Mark was Right!

Posted By on August 3, 2022

Mark was right! He called it early.  We didn’t have to do anything at the trade deadline.  Well, he’s part right.  There are no major holes to fill on this roster, we actually had to create holes so we would have open spots for a couple of players that are coming off the 60-day IL, so we did do something.

The net result was restocking the farm while opening roster spots for our own players and trying to fix Joey Gallo. 

Obituaries

RIP Mitch White, Alex DeJesus, Jake Lamb, and Clayton Beeter. We loved you while you were here, but you lived short lives in our system.  How fast they fall…

It seems like Clayton Beeter was one of our top-pitching prospects just yesterday.  Then he fell apart this year with the move to AA; although still racking up strikeouts, the walks and hits killed him.  The Yankees have a reputation for fixing pitchers as well, maybe they know something we don’t.  

On the flip side, Alex DeJesus did enough to make him a valuable trade piece, and Mitch White graduated enough that someone else wanted him, and they paid up big time.

Meet Nick Frasso…

Nick Frasso is not one of the Blue Jays’ top 30 prospects, at least not according to MLB.com.  I’m really not sure why.  He was drafted in 2020 as a 4th-round prospect and only played in 5 games in the 2021 season due to, you guessed it, Tommy John surgery (Kinda).  He got a new-fangled type of Tommy John that attaches the damaged ligament using a brace instead of the rip and replace procedure, and the recovery time is a lot quicker.  I guess we’ll see how it works out in the long run.

In the short team, it’s paying dividends.  He’s dominated A and A+ so far this season while hitting 100 on the gun.  14.7 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 4.6 H/9 are all incredible rates considering this is his first real year in pro ball.  He’s also a phenomenal athlete that can dunk a basketball with the best of them.  You can see a video of him dunking if you search youtube.

Andrew Friedman might go to jail for Grand Larceny on this one.  I loved Mitch White, but come on!  Another 100 MPH flamethrower?

You can read about Nick Frasso here…

https://www.si.com/mlb/bluejays/analysis/blue-jays-nick-frasso-pitching-prospect-100-mph-fastball

The Other Guys

These prospects are not quite as exciting.  The other prospect we received in the Mitch White deal is 20-year-old southpaw Moises Brito.  Brito is currently pitching in relief in the DSL.  I think 20 is a little old for the league, but he’s putting up numbers nonetheless.  He has a 1.86 ERA in 29 innings with 32 K’s.  He’s only walked one batter so far, leading to a microscopic WHIP of .78 and a .198 BAA.  This is his first season in pro ball, and he’s listed as 6”5” and 215 Lbs, so he’s got the body for the job.

We also picked up an outfielder prospect, German Tapia, from the Rays for Garret Cleavinger.  He’s just 18 and is playing in the DSL for a second straight season after signing with the Rays in the 2021 International Signing Class.  His DSL line this season is 329/500/952 with 3 SB and 2 HR. He wasn’t ranked going into the “Signing Period, not draft”, so he’s a lottery ticket.

We got “Cash Considerations” for Jake Lamb.  Is that to help offset Joey Gallo’s contract, or what’s left on it? I’m sure it doesn’t even dent the tax we’ll be paying on Joey G.

You never know what your guys are worth until you sell them off.  It turns out that Jake Lamb is worth less than Joey Gallo, and Mitch White + Alex DeJesus is worth a lot more. 

Yes, Soto would have been an upgrade, and it burns my ass that the Padres got him.  But it would be just as bad if any other contender got him as well.  If that’s not bad enough, they also got Hader, Drury and Josh Bell as well.  All of the presents under the tree that I would have enjoyed, and all I got was the hunk of coal in the form of Joey Gallo? Even if the Dodgers can figure out how to fix him, or a change of scenery changes everything, he’s still a “Three-True-Outcome” player. He’s going to walk, K and Homer and little else. How can you top out at 103 hits in a season as a career-high and still get paid $10M? It’s not all bad. He’s won 2 Gold Gloves, so at worst, he’s a solid 4th outfielder with the threat to homer off anyone.

What’s Really Going on Here? 

Is AF prospect hugging?  Are other GMs asking too much?  The front office knows more than we do; after all they’re in the front office for a reason.

Mark was right in that we have a complete team with no holes.  You had to get a whale in order to improve it, and Friedman was in on that whale until the end. Sometimes a team is gonna like another team’s package better than yours. Their package was bigger, and that’s important for some. A Brandon Drury wasn’t going to make this lineup much better. Do you really want to take the bat away from Trayce or Outman right now?  Josh Bell would, but he would have to play DH and Gallo has a great OF glove. It’s a strange move, but it’s apparent that the Dodgers do not want a pure DH with nowhere to play. They’ll sacrifice a little bat to have more positions covered in case of injury. A lot of bat in this case.

There’s really no room for another DH if the Dodger’s brass truly believes in Max Muncy. There weren’t any star Center Fielders traded, so you aren’t going to improve on Belli unless “The Caveman” James Outman is really Ted Williams. The black hole gang is all looking better of late. They’re all making more solid contact, even if it isn’t showing up in the box score as often for Max and Cody. JT has been red-hot (Pun Intended) while hitting over 400 with a 1.022 OPS in his last 30 games, before the injury, of course.  Belli and Muncy have shown some improvement.  Chris Taylor is going to return, and Outman and Trace are putting pressure on Belli and perhaps even Muncy at DH. Don’t count out Eddie Rios if Gallo and Muncy can’t hit.  This team is going to be better soon, and they’re already possibly the best team in baseball. Outman showed that we have prospects that may be ready, and Vargas just got called up with JT finally going on the IL. 

We already have the best pitching staff in baseball, and Dustin May is about to return as a starter which essentially pushes Heaney into a piggyback situation or a member of the bullpen. It turns out that May was the best pitcher available at the deadline; Castillo and Montas are close, but Dustin was looking like a breakout candidate before the injury, and he’s looking like his old self on his rehab assignment. Not getting Castillo or Montas signals a high degree of confidence in the healthy return of May and/or Buehler.  Pepiot is ready to take Mitch Whites’ job as a spot starter/bullpen piece, and Bobby Miller would be in most rotations today.  Treinen is close, as is Brusdar.  We have the pitching covered even without Kahnle, V-Gone, Buehler, and Duffy, who all might still come back.

Instead of being disappointed in the deals we didn’t make at the deadline, we should be thankful for the players we have on the MLB roster and in the pipeline. I’m perfectly fine keeping the band together and beating the best that the Padres have to offer. It will make this Championship that much sweeter.

