beaty | |
| 30 | Willie Calhoun | DJ Peters | Jake Peter |
I think it can be argued that AF inherited some stars, but overall, the depth was very thin. 18 of the 20 were Ned Colletti and Logan White holdovers, with only Austin Barnes (from Marlins) and Joe Wieland (from Padres) as AF December acquisitions. Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, and Cody Bellinger are AS. Only Urias, Verdugo, Baez, and Garcia have been significant contributors. Kyle Farmer was a Dodger hero with this dramatic 2 run walk off double in his MLB debut against the SF Giants (July 30, 2017). He was listed as a catcher, but he really is multi-position utility player.
In 2016, the prospect list increased to 30, but the Colletti/White factor was only 16 out of the 30. In 2017, the Colletti/White factor dropped to 9 and to 6 in 2017. It dropped to three in 2018 (Verdugo, Ruiz, and Cristian Santana) and dropped to two in 2019 (Ruiz and Dennis Santana). Victor Gonzalez was added to Ruiz and Santana to bring to three Colletti/White holdovers on the current list.
So the cupboard was not bare, but it was also not full. Six of the top 20 are still with the Dodgers (Seager, Urias, Pederson, Baez, Barnes, and Bellinger). Holmes is still considered a prospect with the A’s (#17) but it sure is taking him a long time to get there. Verdugo was the key in prying Mookie away from the Red Sox. JDL is till trying to make his mark, now with Cincinnati. Yimi Garcia is on the IL with Miami, and Kyle Farmer is a utility infielder and emergency catcher with the Reds. Scott Schebler is barely holding on as a non-roster player in the Braves organization. Zach Lee is holding on with a MiLB contract with the A’s. Chris Anderson, Chris Reed, Darnell Sweeney, Zach Bird, Julian Leon, and Carlos Frias are not affiliated with any current MLB team.
Other Colletti/White holdovers that were not on the 2014 top prospect list, but still graduated to LAD include:
- Ross Stripling
- Dennis Santana
- Caleb Ferguson
- Brock Stewart
The draft and talent evaluation is not an exact science, but AF has done a very good job of building the talent pool, and not trading any top talent, except Frankie Montas. I DO NOT COUNT Yordan Alvarez because he was a Dodger for 26 seconds and never played in the Dodgers organization. He was never considered a top prospect as a member of the Dodgers.
With the decrease in the number in the draft and with the upcoming decrease in MiLB teams, the draft will become even more important. Teams are going to need to push their prospects rather than hold them back for more development. How many TJ surgery pitchers are going to get picked? I will be very anxious to see how the current list of prospects pan out. Not all 14 pitchers will make it to the Dodgers, much less ML. Not all six middle infielders will graduate to LAD. Will Vargas continue to excel as he moves up, or will Hoese surpass him. It is extremely unfortunate that many of these players lost a year of development. I would have loved to see what they could have done in MiLB this year.
As a point of information, all 160 draft picks in the 2020 draft signed with their teams. 15 teams exceeded thier bonus pool cap, while 14 stayed under, and 1 (DBacks) contracted the exact amount of their bonus pool. It is clearly evident tht all of the teams did their homework as to how much htey could spend, and seemingly agreed to the amounts (or close) prior to the pick. We will see how the various strategies play out in the nest 2-5 years.
Smith likely back on Sunday if all goes well after his hitting session on Friday.
Very nice game by Buehler, 2 hits by Bellinger is encouraging.
Wow, Jeff – that took a lot of time to crank out that post. Kudos! Pretty dang comprehensive!
The Dodgers are the first team to 20 wins. The pitching remains outstanding. All of the starters have gone at least 6 innings or more at least once. Gonsolin and Wood are in the wings. I wonder if David Price is having second thoughts as Nick Markakis did?
Alex can be a big asset if he has the velocity he exhibited in early spring. He lost it the second spring training. If he fastball sits at 89-91, he’s not an asset, but if he can get it back to the 92-94 range, he is very effective.
Striker looked like he is almost back, but Clayton is not giving up that Ace role. I think he will dominate the second half and be in the TOP 5 in Cy Young Voting. Striker might too! He dropped his ERA a point last night to 4.32.
Bellinger is looking confident again. Muncy? Not so much. All-in-all, I like where the team is. I think Dustin May could pitch into the 7th inning tonight. Kaybear will likely catch him because he goes back to USC.
Strasburg diagnosed with carpel tunnel syndrome. Looks like he will be out for the rest of the year. Wonder if DC is wishing they had not shelled out all of that money. Great column Jeff. Very informative.
Phils got 2 relievers from the Red Sox, Hembree and Workman and another from the Yankees. Pre deadline strike to strengthen their pen.
