The State-of-the -Dodgers

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1. The last repeat World Series winner was the NY Yankees 1998, 1999, 2000. The last NL repeat World Series winner was the Cincinnati Reds 1975, 1976.

   No way Carlos Correa ever signs with the Dodgers. I see what you are trying to do hear, just trying to generate conversation/dialogue which is good since the comments have been low since the Dodgers were eliminated. Never going to happen as much hate the fans and players have towards the Astros.

   I haven’t even watched on pitch of this years World Series and do not intend to. I am curious if any other LADT poster has decided to watch it or not.

   1. I haven’t watched yet. But, I haven’t made a conscious decision not to. I was too busy watching the Lakers choke last night. Birthday dinner the night before.

   2. I haven’t watched, nor do I intend to watch any of the WS games. I don’t even know who won last night.

   3. There is still baseball being played?!?!? My season ended w/the blue season end. 🙂

   4. Not one inning. And I have better things to do than watch the Cheatos. Only reason I knew the score was because I was checking the Laker score on ESPN.com

2. I have not watched one pitch!

   1. Me too, not one pitch. Not even highlights.

      Go Dodgers!

3. I know some have already said NO to any of the cheaters but I’m in on Correa. I’d rather have him than Turner.

   I don’t sign Scherzer unless it’s a reasonable contract. He’s good for 150 innings a year, spread out over 7 months.

   I’m curious about Rios. Is he coming back? I thought he had All Star potential.

   I agree with Lux being able to play outfield. Shortstops can typically play anywhere on the field but for him to be out there Betts has to come in. Pollock, Bellinger, Lux, Rios, Turner (Correa/Seager) Betts, Muncy, with Smith behind the plate. There will be several projected lineups over the winter, all of them will be good, one will be correct.

   I’m less concerned about right or left handed, more concerned about being able to hit. I know platoons are a thing, I’d seek players with favorable splits.

   This World Series does not interest me in the least.

   “Kevin Goldstein: I think it will take longer than that. The tech just isn’t ready for prime time.” Nonsense. The technology is there.

   1. Bluto, I think you should repost what was hung up yesterday. There are some interesting points made in it.

      1. There was some really good stuff!

         Can the post be copied over?

         It’s gross how self-serving this reply is

         1. Bring it!

4. Interesting and thought provoking idea on Correa coming over. My takes:

   1. If Carlos Correa offered to play for the Dodgers for free, I would not want him on the team.

   2. If given a choice between winning the World Series with Carlos Correa and going 0-162, I’d take going winless in perpetuity.

   3. if given a choice between Carlos Correa playing for the Dodgers or a giant asteroid turning the Earth into an amorphous blob of debris, I’d be praying for the asteroid.

   Some creative, out-of-the-box thinking, but I think I’ll pass.

   1. If CCorrea came to the Dodgers I would stop watching bball until he was gone. Same attitude I had when that bitch Georgia moved the Rams to StLooie, never watched a game until they came back & that was a LONG TIME. Same attitude I have w/ the Lakers until Lebaby is gone & basketball used to be my #1, b4 I realized that baseball is a superior sport, which is now my opinion.
      cheers
      pb+

      1. Yes, yes and yes with Correa, GF, and La Ignorant on your feelings about them. Fortunately, we only have to deal with the Lakers situation right now. I was a huge Lakers fan since they came to LA and once LJ arrived I could care less about the team.

         1. thumbs up to you Ted

5. Been watching the WS. First game the home plate umpire missed 11 pitches, 10 of which benefitted the Astros. Heard a report last week that recent use of ABS lead to 22 walks with both teams running out of pitchers (I believe it was the AFL). I would think before ABS is used in MLB it would be used in AAA where the pitchers should have enough control so they don’t get some benefit from the umpire.

   1. The strike is what is and the technology is most certainly available to lock it in each individual player. We can watch chess games from outer space, we can see a strike zone from inside the park. If pitchers don’t have to throw strikes to get strikes called, why would they?

      1. Could not agree more. The zone is the zone. If they walked 22 batters all it tells me is they need to learn where the zone is. And as far as test driving in the minors, after paying more attn this year than any year in the past, it seems to me that something working or not working in the minors does not really have any bearing on how it will work in the MLB. Guys who seem lights out in the minors many times sink like a thrown rock. MLB is a GIANT step up from the minors for most.
         cheers
         pb+

6. First, if the Dodgers signed Correa I would not watch another game while he was on the team. For him and his teammates to cheat the way they did and receive no punishment is bad enough. But, his arrogant FU attitude makes me sick. He comes off with a “yeah we cheated and got away with it, are World Champs, so too f’ing bad for you”.

   As far as what Andrew Friedman and his staff can do to improve the team in 2022 will be interesting to watch. How much more can he do when you consider we had an All Star at almost every position. Many fans dream about this happening with their team. It actually happened with the Dodgers.

   Consider:

   C – Will Smith
   1B – Max Muncy
   2B – Trea Turner
   SS – Corey Seager
   3B – Justin Turner
   LF – Chris Taylor
   CF – Cody Bellinger
   RF – Mookie Betts

   So, every position player except Will Smith is or has recently been an All Star. And, Will has now become the best catcher in the NL and could be an All Star in 2022. Add in one of the top bullpens in baseball and three Cy Young candidates for starters. And yet it wasn’t enough to win a world series. Hell, it wasn’t enough to get to the world series.

   Where and how do you improve on that roster? The elephant in the room is the injury factor.
   The depth and quality of position players in the minors was a huge problem for the team. I think that’s where AF needs to acquire some good, veteran players in 2022 . Look what Atlanta did when their outfielders went down with season ending injuries. They added Rosario, Duvall, and Pederson. Our adds were Souza, McKinney, and a group of AAAA players. It turned out to be a huge oversight for Friedman. But, he finally got the chronic bullpen issue fixed.

   Obviously, the biggest issue facing all of major league baseball in 2022 is a new collective bargaining agreement. If that turns into a shit show and a strike happens then baseball will be forever damaged. With Boob Manfred in charge it’s a scary proposition.

   Then with Friedman and the front office the decisions they face are huge. They are as follows:

   Kershaw- I hope he decides to retire and it becomes a non issue. It looks like he will need a Tommy John procedure in order to continue his career. The Dodgers generously paid him more than he was worth in his last contract out of respect for his contributions to the team. I would be surprised if they did it again. Even if it was an incentive based contract. I don’t see Kershaw making it through the 2022 season healthy because of arm and back injuries. Those don’t just get better as one ages.

   Seager- I would love to have Corey return. There will be some variables involved for Corey to determine with who he signs. The Yankees seem to be our only competition. How high they are willing to pay will be interesting? They have the position need and financial strength to make it happen. If healthy, Corey would hit 50 HRs a year playing in Yankee Stadium.

