Change is Inevitable, BUT…

Posted By on June 28, 2022

What changes will really occur in the next 30+ days?

Let me start with what will not happen:

  • Dave Roberts will not be fired;
  • Robert Van Socyoc, Aaron Bates, and Brant Brown will not be fired;
  • Gavin Stone and Bobby Miller will not be called up;
  • Dustin May, Victor Gonzalez, Blake Treinen, Tommy Kahnle, Danny Duffy, Jimmy Nelson, Daniel Hudson, Walker Buehler, and Andrew Heaney will not be back; and
  • The Dodgers will not make a trade.

What will happen after that:

  • The Dodger fans will bitch and demand most of the above should happen;
  • After August 1st, you may see several of the above-mentioned players activated; and
  • It is possible that the Dodgers will make a trade.

Unless the bottom drops out of Miguel Vargas and Mike Busch’s Games, I believe both will be brought up to The Show in the next 15 days. Yeah, I know that is a stretch, and maybe it won’t happen if Muncy and Turner get hot. But, I think one will get the call and probably both. The Dodgers need to see if either one is overmatched. It’s sad, but Trayce Thompson may be sent back to AAA when Mookie comes back.

Hanser Alberto has not been a factor this year. He was a cheap, under-the-radar signing, but he has underwhelmed everyone. He only has 70 ABs so it is not out of the realm of probability that he would be DFA’ed. Miguel Vargas could make everyone forget about Hanser… with a quickness. I think that in the next 15 days (barring a tank job by Vargas) Miguel will get the call. How he does and how Justin Turner and Max Muncy do will determine if the Dodger might seek another bat.

There are options – Muncy and Turner could platoon at 3B although that is less than desirable or Miguel could play 3B and let Muncy and Turner platoon at DH. After Betts comes back, I would like to see this lineup (the batting order is not as important):

  • C – Smith
  • 1B – Freeman
  • 2B – Lux
  • SS – T. Turner
  • 3B – Vargas
  • LF – Taylor/Busch
  • CF – Bellinger
  • RF – Betts
  • DH – Muncy/J. Turner

Bench – Barnes, Thompson

Give Tyler Anderson a Break!

Of course, the Tyler Anderson Haters will say: “See, I told you he would not keep it up.” I say: “Hello, it’s Coors.“ Clayton Kershaw has a 3.73 ERA at Coors. Max Scherzer’s ERA is 3.89 there. Jacob deGrom has a 4.80 ERA there and Luis Castillo, the guy everyone wants to trade the farm for has an 11.57 ERA there. So, cut the crap about Anderson and Coors! Tyler Anderson has a 4.09 ERA in Coors. Right about now his record is 8-1 with a 3.23 ERA. Not bad for a #5 or #6 starter. Lots of pitchers do not pitch well there, but Chad Kuhl did!

Chard Kuhl pitched parts of two seasons for the Indianapolis Indians and to me, he was a guy who should have been better at the major league level than he was. In 98 games started he had a 4.30 ERA, but at AAA he was lights out. Well, he has kind of “pulled a Tyler Anderson” this year and is having a very solid year. Chad pitched an impressive game and is having a fine season after getting away from one of the worst organizations in baseball – the Pirates. Actually, Tyler Anderson did not pitch bad (for Coors), but he was bound to get a “first loss”.

Of course, the Coors factor is real. You come into Denver from Atlanta (1,050 feet above sea level) to Denver (5,280 feet above sea level), and it takes a while for the body to adjust. “Jet Lag” and “Oxygen Drag” are real things. The fact that the Dodgers looked listless last night was not surprising. Hopefully, after a good night’s sleep and adjusting to the rare air of Colorado they will look better.

Tony Gonsolin is likely to lose one too! Hopefully, Clayton can pitch well tonight, but I doubt it. I have to record the game as we are headed to a Dead and Company Concert.

This was in Chicago last week – Forward to the 30:50 min mark.

