The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

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1. Mark, I get it. Years ago when I was a teacher, there was a question about sending mail because many students didn’t live with people who had same last name as them. So one question was ‘name on mail box’. One came back with answer ‘US Mail’!!
   As for Lux, I guess Roberts answer is, after first at bat Lux is batting before Turner anyway. So if he gets on base, we have our top three hitters following him. But unless they are all hot it is still a struggle when you have 3 guys hitting about .200 playing every day

2. Okay, that sounds interesting. Let’s just go ahead and say you can call JT and Max into Docs office and while they’re in there, you have someone pour some Crisco on the staircase and when they leave, you give them a shove down that staircase and they both land on the IL. You call up Lamb and Martin. Who gets the axe on the 40 man to make room for them?

   Eddie Alvarez is an easy cut, so you wouldn’t necessarily have to injure one of these guys. You can just put one of them on the bench. Lorenzo Cain got the straight DFA the other day as the result of a .465 OPS. JT is sitting at .620, Muncy at .597. Both are a far cry from .465.

   Maybe you just bring them both into the trainer’s office and leave them alone with a couple of big jars, one labelled “The Clear” and the other “The Cream” and send them on a two – three week vacation in the weight room and home their number isn’t called for a piss test.

   Do you just go ahead and DFA one of them and “Rehab” the other? That would create the two roster spots necessary for adding Martin and Lamb. DFA Alvarez and JT and hope you can rehab Muncy? That would leave you with 6 lefties in the lineup, batting back to back in three spots in the order. Something that Doc has been allergic to so far in his managerial career.

   Moving on to Kimbrel. No, it wasn’t a good outing, but it wasn’t like Kimbrel completely failed either. He struck out Owen Miller, the first hitter he faced on 5 strikes, somehow only three of them were counted as strikes. He genuinely walked the next hitter on a 3-2 count. He then gave up a fake double on a ball that should have been caught. Next hitter, Doc walks. Next hitter, with bases loaded, instead of playing corners in, Doc has the infield in and Andres Gimenez shoots a soft liner (80mph exit velo) through the pulled in infield. An easy out if the infield was playing double play depth.

   Kimbrel was a victim of bad luck and bad decisions and bad calls at the plate. All three exit velocities, the fake double, the soft liner and the sac fly had exit velocities of 82, 80, 83. By the Ninth inning in a tie game, there was no reason to have Eddie Alvarez in right field after he already botched two plays. After intentionally loading the bases with one out, Doc should have had the infield at double play depth instead of in.

   As far as Lux goes, they probably should bat him leadoff. IMHO, they have it right by batting him 9th, which is essentially leadoff once the lineup turns over. It’s tomato, tomato for me. I think he would do the same either way. In fact, I think I would have him bat second and Freddie third. I, unlike Doc, don’t think it’s a big deal to have a lefty bat in front of another lefty that can hit lefties.

   Here’s what I would do.

   Injure Muncy again, cut Alvarez and Bruhil. With all the pitching we have in the minors, and all the left handed relievers already in the system, we don’t need to keep Bruhil. Add Martin and Lamb to the roster as you suggested. JT stays on the roster and Muncy goes on the IL and works out in Arizona until he can hit, then send him on a rehab assignment until he proves he can hit. This will give him about another month to see if it’s worth keeping him on the roster. BTW, there’s no way in hell I let Hanser bat cleanup.

   Lux 2B
   Turner SS
   Freeman 1B
   Lamb 3B
   Smith C
   Bellinger CF
   Taylor RF
   JT DH
   Martin LF

   JT, Z-Mack and Lamb can split 3B and DH duties with some off days for JT against tough righties.

3. Why does Roberts send out the same lineup. Because the bench is as bad as last year. As good as the Dodger prospects are there is no right handed outfielder available (except Pages). Depth is an issue with this team and that’s on AF.

