While reviewing the list of LAD pitchers, the Dodgers have 66 pitchers currently in their organization. Per Fangraph’s Roster Resource the breakdown is as follows:
- MLB Starting Pitchers (5)
- MLB Relief Pitchers (9)
- MiLB Starting Pitchers (34) – 9 Rule 5 Eligible
- MiLB Relief Pitchers (18) – 13 Rule 5 Eligible
With the pending MiLB contraction, those numbers are obviously going to decrease. Many of these pitchers are organizational depth, and those players are very important to make sure top level prospects are not rushed. Not every prospect needs to be on the MLB roster by age 22 to be considered a viable major leaguer. The LAD development team is exceptional.
The nine Rule 5 eligible MiLB starting pitchers:
- Andre Jackson
- Gerardo Carrillo
- Edwin Uceta
- Jose Chacin
- Zach Willeman
- Kevin Malisheski
- Alfredo Tavarez
- Juan Morillo
- Adolfo Ramirez
Of that group, the only pitcher I would consider for protection would be Gerardo Carrillo, and I do not consider him a starting pitcher. Borderline consideration would be Edwin Uceta. I think the Rule 5 draft could be more active in these precarious times, so some consideration needs to be given to borderline protection candidates.
The 13 Rule 5 eligible MiLB relief pitchers :
- Marshall Kasowski
- Brett de Geus
- Parker Curry
- Shea Spitzbarth
- Ryan Moseley
- Jordan Sheffield
- Wills Montgomerie
- Logan Salow
- Melvin Jimenez
- Max Gamboa
- Austin Hamilton
- Guillermo Zuniga
- Justin Bruihl
Of that group, Brett de Geus would be the only lock for protection. Borderline consideration should be given to Marshall Kasowski. I still believe he needs a second pitch. While his strikeout rate may be elite, his walk rate is higher than desired for an elite reliever. Marshall will also be 26 next March. There is no need to protect non-elite relievers for Rule 5.
Per Roster Resource, the projected starters are:
- Clayton Kershaw
- Walker Buehler
- Julio Urias
- David Price
- Dustin May
Per Roster Resource, the projected current relievers are:
- Kenley Jansen
- Brusdar Graterol
- Victor Gonzalez
- Joe Kelly
- Dylan Floro
- Adam Kolarek
- Scott Alexander
- Tony Gonsolin
- Caleb Ferguson
On the cusp of making the ML roster as starters are Josiah Gray and Mitch White. The soon to be 26 year old White is quickly morphing into the Ross Stripling role. There is nothing wrong with that role, but it does not add to the elite status of the starting rotation. Jo Jo Gray is certainly on the periphery, but he is still on the outside, and he is probably the #8 starter, behind the 5 listed, Tony Gonsolin, and Mitch White. Victor Gonzalez is still considered a potential starter by many pundits, but his value as a Dodger is really as a late inning high leverage reliever. I do not see VGon going back to AAA, so the chances of him being stretched out into a starter’s role seems remote as a Dodger.
Of the next level of potential starting pitchers, there is no clear projection of a top of the rotation starter. Even Josiah Gray has a projected ceiling as that of a mid-rotation starter. After Gray and White, my next ten:
- Bobby Miller
- Clayton Beeter
- Landon Knack
- Kendall Williams
- Jerming Rosario
- Edwin Uceta
- Robinson Ortiz
- Jimmy Lewis
- Michael Grove
- Braydon Fisher
I am very bullish on the 18 year old RHP out of Peravia, DR, Jerming Rosario. Rosario was signed the same year as Diego Cartaya and Alex De Jesus. Each of the above will be assigned to some LAD MiLB team and will be utilized as a starter. How long they stay in that role will be determined as to how well they continue to develop. Is there a Jacob de Grom who fell through the cracks in that group? Doubtful, but it has to play out. I think Bobby Miller will get some attention next spring as a potential bullpen pitcher. He will start the season as a starter (maybe AA) to get stretched out, but I think he may get a look as a reliever in ST for late season consideration. Time will tell if he is a Ross Stripling clone or a mid-rotation starter.
