With Dustin May, Trevor Bauer, and Clayton Kershaw all out of the picture, at least for the time being, the Dodger starting rotation after the All-Star Break looks like this:
- Striker Buehler
- Julio Urias
- Tony Gonsolin
- David Price
- JoJo Gary
Yes, I said JoJo Gray. He will get another start… or maybe two at OKC, and hopefully, be built up to at least four innings by then (hey, it’s better than a bullpen game). The next option is Ryan Pepiot, but I hope that does not happen until August at the soonest. Don’t laugh, but that rotation has potential. Buehler is ready, and so is Julio. Tony is being built up and looked great in his last outing. David is rested and has done this before and just needs to be built up a little more. Gray has the stuff and was in the Dodgers’ plans this year – he just got derailed for a while. Price, Gonsolin, and Gray are fresh!
We know that Dustin May is not coming back this year. We don’t know if Kershaw and/or Bauer will be back. I have no opinion. None of us have a clue. Just let it play out. Maybe Bauer and Kershaw will be back or maybe it will be one and not the other. Many of you do not see how Bauer can be back, but I do. Sight vs. Vision. Bauer’s career may be over and the same is true with Clayton, but you never know…
I read at other blogs that it might be a month or more before Gray and Price can be built up as starters, like they can’t pitch until then? Gray went two innings in his last start. Maybe he can go three in his next one… then four… and five like the Catman just did. Having Price and Gray open and pitch 2 to 4 innings is better than starting Nate Jones or Jake Reed. Come on Man! You build them up as they pitch.
The Bullpen
The pen will be taxed, but pitchers are getting healthy and the Dodgers have this to pick from and rotate to-OKC-and_back:
- Scott Alexander
- Bazooka Graterol
- Joe Kelly
- Mitch White
- Garrett Cleavinger
- Alex Vesia
- Darien Nunez
- Blake Treinen
- Kenley Jansen
- Phil Bickford
- Victor Gonzalez
- Jimmy Nelson
- Corey Knebel (August)
I am not even counting Jake Reed, Edwin Uceta, Nate Robertson, and Bobby Wahl (and there are other possibilities in the minors). I think that is enough depth. The heck with the trade route. The Bullpen is coming together nicely and if it is not overworked will be a big asset to the team. I am not counting on Bauer or Kershaw… but that remains to be seen. The path to winning it all again starts with the hitters. They have to cut down on their strikeouts. In the words of Barry Bonds, “Only swing at strikes.” Of course, that is easier said than done, but Many Muncy does the best job.
Betts, Polllock and Bellinger need to all step up, but Cody has to take the biggest step. Overall, hitting is down across MLB. We will see if the crackdown on stick ’em works, but the offense should be able to carry this team the second half. Justin Turner and Chris Taylor are the only regulars who has had what we would call a good offensive year. Corey Seager will be back soon and CT3 should move to 2B with Gavin Lux taking over the Utility Role. This lineup is potent and long:
- Betts RF
- Seager SS
- Turner 3B
- Muncy 1B
- Smith C
- Bellinger CF
- Pollock LF
- Taylor 2B
Leave Cody at #6 and let him get it worked out. I believe he will. He barely has 100 AB’s and while his BA is horrid, his OB% is just 50 points behind Mookie and Will Smith. It’s about the same as a Lux and Pollock. I believe that lineup will produce. Now, if we can just trust the starting staff, which now includes Price and Gray. Let’s hope the Price is Right and that 50 Shades of Gray baffle MLB hitters. I am going to enjoy watch this.. win or lose.
Remember this:
In my opinion, stick-em doesn’t have much to do with the league batting averages declining, too many hitters have fallen in love with the long ball, especially Bellinger, he looks like he’s trying to hit a 500′ homer with every swing and he’s also become a huge sucker for the way off the plate down and in pitch from righties, I’m surprised he hasn’t had more back issues with his mighty cuts, maybe he needs a stint in the minors to relearn how to hit. Play a little more small ball and put the ball in play especially with 2 outs, get back to the basics and quit blaming spin rate, maybe the hitters should stop using gloves and pine tar to level that side of the game, just some personal thoughts.
Whether anyone likes it or not Bauer will b back. He may not b back this year but he will b back. Mlb is not going to end his career. Teams may not want him but somebody if not the Dodgers will play him. The lastros, Yankees to name a couple have no shame so there u go.
That rotation would work if it does. Gonsolin did look much better if he can stay healthy. Price will just be a bullpen game until he can go deeper and probably the same with Gray. Should be good until September without further injury. Urias innings are going to pile up so that will have to b considered.
If our offense doesn’t become more consistent our pitching will not b good enough for a World Series team. Losing May has killed us. I don’t think AF will make any major deadline deals. With our payroll we should have all we need. I just think we weren’t prepared for the pitching issues. His response was the cheapest way is just sign a bunch of milb relievers and put on the Mlb team.
