Truth About Trevor Bauer and the Dodgers

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1. BETMGM has the Dodgers as the co-favorite with the Mets to win it all _+350. I agree with all you have said Mark. MLB felt it had all the evidence it needed, but the DA did not feel there was enough to even charge the man. All the Dodgers did was derail a huge PR hit. I am one of those who also believes violence against women is not something that should be tolerated. But this to me seemed an awful lot like the woman was using this to extort money from someone who just made a bundle. I have no clue what the truth is because I was not a witness. I just want the circus to leave town, and the game of baseball to be the primary focus and not the chaos this has caused.

   1. Trust me, the Mets will find a way to F*@k it up.

      1. 1000% Agree!

   2. The BetMGM odds of +350 are for the Dodgers to win the NL pennant. Dodgers are +800 to win the World Series on BetMGM. Their World Series favorites are Astros, Yankees and Mets at +650.
      The odds are still fluid with uncertainty around Correa, other free agents and trades.
      But Dodgers are currently the betting favorite over San Diego to win the NL West.

      1. My bad, I misread whoops…

2. Headline AP: BAUER BOUNCED – Dodgers Dump Pariah Pitcher -GMs shun trade offers

   1. If no MLB team picks him up, Bauer has been “Cancelled.”

      I have a feeling that will not sit well with him.

      1. Very good, interesting and informative blog today. One thing I’ve always found interesting, and I’m probably going to take a beating for saying this, is that she has two black eyes ,swollen lips , looks like abrasions on the cheeks, but the dainty little nose escaped totally unscathed . Odd.

         1. Hollywood does that everyday with makeup.

3. Now does every one of us have to make a statement that we think it is wrong to hit a woman ? Apparently we do if we also think that a person should actually be found guilty of an accusation brought against him or her through a legal process where evidence and testimony is brought and scrutinized.
   If we actually think a person deserves a fair trail before being condemned and we express that sentiment then apparently we need to agree that doing what they are accused of is wrong.
   Ok I agree too, and I think condemning a man before proving him guilty is also wrong.

   But as Bear has said, the circus has left town.
   Sadly the real circus hasn’t.

   Winter Ball trailer looks good.

4. Thanks for the article Mark. I read most of the comments from yesterday and then the Rosenthal article. I dislike Ken Rosenthal and most of what he writes about the Dodgers. Ever since he wrote his bullshit, not fact based article about Justin Turner’s apparent Covid infection discovered in the eighth inning of final game of the 2020 World Series I lost all respect for Rosenthal. Instead of writing about the Dodgers winning their first World Series in 32 years, his national lead story is about how careless JT was in the postgame celebration. Rosenthal had absolutely no facts to base his virtuous attitude and article on. That article too had no comments allowed. It’s typical juvenile behavior to lash out at someone and not let them respond in some way. Again, with Rosenthal’s latest controversial article no comments are allowed. And I did send my thoughts on the subject to the editor (Tim Kawasaki) who is San Francisco based and is as left leaning as they come. Of course, I got no response.

   As for Trevor Bauer and his baseball life, it appears it may be at an end. It has become a complicated story that became even more complicated with what Bauer had said in the past about Boob Manfred and the leadership of MLB. Before the current issue I think Manfred had a hatred for Bauer. He couldn’t wait to condemn Bauer to the longest, most unjustified suspension in professional sports history. Did Bauer brandish and discharge a gun while in a domestic dispute? Did he attempt to choke to dead a girlfriend/wife in front of police? Was he part of team that admitted to cheating that cost a team a World Series? No, he was declared guilty as charged by a petty commissioner and an ill informed arbitrator. Not a DA or a court of law. Manfred let his hatred and disrespect for Bauer determine his punishment of him. Not the facts and reality. I, also, think Manfred has an issue with the Dodger organization as well. They have swung their seemingly unlimited financial muscle around since Guggenheim took ownership. I don’t think Manfred liked the way the team made the game a bit more uncompetitive. So, I believe Manfred saw this issue as an opportunity not only to get back at Bauer, but to stick it to the Dodgers for rewarding Bauer with a record breaking contract. Manfred dragged out his rulings and suspensions much longer than necessary when it came to dealing with his most disliked team and person.

