Should We Worry About Striker Buehler?

This article has 78 Comments

1. I’d like to see Buehler throw his change up more often. I know last year he and Bauer had a running bet who could get more K’s with it and he got several K’s with the change up. Looked like a great pitch to me. Maybe it’s the thin air in Colorado and he didn’t have confidence in it but that could be a devastating pitch for him especially against lefties. It’s also the key pitch for Julio. He’s at his best when his change up is working for him. It’s only been 2 games but it already feels like the Angels have been eliminated from the playoffs! Talk about not being able to put a bullpen together! What a waste of Ohtani and Trout!

   1. Coors is not a good place for offspeed or breaking pitches. But he threw it a couple times.

2. Thanks for the link to Jeff’s new site. Will you be adding it to your dashboard?

   1. Yes, I gave the new design to my Web Guys last week, but they are super busy. I have been in Florida all week, so I will push them next week! 😉 What I generally have to do, is give one a $100 bill and tell him to get it done that day!

      I am making several changes and adding some really cool links (deleting some others, as well).

      1. I am going to keep working on some more posts. I think there are four or five in the que. When you get a chance, email me B&P’s contact info. We are going to get together when I am in Cali.

3. Greetings fellows, hope you had a great off season and are in good health. A few observations:
   1. Cody is still Cody…like last year, I don’t expect much from him except defense
   2. I hated to trade AJ for Kimbral. I think the latter is declining, although I hope he proves me wrong. I understand we needed to pick up a closer after we lost two studs
   3. I hate not having Bauer as one of our starters. Heck, Deshaun Watson was coveted by 10 teams in the NFL, yet Trevor is a plague in MLB.
   4. I wish Freddie had returned to Atl. He belongs there.
   5. I hated losing Seager, but I understand he had to leave with that contract he was offered.
   6. I think SP, without Bauer, and possibly The BP, without Jansen and Knebel, will again be our weakness that may prevent us from winning it all this year. Of course, we have plenty of time to acquire better pieces.

   It’s a long season so no need to fret much in April. Besides, the NFL draft is right around the corner. Go NY Giants.

   TM

   1. I think I’ll go to NY this fall for the Bears at Giants, or Beats at Jets, since we play both in NY.

      I’m guessing Jets tic are much cheaper since they’re the 2nd class team in NY?

      1. Weird, you play both in NY. I rooted hard for your boys to lose every game last year. This year I don’t care….win them all, especially against Mr Rodgers.

         Oh By the way, thanks for trading us your #1 pick for this year (#7 overall). It makes for a much more exciting preseason for me and Giant fans…having two picks in the top 7. I hope you are happy with your QB. Don’t base your happiness on one season…it takes time you know.

         TM

      2. Beats? Cause they are so bad?

   2. I think Kimbrel is as good if not a better option than Kenley. More career saves, and his fastball has not lost much. That double he gave up to Blackmon to score a run in the ninth was on a inside pitch most hitters could not hit. Bellinger looked over anxious yesterday, and I keep telling guys, you CANNOT COMPARE BELLINGER’S LAST SEASON WITH WHAT HE IS DOING NOW. He was injured. He was recovering from surgery. He never found his swing until late in the year. He hit well over 300 in the playoffs when they needed him most. So give the guy more than just one game before you send him to AAA. It is like worrying about Buehler’s velocity when they had a truncated spring. Bauer’s situation will be clarified soon. Hopefully by next weekend we will have some idea. If Ozuna is playing for the Braves already, and his transgression was witnessed by police, Bauer should get no suspension at all. But it will still take a little while for him to be game ready. Pollock is gone so Rios could have a roster spot since I believe they have known since as soon as the 28 man was announced that they were going to carry 15 or 16 pitchers to start the year. Knebel was good, but I would not classify him as a stud. He spent some time on the IL last year. Kahnle, is Knebel.

      1. Kahnle, is Knebel… and then there is V-Gon (hopefully), Ferguson, Duffy (July?), May (August?)… and on and on.

         1. I think V-Gones sore elbow was more due to normal arm troubles in spring. But we shall see. He looked really dialed in.