You don’t consider Muncy is having a good year?!!!!!! And please no more of Uceta! And I’d leave Bellinger batting clean up. At OKC! It’s a victory for him if he can just foul off a fastballl! They need to have a fastball swing and miss contest at the All Star game between him and Peters!
I’m not sure 50 shades of Gray is an appropriate nickname considering Bauer’s situation.
Venguer, it seems that no one paid any attention to your post about radaronline, I’ll leave it right here…
https://radaronline.com/p/trevor-bauer-sexual-assault-investigation-new-evidence-mlb-pasadena-police-fernando-tatis/
My first inclination was this women is, let’s just say an “unsavory type”. The first word that came to mind was extortionist. I’m not claiming to have some kind of “intuition”, my gift is logic and reasoning. Even Spock knows that if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck. Well, you can see where I’m going with this.
So, this whackadoo was a member of the “Pad Squad – an ambassador team for the Padres and part of the Petco Park experience”.
She was “going to his house” that week and “already [has] her hooks in,” adding, “you know how I roll.”
She was “literally going to get in his head”… “and find pine tar.” She added, “trust me I know what I’m doing.”
Alright, let’s see how this works out now…
Who knew there were so many pitching options? Sure, that rotation looks adequate, but I’m not going to try to convince myself that it’s as formidable as what we had when the season began. It’s certainly enough to get over the hump. – Pun intended.
We’ll learn more about Kershaw after he’s examined now that they’re back in LA. He’s scheduled to have some tests today. My initial inclination is that he’ll be back shortly after the break.
Gray pitched two innings in his first game back and also threw another inning in the pen after his start. So, he’s technically built up to three innings right now. Having pitched on Sunday, he’s due to make another start today or tomorrow and then another sometime during the break. That should get him up to five innings if everything goes well. In a perfect world, he could make his debut against the Giants or Rockies during the first homestand after the break.
I’m hoping that the Dodgers let Price go as long as he wants to tonight. Bueller and Gonsolin round out the last couple of games before the break. The Nats just split a 4 game series with the Pads, hopefully they can step up their game against the Giants over the weekend.
Doc says the comp for Darien Nunez is Ardolis Chapman as is said to have a changeup like Devin Williams. It reminds me of that song. “A body like Arnold with a Denzel face”. The dude is a lefty strikeout machine. He sounds too good to be true.
Speaking of lefties and strikeouts. Vesia is making AAA batters look like little leaguers. 9IP 19K 3BB 3H 0HR 1R. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a K rate like that.
Just three games remain before the All-Star break. Let’s hope the law of averages kicks in and all of our bad luck will be limited to the first half.
The TB story is going to get stupider and stupider and messier and messier. She’s apparently a Pod groupie, possibly a gold digger as demonstrated by her $$ emoji and most likely unstable in many ways. The big question, though, is, even if she enjoyed and consented to being choked into unconsciousness, did the second encounter rise to physical assault that left her with a skull fracture? Did she even have a skull fracture or is that just fake news? It’s all going to give me a headache.
The quote is “signs of a basilar skull fracture”. Take what you will from the wording. Personally, I can not accept that as fact until an x-ray or MRI reveals that to be factual. I have not seen anything to suggest that so far.
I think it’s pretty interesting that Tatis Jr. and Bauer’s buddy, Mike Clevinger are now pulled into this. Both will be questioned and possibly deposed as part of any legal activity. Sh*& Show doesn’t even begin to describe what’s to come of this.
It’s clear that the “victim” is not a nice person, or stable to say the least. That’s why we shouldn’t rush to judgement on these sort of things.
I find it interested that up to 40% of a particular age group participate in act that fall under a certain category. WTF is going on with people these days? I must be getting old.
Here’s some baseball related levity that loosely relates to this situation…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-uIwpo0dCU
“We’re in the major leagues, Rafi! We’re all from the Dominican Republic!” LOL
Those guys are brilliant in being able to joke about racial and cultural stuff without offending everyone. I can’t emphasize enough how hard that is to do.
“Defeat is the secret ingredient to success” –Conor McGregor
Success Is Like Being Pregnant Everyone Says Congratulations But Nobody Knows How Many Times You Were Fu*ked.
Great comment! Added a lot.
We Need to Talk About Keibert.
BP, That is just as inappropriate as the last time you said it
Weird, it’s the title of a book that’s available on Barnes and Noble, Amazon and Google Books. If you feel so strongly about that, you should go to those websites to leave feedback.
Cassidy, he’s dyin’ if he’s lyin’
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/success-is-like-being-pregnant-everyone-says-congratulations-but-nobody-knows-how-many-times-you-were-fu-ked-motivational-notebook/1136233370#:~:text=Overview-,Success%20Is%20Like%20Being%20Pregnant%20Everyone%20Says%20Congratulations%20But%20Nobody,Life%20Everyday%20By%20This%20Notebook%20.