What bullpen? Oh, yeah… 😉
From The Athletic:
Jim Bowden says this is the trade the Dodgers should make:
Acquire right-handed pitcher Mike Clevinger and shortstop Francisco Lindor from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for right-handed pitcher Josiah Gray, shortstop Gavin Lux and outfielder Luis Rodriguez.
After the trade for Mookie Betts and the long-term contract they gave him, no one is expecting the Dodgers to make another blockbuster trade of this magnitude, but why not? They have the financial resources, the prospects to trade and we are talking about the Los Angeles Dodgers here — their only goal now is to win their first world championship since 1988. Clevinger is in the Indians’ doghouse after breaking curfew and safety and health protocols. A change of scenery probably makes sense for both parties at this point. Clevinger would fit nicely as the Dodgers’ third starter behind Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler and ahead of Julio Urías. Lindor would be controlled by the Dodgers for both this year and the next, giving them a two-year window to win the World Series. Can you imagine the billboard on the 405 of Betts, Lindor and Cody Bellinger all smiling together? Then Los Angeles can consider giving Lindor a long-term contract or possibly even consider trading him again this offseason. In this trade idea, they would hold on to their two best pitching prospects in Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin and top catching prospect Keibert Ruiz. Lindor would immediately play shortstop for the Dodgers, while Corey Seager would be moved to second base for the balance of the season. Next year, Seager would move to third base to replace Justin Turner, who’s a free agent at the end of the season. Go big or go home, Dodgers.
Then again, sometimes in baseball the best move is no move at all and quite frankly, that’s what I’m really expecting from them at this year’s trade deadline, which will probably be the right decision unless they can get an impact reliever. But where’s the fun in that?
Fun to speculate… and I would do that, but I can’t see it happening.
I would no way do that. Another pitcher is not needed. Bowden doesn’t know enough about the team to know that Kershaw, Buehler, May, Gonsolin and Urias is already a great rotation. And why disrupt the infield? Seager to second? No way! And you doubtful Cleveland would make that trade.
Barring injury the Dodgers can stand pat. They won’t because AF is always tinkering, but disrupt the team w a pitcher breaking protocols and a shortstop we don’t need? Maybe that’s why Bowden is in radio instead of GM’ing.
Spot on assessment!
Lindor and Clevinger for 3 unproven prospects?
Yes.
Seager moving out of shortstop is something that is probably going to be done anyway and to not do that move for 30 games this year seems silly to me. If Seager doesn’t want to do it put Turner there and move Seager to third.
Of course I doubt that happens as I think Cleveland would want more. But as presented that’s a good move for us.
My reasoning: Both Seager and Lindor are scheduled to be free agents after next season and including Lux in the trade puts Dodgers at risk of not having a shortstop in 2022. (Chris Taylor is also eligible for free agency after next season). When Seager and Lindor have both been healthy (2016, 2017, 2020) Seager has been the all around better offensive player (fangraphs wRC+) and overall player (fangraphs WAR). Trading top prospect talent for Lindor is a needless waste. Clevinger blew-off his teammates by going rouge with the pandemic safety protocols — potentially exposing the entire team by taking the same plane flight home. Dodgers do not need to add a player like that to the team bubble. Bowden? I agree with Danield, there is a reason why he reports on the sport instead of being a GM.
I highly disagree with you. Like Badger says, for 3 unproven prospects, YES! That is a pure steal and one that will strengthen the team for the next decade. 3 rookie pitchers in the WS is weak. Gonsolin and May are starting only because of Price opting out and Wood blanking out, both slated to start the season with Urias, Buehler, and CK. This is the kind of move that will cement the dynasty. Turner is no longer the fielder he was and if he stays, he will probably be the DH. Seager can play either 2nd or 3rd.
We need another starter!
“…will strengthen the team for the next decade” where did you buy that crystal ball? No guarantee that Dodgers can sign Lindor to an extension (I would much rather sign Seager to an extension) – and Clevinger can be a free agent after the 2022 season when he will be 32-years old. If you are going to get a third baseman trade package prospects to Colorado for Arenado, or to the A’s for Chapman. Top of rotation pitcher – trade for Trevor Bauer
Clevinger is better than Bauer. And Lindor on the same field with Betts? If those two get along, sign Lindor to an extension.
Won’t happen, but as proposed I do it.
“there is a reason why he reports on the sport instead of being a GM.“
You do know who Jim Bowden is, right?
I would do that too. Bold move, but one that makes us better now.
Very informative article Jeff. It’s ok to disagree about how good the team and system were when AF took over but it’s not worth quibbling over. We were good enough to produce a few future All Stars and keep winning, and that’s what’s important. Obviously we are still good, have abundant company resources and a city that stars want to call home. By every measure we SHOULD be good. And we are.
Any updates on Rios? Hammy’s can linger. Anyone that has had one knows that. We all want him back, but nobody wants to rush him back. With Muncy struggling that extra left stick is needed.