   Chris Taylor- Another player it would be nice to continue his career with the Dodgers. But, if he wants a regular position and be paid accordingly he will be moving on. The only position I could see him playing everyday would be 3B. And, that’s only if there’s a DH next year.

   Max Scherzer- Max earned his money in the regular season, but didn’t play up to expectations in the playoffs. With that in mind I don’t know if the Dodgers want to pay top dollar for a 38-39 year old pitcher. The Bauer situation could be a determining factor in re-signing Scherzer. Also, if the team decides to re-sign Kershaw then to me it’s a definite no on Scherzer. To have one unhealthy risky starter is unwise let alone two. So, if Bauer is resolved to favor the payroll and Kershaw is not re-signed then maybe on a two year max deal for Max.

   Trae Turner- If Seager is re-signed then I would strongly think about moving Trae in the offseason. He doesn’t want to play 2B (and many here don’t want him to either). Why not trade him while he is a healthy batting champ? I would think they could get a huge haul for him. Lux could be moved back to 2B or find another FA to fill that position if they want to keep Lux in the outfield.

   Kenley Jansen- What a turn around by the big guy. It was one of the highlights of the season for me. A definite re-sign for the Dodgers, but at a two year and reasonable amount. As we have learned Kenley can fall off the rails in any appearance. With his expanded pitch offerings that might not be a lingering problem for him. I hope they can come to an agreement.

   Joe Kelly- With his latest injury to his bicep I think it’s time to part ways. His $12M club option is not going to happen. He’ll get his $4M buyout. A terrible contract made by AF.

   Corey Knebel- When he was healthy he was effective. A repeat of his $5M (or less) would be reasonable for one year. I think we’re going to see a nice contingent of young relief arms arriving in 2023 and beyond so one year to bridge that gap with Knebel could be warranted.

   Trevor Bauer- The biggest salary problem and unknown for the Dodgers. Can they somehow reach an agreement with this guy? With agents and lawyers involved it might be impossible.

   Tio Albert- A hard pass for me. It was fun and at times inspiring. A great Dodger teammate who brought a lot of joy to the dugout and clubhouse. But, to watch him run and hit into so many double plays was painful. If they have trouble finding a sub right hand bat then maybe.

   All the other Dodger FA’s don’t look like re-signing prospects. Most were one time use fill ins that have no future spot on the roster. Some never even pitched for the team (Hamels and Duffy). Hamels has a great agent. Sign for a $1M and a week later get released because he can’t pitch after all.

   1. I agree with much of this. Here’s where I don’t.

      Kersh – I don’t mind bringing back Kersh on an incentive laden deal. No one is going to back up the Brinks truck for him, so there won’t be a huge competition to get him signed. He’s effective when he’s out there. I view him as a bridge to getting May back and think he’ll serve well in that role.

      Knebel – He’ll be paid like a closer or setup guy. He’ll earn much more than $5M. We have so many bullpen arms, there isn’t a need for him.

      Trea Turner – Lux hasn’t done enough to hand over the starting second base job to him unless Corey bails out. If you’re trying to build the best team that you can, it will include Trea. I think it’s nonsense that everyone has turned on him for under delivering in the postseason.

      Taylor – He doesn’t have the power or consistency to justify a full time 3B job especially with all those K’s. I see his fate as the same as Kike or Joc. If he wants to be a utility guy on a perennial winner, he’ll come back. If he wants cash and an opportunity to play full time and concentrate on one position, it’s time to say goodbye.

      Bauer – Nothing that AF said makes me think they’re on a mission to remove him from the team. AF said his situation is in MLB’s hands. I’ll take a postseason rotation of Bauer, Bueller, Urias, May all day and all night.

      Duffy – If his medicals check out, I bring him back as another bridge to get us through the start of the season until May and Bauer return. He has experience in the pen, so you can always move him there if the rotation becomes crowded.

      Can David Price be a bridge and pitch in the rotation at the start of the season? If not, trade him to the Angels for a bag of peanuts and eat half of the 16M we owe him.

      1. Good analysis. We’ll see how it plays out in the offseason. But, it’s all mute if the CBA isn’t resolved before the end of the year. Did the owners really think the players would go for a $40M reduction in the luxury tax limit? Not a positive way to start negotiations.

         1. Moot, not nute. I thought that reducing the CBT is a pretty bad way to kick this off. I doubt that happens.

            1. Buehler not Bueller.

      2. Let’s assume the Yankees or a team more foolish throws $$$$ at Seager and he moves on. That’s fine. With Trea easily sliding over, there is no great incentive for AF to overpay Seager–especially when other options are available.
         I hope AF takes a good look at Semien, who could play both 2B and SS and might be best suited for 3B. (I am hoping for Justin to DH.)
         And maybe take a run at Kris Bryant.
         The Giants would love that.

7. I watched Andrew Friedman’s presser yesterday. Some interesting stuff about in game pitching decisions. He stated that the FO gathers info for the Roberts and his coaching staff before each game. That includes what pitchers are available for the game and their stats against the opposing hitters. And, I’m sure other detailed stats and analytics. He said it’s Roberts, Pryor, and Danny Lehmann decide in game pitching changes and it’s their call at the time the change takes place. So, the Urias decision was all on Roberts according to AF. The FO office has nothing to do with a decision or decisions during the game. Good to know. I had thought otherwise.

8. I agree with most of this, especially you’re first sentence. The core of this team is excellent and doesn’t have a lot of needs. They’re going to need more than Nuese from the right side on the bench. I think McKinstry will wind up being a steady left handed bat, but he’s going to have to work on his defense.

   The one thing I really don’t agree with is Busch’s defense. He’s improving at second base and his defensive numbers are acceptable at the position. He had a 978 fielding percentage this year. League average in the MLB at the position was 982. That’s not far off for a guy that’s only had a year’s worth of innings at second base in his entire minor league career. Our own Trea Turner put up worse numbers with only slightly better range numbers.

   Carlos Correa is probably my most hated player in the MLB. It’s a tough decision because he’s really close with Tatis Jr. and Machado isn’t far behind. But, I would welcome him with open arms, cheating and all, if Seager moves on. It would be easier for me to welcome Story.

   After seeing Gausman and DiScalfani do their thing this year, I won’t discount the future of Mitch White or Andre Jackson as possible rotation pieces. Sometimes guys bloom later than others and both have shown enough stuff to be effective.

   I listened to AF’s interview yesterday after Bear mentioned it. I like what he said about Clayton’s situation as he was very candid in saying that Clayton has earned the right to retire a Dodger. Sometimes you have to make decisions that aren’t solely based on statistics.

   Scherzer was a no brainer for me until he ran out of gas at the end. Thinking ahead to next year’s postseason rotation, I would expect Bueller, Urias and May to be ready to answer the bell and for Clayton to be injured. I don’t think Bauer will be suspended the entire year and hearing AF speak to the subject saying “The Bauer situation is in MLB’s court”, it doesn’t sound like they’re planning on dumping him. I heard nothing that would signal that’s what they are intending to do.