         2. He reported elbow soreness after a bullpen just before the close of spring. The 10 IL stint is precautionary. They hope he can resume throwing in a couple of weeks.

      2. Will Smith got a 10 year suspension from attending OSCAR awards ceremonies. Slaps are bad.

         1. That is not Will Smith of the Dodgers… you do know that, don’t you? 😉

            1. Our Will is not a slap hitter.

      3. As usual, a great rebuttal OB…..

         If we get Bauer back I will feel 50% better about our chances this year. He is an innings eater who seems to stay healthy.

         As for Cody, I will give you that he played hurt last year and did improve in the playoffs. And you are right, I shouldn’t be so quick to judge him based on one game AND PRESEASON (in which he stunk). So I will try to keep quiet about him and find someone else to kick around.

         Do you think RIOS can be a player in the bigs? I’m not so sure. I know he didn’t bat many times last year, but when you bat .078, it kind of leaves a bad impression.

         TM

         1. He too was hurt. I think his power plays big time. He is going to get his chances. His shoulder was hurting him last season also. Give the guy some reps. I think he will hit some shots that will make your jaw drop. Checked out Jeff’s site. It is going to be a good place to go for info. Jeff is a good writer..

         2. He had 51 ABs last year but was injured all season.

            He had 28 AB’s this Spring and hit .292 with a 1.110 OPS.

            … and he has Light Tower Power!

            1. I feel better already…..that’s why I come here….so you guys can pump me up and give me a different perspective. Well done…..

               TM

            2. High hopes for Rios. He was obviously damaged last season, but the season before that he showed his great power potential. And of course he had a great spring.
               Everything I’ve read about Rios suggests that he is a hard worker who is fully recovered and is committed to improving on offense and defense. The fact that he made the OD roster ahead of veterans like Lamb and Pillar tells me the Dodger brass have faith in Rios. Also the fact that Beatty was DFA’d and traded. Interesting too that Rios wasn’t included in a trade package.
               I hope Roberts makes sure Rios gets his ABs. And just about any injury could cause a ripple effect that give Rios a bigger role. If, say, Trea Turner gets hurt, Lux could slide over to SS and Muncy could play 2B, with Rios stepping in at 3B or DH.

         3. Always have to be down on someone. I can see why you’re interested in baseball. Every single ball player goes through slump, so you always have something / someone to complain about.

            I suppose you could just concede that Bellinger was one of our best postseason performers last year and move on. But, Spring Stats and all. Forget about his rookie and MVP seasons. Focus on the injured guys not performing while injured.

            Bashing on guys in their early twenties is so easy. This game is not.

            1. Sent you an email.

   3. A hate is a terrible thing to waste.
      What’s hate got to do with it?

      Phrases that didn’t make the cut.

4. STB posted a great comment yesterday that caught my eye…

   “Kenley came in to pitch the 9th tonight with a 7-3 lead. By the time he got the last out the score was 7-6 with the tying run on first.”

   I went back to the box score and it sure wasn’t pretty. I would have thrown up in my mouth if I had watched it.
   13 cutters is a row before throwing his first sinker. 27 cutters total, most in the 90-91 mph range. His three other pitches were sinkers.

   30 pitches and 3 runs to close out a 4 run lead at home in Atlanta. I wonder what Atlanta fans are thinking?

   Kimbel didn’t have the best first outing, but one run in Colorado on 16 pitches while protecting a 3 run lead is par for the course. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t a dumpster fire and I never felt the game was in jeopardy.

   When it’s all said and done, I think we really dodged a bullet by not bringing Kenley back.

   DodgerPatch – Yesterday was a great example why FIP is nonsense. Kyle Freeland pitched 3.2 innings and gave up 5 ER on 5 hits, two walks and 6 K’s. His ERA is 12.27 after his first start, but his FIP sits at a pristine 2.32, x FIP at a very respectable 3.60. He sucked, but his FIP says otherwise. In fact, Walker Bueller’s FIP is slightly higher at 2.34 and his xFIP is pretty much even at 3.59.