Huge question marks are clearly identified with three pitchers who are still recovering from injuries: Jimmy Lewis, Braydon Fisher, and Michael Grove. All three will be stretched out as starters, but are they good enough to be considered future starters for LAD? Right now, a prior top 30 prospect, John Rooney, seems to be on the outside looking in. Morgan Cooper is still in the organization, but…
Three of my favorite LAD MiLB pitchers are listed as starters are Gerardo Carrillo, Ryan Pepiot, and Jack Little. I am especially an advocate for Pepiot and Little. IMO, each of the three have late inning high leverage relief ceilings. Carrillo has already made that transition, but I think both Pepiot and Little could become elite relievers. It has been reported that Pepiot was exceptional at the USC secondary site. In a full 162 game season for 2021, Pepiot is a strong candidate to get a late season callup.
Per Kyle Glaser (Baseball America) after an intrasquad game: “Ryan Pepiot, the Dodgers’ third-round pick in 2019, pitched two scoreless innings with one hit allowed and three strikeouts facing exclusively major leaguers. The Butler product sat 94-95 mph on his fastball and flashed the devastating changeup he’s known for , striking out Lux, reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger and Matt Beaty, all lefthanded hitters. The 22-year-old has yet to pitch above low Class A but was added to the Dodgers player pool in a sign of how highly the value his development.” Pepiot has the highest rated change in the LAD system in 2020.
In a prior post comment, someone mentioned that Josh Sborz ‘s development was curtailed because the Dodgers moved Sborz to a starting role instead of a bullpen role. That was not the Dodgers doing. After being a 2nd round selection out of University of Virginia in 2015, Sborz believed the big money was in starting pitching and that is where he wanted to start his career. He chose to be a starter, and the Dodgers did everything to provide him with the development tools to make that move. Why not? By 2018, it became clear that Sborz was better suited to be a reliever as a LAD. Could he start for less talented teams? Perhaps. But not for the Dodgers. The same is true for Carrillo, Pepiot, and Little.
Besides de Geus and Kasowski, two relievers that I have been following, and still have some faith in, are Melvin Jimenez and Guillermo Zuniga. One other future dark horse relief candidate is Israiky Berroa. I do not believe that the Dodgers have given up on Jordan Sheffield, but time is certainly running out. He has no value as a trade candidate, but as a lottery ticket, he could get some looks. He might also be snapped up as a Rule 5 draft prospect this winter.
Other pitchers that were drafted in 2019 to be relievers are Braidyn Fink, Aaron Ochsenbein, Nick Robertson, Logan Boyer, Mitchell Tyranski, Jacob Cantleberry, Sean Mellen, Jeff Belge, and Cyrillo Watson. More than any other position, relievers can go from very late round draft picks to an MLB roster, and the Dodgers concentrated on relievers in 2019. Of that group, the one with the highest ceiling is Braidyn Fink, who was an elite D-1 reliever at the University of Oklahoma in 2018. Braidyn missed all of 2019 with TJ surgery.
Looking at the current roster and organizational pitchers, I am not at all comfortable that the Dodgers have any candidates that can be considered lock down late inning high leverage relievers. I do believe that Graterol and V-Gon have the potential, but not quite yet. The Dodgers can sign a FA reliever, but with already $28.8 MM committed to two relievers (KJ and Kelly), I cannot see AF committing another $10MM AAV for another reliever.
I am still an advocate that relievers cannot be counted on from year to year. Whoever heard of the Brewers Devin Williams before 2020? The Rays bullpen was made up of 8 pitchers ranging in age of 25.5 to 30.3. Most of the relievers are around 27 and throw hard. Not one was drafted by the Rays. Two were international amateur free agent signings. Four came in trades at the trade deadline in 2019 (3) and 2020 (1). One was a Feb 2020 FA (John Curtiss), and one was a Rule 5 draftee. Not one is considered an elite FA from a monetary standpoint, but together they were an elite bullpen. Both of their backend high leverage relievers (Nick Anderson and Diego Castillo) were lockdown during the season, but faltered in the WS.
Is there a reliever considered to be a perennial lock down back end high leverage reliever? IMO, there is one in the NL, and that is Josh Hader. But he has baggage, and there are many who will not forgive him for his teenage tweets. Others believe he has grown and deserves a second chance. But there is nobody who does not believe that he leads the class of NL relievers.