They say Rios is expected back next week.
If we’re talking about trades that will never happen, why not ten prospects for Trout?
For once Bluto I think you are spot on. For one thing that trade does not have a snowballs chance in hell of even being discussed let alone consummated. The Indians, who if the season ended today would be in the playoffs, are not going to take that little for two players under team control for at least a year. They could get more than that for Lindor alone. I also doubt that AF is going to mess with the positive culture he has going in the clubhouse. I do think Lux is in the Dodger dog house for not being ready when the restart occurred and his play showed that in the few exhibition games he played. Not being ready is the excuse for him not being with the team by now. As bad as Muncy has been and as erratic at the plate as Hernandez has been since his great first game, Lux would be playing a lot. I think a trade of that caliber would require the Dodgers to part with at least 3 of their top 30, and at least 2 to 3 more minor leaguers. And we know Cleveland would not want a pending free agent like Joc in return either. If AF wants Lindor to replace Corey at short, all he has to do is wait for 2022 and sing him as a free agent. And although it has been mentioned many times, I do not think LA has any plans to move Seager to 3rd base. Seager believes he is a short stop. And that is where he wants to stay. If the Dodgers feel the same way about him, and he stays healthy, then re-signing him is a possibility.
A lot of research went into your nice article, AC, so thank you. It is appreciated. I am really anxious and interested to see how Michael Grove, Ryan Pepiot, Josiah Gray, Clayton Beeter and Brett de Geus, to name just a few, do next year on their journey to the ML.
On last night’s game, Buehler was crazy good, and we actually played a game with no home runs but lots of good hits. The bullpen was excellent.
Mark, I would not do that deal with the Indians. Corey is just fine at short and do not need Lindor, or Clevinger right now and I keep Lux.
Thanks for all that work AC. You mention Jimmy Lewis has been on the IL. Do you know what the problem is? I hadn’t heard anything about any injury. Hope it isn’t serious.
Considering how Lux was anointed the Golden Boy last year, it’s awfully strange that he can’t even make the roster this year, let alone be the starting second baseman that most figured he would be. I wonder what the back story is there.
The Indians feel they can win a World Series this year. Unlikely they would trade two of their very best players for three prospects who wouldn’t even see the majors this year, or if they did, would probably not contribute much to a playoff roster. I’m guessing there is no way Cleveland does that deal and probably no way AF does it either.
Lewis – small tear in pitching shoulder labrum was the report after signing with the Dodgers.
Morgan Cooper still around after being drafted in second round 2017. Has not thrown a competitive pitch in three years. Dodgers development staff are a very patient group.
Morgan Cooper. That’s a car, right?
Yes; his twin brother is nicknamed “mini”
Sure, it’s unlikely Cleveland does that. How could the Dodgers say no, if they acquiesced?
Excellent post! 2014 was a very good draft.
Buehler starting to round into form. I believe he will start the first game of the playoffs.
Kershaw seems to have better stuff this year. Hopefully, he can stay healthy. Mb this is his post season year but I wouldn’t count on it. He is worth at least a homerun per game and seemingly at crucial times. He is not going to shut anybody out but Buehler might. Anyway the 3-4 will be crucial and urias sure doesn’t look the part right now. How can you not go with Gonsolin? May has dominate stuff but gives up a lot of hits. Strip is a no and wood is probably a no. We definitely miss price. Right now I would go buehler, kershaw, Gonsolin, and May. At the outset I have felt our starting pitching is questionable as far as the playoffs.
Now I think our second area to be concerned about is our offense vs. lefties. We need pollock to help but that is certainly dicey at best. He is injury prone and a streak hitter. So, if he flames out we got Betts, turner, kike, smith. I would think AF is looking for a rh hitter at the trade deadline. Muncy has got to get on track. He is a disaster at this point with kkkkk…. bellinger will get it together but has been a no show in the playoffs. Seager has been the bright spot if he don’t get a hangnail while swinging at the first pitch. I still think with the game on the line turner gives us the best chance but mb Betts will be that guy.
Our bullpen continues to impress. Ferguson seems like he has figured it out. Kolarek has mb figured righties out. If so he is invaluable. Graterol has tremendous upside but needs more experience. Treinen has done his job.
I just don’t know if our rotation will be up to the task playoff time. Once again we are going to have to rely on kershaw and we know how that has turned out. Lefties can cause us fits. Our best players are going to have to play well for us to ever get over the hump. Our bullpen has always been a weak spot but we have the arms at this point they just have to perform.
If our playoff rotation is Buehler (proven to step up in big games), and then:
Kershaw (proven to NOT step up in big games)
May (rookie)
Gonsolin (rookie)
Urias (talented and erratic and first year as a starter)
Wood/Strip (really??)
