Right about now, lots of Dodger fans are in PPM. That stands for Pure Panic Mode!
- They think that Cody Bellinger is a bust and will strike out 700 times this season.
- They are worried about Craig Kimbrel who sports a 72.00 ERA. Let me assure them: Craig Kimbrel has never had an ERA above 6.53 – there that should make you feel a lot better!
- They worry about Max Muncy, who is hitting just .158 – “Is his elbow OK?”
- Justin Turner is hitting .174 – “Is he drawing Social Security now?”
- Chris Taylor isn’t hitting his weight.
- Mookie Betts is hitting .071 and there is still speculation about his bum hip.
- Hanser Alberto (shouldn’t his name be Alberto Hanser? Isn’t that backward?) is not earning his pay.
- Tony Gonsolin has a 6.75 ERA.
- Andrew Heaney sports a 16.88 ERA.
- Blake Treinen’s ERA is 9.00 – the same as Mitch White.
- Reyes Moronta’s ERA is the same as his weight – 8.10.
- Bickford, Ferguson, Duffy, and Kahnle are still not ready to pitch.
OK, My God! The Dodgers are doomed! They will not win a game this year. 0-162! At least they will get a high draft pick! Tyler Anderson has been the Ace of the staff this Spring with a 1.29 ERA.
There is ample reason to be worried… if that is your thing! It’s not mine! For a team like the Dodgers Spring Training is a thing you just do. The stats don’t matter… for the most part. Wins and losses don’t matter! Alex Vesia’s 12.27 ERA won’t keep him from making the team… but his health or mechanics could. Right or wrong, the Dodgers are ramping up slowly. I am sure that David Price could have pitched more than one inning, but he didn’t! Tonight, the sense of urgency will elevate a little. The adrenaline level will go up. The intensity will increase… and by Opening Day, the Boys in Blue will be ready to play.
Some say, “You can’t just flip a switch!” Yes, you can. Spring Training for the Dodgers means nothing. They are “sleepwalking” – trying to get into shape and staying healthy in the process. The hitters are trying to get their timing and that is easier for some hitters than others. Some of them may not get it for a few more weeks. Freddie Freeman seems to be someone who can get out of bed and have his timing. Others like Lux, Bellinger, Muncy, and even Betts and Turner require more time.
I think the Dodgers are opting for a slow start and a “fast and furious” finish. You can worry, but I don’t. Bobby Miller will allegedly pitch (for the first time this Spring) on Tuesday. That’s the last day of Pre-Season. You will also likely see Miguel Vargas, Andy Pages, and a few others who are already assigned to Minor League Camp because the Freeway Series (at least for the Dodgers) is not about winning – it’s about getting ready to play the season.
I think Miguel Vargas will play a lot for the Dodgers in 2022. Maybe Bobby Miller, Ryan Pepiot, and Landon Knack as well. Not everything will go as planned. There will be injuries, slumps, and strange things we have never even dreamed about, but the 2022 season is just about upon us and it should be a fun ride!
Don’t worry – be happy!
Featured Prospect: Clayton Beeter
Clayton Beeter was drafted by the Dodgers in the abbreviated 2020 Draft. Like Landon Knack, he is a 6′ 2″ 220 lbs. RHP. He was a Texas Tech Red Raider and had Tommy John Surgery after High School in Colleyville, Texas (Birdville High School) in 2017. In 2019, he was the closer for the Red Raiders as they made it to the semifinals of the College World Series. Beeter made his pro debut in 2021 and posted a 3.44 ERA between High-A Great Lakes and Double-A Tulsa, but he mostly worked as an “opener” and never threw more than 3.1 innings in an outing.
Clayton has a PLUS fastball that can hit 98 and a high spin “absolute hammer” 12-6 curveball but lacks a solid change or slider. Additionally, while he has improved his control, it is not his strong suit. Just about anyone who has watched him on a day-to-day basis agrees that he is best suited for the bullpen. Whether that is a high-leverage position or a setup man, depends upon his development. He is still working on his changeup and if he is successful in developing that and continuing his control, he could still have an opportunity as a starter.