Future Dodgers Down on the Farm (MT)

  • OKC beat Salt Lake 2-1
    • Chris Taylor led off and played LF – He was 0-3
    • Edwin Rios batted 2nd and was 2-4
    • Jacob Amaya was 2-4
    • Andre Jackson for the first time this year had good back-to-back games as he went five innings, allowing 4 hits, 0 Runs, 3 BB while striking out 10.
  • Tulsa lost 9-5
    • Jonny DeLuca was 3-5 (.311/.981)
    • Ryan Ward hit his 25th HR.
    • Andy Pages hit his 18th HR.
  • Great Lakes lost to Lake County 4-3
    • Not much to say… except that Diego Cartaya sat out.
  • Rancho Cucamonga was beaten by Inland Empire 10-7
    • Damon Keith was 2-5
    • Yunior Garcia was 3-4 with his 9th HR
    • Maddux Bruns pitched two innings, allowing one run, 1 BB, and 4 K’s

Last Night’s Game (MT)

  • Except for one big fly by Joey Bart, Tyler Anderson pitched much better than his line shows. It was death by a thousand cuts with the dinks and dunks.
  • The Dodger bullpen stood tall and (don’t look now), but David Price’s ERA is 2.86!
  • It’s good to see Mookie and Barnsie heat up.
  • Cody’s BA isn’t pretty, but in some respects, he is the “heart and soul” of this team.
  • Hanser is starting to show why the Dodgers signed him in the first place.
  • Later this week, I will hopefully help you understand exactly what Andrew Friedman is doing and why he is doing it. It’s very simple!
  • There are rumors that Joey Gallo may work in Arizona with Dodger Staff for a few days before joining the Dodgers.
  • I hope Miguel Vargas gets a start before going back to OKC.
  • Evan Bladh (Formerly Sons of Kingman) is going to be joining LADT, and you will read his first piece tomorrow.

Dodger’s Press Release on Vin Scully

DODGERS MOURN PASSING OF VIN SCULLY

He was the voice of the Dodgers, and so much more. He was their conscience, their poet laureate, capturing their beauty and chronicling their glory from Jackie Robinson to Sandy Koufax, Kirk Gibson to Clayton Kershaw.

Vin Scully was the heartbeat of the Dodgers – and in so many ways, the heartbeat of all of Los Angeles.

Vin passed away at the age of 94 on Tuesday at his home in Hidden Hills.

“We have lost an icon,” said Dodger President & CEO Stan Kasten.  “The Dodgers Vin Scully was one of the greatest voices in all of sports.  He was a giant of a man, not only as a broadcaster, but as a humanitarian.  He loved people.  He loved life.  He loved baseball and the Dodgers.  And he loved his family.  His voice will always be heard and etched in all of our minds forever.  I know he was looking forward to joining the love of his life, Sandi.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this very difficult time.  Vin will be truly missed.” 

Vin reached millions upon millions of people through his work, and not just covering the Boys in Blue. For years, he served as a national TV and radio announcer of baseball, golf and football. In the 1982 NFC Championship game between San Francisco and Dallas, his call of Dwight Clark’s back-of-the-end-zone catch became an instant classic. In 2010, the American Sportscasters Association named Vin the greatest sportscaster of the 20th century.

But when you think of Vin, you think of the Dodgers. And when you think of the Dodgers, you think of Vin. No other broadcaster in history – in sports or beyond – has been more clearly identified with one organization. And it all came from a deceptively simple approach. 

I’ve always tried to make the players human beings – individuals – rather than wind-up dolls down on the field running around. So I’ve always searched for the human side of the game, if I can possibly find it. That’s the character that I try to paint, the character that the man represents himself. I think that helps, especially when a team is struggling and you have something interesting to say about someone. I think on the other end, a listener might enjoy it.

Vincent Edward Scully was born in New York on November 29, 1927, and back when radio was new and television was an apparition of the future, he dreamed of the life he would ultimately inhabit.  

When I was 8 years old, I wrote a composition for the nuns saying I wanted to be a sports announcer. Where the boys in grammar school wanted to be policemen and firemen and the girls wanted to be ballet dancers and nurses, here’s this kid saying, ‘I want to be a sports announcer.’ I mean it was really out of the blue.

After attending Fordham University – where he played in the outfield – opportunity knocked for Vin in 1949. Given a one-time shot to solo on the radio at a Maryland-Boston University football game, he was relegated to an outdoor press box at Fenway Park in the freezing cold. He performed his duties without complaint, which impressed a man by the name of Red Barber.

Barber was the Dodgers’ lead announcer at the time, and months later, when they were looking for a No. 3 man to join himself and Connie Desmond, “Young Scully” (as Red would say) got the job. He was 22 years old.

Vin’s profile rose rapidly. At 25 in 1953, he became the youngest ever to broadcast a World Series. Two years later, after Barber left to join Mel Allen with the Yankees, Vin was the Dodgers’ No. 1 voice announcer when “the Boys of Summer” finally won their first World Series in 1955. A year after that, he called the end of the national broadcast of Don Larsen’s 1956 World Series perfect game – one of more than 20 no-hitters Vin broadcast in his career.

When the Dodgers came west in 1958, only to finish seventh in the National League that year, it was Vin as much as anyone who bonded the franchise with its new city. Fans – not only around the city, but at the games themselves in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – would listen on their new transistor radios to Vin and colleague Jerry Doggett. In an era long before “interactive” became a buzzword, it would be Vin who would encourage the crowd to call out “Happy birthday” to an umpire or ask them to help him to conduct an experiment on how long two seconds was.

A trip to the 1959 World Series – ushered in by Vin’s famous call of “We go to Chicago!” – the first of four National League pennants and three World Series titles over eight seasons, made Los Angeles and Vin to become inseparable. On September 9, 1965, Koufax gave Vin the opportunity to make a call for the ages.

It is 9:46 p.m. Two and two to Harvey Kuenn, one strike away. Sandy into his windup, here’s the pitch. … Swung on and missed, a perfect game!

On the scoreboard in right field it is 9:46 p.m. in the City of the Angels, Los Angeles, California. And a crowd of 29,139 just sitting in to see the only pitcher in baseball history to hurl four no-hit, no-run games. He has done it four straight years, and now he caps it: On his fourth no-hitter, he made it a perfect game. And Sandy Koufax, whose name will always remind you of strikeouts, did it with a flurry. He struck out the last six consecutive batters. So when he wrote his name in capital letters in the record books, that “K” stands out even more than the O-U-F-A-X.”

If asked, Vin would downplay his own abilities with words, yet he was without a doubt the most gifted linguist ever to broadcast a sporting event, a chef mixing sacrifices with Shakespeare – and possessing the Bard’s inherent sense of drama. When Hank Aaron hit his record-setting 715th career home run in April 1974, Vin stood quietly aside for nearly two minutes, before speaking.

What a marvelous moment for baseball. What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. What a marvelous moment for the country and the world. A black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. And it is a great moment for all of us and particularly for Henry Aaron.

Even as others were crowning him the greatest in his field, Vin’s head never swelled. His humility was evident in 1982, when he was voted into the broadcaster wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

If I’m to be honest with you and myself today, I have to ask the same question when good fortune comes my way, ‘Why me?’ Why, with the millions and millions of more deserving people, would a red-haired kid with a hole in his pants and his shirttail hanging out, playing stickball in the streets of New York, wind up in Cooperstown? Why me, indeed? I don’t have the answer … but I do know how I feel. I want to sing, I want to dance, I want to laugh, I want to shout, I want to cry, and I’d like to pray. I’d like to pray with humility and great Thanksgiving.

