Posted By Mark Timmons on July 28, 2022 July 28, 2022Mark Timmons
The Dodgers can score six runs in 2/3 of an inning off of a pitcher who has a 6.49 ERA and is a total mess but can only score one run off of average to below-average pitchers in 7-1/3 innings.
When the best part of Max Muncy’s game is his defense (and it is actually pretty good), the time has come to do something with Max Muncy. Maybe Andrew has to tell him that if he is injured and goes on the IL, they will pick up his option next year… or maybe they just release him, but either way, he has to go away. It’s way past time. When CT3 is activated, Max is gone, but the team should call up Vargas now. This is really hard because Max is loved up and down the clubhouse… but it is a business.
Cody Bellinger is still an asset for obvious reasons… maybe he will become a bigger asset, but with Max gone, the Dodgers can handle Cody.
Now we wait… and see how Heaney’s shoulder feels today and what it looks like by his next start. He looks rusty… but good. The question is: Can he stay healthy the rest of the way? The Dodgers were successful in strengthening Gonsolin’s shoulder… in the offseason.
Now it’s on to the Killing Fields at Coors! Anderson, Urias, Kershaw, and Gonsolin are all set to have their ERAs elevated a mile high!
The Dodgers are not serious about Soto. Of course, they are talking to the Nats, but they are just driving the price up. Who saw the Turner and Scherzer Trade coming last year? No One! Andrew Friedman will just pull a rabbit out of his hat when you least expect it. He might be in on Castillo, but it won’t be for who you think… except Mike Busch (maybe) and Hunter Feduccia.
What is the Real Story on Treinen, Kahnle, Gonzalez, Rios, May, Graterol, Buehler, and Duffy? We know that the Dodgers ain’t sayin’ or telling us the truth. I am not saying it is better or worse than what we think we know. I am just saying it is different. The truth is not readily available.
I do believe we will see CT3 next week.
We have seen the last of Garrett Cleavinger (at least this year… probably forever).
I can see Cleavinger, Bruihl, Grove, Feduccia, McKinstry, Moronta, Price, Reed, Alvarez, Outman, Pillar, and Vivas being moved in the right deal (not all of them). That’s 12-player movement possibilities on the 40-man roster. There are a lot of possibilities.
Could Joc Pederson be a Dodger again THIS SEASON? Could Hunter Feduccia, Justin Bruihl, and James Outman get that done? Asking for a friend!
Who would make more sense at DH – Garrett Cooper, Josh Bell, or JD Martinez? Who would cost the least?
I think I am going to rank Gavin Stone higher than Ryan Pepiot. He is that good! This year at AA, Gavin Stone has pitched 59 Innings, allowing 45 Hits with 0 HR and 84 Strikeouts. His ERA is 1.53, and his WHIP is 1.14. Contrast that with Ryan Pepiot in AA last year: 59 Innings, 30 Hits with 7 HR, and 81 Strikeouts. His ERA was 2.87, and his WHIP was 0.94. Gavin Stone may actually pass Bobby Miller in my rankings. Pepiot got pounded pretty good in AAA in 41 innings last season. I’d like to see Gavin Stone moved there soon. I think he will do a lot better than Pepiot did. BTW, Stone is just a couple of MPH off Bobby Miller!
Do you still want Soto? The LA Times speculates what it would take: “For the Dodgers, the list could include six of these seven players: catcher Diego Cartaya, right-hander Bobby Miller, infielder Miguel Vargas, second baseman Michael Busch, right-hander Ryan Pepiot, outfielder Andy Pages, and right-hander Gavin Stone.” No, thank you!
Are Bednar or Barlow possibilities in the bullpen?
No single stat reveals more about the offensive capability of a player than OPS. Will Mookie Betts ever be the Superstar the Dodgers thought they were getting? It’s not likely. Don’t get me wrong… Mookie is a star, a very good player. He is just not the Superstar the Dodgers paid for. His career OPS is .889 – that’s very close to being a superstar, but there’s no cigar! In 2019, Mookie hit .346 with a .438 OB% and a 1.078 OPS. He slipped a little in 2019 as he hit .295 with a .915 OPS. Still, both years were “SUPERSTAR” stats. Remember, an OPS of .900 puts you in that stratosphere. There was talk all over about who was the best player in baseball. – Mike Trout or Mookie Betts. In 2020, Mookie OPS’ed .927 but has OPS’ed .854 and .878 in the past two years. Again, close, but no cigar! Mookie is a very good player, but Freddie Freeman is OPS’ing .936 – he is a “Superstar.” Trea Turner OPS’ed .950 in 2021 but is at .851 this year – Still a star, just not a Superstar. Believe it or not, Cody Bellinger has a career OPS of .829. Of course, it’s.645 this year. In case you are wondering, Justin Turner has OPS’ed .864 as a Dodger. This year he has gotten his OPS up to .738, and .800 is not out of the question, but it’s a longshot.
I think Mookie, Justin, Will, Trea, and Freddie will all carry this team, but with Max out of the picture, they need another bat or two. Joc Pederson and Miguel Vargas may be just what the Doctor ordered.
Hanser Alberto means a lot more than what the stats show. However, he also needs to step up… and he has started to already. The same with Jake Lamb, and he needs to swing the bat more. He looks at too many pitches.
Danny Duffy, Victor Gonzalez, The Bazooka, Walker Buhler, Blake Treinen, Tommy Kahnle, Dustin May, and Jimmy Nelson. That’s EIGHT potentially good-to-great arms for the playoffs. They all will not make it back, but if just four or five do, the Dodgers’ Pitching Staff will be extra-extra-ordinary. Right now, it’s just extraordinary! One has to ask,” Do the Dodgers really need to trade for more pitching?” I think not.
Trayce Thompson has shown me that in baseball… I just never know. So I just shut up and enjoy the games.
Future Dodgers Down on the Farm
OKC won 6-3
Miguel Vargas hit his 14th HR
Mike Busch was 2-4
James Outman was 2-3 with a BB and his 5th HR
Andre Jackson had (by far) his best outing of the year as he went 5 innings, allowed 1 Run and 1 Hit, while walking 3 and striking out 6.
Pedro Baez had his first AAA appearance after pitching 5.1 innings in AZ. He promptly gave up 3 Hits and 2 ER in .2 IP. He walked a batter and was charged with a blown save. His AAA ERA is 27.00.
Tulsa lost 6-2
John Rooney pitched 7.1 innings, allowing 2 hits and 1 ER. He walked 1 and struck out 6. It was his best performance, but the bullpen blew it.
Let’s never mention this game again.
Great Lakes won 8-6.
Eddys Leonard hit his 9th HR.
Diego Cartaya was 1-3 with 2 Runs Scored and a walk. They are not giving him much to hit, and he is not challenged at Great Lakes. He needs to move to Tulsa.
Rancho Cucamonga was shutout 6-0
Maddux Bruns went 2 innings, allowing NO hits and No Runs. He walked 2 and struck out 2.
Yankees Acquire Andrew Benintendi From Royals
By Anthony Franco | July 27, 2022 at 10:59pm CDT
The Yankees and Royals have made the biggest move of deadline season to date. New York announced an agreement to acquire outfielder Andrew Benintendi from Kansas City in exchange for pitching prospects Beck Way, T.J. Sikkema and Chandler Champlain.
Yankess did not give up that much for Benintendi. low level prospects, if I am correct not one was in their top 5.
Good to see that Lux did not let the bad error from the game before affect him. 3 more hits and solid D in LF.
Jake Reed ? Really? Why not Yadier Alvarez or Fullmer ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Everyone is streaky. Will Smith I think 1-30 lately
He fixed that!
Don’t forget about the kid hitting .300 and OPS’ing over .800 at 2nd base. And more power is coming!
MOve him to leadoff!
Mark –
Lots to chew on in you 20-point article.
The one I want to address is the last on on Trayce Thompson. You are absolutely right that he is an example of the old axiom “one never knows” in baseball. I questioned when the Dodgers reacquired him; brought him to the big club; and, put him in the starting lineup! Now he has become one of my favorites because he is such a “feel good” story.
He reminds of Sweet Lou Johnson from the 1960’s who played a very important role on the 1965 and 1966 NL pennant and World Series teams. A career minor leaguer who was ready to shine when he got his opportunity. Only in baseball does that happen! That is what makes baseball special in professional sports…
I like the Sweet Lou comparison for Trayce. He was clutch. One of my favorites.
Re Mookie as “superstar”….
Relying solely OPS as a metric of “superstardom” ignores his Gold Glove fielding and baserunning skills. Mookie is a true five tools player–or six if you include the smarts.
Plus, he still leads the Dodgers in HRs by quite a few–even though he might be the smallest player on the team. Even when he is slumping–which means his OPS is still well above average, which is nothing at all like a slumping Max or Cody– Mookie has a knack for the big hit, the big catch, the big throw.
Something else: He has played hurt. This has probably hurt his OPS, but it still didn’t prevent him from gunning down a runner at the plate.
Finally, there are “the intangibles,” the stuff that is not easily measured. Justin Turner has spoken about how, when Mookie arrived, he called a team meeting. He was quickly regarded as a clubhouse leader with a strong work ethic. He leads by example.
Plus, he’s a solid citizen and a great representative of Dodger blue.
So his OPS isn’t up to his usual standards….
What’s not to like?
I love Mookie – I am just calling him what he is: A Star, just not a superstar!
Is Trayce Thompson finally healthy and this is who he is? What a great feel-good story.
Mookie is just a hot streak away from the superstar stratosphere.
There’s no reason that we have to cut Max. If Z-Mack can hang out on the bench and do nothing, so can Max.
If Max is out of the picture for this season, is it more imperative to get a left-handed bat to help out or a right-handed bat?
Yes, Lux crept over the 300 Ave and 800 OPS plateaus. No, we haven’t seen the best of Gavin yet. Yes, he can play shortstop.
The Dodgers need to finish what they started, turning Andrew Heaney into Andrew Miller. He’s going to be great weapon out of the bullpen later this season.
Is it too much to hope for Luis Castillo and Josh Bell? Yes, you can make the case that we don’t need either. The case is, Doc is going screw it up anyways, so it doesn’t matter if you stack the team with more stars.