   1. Vargas and Busch as close, but Lefties rule.

      1. Busch is a lefty, just learning LF. Vargas is an infielder. Could easily see both called up at some point but we are missing a replacement for Pollock.

         1. Go trade for the Marlins’ Garrett Cooper. Right handed bat who can play outfield or DH. Very good hitter.

            1. Good hitter, passable in the field and absolutely no power.

            2. No power; so he won’t swing for the fences every time. Maybe this is what we need to improve our situational hitting.

4. Oooooh! So, we are going to place the blame on Alvarez now? Nevermind that the line in the box score for Kimbrel reads – 1.0 innings / 2 hits / 2 runs / 2 BB for an ERA of 4.71.

   Maybe outfield isn’t his normal position. Maybe Doc had to put him out there because of that thing about needing a right handed bat who he can put in the outfield. You know who’s a good right handed bat who plays outfield? AJ Pollock.

   I’m not going to bash on AF for making this move. AF is better than any other GM aside from maybe the guy from the Rays and Beane (Farhan is making a name for himself, too) in making the necessary and correct moves to ensure a winning ballclub. The Dodgers needed a closer, so they traded from a position of perceived surplus to fill a need. The move made sense at the time. A little risky, maybe, and AF is better, I think, at plucking out guys from obscurity with high upside. He usually doesn’t chase big names.

   The move hasn’t worked out.

   “You’re a negative Nancy! Kimbrel’s just unlucky. His arm was cold. The outfielder didn’t catch the ball, etc, etc.”

   Ok, Pollyanna. You go ahead and publicly pronounce that you are totally confident going into the playoffs with Kimbrel as the Dodger’s closer. I dare you!

   There are no internal options. It’s not going to be Bobby Miller. It’s not going to be Gavin Stone. It’s not going to be some journeyman named Yencey.

   In the last two games I witnessed two times Bellinger swing right through a 92 MPH center cut fastball with little movement. He’s late on fastballs. Because he’s late on fastballs, he’s become a guess hitter, but his pitch recognition isn’t good, so he’ll be badly fooled by pitches well out of the strike zone or overpowered by fastballs when he’s not expecting them. Now, even when he times a pitch that’s hittable he misses. I don’t know what the answer is. I’m just a dumb fan. The Dodgers don’t know the answer, either.

   It is very very very hard to build a WS winning baseball team, let alone do it year after year. The planets all have to align just right. Looks like it’s the year of the Yankees – and they’re doing it with pitching other than Gerrit Cole. Who woulda thunk?

   1. Yeah, when have you ever seen an outfielder blow three freaking plays in the same game? Yes, it was horrible. A righty on the mound. The only reason that right handed outfielder was there is because of Doc’s allergy to having lefties bat back to back. Dumb stuff.

      I am fine with Kimbrel as closer. There aren’t many better. Go look and see for yourself. ERA is high, but that happens in small sample sizes for relievers. He got two more earned runs last night off of three balls barely over 80PMH exit velo. Go ahead and ignore facts in favor for a particular stat like you always do. If Mookie was in RF, it would have been 0 ER. If Taylor was in RF, it would have been 0 ER. If an outfielder was in RF, it would have been 0 ER. With Kimbrel, I see a curve that no one can hit and a FB that touches 99! If you think he’s going to look bad all year, you’re brain is broke. I’m glad you finally admitted to being dumb. It was obvious to some of us.

      You wine about trading Pollock, but he’s worse than CT3 this year and is about the same as Belli, who you constantly bash. Without the defense of course. With Kenley’s 3 blown saves, we would have the same record if we had him instead of Kimbrel. Brilliant move! Pollock played 86 games for us in 2019 and 117 last year. He missed time to the IL already this year and he’s your answer? Always looking backwards. Maybe you can come up with an actual better option instead of complaining about a trade that brought us a closer that’s still in the top 10 in saves for an outfielder that had no where to play until two days ago when Mookie got injured. Brilliant!

      Still in first place.