Remarkably, after that lifetime achievement, Vin would broadcast for 34 additional seasons, concluding his Dodger broadcasting career from the final game in San Francisco on Oct. 2, 2016.  He would broadcast his last home game on Sept. 25, 2016 at Dodger Stadium.   During his final season, the city of Los Angeles renamed Elysian Park Avenue to 1000 Vin Scully Avenue in his honor.

His 67 seasons with the Dodgers represent the longest tenure of any broadcaster with a single team in professional sports history.

In addition to his Hall of Fame honor, Vin received the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award in 2014 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award in 2016.   On May 3, 2017, the Dodgers inducted Vin into their Ring of Honor.

His great career includes the moment, on October 15, 1988, when a gimpy Kirk Gibson unexpectedly limped to the plate in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series for an underdog Dodger team that trailed with two out in the bottom of the ninth, and worked the count full against the game’s preeminent reliever, Dennis Eckersley.

High fly ball into right field. She is … gone!

In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened.”

Vin cherished his life as much we cherished him. He rarely looked back, except when prompted, and on those occasions, he offered the perspective on life that only he could capture and pass along, a perspective formed during his first year with the Dodgers in 1950. 

Going all the way back, if I went all the way back, I would think of Carl Furillo, for instance. The Dodgers were playing the Phillies, the final game of the year, winner goes on to the World Series. And it was a great matchup, Don Newcombe and Robin Roberts, two great pitchers of that era. And to make a long story short, the Dodgers lost that game – 10th-inning home run by Dick Sisler – and I went down to the clubhouse to kind of commiserate. It was my first year. I walked by, and there was a door open and I saw a station wagon piled with stuff on top of it, and I thought, ‘Well, only a player can park there.’ And I thought, ‘Why would a player be all ready to go home – don’t you think he’d be thinking of winning and staying?’ And I said ‘Whose wagon is that?’ And they said, ‘Oh, that’s Carl Furillo.’ Well, Carl Furillo was a solid, blue-collar, worked hard day after day after day, and I said, ‘I saw you’re packed out there.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, you either do or you don’t.’ And that really struck me as the complete professional. ‘You either do or you don’t.’

For Dodger fans, Vin Scully always did. And it is our heartbreak to say goodbye.

Scully leaves five children—Kevin, Todd, Erin, Kelly and Catherine, 21 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. 

Funeral services are pending. – Los Angeles Dodgers Official Press Release

This article has 103 Comments

  4. The Gallo trade is perplexing. Especially since Lamb was doing a real nice job and Outman having burst on the scene.
    What are the Dodgers gonna do now ? Sent Outman down for Gallo ? In that case we will have four players on the team with averages at or way under the Mendoza line (Belli, MM, Gallo, Barnes).
    That is a recipe for desaster since you can not assume that the rest of the team can stay blazing hot and carry the team all the way.
    Padres really loaded up and will probably make a good run at the Dodgers for the division. I think 11,5 games is too much ground to make up but they will be a handful in the playoffs for whoever they will face.
    Whoever comes out of the NL will have earned the pennant and the right to play in the WS. I hope it is us.

    Watched a lot of the tributes to Vin this morning and it brought tears to my eyes repeatedly. So many memories.
    RIP Vin , you were and always wlll be the Greatest!

    Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. Batting averages are a culmination of the entire season up to a point in time. A baseball season for hitters is a culmination of peaks and valleys, streaks and slumps. What’s been done up to the point is no indication of what will happen in the future. Your list of 4 players at or way under the Mendoza line probably won’t be in the lineup at the same time, or be Mendoza hitters for the rest of the season and into the postseason.

      Barnes – Every backup catcher is a crappy hitter for the most part. They just signed him to a contract extension, so why bring this up as an issue?
      Gallo – He’s got a month or so to prove he can add value with his bat, otherwise he won’t be on the post-season roster.
      Muncy – The Dodgers are sticking with him, much to our dismay. But, he’s inching closer to starting to look like himself. He plays 1B, 3B and 2B, so he’s also insurance in addition to being the leading DH candidate.
      Belli – He’s the best Mendoza hitter I’ve ever seen and has the glove to keep him on the field. He’s also one of the best baserunners we have.

  5. I think too early to say ‘Mark was right”. Yes Mark and AF on same page. Right or wrong –to be determined!!

    If SOTO hits homer to knock us out of playoffs.—Then we can talk about right or wrong

    1. David, this is a simplistic view of roster construction. You’re basically saying that because we didn’t get Soto we’re going to lose? Plus, you missed the point, which is there were no holes to fill. Soto was the only player that definitely improves this team. Maybe, Josh Bell as long as you don’t play him in the field. But, I can’t really call LF or DH a hole with CT3 coming back and all the other guys we can roll out there. Maybe you can call CF a hole, but it was one that couldn’t be filled at the deadline since no Center Fielders that are better than Belli were traded.

      Sure, I would have taken Bell and plugged him in at DH, but the Dodgers think it’s more valuable to have guys that can play defense on the field and use the spot to rest JT, Will Smith or put Max Muncy or Joey Gallo in there.

      When Joey Gallo hits a homer to knock them out of the playoffs, you’ll see who was right. See, it works both ways.

      You can look up and down our lineup and see that anyone in there can win a game for us. There are no holes. That’s what Mark was right about.

      1. I didn’t say we are going to lose, but in the end the results of the playoffs will show who is ‘right’. If that is even important. And yes if Gallo hits the walkoff then we were right

  6. Mark –

    I agree with your assessment of the Dodger team post trade deadline. I hope we will see more of the prospects up for the last part of the season. If James Outman is our 17tth best prospect, I can’t wait to see some of the others.

    For me, baseball has always had an element of “renewal” associated with it. Maybe it is because it begins in the spring or the fact that if you succeed three out of ten times at you are considered a Hall of Famer; baseball mirrors life in that we all must deal with its “ups and downs” and renew ourselves to carry on. In the post Vin Scully world of baseball, this is the personal lesson I am taking from yesterday’s events in baseball.

    Rest in peace Vin Scully! Thanks for all the memories and life lessons you taught me through baseball since I first met you on the radio in 1958!

  7. 2022 Dodgers draft picks
    Round Pick Pos Player B/T Age* School Slot value Signed?
    2 40 C Dalton Rushing L/R 21 Louisville $1,951,900 $1,956,890
    3 105 SS Alex Freeland S/R 20 UCF $582,700 $580,200
    4 135 OF Nick Biddison R/R 21 Virginia Tech $435,200 $382,500
    5 165 SS Sean McLain R/R 21 Arizona St. $325,400 $322,900
    6 195 SS Logan Wagner S/R 18 P27 Academy (SC) $253,400 $597,500
    7 225 SS Christopher Campos R/R 21 St. Mary’s College $199,900 $197,500
    8 255 2B Taylor Young R/R 23 Louisiana Tech $169,100 $2,500
    9 285 LHP Brandon Neeck R/L 22 Virginia $156,600 $27,500
    10 315 C Simon Reid L/R 21 Westmont College $149,600 $2,500
    11 345 OF Kyle Nevin R/R 20 Baylor $397,500
    12 375 RHP Jacob Meador R/R 21 Dallas Baptist $125,000
    13 405 OF Chris Newell L/L 21 Virginia $147,500
    14 435 SS Jose Izarra R/R 20 Florida SouthWestern JC $125,000
    15 465 SS Nicolas Perez R/R 17 B You Academy (PR) $132,500
    16 495 RHP Jared Karros R/R 21 UCLA $125,000
    17 525 RHP Payton Martin R/R 18 West Forsyth HS (NC) $125,000
    18 555 SS Cameron Decker S/R 18 Evansville North HS (IN) $187,000
    19 585 OF Chris Alleyne S/R 23 Maryland $125,000
    20 615 SS Carter McCulley S/R 18 Pensacola Catholic HS (FL) No
    Total $4,223,800 +$210,690 (4.99%)

    18 0f 19 Draft picks signed with the slot amounts and signed amounts in 2-10 and the signed amounts in 11-20 Only the last pick did not sign The Dodgers went right to the threshold of penalty of over 5% at 4.99%. The deadline for signing was Monday August 1 .