   It was the same with the WS cheating with the Astros. He handled it poorly and basically let the Astros claim a championship that wasn’t fairly earned. He didn’t care. His objective was to make it go away and forgotten. How did that work out? Much worse than it would have if he had suspended the players involved. The only reason not to was because the problem of illegal sign stealing may have involved many more teams and didn’t want any possibility of opening that can of worms. And because of his gutless leadership and technology this type of cheating will happen again. Why not? A slap on the wrist along with some booing is the only consequence for a World Series title, financial gain, and the future earnings potential. I’m loving the Carlos Correa mega contract problems he currently having. Karma’s a bitch CC.

   To bottom line this Trevor Bauer is a complicated and troubled person. He creates outstanding social media content when he sticks to baseball (and pitching). But, when he uses it to bad mouth women, initiate relationships with women, and to continually ridicule MLB and its commissioner he allowed Manfred to add arrows to his quiver in the eventual destruction of the career of Trevor Bauer. I’m sure Boob Manfred is totally satisfied with his handling of this matter and is lurking to find another career or organization to screw with. He is the worst.
   Carry on

   1. Oh yeah. I think Bauer should sue MLB for a billion dollars and don’t settle. Go to court. Make Manfred get on the stand and have to justify his length of suspension of Bauer. There is absolutely no history that can lead Manfred to rule the way he did.

      I’m glad this issue has finally ended. There is no perfect solution to the problem. There were going to be people upset regardless of what was decided. The Dodgers took the virtuous route. I get it. I don’t necessarily agree, but can understand their reasoning. When you add in the PR aspect and the question of how effective
      Bauer would be as a pitcher the Dodgers took the less controversial road. As for Bauer going somewhere else and being successful it would not bother me even though the Dodgers were paying his salary to do so. Again, there is no perfect outcome. It’s not my money. Hopefully, AF will learn from this hugely expensive and PR error. Time to move on and look forward to our close or major league ready pitching prospects.

   2. Great comment from you Ted, apparently Manfred has more power than the holy inquisition in his time, I can hardly believe that this regulation or policy of domestic violence of the MBL has more weight than the superior laws that apply to them in the USA At the state and federal level, if the prosecutor found no supporting evidence to find you guilty, there is simply “no crime.”
      Due to the above, I believe that the labor and human rights of TB have been violated, without this implying that he agrees with his strange acts or behaviors, so to speak, (if the authorities did not have elements to judge him, why would we do them?) us?) For now they have screwed up his career and I think the aggrieved should file a formal complaint against the commissioner.

      1. Fantastic commentary!!!!!

5. Good article Mark.
   I disliked the Bauer signing from day one, and Friedman should be accountable for this mistake.
   But I also think Bauer was been denied due process by MLB. He was originally fined $70 million and suspended 324 games in a unilateral ruling by Manfred. Bauer was then forced to litigate for 7 months with an arbitrator who lowered the fine to $37million and 194 games. This is an extremely large penalty for actions that did not even meet a probable cause standard in the DA office, or even a temporary restraining order standard in court. And now 30 teams are unwilling to employ Bauer who was the reigning Cy Young award winner in his last appearance. While the MLBPA is mysteriously quiet.
   The Dodgers need to move on from this fiasco, but if they insist on staying below the luxury tax threshold it will be a challenge to compete with unlimited payrolls of Mets and Padres. But I look forward to watching some of the young players get a chance this year, and think Dodgers can still have a successful season.

   1. Well, it was a challenge for other teams to compete with the unlimited payroll of the Dodgers the two seasons, but they did.