Cheers
Clayton Kershaw’s MRI is today, but he went through his usual workout yesterday, arriving early at the stadium. Dave Roberts pretty much said they don’t believe it is anything significant and it was an opportunity to give him some extra days with the all-star break. They expect him to make his next start right after the break, according to reports in the Times and Daily News. Hopefully the MRI comes back clean.
Finally, Roberts has admitted they intend to use Price as a starter, building him up.
I agree the path to success begins with the hitters. Too many strikeouts in situations with scoring opportunities and at critical points in the game. I still don’t understand the lefties not taking advantage of the shifts, drop bunts for easy base hits or slap the ball past third. Maybe the Dodgers need to hire a softball hitting coach. Cody Bellinger could be a .400 hitter if he would just make that adjustment to the shift. A bunt gets him a single, a slap becomes a double.
I know some wanted to have an issue with Gavin Lux, but he has a higher average than wonderkind Francisco Lindor.
Mookie Betts seems to be coming around. Will he take off after the break and lead the Dodgers to the NL West title?
Listening to MLB TV panel discussion yesterday, no one believes the Giants will be there when the dust settles. They said they should be sellers, which is what Farhan Zaidi really wants to do, but “false hope” is coloring taking that path. They all agreed that the Giants would end up with a Chicago Cubs moment where you lose a bunch of games and go from contender status to third place. Hard to explain to your fan base.
Will the Dodgers draft Max Muncy, the LA Times High School Player of the Year? Muncy is a big time bat out of Thousand Oaks. Cool story if it happens.
Based on the past, MLB is likely to hit Trevor Bauer with a lengthy suspension, according to a story in the Times, no matter what the Pasadena police or DA do. Both the Times and Daily News indicate the Dodgers search for another starter in the trade market is picking up pace. No real surprise.
“Dave Roberts pretty much said they don’t believe it is anything significant and it was an opportunity to give him some extra days with the all-star break.”
That maybe/hopefully is the case, but I learned from the very beginning not to really believe Roberts on these kinds of things. He’s a MLB manager, but he’s also a bit of a PR flack and company spokesman.
It’s a little amazing how quickly pundits can argue for blowing up a team. I can see Zaidi wanting to sell older or expiring contracts to stock the pipeline, but, my goodness! They’re in first place with .628 winning percentage. They have a great chance to go deep in the playoffs. Someone commented here yesterday, after a loss to the Marlins, that the Dodgers should blow up the team and sell. LOL
>>>>> Cody Bellinger could be a .400 hitter if he would just make that adjustment to the shift. A bunt gets him a single, a slap becomes a double.
We’ve gone off the deep end.
Not really, Bluto. The point is he needs to take advantage of the shifts, which he doesn’t. Bellinger has speed, the third baseman is playing shortstop, automatic hit. The other day, one out, runner on first, defense in a full shift. If Bellinger bunts, runners on first and second. Instead he swings, pulls the ball to the right, makes an out. Take advantage of opportunity. So what’s he hitting, .180 something. Maybe dropping a few bunts will bring the average up, lead to the Dodgers scoring more runs. When he repeatedly gets on base with shifts, the shift probably changes, opening up more holes for Cody.
Or you can continue to do he same thing and make outs.
So true. I can see the reluctance from a guy who’s hit 47 big ones in a season, but there’s no excuse for Lux who might even be faster than Belli.
If I recall correctly, Cody got a lot of infield singles in his MVP year, just based on his speed. What was he doing then that he isn’t doing now?
The point is he won’t fit .400, to begin with.
The other point, which I don’t necessarily ascribe to but has value, is that the minute you have Cody Bellinger trying to do something he’s NOT good at (slap hitting, bunting) is the moment the pitcher has won.
You could argue that he should have those skills, but that’s not the current game of baseball. Pitching and defensive positioning are too good. It’s too hard to regularly sequence singles and doubles without reaching three outs before runs have scored. It’s a better path to success hitting the ball in the air and beyond the scope of positioned OFs.
Let’s get to .200 first. And, to hit .400 in this day and age is near impossible with the use of power arms in most bullpens.
REALLY HARD to swing at only strikes when the zone is as much a moving target as it has been this year. Maybe I am just paying more attn, but I have no memory of ever seeing such consistently bad ball/strike calling. I mean every pitch is a “new play call” in bball. Depending on the current count the pitcher picks different pitches, and the batter looks for different pitches. Easy to see that every incorrect call directly affects the game in some way.
As far as Vesia goes, I like his stuff too. But seeing so many AAA guys circle through this year it becomes obvious how HARD bball is. You can look like Koufax in the minors, come up to the bigs where most guys are just a split second faster & get rocked over and over. Very humbling game at times IMO.
Cheers
From the LA Times re: unilateral cancellation of Bauer’s contract and the “morals clause”:
“Can the Dodgers void Bauer’s contract?
No. Such a unilateral decision would violate the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, which both MLB and the Players’ Association have agreed on. Under that policy, Manfred has the authority to suspend Bauer (in which case, the Dodgers wouldn’t need to pay him for the duration of his suspension), but the Dodgers themselves can’t do anything unless Manfred transfers disciplinary authority to them.