      And AF is better than a couple of guys, one that had a movie made about him that hasn’t advanced past the wild card round in a decade and another that’s so good that you don’t know his name? Why those two guys? Oh, because they’re payroll sucks so they have the luxury of trading away stars to restock their farm. Yeah, they’re really good at that. Both with ballclubs with worse records that ours, by the way. Genius. The only two teams with a better record (temporarily) are also big spenders. You don’t want to give accolades to Cashman and Eppler?

      BTW – All the name calling makes you sound smarter.

      1. Willie Davis ‘66 WS.

         1. So, once every 50 years, eh? Thanks for proving my point.

            1. Your very welcome.

      2. “The only reason that right handed outfielder was there is because of Doc’s allergy to having lefties bat back to back. Dumb stuff.”

         Kimbrel failure excuse # 397 – It’s Doc’s fault

         “I am fine with Kimbrel as closer. There aren’t many better. Go look and see for yourself.”

         Ok. Literally every single relief pitcher on this page is a better reliever than Kimbrel.

         https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=rel&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2022&month=0&season1=2022&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2022-01-01&enddate=2022-12-31

         “ERA is high, but that happens in small sample sizes for relievers. He got two more earned runs last night off of three balls barely over 80PMH exit velo”

         You make a small sample size argument, and immediately buttress that argument by citing three individual batted balls in a single inning.

         ” I see a curve that no one can hit and a FB that touches 99!”

         I see an average FB velocity that has dropped a full 2 MPH since his prime and has a -2.0 wFB score.

         “You wine (sic.) about trading Pollock, but he’s worse than CT3 this year and is about the same as Belli, who you constantly bash.”

         Pollock had a slow start and is now hitting .338 in June with a 101 wRC+ overall, which is not the same as Belli

         “Oh, because they’re payroll sucks so they have the luxury of trading away stars to restock their farm.”

         Oh. So Oakland and Tampa Bay have the LUXURY of being flat broke and having to cobble together teams every year out of spare parts because they have about 1/5th the payroll as the Dodgers. Gosh. I wish the Dodgers could be so lucky!

         Actually, you’re right. I’m going to amend my criticism of Kimbrel. A deeper dive into his stats show that his ERA, however atrocious, does not tell the whole story.

         His FIP, or Fielding Independent PItching is a healthy 2.32. I’m certainly glad the omniscient sabremetric baseball gods have bestowed upon us such a wise and powerful stat.

         1. Pretty funny, you argue FIP two weeks ago and now it doesn’t matter. Now, WAR matters. Oh and batting average in June is the new stat?

            Okay, I’m going with extra base hits, stolen bases, RBI, and Runs. I win Belli is better.

   2. I happen to think Almonte might be a great closer. He’s failed starter…

      1. He’s pitching well and could be another AF reclamation success story. I’m not handing him the ball in the 9th inning in the WS.

5. Luck has nothing to do with it, why does someone always have to find and make excuses for the poor performance of the team or of a certain player?

   Bad luck, bad fielding, bad umpire, bad manager, minutes delay, lineup batting order, not too many lefties in a row, no righties in a row.

   Roberts may be a great manager, but he’s not the one for LA.

   Dodgers have too many “nice and smiling players” but none with killer instinct. Where is an Eddie Murray, a Kirk Gibson, a Bumgarner, Donaldson, Harper, …Sorry, but even an asshole like Machado… I know, I must be high to say this, but at least that jerk didn’t think to claim Tatis, remember?
   You are not going to participate in a dog fight with only poodles, they need some Dobermans

   At least seeing that jerk fall at first base was worth it, it was the best of the last 10 days!

   1. People that say that luck has nothing to do with it don’t understand the game. That ball in RF. If it was hit one foot to the left, it would have been caught. One foot to the right, it would have been foul. It was the difference in the game.

      But, it doesn’t excuse the fact that Doc had better options to use in RF at that point in the game and stayed with an OF that already botched 2 plays. That was just stupid.