Can Vargas be our Arozarena this year?
There’s no way I trade anything close to our six best prospects for Soto.
After Stone’s performance this season and the new gas on the fastball, you can certainly go ahead and rank him above Pepiot. Especially after we see what he does at AAA this year.
With Muncy circling the drain, I would rather have Josh Bell, but I’ll take any of those three. Cooper can play left field, so there’s a little more flexibility there. JD is a hitting machine, but Bell’s even better and a switchy to boot.
With Gavin Lux doing what he’s doing, and showing that he can be even better than this, I think this makes Michael Busch great trade bait.
Use him as a centerpiece for Castillo
I agree to some extent, but we’d have a huge hole of Trea bolts.
Part of me wants to see Vargas and Busch in the infield next season.
It was reported that the Reds were interested in Pages as the centerpiece.
Dodgers have to resign TT or the Braves FA shortstop . I would leave Lux at 2b. He is doing a great job there despite that one killer error two days ago.
Vargas and bush would be weak defensively, I dont think it would be a good idea to pair them in the infield.
Just checked again: The prospects the Yankees gave up for Benintendi were there Nr. 19 and 21 ranked prospects, the third kid was not even in the top 30. What a steal for the pinstripers. Getting an all star OF for fringe prospects.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A steal?
Sounds like very fair compensation to me.
I heard and read some articles that linked the Dodgers to Benintendi too. When compensation came up there were the names of Vargas, Bush, Page, Pepiot, Knack.
Could it be other teams want more from us than the Yankees or other contenders ? Is it just me who thinks other teams always ask the moon from us and fairly often get it ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Don’t believe most of what you read, Ram.
Just trust the good reporters.
I don’t think the historical record supports that the Dodgers “give away the moon”. At least not since Friedman got here.
Dodgers have signed 6 of its top 9 draft picks( no first round pick) and 3 of its next 10 picks for of total of 9 signees thus far.
Cooper is on the 10-day IL with a wrist contusion, and I dislike trading for injured players. JD Martinez would not cost much, and he hits pretty decent at Dodger Stadium as his 4-homer game when he was a D-Back attests. Bell would cost a little more, but he is strictly a first baseman and ours is pretty good. Last season when they traded for Turner and Scherzer, we did not get to see Turner for several days because he was on the Covid IL. Whomever they do end up trading for I want to see that player readily available for duty. I have no idea who AF is talking to. The rumor mill is usually full of disinformation. You can forget Nelson this year Mark. His Surgery was late last year, no way he is ready by October. Joc a Dodger? I doubt Farhan would do anything to make the Dodgers stronger that his own team. In season trades between LA and SF are rarer than Dems and Republicans agreeing on anything. As for Max, it is very painful just watching him flail away game after game. He has zero confidence at this point. He is definitely in need of an extended IL stint.
I have become a fan of Trayce. Would not surprise me if he was the regular center fielder next year. He may not be Cody defensively, but he is pretty good and is more dependable with a bat. Don’t believe the Dodgers are serious on Soto. The price is way too high.
I rarely comment on here but enjoy reading comments of others. Never know what handle to use. Since I am a retired forester and the former whistling champion of OK, I have thought of doing a Hank Snow takeaway and trying “The Whistling Ranger”. Was also the editor of the Louisiana Society of American Foresters (SAF) newsletter for 3-4 years.
We will publish it. Send us a link.
Welcome Bill!
Not to rain on your parade, but Trayce wasn’t very good after this injuries either. Maybe Belli can come back like Trayce did?
And let’s not forget about Rios. The power is there. He just needs to tighten up his strike zone and more consistent contact. With no big signings, we could have Busch at second, Lux at short, Rios at third and Vargas in left next year. Is AF satisfied with that? Are we?
News from Internet:
FanGraphs’ Dan Szymborski made up some trades! https://blogs.fangraphs.com/lets-make-some-deadline-trades/
The San Francisco Giants acquire OF Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals for SS Marco Luciano, P Kyle Harrison, OF Luis González, OF Heliot Ramos, and the privilege of not being P Patrick Corbin’s employer.
The trade simulator says it’s a viable trade, but a minor overpay for the Nats (i.e they should get more)
Matt (Oceanside): Got to get my Soto trade proposal in on behalf of the Dodgers. Do you think Cartaya, Vargas, Busch, Miller, and Pepiot is enough?
Ben Clemens: probably? I like 3 of tohse guys quite a bit, and the other two are still good…
Dakota mckee: Could Cody bellinger be part of a (boring ass) dodgers deal for Soto as a potential name replacement? Or is his value completely negative at this point?
Ben Clemens: negative
Mets fan: Where does Trea Turner sign? Seems like a perfect fit for the Mets, especially if Nimmo walks
Ben Clemens: I could see that, but I think he’s most likely to remain with the Dodgers. They have some money to spend, and though I know he’s not actually a California guy, he seems like a California guy to me.
The Dodgers Undrafted Free agents
Connor Godwin, RHP, JC of Central Florida
Carter Lohman, LHP, Louisville
Livan Reinoso, INF, Tennessee Wesleyan
Christian Ruebeck, RHP, Kansas State
Lucas Wepf, RHP, Louisiana-Monroe
The Scoop: …He’s showing big-time power in the process. He’s slammed 12 home runs in 52 games with Great Lakes after a mid-May promotion to the level. A quarter of that total came last week. (JN)
Against Gauthier, every pitch is a pressure pitch thanks to his advanced control of the strike zone. When you factor in his 9 stolen bases and 78 runs scored to the equation it becomes clear that he is a top-of-the-class table setter.
Put this prospect on your radar:
On Monday, Guillermo Zuniga picked up his 10th save of the year for Tulsa & stayed perfect in save opportunities this year.
His fastball is big (100), his slider is as big, and so is his competitive nature. He backs down to no one!
Specs on the two pitches…
LAA – 81 mph, -5″ VB, 10″ HB
LAD – 85 mph, 4″ VB, 1″ HB
Less spin-induced movement could allow him to control the ball better / “gyro stabilizes flight.” The interesting thing is that the Driveline model is more in line with the LAA breaking ball better — 99 stuff+ vs 77 stuff+.
Thus perhaps the Dodgers are factoring in other variables here in determining this new pitch was better. And so far, they’ve been spot on.
The four (4) most recent trades from the Trade Simulator:
From dayvid July 28, 2022
Angels GET
Diego Cartaya 50.6
Wilman Diaz 3.4
Brusdar Graterol 9.6
Bobby Miller 28.7
Max Muncy 9.9
Dodgers GET
Shohei Ohtani 107.6
From nostradamus July 28, 2022
Dodgers GET
David Bednar 28.7
Bryan Reynolds 77.1
Zach Thompson 5.6
Pirates GET
Diego Cartaya 50.6
Bobby Miller 28.7
James Outman 2.4
Gavin Stone 19.7
Alex Vesia 10
From sean.maitland July 28, 2022
Dodgers GET
Anthony Bass 1.7
Garrett Cooper 10.3
Pablo Lopez 45.7
Marlins GET
Michael Busch 27
Jose Ramos 10
Gavin Stone 19.7
Mitch White 1.3
From: silentbob2001 July 27, 2022
Tigers GET
Michael Busch 27
James Outman 2.4
Ryan Pepiot 18.2
Dodgers GET
Tucker Barnhart -1.3
Joe Jimenez 0.7
Jonathan Schoop -0.9
Tarik Skubal 48.5
Bluto,
You should put a disclaimer on those trades “I am in no way attesting to the veracity of this suggestion.”
Otherwise, these guys will be coming for you:
I assume that everyone has that thought when they read ANYTHING on this blog! Especially my stuff.
We are in the process of re-naming the blog:
So, I feel we take a stab at Soto. The offering: Gonsolin (sell high) and Bellinger (former MVP with a similar salary) and two minor league assets (not our top rated pieces). If that works, go for it. If not hold and squeeze.
Gonsolin is a good start.
They do not care about salary or want Cody.
In addition to Gonsolin they would want Cartaya, Miller, Busch, and Pages (maybe more).
Minor league add ons to above:
Rooney has picked off 11 runners this year.
Pedro Baez was called twice for violating the pitch clock. One of them was before he even threw his first pitch.
“Violating the Pitch Clock?” Pedron Baez? Nooooooooo!
LOL
Okay, I think the interest in Juan Soto is real. But the price is too high and the Dodgers are not going there. Apparently the Nats no longer want to include Corbin’s contract, they want the biggest prospect haul possible. Maybe the Dodgers pursue a pitcher, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t. Maybe they just go after a reliever, a less costly bat.
They should focus on signing Trea Turner.
Is Mookie a superstar? I know you guys like stats or certain stats. Mookie makes a lot of big plays in the outfield, has some power and often comes through with big hits. He seems to make players around him better. The media calls him a superstar. Will he ever have a season or two like the best ones in Boston. Probably he’ll have one or two.
I’m not sure there are any superstars. Scott Boras would argue that point. Mike Trout could be called that, but the injuries are beginning to chip away. If not for the injuries, Trout would be the only baseball player worthy of the mantle. But he doesn’t care about marketing and charisma. Then there is the reality Angels aren’t very good. No playoff drama for Trout.
Some of it has to do with charisma and Mookie has that. The media and fans love those kind of players. They deem them superstars. So maybe that is the best way to determine superstar status.
Since we’re talking about super stars and generational players, all this excitement about Soto and he’s currently hitting .243. Soto made the all-star team, but is he a superstar? He does have charisma.
Now Freddie Freeman is pretty consistent and it was a great signing. He flat out hits the ball. I think the Dodgers should continue in that mode when pursuing talent. May not have a generational label, but helps a team win. The fans love Freddie. So, no to Soto. The foundation for the Dodgers is the farm system. Why gut it?
What makes the Dodgers special, different from the rest of baseball. Year after year, they’re good, always in the chase, winning divisions and making the playoffs. Not many can do that.
The Dodgers already draw the biggest crowds in baseball so they don’t need another star. It may be LA, but the Dodgers own the city.
I’m looking forward to seeing Miquel Vargas and Diego Cartaya in Dodger Blue. Gavin Stone, the next pitching star to emerge from the minors. Some of the others likely to make the jump.