Some scouts have referred to him as “the steal of the 2020 draft.” Time will tell, but he is certainly a very live arm whether it be in the bullpen or starting. He will likely start at Tulsa this season but could move quickly through AA to AAA.
Well I wasn’t worried about the Lakers and look what happened to them! So excited to see how all this young pitching talent plays out this year. Sure would be helpful if one of them breaks through and makes the rotation later in the year. I think we’ll need that. And please give Vargas a left fielders glove at OKC!
The Lakers are filled with over the hill vets and very few young athletic players. They have star power, but a weak defensive team. They have bowed to James’s every want, and now are paying the price. It does not help that Davis is so injury prone. Westbrook lost his mojo almost as soon as he put on that uniform.
Padres to acquire Sean Manaea from Oakland
For their #10 and #19 Prospect. The Pods also got Aaron Holiday, a 21-year-old unranked prospect.
Preller did good!
So the Pods now have a rotation of Darvish, Musgrove, Snell, Clevinger (back from TJ) and Manaea, with Paddock and Lamet as an swingmen.
Yawn. Darvish is a headcase. Musgrove had his first good year at age 28, let’s see if he can do it again. Snell has had 1 good year. Clevenger has thrown over 130 innings once and Manaea is decent, with a 92 MPH sinker as his best pitch. At times, they will be good, other times they won’t. Very overrated and none of them are Spring Chickens.
It’s sad that a few years ago, the Padres had one of the best, or best farm systems in baseball with most of their top 10 pitching prospects and have little to show for it. I guess Gore isn’t ready to save them.
You mention Mookie, and I’ll admit the sense that he doesn’t quite look like Mookie circa 2020 has crossed my mind. He never really seemed to get on track last year, and we now know he was dealing with a chronic hip issue. I’m not quite sure what that means. When you think of typical injuries baseball players suffer from – strained hammies or elbows that require TJ – these are soft tissue injuries. They are either repairable or heal on their own. When I think of chronic hip pain, I start thinking about something degenerative or structurally unsound, whether there is some sort of dysfunction that causes an impingement, or even arthritis. When Mookie looks off when at the plate I notice lots of pop ups and lazy fly balls. I noticed his early last year and I see that now.
Mookie had a down offensive year last year. It was still pretty good by league standards, but off by his standards. The stats that are a little more concerning are his year over year trends on defense and baserunning. He’s a gold glover, but his defensive stats have been trending downward even before last year, and last year he was actually a below average defender. He was a below average baserunner, too. Sure, if he’s feeling healthy this year those numbers are likely to get a bump, but it’s the year over year trend that gives me concern, especially if the Dodgers are on the hook for 11 more years.
Maybe Bellinger continues to spiral, Lux doesn’t pan out and Mookie never gets back to being 2016-2018 Mookie. Maybe Kershaw’s arm falls off and his back finally snaps like a twig. On the other hand there will probably be some pleasant surprises. Being a really good baseball team is extremely difficult and requires a bit of good fortune.
I think Andrew Friedman is creating baseball’s version of a hedge fund. Even if a few equities go sour, there is enough redundancy and positive equity that the whole machine just keeps running along. That’s not really a throw away analogy, either. I love bringing this up, but you have to remember that AF got his start on Wall Street. This is how he thinks. Accumulating talent and wins is similar to accumulating assets and positive equity.
I think, too, that the Dodgers are aware that the whole machine sputtered and ran out of gas just before the finish, and are trying to make it more resilient.
Marcel Ozuna will start the season for the Braves. They won the WS without him, and they’re only going to be better with him on the team. He’s a fantastic offensive player when he’s at his best.
When police arrived at his home in response to a domestic violence call, they actually observed him grabbing his wife by the neck and throwing her against a wall. In their report they noted visible facial injuries. He was initially charged with a felony battery which the prosecutor downgraded to misdemeanor. Manfred handed down a 16 game suspension that was waived due to “time served” for his 20 game stint on administrative leave.
The Pasadena DA refused to even press charges in Bauer’s case. The ONLY reason this continues is because it’s a PR issue and not exclusively a domestic violence issue. Bauer was hated before this even happened. He was hated because of some tweets he made that people objected to. If he gets a lengthy suspension, or even never plays again, it will be because a relatively small, vocal minority of angry, politically obsessed people make enough noise to make it happen.