Watch Diego Cartaya on MLB-TV

Thursday, 7:05 p.m. ET — Dayton (CIN) at Great Lakes (LAD)
MLB’s No. 23 prospect, Diego Cartaya, leads red-hot High-A Great Lakes in a series opener against MLB’s No. 64 prospect, Elly De La Cruz, and Dayton. De La Cruz’s Dragons finished the Midwest League’s first half one game behind the Loons, with the Reds’ No. 2 prospect providing more and more pop as the season goes on. Cartaya, the Dodgers’ No. 1 prospect, hasn’t slowed down a bit since being promoted to Great Lakes at the beginning of the month. – From Dodgers.com

This article has 71 Comments

  1. How about giving Jake Lamb a shot? Put him at third and Vargas in left. Taylor goes back to super sub role. I question if Busch is ready right now. And bring Outman up to OKC and get him ready.

      2. Outman will never be more than a #4 or #5 OF’er…. IF he makes it that far.

        I am all for Jake Lamb… as a DH!

        1. Is there such a thing as a 5th outfielder anymore? 4th? Taylor types are the 4th and 5th outfielders it seems.

  2. * The best thing about last night was it took 2:19. It was played like everybody was double parked.
    * I could see this one coming and Karros described the circumstances perfectly, A Monday night game against a last place team after a late plane flight and an emotional weekend with all the Freddie hoopla. Your mind is saying get going and your body says no way.
    * It is the reason many players back in the day took greenies.
    Not much more to say. Move on. Play better.

  3. It was a pretty frustrating game last night. Not a lot of hits. Not a lot of K’s. Just a bunch of contact that didn’t quite get the barrel. I’m not surprised that Anderson gave up some runs, I am surprised that we didn’t score any. Just one home run all game. Must be some kind of record for a late June game at Coors. I hate when we play in this park.

    I would be pretty surprised if either of the two Mike’s are called up so soon. Miguel and Michael are both performing relatively well, but it’s not like they’re putting up Lux type numbers when he was at AAA and we all saw how that’s been going. A very slow adjustment to MLB pitching. I guess for every Lux, there’s a Puig or Belli who burst onto the scene like nobody thought they would.

    While both of the Mikes are doing relatively will at AAA, McKinstry, Alvarez, Lamb, Martin and Pillar have all done better. We’ve seen Alvarez and Pillar already and they haven’t been the answer. Busch is a lefty hitter and plays the same position as Lux. Wouldn’t it make more sense to bring up Lamb, who’s played a lot of 3B, is hitting almost 50 points higher and has a boatload of extra base hits? How about Jason Martin, who’s having his best minor league season by a long shot, who’s also hitting much better than Vargas and Busch and also doesn’t have any question marks tied to his defense? He can go to LF and CT3 could slide over to 3B.

    Vargas is a different story. He’s been at AAA all year, hits from the right side and is hitting about the same as Martin, just with a little less power. He’s not putting up Lux numbers, but he’s been really consistent with the bat for his entire minor league career. But, his 12 errors in 490 innings at 3B is pretty horrendous. He’s had just two games and 4 chances in LF so far in his MINOR LEAGUE CAREER! Are they really gonna have him play LF in the bigs with such little experience? Would they play him at 3B with all those errors? Would they sacrifice his development with the glove to get his bat in the DH slot?

    I was surprised to hear that V-Gone, Duffy and Kahnle could all be coming back as soon as August. I thought it would be July, especially after Hudson went down. Guys are gonna have to really step up in July. Maybe we’ll get a surprise from someone like Betances or Fulmer, but that just makes more difficult cuts later down the line.

    On the bright side, Anderson gave us 6 and we only need two relievers to close out the game. Price and Bickford gave the rest of the pen a night off and CK pitches today, so the pen should be in good shape for the next couple of games if CK can give us some length to his outing.

    Time flies! Can you believe that Mookie is eligible to come off the IL as soon as this Friday? Couldn’t come soon enough.

    It’s starting to heat up, weather wise in Southern California. Unfortunately, like the Dodgers bats, it’s going to start cooling down again just as the Dodgers come home.

    It’s incredible that the Dodgers are as good as they overall offensively with Belli, JT and Max in the tank. Can we expect some steady production from any of these guys at some point this season?

  4. Schedule has done us no favors at all.

    Late Night game in ATL on Sunday and then a game the next day in CO.

    Wednesday, we have a night game and then a game next day in LA. Why would this not be a day game?

    In comparison SD plays a day game in AZ Wednesday before going to LA. They also had an off day yesterday.