So half of baseball thinks Soto gets traded, half thinks he stays and gets moved in the winter. Whoever wins this chase will get his full services for two years and will have the pleasure of negotiating the $500 million deal in a free agent melee. Then they will look back and find their farm system bare.
That means it won’t be the Dodgers.
Is Soto a “superstar?”
He has OPS’ed over .900 every year. Usually way over!
After a bad start, he is OPS’ing .880 this year. He will be over .900 again.
Hois career OPS is .964 – way over the superstar status.
Mike Trout’s career OPS is 1.000 EVEN!
You can use OPS, Mark, fits a box. But does that really make a player a super star? Most average fans probably don’t know what OPS means. They understand batting average, homeruns etc. So let me pose this question. Tom Brady is a superstar in football and I get it is not the same game. But who is the Tom Brady in baseball?
Tom Brady = Babe Ruth
OK, let’s do it this way:
Find me a player with an OPS of .900 who is not a superstar!
How about our own Trace Thompson at .917 . LOL
I hope it is not the Dodgers.
Just go get Castillo and Pederson and call it a day. With at least some of the walking wounded coming back our pitching staff will get a big shot in the arm too.
Dont do something stupid like trading away Cartaya , Miller.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
* Think back to spring with Gavin Lux, He’d had the second base job only to lose it. The position was still a question mark and so was Lux. Now he’s hitting .300 and is living up to expectations. Oh, I’m not forgetting an occasional yip throw. The problem with the yips is a guy can go for months without throwing one away but the vigilance never goes away. And as soon as it happens, all the questions resurface. It can last a career. But Lux has become the hitter we had hoped and I’m proud of the kid.
* It must be my day to be an old softie. After our 6th run in the 1st, I found myself feeling sorry for Patrick Corbin. He was unbelievably terrible. When it goes for some, it goes in a hurry. His boat anchor contract could probably be tied with any deal for Soto and that alone would be a deal breaker for me (along with Soto’s 1/2 billion $ asking price long term). Corbin’s problems are more than a little mechanical tweak.
* I also feel sorry for the new Bigfoot. McKinstry could be playing somewhere and not sitting every day. I don’t know where you play him on a more regular basis but his role is one of an aging veteran.
* Okay, I’m done feeling sorry for today.
I dislike Coors Field. I hope we play better there.
In Rosenthal’s latest piece on TheAthletic, he postulates that the Astros may be looking to trade a pitcher for a position player. He cites that the Astros have a surplus of starters, as evidenced by their going to a 6 man rotation, and it just makes sense to move one. Especially with McCullers coming off the DL.
Can someone tell me why the Dodgers (who are now using (albeit limitedly) a 6-man rotation AND have May coming back) are not in the exact same position? (pun!) A trade for a position player seems more likely to me, why am I wrong?
Well, you are not wrong. There is no wrong answer, but if it were me, I would not pitch May more than 3 or 4 innings at a time. Now, if that means starting… OK.
BTW, McCullers was roughed up by OKC last night!
There has been some discussion here lately about the Trade Simulator.
A couple of interesting take-aways:
1) They claim to have been accurate on 94.8% of trades that have been made since the site’s inception (meaning the simulator said the trade was within its limits for acceptability, value-wise).
2) Some front offices actually follow the site and here’s a pretty shocking quote from the article:
“It was around that time when someone in another MLB front office emailed Bitzer saying they used his site as a neutral party to check their work before trading; if the simulator spits out something that seems way out of whack, they’ll take a second look. “That’s validating,” Bitzer said. Recently, he added, he’s also seen a few MLB GMs follow Baseball Trade Values on Twitter.”
Bringing back Joc would be fun. He would basically replace Jake Lamb in a platoon with Trayce.
Plus, Joc could give Freddie a day off
Hey, just kidding…
Hoping not to see Max penciled in todays line-up. He needs some time off or perhaps another IL stint. His walk first ABs are tiresome and all too often we see a center cut FB taken for strike three.
Sit’em Doc
Dodgers Nation
Dodgers: Every Fan in LA Needs to Know Ronan Kopp
Brook Smith
Jul 28
Standing at 6-foot-7, you immediately notice Ronan Kopp on the field and in the dugout. The Dodgers picked up the left-handed hurler out of South Mountain Community College in Phoenix in the 12th round last year. And since then, he has carved a name for himself in the organization.
Almost quite literally. With a fastball that reaches the upper 90s and a decent breaking ball to mix in, Kopp has dominated with Rancho Cucamonga. Across 44.2 innings of work, Kopp has chalked up a ridiculous 80 strikeouts to go along with a pristine 1.61 ERA. And perhaps th best news for the Dodgers? He turns 20 years old on Friday.
At that height, Kopp gets downhill very quickly on batters. That has resulted in him averaging over 16 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched in 2022. But he does struggle with control at times too, averaging 5.6 free passes per 9 innings. But the Dodgers have proven many times that they can help guys get their control dialed in.
Ronan Kopp threw the bulk innings on Sunday for Rancho going 4, striking out 7, & walking just 1. @rkopp27 has not allowed an earned run in his last 6 outings, which is all of July, & his last 2 in June. During that span of 18.2 innings, he has 30 K’s. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/dvbck5WvpN
For the moment, the Dodgers seem to be trying to find out where they want him to pitch. Kopp has appeared in 20 games this season, and 6 of them have come as a starter. But if they can get his control dialed in a little more over the next 2 years, Kopp could very well be a part of the big league squad.
Kopp could be an Andrew Miller-Type Pitcher!
He’s on my List!
Taylor passed his running in the outfield test and has started taking infield grounders and throwing to first base. Doc said his arm has the flexibility to throw at all angles now. After a few simulated games next week he will ready to return after a rehab assignment. To me that says Max is going to start to see fewer AB’s.
Source: The Los Angeles #Dodgers offered Gavin Lux and top prospects, Diego Cartaya, Michael Busch, Andy Pages, Ryan Pepiot, and Landon Knack to the #Nationals, for superstar Juan Soto.
Cartaya is the Dodgers #1 prospect, and the Nats scouting department is very high on him.
** too much,too little ?
would hate give up Busch,Pepoit and Lux coming into his own. But gotta give up BIG to get back BIG !
Would be fine JD,Castillo – call it a day. AF likes swinging for the fences !!
What “source?”
Find another prospect or two instead of Lux and do
the deal. Will they take Muncy? How about White or May but no to Lux.
What!!!!????
If true, I guess the Dodgers consider Will the long term solution at catcher?
Nevermind. I think I was had. Don’t click on the links. Source is a guy named Ben Dover. LOL
Those are satire Twitter accounts. “Ben Dover” wasn’t a reliable source when I was in middle school. I don’t think his reputation has improved.
The source is MLB Insider, a guy who couldn’t accurately predict what he was having for dinner if he was the one buying it.
He was right on a trade once, a lucky guess, and now he tries to pass himself off as the world’s leading expert. He posts wild trade rumors and when they don’t happen he deletes his tweets.
I have a feeling this was the source. A lookalike MLB account with 700 followers. And a “writer” named Benjamin Dover. He claims to have a beautiful wife named Ilene.
Granted its not Rosenthal,Heyman,Passan and its pure ‘clickbait’ but just wanted generate a lil more trade talk.
Don’t shoot the messenger !
That post of mine was in jail for a while and it should’ve just stayed there.
Ben Dover? It’s like one of those Bart Simpson prank calls to the bartender.
I was duped, snookered, taken in, bamboozled, hoodwinked.
I just want the trade deadline to pass. Some years I enjoy the speculation. This year it’s getting old. AF will make a move or he won’t. Might be a big name. Might be somebody most of us would have to lookup to even know who he is. But it will be in AF style.
I am curious if the news about Trout’s injury might push the Angels a little closer to consider trading Ohtani. As many in the media have pointed out, the condition isn’t terribly serious for the average person. Physical therapy. Muscle conditioning. But for an elite athlete? I don’t buy that. Most people don’t dive into the ground or a padded wall every week. Nor do they have to swing a bat thousands of times per year. Oh, and BTW… do that effectively to catch or a hit a small ball flying at you. While I don’t think this is career ending, I do think there is a strong chance Trout won’t be the same. At least not for very long. This kind of chronic condition doesn’t bode well.
I still think the Angeles will likely keep Ohtani and let him walk as a FA. Arte would rather keep filling seats over making a strategic move that would ultimately improve the team. The fans are already pissed off and frustrated. Trading Ohtani would make their brains implode. Ohtani’s star/marketing value is vastly greater than Soto. They could transform their org and prepare for the potential end to the “Trout” era. But they likely won’t.
* Joc Pederson’s name keeps resurfacing like a bad penny. He does nothing for me as a platoon piece in left. Would the plan be for him to platoon with Trayce? With Lamb kicking a can down the road? On the surface Joc would play against right handed pitching only. He hits .238 versus righties. So Trayce would be the guy against lefties? Thompson is hitting .200 against lefties and .320 agains righties. Big reverse splits. Lamb and Joc have basically identical averages against RHP, at .234 and .238 respectively. So a platoon with Thompson and Lamb isn’t really effective and Joc brings nothing to add to this but complication.
* It looks like the Nats may have backed off trying to tie Corbin’s bad contact to any Soto deal.
* Mark wrote “Do you still want Soto? The LA Times speculates what it would take: “For the Dodgers, the list could include six of these seven players: catcher Diego Cartaya, right-hander Bobby Miller, infielder Miguel Vargas, second baseman Michael Busch, right-hander Ryan Pepiot, outfielder Andy Pages, and right-hander Gavin Stone.” No, thank you!”
Double No Thanks here too. I can’t believe this is even a consideration.
* Anthony Castrovince of MLB wrote “It’s fair for some fans to ask that in what has statistically been a down season for Soto. As of this writing, his batting average (.245) is 68 points lower than last year, his on-base percentage (.401) is 64 points lower and his slugging percentage (.485) is 49 points lower. He also grades out poorly as a defensive outfielder (first percentile in Outs Above Average).”