   Today is Caturday, so it stands to reason that the Catman will be on the bump this evening in Colorado.

   1. I wonder if 40° temps with 20 mph winds affected Jansen last night. It certainly affected my game on the tennis court.

      1. Yeah, probably the cold weather last night and not the declining velocity on the cutter and his reluctance to use something else for the last several years.

         1. “ Always have to be down on someone.”

            You are no different BP, in fact most of us will pick on a player or two when we think he is not working out or maybe needs to be traded…..I’m pretty sure you were not always singing praises about every player throughout the entire season last year. Perhaps what gets your panties in a wad about me are that my “harsh” words are pointed toward your man-squeeze, Cody Bellinger. But I will give you this…yes for those 34 ABs in the playoffs, Cody was impressive. I will even forget his preseason games and re-jump on the Cody bandwagon if he is batting at least .250 with a moderate amount of RBIs after the first 25 games. Fair enough?

            TM

            1. Sounds like a fair deal to me.

            2. I am different TM. I don’t continually bash on the same players day in and day out, relentlessly like you do. Hearing so much negativity makes this place much worse that is should be.

               Let’s break down your numerical posts…
               1. Cody is still Cody…like last year, I don’t expect much from him except defense
               (Negative Cody Bellinger take)
               2. I hated to trade AJ for Kimbral. I think the latter is declining, although I hope he proves me wrong. I understand we needed to pick up a closer after we lost two studs
               (Second word Hate – Negative Kimbrel Take)
               3. I hate not having Bauer as one of our starters. Heck, Deshaun Watson was coveted by 10 teams in the NFL, yet Trevor is a plague in MLB.
               (Second word hate again) Although I agree, it is still a negative tone.
               4. I wish Freddie had returned to Atl. He belongs there.
               (Taking a positive and turning it into a negative) The flip side is that Freddie came home and is now playing in front of friends and family.
               5. I hated losing Seager, but I understand he had to leave with that contract he was offered.
               (Second word is hate for the third time in 5 tries) Another negative.
               6. I think SP, without Bauer, and possibly The BP, without Jansen and Knebel, will again be our weakness that may prevent us from winning it all this year. Of course, we have plenty of time to acquire better pieces.
               (Negative takes about our rotation and bullpen)

               6 points all negative the day after winning our opener on the road. Way to go TM!

               Now, go ahead and remind me of this the next time I post a minimum of 6 negative comments following a win with nothing positive to say. Because, I’m no different.

               I will even forget his preseason games and re-jump on the Cody bandwagon if he is batting at least .250 with a moderate amount of RBIs after the first 25 games. Fair enough? I’m not sure what this is. Are you offering to stop talking shit for 25 games? Yes please! Or, are you just going to shut up about him if he’s performing relatively well? Highly doubtful.

               I really don’t think you’re very fair to our young players, so there’s nothing for me to agree to. But, when you’re overly harsh, you can count on me to remind you of your delusion. Fair enough?

         2. To Jansen’s credit last year he did develop a good slider/curve and he was much better for it. He had those three awful meltdowns against the Giants after the break but other than that he was great last year

            1. Greetings again BP,
               I would like to add a rebuttal to this above post you made regarding my 6 points I originally posted early this morning:

               1. I have not been here ever since we lost the playoff game to Atlanta. So it has been quite a while. A lot has happened this off-season, and although I did not make any comments while events were unfolding, I pretty much unloaded all my comments this morning. Yesterdays game was not really on my mind because i was more interested in dumping all my off-season comments in one post. As you know, primarily these comments centered around the following preseason events, not really around any of our players, save one:

               A. Pollack trade
               B. Seager not being re-signed
               C. Bauer in continual limbo
               D. Acquiring Freddie Freeman
               E. My concerns regarding whether we have enough quality arms to win it all

               I will not apologize to you, Tom, or anyone for sharing my two cents regarding any or all of my comments regarding any of the above. I’m sorry the word “hate” was too harsh for your eyes, so I will try in the future to find softer words, such as “I was “upset” or “hurt” or “sighed.”

