Noisy Has Been Quiet, DJ Has Petered-Out & Barney Ain’t No Purple Dinosaur!

This article has 63 Comments

1. Peters may have struck out 12 times, but his OBP is over 400, Neuse down around .333. He also has shown more power than Neuse who has walked only twice while striking out 9 times in 21 at bats. I am not impressed. What I am impressed with is the superior defense Peters has brought, but I also concede some time in AAA and playing every day can do nothing but help him.

2. I’ve caught parts of several Dodger games this spring. Peter’s seems to strike out whenever I watch. So I take the blame for his performance.

   Trading Barnes; not this year but next off season a distinct possibility.

3. Injuries happen. Nothing too serious, but Ruiz and Peters are well-positioned for extended opportunities this season. Between trading Barnes for nothing obviously special (like prospects) and using Ruiz in a package to land a star (as with Verdugo for Betts), I would choose the latter. Barnes can be a strong backup until Cartaya is ready.
   Hard to know what the needs might be, but several players will be on the market at midseason.
   In other former Dodger news, Joc is doing great.

4. The Dodgers have Barnes under contract for 21 and 22, so they could keep him – that’s for sure, but Ruiz has that same type of bat-to-ball skills that Verdugo has. It’s rare! Do you realize that Alex Verdugo is ranked as the #4 best CF in MLB? Trout is #1, Bellinger is #2 and Springer is #3. I have always said he will win multiple batting titles… and he really isn’t a CF – he’s just playing there now.

   1. Barnes seems like the perfect backup catcher.
      Ruiz needs to play given his age.
      The Dodgers still need righty bats.
      If a catcher is injured and either Ruiz or Barnes are traded, hello FEDEX.

      Nelsen seems like a player that will be traded.

      A rotation of Urias, Buehler, May, Gonsolin, and Gray backed up with Santana and Grove would be cheap for a few years allowing the Dodgers to keep Bellinger, Seager, Betts, plus another offensive stud.

5. If Keibert is so exceptional, and we all know how Will Smith can handle the bat, who gets to play?

   Barnes is much better game caller and handles pitchers better, is a much better framer, is better at plate blocking and is probably better at throwing runners out. From what I’ve read, Ruiz has a soft glove but there’s still room for improvement here.

   Maybe Will moves to 3rd after Turner’s contract is up, but his defense and pitch framing regressed last season, and watching the WS last year the plate blocking comparison between Zuniga and Smith was pretty stark. That home run Baez gave up was bad pitch selection. Smith has some work to do to be really good behind the plate.

   I don’t wanna get rid of Barnes. He’s the best catcher the Dodgers have who does the important intangible things a catcher has to do to make a team successful.

   1. When they bring in the electronic strike zone, and they will, framing won’t mean a thing. But I like Barnes. He has played very well this spring. But age will become a factor.

6. Two weeks until opening day

   1. We better send Bear to shovel all the snow off of Coors Field.

      1. More people got rich selling shovels than finding gold. Discuss.

         1. At least one person got rich selling jeans rather than panning for gold. Discuss.

            1. I was losing my hair, so I went to my doctor and he said it was in my jeans. Discuss!

         2. Don’t hit your grandmother in the head with a shovel – It makes a bad impression on her mind!

            1. Stop digging. Smith is up, Barnes on deck and Ruiz is in the hole.

      2. Bears still in hibernation, and we don’t shovel no stinking snow.

7. I had an interesting thought occur to me over my morning cup of coffee today.
   Do most of you assume that Trevor Bauer will, barring injury, start about 30 games this year? And are you also willing to assume that he’ll average about 90 pitches per start?

   If that happens, Mr. Bauer will be earning approximately $14,800 PER PITCH!!!!!!!!

   If he throws fewer total pitches he’ll earn even more per pitch and next year he’ll make 20% more.

   I don’t begrudge Trevor his money. He was at the right place at the right time, has a good agent and he’s certainly entitled to get whatever he can in the marketplace. I just think it’s interesting how our society values certain professions. He’s not only making more than the guy flipping burgers at McDonalds, he’s also making substantially more than the guy who led the work on the Covid vaccine, the guy in charge of the Mars probe, any brain surgeon you want to name, etc.

   Supply and demand baby, supply and demand.

   1. Scarcity of resources

   2. Instead of 90 pitches per game lets make it 6 innings or 18 outs per those 30 starts. I would rather think of $$ per out than $$ per pitch. Oh, and the more runs he gives up the cost per run goes down.