   So, right now the rotation looks like Urias, Bueller and possibly Kershaw to start the season. With Bauer and May available at the end of the year. I think I’ve heard this song before. It goes something like this. AF will sign the McCarthy’s and Anderson’s of the world to try to get by until Bauer and May are ready at some point in the season. Duffy fits this bill. My biggest target wouldn’t be Scherzer. I would try to get one of Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, or Marcus Stroman to pair with Danny Duffy as offseason targets to reinforce the pitching staff.

   Right now we have a full team of position players.

   C – Smith R
   1B – Muncy L
   2B – Lux L
   3B – Turner R or Rios L
   SS – Turner R
   LF – Pollock R
   CF – Belli L
   RF – Betts R
   DH? – Rios L or Turner R

   I’m going to say it right now. Go ahead and bring Seager back, let him play short for another year or two and then move him over to 3B. If you can’t come to an agreement with Seager, just go with TT as the backup plan and move Mookie to second base. Then go hard after Kris Bryant for RF. He’s got the arm and is a better outfielder than most are willing to admit. He’s a middle of the order bat and he’s got the pop. He also has enough positional flexibility to move around and cover for injuries. Lux takes CT3 as the Super Utility guy. Trade McKinstry for a right handed bench piece or sign Solano as RH fifth infielder.

   2B Mookie R
   SS TT R
   1B Muncy L
   RF Bryant R
   CF Belli L
   3B Turner R
   LF Pollock R
   C Smith R

   Rios and Lux can be inserted into the lineup when you want more lefties in there.

   Bueller R
   Urias L
   Duffy L
   Kershaw L
   Gausman or Stroman R

   I can no longer trust Gonsolin as a starter. He’s a bullpen piece from here on out.

   Pineapple on Pizza is offensive to Italians. We need to ban it just like the Tomahawk Chop.

   1. That is why we call it pineapple on flat bread. We are horrified at possibly being cancelled! 🙂
      cheers
      pb+

      1. As a member of mediterranean I can assure you that using flatbread as a vehicle for ingesting pineapple is equally offensive to all mediterranean and other flatbread eating races.

         1. Sorry dude, you DO NOT get to determine where flatbread is used. Freaking cultural appropriator! Flatbread developed in the areas around Egypt, Mesopotamia & India.
            Duckduckgo is not your friend on this subject. And btw, pineapple are though to have originated in South America, though no one is sure how they became ubiquitous to the Pacific Islands. Just trying to save you from another embarrassing appropriation gaffe!
            cheers
            pb+

            1. Alright then Porpoiseboy, enjoy your pineapple on a tortilla, gordita, pupusa or Naan, keep it off the freaking pizza and pita!

            2. Dude, once again w/your cultural appropriation. Pita originated in Armenia & Israel. 🙂 You are really starting to piss me off & I am not even wearing my #metoo shirt today. CEASE AND DESIST!
               cheers
               pb+

   2. Good ideas.

      Isn’t Kris Bryant gonna want to get paid? I see any contracts Bryant and Seager would get as being more or less the same. If you’re gonna pay Bryant that money, why don’t you just keep it simple and pay Seager instead?

      That stating rotation doesn’t really inspire confidence.

      1. I would pay Seager instead. I offered Bryant if you can’t get Seager to resign. If you want to be a boss, sign both and trade Trea. Mookie moves to second in that scenario.

      2. The Yankees are expected to throw $$$$ at Seager so I think we’ll be able to thank for the memories.
         Bryant and Seager may be similar in price, but Bryant can play OF and 3B. Plus, signing him would tick off the Giants.
         Another pricy possibility is Semien, who is also more versatile than Seager. (He also received an honor that reflects well on his character–and let’s hope that AF has learned that character really does matter.)
         My hope is that Justin is able to move to DH and that Edwin Rios comes back healthy.
         My hope also is that Lux keeps hitting, especially against lefties. He’s UT guy now–and that’s OK.
         I’d rather keep Mookie’s Gold Glove in RF for now.

9. The Astros organization cheated and the players went along with it. MLB didn’t much care, only the fans from losing teams did. And if we choose to dislike all arrogant players there may not be many left to cheer for. Also, I would think the most hated player in all of baseball is a Dodger and we are at least considering bringing him back. Does that mean we prefer the asteroid?

   The pineapple and pizza statement I find ridiculous. I don’t know how you can ban fans from chanting. Have you heard some of the F*** You chants at basketball games? Large groups of similar thinking people often behave badly.. Not much you can do about it. If the team came out and asked nicely I think it would help.

   The silly hyperbole aside, I think both the Dodgers and Yankees would benefit from signing Correa. He’s the better player. It would appear the Dodgers traded for Turner to play shortstop. Maybe after watching him for a few months they’ve changed their minds?

   1. I find your opinion about pineapple on pizza racially insensitive. As a white person, you can’t possibly know how offensive and racist is to us Italians. I feel triggered every time I see pineapple on pizza whenever I go to a pizza place. It’s so bad, I usually opt to order pizza to go so I don’t have to feel like people are mocking my heritage.

      1. I suppose your attempts at humor should be enough.

         Meh.

         1. The only funny thing about this is you’re quickly dismissive about pineapple pizza, but we need to listen about the Tomahawk chop.

            1. Actually Badger, there are a lot of ranches in the Denver area. Not metro Denver for sure, but there are properties with horses very near.

      2. As someone who identifies as part Irish, I want to express my deep anger and frustration at the Boston Celtics continued use and exploitation of ugly racist stereotypical tropes. Our society has a long and ugly history of characterizing the Irish as either drunk pugilists (don’t get me started on the Notre Dame logo) or infantalized leprechauns. Wearing Celtics merchandise if you can’t claim Irish ancestry is dehumanizing, cultural appropriation and racist.

         I’m literally shaking right now.

         1. Take 3 deep breaths with your eyes closed then go and meditate. You’ll be fine.

         2. I hear Alyissa Milano is looking for another cause to back …… 🙂

         3. I fully support your argument as long as you don’t put pineapple on pizza. Don’t get me started on using Trojans as the USC mascot as there is a supported theory that Rome was founded by Trojans who escaped Troy when it was sacked by the Greeks. Tommy Trojan sure looks like a Roman Legion commander to me and I think it’s inappropriate for them to exploit my heritage for their own gain.

            1. I love pineapple on pizza.

               Tommy Trojan looks nothing like a Roman Legion Commander to me, not that I would know what one really looked like. I think Russell Crowe pulled it off well though.