We NEED to get a game 3 starter. Obviously the respect will go to Kersh for Game 2, and only God knows which Kershaw shows up in October. Expecting for him to be our October ace is like Charlie Brown thinking “this time Lucy will hold the ball and I’ll kick it really far”
Now that we have a bullpen that looks playoff worthy, we can get by with a solid 5 inning start from someone. But nobody outside of Buehler gives me any confidence come October. To be fair, I personally feel that May has that “it” factor, and he might step up, but that’s a big if. It’s not a sure thing yet.
Agree, that is why price is such a huge loss.
Smart folks: I know usually each team has a 26 man team. This weird year we’re allowed up to 30 on a team. But for the playoffs, will it remain at 30 or revert back to a 26 man team?
Bobby. The rosters are set at 28 for the entire season and the playoffs. They decided that after Covid knocked out so many of the Marlins. Right now the Dodgers are carrying 16 pitchers and 12 position players. There were 30 players on the roster only for the first two weeks of the season.
Perfect, thank you!
More bullpen pieces for Doc to play with
Personally I think 16 is too many for the playoffs. I want that extra bat off of the bench. Unfortunately other than Lux and Raley, there is no one at the alternate site with any MLB experience. Getting Rios back will help, and they will most likely dump a pitcher then. I think Sborz and Santana will probably not be on the playoff roster depending if Baez gets better. Seems he has a hammy issue.
Excellent write-up, Jeff, very comprehensive. Lot of work went into that. Not sure the Dodgers should do anything. Jim Bowden is always wanting to wheel and deal, makes for a good column and generates discussion. With so many teams in the playoff hunt, it will be interesting to see who does what, but with CoVid out there, may be smart to just play with what you have, which is pretty good.
The Dodgers farm system is excellent and it is amazing that year after year they replenish it even without high draft picks. That’s a credit to Andrew Friedman and company. You also have to give a lot of credit to Ned Colletti and Logan White for not only developing a strong farm system, but retaining top prospects.
Great write up on the farm Jeff. As you go down the list year to year you see who has risen to the Dodgers and the rest of the league through trades. Some guys seem to stall and others get blocked from above. Then you wonder which talented and lucky will be suiting up at Dodger Stadium in the next few years. Will a Michael Grove be pitching, Kody Hoese be at 3rd, or Andy Pages patrolling the outfield or will they stall out like a Jordan Sheffield or Jeren Kendall.
As far as the trade I would do it in a minute but Cleveland is still very much in playoff picture. And I think Gray is going to be an outstanding pitcher next year , not sure we will see him this year. In a couple of years it’s going to be Buehler May and Gray.
I know Mark thinks Urias is going to be a stud, but I am not convinced. I also know that they will not use a 5 man rotation come playoff time. The first round is only a 3 game series. So their 1-2 will most likely be Kersh and Buehler. Who do you trust if they get to game 3? All the games in the first round will be at their home park most likely unless baseball decides to use the bubble idea that basketball is using. I still think they need a solid #3 with post season experience. That is why I believe they need to trade for one no matter how good one might think Gonsolin or May are. They have never pitched under that kind of pressure. Urias is way to erratic at this point. Of course he has about 5 or 6 more starts, which he will no doubt get, to turn that around. The offense is pitiful against lefty’s. They see one today who has given them trouble before. Kike is supposed to mash against LHP but he is not doing that this season so far. Betts also is not doing well against lefty’s That needs to improve.
The 2016 draft is ridiculous.
FOR MARK:
From yesterday’s lovely conversation:
So this limeblaster is much cheaper than the Heater Treater. Are they comprable in terms of performance and preventing scale/plate?
Wow AC. A cornucopia of information. Lots to digest. Thanks for the work on that.
Some thoughts from last night:
* Obviously we are all happy (and relieved) to see Buehler back in form. The Rockies have to feel they were hit by a train the last 2 days.
* This bullpen is awesome right now. Kolarek, Fergy and McGee sure make a nice set-up group of lefties. I’d take Fergy as an 8th inning guy any day. Another clean inning by KJ.
* Kolarek was a victim of a Self Fulfilling Prophesy. Everybody just assumed that he couldn’t get righties out; so he didn’t face them. With the 3 batter minimum rule he has gotten the opportunity, made some adjustments and pounds them low and away. The same thing happened to Bellinger in 2018. It was suddenly decided that he couldn’t hit left handed pitching; so he didn’t. He hit .218 against lefties in 1/2 the at bats he got against righties. Sometimes if you are told you can’t do something long enough and not given the opportunity, it becomes the truth.