    Not excuses but just pointing it out.

  5. Kind of funny that the Braves had an off day yesterday and we had to fly from Atlanta to Colorado after playing on Sunday Night baseball. If I was a gambling man and that would have been a no brainer to take the Rockies last night.

    The Dodgers will make a trade just not sure who or what position as the deadline is still a month away. A lot can happen between now and then. Some players could get hot, injured or stay cold. Can’t see Friedman being a non buyer.

  8. With Mookie scheduled to return in the near future, does Doc move him back to lead off? Turner has been great in that spot but will Doc move him back to the 3 hole. I bet he does. I wouldn’t.

    1. That’s what Doc does. Me? It would be Trea, Lux, Betts, Freeman, Smith , whatever, and The Walkman 9th.

    2. I like Turner in leadoff as well. I would bat Mookie #3… but I hear his ribs are not improving so he is pushed back a week or three.

      1. Yep, just saw that as well. Tin Man Mookie. Is he turning into AJ pollock before our eyes?

    3. You know who else did pretty good at leadoff? The guy who has pretty much hit there his entire career and was leading the majors in runs by a good amount before he got injured. You don’t move your superstar under contract for the next 10+ years out of his preferred spot when he is performing well above average there. Mookie’s our leadoff hitter period.

  10. Phil –

    I agree with you….on both points! The more I see of TT the more impressed I am….

  11. Those of you counting on seeing Mookie back “in the near future” are surely optimists by nature.
    I’d be extremely surprised if he returns before the All Star break and that’s, what, about another 20 games?
    As we’ve already discussed, the Dodger front office ALWAYS underestimates the time that a player will miss due to injury. Mookie is no exception.

    2. The last I read there is no improvement. But then I suspect his ribs will feel the same until they are fully healed. There could be improvement that Betts can’t feel yet.

  12. I would still rather have Mookie and Trea bat back to back in the lineup and have Lux bring up the rear as the leadoff hitter, once the lineup turns over until they’re ready to show some confidence in him. Ideally, I would like to see this in the second half…

    Trea
    Lux
    Mookie
    Freddie
    Smith
    Belli
    Taylor
    Muncy
    Vargas

    2. Me too with the potential to move Vargas behind Belli and in front of CT3 if he hits at all. Muncy at 9 or 11th.
      Bring up Lamb!

      1. Yeah, I wouldn’t mind seeing that one either. Too many guys on the 40 man, not enough on the 26 man. What to do?

  13. Well if we wake up and win these next two at Coors then it’s a 7-2 road trip. Not bad for a struggling team

  14. “Miguel Vargas could make everyone forget about Hanser… with a quickness.”

    Isn’t the knock on Vargas is that he can’t play defense anywhere? Hanser plays above average D all over the infield. Vargas is Willie Calhoun without the tree trunks.

    Here’s another prospect the Dodgers gave up for a mediocre reliever.

    https://youtu.be/tsj6a4_Tvls

    1. Tony Watson was a pretty integral part of the bullpen that year.

      Does anyone really have a problem with that trade?

      1. 20 innings from Tony Watson in 2017 as opposed to 20 years of superstar caliber play? I’ll have to think on that one.

        1. let’s not count our superstar caliber years before they hatch. He doesn’t have one yet.

          that’s why prospects have value in trades. Because they may turn out to be something.

          Cruz was staring at Seager and Turner, nobody’s seen a SS his size last at that position.

          Why not trade him? I think you do that trade 20 times out of 20, no?

          1. Probably, but I think you’ve perhaps seen a change in AF’s thinking over the years, too. Now the Dodgers have just stockpiled a bunch of arms in the off season. The less likely you have to dip into your prospect chest to get a situational bullpen piece the better.

    2. I have probably watched 60 games in Miguel’s minor league career and while I am not predicting a Gold Glove anytime
      soon, he is improved and at 21 will get even better. I am not worried about his D

    3. You should look up his error rate at SS. It would make Vargas blush.

      1. Did you see that throw to first? It about ripped the first baseman’s arm off. Maybe he can play the outfield.

  15. I hope Freddie has a presser when he gets back to LA and shows a little love/loyalty/respect for the team that actually signed him and who hitched their wagon to for 6 years.