In the AL, the top reliever for the past two years is Liam Hendricks. However, before 2019, he was a very pedestrian (at best) reliever. Hendriks is a FA reliever this winter, but the contract projections range from:
- MLBTR – 3 years – $30MM – ($10MM AAV)
- Fangraphs – 3 years – $36MM – ($12MM AAV)
- Jim Bowden – 3 years – $42MM – ($14MM AAV)
Maybe fans are willing to commit another $42MM for a reliever, but I do not believe that AF will. AF is also not naïve and knows that the team does need a consistent late inning reliever. FA relievers that I think he will consider are:
- Trevor May (MIN 2020)
- Blake Treinen (LAD 2020)
- Trevor Rosenthal (KC and SDP 2020)
- Brad Hand (CLE 2020)
- Alex Colome (CWS 2020)
- Mark Melancon (ATL 2020)
- Kirby Yates (SDP IL)
If the Dodgers were willing to spend $10MM for a reliever, I think they would have picked up Hand on waivers. Hand’s velo has dipped quite a bit, but he was still an elite reliever in 2020. The first five relievers should get multi-year offers, and the consensus is that they will get 2 year offers ranging from $12MM to $16MM. One outlier is that Fangraphs projects Hand to get 3 years and $27.9MM, and MLBTR projects Colome at 1 year and $6MM. Melancon and Yates are probably in the I year range. Arguments can be made for each of the 7 relievers identified above, but I would only be interested in the two Trevors and Blake Treinen. I included Treinen because he wants to stay with LA, and if he can be re-signed for less dollars, he is a good option for the back end of the bullpen.
Let’s compare Trevor May and Trevor Rosenthal with Josh Hader. Recognizing that Liam Hendriks is considered the clear FA choice of any of the relief pitchers, I also included Hendricks for comparative purposes. For me, swing and miss capability is more important than ERA, WHIP, OPS against…
| Trevor May | Trevor Rosenthal | Josh Hader | Liam Hendriks | |
| – | ||||
| O-Swing % | 27.5 | 32.9 | 30.5 | 38.1 |
| Z-Swing % | 74.3 | 63.0 | 67.8 | 77.4 |
| Swing % | 47.0 | 45.9 | 45.2 | 55.9 |
| O-Contact% | 39.4 | 50.7 | 43.5 | 50.6 |
| Z-Contact% | 71.7 | 73.1 | 78.8 | 74.6 |
| Contact % | 60.6 | 64.0 | 64.3 | 65.7 |
| Zone % | 41.6 | 43.3 | 39.2 | 45.4 |
| F-Strike % | 67.7 | 60.4 | 52.6 | 64.1 |
| SwStr % | 18.5 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 19.0 |
- O-Swing% = Percentage of pitches a batter swings at outside the strike zone.
- Z-Swing% = Percentage of pitches a batter swings at inside the strike zone.
- Swing% = Total percentage of pitches a batter swings at.
- O-Contact % = Percentage of times a batter makes contact with the ball when swinging at pitches thrown outside the strike zone.
- Z-Contact % = Percentage of times a batter makes contact with the ball when swinging at pitches thrown inside the strike zone.
- Contact % = Total percentage of contact made when swinging at all pitches.
- Zone % = Percentage of pitches seen inside the strike zone.
- F-Strike % = First pitch strike percentage.
- SwStr % = Percentage of strikes that were swung at and missed.
May pounds the strike zone more than either Rosenthal or Hader, producing more swing %, but with a significant decrease in contact %. May has more swing and miss than either Rosenthal or Hader. Hendriks has better swing and miss numbers than any of the others but not demonstratively superior to May.
Rosenthal (98.1) throws harder than May (96.7) or Hader (95.0). Hendriks’ 4-Seamer is 96.4 MPH.