The standard player contract allows for termination if a player shall, “fail, refuse or neglect to conform his personal conduct to the standards of good citizenship and good sportsmanship.” If such language is included in Bauer’s deal, then perhaps the team could get out of it depending on the results of MLB and the Pasadena police’s investigations. Such a step, however, would be drastic, and unlikely not imminent.”
So the Dodgers apparently can’t do anything – it’s MLB’s decision.
Would love to see TB return and pitched pissed into October.
As mentioned above , what happens with Tatis and clevenger. If the Dodger are able to cancel Bauers contract If these two were involved.
Dodgers up to 11th in FanGraphs pre-draft ranking of Farm Systems.
For those following at home San Diego fell to 13th.
San Fran is at 9.
Arizona 5
Boston 15th.
Thank You for the advice that some gave me yesterday about getting around LA for about 36 hours. The thread closed before I could respond. Our flight leaves for Oahu on the 21st. Stopping at Dodger Stadium became a priority. I haven’t been since 2009.
I think you’ll find that the stadium looks even better than it did in 2009 Hawkeye.
Have a great trip out here and then on to Oahu.
I’m looking forward to seeing the changes.
Hawkeye, have a great time. We are returning from Maui on the 20th.
Suggest you eat at Momma’s fish house. Somewhat expensive but the food it fantastic.
OMG! Been about 30yrs since I went there. AWESOME place, & even 30yrs ago it was spendy but well worth it. Heck, you are on vacation! My best advice on going there would be since you would likely be coming from the “main side” of the island over to the more rural side is to loop in a trip down the Hana Hwy with a trip to Mama’s either on the way or coming back. It is just a ways past the airport and then the trip down the hwy becomes AWESOME. Many hairpins, but just breath taking scenery. If you get lucky and do the hwy after some decent rains, the waterfalls are numerous and some are stunning.
Enjoy dude!
Road to Hana is a great drive but will take the better part of the day as you would want to stop at the watering holes and falls.
Hi Jeff,
Would love Maui restaurants and destination recs when you return.
We’re going in August.
I wish we were going to Maui. My wife has family on Oahu.
Question on Yadier Alvarez: Before the season I read the Dodgers gave him another shot at Tulsa and he was on the opening day roster yet inactive. He has not played all season long. Is he still in the organization or has he left for good ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately, I think Yadi’s priorities are not necessarily on getting better at playing baseball.
https://www.tmz.com/2021/02/21/yadier-alvarez-dodgers-prospect-6-wheel-car-mlb/
He’ll be broke and completely out of baseball in three years, and that’s a pity.
Alvarez is still on the Tulsa roster. He has not pitched all year. He is currently on the 7 day IL. I think the Dodgers have been extraordinarily patient with him. It is anybody’s guess if he ever pitches again. I am sure the Dodgers are hopeful. He had a special arm.
He and Kendall must be roommates.
I do enjoy this site, lots of opinions and opinionated people.
When I read stuff where somebody is upset with something Molly Knight or Ken Roxenthal wrote in the Athletic or some other site, I honestly find it hilarious. Both are columnist. That’s what they do is write opinion pieces. They are not straight news writers. Dylan Hernandez is a sports columnist at the LA Times. He doesn’t write game stories, he pens opinion columns.
So why be offended? Not sure, since what mostly I read on this site is a reflection of somebody’s opinion.
Now just to clarify, I wasn’t actually suggesting that Bellinger was going to become a .400 hitter. I embellished that statement to indicate he needs to take advantage of the shift instead of pulling balls into the shift.
Since I coached college women’s fast pitch softball for many years, I was once asked what I thought the difference was between how the game was evolving and what was going on in baseball (the mental approach). Easy answer the girls are a lot smarter than the guys..
Case in point, if a softball team shifted their third baseman to short, the girls would literally bunt/slap the other team into oblivion. They would take advantage of the situation. It’s more about team than the individual. The coach wouldn’t have to even point it out, the girls would pick up on it when they saw the shift.
People often complain that baseball today is just not the same game, some think players are about individual exploits. Honestly, I think the game has become predictable, not as exciting as years ago when teams emphasized bunting, moving runners along, hit and run, stealing bases etc. Of course we all remember the three ultimate outcomes. Homerun, walk or strikeout. Today’s game in a nutshell.
How many times do we watch players hitting into shifts? Does this excite anyone? Does anyone writing on this site actually enjoy watching players hitting into shifts, striking out with runners in scoring position. How many times did we see this in the Marlins series. How many times did you see a hitter choke up on the bat, shorten his swing with two strikes?
Oh, and I don’t need a computer, mounds of data or analytics to come to the conclusion that the game needs to change.
Does anybody disagree?
Good points all. I totally agree sbuffalo
the idea of people being offended by what a writer writes is silly I concur.
The idea of not paying for quality content because of occassionally disagreements is equally silly. It’s a micro-version of “cancel culture” which is bandied about way too much.