    2022 Dodger Undrafted Free Agent Signings
    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.

  8. The Dodgers don’t need Joey Gallo, but he is an elite defender in the outfield.

    He will only hit against RHP and provide great defense in LF.

    He will hit near the bottom of the lineup and either provide some incredible power, or he will be released.

    Low Risk – High Reward!

  11. May the name SOTO never be mentioned ever again here on LADT. The guy is a Padre, not a Dodger. No regrets, wish him well, but not against us. Oh, and please consider this- would you rather Soto be a Yankee or Met or an Astro? Our many games with SD just became much more fun to watch….I bet you the fans in both ball parks will be totally excited and will get their money’s worth from here on out with this rivalry revving up much higher.

    Look fellows, do you really want us to have all the big name players available? Last year we were so fortunate to have had Tre Turner thrown into that trade that also got us Scherzer. Count your blessings for that, and now let’s do everything in our power to make sure Tre stays put. I have to believe with us not having to pay Soto’s salary for the next 10 years, we can now pay Turner’s salary for however long they can agree.

    Having Mookie, Tre, and Freddie locked up for many years is pretty satisfying to me. We can easily fill in 6 more guys with the plethora of names we have at our disposal knowing the Big 3 is intact.

    Lastly, pitching is the real key to long term success. The real good news today is simply this- we lost none of our future stars with arms. Do any of you really want to trade any of our young guns who are on the cusp of making it to the bigs and becoming starting pitchers for 10 or more years. You can bet Miller, May, Pepiot and possibly others were being required by Nats to make the deal for Soto.

    Bottom line: we lose none of out top prospects and we have enhanced our chance of retaining Turner’s services. Our rivalry with San Diego just got a major shot in the arm.

    TM

    1. You’ve come a very long way TM. Very good points about Soto being a Yankee or Met or an Astro. The Padres are fighting hard to become our new rival as the Giants circle the toilet choosing not to sell and improve their farm once again. I remember last year when everyone was calling Farhan a genius. A bold claim for a guy running a team into the ground and losing attendance at the same time.

      1. You guys have really pumped me up about the kids looking to come up, so yeah, I want to see them wearing Dodgers Blue, not Nats blue.

        And seeing Outman’s success is reminding me…..you don’t just have to trade to improve your team. Some guys are closer than you think.

        By the way, I’m concerned Gallo could take away from Outman’s growth. Both are lefties. Outman is 25, not 22. This could very well be his time. How do you feel about this?

        1. I don’t feel good about it. I’m not a Gallo fan, I hope he proves me wrong. I think Outman has a chance, but he’s not sure thing either. I hate it when a better player is moved to the minors to make room for a worse veteran player. But, if the Dodgers can fix Gallo, watch out!

  12. RIP Vin Scully. How fortunate for a baseball starved city to have such a talented announcer to introduce to us Dodger baseball when they arrived in Los Angeles in 1958? I remember saving up my $1 a week allowance for several months in order to buy my Xenith transistor radio. That radio spent many nights tucked near my pillow with the ear piece in and listening to Vin calling the last innings of a game. And waking up to the news in the morning on KFI. After the news broke during the game the tears rolled down my cheeks and continued for quite a while in watching the tributes during and after the game. Los Angeles was blessed to have two announcing icons for such a long period of time in Vin and the Lakers Chick Hearn. With Vin he was not only a iconic announcer but a incredible and humble human being. It was never about him. It was always about the game and the fans.

    I was in the same camp as Mark in that I was fine with the current Dodgers team and with who was returning from the IL. The Dodgers are a marked team in that all trade partners know we have a great team on the major league level and a strong farm system. They want the Dodgers to give up their best prospects because they are the Dodgers. Other teams not so much. To compare what was being thrown out there as to what the Dodgers were going to have to give up for Soto and what the Padres finally gave up is not even close. I think most of the prospects the Nats received were youngsters in A, AA. Anyway, I didn’t think Soto was a need and especially when you factor in the huge contract that will be probably be required in three years. Then, again, maybe Soto won’t like sharing the spotlight with two aholes in Machado and Tatis and signs with the Dodgers as a FA. Wouldn’t that be the best! Bottom line is that I don’t think SD has the pitching depth to get through the playoffs and win the WS.

    I don’t get the Gallo move at all. This guy has a CAREER K rate of 44%. He is the true three outcome player that baseball seemed to desire. I think that is changing. Especially if the shift is eliminated. What the Dodgers think they can do to fix Gallo to make more contact will be interesting to watch. They have done such a fabulous job with Muncy, Bellinger, and Taylor this year. But, I kid. Actually, Cody is looking much better lately and seems to be making more hard contact. Muncy’s swing looks OK to me. He needs to be aggressive and hopefully make more contact. He still missing those center cut FB more than he should. Maybe, the hitting coaches can work with Taylor in his rehab in cutting down his K rate by using the same techniques they plan to introduce to Gallo.

    Freddie Freeman continues to be awesome!
    Carry on.

      1. JayB, I stand corrected. I forgot to add his walks to his ABs. Therefore, 37% it is. But, my mistaken point is that he K’s at an unacceptable rate.

        1. No worries Ted. I agree 37% is unacceptable. However, I do feel he was picked up for his defense which could be used late in a tight post season game and and as a hedge against an outfield injury. Some on here are comparing him to Jack Lamb. Lamb may be currently better offensively, but does not really provide any usefulness as a defensive outfielder.

          I guess it really comes down to my belief in Friedman which is supported by what this team has done under his leadership.

          1. I’ve heard some say OUTMAN is also an outstanding athletic outfielder with a good arm. Is Gallo redundant?

    2. Ted –

      Thanks for reminding me how important transistor radios were to learning baseball through Vin Scully in the early days, I was doing the same at night with mine; plus, I would also strap my radio on the handlebars of my bike so when I went on my paper route I was still plugged into Dodger baseball.

      I like your take on how Soto might end up a Dodger after spending a couple of years with Machado and Tatis.

      Also, I agree that Belli is looking much better at the plate these days; I am not sure about Max yet but I think he has the rest of the season to figure it out. If one – or both – come back to a level closer to previous years, San Diego will be on the outside looking in again.