8. Welcome to the sports and entertainment business. We’d rather be entertained than educated or healed! I knew I shouldn’t have listed to my parents about prioritizing my schoolwork over basketball!

   1. It wasn’t that I didn’t like school…

      It was the Principal of the thing!

      1. My first girlfriend and I had Chemistry but now she’s History.

         1. My wife and I matriculated at different schools together.

9. Oh if Lux can perform like he has been touted, this could be insane times for the Dodgers’ offense. Injuries are always a factor however so nothing is a lock. Nice to hear that Jansen has been able to hold onto his mechanics thus far. He has a tendency to have a malfunction as he tires as the season wears on. Maybe they have to use him very sparingly until September with the hope of preserving his effectiveness for the run in the playoffs.

   I heard that Disneyland is set to reopen, I also read that screaming and yelling on rollercoasters will not be allowed (seriously). Does that mean that fans cannot scream, cheer, sing take me out to the ballgame, boo or much more than breath while in attendance at games? I have to admit, I just love following the logic of such rules, they all fall apart as you trudge down the road of sanity to insanity.

   1. From what I’ve read of your posts TH, I think we’re definitely on opposite sides of the political/Covid spectrum but even I have to admit that if you’re correct about telling people they can’t scream on roller coasters, we have finally found something we can agree on. 🙂

      How the hell do you keep people from screaming on a roller coaster? Tape their mouths shut?

      1. I think sewing mouths shut might be in the offing, to be known as the the Newsom Gag Order. BTW, that is an official rule issued by CAPA, look it up, it’s damn funny. They also are going to demand low seating capacity on rides. So let me follow the logic, so if they only let the Pirates of the Carribbean use every other row to seat customers, how is covid prevented since the ride is moving, thus air flows from from to back, regardless of spacing, those dreaded moisture droplets will flow thru the air from the front row all the way back to the back row, thus the dreaded exposure and super spreader calamity will be occurring. Damn, I love to follow illogical arguments and illogical rule implementation.
         In case, you are wondering STB, there is no way in hell I’m getting vaccinated, in fact, after watching the manipulation of “the science” I will no longer be getting the annual flu shot that I have gotten each year for the last few decades. The same hacks are pushing all this vaccine “science” and lining their pockets, this lemming refuses to abide anymore. Doing fine and watching the natural progression of the herd immunity take it’s course.

   2. You can’t follow the logic in things that are inherently false.

      What you heard about Disneyland and resorts is false, so extending that to other venues is a waste of time.

      Start with the truth, go from there.

      1. Check out CAPA guidelines for amusement parks in CA before you look more foolish than you currently do.

         Here I can make it easy for you https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/ca-theme-parks-can-reopen-but-no-singing-shouting-screaming-or-heavy-breathing-on-rides/

         1. It’s a California Attractions and Parks Association (CAPA) guideline and not a rule and a few paragraphs down it said that screaming would not be banned. Associations don’t make rules or laws.

            1. Exactly. It says mitigation of danger, but let’s not let something like reading get in the way.

               “Face covering usage and/or modifications to seat loading patterns will be required on amusement park rides to mitigate the effects of shouting”

               Sheesh.

               Truth may hurt

      2. You seem to have heard different information than did TH. Perhaps you are getting your news from different sources.

         I won’t be satisfied until I hear the answer from Walt himself.

         1. I got vaccinated with the Russian COVID-19 vaccine
            And I can təll you not to woяяy! I still doи’t seə anч sidə efectoski

10. What’s the difference between a duck?

    1. Not enough information given

    2. How do you make a turkey anxious?

       1. Preheat the oven?

11. I have always said I am not worried one bit about the Dodgers offense. I stand by that comment. I’ve always been focused on the pitching.

    I have always said that Jansen shouldn’t be the closer but he is useful. I stand by that comment. The last three years he has had an OPS around .700 against RHB, which is pretty average to me.

    1. Is there anyway we can get back Alex Verdugo? I’d be willing to trade anyone on that MLB top 30 prospect list except Ruiz McKinstry Busch Hoese.

       Not that we necessarily need Verdugo, but Pollock to the bench would be a good idea.

       1. I’m a big McKinstry fan and I’d gladly trade him and Hoese for Verdugo right now.
          The Red Sox would probably counter that with Ruiz and Busch and might not even do that. Verdugo is becoming a pretty big thing in Boston.
          Verdugo, Bellinger, Betts would be spectacular.