That said, the idea of caring about what some uniformed nobody thinks about Molly Knight, Pedro Moura or Ken Rosenthal who get paid good money to do what we do for free and on a much lesser level, is just as silly.
THAT IS ONLY MY OPINION!
The game is very hard to watch these days, but I don’t think that is solved by legislating out the shift. Nor is it solved by asking hitters to do what they are not good at.
It’s a very hard one, but Theo Epstein is very smart. I have trust in him. And not just because of what he did for the BoSox.
I’m offended!
😉
Epstein didn’t fire himself.
Thomas Paine, in his famous pamphlet Common Sense, wrote “Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a Government, which we might expect in a country without Government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer.”
One of the ideas here is that bad government is our own fault because “we furnish the means by which we suffer”.
Why would we do that? Why would we intentionally cause our own suffering?
That is the question that I asked myself when deciding, for the second time, that I don’t need be exposed to the posturing, virtue signaling and general wokeness that baseball journalists now engage in – certainly not to pay extra for it.
Opinions are like a**holes – everyone has one. Some opinions are entitled to great weight based on the persons knowledge, experience and expertise. Some not so much.
Baseball journalists like Ken Rosenthal are great – if they stick to what they know. Otherwise, they are just spouting off – except if what they have to say is annoying and evidence of the usual bias that inculcates journalism. If I want political, philosophical, theological opinion, there are many places that I can go for that, and I will get opinion, whether I agree or not, from someone with experience and knowledge that might make it a worthwhile read.
On the other hand, getting another woke opinion from someone who has no basis other than the biases taught in journalism school – why would I do that to myself and pay for the privilege?
If the wokeness is endemic and the annoyance pervasive, then I simply stop spending my money to pay for it – or as Thomas Paine would say, I stop furnishing the means by which I suffer.
Well done.
Even if Molly Knight or Rosenthal offered a political, philosophical or theological perspective on a sports topic that had broader social implications, this would be fine as long as the piece was thoughtful, insightful or intelligent. Woke people, when they are expressing their ideology, are none of these things. I don’t want to listen to crazy guy on the street corner screaming his platitudes at me. I don’t want to read it, either.
This is fair.
To me the value of Molly Knight or Rosenthal’s writing clearly outweighs anything else.
But I’m probably closer to them politically, but that makes it easier.
I subscribe to Bloomberg, the Post and NYTimes, because the reporting is amazing. Not for the silly opinion section.
I don’t subscribe to the LATimes even though Jonah Goldberg has a great regular opinion column there, because their reporting (including their Dodger coverage) is lacking IMO.
Pay for news when you pay for news.
I guess what I’m saying is it’s everybody’s right to spend their money as they see fit, but if you subscribe to TheAthletic for sports reporting I don’t see the merit in not subscribing because of their personal opinions. Just me and my assignment of merit.
I probably didn’t say that well! Sorrry..
I still have my The Athletic subscription despite Ken Rosenthal’s or Molly Knight’s opinions on politically tinged topics in general or Trevor Bauer specifically. I just will not read those columns. I read Ken Rosenthal when he talks baseball. He is very well connected with MLB and has a lot of good insight and OPINION. He is not for everybody, but I like him. I also find Knight to be a good writer and knowledgeable about baseball. Of course I also read the The Athletic for USC and Packers coverage as well. I choose not to associate politics with my likes and dislikes of other personalities. As an example, I have absolutely nothing in common politically with Barbra Streisand, but she is my all time favorite singer. I think I have 80 of her songs on my phone. So I will listen to Babs all day, but not pay one bit of attention to her political comments. I have no problem separating the two.
Jeff said and represents the sentiment that I was trying to convey.
Kiley McDaniel’s latest mock has:
29. Los Angeles Dodgers
Ryan Cusick, RHP, Wake Forest
Cusick has been tied here for awhile and it’s probably his most likely single spot, but he could also go about a dozen picks higher than this in a best case. I’ve heard mostly speculation about prep bats. Colorado prep RHP Alec Willis is also tied to the Dodgers at a later pick.
I do not get paid for evaluation like Kiley McDaniel, but I am not a big advocate for Ryan Cusick at 1/29. He screams reliever to me. He is a two pitch pitcher with a 70 grade fastball and a 55 grade curve (BA grades). I recognize that you cannot teach 102MPH. He is a college pitcher and has less room for development and growth to be a mid-rotation starter. I can see McDaniel’s comp to Bobby Miller. Miller had a lot of reliever risk going into the draft last year. But Miller does have three potential pitches, and is only 7 months older than Cusick. If the Dodgers are looking to draft a future closer in the first round, then Cusick would be an ideal choice.
Yeah, I wish we could get paid for posting here.
It would be a sin though.
I don’t think Kiley (at this point in the mock draft process) is advocating anymore. He’s merely reporting what he hears.
I’d love to hear who he thinks the Dodgers should take, I quite value his insight.