The comparisons with Ted Williams make me laugh. Teddy Ballgame did it for 21 years minus 3 years in the Service. I personally have no interest in pursuing Soto for anything close to what’s speculated. The potential outgoing players are who you can build a franchise on; not one player. And the Dodgers have them and aren’t rebuilding.
* My money would go into trying to sign Trea Turner for 5 years at top of the line $.
I think he’s worth it. And we know what he brings to the table. Trea makes us go. His numbers are great and he plays every day. He brings speed and consistency. Every time you look he has another hitting streak going. His defense is fine and he hits .300 falling out of bed. I envision a middle infield that would perennially have two .300 hitters in the line up with Lux and Trea. There is so much to like about this guy but it’s easy to take him for granted and just assume he’s leaving. I would exhaust all avenues to re-sign him. I know he’s 29 but I see his body holding up to 35. For me, that’s were my big $ contract would go.
8:40 PM ET
Dodgers (65-32)
Rockies (45-54)
SP Tyler Anderson L
10-1 2.79 ERA 103.1IP 87K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
DH Jake Lamb L
2B Gavin Lux L
3B Max Muncy L
CF C. Bellinger L
LF Z. McKinstry L
35% Rain
74° Wind 9 mph Out
ZMac finally gets a start.
Always good to put the sale merchandise in the window.
lol – Pretty much.
I think Joc is mostly a sentimental notion. But Farhan may want to flip him.
Yanks did well to get Benintendi, and now they are reportedly in on Castillo or Montas. Both could be had in packages. Can’t recall the name, but Oakland could offer a good reliever plus Pinder with Montas. But Castillo plus Drury would be better.
I’ve always like Josh Bell. He could DH while Max and JT share 3B. I think a couple of mid-level prospects might be enough, say Outman plus Rooney? And we could sacrifice Lamb.
See what I did there?
I doubt very seriously that Farhan or the Giants ownership would do anything to strengthen the Dodgers. It has been many years since a trade was done between the two teams. Robert’s loyalty to Max is reaching beyond crazy. Outside of that short burst in Chicago against the White Sox. Max has continued to struggle. They cannot option him, but can they at least sit the guy down for an IL stint? Something is obviously wrong with him. Padres are considered the front runner right now for Soto. Same was true for Scherzer last season until AF stepped in and got the deal done. Bluto, answer me this, why in the world would the Dodgers even want Tucker Barnhardt? I think you are just tossing poop on the wall to see what sticks. Bell would be a good DH option for sure since he is a switch hitter. But I doubt they would go that route and not have JT in there as much as possible. 6 lefty’s in tonights lineup.
Are we actually quoting tweets from guys named Ben Dover now?
What, Hugh G Rection or IP Freely weren’t available??
Every time I hear a crazy rumor, I make sure to check with a credible source. Like the baseball insider Mike Coxlon. He knows his stuff.
Bobby LoL brilliant
Mark said this:
“Danny Duffy, Victor Gonzalez, The Bazooka, Walker Buhler, Blake Treinen, Tommy Kahnle, Dustin May, and Jimmy Nelson. That’s EIGHT potentially good-to-great arms for the playoffs. They all will not make it back, but if just four or five do, the Dodgers’ Pitching Staff will be extra-extra-ordinary. Right now, it’s just extraordinary! One has to ask,” Do the Dodgers really need to trade for more pitching?” I think not.”
First thing, Nelson is done for the year including the playoffs unless I missed something. Secondly Duffy is nothing to get excited about.
For the playoffs:
Of those 6 remaining, there are 2 that would be big upgrades if they are themselves/fully healthy when they return, Treinen and Buehler.
Of the other 4:
Gonzalez has very little experience/innings in his career, I wouldn’t trust him in the playoffs, but during the regular season he would be an upgrade over certain other guys we have.
Graterol’s career stats against LHB is terrible, but this year is average against LHB, he’s an upgrade over certain guys we already have for the regular season, but I wouldn’t trust him in the playoffs.
Kahnle is an above average reliever and against both sides of the plate, nothing special, but he would be an upgrade during the regular season over certain guys we already have in the bullpen and I would consider him for the playoffs if there is room, but I wouldn’t use him in high leverage situations in the playoffs.
May has better career stats against LHB than Graterol, I’ll take May any day over Graterol. But I still wouldn’t want May as a reliever in the playoffs. He doesn’t have much experience/innings too. If there is room for May as a 4th starter in the playoffs I’d go for that, but I doubt there is room. It wouldn’t hurt to see what he can do as a reliever during the regular season because he would be an upgrade over certain guys we already have in the bullpen and our lead over the Padres is big.
As I’ve said before, Betts is a very good player, but I consider Freeman and T Turner as more valuable than Betts, and I want Friedman to try to sign T Turner.
Also as I’ve said before, all Vargas has to do is hit better than Muncy, and that is not a lot to ask for, and I think that is all we need for an upgrade on offense.
I don’t want Soto for the price in prospects nor do I want him for the dollars 2 years from now. It’s not good to pay what he will get in 1 player, you’re better off paying for 2 stars than 1 superstar.
I know I’m going to rub people wrong when I say I don’t want to pay the price in prospects for Castillo because I don’t think he’s much of an upgrade over the starters we already have and the cost for him can go to upgrading our bullpen that is ranked number 6, while our starting pitching is ranked number 1 and our offense is ranked number 1 or 2. And why throw in Drury with a career slash line of .252/.302/.431/.733? Yes I know he is having a good year with an above .800 OPS, but he’s never had an .800+ OPS year in his career until SO FAR this year.
Just my opinion and my 2 cents for the day.
I see Rios is making a comeback in AAA ball and that is an upgrade for the offense whether it’s DH or the bench.
So Taylor is making a comeback too. That’s another upgrade if the subtraction is right just like Rios if the subtraction is right. Subtractions being McKinstry, Muncy, Alberto. Lamb. I’d take Thompson over Alberto as a right handed hitter.
MLBTR still has “Treinen Won’t Face Hitters For Weeks” in the most current post for the Dodgers. Roberts just said in the pre-game that Treinen will face hitters in LA this weekend.
Brusdar is also in LA this weekend and will throw a pen.
May is on the hill tonight in OKC. Edwin Rios is in the lineup batting second and playing 3B.
Treinen will be back on the first of August, according to the Dodgers.
Damn! It took me long enough time finding a decent stream. I guess Mad Titan is the ticket. Well see for how long.
Jessica Mendoza on Conner Joe hitting Belli in the back on a throw to second. “It’s almost like he didn’t see him”. Really? You’re standing next to him holding him on to begin the play and you’re throwing to second trying to get him out, but you don’t see him?
This might sound sexist but listening to Mendoza analyze a MLB game is like fingernails on a chalkboard. OK, she played women’s college softball but she has never played in a MLB game and I find her commentary to be devoid of substance and depth.
Just my two cents worth.
I think she’s pretty good. And I’m a sexist. Well at least once upon a time I was.
Yes your right is does sound sexist I think she’s great!
It’s not sexist if you liked Alana Rizzo. I thought she was great. I don’t like Mendoza and Kirsten Watson is getting better, but she’s no Alana.
I like Jessica in small doses… not every day!
I see Rios is making a comeback in AAA ball and that is an upgrade for the offense whether it’s DH or the bench.
Dustin May today: 3ip, 2hits, 6k. I’d love to know how hard he was throwing!
Report on Twitter said that Dustin May topped out at 99.9 mph tonight.
And a few highlights showed great movement on his pitches.
Yankees got better today.
Benintendi? No power, good defense and decent speed. Where it makes them better is the fact that it gets Joey Gallo out of the lineup. But they also lost Stanton to the IL again.
After this game the Dodgers will retake the lead in all of MLB. Right now tied with the Yanks.
Not really!
I might have to reconsider how I feel about the games at Coors!
Tyler Anderson = Why do the Dodgers need another starter? Why?
That’s what I’ve been saying.
Rios and Taylor will be back for the offense upgrade. We have Vargas if needed. I know people don’t like to hear it, but the bullpen is the spot on the team that has room for improvement. I say Robertson and Chafin.
Bednar is good but not as good as the other 2 and has been good for only 1 and a half years, the other 2 have done it and done it good for years. Bednar is under control for years so he will cost way more in prospects. The other 2 are rentals that will cost less in prospects. But I wouldn’t mind Bednar so don’t get me wrong there.
Insurance policy, less stress on the pen. Get another right-hander you can depend on. For when Clayton needs a phantom trip to the IL, or a real trip to the IL. So, Urias doesn’t meet the same fate as last year. In case Gonsolin runs out of gas.
Hey AF, resign Trea. Forget Soto and Otani. Get bullpen help.
While OPS is a better measure of a hitters value, I still like to monitor batting average for historical comparisons.
After tonight’s game, the Dodgers have 3 of the top 4 hitters in NL by batting average.
Goldschmidt leads the league at .335 followed by Freeman-323, Trea Turner- 312, and Lux-307.
While OPS is a better measure of a hitters value, I still like to monitor batting average for historical comparisons.
After tonight’s game, the Dodgers have 3 of the top 4 hitters in NL by batting average.
Goldschmidt leads the league at .335 followed by Freeman-323, Trea Turner- 312, and Lux-307.
I would love to see a Dodger win another batting title. I guess Trea kinda counts, but it’s been a while before that.
Impressive that the Dodgers are 2.3.4 in NL batting average. Especially with Lux up there!
But something to keep in mind….
Right now, Betts, despite his subpar .269 BA, still has a higher OPS than both Trea and Lux.
And although Betts has played 17 fewer games than Trea and Freddie, he still leads the league in runs scored with 71, which is 3 more than Goldschmidt. And Goldschmidt has played 12 more games than Mookie.
Sure, leadoff hitters on good teams should score a lot of runs. But the fact that he leads the league while missing about 17 games to injury also testifies to his baserunning skills.
And yeah, runs are really more important than RBIs.
Yard barker is reporting that the Angels are open to listening to trade offers for Ohtani.
No idea what “yard barker” is, but the Angels definitely should be listening to offers for Ohtani.
I recently saw a old video that reported that Ohtani’s first choice would have been the Dodgers, but without the DH the Dodgers only saw him as an SP. and not also aNa parttime outfielder, like he was in Japan. So the DH rule led him to the Angels. It has also been reported that Angels GM Billy Eppler had courted Ohtani for years and that helped–which is why the Mets could angle for him. But maybe Ohtani simply prefers SoCal.