Pitch values varied greatly from year to year. May’s 4-Seam fastball was significantly better than either Rosenthal or Hader in 2019, while Rosenthal had the superior 2020.
| 4-Seam FB | 4 Seam FB | Slider | Slider | Change | Change | |
| 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| – | ||||||
| May | 17.3 | -0.4 | -1.3 | 3.6 | 2.2 | 1.0 |
| Rosenthal | -4.2 | 4.3 | 2.7 | 3.2 | -0.2 | 0.9 |
| Hader | 13.6 | 0.2 | 6.4 | 3.9 |
So while Hader is considered the more elite backend reliever, both May and Rosenthal compare favorably and will not cost any significant prospect package. Both May and Rosenthal are inexpensive when compared to some of the more high priced relievers in prior years (KJ, Chapman, Holland, Davis, Kimbrel, Melancon, Papelbon, Robertson, Will Smith, Britton, Pomeranz).
Hendriks’ pitch values are superior to any of the three above, however, his 2019 4-seamer value was not at the same level as was May’s. Hendricks also throws 5 pitches…4-seamer, 2-seamer (sinker), changeup, slider, curveball The 2-seamer and change had slight negative pitch values in 2019, but were at 0.0 in 2020. His other three pitches were plus value. Hendriks is the clear choice, but Trevor May is not that far behind.
There is another way to build a plus bullpen for the Dodgers. Sign other starting pitchers so that both May and Gonsolin can move to the bullpen for 2021.
I see zero scenario where AF signs Trevor Bauer to a 4 year $128MM contract. He has a career 3.90 ERA and a career 1.265 WHIP. While his SO/W ratio was outstanding in 2020 at 5.88, his career ratio is a rather pedestrian 2.82. He turns 30 in January. He is a flyball pitcher. Yes he will undoubtedly win the CY for 2020, but Rick Porcello is a former CY winner as well, and I would not sign him either. If the Dodgers feel they need another starting pitcher, there are others out there available on make good low risk high reward contracts.
Would AF take a flyer on any of Corey Kluber, James Paxton, Jon Lester, Rick Porcello, Chris Archer, Anthony DeSclafani, or Cole Hamels? None of which are considered to require more than a one-year contract. I have always been enamored with Corey Kluber and to a lesser degree, Anthony DeSclafani. Bums has always been enamored with Chris Archer. I think there is little chance that AF will sign one of them, but AF has been known to do choose strange paths in the past. Some acquisitions have worked while some have not. If the contract is for no longer than one year, the risk is significantly diminished.
The Dodgers can afford Hendriks, but I do not think AF will go three years for another reliever. If no on Hendricks, IMO, AF should concentrate on signing Trevor May or Trevor Rosenthal to a two year deal. With Gonsolin, Graterol, V-Gon, and one of Hendriks/May/Rosenthal, the back end of the bullpen should be more than fine.
Jose Leclerc (Texas) and Jesse Hahn (KC) are two relievers that AF should check in on for trade purposes. I am sure there are others, and I plan on doing my usual winter review for hidden relief gems.
I am more of an advocate of relief pitchers than Mark in top pitchers. I have included SP Jerming Rosario, and two RP’s, Jack Little and Braidyn Fink in my top 15 pitchers, replacing Andre Jackson, Robinson Ortiz, and Hyun-il Choi. I understand and recognize that starting pitching is valued more than relief pitching, but IMO Jack Little and Braidyn Fink are better values for the Dodgers.
| MT | AC |
| Josiah Gray | Josiah Gray |
| Mitch White | Mitch White |
| Bobby Miller | Bobby Miller |
| Clayton Beeter | Clayton Beeter |
| Landon Knack | Landon Knack |
| Michael Grove | Brett de Geus – RP |
| Gerardo Carrillo | Ryan Pepiot |
| Edwin Uceta | Gerardo Carrillo |
| Kendall Williams | Edwin Uceta |
| Ryan Pepiot | Kendall Williams |
| Jimmy Lewis | Jimmy Lewis |
| Brett de Geus – RP | Jerming Rosario |
| Andre Jackson | Michael Grove |
| Robinson Ortiz | Jack Little – RP |
| Hyun-il Choi | Braidyn Fink – RP |
Our top 5 were the same – more similarities than differences.
Count me in: I will ride “shotgun” on the Trevor May Bandwagon!
It’s easy to like Liam Hendricks, but which version will you get in 2021 – the 2019 version or the 2020 version?