    3. I echo your feelings, Ted. Teams were always going to ask for more from the Dodgers than other teams simply because of how DEEP the organization’s farm system is. One thing AF targeted when he first came here was building a very strong farm system now. And he has done that. The Dodgers system was pretty strong anyway under Logan White, but AF and his team has kept it strong despite picking low in the drafts pretty much from their first one. I did not care for the way AF was doing business when he first arrived. I ranted, usually for a dumb reason, about the players he traded away and what he received in return. Those rants are well chronicled. Little by little I warmed up to what he was doing. I may not like all of the metrics they use to rate the players, but you have to admire how good they are at it. I think, and have to believe, that most Dodger fans expected fireworks from AF yesterday. The huge star coming to tinsel town and making the Dodgers all that much better than they are. But at what cost to the future? Us old farts may not be here many more moons! So do something dammit!!! Then the word came down that the Dodgers had traded for…..Joey Galllo?? The New York whiff machine??? Don’t we have enough of those kinds of hitters already? Well, he also sent two guys who were just showing what they could do away too. But for both, it is a chance to play more. McKinstry will get playing time he would not get in LA, in Chicago. He sent Lamb to his hometown, which was always a dream of his. For Mitch White, he gave the kid the opportunity to pitch in a rotation regularly instead of being on the AAA shuttle from OKC. But what he showed me is that he believes in the team he has and the players coming back from injury, more than he believes paying a huge price for someone like Soto. Now Juan Soto is a special talent. And he can carry a team and change games. But so far, Dodger pitching has handled him very well. The Padres strengthened their offense a lot. And they got one of the best closers in the game. Who is also having his worst month of the year. But it cost them a lot. The pitching staff is talented, and at times can be very hard to beat. But, they are 8th in the majors in pitching, the Dodgers are first and have a ton of arms in reserve. The Pads are not that deep. The only pitcher they have in the top 10 in ERA is Musgrove. He is fifth in the league. The Dodgers are the only team with more than one pitcher in the top 10, and they have three in the top 11. Gonsolin, Urias and Anderson. Last night Anderson gave up 5 runs, but if you look at the hits they got, the only hard-hit ball was Bart’s homer. I think the Pads will make up some ground. They have 12 games left with LA> 6 at home and 6 at Dodger Stadium. 9 of those in September. They have 56 games left. The Dodgers have 57 and hold a 11.5 game lead over them. The Dodgers finish with 6 games at home against the Rockies. The Pads finish with 6 games at home against the White Sox and Giants. The Dodgers would have to have an epic collapse over the next 57 games to lose the division. But they have avoided long losing streaks so far. Do the Pads have the pitching to catch them? I do not think so. It is going to be a very interesting stretch run. Also, I hope AF makes a really strong commitment to bringing Trea Turner back on a long term deal. They have a ton of payroll coming off of the books next year. Turner is so much fun to watch.

      1. Great post OB…..especially the part about bring Tre back here. He is fun to watch, especially when he slides.

        1. Thanks TM. I really think he is much better all around than Seager was. Seager was a hitter first, did not have all that much speed wise, and was a decent SS, but not elite. Been a while since LA had one of those.

    4. ted, well said on Vin and everything else you mentioned. Couldn’t agree more.
      I have 3 recordings that I will take to the grave; Jack’s win in the 86 Masters, the Tribute to Arnie at his funeral and Vin’s last game from Dodger Stadium. I think it was more than ironic that Joe Davis broke the news last night from a booth with a plague celebrating where Vin broadcast his last game. You could hear how much Vin was admired by Joe Davis and Jessica Mendoza.
      It will be fun to see what the Padres do down the trail with all these “stars” that will all need to be paid. Are they printing money down there. or what?

  13. I was a little stunned when I heard Joe announce Vin’s passing. But I kind of had a feeling that was what he was going to say simply because of the way he prefaced the announcement. I have so many memories of Vin from my childhood. Growing up in Los Angeles. Living in a home for kids in Highland Park and learning the game of baseball. I learned it’s history through the voice of Vin Scully. There was always some tidbit of history weaved into the fabric of the game he was calling. I always felt like he was a personal friend. He informed me about who these players were. When a new player arrived, Vin would give the details of his rise to the majors. Usually he would say, for the members of so and so’s marching and chowder society. To this day, I have no idea what a marching and chowder society is. But as a 10-year-old kid, listening to the game, I could only assume it was his family and friends. I never, not once in the entire time I listened to Scully heard him criticize a player on the air. He was the Dodgers voice, and he would let you know when the team was not doing well, but he did it without pointing fingers in any direction. And the historic moments, he made all that much more memorable with either his silence, or a well-turned phrase. Of course the first one I remember came in the 59 season when as Gil Hodges crossed home plate, and the win over the Braves in the second playoff game was secured, he said ” We go to Chicago!” I never got to meet Vin. But I felt like I knew him better than most of my family. He made the fans feel like family. RIP Mr. Scully. You are missed and revered more than you could ever know.

  14. I think the Dodgers can ‘fix’Gallo. He is a tremendous athlete, young at 28, with excellent defensive skills and a gold glove. Muncy and Bellie are coming back from serious injuries so I’m giving them more time to get back on track.
    The Dodgers have the best coaching and analytic staff in baseball. On the pitching side just ask Anderson. On hitting side look at Outman. They see something that can get Gallo on track. Sitting on the bench with Mookie and Freddie doesn’t hurt and you know these guys talk. That’s why I think Lux is finally getting his hitting has improved so much this season. I see Gallo in September being a nice contributor to this team. IMHO

  16. I hate the Gallo move, immensely. But, I’m looking at the bright side of it. Gold Glove defense and he can hit bombs with the best of them. He’s had two 40 HR seasons and a 38. Let’s see if the Dodgers can fix him after the Yankees failed.

    There was a ballgame yesterday and the Dodgers stomped on the Giants once again. That’s 6 in a row against that tire fire of a team.

  17. Dodgers could be said to be the only team THAT DID NOT NEED REINFORCEMENTS OR TRADES like many other teams did, so let it go, forget it, it was, it was yesterday, move on with your lives and forget everything, Dodgers have not lost yet, Padres haven’t won yet, and some of you are already putting SD as winners….

    If those assholes were that good, they wouldn’t have needed as many trades or deflated their minor league system as they did, and all for what? To catch up with Dodgers? They are the ones who are worried!

    And as I said before, Soto is just another clown, and that he would belong to SD…. I was right!

    Fuck those clowns.

    1. Hey Jorge, maybe to honor Vin you can make a commitment to toning down the profanity in your posts. It’s getting a little tiresome. Just a suggestion.

        1. Lolz! Not the greatest defense I’ve ever heard but cheerful and good timing. And besides I think we’re all grownups here and beyond and I’m certain he didn’t mean it literary. But we’d never heard something from the likes of Vin with that color of language. Hell, he never spoke a contrary word about about anyone in the game. Vin just passed along good will and respect. I can think there is no better example than Vin to show how to treat others. I never heard him say the old “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything” but I’m certain that was his practice. Really, what a great display of a man!