6. Again, again, again…
   I say this three times because the MLB investigation involved THREE ACCUSERs, not just the most recent one, covering incidents that date to Bauer’s minor league days. Many times the discussion here and elsewhere has focused on the most recent case, as if there was no prior history. (If you want to learn more, search for the Washington Post’s coverage.) Contrary to what many people think, this isn’t just an unsavory, contentious matter she said/he said. There are two other shes here who similarly testified, and provided evidence, regarding how Bauer abused them–how he pushed the “rough sex” beyond the boundaries they felt had been set. The suspension reflected the pattern of behavior that violate league policy. The term “serial” comes to mind.
   It’s interesting that Bauer gets portrayed as the victim of “the woke mob,” as if only the “woke” object to abusively violent relationships.
   But enough about Bauer….
   Latest baseball news is that AJ Pollock reportedly has signed with the Mariners for $7 million. While I’ve argued for McCutcheon, Pollock also might have made a good platoon partner with Trayce Thompson.
   As for trading Chris Taylor… hmm…. I’ve heard worse ideas. After last season, his value is down, so the Dodgers would probably have to cover a big chunk of salary.
   I would NOT deal Max, because I think he could get back to his old slugging self.
   Sometimes I wonder if AF wishes he had outbid the Angels for Hunter Renfro. Apparently he was talking to the Brewers about Adames, so I assume Renfro came up. Minassian just gave up three marginal pitchers to get his new starting right fielder, a proven power source with a fantastic arm. Among current Dodger outfielders, only Mookie is better. If the Dodgers had Renfro, perhaps Mookie would slide over to center and win a gold glove there.
   I don’t think Minassian wouldn’t want to give up his new toy… but it would be interesting if AF tried to pry Renfro loose by offering Taylor (to play SS), Trayce (to replace Renfro) and some arms.

   1. The Washington Post has lost all credibility with me for reasons we won’t get involved with, but they are so biased, it is pathetic. I canceled my subscription with them long ago. If you want to hear a sounding board for woke culture and slanted reporting and Ken Rosenthal, then you may love it.

      1. From the police recordings obtained from the WP;

         Yeah, I mean, I’m very, like, I’m sorry that — I don’t know, like, what to say,” Bauer responded. “… I feel your pain. I’m, like, in pain, too. And like I never wanted it to get that to that point, like — I can feel like we’ll never get to that point again. I promise that. I know that doesn’t change anything.”
“I’m hurting, too,” Bauer added.

         There is also this;

         In messages to friends before the alleged assault, the woman had boasted of meeting Bauer, saying she had her “hooks in him,” and riffed about prenuptial agreements, Range Rovers and having Bauer give her $50 million.
The woman protested to detectives that the messages were just jokes referring to marrying a wealthy athlete.

         Note; there is an ongoing lawsuit between Bauer and the California woman. So there should be some clarity on all this at some point.

      2. You’ve lost all credibility lol!

   2. Again, again, again. You post the same point, day after day, several times a day and don’t consider facts. You sound like a record from the dollar bin. Come up with something new to say. If you’ve said it 100 times before, chances are we’ve all seen it.

      The facts are, none of them could come up with EVIDENCE to have CHARGES filed. This doesn’t mean he’s innocent, or guilty. If you think the record suspension is fair, you’re an idiot. Others were caught on video, have been arrested, had witnesses, etc. The suspension had as much to do with Bauer being outspoken against the commissioner as anything else. Now, on to your baseball takes.

      Roberts is not going to platoon a right-handed hitter with another right-handed hitter.

      You want McCutchen (36 next season) or AJ Pollock (35 next season), the Dodgers went with Jayson Heyward (33 next season). They have plenty of outfielders on the roster. No infielders on the bench except Taylor, who also plays outfield and Yonny Hernandez, who sucks.

      If you sell low (CT3) and buy high, you will go broke in the long run.

      It’s obvious to me and most on this site that the Dodgers are trying to stay under the cap this year. That’s why they didn’t go after Renfroe. Minassian just gave up three marginal pitchers to get his new starting right fielder. The Angles never have enough pitching, and you’re celebrating this move.