We can beat the drum all day about beating the shift by simply bunting or going the other way, but hitters today are not wired like that. It goes against everything they are taught. As for outlawing the shift, well, I am for restricting it. I think there should be 2 infielders on each side of second base. I also think no infielder should be playing on the grass. Especially in short right field. Makes the game too much like softball. And their designation is infielder. So what the hell are they doing in the outfield??? I do not care about Trevor Bauer. He is not on the team right now, so they need to play with the cards they have. That being said, the whole thing is a lot more distracting than some are making it out to be. I am not worried about Kersh….yet. Have fun in Hawaii guys. Never have been there, but if I went, the first place I would go would be to Pearl Harbor. I would have to pay my respects to my fathers shipmates who were lost. In something totally unrelated and off the wall, rapper Drake rented out Dodger Stadium to have dinner with a lady friend in front of the dugout……must be nice to have a lot of cash to waste.
Teams that are looking like sellers, D-Backs, Marlins, Rockies, Orioles, Twins, Cubs, Rangers, Pirates…..maybe a couple more. Dodgers supposedly have been checking in on Wade Miley and a couple others.
With Sonny Gray going on the IL, and the Reds still within reach of the Brewers, I do not see Miley available at this time. But the Reds will know if they are buyers or sellers in 2-3 weeks.
People are talking about the Cubs being sellers but nobody mentions the Cards, who have the same exact record.
If the Cards decide to sell, I would definitely look into Adam Wainwright. He’s having a very decent year and will be a free agent so can go right back to the Cards next year if he wants to continue his career. I can’t imagine he’d be that expensive, prospect wise, and he’s done well in playoff situations. Not to mention he’s a great guy in the clubhouse.
Even with the complete team, without any injuries, in October if they do not avoid the SB the team will not win, it is urgent to correct or at least improve that aspect of the game, they are giving too many advantages, in October playing against teams of a similar level could be the difference.
In October we could see for the first time what the 1 and 2 will be for a long time, in postseason games, Buehler and Julio who already showed that they are two pit bulls in those games, two very brave fighting dogs !!!
“Vargas has hit everywhere he’s been in the minors and the power really has come to the forefront in 2021, making him a potential 30-homer slugger to go with a plus hit tool,” said the Baseball Prospectus report, a piece co-authored by Jeffrey Paternostro, Jarrett Seidler, and Keanan Lamb.
Vargas had a 142 wRC+ with High-A Great Lakes. He’s at a still-above-average 109 wRC+ in Double-A while leading Tulsa in slugging percentage (.500) and OPS (.801), all while being over three years younger than the average for Double-A Central”.
I have been a Vargas fan since he hit Ogden in 2018, and was promptly promoted to Great Lakes. I am not advocating it, nor anticipating it, but I can see Kody Hoese being available in the right trade at the deadline. Vargas is younger and in my opinion better (higher ceiling) than Hoese.
At this point, who would want Hoesed?
I thought your vision on Hoese in the beginning of the season had him as a potential to break camp in 2022 with LAD. You are going to sour on him even at 23 in his first full year of competitive pro ball, at AA? Not everyone will.
I’m from Missouri!
😉
I’ll drive him to the airport myself [Hoese that is].
1b of the future.
We can slide Seager over to 3b in 2023 🙂
I’d be in favor ofthe automated strike zone for TWO reasons. More accurate calls of course, but do away with cheating by catchers(excuse me , Pitch Framing)
I’m definitely in favor of the automated strike zone, but just realize it isn’t infallible.
This video is priceless. The third strike was in the next county.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1413380457610293248
Exactly. If you want to get rid of all the complaining about the strike zone, just get rid of the box on the TV screen. That’s why umpires didn’t seem that bad before.
Not sure if you realized that call was automated. The ump was just calling what the computer told him to. That’s why I said the system isn’t infallible………………….at least not yet.
Lotsas Dodger content out there today:
Previously mentioned above Kiley M’s latest mock draft.
FanGraphs Daily Prospect notes:
Keibert Ruiz, C, Los Angeles Dodgers
Level & Affiliate: Triple-A Oklahoma City Age: 22 Org Rank: 2 FV: 50
Line: 4-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI
Notes
Ruiz’ four-hit night wasn’t enough to make up for the fifteen runs scored by the opposing El Paso Chihuahuas, but it certainly bolstered confidence in the young catching prospect’s overall 2021 performance. His approach at the plate continues to impress; Ruiz’s 11% K-rate is the third lowest in all of Triple-A (10th lowest in all of the minor leagues), and he’s only struck out twice in the past twelve games, walking 11 times over that span.
FanGraphs’ Jay Jaffe Chat:
Question: Bryant to Mets makes a lot of sense for NY. Can they do it without moving Alvarez / Mauricio /
Baty / Vientos / Armstrong?
Jay Jaffe: My guess based on the fact that Bryant would be a short-term rental is that you’re not going to see anybody give up a top-50ish prospect, which describes Alvarez and Mauricio, but that you might see a guy in the lower part of a top 100 as a piece in the deal.