               So, that takes us to really only one other comment I made…and let’s be honest, it is the comment I often made last year….regarding one Cody Bellinger….the comment I’m pretty sure is the real crux with your displeasure with me.

               I am a wee bit surprised that you didn’t feel better when I said I won’t make one “negative” comment regarding Cody for 25 games, and then I will see where we are at. That seemed pretty fair to me, as well as to Mark. I’m not sure why you didn’t find this new open heart and a willingness to change my opinion refreshing, and take that to the bank.

               And I would be remiss in not adding this….the fact that I didn’t talk about any of our players in a “negative” manner, save Cody and Kimbral should tell you that I’m very pleased with the rest of our team and not too concerned (well, maybe some Rios concern, but OB allayed those concerns) with the other 26. Notice, I didn’t even show any concerns regarding Buehler. I say all this to remind you, that while I may share a few concerns I have, I usually keep to myself everything else which pretty much makes me happy and positive. Maybe I need to do more of that…..tell everyone how happy I am about Betts, Muncy, CT, Clayton, etc…..

               I’ve enjoyed this exchange,
               TM

   2. “DodgerPatch – Yesterday was a great example why FIP is nonsense. Kyle Freeland pitched 3.2 innings and gave up 5 ER on 5 hits, two walks and 6 K’s. His ERA is 12.27 after his first start, but his FIP sits at a pristine 2.32, x FIP at a very respectable 3.60. He sucked, but his FIP says otherwise. In fact, Walker Bueller’s FIP is slightly higher at 2.34 and his xFIP is pretty much even at 3.59.”

      So, to reiterate the reasons why FIP was developed as a stat and why it is useful, it strips away factors that are not only out of a pitchers control, but factors and influences that are highly variable and unstable over time. It is an attempt to make ERA consistently predictive of performance.

      You just used 3.2 innings pitched by a single pitcher to argue that a stat that has been used predictably for twenty years is “nonsense.”

      Uh … Ok.

5. You: “Now, if you are trying to compare last season’s fastball velocity to what you saw yesterday, you are being silly. ”
   I do not need to twist the words of others to make sense of an idea, this is what I said yesterday:
   DodgerHorse
   April 8, 2022 at 7:38 pm
   I am not worried about Buehler’s results, those were very good in 2021, it is obvious that he has been able to adapt to the slowdown.
   As I said in 2020 he was 97-99 touching 100 MPH and in 2021 he was 94-95 touching 96, what worries me is because at such a young age he has lost 3 mph, without any injuries, without overwork, etc, etc
   The positive thing is that in this 2022 season, which is just beginning, he is already at the speed he was in all of 2021, so there is hope that he will increase, perhaps he will recover the lost MPH.
   Buehler is one of my favorite players and I want the Buehler of 2020 to return.

   1. I wouldn’t hold my breath regarding Bueller touching 100 again. He made a concerted effort last year to pitch deeping into games, this is the byproduct. Like I said, I worried about it as well, but I’ve come to terms with it. If you want to flog a dead horse and bring it up twice a day for the rest of the season, it’s still barely a free country. But, expect some disagreement if he’s racking up wins like he did yesterday.

      Here is his 4 seam fastball velocity by year…

      2021 95.3 2.47
      2020 96.8 3.44
      2019 96.5 3.26
      2018 96.2 2.62
      2017 98.2 7.71 (only 9 innings)

      His two lowest, were his two best years. Something I didn’t expect.

      I must say, I like watching the gas as much as you. And I will repeat that I shared your concerns about Bueller’s velo last year. But, I like the results. I guess we’re just gonna have to wait for Bobby Miller to arrive.

6. Dodgers offense was 1 for 9. It was a good 1, so, it was enough.

   I give Bellinger 50 more at bats, if he’s the same, he goes down.

   Not at all worried about Buehler.