Great writeup by the way!
We really only disagreed on three. After the first five, it really is a crapshoot as to which order they should be projected.
Excellent!!
Eno Sarris of The Athletic said this about Trevor May:
“This is all to say that it probably doesn’t mean all that much that May has only seven saves on his career ledger. It’s more meaningful that his strikeout and walk rates are right up there with those put up by Trevor Rosenthal and Liam Hendriks last season (all three in the top 10), that he’s been in the top 15 in that stat since he became a reliever five years ago, that strikeout minus walk rates are useful in small samples, and that he’ll cost less than Hendriks and come without the floor represented in Rosenthal’s poor command seasons. May should be treated as the second-best reliever in this class.”
You are deliberately misspelling Hendriks just for me aren’t you. Poking the Badger kinda makes you look silly. Other than that glaring mistake, this is an informative piece.
With MLB pitching strategies apparently changing is it feasible to develop a one time through the order pitching staff? I haven’t run the numbers but if you’ve got utility guys that can play everywhere and maybe three 5 inning starters, could the rest be 1-3 inning guys?
Nah. I just like the way Kyle spells Hendricks more than Liam spells Hendriks.
I think I fixed them all.
I can neither confirm nor deny….
😉
Jimi Hendrix!
That is how all Hendrix names should be spelled.
I tend to want the Dodgers to stay out of the free agent market but AC has won me over with Trevor May. If they can trade for Leclerc and add May, I will be happy with the Dodger relief corp.
I still want Chris Archer’s persona on the Dodgers in the same way I want Lindor’s persona on the Dodgers. Archer used to be really good. Who knows how he will pitch after his thoracic outlet syndrome (TOC) surgery.
The track record of pitchers coming back from TOS surgery, which typically involves the removal (or partial removal) of a rib in order to alleviate pressure on nerves in the shoulder/armpit area, is rather poor overall. Matt Harvey, Tyler Thornburg, Tyson Ross, Nate Karns, Matt Harrison, Carter Capps, Andrew Triggs and Kyle Zimmer are among the players to have undergone the surgery in recent years. None of that bunch has found much success upon returning. That said, recently retired righty Chris Young attributed TOS surgery to salvaging his career, and we’ve seen other success stories in Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia and Clayton Richard. It’s not an insurmountable hill to climb, but a TOS procedure is one of the more ominous arm operations a pitcher can undergo.
Archer was good up until about 5 years ago. I can’t see anything he would bring to the Dodgers. I have even thought about the bullpen, but I don’t see him as a bullpen piece.
Frankly, his ship has sailed!
Sailed or sunk in the harbor– one or the other and neither are inspiring.
I have TOS and I can’t imagine anyone being able to pitch with it. I am hopeful to soon know what it is like to be post op from it!!
Constant pain in the neck, down the shoulder to the fingertips. Alternating pain with varying degrees of numbness.
Luckily, mine is not on my dominant hand. I wonder how many of these guys had it on their pitching arm. My hats are off to them 10000% if they pitched like that for any length of time.
Another great write up by the staff! Thank you Jeff for all the great info.. What will AF do? And is he limited financially by ownership? It’s just like AF to take a flyer on someone like Yates if cheap enough. It will be interesting to see which team gets the ball rolling signing free agents. Got to think the Mets will be active
Love the prospect content. Great job!
Very detailed analysis, AC. Thank you. I will reread it again today several times. Glad to see so many of minor league hopefuls like Clayton Beeter, Michael Grove, Brett de Geus and many others mentioned, even Ryan Moseley.
Stay safe and well………DBM.
Friedman has always looked for bullpen bargains except twice – when he re-signed Jansen and when he signed Kelly. Neither has worked out particularly well. They have a lot of money invested in the ‘pen without much to show for it. (And admit it everyone – I have been right about Kelly.)
I don’t see the Braintrust shelling out big $$ for relievers. Given their volatility and the ability to sometimes transforme mediocre starters into ace relievers, I expect a few fliers to be flown. One year deals (or a year with an option). They will come up with a pitcher looking to make good on a bridge contract like Treinen last year, a minor league free agent that no one had considered like Morrow in 2017 or a failed starter like Cingrani.