      Willie Adames didn’t have a breakout year until Age 24. Lux broke out last year until he got injured. So, why dump Lux for Adames? Again selling low and buying high.

      1. Gee, some folks here really don’t like it when their preconceived opinions are challenged by the evidence….
         I speak here of course about whether Dave Roberts would employ two righthanded batters in a platoon.
         Those who doubt this may be unaware of the ample evidence that Trayce Thompson has reverse splits. He crushed righthanded pitchers in 2022 en route to posting an overall OPS of about .900. Let’s remember how he arrived as a journeyman and then outperformed fellow outfielders Belli, Gallo and Taylor. (All of these stats are easy to look up on mlb.com.)
         Now, Trayce is certainly a candidate to revert to a middling journeyman status. Given his age and history, I think of him as a 4th outfielder while Outman gets that runway to prove himself.
         But to optimize Trayce’s value, pairing him with a batter who beats up on southpaws makes a lot of sense. McCutcheon would be a good candidate–much better than the incumbent Taylor. So would, for that matter, a lefty swinger with reverse splits.
         Based on recent 2022 stats, and longer for McCutcheon, a Trayce/McCutcheon platoon could produce a .900 OPS from LF with solid defense as well. (I think we’d be happy with an .800 OPS, which is slightly less than what Trea Turner and Will Smith produced in 2022.)
         So yeah, I think AF and Roberts would be foolish not to consider it.

         1. Go ahead and produce evidence that Doc and Co. would employ two right handed hitters in a platoon. When have they done this in the past?

         2. Thompson’s severe reverse splits in 2022 came in only 219 at bats. For his mlb career of 782 at bats, his batting average is 210 against LHP and 228 against RHP. And this includes 2022 stats.
            I am not sure about Thompson’s career minor league splits, but in 4075 career minor league at bats, his overall batting average is 237.
            Trayce may have figured it all out last year after getting released by Padres and Tigers. But even if he is going to be a good MLB hitter now, it will probably not come with severe reverse splits like he produced in 2022.
            I like the idea of adding McCutchen for his ability to hit LHP in his long career, but would not plan to have him strictly platoon with Thompson.

7. Duke: Thank you for making this point crystal clear. Many of you keep talking about the politics of the situation or the baseball pros of having him on the team. Or the financial implications of this. To me there is one aspect that rises above all others—–CHARACTER. Maybe, just maybe in the final analysis our team chose character over all else and made the decision that Bauer’s character fell way outside the bounds of what they wanted this team to represent.

   Unfortunately, that assessment could have (should have) been made prior to signing but that is old news. Bauer’s character has been tested through more than once incident over his career and it always comes up bad. I personally don’t care about whether he is guilty in a court of law. I do care that he is a BAD person and I for one am thankful that our team has drawn that line.

   However, I am totally on board that this was mishandled by MLB and should have been resolved much sooner. But it is what it is and we move forward.

8. Dead Horse Request.

   Lets talk about Dodger baseball. There have toooooo many columns already stuffed with back and forth legal issues. Bauer is gone and lets talk about something else.
   On a unrelated topic, If you follow tennis, 18 year old Coco Gauff won her first tournament in a while in a tune-up for Australian Open. I know off topic. But it is a feel good Sunday story.

   1. It may die soon, but it is not taboo! It is relevant even if you have moved on.

   2. agree with you about that. Everybody seems to throw politics into every subject matter now a days.
      If you are woke or if you are asleep. Who gives a crap
      If you give a crap then perhaps discuss it in a forum that is more appropriate for such matters

9. I think that it is time to bring back Puig with a short, low cost contract.

   1. Yasiel Puig is pleading guilty to charges of lying to federal investigators about his dealings with an illegal gambling operation and just signed a one-year deal in Korea. There is no chance AF would ever re-sign him.

      1. I withdraw my suggestion which is another example of why I read daily and rarely post.

      2. Puig has reversed his plea and is now pleading not guilty.
         The deal he signed in Korea was for last year.
         He’s a free agent and Harlan can sign him if he wants to.