       2. Why would Boston want to trade him back? Makes no sense at all. Now they can wait 4 years until he is a free agent, but no way Boston trades him back.

          1. Bear

             I know, but I’d be willing to trade Josiah Gray our number 2 prospect and any other prospects except the few I named.

             1. Singing The Blue

                I just like that LHB on the bench that can play just about every position just like Taylor and then I’m high on Ruiz Busch Hoese. We may need Busch and Hoese in the future because of Turner and Muncy.

             2. I get it, but rarely, and not in the last several years, have you ever seen a team trade a player who was the center piece of a major trade, and so far the only part of that trade that is producing, back to the team he came from. You might be willing to do that, but I seriously doubt the Red Sox or thier fans would do it or even like it. You cannot just think as a Dodger fan, you have to take into consideration what the other organization is thinking. Verdugo is a good player. But, he is not coming back to the Dodgers in the near future. And I doubt AF wants him back.

12. Today is the first time we see our starting lineup together. Let the offensive behavior begin!

13. Speaking of the East Dodgers, don’t forget Lebron, part owner of Boston Red Sox now.
    He’s not from the Dodgers, but he’s from LA

    1. Lebron is not from LA< he just works here, he is from Ohio.

       1. I know, I meant that he plays and lives (at least for now) in LA

14. Interesting write-up. I’m keeping Barnes. As to Ruiz, not trading him unless it’s for an excellent return. Right now, the Dodgers really don’t have any specific needs, pretty good team and a lot of depth. Maybe they need something at the trade deadline, maybe not. If the DH is added at some point that changes the equation.

    So far Kenley looks incredibly good, like the old days.

    1. I wonder if Barnes is having a sore arm in Spring Training. He has had at least 3 horrible throws plus on at least 4 cases hasn’t throw the ball to second on stolen bases. Everything else has been going great for him this spring.

       1. Mark, stop sticking voodoo needles in Barnes’ arm.

15. Typical extra 2%:

    Beaty’s been working on his speed this spring training.

    Sometimes it’s the little things.

16. I think allowing the pitcher to hit is the dumbest thing in baseball. There should’ve always been the DH. Even though Price got a hit there.

    1. It will not be long before the DH is universal. Most likely to be factored in with the new CBA. Both sides want it, but MLBPA does not want to have expanded playoffs.

       1. Good.

          1. I used to be old school about this, but as the salaries of starting pitchers soared and I saw some pitchers go down with injuries running the bases or batting, I changed. I also got tired of rally’s ending with a pitcher at the plate. One time I remember a pitcher won a game on his own was Kershaw hitting a homer for the only run when he shut out the Giants on an opening day start at Dodger Stadium.

             1. Me be there, that was truly awesome way to win the game. CK belting in the only run of the game was absolutely the most exciting and “in your face, Giants!” way to end a ballgame. Loved it, I say keep the pitchers batting, it helps to keep the pitcher a little bit honest knowing if they hit someone they have a good chance of facing the reaper in their next at bat. Intimidation is a great component of most sports.

             2. I get it Truth, but with the amount of money they pay those guys and the chances of injury running the bases and hitting, it is time for the change. Most fans like more offense and action and pitchers hitting just does not supply that unless your name is Ruth, or in this age, Ohtani.

17. Does anybody want to take the last spots on this roster? Santana down in flames!

    1. Alexander and Cleavinger say No Thanks

       1. Alexander is definitely saying “No thanks” but to me Cleavinger is saying “Yes please”. His spring ERA is 1.50 and he has 11 strike outs in 6 innings. I would say he’s the favorite to take the second lefty bullpen spot unless they give it to Price.

          1. In that case, maybe it’s down to him and May.

             Kersh/Buehler/Bauer/Urias/Gonsolin

             KJ/Treinen/Knebel/Gonz/Price/Nelson/Santana/[Cleavinger or May]

       2. What? Cleavinger is still in the running.

18. Welcome back Belly! He’s the difference between a really good team and an all time great team!

19. Me be there, that was truly awesome way to win the game. CK belting in the only run of the game was absolutely the most exciting and “in your face, Giants!” way to end a ballgame. Loved it, I say keep the pitchers batting, it helps to keep the pitcher a little bit honest knowing if they hit someone they have a good chance of facing the reaper in their next at bat. Intimidation is a great component of most sports.

Comments are closed.