            2. Not to mention that pineapple has wonderful digestive enzymes that help digest all the cured meats, etc. that are typically used on pizzas. And, THEY TASTE GREAT! I did get around bp’s attempted ban this year though, by using pineapple tomatillos on pizza ( er, um, flatbread ) this summer. First time I had grown them and they are simply amazing. They are about the size of a blueberry and when ripe they really taste exactly like pineapple. I cut them in half & sprinkled all over said flatbread. Worked like a charm.
               cheers
               pb+

            3. My impression of Roman Legionnaires is that they look like Richard Burton in “The Robe” or Stephen Boyd in ” Ben Hur”. Sir Laurence Olivier in ” Spartacus ” would be another example since I have never seen a Roman Legionnaire in person. I am not sure who made the choice of a Trojan to be the USC mascot. Just as I am not sure who it was that made a minor league teams mascot the Banana Slug. They are nothing more than names. Not a slight on anyone’s heritage. And most of the logos came from a time when people were less butt hurt over those kinds of caricatures.

            4. The fan on the helmet is a dead giveaway as is the gladius. Roman soldiers were also clean shaven, no beards. Saying we all look the same is also racist. Nothing I wouldn’t expect from a white man.

         4. Does not help your argument that so many w/Irish heritage actually dress up as leprechauns for saint paddies day dude. And wearing Celtics gear OF ANY kind is IMO something that should piss EVERYONE off.
            cheers
            pb+

            1. Spoken like a true Lakers fan. Hey, I object to the name Lakers. How many lakes are there in LA??????? Now if they were called the Tar Pits after LaBrea, I would be fine with that.

            2. Just looked it up OB ….. City of LA has 22 lakes. The name stays, as that is just a tiny step down from 10000.
               cheers
               pb+

            3. I doubt there’s many broncos in the city of Denver and, Denver isn’t in the Rockies. Avalanche? In Denver? Not likely. Nuggets? Yeah, ok. Some gold was found nearby.

            4. Hmmm…… I would imagine that there are not many “Trolley Dodgers” in LA. 🙂

            5. Tax dodgers, yes. Trolley? Nope.

            6. Dodgers is now short for bum dodgers. There’s plenty of them in LA. I dodge them all the time when I’m in the city.

            7. One point of order Badg is that the Avalanche are the COLORADO AVALANCE & we have PLENTY here in CO. But I root for none of them, so carry on.

   2. Did anyone here say we should dislike ALL arrogant players?

      No. Just one.

      … and one who also happened to be central to the most egregious cheating scandal in a hundred years AND unapologetically defended his actions and publicly lied about how his cheating affected the outcome of the WS.

      Yes, there are a lot of examples of crowds spontaneously erupting in chants of “F*** J** B***n” – at baseball games, football games, NASCAR …Presidential motorcades. …

      It’s f****** glorious.

      1rst Amendment in action. You gotta love it.

      1. What are you talking about Patch? They’re all just NASCAR fans and love Brandon!

         I agree that freedom of expression is a glorious thing and it doesn’t matter if some people get their feeling hurt about it. This brings us back to the Tomahawk chop. I don’t see this as mean spirited, I see it as salute to the bravery and prowess of these native american warriors. You open up Pandora’s box when you try to ban this kind of thing. I think the Cleveland Baseball Team getting sued for trying to use it’s new name as an example of opening Pandora’s box and they should have never caved regarding their team’s former name for something as innocuous as “The Indians”.

         And if anyone wants to say that I don’t get an opinion about using Indians as a team name, then they don’t get an opinion about me or my fellow paisans about pineapple on pizza. And if you don’t think Yankees is a derogatory term, while also claiming to be a historian or history buff, you just don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.

         1. And on the other side;

            https://newsone.com/4239983/why-is-the-braves-tomahawk-chop-racist/

         2. I looked it up. Yankee is a derogatory term only in the south. Who gives a shit what those crackers think?

            See what I did there?

            Yeah, natives remain pissed at the white man. Can’t say I blame them. A True History of The United States lists about a thousand good reasons why.

            1. okay yankee …..
               see what i did there?

            2. No. I’m from Southern California.

            3. I guess the smog got in your eyes

            4. It did. It was a smoggy day in bumper to bumper traffic I decided I was leaving. I gave notice the next day and moved north to Redding. Yankee? Nope. Maybe to a Brit. Let’s ask W.

            5. Ah, a redcoat then.
               Still in Redding? Just asking bc when we left cali we would see the other side of MT Shasta than you see from there. About 165 mi NE of there.
               cheers

            6. Nope. Went to college up there. Taught and coached in Redding after 3 years in Chico. Spent a lot of time up around Mt Shasta. Played in their 4th of July softball tournament several times. Loved it there. I’m back in SoCal, temporarily I hope.

10. Excellent write-up, Mark. Lot of thought went into that. Hey, it’s all just speculation at this point, but that’s fun.

    Yes, the Dodgers had depth, but it wasn’t particularly good. I remember the constant strikeouts with runners on base when they were forced to use that depth.

    I would definitely give Chris Taylor a qualifying offer, most likely he goes elsewhere on a three of four year deal. Same with Corey Seager and Clayton Kershaw.

    The elephant in the room is Trevor Bauer. Certainly that could to some extent impact the winter plans for the Dodgers. Lot of money tied up. Regardless of what the DA decides to do, Bauer will end up with a lengthy suspension. Guessing he doesn’t pitch for the Dodgers again.

    The fact that 2022 is up in the air, just another obstacle in the decision making process.

    I’d like to see Seager back, but that no doubt comes down to an ownership decision. Are the Yankees really serious about Seager? Mixed messages out of New York these days. The long term contracts have weighed down the Yankees.

    If Seager leaves, look for the Dodgers to move Trea Turner to short with Gavin Lux at second.

    The most pressing need is obviously the rotation. Kershaw will return, but a lot of uncertainty centered on health. I’d like to see Max Scherzer back, but hey, he’s 37, lot of risk. A lot could go wrong.

    The younger pitchers are just too risky at this point to build the back end of the rotation on. Maybe you can count on them for spot starts. More likely ’23. Hopefully, injuries behind him, Tony Gonsolin becomes relevant again. He has the stuff to become a pretty good starter. Beyond Julio Urias and Walker Buehler, the rotation is up in the air.

    That means the Dodgers will pursue a trade or free agent pitcher. There is some history to that approach.

    I can see the Dodgers retaining Jansen on a one or two year deal. I’d like to see them keep Cory Knebel and Joe Kelly.

    The bench depth has to improve.

    Expect a big comeback season from Cody Bellinger thanks to the new approach. Not sure what it takes for the Dodgers to become more consistent offensively. Andrew Friedman thought it was the best group of hitters the team has fielded during his tenure. Yet they struggled at times, some of that no doubt due to injuries.

11. Note to Mark – minor point but Pepiot is a righty not a lefty as you described him. I love the fact that he would add a different look to the rotation since his change is his out pitch and he wouldn’t just be another flame thrower.