      Eddie Murray and Kirk Gibson are both retired. Josh is on the Yankees. Harper and Machado chose other teams. Maybe you can suggest a guy that could be had. None of them are immune to having slumps, or getting injured. Harper is another lefty, so that would be problematic for our manager.

      Go out and find some Dobermans and name the Poodles you would replace. By the way, Muncy is a Doberman and he’s hitting like a Chihuahua.

      Every time this team loses, all of the usual suspects say the sky is falling. Everything is fine after a win. I think lithium is in order. Go see a doctor.

   2. Ooooh. Jorge is calling for another Junkyard Dog trope from Mark!

      Just what the team needs, more “grit” or “tenacity”

      1. THAT is the problem. Thanks for the reminder. I have not posted my Junkyard Picture this season. What an oversight on my part:

         

6. B&P I have to disagree with your assessment of Kimbrel. Sure, there were several missed calls by the umpire and a couple of soft hit base hits. And the Alvarez play would have been an exceptional play if he had caught the ball. And I know if it wasn’t for bad luck he would have no luck at all. Yada, yada. But, with all that a closer is supposed to come in shutdown the other team. You know, kind of like the Cleveland closer did. Look at Kimbrel’s stats so far this year. Sure, he has a nice K rate, but look at the BB’s and hits he’s given up. I don’t think he’s had a clean inning this year. It seems every time he comes in the first batter he faces gets on base. Color me totally unimpressed with him not only as a closer, but as a reliever. His ERA (4.71), WHIP (1.57), and average against (.262) are god awful. Despite his 12 saves he’s not worth the $16M he’s being paid. Let’s try someone else for right now (Almonte maybe?). It’s been mentioned that he’s working on some things. Well, have do that in the minors.

   Graterol is another reliever that has had some issues. He throws 100+ much of time and gets hit around much too often. I don’t think he has improved much in the 2+ years he’s been with the Dodgers. I had him pegged to be the next closer, but that doesn’t seem to be the case right now. Look at the Cleveland closer yesterday. He throws 100+ with a nasty slider and completely shuts down the Dodger hitters. Graterol has to develop a way to get some movement on his FB. His slider is adequate, but would be more effective with a better FB. Also, he should stop that ridiculous crap he doesn’t at the end of an inning especially when he hasn’t been that effective.

   Please, get Lux a strap for his helmet. Every time he swings it seems to come off. When he hits a ball in play he takes a second to grab his helmet to keep it on his head. One day that second is going to cost the Dodgers a game because he’s thrown out at first in a split second, bang bang play. I’ve never seen anything like it except maybe for Willie Mays. Lux ain’t no Willie Mays. Oh yeah, keep him in the ninth spot. It’s working. Leave it alone.

   Talk about leaving it alone what’s the deal with Max Muncy and Roberts’ (front office?) obsession with him batting fourth? The same over and over and getting the same result is….insane! Are they trying to lose? It seems so lately with the recent lineups. I agree with those that suggest bringing up at least Lamb, and maybe this Martin guy, I never heard much about him, but lately he seems to be someone to try to bring a spark to this boring, unproductive lineup. Something has to be done to stir things up right now. We are wasting a lot of good pitching and losing too many games to teams that we should dominate. It’s long season, but it’s going to be even longer is we don’t become more consistent offensively. If the team fails come playoff time they can look back on this part of the season as to why.

   Here’s a lineup I would like to see upon Mookie’s return:

   T Turner – SS
   F Freeman – 1B
   M Betts – RF
   W Smith – C
   C Bellinger – CF
   J Turner-DH
   J Lamb -3B
   J Martin – LF
   G Lux – 2B

   1. He struck out the first guy he faced yesterday, so you aren’t paying attention. Too many walks for sure. He’s had more than his fair share of cheap hits and shift hits. See below.