Anyway, it’s hard to imagine the Angels becoming a contender next season, so the best way to maximize his value is to move him now when the buyer could have him for two pennant runs. The Angels have a weak farm system and need A LOT of help. The Dodgers have a deep system and could put together a big package for a guy who is both an ace-quality starter and top-tier DH with power and speed.
To replace the DH: Start with Max (a good bounce-back candidate) or Rios and add Busch. or Vargas . For good measure toss in Amaya or Leonard because the Angels need a SS).
To replace the ace SP: Start with Gonsolin (peak value) and add Miller, or maybe two pitchers like Grove and Nastrini. Toss in a catcher like Feduccia because the Angels will need a backup to Stassi.
Anyway, given the Angels many needs, the Dodgers could offer a few ML-ready players and young prospects that would quickly improve their standing. If an 8-for-1 deal seems outlandish, remember that the Dodgers traded five prospects or Machado–and he doesn’t pitch.
To simplify this, just think of Ohtani as roughly equivalent to Scherzer + Trea. The Dodgers got that pair for their top two prospects and two lottery-pick types. Could Cartaya + Miller plus two lower level types net Ohtani? No, because Ohtani is younger and of course has a marketing cachet that plays outside the lines. Ohtani will likely be the game’s first $50 million per season player. Perhaps $60 million.
With Ohtani in blue, the Dodgers would likely employ a six-man rotation, which might be a good thing..
Just imagine slotting Ohtani into the top of the lineup with Mookie, Trea and Freddie….
Some of our minor leaguers had great games yesterday.
Cartaya two more bombs . Miller 6 innings , giving up 2 runs on a HR but 11 Ks and no BBs. Busch 3 more hits.
Then you got the return of May throwing gas with silly movement.
Treinen obviously getting close as is The Bazooka. Rios starting at 3b for OKC.
Reinforcements are close.
The more I think about it the more I like the idea of going after Ohtani. You get 2 players in 1. An ace starter and a monster DH.
But I am still reluctant to give up Miller and Cartaya. I think both could be all stars in the future.
If there is any way to get Ohtani for a package not including those two I probably go for it.
Pepiot, Stone, Page, Vargas, Busch,Grove ?
Yankees Acquire Andrew Benintendi From Royals
By Anthony Franco | July 27, 2022 at 10:59pm CDT
The Yankees and Royals have made the biggest move of deadline season to date. New York announced an agreement to acquire outfielder Andrew Benintendi from Kansas City in exchange for pitching prospects Beck Way, T.J. Sikkema and Chandler Champlain.
Yankess did not give up that much for Benintendi. low level prospects, if I am correct not one was in their top 5.
Good to see that Lux did not let the bad error from the game before affect him. 3 more hits and solid D in LF.
Jake Reed ? Really? Why not Yadier Alvarez or Fullmer ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Everyone is streaky. Will Smith I think 1-30 lately
He fixed that!
Don’t forget about the kid hitting .300 and OPS’ing over .800 at 2nd base. And more power is coming!
MOve him to leadoff!
Mark –
Lots to chew on in you 20-point article.
The one I want to address is the last on on Trayce Thompson. You are absolutely right that he is an example of the old axiom “one never knows” in baseball. I questioned when the Dodgers reacquired him; brought him to the big club; and, put him in the starting lineup! Now he has become one of my favorites because he is such a “feel good” story.
He reminds of Sweet Lou Johnson from the 1960’s who played a very important role on the 1965 and 1966 NL pennant and World Series teams. A career minor leaguer who was ready to shine when he got his opportunity. Only in baseball does that happen! That is what makes baseball special in professional sports…
I like the Sweet Lou comparison for Trayce. He was clutch. One of my favorites.
Re Mookie as “superstar”….
Relying solely OPS as a metric of “superstardom” ignores his Gold Glove fielding and baserunning skills. Mookie is a true five tools player–or six if you include the smarts.
Plus, he still leads the Dodgers in HRs by quite a few–even though he might be the smallest player on the team. Even when he is slumping–which means his OPS is still well above average, which is nothing at all like a slumping Max or Cody– Mookie has a knack for the big hit, the big catch, the big throw.
Something else: He has played hurt. This has probably hurt his OPS, but it still didn’t prevent him from gunning down a runner at the plate.
Finally, there are “the intangibles,” the stuff that is not easily measured. Justin Turner has spoken about how, when Mookie arrived, he called a team meeting. He was quickly regarded as a clubhouse leader with a strong work ethic. He leads by example.
Plus, he’s a solid citizen and a great representative of Dodger blue.
So his OPS isn’t up to his usual standards….
What’s not to like?
I love Mookie – I am just calling him what he is: A Star, just not a superstar!
Is Trayce Thompson finally healthy and this is who he is? What a great feel-good story.
Mookie is just a hot streak away from the superstar stratosphere.
There’s no reason that we have to cut Max. If Z-Mack can hang out on the bench and do nothing, so can Max.
If Max is out of the picture for this season, is it more imperative to get a left-handed bat to help out or a right-handed bat?
Yes, Lux crept over the 300 Ave and 800 OPS plateaus. No, we haven’t seen the best of Gavin yet. Yes, he can play shortstop.
The Dodgers need to finish what they started, turning Andrew Heaney into Andrew Miller. He’s going to be great weapon out of the bullpen later this season.
Is it too much to hope for Luis Castillo and Josh Bell? Yes, you can make the case that we don’t need either. The case is, Doc is going screw it up anyways, so it doesn’t matter if you stack the team with more stars.
Can Vargas be our Arozarena this year?
There’s no way I trade anything close to our six best prospects for Soto.
After Stone’s performance this season and the new gas on the fastball, you can certainly go ahead and rank him above Pepiot. Especially after we see what he does at AAA this year.
With Muncy circling the drain, I would rather have Josh Bell, but I’ll take any of those three. Cooper can play left field, so there’s a little more flexibility there. JD is a hitting machine, but Bell’s even better and a switchy to boot.
With Gavin Lux doing what he’s doing, and showing that he can be even better than this, I think this makes Michael Busch great trade bait.
Use him as a centerpiece for Castillo
I agree to some extent, but we’d have a huge hole of Trea bolts.
Part of me wants to see Vargas and Busch in the infield next season.
It was reported that the Reds were interested in Pages as the centerpiece.
Dodgers have to resign TT or the Braves FA shortstop . I would leave Lux at 2b. He is doing a great job there despite that one killer error two days ago.
Vargas and bush would be weak defensively, I dont think it would be a good idea to pair them in the infield.
Just checked again: The prospects the Yankees gave up for Benintendi were there Nr. 19 and 21 ranked prospects, the third kid was not even in the top 30. What a steal for the pinstripers. Getting an all star OF for fringe prospects.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A steal?
Sounds like very fair compensation to me.
I heard and read some articles that linked the Dodgers to Benintendi too. When compensation came up there were the names of Vargas, Bush, Page, Pepiot, Knack.
Could it be other teams want more from us than the Yankees or other contenders ? Is it just me who thinks other teams always ask the moon from us and fairly often get it ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Don’t believe most of what you read, Ram.
Just trust the good reporters.
I don’t think the historical record supports that the Dodgers “give away the moon”. At least not since Friedman got here.
Dodgers have signed 6 of its top 9 draft picks( no first round pick) and 3 of its next 10 picks for of total of 9 signees thus far.
Cooper is on the 10-day IL with a wrist contusion, and I dislike trading for injured players. JD Martinez would not cost much, and he hits pretty decent at Dodger Stadium as his 4-homer game when he was a D-Back attests. Bell would cost a little more, but he is strictly a first baseman and ours is pretty good. Last season when they traded for Turner and Scherzer, we did not get to see Turner for several days because he was on the Covid IL. Whomever they do end up trading for I want to see that player readily available for duty. I have no idea who AF is talking to. The rumor mill is usually full of disinformation. You can forget Nelson this year Mark. His Surgery was late last year, no way he is ready by October. Joc a Dodger? I doubt Farhan would do anything to make the Dodgers stronger that his own team. In season trades between LA and SF are rarer than Dems and Republicans agreeing on anything. As for Max, it is very painful just watching him flail away game after game. He has zero confidence at this point. He is definitely in need of an extended IL stint.
I have become a fan of Trayce. Would not surprise me if he was the regular center fielder next year. He may not be Cody defensively, but he is pretty good and is more dependable with a bat. Don’t believe the Dodgers are serious on Soto. The price is way too high.
I rarely comment on here but enjoy reading comments of others. Never know what handle to use. Since I am a retired forester and the former whistling champion of OK, I have thought of doing a Hank Snow takeaway and trying “The Whistling Ranger”. Was also the editor of the Louisiana Society of American Foresters (SAF) newsletter for 3-4 years.
We will publish it. Send us a link.
Welcome Bill!
Not to rain on your parade, but Trayce wasn’t very good after this injuries either. Maybe Belli can come back like Trayce did?
And let’s not forget about Rios. The power is there. He just needs to tighten up his strike zone and more consistent contact. With no big signings, we could have Busch at second, Lux at short, Rios at third and Vargas in left next year. Is AF satisfied with that? Are we?
News from Internet:
FanGraphs’ Dan Szymborski made up some trades!
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/lets-make-some-deadline-trades/
The San Francisco Giants acquire OF Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals for SS Marco Luciano, P Kyle Harrison, OF Luis González, OF Heliot Ramos, and the privilege of not being P Patrick Corbin’s employer.
The trade simulator says it’s a viable trade, but a minor overpay for the Nats (i.e they should get more)
Baseball America says: Teams Rarely Regret Cost Of Trading For A Star Position Player
($$$$)
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/teams-rarely-regret-cost-of-trading-for-a-star-position-player/
Ben Clemens Chat:
jas: Who do you see as realistic suitors for Soto? Or is there really one? Hard to see any FO giving up the pieces it would take.