   1. To quote my favorite, Dean Wormer, there’s zero point zero chance they send Bellinger down.

      In other news, 6’2″ 2020 draft pick Beeter had a solid outing for Tulsa, wrapping up after 49 pitches. As I read online, last year Beeter didn’t toss 49+ until 8/27, so his pitch counts going forward could be an indicator of his long-term development track. The line:

      2.2 IP
      1 hit
      1 run (earned)
      1 BB
      6 Ks

7. Old friend AJ Pollock taken out of the game today in the 3rd Inning with an injury. Injury happened when he singled to left center and rounded 1st base. He was .571 BA (5-7) as leadoff hitter for the White Sox.

   1. AJ giveth and AJ taketh away.

   2. Was hammy tightness. Same problem he had last year, but not as severe.

8. There is no question that AJ can hit.

   His health is the only question.

   1. Agreed

9. Poor Pollock, Injury has been his career nemesis. And that’s the reason the Kimbrel trade was a good one

   1. A good trade for which team? Are we getting the Cubs Kimbrel or the White Sox Kimbrel? Will Pollock continue to get hurt? Maybe yes maybe no. History says yes but I’m going to wait a few months and see. Then I’ll make my decision.

      1. At that point, will it be a decision? Or still just a developing opinion?

         1. IT WILL BE A DECISION

10. I am new to posting on LADT but have been reading it daily for the past few years. I am impressed with the knowledge of the game by many posters; its commitment to remembering baseball and Dodger history; and Mark’s management of the site. As a former elected official, I know firsthand how opinions can range from insightful to absurd on most any topic in the public domain. And, we are all free to express our opinions.

    However, I observed something in today’s posts that I want to comment on. As B&P itemized today in his six point TM rebuttal, TM’s comments are most always negative which is why I normally bypass his input. I do, however, read all of B&P’s comments because they are mostly thoughtful, constructive and I learn things I didn’t know. Fortunately for me, there are more posters on the LADT site like B&P than TM.

    1. TM is a smart guy with a proclivity to see the glass half frozen! 😉

    2. Tom1946,
       Although your comments were somewhat “negative” towards me, I do not hold that against you. In fact, I rejoice in your honesty and your being able to freely communicate your thoughts instead of holding them back, especially on a site where we are all brothers (and sisters?) sharing our love for the Dodgers. Brothers don’t always agree, as you probably know.

       Even though you may avoid my posts, I look forward to getting to know you better this coming season.
       TM

       1. Wow TM. In light of the world we now live in that is no way to handle criticism!

          1. I thought it was rather graceful

             1. Very classy! In today’s climate we tend to tear each other’s head off!

11. I find very interesting that Max Muncy started the season opener @ 3rd base. I am not sure what to think about this, just saying.

12. Well we lost 106 games last year so there’s a lot to complain about

13. Among all the SPs, Buhler and Urias are the only ones that shouldn’t be cause for worry…. and now that I’ve said that, I worry that I’ve jinxed them.
    Manaea debuts with 7 no-hit innings for the Pads. Yeah, I think AF blew that one. Bob Melvin, an excellent manager, wanted his A’s stalwart to join him in San Diego–and the cost in prospects didn’t seem that high. So good on the Pads, who need good news….
    Seems like an opportunity lost. But hey, maybe the Dodgers really will “fix” Heaney.
    Really nice to see Lux off to a good start, especially against lefthanded pitching. If he starts hitting lefties, maybe he really can be more than a platoon guy.
    The start is yet another vote of confidence for Lux because Hansel Alberto has a better track record against lefties.. And Lux’s big hit set the stage for the top of the order to produce. Maybe batting 9th is the best place for Lux’s latest “runway.”
    Also count me as surprised that Muncy started at 3B and JT at DH, rather than the reverse. I assume that JT is probably still the better fielder at 3B but maybe Max has a bit more range at this stage. I think of 3B as Dodger’s weakest link on defense, which is why I also coveted Chapman before he went to the Jays. I wonder whether Alberto might be the best option if seeking a late-inning replacement.
    Speaking of D, I doubt that I’m the only one who noticed that Cory Seager committed an error in his debut as the Rangers’ $300 million-man. I have to think Trea Turner moving over to his natural position of SS represents an upgrade. Of course now it might take a 300-million contract to extend him….
    And in other ex-Dodger news, Atlanta got a taste of why Kenley makes fans nervous.
    In my continuing quest for October Freeway Series, I wonder if I’m the only one mystified by Jo Adell’s defense. He’s supposedly a superior athlete with great speed who has always been an outfielder, but the early highlights make him look like the guy who last year bobbled an out at the fence for a HR. He seems to get a late jump and then run panicky routes. This is the opposite of superior fielders like Mookie and Pilar (even if Pillar has lost a step.) Adell factored into 3 plays I saw in highlights. To me it looked like a great fielder could have caught both, and good fielder one–but Adell didn’t even get in position to lay a glove on the ball. The third was a HR that nobody could have caught–but Adell had raced a few feet past the point where the ball passed over the wall. Just ugly.
    Hmm. Wonder where free agent Justin Upton will land….