   2. I favor almost any lineup that doesn’t include Muncy.

   3. Luck has nothing to do with baseball or life. If the ball went 1 foot to the left or 1 to the right it isn’t luck ( luck does not control anything because it doesn’t exist)
      The ball was hit where it landed not hit 1 ft to the left or to the right.
      Natural law, primarily physic’s is why the ball goes where it does and why a player catches it, or hits it. Luck is not part of the equation.
      You can explain a win or loss by calling ‘luck’ but that’s fantasy not reality.

      1. Exactly Bob!

      2. The reason there’s luck involved is because the hitter doesn’t have control over where the ball lands. It is luck, it is chance. Physics explains how the ball travels, but doesn’t explain why the fielder wasn’t a foot closer when the play began.

7. Patch likes to use certain stats selectively to make a case for a player’s future performance. It makes me wonder if he checked Kimbrel’s FIP before he went on his tirade this morning, which sits at a pristine 2.32.

   I like to look at a player’s baseball savant page to tell me how lucky / unlucky, good / bad a player is compared to the rest of the league…
   Hard hit % 97 – Elite
   xwOBA – 88 – Great
   xERA 88 – Great
   xBA – 93 – Elite
   xSLG 89 – Great
   Barrel % – 74 Good
   K% – 95 – Elite
   Fastball Velo – 87 – Great

   All of that matches what I can see with my eyes. He will be fine. All of these indicators suggest a lot of bad luck. Believe what you want. Cry now, smile later.

   1. Patch is using his eyes not all these stats, which if you just looked at these and never saw Kimbrel pitch you would think he’s the best reliever in the game. Bad luck happens every now and then, this is continuous…. I’m not sure I’ve seen even one clean inning at this point. The Dodgers will ride him out because it’s his job and this is what we got him for, but believe me there is a problem other than just bad luck. If I was facing Kimbrel I would just sit fastball and know that If I saw enough pitches he’s going to walk me. Soft contact hits are going to drop in from time to time, but he should be blowing guys away and if he can’t then he’s not the closer I want.

      1. So throw out the Mercedes because it needs an oil change. ERA and WHIP look bad, all his other stats look great. He’s missing the strike zone by inches, time to get another guy.

         1. No, but you need to be held accountable. Something that’s not happening now. Guys are like “oh well I just blew another lead”, “Oh well I just struck out 3 times”, “oh well I just swung out of my shoes 3 straight pitches with one out and runners on 2nd and 3rd” – “It’s ok I’ll still be in the lineup tomorrow”. Complacency is a killer! Sit guys and make them hungry to get back in there.

8. I do not think the sky is falling, but already two teams have fired their managers when the team underperformed. It has made a difference. I am calling for Robert’s head! Robert Van Socyoc! The Hitting Coaches? RVS, Bates, and Brown are not getting the job done. We have seen this movie before. There is evidently something to the RVS Approach that produces feast or famine and occasionally turns good hitters into guys who can’t jump out of a boat and hit water.

   What has he done to Cody, Max, JT, and even Mookie for much of the season? I think that Andrew Friedman needs to take this team in another direction. Hitting coaches have a short shelf life.

   1. This I agree with. It’s about the only way to shake things up at this point.

   2. I can’t remember a 1st place team firing their manager mid season. Bench coach usually gets the call when the manager gets fired mid season, Bob Geren is not the answer. I wholly agree with RVS in the trashcan.

   3. Do you mean now? for firing Roberts? Or end of season?

      1. Not Dave Roberts. Robert VS!

         1. ooops

9. Makes me wish we had kept Kenley and AJ. Or at least AJ. I actually wanted to see Blake Treinen close. That, of course, wouldn’t have gone well with the injury. But I think maybe they should try someone else. Kimbrel seems to be a bit of a mess. They won’t, of course.

   Yes Craig Kimbrel is bad. Maybe something clicks and he has a run. But it doesn’t look promising. Maybe BP is right. It will all be okay.

   Right field was a mess. Right field at Dodger Stadium during the day is an adventure and you need an experienced outfielder. They didn’t have one. It cost them the game. I did find it interesting that Dave Roberts questioned why the collision happened in the first place. Lack of communication? Obviously. But it wasn’t noise from the crowd at that point in the game.