  18. A couple of things. One. Tatis has not even had a rehab assignment yet. So he is not close to returning. Maybe mid to late August. Pads only play us three this month, and all those are this weekend. LA just saw Soto when the Nats were here and held him to a weird triple. He was ineffective most of the series. LA knows how to pitch to the guy. If anyone, including Padre fans, think Tatis is going to be that guy after not facing live MLB pitchers for as long as he had, they had better rein in their expectations. Rarely does any player come off of the IL and rake. Old friend, briefly albeit, Yoshi Tsutsugo DFA’d by the Pirates.

  20. For all of you Catholic Dodger fans out there you can download Vin praying the entire rosary on your music app. Beautifully done!

  21. Gallo trade somewhat surprising and disappointing on the surface. However, this current roster is now strictly constructed for October and crucial moments in a short series. It’s always a crap shoot in the playoffs and about who gets hot at the right moments. Ballsy moves by the Pads so let’s put a quarter (probably $5 bucks these days adjusted for inflation) in the jukebox and get jiggy with it against SD and anyone else we face in October!

    BTW, Jess Mendoza and Kristen Watson, I’m sure are very nice and pleasant people but they are absolutely HORRIBLE and find that fingernails slowly scratching a chalkboard is exponentially more soothing than hearing their voices and absolute lack of MLB knowledge. Elite softball players don’t possess the same insight as a former MLB player. Softball is NOT the same game as MLB nor is any elite softball player good enough to play MLB. PERIOD ! If I want to hear Mendoza’s opinion, I’ll turn on ESPN ‘s coverage of the NCAA birthing people’s championships that they are more than qualified to opine on.

    Go Blue !!!!

  22. RIP Vin.
    Such a great Dodger and American icon!
    In addition to being a Dodger legend, he called so many other memorable sports moments including the 49ers-Cowboys “Catch” game. I had the opportunity to see him at a Pasadena event after his retirement, and he was so humble, entertaining and full of class.

    Thanks for the insightful article Bulldogs and Penguins.
    It was disappointing to lose out on Soto to the Padres, and we will never know what the Nats required in terms of Dodger players. It didn’t help that the Nats traded with Dodgers last year, and essentially passed on our current prospects to take Gray and Ruiz along with Casey and Carillo.
    If the ask for Soto was Lux, Cartaya, Miller, Pages, and Busch then I agree with not making the trade. But if we could remove Lux from that proposal, then I would have made the trade. As good as those prospects are, it is extremely unlikely that any of them approaches Juan Soto in value.
    While the Dodgers are accused of trying to buy championships, the Padres are the ones who have been the most aggressive in acquisitions. Machado, Soto, Darvish, Snell, Musgrove, Clevinger, Tatis and many others were external acquisitions. And their treatment of Hosmer at the trade deadline should be a red flag to other Padre players.
    The Dodgers seem to at least try to put players like Stripling, McKinstry, and White in places they can develop.

    Dodgers are having a great year, and are still co-favorites with the Yankees to win the World Series. But the NL playoffs will be very tough now with Mets, Braves, and Padres as very formidable opponents, and Cards, Brewers and Phillies also talented. Of course, it is never easy to win the World Series.

  23. All of you have forgotten JLamb was primarily a DH in his time here. He played, what 2 half games in Left?
    Have you noticed that in the last 2 weeks Doc just abandoned the LRLRLRLRL lineups and all of the sudden is the most Lefties possible against RP and most Righties possible against LP.

    Outman was called to play LF against RP. If they change and bring a lefty, Doc can pinch with TT. No worries in defense. You can then now do it again and bring Gallo to PH and the defense will still don’t suffer.

    1. This is a good observation. Lamb was doing pretty well offensively, but he really didn’t have a position where he wasn’t subpar defensively. Gallo is just a swap for his bat- with higher upside – and fills the gap defensively in the outfield.

      Even if he’s just a bench guy, he’s a pretty good bench guy. One of the reasons the Dodgers lost last year is because the bench flat out stunk.

  24. When I was a kid I received a three-volume set called (I think) The Golden Book of Baseball. Each volume was like an encyclopedia, overflowing with tales and reports of historic games (including box scores), artwork, etc etc. Two or three pages were devoted to the transcript of Vin calling Sandy’s perfect game.
    Yeah, nobody did it better.
    Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better” was one of the melodies that came over an LA FM radio broadcast dedicate to Vin. Callers also suggested Randy Newman’s “I Love LA,” Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer,” Fogerty’s “Centerfield,” ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” and Tina Turner’s “(Simply) The Best.” More were coming but I had arrived at my destination..
    Probably room for a Vin statue at Dodger Stadium, perhaps forming a triangle with Jackie and Sandy.
    I’m pretty sure I heard Vin make a factual error once, saying “Durocher” when he meant to say Lasorda. I also remember Vin then pausing, as if catching himself–but wisely moving on without calling attention to the mistake. (Or did this happen in one of my dreams?
    Part of Vin truly was something of a poet. If I recall correctly, he refered to the attendance at the perfect game something like “25,000 fans and a million butterfly.” One of my favorites was his description of a perfect bunt landing “like a poached egg.”
    Another fond memory is how, a few years back, he was preparing to thrown out the first pitch of the season, faked an injury and called for a reliever–Fernando. Vin and Fernando together. The crowd went bonkers. Brilliant stagecraft.
    Yeah, nobody did it better.
    And it’s still time for Dodgers baseball….

  25. Just watched the post deadline Friedman press conference. He had a lot of QandA around Gallo. Here’s the bullets…
    * Elite off-the-charts power
    * Really good decision-making in the box
    * Really good defender in the outfield
    * Does have some swing and miss in his game for sure
    * When the other things are clicking he’s a really valuable player
    * A year ago today his industry value was a lot higher and today that same true talent level is still in place – downward slide is not due to injury. He feels the hitting guys and a change of scenery will get him back on track.
    * Big chance for upside. Really good fit, as the Dodgers have been a little shallow in the outfield all year.
    * A really talented player with upside.

    He was gushing when talking about the pitching staff, just short of telling everyone how much better they are than everyone else.

    Everyone one of these guys has a chance of making it back this year; Graterol, A-Gone, Kahnle, Buehler, Treinen, Duffy, May. That’s a lot of talent to add to the mix of talented pitchers they already have.

    Not all will be back, but some combination will and he feels really good about that. Translation – There isn’t room for everyone to return.

    Mitch White was traded to make room and he really likes what he got back, a very talented controllable arm. Mitch deserved a shot at being in a MLB rotation.

    Gallo fits better than Lamb because of his outfield defense.

    He checked in on everyone. He likes what he has. There weren’t any “Acute Needs”.

  26. I just remembered something Vin did that I just loved. He was in For Love of the Game. Calling a fictional character’s last MLB game which just happened to be at Yankee Stadium against the Yanks and just happened to be a perfect game. It’s just a movie folks, but the vitality, knowledge and love of the game enthusiasm was still there. It was as if it were a real game. Vin was the only one I think could have pulled that off. I have seen real announcers in plenty of movies, and other than Bob Uecker’s classic take as Harry Doyle in the Major League films, nothing is even close to Vin’s performance in this one.

  28. I’m happy to hear Evan Bladh will be contributing to Dodger Talk. I find him very knowledgeable and a very insightful writer!