Question: Do you think the dodgers are reluctant at all to trade Keibert Ruiz at the deadline given how well he’s played at AAA?
Jay Jaffe: I think they’re holding onto him for the right deal, and given the shape of their rotation right now, this might well be the time to trade him in a blockbuster.
Question: what do you think it would cost the dodgers to get kyle gibson?
Jay Jaffe: Not Keibert Ruiz, whom I’d think if you’re dealing you’re getting somebody with more than 1 1/3 years of club control unless he’s really elite. Most of their top prospects are lower-level guys, and I’m out of my element in trying to parse them on the fly.
Question: Hi Jay, do you think that the Dodgers will be forced to make a move for a pitcher, giving thier rotation and its breakdown?
Jay Jaffe: See upthread. Yes, I think they need to make a move for a starter, but they’ll gain more clarity as to how big they need to go once they get Kershaw’s MRI and see where the Bauer investigation is headed (I’d expect a substantial suspension).
Question: Sorry if this isn’t exactly your lane, but I noticed that the updated prospect board has Ryan Pepiot listed as a MIRP instead of a SP. What’s the reliever risk there? He’s been thoroughly dominating AA this year.
Jay Jaffe: ooh i think i can actually sort of field this one as I grazed by Pepiot in my Dodgers piece. From what I gather, the major concerns about him are his command and whether he can hold his new-found velocity over the course of a longer season/bigger workload. The command, which Eric graded at 35/45, does seem to have improved somewhat. As for the velo, wait and see, as he’s only got 41.2 innings under his belt.
Baseball America’s Mock Draft 6.0 has:
Jud Fabian OF
Baseball america on some recent Int’l Signings:
Names To Know
Rayne Doncon, SS, Dominican Republic: Doncon signed for less money… Doncon is 6-foot-2 with a high waist, long limbs and promising physical upside. In 2020, he got stronger while staying lean, improving both his power and the chance that he could stay at shortstop. He has fast bat speed and good contact skills in games. …
Jorge Carpintero LHP, Venezuela: Carpintero, who trained with Kevin Moscatel, is a 6 foot, 160-pound lefty… He’s not a power arm.. with a mid-to-upper-80s fastball, curveball and changeup.
Carlos Avila, C, Venezuela: Avila is a smart, heady player who is a student of the game with high-level baseball acumen, especially on the defensive side. …
Roger Lasso, OF, Panama: Lasso has a strong, muscular frame with good strike-zone judgment and power. He’s a corner outfielder whose offensive game will drive his value.
Question:
Assuming we are willing to trade Ruiz for a cost-controlled mid-rotation starting pitcher from a selling team, who even fits that description?
Luis Castillo
John Means
Pablo Lopez
Sandy Alcantara
Trevor Rogers
Tyler Mahle
For all those interested in the exploits of LAD OF prospect, Luis Rodriguez, he is playing at the Arizona Complex League (formerly known as Arizona Rookie League).
33 PA, 28 AB, .214/.333/.643/.976, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 10 K, 4 HR and 7 RBI.
So of the 6 hits, 4 were HRs and with 10 Ks (35.7% K rate), I think he fits right in with the three outcome approach as many LAD…HR, BB, or K. Just being a little facetious. He is only 18 and in his first year in US. He is actually playing quite well at this juncture of his career.
Thanks, what about the other 2 a ss and c I believe.
Are you asking about Wilman Diaz and Jesus Galiz? If so they will be in the DSL which starts July 12. If you are talking about Alex De Jesus and Diego Cartaya, Cartaya is tearing up The California League while De Jesus is better than holding his own also in the California League. LAD has another Venezuelan catcher, Yeiner Fernandez, 18 year old who is in the ACL with Rodriguez, and playing well with a very small sample size as well.
Thanks yes I was talking about Diaz and Galiz.
STB:
In a word: NO!
Are you saying no to my list?
I wasn’t advocating for trading Ruiz for them, I was just saying they fit the definition of a cost controlled mid rotation starter.
I do not consider Luis Castillo or Trevor Rogers mid rotation starters. IMO they are front line starters. But they are all cost controlled. The Marlins are not going to trade any of Rogers, Alcantara, or Lopez. If Sixto Sanchez returns next year with a healthy shoulder, the Marlins front four would be at the top of anyone’s list of top rotations in MLB. Max Meyer is not far away. He is dominating at AA. I have been a Nick Neidert since 2017 in A Ball (California League). He is long relief right now, but he is a future rotation piece. Maybe back end, but you have to have them as well. The Marlins could potentially contend next year. They are going to need another bat or two to go with Marte, but if they decide to spend in FA, they could find them. We will need to see how Jesus Sanchez develops, but he could be one of those bats. He is still a baby at 23.
I’ve been a huge Castillo fan for quite awhile. I suppose I just downgraded him in my mind because of his first part of the season this year.