I’m no expert, but watching that Beeter video, it looks like he telegraphs that curve with his body language and arm motion.
I want to confess something: I hate the SD team… And yet (and it bothers me to say it) I think and it seems that now they have a better rotation than LA, and not only them, several teams seem to have a better rotation, of course this is not including Bauer, but if he comes back, or when he comes back, then things change and LA will have one of the best rotations…. But today is not that day!
Congratulations Jorge. I know that wasn’t easy for you. Go read B&P’s analysis of the SD rotation up above and maybe you’ll feel a little better.
And by the way, thanks for admitting that you hate the Pads. I’m sure that was a big shock to all of us. 🙂
Not a lot to unpack here. This is a super team that the powers at be decided to slow walk during Spring Training, so they aren’t looking particularly ready by opening day.
Lux started slow in April last year, had a great May by middle infield standards while filling in for Seager. Then he got hurt, and sucked until September when he finally started looking like all the hype. He’ll eventually figure it out.
Belli is a mess again this Spring. His timing is crap and haven’t hit many balls on the barrel. He could turn into the next Joc Pederson, but he won’t be as bad as last year. No need to replace him with Pillar.
Muncy is probably going to have a slow start due to injury recovery and CT3 might have a slow start as well.
The rest of the lineup should be able to hold things down. Last year was seems like it was Mookie’s floor. He will get going eventually. Freddie is a stud, all the time. Trea looks ready. Smith will be good to great. JT will hit as he always does.
I’m not concerned about the season as a whole, but I am concerned about the start of the season. It may take a couple of weeks to get this machine moving. There’s been very little game action, especially from the starting pitchers. Bueller and Urias will be better than any of the Padres pitchers and Clayton is looking very good, but will ultimately wind up on the IL at some point. Hopefully someone will be ready to catch him when he falls. Gonsolin at worst is Manaea. A guy that can throw 160 -180 quality innings if he can stay healthy. The big wild card is Bauer as it’s been all year. Again, the Dodgers prioritizing a closer over a starter tells me they have an idea of what the outcome is going to be. If you still think he’ll be traded, you’re probably really bad at poker.
People might be wondering why the Dodgers didn’t go after Manaea. Probably because they think a guy like Andre Jackson has more upside. His stuff is certainly better and he’s 4 years younger and he’s not even on the radar of going into the rotation right now. Hell, Andrew Heaney has better pure stuff.
The Dodgers did the right thing here. Wait it out for Montas, possibly at the deadline. We’ve got plenty of guys to try out before then. I’m really intrigued by Beau Burrows. But, I’ve only seen those two Spring innings.
Agree with 99% of what you say here, especially the Bauer angle.
My one disagreement is on Manaea-Gonsolin. I think Gonsolin at his best is superior to Manaea, but at his worst he’s a major shoulder injury waiting to happen. At least you know what you have with Manaea, a guy who has consistently given them 25 or more starts a year with mostly decent, although hardly spectacular results. Jackson may also have a better career than Manea, some day, but he hasn’t proven himself yet.
I’m not crying because Andrew didn’t go after him, but I also would have been happy to give Manaea Heaney’s spot in the rotation. Of course, Bauer would be a vast improvement over both of those alternatives.
Good stuff BullPen. I dread a very slow and poor start. Some folks preach “no bid deal” reporting stuff like “it’s early” (it is for everybody), no need to panic (it’s not panic), it’s a long season, everybody is going to lose 55 games. We’ve all heard all the excuses and rationalizations. I prefer a little more diligence the first months.
Need I remind folks the we won 106 games last season but the Giants won 107. We busted our asses down the stretch to catch those guys, perhaps costing us later against Atlanta? Any one of the games we pissed away early could have made the difference.
So the Pads managed to get Manaea for two pretty low rated prospects. Mark says #10 and 19 and I saw another site that had them rated #12 and 26. And keep in mind that the SD system is not rated all that highly any more.
We could probably have gotten Manaea for our # 18 and 30. Why didn’t Andrew try to do that? Maybe because he knows he’s getting Bauer back by the end of the month and plans to keep him. Or maybe he already has a trade lined up which will bring back another starter who would slot into our #4 spot.