    I believe the fans, the organization, and his teammates deserve that.

    I’m not behind the closed doors but not good optics….maybe I am just overreacting.

    1. Matt – what sort of reception and furore do you think Clayton would have got on his return with another team if he’d left the Dodgers having just won the WS in 20?

      Did we mind that reception that Albert got last year in St Louis?

      No one’s doubting Freddie’s loyalty – he hit a HR in his first AB against the Braves earlier this season as Albert did against SL last year, but the fans don’t hold it against them.

      Personally I thought the whole thing was great and very heartwarming.

      Had to agree with Phil’s comments about Kenlley. It’s easy to forget what a tightrope act he was. I’ll take Kimbrel.

    2. Freddie fired his agent today. Has apparently told friends he was upset about the way his free agency negotiations were handled. That coupled with all the emotion he showed in Atlanta this weekend pretty much seems like he wishes he was still playing for the Braves.

      Not the best of looks, although at least it hasn’t affected his play.

      I’m just not sure how the guys in the clubhouse will react. The emotions were one thing, but then canning your agent after you get back because you aren’t still a Brave? Kershaw’s statement in Atlanta was interesting and kind of went up to the line without crossing it…………………….but that was before he fired his agent.

      2. Yeah, didn’t he just drive in the winning run in the rubber game against his old team? Move on, no need for extra drama.

        Freddie and Clayton are cut from different cloths, obviously. It’s great that Clayton trusts Friedman in the way he does and his willingness to wait to sign and take a one year deal at pretty fair market value. He would be St. Kershaw if he didn’t screw up so many post-season games.

        All agents are the devil. Timing is everything. It could be that Alex got that Olsen offer and had to act fast. It was a good decision in the long run for the franchise. It was a bad decision in the short run. Their loss, our gain. Time heals all wounds.

        We’ve seen this kind of thing before. With Beltre and Piazza. Unfortunately, this stuff happens and it’s the system that the players agree to in the CBA. It works for most maybe. But, guys like Freddie and Corey may have some regrets and everyone will exhibit their emotions differently.

        As such, I really don’t care about this. But, I do appreciate CK reminding him that the Braves suck and the Dodgers rule and he should be happy the way things worked out. 😉

  16. You’re missing my point. It’s not about the reception he got, that’s all fine and dandy, we’d shower Kershaw with love, I get that.

    But at SOME Point you gotta ride with the guys your playing for and say just how happy you are here in LA playing for the greatest franchise in Baseball. Albert a bit different as he knew he wasnt going to be in LA long term.

    Im curious to see his first few interviews back in LA.

    Again im not in that locker room, so if all is fine there, then I’m cool.

    But it just doesnt pass the eye/smell test for me. Just my opinion.

  17. Freeman wasn’t the only player that had strong emotions with the Dodgers in Atlanta. Jansen might have had his heart pounding as well. Who knows what triggers Jansens’s heart issues.

    1. I don’t care about Freddie showing “love” for Dodger fans, players or LADT posters. If he continues to produce on the field as he has so far, he is meeting my expectations. I can’t say the same for all of his teammates…

      1. Fair point, however part of being a true teammate is lifting other players up as well.

        Think about what Kirk Gibson did, he fired up his teammates.

        Not saying Freeman has to do that, but a true superstar helps EVERYONE succeed, not just himself.

  18. OMG.

    This silliness over Freeman is beyond anything I could have imagined.

    Can we get back to day-dreaming about call-ups from AA, or lamenting Trevor Bauer?

    2. It’s up to you if you want to trivialize such an egregious slap in the face of the entirety of the Dodgers organization and its storied history because some two bit, disloyal, good-for-nothing crybaby blubbers over his former team like a jilted lover, but I think it’s utterly disgraceful. Stalin executed people over less.