  29. Great write up – thanks for walking us off ledge on Soto. One name I havent seen mentioned here lately is Aaron Judge. Maybe AF saving bucks for Judge this winter – Cali kid that wants to come home. I know hes older than Soto but almost rather him. Also need sign Trea as well.

    RIP Vinny – one of kind !!

    1. I hope we save enough money to sign Trea Turner. The grass is always greener. Trea is under appreciated by some and he and Freddie make us go. Find me a good defender who plays every day, hits .300 with some pop, is the fastest guy around, steals bases. hustles every play and even has added sliding as a skill people watch now. SIGN THIS GUY!

      1. Agreed Phil , I’d be good with signing Trea but we all know AF likes big game hunting ! wouldnt be opposed to Judge or wait on Soto in few yrs if SD doesnt work out.

  30. I’m glad yesterday is over. I typically don’t wish days away. I don’t know how many I have left. But yesterday was a roller coaster of emotions and information.
    * RIP Vin. Bear put it so well. I never met the man but I felt I knew him and he was a friend. For years. When he told me to “pull up a chair”, I did. It’s sad when we lose the great ones we grew up with. This one hits me hard like Arnold Palmers passing. There has never been a time in my life when I can’t remember those guys being there. They were part of me growing up. Joe Davis was great with his tributes and there will be many more. I loved it when he told of Vin’s tips. But my favorite attribute Vin brought to the game was that he know how to let the game breath.
    There is joy knowing that Vin had a long, incredible, life. Oh, if I could have seen all the things he saw, been to all the places he went to and met and touched all the people he touched, I could truly Rest in Peace.
    * My head is spinning still with yesterday’s moves. The best move for me was no move by the Dodgers on Soto. Karl Ravich said on ESPN baseball that the Padres may have just picked up the greatest young player in baseball, maybe ever*. Pretty sure I heard that once about Trout, Arenado, Ohtani, Harper, Tatis and Judge next year….the list goes on. Maybe Karl should have said “maybe ever, this year”.
    * It wasn’t long ago that we had 2 real outfielders. We put Lux out there to make it 2.5. Now it seems were have more outfielders then we know what to do with. I don’t like the Gallo deal. One, I don’t think the Dodgers can “fix” him. They haven’t successfully fixed Muncy or Bellinger for lots of reasons and I’m not sure Gallo is “fixable”. Maybe his only fix is to be out of NY and “fix” his head. But the best anyone should expect from any “fix” is .200 with some bombs and tons of strikeouts. That’s who he is. At best, he becomes Bellinger.
    * My biggest problem is who he supplants for PT? Platoon with Thompson (who is an equal defender) in left? Gallo is hitting .178 versus righties. Thompson .310. Basically, Gallo takes Lamb’s spot. Where’s CT3 in this plan when he returns? How about the latest success story, Outman? Does he just kick the can back to OKC? For Gallo? Counting. Lux (reluctantly) I count 7 outfielders now. That’s without Vargas who is a DH only now to me.
    * I’m happy for Lamb’s move to Seattle. I grew to like the guy in spring training and I hope this launches success in Seattle.
    * So I guess the bottom line for me is I’m fine standing pat and more fine keeping our prospects. But the Gallo acquition, while seemingly harmless, keeps us from playing some of that depth we so desperately hang on to.
    * While it’s true, I’m sick of hearing about how we have such a big lead we can just about do anything and it’s fine.

    1. I can think of a few who hit me hard during my lifetime when they passed. First was JFK. The man had brought the country together in so many ways. He was young, and energetic, and had more charisma than all the presidents we have had since. Of course we did not find out all the behind-the-scenes stuff that one knows almost instantly anymore. Elvis was a stunner. He just was so young. I knew John Wayne was sick, but his passing left an empty feeling. RFK also. Vinny though was part of my youth that left me with so many memories. Some of you guys listened on transistor radios. I listened for years on a crystal radio I built myself. Got maybe three stations and KFI was one of them. KRLA was easy to find too.

      1. Yeah Bear, I’d add JFK too. I remember exactly where I was in Junior High when that news broke. We all went home and witnessed one of the most historical week-ends in history on our black and white, TV sets.

  31. I can’t add to what has already been said by others here about Vin. He’s the primary reason I’m a Dodger fan. Growing up and becoming interested in sports, like everyone else, I was tuned in to AM 790 back in the 80s listening to Vin, Jerry Doggett and Ross Porter. It was a pretty good era to be kid/teenager becoming a sports fan. We had Vin. We had Jim Murray writing for the Times (now we have Plaschke and Dylan Hernandez). We had Chick doing the play by play for the Showtime Lakers. I loved the Rams back then, too, before Georgia took the money and ran. Bob Starr was a FANTASTIC play by play announcer for radio. But none came close to Vin. He’s the gold standard, not just how to be a great announcer, but in how to be a great human. I’m lucky to have inhabited this world during the same time he did.

    I’ll agree somewhat begrudgingly with Bluto on his assessment of Preller. He’s not a afraid to make deals or spend money to win. He’s a wheeler and dealer, and it might all blow up in his face, and I still think he’s impulsive and stupid at times (Matt Kemp), what the Pods are doing is generating a lot of excitement, and the fans are buying in. I think the Pod fans, too, are taking on a little of that swagger that Tatis, Manny, and now Soto have. I find them annoying, but it’s good for baseball and it’s good for the rivalry Dodger fans have with Padres fans. The Padres and their fans are fun to hate.

    Preller’s is a completely different style than AF, and I much prefer AF’s long-term plan, organizational culture and shrewdness, but even Preller has rubbed off a little on AF. I think the Bauer signing was in response to what Preller was doing.

    Let the Padres have Soto. Let’s see if they can sign him in two years (spoiler alert: they can’t). Unless they get a WS out of deal, or at least he’s a difference maker in a deep playoff run, it wasn’t worth it. People forget that he’s been a 6 WAR player. He’s good … very good … just not a generational talent. Certainly not a Trout, or even a Mookie when the Dodgers traded for him. He’s really young and he’s really hyped. He’s a below average defender and in terms of his on-the-field demeanor, a little immature (which means he’ll fit right in with the Padres). The Dodgers, to their credit, place some emphasis on high character guys who are a good clubhouse presence.

    1. Dodgerpatch –

      While I support AF’s decision not to get crazy in the pursuit of Soto, you raised a point that made me think. You mentioned that you thought the Bauer signing may have been in response to what Preller was doing in San Diego. With how the Bauer debacle unfolded over the past year, I wonder if that may also have caused AF to take a more conservative approach at this year’s trade deadline?? Just wondering….

      1. It may have. I think in general it perhaps taught AF not to overreact and trust the plan. Still, I think the Bauer debacle last year prompted him, in part, to go after Scherzer. If Bauer was still pitching at a high level instead of on administrative leave, AF probably doesn’t get Scherzer. Who knows?

  32. I am a huge Dodger fan and a huge sports fan.But my favorite sports players death don’t touch me as much as some of you.If it is my high school coach who I cared deeply about,yes it would hurt me.But My heroes athletes,no ,I don’t have a relationship so it doesn’t.