14. SPTony Gonsolin R
    0-0 .00 ERA

    Confirmed Lineup
    RF Mookie Betts R
    1B F. Freeman L
    SS Trea Turner R
    2B Max Muncy L
    3B J. Turner R
    DH Edwin Rios L
    CF C. Bellinger L
    LF Gavin Lux L
    C A. Barnes R

15. Pollock looked to have tweaked a right hammie or glute rounding first on a single to left. Welcome to Detroit where it’s 40. The fans look ready for a Lions game. AJ has been in 80 degree weather in Arizona (it’s 96 today) all spring and now a frigid 40. It’s practically impossible to stay stretched out in 40 degrees and guys probably don’t stretch enough. Remember Ichiro constantly stretching regardless of the temperature. Baseball just isn’t meant to be played in cold weather. Too much sitting around time. Too much stop and start. If you’ve never hit a ball off the end of a wooden bat in 40 degrees, you haven’t lived.
    It’s so typical of the Dodger fans who never warmed up to and appreciated AJ to do the I Told You So and sort of root for him to be injured or unsuccessful.

16. Cassidy: I believe you said you moved to South Carolina. I also live in SC , about 25 mile west of Columbia. Are you anywhere near? The SC in my user name is for South Carolina. Some posters have told me they thought it stood for Southern California.

17. I’m in Charleston and looking forward to catching a Charleston River Dogs game. Just found out that I’ve got Sports Net and can watch all the Dodger games. Very excited about that. Just spent the day freezing watching the WTA Charleston Open. Very classy event. Every bit as enjoyable as the BNP event in Indian Wells. We have to get together and watch a Dodger game

18. South Carolina is very cool. We frequently winter in Myrtle Beach and we love Charleston and the Haunted Tours. Greenville is also great.

19. We absolutely love it here. The beauty, the history, the food, and the people. Excited to explore all of the East Coast. We were totally blessed to have had a wonderful life in California for many years but the whole family is super excited to have made the move.

    1. North Myrtle is on our shortlist for a second (vacation) home.

20. First HR of the year hit by Barnes. Last year it was McKinstry’s inside the park job. Although it should have been Bellinger, until Turner turned around and headed back thinking the ball was caught. Team still struggling to get hits in this game. Gonsolin doing just enough to keep the Rockies from scoring more. Muncy with 2 more K’s today.

21. Another day. Another chance for folks here to start arguments. What is it today?

    I don’t know who TM is, and I read and post here regularly. In spite of his infrequency here he somehow has the reputation as someone whose posts are “always negative.” I scrolled through the comments today. I didn’t notice anything from him that seemed too objectionable.

    I don’t understand. Is there a rule that we’re not allowed to voice any criticism of players or the team? Is it supposed to be happy talk all the time? No dissention in the ranks? No subverting the morale? No “disinformation” to use a word that seems popular these days? Or maybe we’re just allowed to criticize some players. Screw Lux. He’s a scrub.