   I really don’t understand what is wrong with Cody Bellinger. The talent is still there, but the production isn’t. Originally, it was the injury. Understandable. But now? This guy is a big time talent who just isn’t getting it done. Consistent play somehow fading away.

   Apparently all the hitting gurus and all the process just isn’t getting it done. Maybe too many gurus and way too much process. Trust the process, right? Maybe he just needs to simplify his approach. I’d be curious how the new age coaches explain all of this.

   How exactly does Cody swing through 92 mph fastballs anyway? Seems to happen often these days.

   Or maybe it’s just the new ball. Or not.

   If effort or production or play means anything in the minors, you simply have to give Jake Lamb a shot. The Dodgers owe him that.

   What are they waiting for?

   Yes, Max Muncy needs to take a seat. He’s not a prime time hitter right now. Yes, you hope he returns to form, but the injury is probably still lingering. Wasting at bats hoping that suddenly his bat comes alive seems unproductive.

   How many hitters can you have that aren’t producing and still put up rallies? Too many holes and the results have become obvious.

   So after listening to all the hype, I have reached the conclusion that is all it was. Look at the Dodgers line-up, we were repeatedly told by pundits and analysts, no way a pitcher can work through that kind of offensive firepower. Runs will come in bunches. Only it hasn’t happened.

   Maybe, somehow it all clicks in August and rolls into the post season. More than likely the woes remain.

   Yes, they won lots of games last year, that means something, right? The Dodgers should be even better. After all they added Freddie Freeman. There is a certain logic to that and this is only June.

   You have to be impressed with Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney, both rising up expectations. So, not all is lost. We’re just in the midst of June gloom.

   Sunny days are ahead.

10. Roberts hinted that the Dodgers might go out of the organization for a bat. If you look at the roster, the only two players listed as outfielders are Taylor and Bellinger. Far cry from the days when they had five or six. Machado out with a sprained ankle. They have six very winnable games on the next road trip, three in Cincy and three with the Rock heads. Atlanta will be tough. The pitching is going to have to be right on the money. Kimbrel has given up runs in each of his last seven appearances. Bad pitching not bad luck and certainly not what you want from your closer. But, in his defense, offense left 15 men on base yesterday. They lost two of three when they just as easily could have swept the series with some timely hitting, which this team has not done in the last 16 games.

    1. I thought we needed a starting pitcher?

    2. I think it is ONLY runs in 4 of last 7

       1. You are probably right. I though Neverett said last seven. Roberts said nothing about the pitching, which at this point does not seem to be the problem, especially with the nice job by Heaney yesterday

11. McKinstry is on the roster, start him. Outman is on the 40 man roster bring him up and start him.
    While Betts is out:
    Lux
    T Turner
    Freeman
    Smith
    Outman
    Taylor
    McKinstry
    J Turner
    Bellinger

    1. Outman over Martin? Nah.

       1. Martin has a MLB career OPS of .588
          Martin has a minor league career OPS of .798
          Just saying.

          1. You are just saying that MLB is harder than the minors? Or something else?

          2. Outman’s career OPS in the minors is just 32 point higher. Martin has MLB experience, Outman hasn’t had a AAA AB yet.

             Just saying.

             1. With similar minor league career stats I favor the homegrown Outman over Martin. Plus a .588 OPS in the majors by Martin is a low bar that I believe Outman can pass.

12. Only reason Martin isn’t up yet is because he’s out of options. But dude should be playing left field on the regular.

    1. DIAMOND LIFE
       

13. This album is the Truth!

14. I wait to read all comments to make my own but sbuffalo said it first:

    “Right field at Dodger Stadium during the day is an adventure and you need an experienced outfielder”

    I recalled CTaylor having nightmares a Sunday he replaced Mookie previously and the same Mookie having problems almost every Sunday home game. Don’t you think is fishy CTaylor playing the previous game in Right, was playing Left?