Or maybe Andrew just slept in late today………………………………………..but I doubt that.
It was 10 and #19 according to Baseball America, which is (in my opinion) THE BIBLE ON PROSPECTS… if only by sheer volume!
The Dodgers are over the LUX TAX CAP and I think AF knows Bauer will be back.
I also think he will not be traded. I think anyone arguing against Bauer being on the team would be embarrassed by the lack of a cogent argument that included ONLY facts.
It is an emotional reaction!
This has nothing to do with the ST.
Players that I think will regress because their stuff just doesn’t match the tremendous year they had, it’s not sustainable:
Alex Vesia: in 2021 it looked like J. Hader, it is not.
J. Bruihl: Possibly ends up in OKC or gets traded during the year.
J. Turner: He’s going to contribute well and be useful but not at the 2021 level, he’s melting away, age is unforgiving.
Now the players who will step forward and be better than in 2021, here, unlike the previous players, their things are good and do not correspond to the performance they had:
VGon: He has just admitted that after becoming the WS champion he lost the floor and did not prepare well, he arrived overweight and that caused an injury to his knee and feet, he was never healthy in 2021, now he advises the young people to prepare and not take anything for granted, now he is 100% and you can see that from the moon.
B. Graterol: sometimes you forget his age, you forget that he is still a child, he will continue to improve.
CT3: great first half and then crashed, now we know he played injured and had surgery out of season to correct his problem.
Bellinger: You can’t sink any lower.
E.Ríos: now he is healthy and it will be important, he is going to contribute.
Betts: He’s also healthy and we’ll see something very similar to his best version.
G. Lux: I won’t say anything about him, just sit back and watch, he’ll be fine.
Re: Howser Alberto’s name — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl0HqlbX7dc
That was hysterical. Elton John did a great job playing it straight.
John Elton! Big fan.
Joc had some pretty good years in LA. He had 3 seasons where his OPS was in the mid to high .800’s. We can only wish that Bellinger would be that productive this year. And Joctober was a treat to watch. I miss him
Pederson is a career .232 hitter with a flare for the dramatic. His career OPS is .794. He would be great as a DH part time, his fielding is not what it once was. Bellinger is a career .257 hitter, his career OPS is .857. His career WAR is six points higher. I don’t miss Joc that much.
Today’s version of Bellinger is not the “career” one. We’ll just have to agree that we disagree about Bellinger and Lux. Hopefully we’re both wrong.
How do you know? Just because he is not making contact and is still trying to find it after an injury riddled year. Like his coaches have said, he is adjusting to the fact that his shoulder is stronger than it has been in three years. It takes some time to find a comfort level after that kind of thing. I know, I have had shoulder problems for years. I trust the players instincts and knowledge of his own body. Have a little faith that a player with that much talent can get to the level he was at before. The guy is still young. He is just 26. Lux is another animal all together. He has not suffered a major injury. He is still nothing more than a prospect until he does it daily in the majors. I hope he finds his mojo. I am not worried about Bellinger yet. If he tanks for a month, yeah, then I will say he needs to go down.
Disagree. As do some sportswriters
Disagree all you want. Won’t change anything. Most sports writers have no clue either. None of us know where Bellinger’s confidence level in his body is at this point. If you do not trust your instincts, you can have a lot of problems. Hitting consistently is not that easy. I tend to believe in his athletic ability to make the adjustments he needs to make. Hopefully it happens. I hope Lux gets his game together too.
Grumpy old bear.
Yeah, sometimes, but placing a lot of weight on the stats in a truncated spring training is just dumb. At least in my humble opinion. If Bellinger is hitting below the Mendoza line come the end of May, I will be yelling as much as anyone else that he probably needs to go to AAA to work out the kinks. Personally, I do not feel that is going to happen. At this point, I will be happy if he is hitting in the .250’s. Same way with Lux. Prove me wrong and I will be smiling with everyone else.