* I’m going to nit-pick one thing from last night. Doc actually called on Barnes to sacrifice bunt Barnes in the 4th with 2 on and no outs. Something not uncommon from the 9 hole batter. A play that I absolutely agree with. I know Barnes is hot and it’s unpopular to give up an out but it is the perfect time for it in a close game. More importantly it is a play that needs to be executed in post season. That can be a critical play against a Dude in a playoff game. So work on it now. Barnes failed to get the bunt down and eventually popped up to the infield. A totally wasted AB. Joc then popped up too and a wasted opportunity looked probable. And it didn’t matter when Seager came through with a double. But my (unpopular) point is that these little things become magnified in the post season and I’d like to see the small ball play executed. Its winning baseball.
* Geez, I didn’t recognize Kemp when he came to the plate.
* Yesterday I said in jest:
“The latest Vegas over / under line on Muncy hitting a baseball to the left side of the infield is 2025. It’s always possible that one day he might be so ahead of a pitch that he cues one off the end of the bat that stays fair down the 3rd base line. Even with that possibility, I took the OVER.”
Well, my bet is still intact. Max hit 2 balls to the first baseman; one roll-over for a DP and one a seeing-eye single and 2 strikeouts. I’m still waiting for him to NOT pull a ball.
Yeah, ol Matt looked a lot bigger than when he was here in 2018. I was forced to watch the Rockies telecast and listen to the dreadful Drew Goodman. But when Kemp came up in the second inning, they showed some clips of him hitting a walk off against the Rocks at Dodger Stadium and he looked a lot more buff than the truck that came to the plate last night. I also see his K rate is higher than when he last played in LA. Sad to see good ballplayers just hanging on. He was hurt last year in Cincinnati and never really got better. He was hot when the season first kicked off, but he has cooled off a lot. I am skeptical he makes it through the entire 60 game schedule. Matt is on his last rodeo. Most encouraging thing I saw last night was Cody reaching out and poking a single over Arenado’s coconut. Both of his hits were great signs. Strasburg to have surgery out for the year
There is a reason why Jim Bowden is no longer a GM, but it is not because he does not recognize talent. He actually is a good judge of talent. But he is no longer a GM because, allegedly “in February 2009, it was reported that Bowden along with former special assistant José Rijo were part of an FBI federal investigation into the skimming of signing bonus money from Latin American baseball players. He resigned from the Nationals on March 1, 2009.”
So while Bowden may know talent, he has no clue about character and morality. Why would the Dodgers with the best record in MLB, and still not playing their best baseball, disrupt their clubhouse and bring in Mike Clevinger who obviously does not care about his teammates and has no compunction about lieing about it and further exposing the team when he travels with them. LAD players have been very diligent in following the protocols and now they should disrupt that by trading for a player who did not give a rip about them? Clevinger thinks team first? I think not.
Bowden has been trying to persuade the Dodgers to trade for Lindor for some time now. But deadline trades are supposed to help the teams in the current year. So for 30 games, we are going to change the infield to bring in a player who is not having as good of an offensive year as are Seager, JT or CT3. I am not nearly convinced as some of you are that Lindor is an upgrade over Seager. In fact, I am not convinced at all. In addition, who says Seager wants to move from SS? Who says Seager can play 2B? Who says JT can play 2B? Who says either one wants to move? If they were in the middle of the pack maybe you make a move like that, but not when you are 4.0 games better than anyone else in the league. They do not need Francisco Lindor:
2020 stats:
Seager – .294/.341/.576/.917
JT – .275/.359/.412/.771
CT3 – .265/.378/.373/.751
Lindor – .234/.293/.393/.686
So how exactly is Lindor going to improve the 2020 team?
BTW, one year of Lindor and a disrupted LAD infield, and two years of Clevinger who cannot be trusted to follow protocols setup to protect teammates, and that would translate into a decade of dominance? Okay, but I do not see it.
I would not be opposed to moving Lux, or Gray or Rodriguez for the right package, or individually for the right return.
The two Dodger “apparent” weaknesses are hitting LHP and starting pitching. I am not convinced that either one is a weakness, but I do believe that there is room for improvement. My preference has been all season (and into next winter) that Trevor Bauer is someone to seriously consider. He would fill in nicely into the 2020 rotation giving a solid top three of Buehler/Kershaw/Bauer. Urias, May, and Gonsolin could compete for the #4 spot with the other two dropping into the bullpen, making a strength even stronger.
But I do not believe that the Reds will move Bauer without a significant overpay because they are still in contention, only being .5 GB for a WC. In fact every NL team still has a great shot for a WC except for Pittsburgh. Mets, Reds, and Brewers are .5 GB, while SF, Philadelphia, and Nationals are only 1.5 GB. Pittsburgh is 5.5 GB but has no pitching worth trading for.