    Miller – I could see him being Buehler, v.2, if he develops the way some in the organization think he will.

    Correa – I’m very conflicted as to how I would react if we signed him, but I don’t think I have to worry because after the Bauer debacle I just can’t see Andrew following that with a Correa signing. Bauer has already cost them a (probably fairly small) part of the fan base. Correa would just add to that. All that said, Correa would bring one thing that I think this team lacks, a position player with an in-your-face attitude. Every starter we have has a pretty much vanilla personality. Maybe we need to add rocky road.

    For those who are suggesting we bring back Kenley on a one year deal, I can’t imagine any scenario where he doesn’t get at least two years and probably three from someone. Maybe that someone will be us, but he won’t settle for a one year deal. Not the way he’s re-invented himself.

    1. I would be cautious about older pitchers.

       I think Correa in blue would look a lot better than Correa in that Halloween colored uniform. He’s going to go where the money and the opportunity to win co-exists. That list is short.

       1. True, Kenley could hurt his arm tomorrow, but he doesn’t have a history of any kind of arm problems and now that he’s come up with a couple of new pitches, he’s not as velo-dependent as he was previously.

          I wouldn’t have a problem with a 2 year contract, but then I’m not the one giving out contracts.

12. I have no idea what Friedman intends to do, so I won’t speculate about that. But if I was in charge, I would try to keep as many Dodger free agents as possible, at least the good ones, not the Souzas and Burns of the world.

    I would go about building a team without Bauer and his contract on my mind. I wouldn’t let his contract stop me from building the best team possible. And I would keep him as a Dodger if possible.

    I haven’t looked into all of the free agents available but after glancing at the list of free agents, I would definitely go after Kris Bryant.

    There is absolutely no way I would want Carlos Correa as a Dodger. I absolutely hate cocky players plus he is a cheater too.

13. “I would go about building a team without Bauer and his contract on my mind.”

    How do you just ignore a 35 million dollar salary? Granted the Dodgers have lots more money to throw around than, for example, the Pirates, but do you realize that Bauer’s contract for next year represents approximately 70% of the entire Pittsburgh team payroll for 2021?

    Agree that Bryant would make an interesting addition but I think that we only go after him if we lose a number of our free agents. The Dodgers have very deep pockets but even they have limits. Not only that but Bryant has stated a few times that he loved his time with SF. Not sure Farhan is ready to let us scoop him up. If the Pads could find a way to move Hosmer or Myers I’m sure they would be in on Bryant also.

    1. Bauer’s going to be suspended for the year, the team will get relief from the salary hit.
       Correa would be intriguing, and an upgrade, but there’s as much of a chance of him coming to the Dodgers as Bauer pitching for the team again.

       From yesterday:

       News from Internet:

       Andrew Friedman Press Conference:

       On: Next year pitching depth
       “We’ve got some really good guys in place. That being said, we’re going to need to address that.” Friedman name dropped Mitch White and Andre Jackson when talking about rotation depth, and also Bobby Miller, Ryan Pepiot, and Landon Knack as guys who will start in the upper levels of the minors and could potentially reach the majors next season.

       On Trevor Bauer:
       Andrew Friedman said he doesn’t know the timetable of MLB’s investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Trevor Bauer. He declined to comment for now on whether Bauer will pitch for the Dodgers again or if he regrets signing Bauer.

       Friedman said he’ll further address the Bauer situation when MLB’s investigation is completed and a decision is made.

       On working with managers:
       “We do a lot of work ahead of time…Games play out in so many different ways that it’s impossible to anticipate before, so those decisions are made in the dugout. In game, during those moments it’s 100 percent their decision. Those decisions were made in the dugout, as they should be.”
       Kevin Goldstein Chat:

       QUESTION: Why does it seem there is current belief that the Dodgers will be good but not great next year? Even if you exclude their current free agents their roster seems to be capable of winning 100+ games.

       Kevin Goldstein: Agreed.

       QUESTION: What was wrong with me in game 5?

       Kevin Goldstein: The playoffs are hard. The Dodgers lineup is really good.

       QUESTION:Aaron Boone gets a lot of hate from Yankees fans (I think he’s solid). Question: how do teams evaluate managers? Obviously they watch the games and have a sense of how the in-game stuff works/doesn’t, but are there other elements (interviews with players, ability to work with analytics department, etc.) that are used?

       Kevin Goldstein: Yeah, I think it’s nearly impossible to evaluate a manager from the outside. The most important part of a manager’s job is getting the best possible performance from his players. Any number of factors go into that equation that we can’t see from our vantage point.

       QUESTION: Robo-ump strike zone 2023 …. likely or too soon?

       Kevin Goldstein: I think it will take longer than that. The tech just isn’t ready for prime time.

       QUESTION: What will be the biggest hurdle in the CBA talks?

       Kevin Goldstein: Money, right? More specifically arbitration and free agency timing.

       QUESTION: At what point is firing Dave Roberts justifiable? Obviously he’s had remarkable success but, as unfair as it might be, one World Series title (in a weirdo season at that) is pretty clearly an underperformance compared to expectations, and the number of questionable-to-obviously-wrong postseason decisions balloons every wear.

       Kevin Goldstein: We just don’t know how much of those decisions are his, and how many were templates from the front office that he followed. Manager always takes the blame, but doesn’t always deserve it.

       QUESTION: Kevin: On that robo-ump question, if we can all basically see balls/strikes really well on our TVs home with those strike zone boxes (I’m assuming this is true, maybe it isn’t), why is it so hard to implement this on the field?

       Kevin Goldstein: [Whispers] Those strike zone boxes aren’t nearly as accurate as they’d like you to believe….

       QUESTION: Who gets more this off-season, Carlos Correa, or Corey Seager?

       Kevin Goldstein: Correa.

       QUESTION: I know you think the Yankees should sign Correa…why him over Seager (and I realize we’re kind of splitting hairs)?

       Kevin Goldstein: I don’t think we’re splitting hairs. Correa is the better player, and a MUCH better defender.

       QUESTION: Do the Dodgers let Seager walk and install Lux in the MI, or do they break out the checkbook?

       Kevin Goldstein: I mean . . . ‘let him walk’ is a weird phrase here. He’s a free agent, and he’s going to talk to other teams. Walking or not is partially up to him as well.

       QUESTION: Corey Seager’s baserunning and defensive numbers were pretty poor this year, but in the past they were better; just a one-year blip, or do you foresee continued poor showings in these aspects of his game? Is he destined for 3B or 2B?

       Kevin Goldstein: I think in terms of defense, Seager is a 40-45 SS, and it’s really the big separator between him and Correa. VERY big separator.