Like all fans, I just want my team to come out of spring training with no major losses to injury. You guys worrying about Betts are simply forgetting the fact the guy has played in 5 games and has had 14 at bats. You bet your ass his timing is off. By this time of year, he usually has 50 at bats under his belt. Guys with that much talent just do not forget how to play the game. Mookie will be fine. Betts is going to play in all three games against the Angels. And the only people bringing up his hip, are fans. He says the hip is not a problem. So take the man at his word. Kershaw looked good again yesterday. Padres rotation is impressive on paper. One would have to admit that. But lets see how they perform under the bright lights when it counts. Pillar will start the season at AAA OKC. He tweeted as much this morning. Final roster not set in stone yet, but 12 position players are locks. Freeman, the Turner boys, Bellinger, Barnes, Smith, Taylor, Alberto, Rios, Betts, Lux and Muncy.
“He says the hip is not a problem. So take the man at his word.”
Of course he would say that. That’s exactly the kind of statement someone who was hiding the fact that he had osteoarthritis of the hip that will end his career would say.
Not going to argue with you. I take people at their word. If you don’t, that is your problem. Not every player is playing spin doctor and saying what the fans want to hear.
You’re probably one of those people who actually believe Oswald acted alone and that we actually landed on the moon.
Sometimes Patch, you are just a jerk. Yeah, we landed on the moon moron.
In spite of my best efforts to add a little dry levity (some humor, in other words) into a space with the seriousness of a funeral and all the personality of an AARP meeting at the local Elks Lodge, and in spite of leaving a trail of breadcrumbs to make it known I was being tongue-in-cheek, it still sailed right over your head and to the backstop like a Nuke Laloosh fastball.
Not my fault you do not preface your remarks with a warning.
Betts saying his hip is not a problem. If his hip is fine what should he have said?
Stop trying to obfuscate.
…
… I was being facetious.
Sarcasm or serious?
The Dodgers always value swiss army knife type players. While all the movement used to drive me crazy I’ve adjusted to it for the most part. I like everyday regulars in predictable positions, who work together and can prepare properly. Bench players provide days off and pinch hitting and minimal platooning. But the Dodgers love the super-subs like Kike, CT3.
But I find it odd for a team so successful that there has been such a revolving door at 2nd base. Since 2018, the Dodgers have had 18 different players start at 2nd base. Last year Lux seemed to have the job only to lose it. Many hope he’s the answer this year to put this to bed.
But Muncy’s bat needs to be in the line up and he’s played 155 games for the Dodgers at 2nd. I think he’s adequate there defensively to make routine plays. He has limited range but he’s also helped against left-handed hitters with the Dodgers propensity to over-shift. (at least for this season) Trea has range, as well as Freeman, to cut down on the ground Muncy needs to cover.
Our history at 2nd is interesting:
In 2018, 8 guys player 2nd, led by Dozier at 40, Forsyth 39, Utley 35, Kike 22 and Muncy 13. Barnes, CT3 and Valero accounted for 14 starts.
In 2019, 7 guys tried 2nd base. Muncy led the pack at 62 starts, than Kike 53, Lux 19, CT3 13 with Gyrko and Negron with 5 starts.
2020 was obviously only 60 games. Kike led in starts at 2nd with 22, Lux 15, CT3 11, Muncy 11 with Betts getting 1 start and Mckinstry subbing.
2021 had 9 guys starting at 2nd, led by Trea Turner with 48, CT3 33, Muncy 31 and Lux with 26. 5 other guys got less than 8 starts there; Mckinstry 5, Neuse 7, Betts 5, Burns 2 with Barnes as a sub.
Now the Dodgers have questions again at 2nd. Is it Lux getting another shot with question about yips? Or is he going to be a leftfielder? Muncy, who’s my pick if healthy, leaving Doc with more options at DH. Is it CT3 who hits lefties way better? Hanser Alberto who was brought in to be a utility guy who’s a career (12 seasons) .276 hitter but .333 against lefties. Is Eddy Alvarez still in the running? A long-shot who may be the poster-boy for success not being linear. 8 pro seasons with 36 total games in the Big Leagues hitting 188 (.077 against lefties) He’s had a nice spring surrounded by guys with not so nice springs.
Or are we distined to watch Doc play musical 2nd basemen all season?
So how is it that since 2018 the most starts at 2nd base for 162 game season is Kike with 63? I would expect a franchise like the Dodgers to have an everyday 2nd baseman with 120 plus starts per season. Is it lack of a guy grabbing the opportunity? Is it Doc using the position to get guys PT or a try out, as he has done in Septembers to my chagrin. I’m open to explanations. But I know I’d love to see this spot secured.