Who are the other options? In the AL, Baltimore is the closest team to a WC and they are 2.0 GB. Texas, Seattle, LAA, KC, Detroit, and Boston are falling further behind. There are two pitchers that could be available that could help LAD this year. Texas’ Lance Lynn, and LAA’s Dylan Bundy. For 2020:
Lynn (33) – 6 GS, 39.1 IP (average > 6.0 innings/start), 1.37 ERA, 0.84 WHIP. Lynn is owed a more than reasonable $10MM for 2021, and that alone will drive the prospect cost up.
Bundy (27) – 5 GS, 32.2 IP (average > 6.0 innings/start), 2.48 ERA, 0.796 WHIP. Bundy was earning a full year of $5.0MM in 2020. He has one additional year of arbitration, and becomes a FA in 2022.
For a hitter who seemingly crushes LHP, why not look at Boston’s JDM. Bring him home to RVS and let RVS work with him. Even with a down year, JDM is slashing .294/.385/.559/.943 against LHP.
We are still 9 days away from the deadline, and the teams positions can change quite a bit in that time. But if the AF wants to make a change there will be players who could improve the starting rotation and/or improve the hitting against LHP. But I am not in favor of trading for Mike Clevinger or Francisco Lindor.
I’m not opposed to bringing in Bauer but I also doubt the Reds would give him up for anything but a large haul. For those of you who haven’t been following Bauer’s 2020 stats, he’s started 4 times, gone 6 innings twice and 7 innings twice. He’s pitched a total of 26.1 innings with 41 k’s and 7 bb. His ERA is 0.68. Right now he’s a legit contender for the Cy Young. Assuming they would even consider trading him, what would it take? He’s a free agent this winter so that would reduce the price somewhat, but they would still ask a king’s ransom.
With regard to JDM, Jeff, I’ve always been a fan but he’s got 2 years and almost 40 mil left on his contract after this year. He can opt out after 2021 but the odds are fairly slim that he would. With that contract, I’m sure the Sox would be happy to just give him away, literally, but they would have to throw in a fair amount of cash and/or some prospects to move him. Maybe we agree to take him if they throw in Bogaerts and Devers. 🙂
Considering the fact that he is a one month rental, I doubt the Reds could ask for much. And no way they get a top 30 prospect. They are right now not in the playoff picture and running out of time. With 9 days until the deadline, I think that they will have a good idea by midweek if they are going to be a seller or not. AF has a history with their GM< so dealing would be easy. Me, I give them a couple of second tier prospects, someone like Jeren Kendall for one, and maybe even Omar Estevez. They cannot ask for much. I doubt they offer him a QO, so they risk losing him for nothing. Lynn would cost a lot more.
Actually the Reds are very much in the playoff picture. They are currently only a half game behind St. Louis for #2 in Central, and a half game back of Arizona for final WC slot. They are one game behind Colorado for the other WC spot. Moving Trevor Bauer would make no sense for them right now unless it was a big overpay. Somebody is going to want to pay for Bauer to get that arm in the playoff rotation. But Cincinnati has to believe they will not be in the playoff hunt to move him. Without Bauer, they have zero chance. Everybody wants starting pitching, so the bidding will get high for Bauer. Tampa Bay will be more than willing to offer more than Kendall and Estevez. So will NYY. SD? Atlanta? Houston? A’s? There will not be a shortage of offers. The Dodgers could use Bauer, but they do not need him. The other teams do need him and will pay even for just one month.
I’m in your camp on this one Jeff. I think the market for Bauer will be brisk and AF will definitely not be high bidder. If he wants to come home to SoCal this off season, Moreno should be waving a nice contract at him. I’m sure he’d enjoy pitching for Joe Maddon. There again, AF will not be high bidder in free agency.
I very much hope I have to eat my words some day, but as far as I’m concerned, Jeren Kendall has zero trade value at this point Bear. Estevez is worth something but not as the centerpiece in a Bauer trade.
I am not really advocating a trade of any kind. I may be in the minority, but I believe the Dodgers can win with what they have. Additions will help, but they are not necessary. My primary point was that in no way whatsoever would I be accepting of a trade for Mike Clevinger and Francisco Lindor.
As far as JDM, if I thought that JDM was the difference of winning the WS or not, I do not care what the $$$ cost of his salary would be. The prospect cost would be negligible. What Bloom got in return from Philly for a couple of fairly good relievers was laughable. Workman/Hembree/PTBNL/Cash for Nick Pivetta and MiLB Connor Seabold?????
To me Gonsolin is underrated. I would go with Gonsolin in the playoffs if starting pitching is too costly via trade.
I’m fine with our offense, I’m patient with Bellinger, Muncy, Pederson, sooner or later they will wake up. The only gripe I have with the offense is more of a gripe about Doc overusing Hernandez. And we’ll see what Doc does with catching, I like Smith to do the catching about 80% of the time.