  34. I am relieved yesterday is over. I think Vin was too. It’s almost like he held on just long enough so he didn’t miss any big Dodger news.

  36. 9:45 PM ET

    Dodgers (70-33)
    Giants (51-53)

    SP Julio Urias L
    10-6 2.71 ERA 109.2IP 103K

    Confirmed Lineup
    RF Mookie Betts R
    SS Trea Turner R
    1B F. Freeman L
    3B Max Muncy L
    CF T. Thompson R
    2B Gavin Lux L
    DH M. Vargas R
    LF James Outman L
    C A. Barnes R

    Clear-day
    0% Rain
    60° Wind 10 mph Out

    Dustin May starts for AAA Oklahoma City tonight

  37. About the trades, or rather, about the no trades this season, I don’t remember well, but I think that in 2020 the Dodgers didn’t make any trades, and they were champions, they didn’t need a Scherzer, Machado, Hill, Reddick, Trea, Darvish, etc… That is to say, he did not make any big trade, this time he reinforced the bench with Gallo…

    Dinelson Lamet was released, I don’t understand why they traded him then…

    1. I agree with you, imagine picking up Lamet and then he can beat his old team.

      I will no longer say names because there are many very delicate and sensitive people, and they can offend and hurt their pretty ears.

  39. I think Vinny would smile that most of our prospects still have the opportunity to wear Dodger Blue. What I like about AF’s strategy is we should have a nice pool of low cost, controllable assets to fill as many positions as possible. This balance allows for the continued investment in our core stars. Mookie, Freddie, let’s nail down Trea (stay Trea, stay!) and the right decisions on which pitchers to pay to stay. I also feel the challenge in SD will refresh AF to compete at a continued high level. The next 6 games against the west will help us to see if we can stay the best.

  40. Damon Keith promoted to High-A. Keith was drafted in the 18th round last year after Dave Roberts asked the scouts to keep an eye on him, as he saw him play in a college game, and came away impressed.

    He posted a wRC+ of 146 at Rancho, with a huge walk rate of 16.6%

    More post-deadline promotions

    SS Austin Gauthier also promoted to High-A (2021 UDFA, 146 wRC+ and 22.2 BB% for Rancho, both top five in the org)

    Lael Lockhart Jr. for being promoted to AA Tulsa. He leaves the Loons having been one of their best pitchers with an ERA of 3.16 and a WHIP of 1.27.

    New draftees 2B Taylor Young (8th round) and OF Chris Alleyne (19th) move up to Low-A from the ACL.

    1. I just went to the one game at Rancho this year, but came away impressed with Keith. He looks like a dude!

      1. Keith is a ball player.

        I had a friend who was a minor league scout for the Blue Jays. We’d have a beer anytime he was in town. It was usually this time of year. When they were sending him off to evaluate prospects on the West Coast before the trade deadline.

        I asked him once; “what are the most overrated and underrated skills.. in your opinion?”

        He was resolute. Overrated: “speed and athleticism”. Underrated: “being a ball player.”

  41. I’ve been looking at team stats almost all year and have seen the Dodgers offense either number 1 or 2 most of that time. So I was never feeling the need for an upgrade for the Dodgers offense. Soto and Bell were the big names and I’d rather the Dodgers hang on to the top prospects it would have taken to get Soto and even Bell.

    Same thing with starting pitching. The Dodgers have been number 1 in team starting pitching for a long time. The big name was Castillo and to me he wasn’t a big enough upgrade over who we already have to give up top prospects for.

    But in the playoffs the games are usually close and come down to the final 3 to 4 innings. That is the bullpen and the offense. So I was hoping Friedman would upgrade the bullpen with 2 top of the line relievers. I was looking at teams that were clearly out of the playoff picture only, and came up with 2 names. Both I liked a lot and 1 of them was better than the other. Both were upgrades over almost all of our relievers, in my opinion according to stats. Then I found out Josh Hader got traded, that surprised me. Hader is better than both my picks career wise but not so far this year. If I knew Hader was available I would have dropped my second pick and gone with Hader and Robertson for my picks because I believe Hader will get back on track.

    So in the end the only thing I’m disapointed about is that there was no clear upgrade to the bullpen (Martin, we’ll see if the “Dodgers Gurus” can do anything with him). Robertson (a rental) got traded for the Phillies number 26 prospect and that would have cost Friedman basically nothing. I don’t remember what Hader got traded for but my second pick before I found out about Hader would have cost about the same as Robertson if not less. Blown opportunity in my opinion.

    Joey Gallo I guess takes the place of Lamb. If that is the case I guess that’s alright but it all depends on who it pushes off the active roster. So whatever I’ll wait and see what happens.

    1. Right now it looks like we can use bullpen help, but in two weeks we’re going to have to start cutting people from the roster. All you talked about last year was getting Kimbrel. Well, we have him and many other very good pitchers to the point where we had to ship White out of town.

      2. Kimbrel was dominant the first half of last year at the trade deadline. The previous 11 years of his career he was dominant nine of them.

        As far as the active roster White had options. The 40 man roster I see Grove Jackson Reed Martin Price Bruihl there. All those names I would cut if I needed room on the 40 man. So White was all a decision from the powers that be over all those names I mentioned above that are still on the 40 man.

        As far as relievers coming back Treinen is the only one close/similar to my two picks.

    2. Dodgers have pitching coming back from the IL in the next two weeks that could have been traded for a superstar.

      I think the next month will be a bit of a mess as the org evaluates who should be in what role. But we have the arms. Better than any we could have acquired.

      We might lose some games as they figure that out. But I think we’ll be in good shape come the playoffs.

      1. Not better than my two picks. Treinen is the only reliever coming back that is similar to my two picks.

  42. So I have been going back and forth with a couple Padre fans.

    My primary point to them.

    “You pulled off one of the biggest, highest profile trades in MLB history. Because you want to be us. We’re ALREADY US.”

  43. I hear you Jayne, but we dropped the ball. Friedman and company missed an opportunity to bury the entire national league especially the NL West for many years to come Trea is now gone, Soto would have delivered him. We are going to rue this deadline for years to come.

    1. Well, we have the NLWest buried for almost a decade now. What is important is winning the WS.

      GK DODGERS!!

    2. Adam,

      How can you say that with a straight face?

      That is a very silly thing to say. It’s 180 degrees off!

      It’s just like the Nats. They won a World Series in 2019 and have sucked ever since.

      The Dodgers will continue to be relevant every year. The Padres will flame out. Watch and learn. You are a novice!

  50. Chris Talylor with 2 homeruns and no Ks tonight at Oklahoma City on his rehab assignment.

  51. There’s Phillips again coming out of a bases loaded no outs situation. Yes he did get some baserunning help but still. As I’ve said before I’m sold on him.

  53. Here we go again, regardless of the outcome this is ridiculous. He just can’t have a clean inning. He got lucky with that generous strike zone
    This won’t play in the postseason

  54. Just watched AF’s interviews following the deadline.

    We are lucky. I would never want to play poker with him. Because I’m good enough at poker to know when I can’t win.

    Proud of Miguel. What a night.

    Go Dodgers!

Comments are closed.