    There’s something about the bullying of dissenting voices that rubs me the wrong way. If TM, whoever he is (and I thought responded with an awful lot of class) wants to voice his concern about Buehler’s velocity or Bellinger’s futility, then I’m all for it.

    In fact, in the face of the pressure for non-stop happy talk, let me offer some contrarian takes that will annoy some … because I feel like it.

    1. For those of you on the Lux bash wagon, and who keep including him on every hare brained trade scenario that will never happen, you’d better get used to him being around. It was reported that the Dodgers told Trea Turner they would NOT be offering him an extension. He will definitely be a free agent after this season. Sayonara Trea! Nice knowing you! I think he’ll help out tremendously with his bat and glove this year. I think he’ll be the team’s best offensive player. He hits for average, power and he has tremendous speed. He’s the catalyst Mookie should be, but isn’t for reasons I’ll get into shortly.

    2. The Mookie signing will turn out to be a total disaster. Chronic hip pain in athletes is never good. In a lot of cases this signals a degenerative arthritic condition. These don’t get better. They only get worse. He will hit about .275 this year with between 20-25 HRs. His offensive production won’t fall off a great deal, but it’s his defense which will take a noticeable step back, and he won’t be stretching the bases or stealing much anymore. After this year, his pain will have to be managed more aggressively. He’ll miss more games. He will never be the player he was with Boston. He will be out of baseball with years remaining on his contract that the Dodgers will have to eat.

    3. Keibert Ruiz is raking. He will wind up being the catcher the Dodgers should have held on to. He will be a consistent over .300 hitter with some pop who never strikes out and be an All Star. All to rent Trea Turner.

    4. Buehler will need another Tommy John surgery. Even if he doesn’t, he’s just not as effective. In the first half of last year, his velo was in his normal range. It declined during the second half of the season, and he wasn’t the shut down stopper the Dodgers relied on in 2020. When there was series deciding game, he came with straight gas. He can’t do that anymore.

    5. I agree about the constant harping on Bellinger. He is who he is at this point, and it clearly isn’t the Bellinger of 2019. Why celebrate every at bat where he doesn’t look completely lost? “He didn’t strike out! Yaaaay!” Until he shows me differently, I don’t even want to watch. I’ve seen enough. I know he can’t get around on fastballs anymore. Some people just lose it … even when they’re young.

    6. AJ was quietly the best right handed bat behind Short-Timer Trea. AF panicked and traded him for a former stud relief pitcher who has been on the decline and was overvalued. That usually isn’t like AF. He doesn’t overpay. Now the Dodgers are stuck in a similar situation as they were with Kenley. His ego and past reputation necessitates he be The Closer, and if he isn’t, he’s going to pout and his performance is going to tank. That’s the dilemma the Dodgers now have to face. His reputation means he closes, but if his performance declines, there will be a lot of pressure to leave him in those high leverage situations because of his fragile ego. Bad trade.

    Just to add a parenthetical comment, I think the Save is the single stupidest stat in baseball. The reputations and egos that are built around this contrived stat is part of what creates this prima donna culture among Closers, and closers definitely tend to be prima donnas.

    7. The Dodgers win 92 games, come in 2nd place to the Padres and barely squeak by in the Wildcard game. They might scape into the NLCS but will be bounced.

    All the non-stop happy talk is just cope. Tee Hee 😉

    1. 8. Tommy Lasorda was a Troll.
       9. Vin Scully is a dirty old man.
       10. Gil Hodges was a communist agent.
       11. Dave Roberts loves Putin.

       … and if you don’t spew happy talk, I love you anyway… but I’ll beat the hell outta’ you!

       1. 😉

       2. You’ve never heard the Vin rumors? He’s a monster.

          😉

    2. Can you share the link where it was reported that the Dodgers told Trea that they would not offer him a contract extension?