15. Dodgers acquire Trayce Thompson from Detroit.

    He may become the temp right fielder for a couple weeks.

    1. That should help immensely…

       .071/.188/.071/.259

       At least he bats right handed. Welcome back Trayce, I guess!

       1. I remain underwhelmed. This is a gag by AF, right?

          1. The good thing is, if he gets injured no one will care.

16. Well, I suppose then that now we have to DFA DPrice. We need to add TT to the 40 man roster and then to the active roster.

17. Trace Thomson.

    That’s what I was hoping for when I said “shake shit up”.

    The rotting animal corpse is really starting to smell.

    Somebody brings out a Tic Tac.

18. Screw it! Call up Vargas and Busch!

19. Tell me this lineup would do any worse:

    1. Lux 2B
    2. Vargas 3B
    3. Turner SS
    4. Freeman 1B
    5. Smith C
    6. Busch LF
    7. Taylor RF
    8. Bellinger CF
    9. Lamb DH

    1. But then you start Vargas and Busch service clock. I believe Busch has the potential to be a superstar, less so with Vargas, therefore I’m hesitant in wanting to call Busch up until he is ready.

       Not arguing with you against that though.

       1. Vargas will be a star. Hold me to it.

          1. I concur! 3B may not be his best position, although I have seen him improve his footwork, but he can play 1B, 2B and LF. Maybe not this year, but it will be hard to keep Busch and Vargas out of the lineup in 2023. I am willing to DFA Muncy and JT in favor of Busch and Vargas. I think both would surpass where they have set the bar!

             1. Does that mean you think Vargas and Busch are going to be better than JT and Muncy.That is saying a lot.I sure hope you’re right.

             2. Well, it would take much for them to be better RIGHT ABOUT NOW, but I do think that offensively, Vargas will be very similar to JT, but he’s 21 and will likely develop more power. I see Vargas as having the highest ceiling. Busch is a guy who will hit .250-.250 with 25 to 30 HR while Vargas I see as a .300 hitter.

       2. Okay, so you want to call up Outman from AA and don’t want to call up Busch or Vargas or Martin from AAA. That males perfect sense.

          I’m wondering how you came to the conclusion that Busch has more potential to be a superstar than Vargas. You do realize that Vargas is two years younger and is doing better than Busch?

    2. I like it. I’m pretty accepting right now with any line up that excludes Muncy and JT.
       If Lamb doesn’t get a shot pretty soon, he needs to use his opt out and find an organization that will give him a chance. It appears the Dodgers have no confidence in Jake’s ability to help the club. I’d tell AF to kiss my ass and move on. Yeah, I would take a roster move. Like that’s a big deal with deadwood like David Price and non-producers taking up space.

       Not from Phil, who I’ve never seen a post from before but from philjones

       1. I think Jake will get a shot, this week or next. I know the Dodgers staff is working on his swing… maybe they are not yet satisfied?

          1. Oh NO. They aren’t working on Jake’s swing are they? Kiss of death. Is he not striking out enough. Or not pulling the ball enough?

             1. lol – Pretty much.

20. Be Bold and Mighty Forces will come to your aid!

21. Caleb Ferguson placed on IL. Thompson not added yet, but they are down to 13 pitchers.

    1. They are dropping like flies!

22. I really hope this is a strategic IL and not a concern one…

    1. Every time a Dodger pitcher goes on the IL, I wonder the same thing.

23. For a few weeks a few years back, Trayce Thompson looked like a keeper. Then he got injured and he’s struggled ever since. Obviously not a dramatic move but with Mookie hurt and Pillar out for the season, it’s nice to have Klay’s brother back.
    Lamb certainly has earned a shot. If they just want a bat, he’s the prudent choice because he’s a veteran and the service time issue. (Perhaps Cody could run into Max on a flyball….)
    Almonte as closer? Hmm….

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