      3. He changed his plea.

10. Such a stupid hill to die on. Who gives a shit if he was tried, arraigned or found innocent of assault. The arbitrator who heard the case came to the conclusion he punched a woman. In the limited amount of leaked testimony, he basically admitted it.

    You can always create a modicum of doubt. The tobacco industry did it (there’s a great documentary on this), there are those who still think Climate Change is fake. That the vaccine is deadly. Doubt can be manufactured. Be better. Move on, Mark. It’s over. The market has spoken.

    If you live in a country where Euthanasia is illegal, and you work to kill someone with a terminal illness. You may not be arrested on first degree manslaughter, but if you are a high profile pitcher on a major market team YOU will face consequences.

    If you live in a country where heroin is illegal, and you help administer it to someone. You may not be arrested on drug trafficking charges, but if you are a high profile pitcher on a major market team YOU will face consequences.

    If you live in a country where pornography is frowned upon, and you are caught in a porno. You cannot be arrested (since it’s legal and only frowned on) you may not have done anything illegal, but if you are a high profile pitcher on a major market team YOU will face consequences.

    If you live in a country where punching someone is considered assault, but punch someone in the privacy of your home or in a bar, you may not be arrested for assault, , but if you are a high profile pitcher on a major market team YOU will face consequences.

    If you live in a country where a sizeable portion of the population believes kneeling during the national anthem is an outrage, you may not be arrested for disrupting the peace, , but if you are a high profile pitcher on a major market team YOU will face consequences.

    1. For someone who has chastised Mark for doth protesting too much, you sure are doth protesting a whole heckuva lot.

       1. Amply stated DP. He is a prime example of what Mark Twain( I think) stated so long ago. “It’s better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt”.

          1. It’s like what is happening to Elon Musk right about now as they are trying to shut him up and ignoring all the corruption he has exposed. The Party in Power loves to virtue Signal and wants to cancel any who disagree. They try and make it seem that you have no right to talk and say your argument is stupid when in fact, theirs is insane!

             1. Oh, and BTW, the LA Times and the Washington Post are still talking about it, but I can’t talk about it. Why, because the great Bluto disagrees? II call Bullshit!

             2. Not to mention, he was the king of woketards until he bought Twitter and allowed free speech. Now, they hate him because the mainstream media tells them to. But, they can’t turn in those electric vehicles fast enough? What about global warming? Oh, shit. My bad, it’s climate change so they can ignore record-setting snowfall. How convenient.

             3. Um….
                Elon is a multi-billionare who literally owns Twitter. How can anybody shut him up?
                Nobody can shut up Elon, and nobody is really trying.
                Elon’s biggest problem right now is Elon. What is happening is that people are finding Elon increasingly strange and even absurd because of the way he uses his own free speech on his massive megaphone.
                Consider: When Paul Pelosi was attacked, Elon tweeted a rumor that it was really a gay tryst gone wrong–a post that he soon removed because the SFPD quickly did its work. Still, Elon’s actions reveal (A) his low moral character, (B) his political bias and (C) an affection for loony conspiracy theories
                More recently there was Elon’s tweet: “My pronouns are prosecute/Fauci.” Seriously? See A, B and C above.
                Clearly nobody is shutting up Elon. Rather, he is hoisting himself by his own petard. With tweets like those–and others–he is pandering to the Alex Jones crowd and putting himself in the crank category.
                And it’s really kind of sad…
                I used to work with venture capitalists and attended a conference 15 years ago when Elon addressed a group of investors. The young man was impressive, even charismatic–truly visionary, it seemed. And then Tesla really took off. And so did Space X! Extraordinary stuff.
                Where did that Elon go?
                Come back, young Elon! Come back!
                Wait a sec… I think I see the future:
                Elon buys the Angels–and signs Bauer!

    2. It’s never over… until it’s over.

       And, it ain’t over!