I particularly have no trust in Trevor Rosenthal – he had been bad for years after injury until last year and don’t have faith that he will do the same think next year. I like Hendricks but he will demand more than the Dodgers will pay. They will not pay big $$ to a reliever.
Remember – the Dodgers have all of the financial uncertainty that I mentioned yesterday, plus they will have to pay all of their own free agents beginning in 2022.
I will agree with you that Joe Kelly was a bad contract, and I was a supporter.
With respect to Rosenthal, you cannot count 2019 as that was his 1st year back from TJS. He did have a bad 2016, but from 2012-2015 and 2017, Rosenthal was both productive and effective. He has had two years with 45+ saves with St. Louis. Last year Rosenthal had 11 saves and 1 blown save. If you ignore his one really bad inning against the Dodgers in NLDS Game 3, his postseason ERA is 0.81 in 29.0 innings. 27 games – 29 innings – 4 runs. The Dodgers would have hit any pitcher in NLDS Game 3. I like Trevor Rosenthal. He is only 30 (31 on May 29). He is looking more and more like his St. Louis Cardinals dominating days.
With that said, I still think that Trevor May is the better choice for the reasons I stated above.
Will AF sign a reliever for 2 years? I do not know. While acknowledging that AF is not prone to pay for relievers, I also do not think he is going to let the KJ and Kelly contracts dissuade him from doing what he thinks is best to help the team win. He knows he can pick up the Dylan Floro’s or Adam Kolarek’s or Scott Alexander’s along the way, or replace them with internal resources. But either of the two Trevors can give LAD a late inning high leverage reliever at a relatively opportune price. AF also has a lot of talent in the organization and he knows that not all of them can play for LAD. He can trade some of the talent that he may never be able to take advantage of, and make trades for the next tier down from May, Rosenthal, Hand, Colome, Treinen. Or maybe he stays with who he knows and re-signs Baez. There are some who are projecting that maybe the Dodgers should sign Garrett Richards and move him to the bullpen, ala Drew Pomeranz.
Most are projecting that the market for relievers will take a while to settle.
Great writeup, as usual, AC.
One minor correction up top: “The 13 Rule 5 eligible MiLB starting pitchers :” . I believe that should read “relief pitchers”.
Count me in on Trevor May. Seems like the best option to me if you factor talent with cost.
I do agree with dodgerrick that I find it hard to trust Rosenthal but I wouldn’t be devastated if AF decided to take a flyer. I also would be happy to see Colome on a 1 year deal.
We still need an alternative to Joc in left field to platoon with AJ. Any thoughts on a possible trade or free agent candidate?
Fixed, Thanks. Copy and paste may save time, but it opens up to not making all of the changes. I changed the number, not the role.
Boston had to pay half of Price to offset Betts salary and get a good return on the trade. Lindor is also a rental and cost $20M next year. Cleveland needs hitting and to a lesser extent a replacement for Lindor until they feel he can be replaced from within.
Pollock, Busch and Taylor for Lindor. or
Pollock, Ruiz, and Taylor for Lindor.
Including Pollock would like Boston paying $16M of Price’s contract. And guess what, I then sign Joc to be the full time left fielder.
RF Betts
SS Lindor
3B Seager
2B Glyber Torres (Lux, Muncy, Gonsolin)
CF Bellinger
C Smith
LF Pederson
1B Hoese/Rios
Seager will be an unhappy camper and leave after the season… and if Lindor has a good season, he will have to make Mookie Money. You can’t pay Buehler and Bellinger., and you blew up a Championship team with a great lockerroom and end up with a bunch of problems.
It’s good all of that is fiction!
Leave Seager alone, for the foreseeable future he is a stud at SS, if it ain’t broken don’t fix it. To me, a bigger issue is who should be the everyday 2B and everyday 3B, those are bigger riddles than the Seager situation. Some say Lux is the answer at 2B or Rios is the answer at 3B or others say none of thee above. You have a Post Season MVP at SS so what’s the beef. Seager is still young enough to cover the necessary ground at SS and he is a helluva bat, keep him happy and let him continue to punish the opposition. BTW, Turner had one helluva post season defensively at 3B and he is still an adequate batter in the lineup, with the Dodgers currently offensive prowess in the lineup Turner doesn’t really have to be the dominating batter he once was and still be a huge asset for this club, not to mention a huge positive influence in the dugout, in the locker room and on the field. Along those same lines, I think Kike is more of an asset than any of us really know, he has the attitude and is a very positive member of this squad, plus he plays huge when the brightest lights are on. I want to see Kike return.