Ben Clemens: I’d put realistic suitors as: Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Padres, Mariners, Cards (tier 2), Rangers (tier 2), Giants (tier 3), Rays (tier 3)
Matt (Oceanside): Got to get my Soto trade proposal in on behalf of the Dodgers. Do you think Cartaya, Vargas, Busch, Miller, and Pepiot is enough?
Ben Clemens: probably? I like 3 of tohse guys quite a bit, and the other two are still good…
Dakota mckee: Could Cody bellinger be part of a (boring ass) dodgers deal for Soto as a potential name replacement? Or is his value completely negative at this point?
Ben Clemens: negative
Mets fan: Where does Trea Turner sign? Seems like a perfect fit for the Mets, especially if Nimmo walks
Ben Clemens: I could see that, but I think he’s most likely to remain with the Dodgers. They have some money to spend, and though I know he’s not actually a California guy, he seems like a California guy to me.
The Dodgers Undrafted Free agents
Connor Godwin, RHP, JC of Central Florida
Carter Lohman, LHP, Louisville
Livan Reinoso, INF, Tennessee Wesleyan
Christian Ruebeck, RHP, Kansas State
Lucas Wepf, RHP, Louisiana-Monroe
Woman disputes claims in Trevor Bauer’s defamation suit, denies making false allegations
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34278876/woman-disputes-claims-trevor-bauer-defamation-suit-denies-making-false-allegations
Baseball America’s latest top 20 prospect list ($$$$$)
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/hot-sheet-baseballs-20-hottest-prospects-from-the-past-week-71922/
15. Jose Ramos, OF, Dodgers
Team: High-A Great Lakes (Midwest)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .308/.357/.731 (8-for-26), 5 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBIs, 1 BB, 6 SO
The Scoop: …He’s showing big-time power in the process. He’s slammed 12 home runs in 52 games with Great Lakes after a mid-May promotion to the level. A quarter of that total came last week. (JN)
Dodgers2080 takes a look at, and interviews Austin Gauthier
https://www.dodgers2080.com/dodgers-prospects-austin-gauthier-shaping-up-to-be-mlb-mainstay/
Against Gauthier, every pitch is a pressure pitch thanks to his advanced control of the strike zone. When you factor in his 9 stolen bases and 78 runs scored to the equation it becomes clear that he is a top-of-the-class table setter.
Put this prospect on your radar:
On Monday, Guillermo Zuniga picked up his 10th save of the year for Tulsa & stayed perfect in save opportunities this year.
His fastball is big (100), his slider is as big, and so is his competitive nature. He backs down to no one!
He may be the new pride of Cartagena, Colombia
A look at Heaney’s slider from his time with Angels vs. Dodgers
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1552399147680124929/pu/vid/1280×720/f9govLdx1LmKDONq.mp4?tag=12
Specs on the two pitches…
LAA – 81 mph, -5″ VB, 10″ HB
LAD – 85 mph, 4″ VB, 1″ HB
Less spin-induced movement could allow him to control the ball better / “gyro stabilizes flight.” The interesting thing is that the Driveline model is more in line with the LAA breaking ball better — 99 stuff+ vs 77 stuff+.
Thus perhaps the Dodgers are factoring in other variables here in determining this new pitch was better. And so far, they’ve been spot on.
The four (4) most recent trades from the Trade Simulator:
From dayvid July 28, 2022
Angels GET
Diego Cartaya 50.6
Wilman Diaz 3.4
Brusdar Graterol 9.6
Bobby Miller 28.7
Max Muncy 9.9
Dodgers GET
Shohei Ohtani 107.6
From nostradamus July 28, 2022
Dodgers GET
David Bednar 28.7
Bryan Reynolds 77.1
Zach Thompson 5.6
Pirates GET
Diego Cartaya 50.6
Bobby Miller 28.7
James Outman 2.4
Gavin Stone 19.7
Alex Vesia 10
From sean.maitland July 28, 2022
Dodgers GET
Anthony Bass 1.7
Garrett Cooper 10.3
Pablo Lopez 45.7
Marlins GET
Michael Busch 27
Jose Ramos 10
Gavin Stone 19.7
Mitch White 1.3
From: silentbob2001 July 27, 2022
Tigers GET
Michael Busch 27
James Outman 2.4
Ryan Pepiot 18.2
Dodgers GET
Tucker Barnhart -1.3
Joe Jimenez 0.7
Jonathan Schoop -0.9
Tarik Skubal 48.5
Bluto,
You should put a disclaimer on those trades “I am in no way attesting to the veracity of this suggestion.”
Otherwise, these guys will be coming for you:
I assume that everyone has that thought when they read ANYTHING on this blog! Especially my stuff.
We are in the process of re-naming the blog:
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So, I feel we take a stab at Soto. The offering: Gonsolin (sell high) and Bellinger (former MVP with a similar salary) and two minor league assets (not our top rated pieces). If that works, go for it. If not hold and squeeze.
Gonsolin is a good start.
They do not care about salary or want Cody.
In addition to Gonsolin they would want Cartaya, Miller, Busch, and Pages (maybe more).
Minor league add ons to above:
Rooney has picked off 11 runners this year.
Pedro Baez was called twice for violating the pitch clock. One of them was before he even threw his first pitch.
“Violating the Pitch Clock?” Pedron Baez? Nooooooooo!
LOL
Okay, I think the interest in Juan Soto is real. But the price is too high and the Dodgers are not going there. Apparently the Nats no longer want to include Corbin’s contract, they want the biggest prospect haul possible. Maybe the Dodgers pursue a pitcher, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t. Maybe they just go after a reliever, a less costly bat.
They should focus on signing Trea Turner.
Is Mookie a superstar? I know you guys like stats or certain stats. Mookie makes a lot of big plays in the outfield, has some power and often comes through with big hits. He seems to make players around him better. The media calls him a superstar. Will he ever have a season or two like the best ones in Boston. Probably he’ll have one or two.
I’m not sure there are any superstars. Scott Boras would argue that point. Mike Trout could be called that, but the injuries are beginning to chip away. If not for the injuries, Trout would be the only baseball player worthy of the mantle. But he doesn’t care about marketing and charisma. Then there is the reality Angels aren’t very good. No playoff drama for Trout.
Some of it has to do with charisma and Mookie has that. The media and fans love those kind of players. They deem them superstars. So maybe that is the best way to determine superstar status.
Since we’re talking about super stars and generational players, all this excitement about Soto and he’s currently hitting .243. Soto made the all-star team, but is he a superstar? He does have charisma.
Now Freddie Freeman is pretty consistent and it was a great signing. He flat out hits the ball. I think the Dodgers should continue in that mode when pursuing talent. May not have a generational label, but helps a team win. The fans love Freddie. So, no to Soto. The foundation for the Dodgers is the farm system. Why gut it?
What makes the Dodgers special, different from the rest of baseball. Year after year, they’re good, always in the chase, winning divisions and making the playoffs. Not many can do that.
The Dodgers already draw the biggest crowds in baseball so they don’t need another star. It may be LA, but the Dodgers own the city.
I’m looking forward to seeing Miquel Vargas and Diego Cartaya in Dodger Blue. Gavin Stone, the next pitching star to emerge from the minors. Some of the others likely to make the jump.
So half of baseball thinks Soto gets traded, half thinks he stays and gets moved in the winter. Whoever wins this chase will get his full services for two years and will have the pleasure of negotiating the $500 million deal in a free agent melee. Then they will look back and find their farm system bare.
That means it won’t be the Dodgers.
Is Soto a “superstar?”
He has OPS’ed over .900 every year. Usually way over!
After a bad start, he is OPS’ing .880 this year. He will be over .900 again.
Hois career OPS is .964 – way over the superstar status.
Mike Trout’s career OPS is 1.000 EVEN!
You can use OPS, Mark, fits a box. But does that really make a player a super star? Most average fans probably don’t know what OPS means. They understand batting average, homeruns etc. So let me pose this question. Tom Brady is a superstar in football and I get it is not the same game. But who is the Tom Brady in baseball?
Tom Brady = Babe Ruth
OK, let’s do it this way:
Find me a player with an OPS of .900 who is not a superstar!
How about our own Trace Thompson at .917 . LOL
I hope it is not the Dodgers.
Just go get Castillo and Pederson and call it a day. With at least some of the walking wounded coming back our pitching staff will get a big shot in the arm too.
Dont do something stupid like trading away Cartaya , Miller.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
* Think back to spring with Gavin Lux, He’d had the second base job only to lose it. The position was still a question mark and so was Lux. Now he’s hitting .300 and is living up to expectations. Oh, I’m not forgetting an occasional yip throw. The problem with the yips is a guy can go for months without throwing one away but the vigilance never goes away. And as soon as it happens, all the questions resurface. It can last a career. But Lux has become the hitter we had hoped and I’m proud of the kid.
* It must be my day to be an old softie. After our 6th run in the 1st, I found myself feeling sorry for Patrick Corbin. He was unbelievably terrible. When it goes for some, it goes in a hurry. His boat anchor contract could probably be tied with any deal for Soto and that alone would be a deal breaker for me (along with Soto’s 1/2 billion $ asking price long term). Corbin’s problems are more than a little mechanical tweak.
* I also feel sorry for the new Bigfoot. McKinstry could be playing somewhere and not sitting every day. I don’t know where you play him on a more regular basis but his role is one of an aging veteran.
* Okay, I’m done feeling sorry for today.
I dislike Coors Field. I hope we play better there.
In Rosenthal’s latest piece on TheAthletic, he postulates that the Astros may be looking to trade a pitcher for a position player. He cites that the Astros have a surplus of starters, as evidenced by their going to a 6 man rotation, and it just makes sense to move one. Especially with McCullers coming off the DL.
Can someone tell me why the Dodgers (who are now using (albeit limitedly) a 6-man rotation AND have May coming back) are not in the exact same position? (pun!) A trade for a position player seems more likely to me, why am I wrong?
Well, you are not wrong. There is no wrong answer, but if it were me, I would not pitch May more than 3 or 4 innings at a time. Now, if that means starting… OK.
BTW, McCullers was roughed up by OKC last night!
There has been some discussion here lately about the Trade Simulator.