       Baseball America on Landon Knack: ($$$$)
       https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/arizona-fall-league-prospect-report-october-22-2021/

       Landon Knack, RHP, Dodgers — …The righthander whiffed six and walked nobody but still allowed three runs (all earned) over 2.2 innings. He distributed his strikeouts among all of his pitches, including three on four-seam fastballs, two on curves and one on a changeup….

       FanGraphs on Dave Roberts
       https://blogs.fangraphs.com/postseason-managerial-report-card-dave-roberts/

       BEN CLEMENS CHAT

       QUESTION: Fill in the blank: Corey Seager is a top _ shortstop if he can keep his defense near average.

       Ben Clemens: 5? There are a lot of great shortstops in baseball today

       QUESTION: Do you find the current narrative of the Dodgers demise as a elite ball club next year to be greatly over-exaggerated? Even with all of their free agents isn’t there roster still top 3 in baseball?

       Ben Clemens: Oh yeah it’s wild. If we drafted WS winners next year. Without knowing anything about the offseason

       The Dodgers are a windmill slam first pick

       QUESTION: Do you think the Dodgers move Bellinger to try and re-sign some critical guys or roll the dice he bounces back? If they move him, what type of return are they looking at in addition to the team absorbing his salary?

       Ben Clemens: I do not, because I think that he’s far from an obviously enticing trade chip. I think they’d get a very scant return if they traded him and didn’t want to eat his salary; he has only two years left until free agency, both at around $20 million, and the bat is just such a question mark. Steamer projects him as a 113 wRC+ hitter in 2022, which is a nice player in CF but not a huge bargain at that contract. I think you could talk yourself up or down, but if the Dodgers are shopping him, they clearly don’t believe he’s bouncing back, so the teams buying will be cognizant of that…

       Matt Eddy on the Historic run the Dodgers are on: ($$$$)
       https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/dodgers-on-historic-four-year-run-of-excellence/

       1. There is a lot there Bluto. Thanks.

          Yes Correa is better. And what Mark says below about him is absolutely true. Will he beca Dodger? I doubt it. We already have Turner to play short. It’s been known for a long time Correa was a free agent after ‘21. It looks like the Dodgers may have other plans.

          “Kevin Goldstein: [Whispers] Those strike zone boxes aren’t nearly as accurate as they’d like you to believe….”

          If that’s true, they can be easily be improved. As is, I believe they are more accurate than umps.

          On Bauer: soon after the World Series we will hear MLB’s decision. Friedman might already have an idea what’s next. Nobody’s talking until the Series ends.

    2. Regarding Bauer’s salary. They largely ignored it when they traded for Scherzer and Turner. I get your point that they do have to take it into consideration, but I’m pretty sure suspended players under domestic violence don’t count against the CBT.

       Let’s look at it this way. Blake Treinen is being paid $8M. It’s reasonable to offer Kenley $10M which is half of what he made last year. If you cut Kelly and let Knebel move on you save another $13M. You can resign Kersh for about half of what he made last year saving probably another $17M. Letting Taylor walk nets you $8M. All of this adds up to nearly $50M and that doesn’t count any reduction for Bauer’s suspension. Duffy, Nelson, Scherzer and Hammels accounted for around $18M of last year’s salary and maybe you can dump half of Price’s salary netting another $8M.

       All of this adds up to around $75M that you can spend on Seager or Bryant and 1 additional SP and a couple of bench pieces in addition to retaining Kershaw and Kenley. Kahnle takes Knebels place in the pen and Lux takes over for CT3 as the SuperU and the team is still better than the team we started with last year. Of course some of the savings will have to go to Urias, Turner, Bueller arbitration raises, but Cody shouldn’t get much, if any raise and the others on the roster are pre-arb.

       Any refund you get from Bauer’s suspension is gravy as long as he can pitch at the end of the year.

       I would think the Bauer situation should be settled before free agent signings begin. I don’t think they’ve ever taken this long and I’m sure it isn’t sitting well with the Players Union. That isn’t to say that I don’t think that Manfred will continue to screw the Dodgers, but I don’t think it’s likely that it will cuff AF’s hands.

       1. I agree with you that a player suspended without salary certainly wouldn’t count against the CBT but so far he’s drawing a salary and that does count. I absolutely expect a decision from MLB within a week of the end of the WS, although I have no clue what that decision will be.

          I’m OK with most of your player decisions except for CT3. I want to keep him and I’m not OK with subbing Lux in that role. First of all one is right handed and the other lefty. Secondly, I really think Lux would do better playing one position than moving all around the diamond, at least until he firmly establishes himself as a hitter. Let him concentrate on one thing at a time. To me CT3 is one of our more valuable players because of his versatility. I don’t think you can just appoint Lux as his successor and expect that to go smoothly. It might, but I don’t think you can formulate your roster counting on it.

          I think it was you who mentioned Solano earlier. I would love to get him back (was previously in our farm system). He’s a guy who can come off the bench, play a few positions, and hit for you. If he was on our bench instead of Burns/Souza in the Braves series, we might very well still be playing now.

       2. I heard PETA is trying to cancel Bullpen. I wish them luck.

          1. they are also trying to cancel fauxci

             1. Unrelated. And a passive aggressive low blow.

          2. Suck it up Yankee …… it is related due to both peta & cancelling sheeyit. it is what they do.

             1. It was clearly a snipe at Fauci. It’s political and you should be BANNED!

                Cancel flipper!

                Ok, sorry. I’ll take my medicine and try to calm down.

                By the way. I was serious about that bullpen thing.

             2. It was MEDICAL :-).
                So you don’t like the name bullpen? Or you wish them luck w/their stupid post to MLB w/ tongue in cheek?
                cheers

          3. Really, I heard they were trying to cancel Badger. See how that works?

             I belong to the less know PETA. People for the Eating of Tasty Animals. They won’t cancel me, I’m a lifetime member.

          4. Yes they are. They want MLB to quit calling the area pitchers warm up the bull pen. I am sorry, that is carrying this crap too far.

14. Carlos Correia… FREAKIN’ CARLOS CORREIA??? I think I’m gonna be sick…

    I can’t see that happening. Not because he is not a great choice for the position but because… well, the fans would not be happy. Heck, Belly would not be happy. It would feel like a betrayal. The dude is a cheater. ☺

    1. Keep in mind the biggest sports axiom of all.

       It’s OK to cheat. It’s just not OK to get caught at it.

15. I wonder if this means fans in some cities would rather have the world hit by an asteroid than sign Corey Seager?

    https://www.republicworld.com/sports-news/other-sports/most-hated-mlb-teams-dodgers-yankees-and-astros-lead-the-way-according-to-twitter-map.html

16. Dave Roberts gave an interview recently reported in an article by Barry Bloom of Sportico:
    “When Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced he was going with a reliever instead of 20-game winner Julio Urias to open Game 5 of a National League Division Series earlier this month in San Francisco, he said the decision wasn’t his, but rather came down from the “tippy-top” of the organization. The very tippy-top,” Roberts responded.