       1. https://youtu.be/4hMsFkGSC5w

    3. Get the story right, they said, and this is what Turner said, they would not be offering an extension before the start of the season. There was no hard we are not offering you a deal statement. If you doubt it, read the story on MLBTR. There have been light discussions, again according to Turner, but no years or money has been discussed. Now, it is unlikely that they would negotiate an extension while the season is in progress. As for Turner, he is concentrating on playing ball. He is not upset at all about not getting an extension yet. He said, the money will take care of itself. That is why I have agents. Although it is unlikely that any negotiations will take place in season, anything is possible.

22. Wow, a 418 ft. out. Just hit it too perfect, Freddy.

23. Patch, one thing for sure you got wrong is AF panicking! And the Dodgers will have 92 wins by the first week in September.

    1. I have rarely seen Freidman make any knee jerk moves. Maybe with Bauer, but that was about it. As it was, the Padres were no challenge, and he could have saved 40 mil and used it on a couple other guys.

24. In close games defense is essential to win, today the Dodgers didn’t have it (Barnes and Muncy), it doesn’t bother me, anyone makes a mistake.
    What did bother me was when Barnes was on second base and then FF hit that deep fly ball to CF, that ball should have been an SF and Barnes should have touched second base and then run to third base, then he would have scored the third run with the Trea infield hit.

    1. You’re right. Even Mookie who was on first was starting to run also.

25. Patch, you sure you aren’t a Giants fan? Of course the second most negative person doesn’t think the most negative person is negative.

    I just checked Bueller’s stats and I can’t tell that he’s declining by looking at his FIP. You must be a psychic to know he’s going to need another TJ. I noticed you didn’t put a time period on your grand prediction.

    If you think K-Bear is raking after 2 games, you should check out Yoshii Tsutsugo. I remember he was a favorite of yours last year. The way Eric Hosmer and Jayson Heyward are hitting so far this season, you might see them in the HOF.

    Were you drunk when you wrote this?

26. After two games, I am not going into panic mode. I do not care that Bellinger has yet to get a hit. I care that the fielding was a little sloppy tonight. I also care that they were not as patient at the plate as they usually are. 9 more K’s, so that is 20 in two games. Rockies are worse, they have struck out 22 times. Bellinger was at least making some contact, but he joined the K parade with two punchouts. They were actually 2-6 with men in scoring position. One of them was Turners dribbler. I think they will get on their hitting shoes soon. Tomorrows game is on early due to the team flying to Minnesota. It will be colder there than it has been in Denver, and the weather does not look good.

27. With the off season losses and gains, I was curious if we’d resemble the Dodgers we know, love, and complain about. Safe to say, they’re still playing the Dodger way: dependable pitching, reliance on the long ball, strength in depth. The pitching was my biggest concern entering the season, and I think the bullpen has acquitted itself well so far and that’s a relief.

    The plan cannot be to pitch Gonsolin and White or Anderson 3 innings in their scheduled starts all season. Manaea was made available, I thought he’d fit in seamlessly and wouldn’t cost much, and I don’t think we even made an offer. There hasn’t been much noise about adding a starter since pre-lock. Which makes me suspect Bauer is pitching for the Dodgers this season. Personally, I thought we’d trade as soon as the “leave” ended, but I also thought we’d add another starting pitcher and I was wrong there. With the chip on his shoulder he’ll be carrying, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s our best pitcher for much of the year.

    The offense is still reliant on HRs and big innings. It’s a formula and it’s hard to argue against the track record, but it can also be maddening. I’m not going to advocate for a wholesale change, because that’s not happening. What can happen to get the most out of it? Bench power was pretty important in prior years and Rios should provide a boost. Bellinger and Muncy are going to find their rhythm probably sometime in June. If there is one glaring problem spot to address it’s the 3 hitter imo. The 3 hole has to move runners and knock in runs and that’s not Turner’s game. Trea Turner had a very Trea Turner type day. Struck out chasing outside the zone and hit three dribblers, one which he beat out. That’s who he is most nights and I feel we need to upgrade that spot one way or another to get the most out of this offense.

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