With regard to Rogers, the reason I don’t consider him a true frontline starter yet is simply lack of sample size. I don’t think that 17 starts this year is enough to call him an ace. If you look at what his numbers were last year, they were pretty awful.
That said, I’d love to add him to Buehler/Urias/May/Gonsolin next year.
I would make that deal with the Marlins for Trevor Rogers in a heartbeat. But the Marlins wouldn’t. Rogers is controlled thru 2026. He is not a mid-rotation starter. He is a top of the rotation starter, and would be with the Dodgers as well. He would be a fantastic inclusion with both Buehler and Urias at the top of the rotation.
Padres place Blake Snell and Drew Pomeranz on the 10 day IL.
Tonight’s winning lineup against the snakes:
RF Mookie
1B Max
3B JUstin
CF Cody
C Will
2B Chris
SS Gavin
LF AJ
P David
My favorite lineup. I wonder why the computer keeps putting Belli in the cleanup spot.
Putting the current version of Belli in the 4 hole is the equivalent of a golf handicap.
Trying to even the odds.
Maybe they should adjust the algorithm to put more weight on recent performance.
Lux OPS is close to Austin Barnes OPS. Isn’t it about time to sit Lux?
McKinstry at 2B and Taylor at SS.
why was my post removed?
I do not see any post…
I don’t know the source but in Twitter someone reported that Kershaws’ MRI showed NO tear.
Dodgers: Alex Vesia Recalled With Jimmy Nelson Headed to the Injured List
Jimmy Nelson placed on injured list with left lumbar strain
Dodgers Injury Update: Clayton Kershaw’s MRI Only Shows Elbow Inflammation
Forearm Inflammation.
Nunez deserved much better. His change up is very good. Turner looked lazy on that ground ball.
That prospective late-season lineup looks terrific… assuming that Seager and Belli get back on track, and Betts returns to form.
As for trading Ruiz…
He’s a big chip. OKC manager is raving about his improvement and unmatched bat-to-ball skills. Still only 22 years old. It would be great to see him in LA for a spell. (Come on, Austin. Your elbow is bothering you, isn’t it?)
BTW, I just noticed that catcher Connor Wong, the 3rd guy in the Betts deal, has made to the majors. He was behind Ruiz on the Dodgers depth chart.
I wonder how many guys on the farm are hoping to get traded…
The dodgers home 1 game out and play like this. Arizona is the worst team in the majors no doubt. Once again our defense and offense suck!!
Same ole Dave Robert’s saves uceta for the ninth.
I never want to see Uceta in the 8th or 9th ever again!
Or Reed. Roberts can’t resist putting his new “toys” in a position to fail and take the team down with them.
I agree.
PATHETIC.
Ironic that Nunez and de Geus played on RC Quakes together in 2019 (A+ that year). One gets the L tonight and the other the W. No shade on Nunez.
Ugly game and they lose ground to the Giants and the D-Backs. Uceta does not belong in the major leagues. Quackenbush had another clean inning striking out 3. His ERA is 0.00. Peters had 4 hits tonight, one a homer and drove in 4. Got his average over the Mendoza line.
Uceta is just not ready for the majors at this point. I dont know why DR and the Dodgers insist on proving the opposite again and again. Why they have him up and not the Bazooka (who worked 1.2 scoreless for OKC is beyond me.
If Bellinger and Betts do not start producing the Dodgers are dead.
Best thing out of yesterday is the clean MRI for CK.
I would not trade Ruiz but bring him up for Barnes. Good to see Peters have a huge day. Hopefully he can continue like this and at least up his trade value.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best news out of this game is that Nunes looked really good.
Turner’s error cost him. Yeah, Escobar hit a HR–to the shortest part of park.
I rarely sit and watch entire games, relying more on the radio and highlights. I wish the highlights would include the lowlights. Unless it’s pivotal to the game, the errors are rarely shown. And the misplays–I just read about Lux’s slow toss on a potential double play ball. Ugh.
One thing we don’t know–and probably shouldn’t–is how the players and coaches are talking about the Bauer situation among themselves. I assume Roberts and probably AF have conducted team meetings, and I haven’t seen much in the way of comments from the players.
Anyway, I’m left thinking that the Bauer mess may be a serious distraction. On the practical side, it means that more bullpen games and more RPs are getting called up. The team really seems in a serious funk–poor fielding, poor hitting. Bauer’s situation is not an excuse for poor play, but I suspect it still causes a ripple in negative ways.
The Dodgers have enough trouble with their own injuries–and now with the alleged injury to Bauer’s sex partner.
A trade for an impact pitcher will help change the story.
IMHO Bauer will be back at some point this season. Just my gut feeling because to me this whole thing looks like a setup. Bauer was irresponsible and stupid to act like that but I do not see how this will end his career with the Dodgers or in MLB in general unless he is convicted and I do not see this judging from what we know so far.
I also think we will see Gray up pretty soon and he will be very good.If Bellinger and Betts do not pick up their production the aquisistion of another arm or two will not matter .
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!