    Roberts said he has a seat at the table when those kinds of decisions are made, but that’s all.

    “I do not get more than one vote,” he said. “No, I don’t. I don’t.”

    Dodgers fans tend to blame Roberts for moves that are dictated by the front office. It’s the same with Aaron Boone and the Yankees, Gabe Kapler and the Giants, and whoever’s in the managing seat of the San Diego Padres, just to name a few.

    When St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball ops John Mozeliak recently fired manager Mike Schildt for “philosophical differences,” that was code for saying Schildt didn’t want to implement what Mozeliak wanted him to do.

    But the Dodgers baseball ops, led by president Andrew Freeman, dealt Roberts a bad hand this October. Analytics-driven tactical decisions turned too cute by half this postseason.

    Interesting

    1. I’ve actually tried to watch both WS games but I just can get engaged. And both were not close or interesting.
       If B&P watched last night he would have seen a play by the Braves that spoke to our earlier conversation about defensive metrics and how easy it is to get charged with and an undeserved error by the official scorer. Astros on 2nd and 1st, base hit to left. Riley at 3rd became the cut guy to home and Swanson was caught in short left. Nobody covering 3rd base. For my money, Riley has to stay at 3rd and let Freeman be the cut guy. He didn’t. So the runner from 2nd scored without a play and Rosaro’s throw from left justifiably was to 3rd base. Where no one was covering the bag. Rosario gets tagged with an error for a perfect throw to and uncovered base. To make matters worse, Fried was standing in the infield watch the game and no backing up anything. Sure enough, the throw rolled around foul territory and allowed the 2nd run to score from 1st base. My pet peeve is a Pitcher too damn last to back up a base. Piss poor defensive play on a number of levels. I turned the game off a short time later.
       * Am I seeing more attempts especially by the Asstros to intentionally beat the swift. I’d love to see the players adjust to avoid a shift rule. This might change everything.
       * So I’m seeing a lot of names mentioned as Dodger pitchers but it seems mostly projected as relievers. It’s obvious that we need starting pitching. Some thought we had plenty going into this season only to lose them as the season wore on. You never have enough pitching.
       We have 3 starters in my opinion and one, Max maybe elsewhere. CK’ status is unknown. I’m not a Gonsolin fan and see him in the pen. I’d do all I could to get rid of the mysterious David Price and his boat anchor contract, despite is not having to pick up the full tab. May will hopefully be back mid-season.
       So who are the starters??? Anyone from the existing pen? Who between the youngsters can help NEXT spring.
       * Maybe starters become extinct and teams carry 13 pitchers who never pass 3 innings and you pitch 6 guys a game, all in 1 or 2 inning stints. No starting pitching. No big money. starters. Every day is a bullpen day. Is that were the game is headed?
       * I would see like to see a six-man rotation considered if we can find enough starters. I would try this considered at least through the All-Star Break. Instead of building up pitch counts and inning throughout the season, we limit every thing and keep guys from being extended like we suffered this year. It’s now, Less is More with pitchers as an expected start is 4 innings and the counts down to 80.
       Maybe the breakdown was due to 162 games and not 60. But with today’s handling of pitching everything is on the table for consideration.
       Where’s our starting pitching?

       1. I find it hard to believe that Bauer will get a year in addition to the half year he already served. There is no precedent for more than a year, so maybe Bluto has some inside information or its an emotional plea. Yes, there is a precedent to apply time spent on Administrative leave towards to final suspension and with half a season’s worth of Administrative leave already accrued, he’s got money in the bank as far as suspension days go.

          So, Bueller, Urias, Bauer and May at the end of the season. But, you might not get there if you have to fill out the rotation with internal options such as Price, White, Gonsolin and Jackson. Kershaw coming back seems like a no brainer and he seems to be able to handle the first half of the season pretty well. If not Kershaw, you’ll have to get a couple of arms and use one of the internal options as a fifth starter. I suggested Duffy and Ray from the left side. Scherzer, Gausman, Stroman and Thor work for me from the right side. Andrew is probably looking into bringing Anderson and Woody back. Ouch!

          I can see a case where Pepiot or Miller would make their debuts next year, but not at the start of the season and not to be depended on at the end of the season.

17. Good afternoon all. Spirited conversation here this fine day. That is why I love this site. A couple of things. The Dodgers won in 2020 because their vaunted depth contributed almost every game. In 2021, that depth was minus some of it’s more consistent contributors. They were replaced by Reks, Raley and a cast of 1000’s. None of whom could hit water if they fell out of a boat. The only in season pickups who performed well at all were Scherzer, Turner and Pujols. And whether anyone wants to admit it or not, the injuries played a major role in the later part of the year. The Braves don’t beat the Dodgers at full strength. So you can gripe about Roberts choices, but they were limited because of injurie. Whether they come down from the front office or are made on the bench in the heat of the moment, they were made and we have seen the results. As for Correa, I dislike the guy. I find him to be about as arogant as Machado. But he is a hell of a ballplayer. That being said, I do not want him on the Dodgers. But as much as the fans dislike the guy, I am not all that certain he likes the Dodgers very much. He certainly has shown his disdain for the organization and some of our players. Can you imagine Kelly and Correa as team mates?
    My take on our free agents is that if they want to be in LA, they will resign. If they are looking for money, they will get it from someone. That is the way these things work out in this day and age. I would love to see the team keep Scherzer and Kersh. Seager and Taylor also. But I know that is probably not what is going to transpire. Until the new CBA is in place, anything anyone says is pure speculation. I think there are probably some players in the minors who will make the leap this season. How much they contribute is the question we have no answer to. There is a lot of versatility on the team. That is how they look at the value of the players they target in this era. Look at Ruf. The Dodgers had him for about a week and let him go. He was mainly a catcher then. He went to Asia and rebuilt his career. He became on of the Giants go to guys off of the bench and not by playing catcher. He was in the outfield and played some first base. And he provided significant pop from the right side. There are lots of players like that out there. But you never know what you will be getting from them. Players rebounding from bad seasons can contribute too. Pollock has been relatively healthy the past two seasons. Prior to that, most fans disliked the signing immensely. But at times this season, AJ was their best hitter. I have no clue what AF has in mind to retool this team. Retool, not rebuild like the Cubs and Nationals are being forced to do. LA will keep just retooling every year. That is the way AF does things. By the way, my favorite pizza is Canadian bacon and pineapple.

    1. I think B&P just popped a vein in his forehead. 🙂

       1. I would not be surprised. For many years it was Pepperoni. Then I really got hooked on BBQ chicken pizza. Here in Canon City we have a pizza place called Papa Murphy’s. They make a cheeseburger pizza that is killer good. They make the pizza, you take it home and bake it in your oven.