There was a very interesting article about the site in The Athletic a couple of days ago. For those of you who subscribe and may have missed it, here’s a link: https://theathletic.com/3447510/2022/07/26/juan-soto-trade-values/
A couple of interesting take-aways:
1) They claim to have been accurate on 94.8% of trades that have been made since the site’s inception (meaning the simulator said the trade was within its limits for acceptability, value-wise).
2) Some front offices actually follow the site and here’s a pretty shocking quote from the article:
“It was around that time when someone in another MLB front office emailed Bitzer saying they used his site as a neutral party to check their work before trading; if the simulator spits out something that seems way out of whack, they’ll take a second look. “That’s validating,” Bitzer said. Recently, he added, he’s also seen a few MLB GMs follow Baseball Trade Values on Twitter.”
Bringing back Joc would be fun. He would basically replace Jake Lamb in a platoon with Trayce.
Plus, Joc could give Freddie a day off
Hey, just kidding…
Hoping not to see Max penciled in todays line-up. He needs some time off or perhaps another IL stint. His walk first ABs are tiresome and all too often we see a center cut FB taken for strike three.
Sit’em Doc
Dodgers Nation
Dodgers: Every Fan in LA Needs to Know Ronan Kopp
Brook Smith
Jul 28
Standing at 6-foot-7, you immediately notice Ronan Kopp on the field and in the dugout. The Dodgers picked up the left-handed hurler out of South Mountain Community College in Phoenix in the 12th round last year. And since then, he has carved a name for himself in the organization.
Almost quite literally. With a fastball that reaches the upper 90s and a decent breaking ball to mix in, Kopp has dominated with Rancho Cucamonga. Across 44.2 innings of work, Kopp has chalked up a ridiculous 80 strikeouts to go along with a pristine 1.61 ERA. And perhaps th best news for the Dodgers? He turns 20 years old on Friday.
At that height, Kopp gets downhill very quickly on batters. That has resulted in him averaging over 16 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched in 2022. But he does struggle with control at times too, averaging 5.6 free passes per 9 innings. But the Dodgers have proven many times that they can help guys get their control dialed in.
Ronan Kopp threw the bulk innings on Sunday for Rancho going 4, striking out 7, & walking just 1. @rkopp27 has not allowed an earned run in his last 6 outings, which is all of July, & his last 2 in June. During that span of 18.2 innings, he has 30 K’s. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/dvbck5WvpN
For the moment, the Dodgers seem to be trying to find out where they want him to pitch. Kopp has appeared in 20 games this season, and 6 of them have come as a starter. But if they can get his control dialed in a little more over the next 2 years, Kopp could very well be a part of the big league squad.
Kopp could be an Andrew Miller-Type Pitcher!
He’s on my List!
Taylor passed his running in the outfield test and has started taking infield grounders and throwing to first base. Doc said his arm has the flexibility to throw at all angles now. After a few simulated games next week he will ready to return after a rehab assignment. To me that says Max is going to start to see fewer AB’s.
Source: The Los Angeles #Dodgers offered Gavin Lux and top prospects, Diego Cartaya, Michael Busch, Andy Pages, Ryan Pepiot, and Landon Knack to the #Nationals, for superstar Juan Soto.
Cartaya is the Dodgers #1 prospect, and the Nats scouting department is very high on him.
** too much,too little ?
would hate give up Busch,Pepoit and Lux coming into his own. But gotta give up BIG to get back BIG !
Would be fine JD,Castillo – call it a day. AF likes swinging for the fences !!
What “source?”
Find another prospect or two instead of Lux and do
the deal. Will they take Muncy? How about White or May but no to Lux.
What!!!!????
If true, I guess the Dodgers consider Will the long term solution at catcher?
Wow! …if true ….. Double WOW!
https://twitter.com/BellingersBurnr/status/1552745762974339073?s=20&t=mnstY48ocE3_UQb8qCEuLg
Nevermind. I think I was had. Don’t click on the links. Source is a guy named Ben Dover. LOL
Those are satire Twitter accounts. “Ben Dover” wasn’t a reliable source when I was in middle school. I don’t think his reputation has improved.
The source is MLB Insider, a guy who couldn’t accurately predict what he was having for dinner if he was the one buying it.
He was right on a trade once, a lucky guess, and now he tries to pass himself off as the world’s leading expert. He posts wild trade rumors and when they don’t happen he deletes his tweets.
I have a feeling this was the source. A lookalike MLB account with 700 followers. And a “writer” named Benjamin Dover. He claims to have a beautiful wife named Ilene.
https://twitter.com/bellingersburnr/status/1552745762974339073?s=21&t=eebDQI6FH8rLKESAnQbIZw
https://twitter.com/bendoverinsider?s=21&t=eebDQI6FH8rLKESAnQbIZw
What do you call a waitress with one leg?
Peg
Legit source?
Nats just traded quite a bit for Ruiz, another catcher they are “very high on”
Please tell me this is not your source:
https://twitter.com/1MLBinsider
If that is TRUE, Soto will be a Dodger soon.
Granted its not Rosenthal,Heyman,Passan and its pure ‘clickbait’ but just wanted generate a lil more trade talk.
Don’t shoot the messenger !
That post of mine was in jail for a while and it should’ve just stayed there.
Ben Dover? It’s like one of those Bart Simpson prank calls to the bartender.
I was duped, snookered, taken in, bamboozled, hoodwinked.
I just want the trade deadline to pass. Some years I enjoy the speculation. This year it’s getting old. AF will make a move or he won’t. Might be a big name. Might be somebody most of us would have to lookup to even know who he is. But it will be in AF style.
I am curious if the news about Trout’s injury might push the Angels a little closer to consider trading Ohtani. As many in the media have pointed out, the condition isn’t terribly serious for the average person. Physical therapy. Muscle conditioning. But for an elite athlete? I don’t buy that. Most people don’t dive into the ground or a padded wall every week. Nor do they have to swing a bat thousands of times per year. Oh, and BTW… do that effectively to catch or a hit a small ball flying at you. While I don’t think this is career ending, I do think there is a strong chance Trout won’t be the same. At least not for very long. This kind of chronic condition doesn’t bode well.
I still think the Angeles will likely keep Ohtani and let him walk as a FA. Arte would rather keep filling seats over making a strategic move that would ultimately improve the team. The fans are already pissed off and frustrated. Trading Ohtani would make their brains implode. Ohtani’s star/marketing value is vastly greater than Soto. They could transform their org and prepare for the potential end to the “Trout” era. But they likely won’t.
* Joc Pederson’s name keeps resurfacing like a bad penny. He does nothing for me as a platoon piece in left. Would the plan be for him to platoon with Trayce? With Lamb kicking a can down the road? On the surface Joc would play against right handed pitching only. He hits .238 versus righties. So Trayce would be the guy against lefties? Thompson is hitting .200 against lefties and .320 agains righties. Big reverse splits. Lamb and Joc have basically identical averages against RHP, at .234 and .238 respectively. So a platoon with Thompson and Lamb isn’t really effective and Joc brings nothing to add to this but complication.
* It looks like the Nats may have backed off trying to tie Corbin’s bad contact to any Soto deal.
* Mark wrote “Do you still want Soto? The LA Times speculates what it would take: “For the Dodgers, the list could include six of these seven players: catcher Diego Cartaya, right-hander Bobby Miller, infielder Miguel Vargas, second baseman Michael Busch, right-hander Ryan Pepiot, outfielder Andy Pages, and right-hander Gavin Stone.” No, thank you!”
Double No Thanks here too. I can’t believe this is even a consideration.
* Anthony Castrovince of MLB wrote “It’s fair for some fans to ask that in what has statistically been a down season for Soto. As of this writing, his batting average (.245) is 68 points lower than last year, his on-base percentage (.401) is 64 points lower and his slugging percentage (.485) is 49 points lower. He also grades out poorly as a defensive outfielder (first percentile in Outs Above Average).”
The comparisons with Ted Williams make me laugh. Teddy Ballgame did it for 21 years minus 3 years in the Service. I personally have no interest in pursuing Soto for anything close to what’s speculated. The potential outgoing players are who you can build a franchise on; not one player. And the Dodgers have them and aren’t rebuilding.
* My money would go into trying to sign Trea Turner for 5 years at top of the line $.
I think he’s worth it. And we know what he brings to the table. Trea makes us go. His numbers are great and he plays every day. He brings speed and consistency. Every time you look he has another hitting streak going. His defense is fine and he hits .300 falling out of bed. I envision a middle infield that would perennially have two .300 hitters in the line up with Lux and Trea. There is so much to like about this guy but it’s easy to take him for granted and just assume he’s leaving. I would exhaust all avenues to re-sign him. I know he’s 29 but I see his body holding up to 35. For me, that’s were my big $ contract would go.
8:40 PM ET
Dodgers (65-32)
Rockies (45-54)
SP Tyler Anderson L
10-1 2.79 ERA 103.1IP 87K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
DH Jake Lamb L
2B Gavin Lux L
3B Max Muncy L
CF C. Bellinger L
LF Z. McKinstry L
35% Rain
74° Wind 9 mph Out
ZMac finally gets a start.
Always good to put the sale merchandise in the window.
lol – Pretty much.
I think Joc is mostly a sentimental notion. But Farhan may want to flip him.
Yanks did well to get Benintendi, and now they are reportedly in on Castillo or Montas. Both could be had in packages. Can’t recall the name, but Oakland could offer a good reliever plus Pinder with Montas. But Castillo plus Drury would be better.
I’ve always like Josh Bell. He could DH while Max and JT share 3B. I think a couple of mid-level prospects might be enough, say Outman plus Rooney? And we could sacrifice Lamb.
See what I did there?
I doubt very seriously that Farhan or the Giants ownership would do anything to strengthen the Dodgers. It has been many years since a trade was done between the two teams. Robert’s loyalty to Max is reaching beyond crazy. Outside of that short burst in Chicago against the White Sox. Max has continued to struggle. They cannot option him, but can they at least sit the guy down for an IL stint? Something is obviously wrong with him. Padres are considered the front runner right now for Soto. Same was true for Scherzer last season until AF stepped in and got the deal done. Bluto, answer me this, why in the world would the Dodgers even want Tucker Barnhardt? I think you are just tossing poop on the wall to see what sticks. Bell would be a good DH option for sure since he is a switch hitter. But I doubt they would go that route and not have JT in there as much as possible. 6 lefty’s in tonights lineup.