       1. The SFPD did its work regarding the Paul Pelosi attack? Give me a fucking break. Work means cover up?

11. Marlins listening on 4 of their 5 starters and the Dodgers should be interested in one of them: Jesus Luzardo.
    https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/01/marlins-letting-teams-know-four-of-their-starters-are-available.html

    1. Why?

12. I am unaware if or if not the commissioners title is still a lifetime position that only he decides when to step down or even how he got the job in the first place. But obviously Manfred’s power needs to be put in check as fairness isn’t what the man is made of. I can see how this affair could make it to a court of law that challenges that kind of power. Bauer, at the time was the reigning champion pitcher of a league that required years of training practice to then had his career cut at the highest point costing him millions $. Perhaps it was his doings but not completely his alone. many workplace situations made way to a court of law and there are many paths that may be taken that could get this case to a court of law. It seems that any reason an employee feels disgruntled that courts can decide the validity of cases. But my intention was asking if anyone knows if there is any way to oust the pope powerful Manfred?

    1. The people who have the power do not have the inclination.

    2. The fans don’t hire Manfred.
       The players don’t hire Manfred.
       The owners hire Manfred, and with the possible exception of Dodger ownership, none of the others seem to think he’s doing a bad job.
       Their pockets have been stuffed with money in the time he’s been there and that is, after all, what they are most concerned about.

    3. Commish isn’t like it was in 1920. It’s not what it was in the Mountain Landis days. Manhole does the will of the owners. Their arm is so much up his a** it would make Kermit the Frog blush.

       Which is also why I think he screwed the Dodgers. The Bauer signing (largely because of the structure) pissed a lot of owners off. But they don’t want to be uninvited to LA black tie events. So they let Manfred do their dirt work for them.

       1. Landis was self-righteous racist and the absolute power he was handed by the owners at the time was a huge mistake. Commissioners should be in place to simply enforce the rules of the game. They should not be able to just become, judge, jury and executioner. I did a post not long ago on the players who have been banned from the game. Some for very minor infractions. Banning Mantle and Mays simply because they worked for a casino is going somewhat overboard. They never were involved in gambling itself. And now it is a moot point since even the MLB network has shows that rate the odds. Manfred is a power-mad moron.

13. Gee, some folks here really don’t like it when their preconceived opinions are challenged by the evidence….
    I speak here of course about whether Dave Roberts would employ two righthanded batters in a platoon.
    Those who doubt this may be unaware of the ample evidence that Trayce Thompson has reverse splits. He crushed righthanded pitchers in 2022 en route to posting an overall OPS of about .900. Let’s remember how he arrived as a journeyman and then outperformed fellow outfielders Belli, Gallo and Taylor. (All of these stats are easy to look up on mlb.com.)
    Now, Trayce is certainly a candidate to revert to a middling journeyman status. Given his age and history, I think of him as a 4th outfielder while Outman gets that runway to prove himself.
    But to optimize Trayce’s value, pairing him with a batter who beats up on southpaws makes a lot of sense. McCutcheon would be a good candidate–much better than the incumbent Taylor. So would, for that matter, a lefty swinger with reverse splits.
    Based on recent 2022 stats, and longer for McCutcheon, a Trayce/McCutcheon platoon could produce a .900 OPS from LF with solid defense as well. (I think we’d be happy with an .800 OPS, which is slightly less than what Trea Turner and Will Smith produced in 2022.)
    So yeah, I think AF and Roberts would be foolish not to consider it.

    1. What evidence do you have were Doc has used two same side hitters in a platoon? I saw this post already.

       1. It did get repeated,

    2. If you look at Trayce’s stats in 2022, you will see his reverse splits were something he never duplicated in his career. He hit .174 against LHP and .308 against RHP. It was a very small sample that he had never come close to before.

       Anyone who expects it to continue is just plain silly… or worse!