  19. 8:40 PM ET

    Dodgers (45-27)
    Rockies (32-42)

    SP Clayton Kershaw L
    5-1 2.00 ERA 45IP 47K
    Confirmed Lineup
    SS Trea Turner R
    1B F. Freeman L
    DH J. Turner R
    CF Chris Taylor R
    3B Max Muncy L
    2B H. Alberto R
    RF T. Thompson R
    LF Gavin Lux L
    C A. Barnes R

    Partly-cloudy-day
    0% Rain
    92° Wind 9 mph L-R

      1. This is an awful lineup. Barnes makes it even worse with his .194 BA.

  20. I am a patient man who does not despair easily, my friends say that I am too patient, I apply my patience to everything including of course baseball, I know that in the game there are unwritten codes, that there are hierarchies and that the history of a player it is respected and I agree with that 100%, that’s how I learned the game, but I confess that my patience is about to run out with Muncy and JT, my bag is about to be filled with stones, I consider that three months of the season are enough to start to try other alternatives.
    Muncy is not at 100% health and is only hurting the team and the big leagues is not a good place to recover, he should be demoted to the minor leagues.
    With JT, father time is simply taking its toll on him and his place should be on the bench and play from time to time during the week, it is possible that he will have a hot streak and increase his average to .240-.245 and then level off and finish at .225-.230, I am so patient that I would last another month until the trade period but I don’t think there will be an improvement, Muncy is not well but there is hope that he will recover and could return, but he should recover in the minors , for JT his best days are behind him.

  21. Jake Lamb is on the way to LA. – I am not trying to pull the wool over your eyes!

  23. DODGERS SELECT JAKE LAMB

    LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers selected the contract of infielder Jake Lamb and placed infielder/outfielder Zach McKinstry on the injured list with neck stiffness.

    Lamb, 31, appeared in 61 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .290 (67-for-231) with 15 homers and 50 RBI. The Former All-Star has been in the Major Leagues parts of eight seasons with Arizona (2014-2020), Oakland (2020), Chicago-Al (2021) and Toronto (2021), hitting a combined .236 with 91 homers and 331 RBI. Last season, he split the season between Chicago and Toronto, slashing .306/.368/.674 with seven homers and 19 RBI in 55 games. He was signed by the Dodgers as a minor league free agent on March 18. He was originally drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the sixth round of the 2012 First Year Player Draft out the University of Washington

    McKinstry, 27, appeared in two games since being recalled on June 19 and in six games with the Dodgers, he is batting .143 with a homer and two RBI. With Triple-A Oklahoma City, he was batting .328 (60-for-183) with eight doubles, three homers and 22 RBI in 46 games. In three Major League seasons with the Dodgers, he has hit a combined .218 with 10 doubles, eight homers and 31 RBI. He was originally drafted by the Dodgers in 33rd round of the 2016 First Year Player Draft out of Central Michigan University.

  24. Hanser Alberto, lefty killer…

    It’s official! The Jake Lamb comeback era begins. He’s gonna revive his career with the Dodgers ala JT just as JT fades into retirement. We should be so lucky and I’m hoping for the best. He sure looked like the next best thing after sliced bread for that one year in Arizona and a little less the next.

    McKinstry gets some more Major League pay on the IL before being sent down to AAA to get hot again. It was pretty tough trying to get his lefty bat in the lineup with Doc’s allergy to batting lefties back to back. It’s weird how that doesn’t play against lefties, when everyone with a right handed bat get’s a shot with disregard to any lefty righty ratio to be adhered to.

    I guess I can’t complain, it’s working in the early going.

    With the Lamb promotion, it looks like the Modus operandi for the Dodgers is to utilize all former big leaguers on minor league contracts while letting those prospects bake a little longer. After all, cuts will be made as many of our better players will eventually come off the 60 day in need of a 40 man roster spot. It’s one thing to cut a vet vying for a comeback as opposed to having to cut loose some trade bait or an otherwise useful player.

  25. CK’s 90 MPH fastball doesn’t look so good at 5,280 elevation. Gonna need a big offensive performance tonight. CK with 4 BB’s through 1.2 innings…..ouch

  26. It seems that it will be another one of those games… Fortunately the team has a lot of hitting, right?

  27. CK’s pitching hitting practice. Coors is a tough place to pitch but he looks terrible, and this Dodger offense is offensive. Max needs to sit tomorrow so Lamb can show Dodger fandom there’s hope for some offense from the 3B position

  28. I’ve mentioned him once before but Reyes Moronta has a career OPS against under .600 against both sides of the plate. That is very good.

  29. Well, did refresh to avoid the echo.

    Reyes Moronta is pitching really good.

    Shit, echo again!

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