Second base has become what 3rd base used to be for the Dodgers.
The shift and the Utley rule has changed what is needed defensively at second base. Still, I like speed and agility at second and Lux does that. He is the guy that should get the chance to own it as long as Muncy can now play DH. The last thing we want is to repeat losing Sax and screwing around with another Reed/Martinez type fiasco.
Ultimately, the lack of a decent 2nd baseman led to trading Pedro for Delino. One of the worst trades in baseball history.
This was an incredibly weird spring.
I have no idea what any of it means.
On paper, the Dodgers are very good.
All the computers and gamblers say the Dodgers are the favorites to take it all.
Play ball.
I stopped by the Dodger Team Shop to see if they had any of those horseshit mesh caps left over for about a buck ninety nine. I want to give them to the homeless. They said they had plenty but they plan to cut them up to make fish nets. I suspect the poor fish don’t want to get themselves caught in them either.
I wear mine all the time. It’s very comfortable and has an air conditioner type feel to them. You should pick one up for those hot Arizona summer nights.
It’s my go to “bike ride hat” now. I just got electric bikes for me and wifey about a month ago and love them. We spend several hours at a time on them. Nice to now have a sweaty had afterwards.
I’d suggest a nice, colorful vented helmet. ♂️
Confirmed Lineup Vs Angels tonight:
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
DH Max Muncy L
3B J. Turner R
CF C. Bellinger L
LF Chris Taylor R
1B Edwin Rios L
2B Gavin Lux L
C A. Barnes R
SP Walker Buehler R
Oh well….I’d much rather have Manaea than the combo of Heaney and Anderson. And the price the Padres paid didn’t seem steep. Bob Melvin, who managed Manaea with the A’s, is raving about what a great teammate his new SP is .So congrats, Padres. Now the question is whether the Pads will trade from SP depth…
I wonder whether Montaz is still on the market. He’d have a higher price than Manaea because he’s younger and still under team control for a couple of years. Montaz was excellent last season….
If Manaea and Chapman have strong years–and why wouldn’t they?–I’ll be more ticked that AF didn’t work a blockbuster.
Frankie Montas had his career year last year. He pitched 187 innings and started 32 games. The most he had started before that was 11! He is oft-injured and I am very wary of him.
Well … I admit that I do find recent stats more interesting than old ones. To me it suggests that somebody has figured something out. (I like Koufax’s late stats more than his early ones.) … Can Belli figure out what went wrong?
FWIW, Montas was third in AL IP in 2021, behind only Ray and Berrios. Manaea was 8th. So two guys whose performance and durability were on display. This year? Who knows? But I’d be shocked it Heaney turns out better.
Not worried about Buhler, somewhat concerned about Kimbrell…. At any rate, hat’s off to Syndergard, Ohtani, Rendon and even Taylor Ward tonight. Can Thor and Rendon help lift Trout, Ohtani and Company to an October Freeway Series?
Gavin Freaking Lux!
😉
Walker Buehler’s current spring ERA: 7.94.
Walker Buehler’s ERA last spring: 7.94.
Buehler’s ERA last season: 2.47.
Regardless, he’s no better than old man Kimbril. Upton him.
WARNING
I knew that we should never have left Vero Beach!
Buehler lost it after Taylor just missed catching that ball hit to the gap in the first inning. Good thing is, it is only a spring game. But I saw him let something like that affect him last season more than once. If he is going to be the Ace of the staff, he is going to have to control that emotion after he makes a bad pitch, or a bad play is made behind him. None of the Angels 3 dingers were cheapies. Starting to get things ready to head to LA.
I whiffed on a prediction, I thought for sure that Jake Lamb was going to make the team. Whoops. He was sent to AAA OKC on Sunday. So it looks like the 12 position players will be Rios, Bellinger, the Turner boys, Muncy, Taylor, Freeman, Barnes, Smith, Alberto, Lux and Betts. If they do carry 13 position players instead of 12, it might be Pillar or one of the rookies like Alvarez. The suspense is killing me.