For me its about when the Dodgers transition younger players into key roles. If Turner can be Manny Mota great but if he stays a starter the Dodgers might be a year to late versus a year too early.
Rodriguez was considered a better shortstop than Jeter but the Yankees kept Jeter at shortstop. To keep you and Seager happy the Dodgers could keep Seager at short, play Lindor at second, and play Torres at third, and Turner at first.
Even Boras might believe now is the time to extend Seager so the plan should be to extend Seager and then trade for Lindor. I would also want to negotiate a long term contract with Lindor before trading for him maybe as a condition and I realize Cleveland would have to approve.
Whenever I have suggested trading for Torres I get back comments that the Yankees won’t trade Torres so I list enough talent to going to the Yankees to try to get more than a simple comment back.
Thanks AC for the write up, I already feel smarter.
Good article Jeff! Thank you for the time and effort put in to publish it for our enjoyment.
I read an article yesterday by Jim Callis concerning the Dodgers’ Instructional League and the players invited to participate. Here’s a list of those players, with prospect ranking in parenthesis:
Pitchers (24)
Aldry Acosta, RHP; Clayton Beeter, RHP (No. 8); Jeff Belge, LHP; Logan Boyer, RHP; Jacob Cantleberry, LHP; Gerardo Carrillo, RHP (No. 16); Braydon Fisher, RHP; Osvanni Gutierrez, RHP; Andre Jackson, RHP (No. 28); Jimmy Lewis, RHP (No. 26); Jack Little, RHP; Jose Martinez, RHP; Bobby Miller, RHP (No. 7); Juan Morillo, RHP; Aaron Ochsenbein, RHP; Cole Percival, RHP; Nick Robertson, RHP; Jordan Sheffield, RHP; Mitchell Tyranski, LHP; Jesus Vargas, RHP; Bryan Warzek, LHP; Zach Willeman, RHP; Kendall Williams, RHP (No. 23).
Catchers
Diego Cartaya (No. 5), Wladimir Chalo, Hunter Feduccia, Yeiner Fernandez, Carson Taylor.
Infielders (8)
Jacob Amaya, SS/2B (No. 10); Michael Busch, 2B (No. 4); Kody Hoese, 3B (No. 3); Brandon Lewis, 3B/1B; Sam McWilliams, 2B; Leonel Valera, SS/2B; Miguel Vargas, 3B (No. 13); Jorbit Vivas, 2B.
Outfielders (5)
Donovan Casey, Jeren Kendall, James Outman, Andy Pages (No. 12), Jake Vogel (No. 14).
There are some pitchers named, Aldry Acosta, Osvanni Gutierrez, Wladimir Chalo, and Yeiner Fernandez, with whom I have absolutely no familiarity. Some surprise names as well: Cantleberry and Tyranski.
Other than the obvious intent of instruction, does anyone know what level of player gets invited to instructional league? And why?
A lot of names there, not many showing well one the ‘20 top 200 prospect list, on which I found this:
138. Kody Hoese, 3B, LAD. Age: 22
Hoese strikes me as a prospect who’s really going to pop as a member of the Dodgers’ organization. Selected 25th overall last summer, the 22-year-old’s plus raw power and advanced bat-to-ball skills—both of which profile well from third base—are the exact skills we often target in First Year Player Drafts. When I watch Hoese swing, the first word that comes to mine is ‘uncoil’. The stance is upright with weight shifted to the back leg. When he triggers, the third baseman uses a small leg kick that unleashes his plus bat speed without leaving him overly susceptible to offspeed. As a college bat without swing-and-miss issues, Hoese should progress quickly through the Dodgers’ farm system. Los Angeles loves and prioritizes positional versatility on defense, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see the 22-year-old shift across the diamond to first base from time to time beginning in 2020. FYPD Rank: 19th, Dodgers Rank: 6th
Shift across the diamond to first base. Shortstop? No. Let’s put Jim over where will do the least damage. Does sound like he can hit.