          1. https://www.salsfamousindy.com/

             Had a company outing there last night!

             1. They serve a pizza with pineapple on it.

          2. No Papa Murphy’s for pb+. And their stuff is pretty decent, but had an incredibly rude and disappointing experience at the one here locally a couple years ago. Not ever getting my money again. And now we mostly do homemade & it is worlds better.

             1. I get it. But the one here is really decent.

    2. OldBear being racist to two groups of people on one pizza. Way to go for the twin killing Bear.

       1. I am in no way racist simply because I happen to enjoy pineapple and Canadian Bacon on my pizza. I have a great Italian fiend, John Tamborrini, former silver star winner and country musician who gives me grief about it. But being of German decent, along with Dutch, Irish and English, I ignore him.

18. I think it is very very easy for Dodger fans to hate Carlos Correa, because of the cheating scandal, but Carlos stood up for his teammates, he had their backs. He is no snitch and has become the team leader. Carlos is one of the best leaders in MLB and he will get even better. The Dodgers do not have a player with the leadership mentality of Carlos Correa. Not JT, Not Mookie, Not Corey, Not Will, Not Cody!

    Read this article and tell me you still want an asteroid to hit the planet!

    https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32481662/world-series-2021-why-houston-astros-shortstop-carlos-correa-made-october

19. Pineapple on Pizza is considered obscene in 22 countries!

    Additionally, I identify as a Black, Indian, Female, WNBA Player.

    1. Wow, you have some issues. Betts, Muncy and Pollock up for Gold Gloves. Twins hired David Popkins to be their hitting coach. He was a Dodger minor league hitting coach. Estevez is one of his boys. I consider the 22 countries who think pineapple pizza is obscene to be missing out on some really good pizza! I identify as a Dodger loving, German-Irish-Dutch and English war mongering ex Californian veteran. And I definitely have issues. LOL Oh, and I do not care if Correa is a stand up guy. I still never want to see him in Dodger Blue. Besides, he would not be able to wear his # 1 uni. That is reserved for Pee Wee.

    2. 22 countries? That means close to 90% of the world is ok with pineapple on pizza. Some consider that a majority.

       1. Words matter, and baseball ‘bullpens’ devalue talented players and mock the misery of sensitive animals,” says PETA’s Tracy Reiman. “PETA encourages Major League Baseball coaches, announcers, players, and fans to changeup their language and embrace the ‘arm barn’ instead.”

          1. I like “the arm barn.”

             A friend sent that to me and I was wondering if it was serious or just a goof.

       2. And 99% of the counties don’t give a crap about the Tomahawk chop!

    3. But are you identifying as a FEMALE wnba player?

20. Siemens just switched agency’s. He is now a Scott Bora client.

21. I think we will be “good but not great. ” Odds-on favorite means less than even money, like 4-5. And if the Dodgers lose Seager , I would not see them as better than 5-1, although the betting public loves to bet on them. Now, if we replaced Seager with a really good shortstop, fine, but if we just figure that Turner can play there fora year, we are gong to see the dropoff, not to mention even less depth.

    Who are players we can be fairly confident will be good next year ? Betts. Smith. Muncy, assuming he is fine. I am not a big Pollock fan, but he will be out there again. Bellinger we have no real idea about. I think he hit about .240 i the second half of .2019, .240 or so in .2020, and .165 in the regular season this last year. Justin Turner has really slowed down, misses substantial time, and hit about .100 in September. We do not have much of a bench, either

    In pitching, if we do lose Scherzer, we have very little high-level starting pitching. Buehler and Urias. Kershaw is a major question mark, and his speed had substantially declined before he went out. I would never count on him, as much as we admire him for his career..

    Gonsolin has shown very little. So we are going to count on minor leaguers? How good were Kershaw or Buehler or Uirias n their rookie seasons? And some minor leaguers do not work out. And May won’t even be ready into July, and probably will not help. So we’ve got Buehler and Urias…and we had better somehow find two very good starters to go with them, or we won’t even make the playoffs. Can you imagine 100 bullpen games?

    I would sign Knelbel, I like him even with his history of injuries. Our bullpen could be good, but will get overused. Urias usually does not go over five or so innings per game.

    If we sign Seager, then we have our nucleus, and Betts and Seager for years, hopefully Smith. Lose him, and we are missing a major cog, plus he goes to another team, as does Scherzer. Scherzer is important to us right now, more than we might think. Right now ,and of course there many uncertainties. I would figure that there will be at least five teams better. Braves, Yankees if they get Seager, Rays, Astros, maybe Cards, maybe even Mets if their key players are healthy, and they pick up another key pitcher. The Giants were so impressive this year, and they may well surprise again, and make some major pickups. This last season may have been our best chance to win a title than we will have in the next five years. You can’t afford to blow games that we have just about won in the playoffs, and then figure that we will turn around and win next year.

    1. Way off William. Bellinger hit .263 the second half of 2019. And remember, it was his 3rd season in the majors. In 2020, there was no second half. In July’s 8 games he hit .139. In August he hit .255. In September and October he hit .267. He had all of his 12 HR’s in the last 2 months plus October. He had a great NLCS or WS, but his defense was superior, and he had 3 HR’s in those series. And remember, he had a bad shoulder. You cannot compare this season to any of his other years. It is an anomaly. He was injured and missed 67 games. And his performance was hampered an awful lot because of his shoulder surgery and the fact he had other injuries too. He missed half of spring training. But, this post season, he was 12-39. He had a huge HR and 7 RBI’s. I have every confidence that Bellinger will be closer to the player he was in 2019 than the player he has been this year. Also, there were 162 bullpen games in LA this season. Not one single starter pitched a complete game. Those do not happen anymore.

22. Oh, and I have not watched one pitch of the WS, and will not. And I have made up a new rule: that if a Wild Card team wins six or more games than a division winner, i gets the home field advantage if they play. Think it’s exciting to let a team in a weak division which won 88 games, get the home field over a team which won 106?

23. We should be talking about our exploits in the WS.

    #stillgutted

    1. W! What about calling us Yanks. Are you insulting us when you do?

       As for talking exploits, that was so last year.

24. I have always loved the World Series. I might watch less innings when the Dodgers are not in it but I always watch at least 50% of the innings. It sounds a little crybabyish to not watch th World Series if it is because the Astros are in it or because the Dodgers are not in it.

    I think Corea is a very very good ball player and team leader. I prefer he is not a Dodger though.

    1. I respect your opinion there Bum. But I do not think Dodger fans are being babyish for not watching the series. Why should we support the Astro’s by watching? I could care less about Atlanta. Talk about crybaby’s, Correa is one of those. Bob Melvin hired to manage the Padres in a stunning development. They have a manager now who knows baseball.

    2. Bums,

       I prefer he is not a Dodger though.

       I could call that crybabyish!

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