The bullpen has been good so far, but I look at the lopsided career splits and I get nervous. I hate the 3 batter minimum rule.
Overall I’m happy with the team.
It seems to me and maybe I’m wrong that the cheapest via trade would be relievers. If so I would go after a reliever with good splits versus both sides of the plate if any are available even though our bullpen is so far good. I just don’t trust the bullpen because of what I see in career stats.
Actually I‘d get 2 relievers that throughout their career have been good versus both sides of the plate. I just don’t trust this bullpen as is with the 3 batter minimum rule.
Get rid of that rule and I would trust this bullpen as is.
Actually forget that last paragraph I forgot for a moment Doc is the manager.
Great job Jeff! I’ve never much cared for rankings whether in the draft or with prospects. The really good ones are easy to spot. It’s the development of those that re not selected in the top 5 picks that impresses me. I love to see, for example, the Caleb Ferguson type players get their opportunity to shine. In the past couple of years, it seams as if though the Dodgers have developed more of those players than during Colletti’s regime. Gone are the days when Jerry Sands (and I mean no disrespect to him, he was a fine player) was our top prospect.
As for a trade, I would not mind acquiring Trevor Bauer. Beyond that, I might just pass on this years trade deadline.
I believe unwritten point was that while Colletti/White had some talent remaining, they were not very good at developing them. AF has surrounded himself with a team that gets the most out of the talent. Would Colletti/White been able to develop the players retained? They were not overall successful in prior years. Maybe that will be another research job.
Edwin Uceta was sent home to the Dominican for breaking COVID protocols. It is doubtful he will be back at USC this year. It will be interesting to see if Uceta is moved in a deadline move or a Winter move.
Today:
Mookie
Seager
JT (DH)
Pollock (CF)
Belly (1b)
CT3 (LF)
Muncy (3b)
Kike (2b)
Barnes
May
We need a right handed dh bat. Don’t like both Taylor and Kike in the lineup together
Totally agree
Gee, Taylor homered. But Kike hit into a DP ending the inning after Muncy finally got a hit to left.
Jim Bowden’s comment sure brought out a lot of opinion, much of it seemingly quite subjective. I don’t know him, I just know his baseball history and it’s impressive. I won’t comment on his moral character or the allegations made. It was a trade suggestion that I don’t believe would ever happen but I do believe if did happen would make us better. How does Lindor make us better? Duh. He and Betts on the same field would electrify. It’s my opinion that Cleveland would be wise to patch things up with Clevinger as they are still in the thick of it. As for Bauer, if he is available we will be outbid for obvious reasons.
I won’t be surprised by a trade but I will be surprised if we pick up a front line starter or a perennial All Star shortstop.
I think the odds that we get Lindor next week are pretty much zero, but I gotta agree with you Badger, the thought of Mookie and Frankie batting one/two in our lineup is very exciting.
Anyone else think it’s strange that, for once, we aren’t spending most of our deadline time trying to figure out which six relievers we really want to add to the bullpen? They’ve been really great so far, although I’m not dismissing Eric’s concern about some or most of them reverting to past years performances. Just hoping they can last another 32 games plus playoffs.
We just disagree. I do not think Lindor makes the 2020 Dodgers better. You do not throw a wrench into a fine tuned machine like the Dodgers. Nothing positive happens when you displace two veterans that are outhitting the new player just to get him to play with Betts. So go ahead and p*** off Seager and JT for Lindor. Seager at SS is not a problem, and Lindor is not a solution to a problem that does not exist.
If AF can acquire Bauer or Lynn, great. If not I am comfortable playing the cards that are dealt.
But then again why quibble.
Yep, we disagree. Lindor is an All Star SS 4 years running, has put up 9 dWAR in his 5+ years. Seager, a fine player, 2 time All Star, though not recently, has put up 2 dWAR over the same period and has had trouble staying on the field. I would have moved him already. The trade mentioned was purely speculative and if making this team better pisses off Seager, what does that say about his character?
This isn’t going to happen but it’s fun debating it.
I can’t disagree with your point about not wanting to disturb the non-pitching part of the team which is scoring a lot of runs and basically hasn’t even had much contribution from Belli, Joc or Muncy yet.
What would you offer for Bauer, AC? What about Lynn?
Do you think Lux not being on the roster is simply that they’re working with him and he’s having a “Muncy” at the training facility, or do you think they’ve soured on his potential a bit?
A Muncy. Kingpin reference. Well done.
I’m sure management is always looking to improve the organization, both now and for the future. We seem to be handling our business just fine but I don’t know how we will look playing the stronger teams later this year. I think as is we can beat anybody but I’ve said that before and was wrong every time. It’s kind of a coaching thing with me, always strive to improve. If we have opportunity to get better we should not hesitate to do so.