There will be a 25 y.o. coming from Korea this off season his name is Ha Seong Kim, he has 6 yrs pro ball experience at 2nd 3rd base. Lux isn’t ready, he should be ready to go next season than we move Kim to 3rd. He averages 25 homers per year. I have no idea about his defensive metrics.
Ha Seong Kim will be a free agent coming from Korea this off season. He has 6 years of pro ball experience at 2nd and 3rd base. Would the Dodgers be interested?
Doubtful, They would need to win the posting first, and then you get to negotiate a contract. And he is not like say Ohtani.
In a year where the amount of money they might make is a huge unknown, I do not think the Dodgers add any high priced players. I think the Mets have a much better chance of being a landing spot for Lindor. I believe Lindor will never be a Dodger. Bauer turned down the QO, so his chances of being in LA look pretty slim also. No way AF gives up a prospect just so he can sign Bauer. We can surmise and guess all we like, but Cleveland wants to shed salary, and with the players Bum suggested, they would not be shedding much unless the Dodgers picked up some of that, and we know that is not going to happen. Nice try Bum, but a snowball has more chance of surviving in Arizona than that trade does of being even considered.
We don’t need Bauer.
Now that we’ve gotten this abbreviated season behind us, we have a sufficient rotation to compete at the top for next season, I believe. Even if Price opts out again, which I can’t imagine happening, we have a 5 man rotation that just won a WS. With Price, one of our current starters moves to the BP, probably Gonsolin. If we bring on another starter from FA or trade, it blocks the young arms which is probably not a good thing at this juncture. They went into battle, won some, lost some, and need to incorporate that experience into their beings. Playing is the only way to really do that and blocking any kind of development of them is exactly what will happen if Bauer or anyone else is added. Let them save their money, continue to develop the assets that they have, and promote from within the ranks unless there is a situation that cannot or should not be refused. This includes getting Lindor, which I am no longer supporting with our MVP looking like an allstar.
Mets signed 11 players to minor league deals today. The most notable is Mallex Smith, the outfielder…and so it begins.
Another of the players the Mets signed was Jose Peraza. He was not a free agent long.
I liked him early. He hit .324 and slugged over .400 as a 22 year old. I thought he would improve on his power, (he’s 6’ and over 200) but he didn’t. He peaked at 22. The Mets are looking for bench players too I guess.
Good piece. Just like in the real world where people with money buy things on the cheap during a recession I see AF figuring out the best way to use the Dodgers resources to make excellent deals.
~
I like Edwin Rios but I don’t see him as our starting 3B next year. AF and JT need to figure out a deal. I expect a 2 year deal to get done
~
AC sold me on May too. Count me in as a guy who doesn’t trust Rosenthal. Maybe I’ve been surrounded be Cardinal fans too long and I’m letting his failures unfairly negate his achievements.
~
Great article Jeff!
Good recommendations on free agent reliever options.
Considering the likely cost, I would prefer the following relievers:
Treinen
Trevor May
Colome
Hand
Shane Greene
Brandon Kintzler
Yates
I would also consider Baez and McGee on low cost deals to keep them with the team. I criticize Baez all the time in playoffs, but without inherited runners, Baez has been a solid part of bullpen.
I like Greene. Guy has some nasty stuff.
Arenado questioning whether he remains with the Rockies. The team has been bad and he is not a happy camper. MLBTR is saying that the Rocks might consider trading Story this winter before he hits free agency after the season.
This has already been suggested, I like the idea of moving Will Smith to 2nd with a Kay bear and Barnes platoon behind the play. We need to get more righty bats in the lineup since I think JT will be moving on unless he agrees to a team friendly deal. If that happens Rios can be given a shot at 3rd.
I am all for a Mookie type deal for Seager, the guy was so clutch this year.
Don’t feel good about such a deal for Bellinger.
It is amazing how good it feels about being WS champs, no pressure to improve the team at any cost. Trust the process.