Are we actually quoting tweets from guys named Ben Dover now?
What, Hugh G Rection or IP Freely weren’t available??
Every time I hear a crazy rumor, I make sure to check with a credible source. Like the baseball insider Mike Coxlon. He knows his stuff.
Bobby LoL brilliant
Mark said this:
“Danny Duffy, Victor Gonzalez, The Bazooka, Walker Buhler, Blake Treinen, Tommy Kahnle, Dustin May, and Jimmy Nelson. That’s EIGHT potentially good-to-great arms for the playoffs. They all will not make it back, but if just four or five do, the Dodgers’ Pitching Staff will be extra-extra-ordinary. Right now, it’s just extraordinary! One has to ask,” Do the Dodgers really need to trade for more pitching?” I think not.”
First thing, Nelson is done for the year including the playoffs unless I missed something. Secondly Duffy is nothing to get excited about.
For the playoffs:
Of those 6 remaining, there are 2 that would be big upgrades if they are themselves/fully healthy when they return, Treinen and Buehler.
Of the other 4:
Gonzalez has very little experience/innings in his career, I wouldn’t trust him in the playoffs, but during the regular season he would be an upgrade over certain other guys we have.
Graterol’s career stats against LHB is terrible, but this year is average against LHB, he’s an upgrade over certain guys we already have for the regular season, but I wouldn’t trust him in the playoffs.
Kahnle is an above average reliever and against both sides of the plate, nothing special, but he would be an upgrade during the regular season over certain guys we already have in the bullpen and I would consider him for the playoffs if there is room, but I wouldn’t use him in high leverage situations in the playoffs.
May has better career stats against LHB than Graterol, I’ll take May any day over Graterol. But I still wouldn’t want May as a reliever in the playoffs. He doesn’t have much experience/innings too. If there is room for May as a 4th starter in the playoffs I’d go for that, but I doubt there is room. It wouldn’t hurt to see what he can do as a reliever during the regular season because he would be an upgrade over certain guys we already have in the bullpen and our lead over the Padres is big.
As I’ve said before, Betts is a very good player, but I consider Freeman and T Turner as more valuable than Betts, and I want Friedman to try to sign T Turner.
Also as I’ve said before, all Vargas has to do is hit better than Muncy, and that is not a lot to ask for, and I think that is all we need for an upgrade on offense.
I don’t want Soto for the price in prospects nor do I want him for the dollars 2 years from now. It’s not good to pay what he will get in 1 player, you’re better off paying for 2 stars than 1 superstar.
I know I’m going to rub people wrong when I say I don’t want to pay the price in prospects for Castillo because I don’t think he’s much of an upgrade over the starters we already have and the cost for him can go to upgrading our bullpen that is ranked number 6, while our starting pitching is ranked number 1 and our offense is ranked number 1 or 2. And why throw in Drury with a career slash line of .252/.302/.431/.733? Yes I know he is having a good year with an above .800 OPS, but he’s never had an .800+ OPS year in his career until SO FAR this year.
Just my opinion and my 2 cents for the day.
I see Rios is making a comeback in AAA ball and that is an upgrade for the offense whether it’s DH or the bench.
So Taylor is making a comeback too. That’s another upgrade if the subtraction is right just like Rios if the subtraction is right. Subtractions being McKinstry, Muncy, Alberto. Lamb. I’d take Thompson over Alberto as a right handed hitter.
MLBTR still has “Treinen Won’t Face Hitters For Weeks” in the most current post for the Dodgers. Roberts just said in the pre-game that Treinen will face hitters in LA this weekend.
Brusdar is also in LA this weekend and will throw a pen.
May is on the hill tonight in OKC. Edwin Rios is in the lineup batting second and playing 3B.
Treinen will be back on the first of August, according to the Dodgers.
Damn! It took me long enough time finding a decent stream. I guess Mad Titan is the ticket. Well see for how long.
Jessica Mendoza on Conner Joe hitting Belli in the back on a throw to second. “It’s almost like he didn’t see him”. Really? You’re standing next to him holding him on to begin the play and you’re throwing to second trying to get him out, but you don’t see him?
This might sound sexist but listening to Mendoza analyze a MLB game is like fingernails on a chalkboard. OK, she played women’s college softball but she has never played in a MLB game and I find her commentary to be devoid of substance and depth.
Just my two cents worth.
I think she’s pretty good. And I’m a sexist. Well at least once upon a time I was.
Yes your right is does sound sexist I think she’s great!
It’s not sexist if you liked Alana Rizzo. I thought she was great. I don’t like Mendoza and Kirsten Watson is getting better, but she’s no Alana.
I like Jessica in small doses… not every day!
I see Rios is making a comeback in AAA ball and that is an upgrade for the offense whether it’s DH or the bench.
Dustin May today: 3ip, 2hits, 6k. I’d love to know how hard he was throwing!
Report on Twitter said that Dustin May topped out at 99.9 mph tonight.
And a few highlights showed great movement on his pitches.
Yankees got better today.
Benintendi? No power, good defense and decent speed. Where it makes them better is the fact that it gets Joey Gallo out of the lineup. But they also lost Stanton to the IL again.
After this game the Dodgers will retake the lead in all of MLB. Right now tied with the Yanks.
Not really!
I might have to reconsider how I feel about the games at Coors!
Tyler Anderson = Why do the Dodgers need another starter? Why?
That’s what I’ve been saying.
Rios and Taylor will be back for the offense upgrade. We have Vargas if needed. I know people don’t like to hear it, but the bullpen is the spot on the team that has room for improvement. I say Robertson and Chafin.
Bednar is good but not as good as the other 2 and has been good for only 1 and a half years, the other 2 have done it and done it good for years. Bednar is under control for years so he will cost way more in prospects. The other 2 are rentals that will cost less in prospects. But I wouldn’t mind Bednar so don’t get me wrong there.
Insurance policy, less stress on the pen. Get another right-hander you can depend on. For when Clayton needs a phantom trip to the IL, or a real trip to the IL. So, Urias doesn’t meet the same fate as last year. In case Gonsolin runs out of gas.
Hey AF, resign Trea. Forget Soto and Otani. Get bullpen help.
While OPS is a better measure of a hitters value, I still like to monitor batting average for historical comparisons.
After tonight’s game, the Dodgers have 3 of the top 4 hitters in NL by batting average.
Goldschmidt leads the league at .335 followed by Freeman-323, Trea Turner- 312, and Lux-307.
While OPS is a better measure of a hitters value, I still like to monitor batting average for historical comparisons.
After tonight’s game, the Dodgers have 3 of the top 4 hitters in NL by batting average.
Goldschmidt leads the league at .335 followed by Freeman-323, Trea Turner- 312, and Lux-307.
I would love to see a Dodger win another batting title. I guess Trea kinda counts, but it’s been a while before that.
Impressive that the Dodgers are 2.3.4 in NL batting average. Especially with Lux up there!
But something to keep in mind….
Right now, Betts, despite his subpar .269 BA, still has a higher OPS than both Trea and Lux.
And although Betts has played 17 fewer games than Trea and Freddie, he still leads the league in runs scored with 71, which is 3 more than Goldschmidt. And Goldschmidt has played 12 more games than Mookie.
Sure, leadoff hitters on good teams should score a lot of runs. But the fact that he leads the league while missing about 17 games to injury also testifies to his baserunning skills.
And yeah, runs are really more important than RBIs.
Yard barker is reporting that the Angels are open to listening to trade offers for Ohtani.
No idea what “yard barker” is, but the Angels definitely should be listening to offers for Ohtani.
I recently saw a old video that reported that Ohtani’s first choice would have been the Dodgers, but without the DH the Dodgers only saw him as an SP. and not also aNa parttime outfielder, like he was in Japan. So the DH rule led him to the Angels. It has also been reported that Angels GM Billy Eppler had courted Ohtani for years and that helped–which is why the Mets could angle for him. But maybe Ohtani simply prefers SoCal.
Anyway, it’s hard to imagine the Angels becoming a contender next season, so the best way to maximize his value is to move him now when the buyer could have him for two pennant runs. The Angels have a weak farm system and need A LOT of help. The Dodgers have a deep system and could put together a big package for a guy who is both an ace-quality starter and top-tier DH with power and speed.
To replace the DH: Start with Max (a good bounce-back candidate) or Rios and add Busch. or Vargas . For good measure toss in Amaya or Leonard because the Angels need a SS).
To replace the ace SP: Start with Gonsolin (peak value) and add Miller, or maybe two pitchers like Grove and Nastrini. Toss in a catcher like Feduccia because the Angels will need a backup to Stassi.
Anyway, given the Angels many needs, the Dodgers could offer a few ML-ready players and young prospects that would quickly improve their standing. If an 8-for-1 deal seems outlandish, remember that the Dodgers traded five prospects or Machado–and he doesn’t pitch.
To simplify this, just think of Ohtani as roughly equivalent to Scherzer + Trea. The Dodgers got that pair for their top two prospects and two lottery-pick types. Could Cartaya + Miller plus two lower level types net Ohtani? No, because Ohtani is younger and of course has a marketing cachet that plays outside the lines. Ohtani will likely be the game’s first $50 million per season player. Perhaps $60 million.
With Ohtani in blue, the Dodgers would likely employ a six-man rotation, which might be a good thing..
Just imagine slotting Ohtani into the top of the lineup with Mookie, Trea and Freddie….
Some of our minor leaguers had great games yesterday.
Cartaya two more bombs . Miller 6 innings , giving up 2 runs on a HR but 11 Ks and no BBs. Busch 3 more hits.
Then you got the return of May throwing gas with silly movement.
Treinen obviously getting close as is The Bazooka. Rios starting at 3b for OKC.
Reinforcements are close.
The more I think about it the more I like the idea of going after Ohtani. You get 2 players in 1. An ace starter and a monster DH.
But I am still reluctant to give up Miller and Cartaya. I think both could be all stars in the future.
If there is any way to get Ohtani for a package not including those two I probably go for it.
Pepiot, Stone, Page, Vargas, Busch,Grove ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!