STB, I am not very good at understanding the value of a rental. AF is not going to overpay, but Atlanta or NYY or SD or Houston may. I would have to think a MLB ready pitcher not named Gonsolin. For Lynn, I still do not think that Texas will trade him. They do not figure to be far away for next year, and they are going to want to keep Lynn at $10MM. Think back to who was traded for Darvish and go from there. Willie Calhoun, Brendon Davis, AJ Alexy…three top 30 prospects at the time.
Jeff Jr, Both JT and Seager are not GG fielders. JT has digressed quite a bit and I’ve never thought Seager was a great fielder. Adding Lindor gives better defense, something we need NOW. He can also hit. We also need a SP, wouldn’t you agree?
Pissing off players? Why would they be pissed? Neither are leaving the team or getting less playing time. If this drops into the Dodger lap, they wouldn’t say no, IMO. AF was interested in Lindor during the offseason, a proven asset.
Clevenger can pitch. He may have done something stupid but that is no reason to ban him from the Dodgers. Send him to rehab and Sunday school. They’ll make a man out of him!
What if… the Dodgers traded for Clevinger and Lindor, but Lindor moved to 2B? Nobody’s feelings get hurt (unless Lindor is not in).
Clevinger is close to being an Ace, so there is that!
Look at this lineup:
1. Betts RF
2. Seager SS
3. Lindor 2B
4. Bellinger CF
5. Turner 3B
6. Muncy 1B
7. Rios/Pollock DH
8. Peterson/Taylor LF
9. Barnes C
Who did we trade for those two Mark, Wood and Sborz?
Also, isn’t Lindor considered the better shortstop? Why should he be the one to move?
Gray, Lux, and Rodriguez… or whoever!
Seniority!
However, Kike may be the best 2B in baseball!
“ However, Kike may be the best 2B in baseball!”
You are joking right?
Lindor is a considerably better shortstop than Seager. You don’t move him.
Nice lineup though.
I agree about Clevinger. I think Cleveland needs him if they’re to have a shot.
Defensively!
But Kike is not a full timer at 2B, Mark and is not the overall player that Lindor is. They are pros and they’ll work out the details, I have no doubt.
To bad he is the most inconsistent hitter on the team. They have given him the starting job twice and he has not been able to hold it.
May is doing really well this year. Averaging about 5 innings, 80 pitches, and giving up 1 run. Doc seems to be limiting him which is fine with me. Maybe by the time we get to the playoffs he will be at 7 innings and 90 pitches.
I agree with you. But in the playoffs, we’d happily take 5ip and 1 run! The bullpen can handle the other 4 innings
Along with the HR and 2 BB’s? He’s a rookie and not used to the pressure.
Austin Clutch!
There’s the Barnes we all know.
Bellinger bomb to win the game.
There’s the Bellinger we all love!
Trade the bum!
I am glad we have Betts, BUT has anyone else noticed that as of tonight Verdugo is hitting 12 points higher than Betts?
Betts gave those 12 points + to Barnes in the batting cage
He also has 4 less homers than Betts, 11 less RBI’s, and one less steal. His OBP, Slg, and OPS are all LOWER than Mookies. So he can have the few points on his average. Bellinger is waking up. Senzatela is the Rocks best pitcher. Smith will be back tomorrow, and Rios by Thursday. Also Wood should be back and ready to make at least one start before the deadline.
Verdugo will win some batting titles – I have always said that. I hated losing Alex, but I’m glad we have Mookie.
Verdugo maybe batting 12 points higher but the Red Sox are going no where this year. I think Mookie is driving this team now and I’m ok with that. Gotta like winning those 1 run games. So much better than the alternative! Seems like we were all worried about the Rockets a week ago. Not so much anymore.
21-8 is just not good enough for some. Why stop at Lindor and Clevinger? Ask for Bieber too. Trade for Realmuto. Trade for de Grom. Why move Seager to 2B? Check with Atlanta and see when Albies is coming back and trade for him. How about Chapman from the A’s for 3B? Yelich for LF? it is only a matter of time before Pollock goes into a slump and the haters will all come out against him again.
Bieber, de Grom, Albies, Chapman, Yelich are all just as possible as is Lindor and Clevinger. Meaning NOT.
LAD has scored more runs than any other team. They have the largest run differential with +71. Next closest is Minnesota +39. Lead MLB in ERA. If AF can get a #3 starting pitcher, okay. But they do not need to mess with the position players. Corey Seager is not a problem. If AF cannot get a true upgrade for a #3 SP, I am more than fine to watch the team go with what they have.
I admire your communication skills. No trouble knowing exactly where you stand.
I’m just fine with this team. I think we can beat anyone. Maybe now is not the time to upgrade shortstop.
AF won’t do that deal for one big reason: Team Chemistry!
AMEN!!!!!!!!!