       1. Yep, a fairly small sample size… about 125 ABs against righthanded pitching in 2022… And yet Trayce’s performance was such that he emerged as second only to Mookie on the OF depth chart. The journeyman outperformed Belli, Gallo and Taylor–and that’s why he wound up starting in the playoffs
          .
          Trayce’s overall OPS, over 205 ABs, registered at .901. He struck out 86 times–not good!–but still had and hearty OBP of .364, second only to Freddie among the regulars. Mookie had the highest slugging percentage among regulars–but Traye’s was slightly was better

          So let’s look at the reverse splits: In 125 ABs against righthanded pitching, Trayce crushed: a 1.048 OPS, with a OBP of .416. Against southpaws his OPS was .666–pretty meh, but better than Gallo, Taylor and Belli.
          Let’s remember that the Dodgers weren’t expecting much when they bought Trayce’s contract from the Tigers. He was a guy with ML experience that they knew and liked and needed as a short-term injury replacement.
          And then Trayce sprinted with the opportunity.
          It’s kind of funny that some of you are giving Trayce the Rodney Dangerfield treatment. Why the disrespect? I remember from his past stint with the Dodgers that Trayce was streaky–a lot of power, but a lot Ks. So one of those guys.
          So yeah, maybe Trayce just got into a hot streak and he’ll revert to journeyman status….But maybe it was the “change of scenery” effect coupled with some advice from the vaunted Dodgers coaching staff. Why assume the improvement isn’t sustainable?
          We saw Trayce’s potential in his first stint–before it was discovered he had fractured some vertebrae. Despite serious injuries, he’s kept plugging away–and now he is poised to possibly start with the Dodgers. …Again, I think of him as 4th OF/platoon type guy–and that Outman (another Dangerfield) should get the larger opportunity to show what he can do.
          Aren’t we all hoping that Van Scoyoc helps JD get his mojo back? Aren’t we hoping the coaches can help Heyward get back to his old self? Aren’t we expecting Mark Prior to work his voodoo on Thor?
          Oh, somebody asked about how Busch compares to Outman. These are similar talents–lefthanded batters who strike out too much but also have considerable HR power. To my mind, Outman has clearly outperformed Busch, with a substantially higher OPS. Also, Outman has always been praised for his defense, while for Busch (and Vargas) that’s more of a work in progress.
          Busch, I think, could squeeze into the opening day roster if a key guy like Muncy gets hurt. It would be sort of fun to have a lineup with three rookies.

14. Unless they unload a contract or two, I see no way they can stay under the tax threshold. They will go over before spring training. They have holes, probably an outfielder with a bat.

    That is, if anyone still believes the goal is to stay under the cap. Maybe a few words were said and a lot of assumptions were made.

    Most MLB media types believe the Dodgers are trying to reset the tax so the team can pursue Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto. Maybe they have interest or maybe not. No, change that. They definitely have interest whether they reset or not. That doesn’t mean they’ll spend $400 to $500 to get a deal done.

    If you look at the current situation, the Dodgers look to be pretty strong in both starting pitching and bullpen. They still have some hitters. They have enough to win the division.

    As to Trevor Bauer, I imagine there will be more written throughout 2023. Not just here.

    As to how the Dodgers move forward, fascinating stuff. No idea how you do that at this point. Should be a fun ride.

15. Dodgers sign Correa to play short for two years that way you have a legit shortstop and a player that wants to prove he is healthy. Move Lux to second base. You then have Muncy and Vargas at theirs base. You can even put Vargas in Leftfield sometimes if he proves he can hit in the majors. Makes Dodgers lineup better with Correa in it. And a world series contender with him. And it would make the Giants mad the Mets mad and the Padres go oh know they got Correa the Dodgers did. That’s what AF needs to do.

    1. Nope!!!!!

    2. Huge flaw in that option is that A. What makes you think Correa would be open to that kind of contract? B. Scott Boras, his agent is already talking with at least one other team, the Twins now that the Mets deal is floundering. C. His price even for two years would be high and the Dodgers would suffer a huge PR hit signing a guy who was a member of the cheaters in 2017. D. Getting his contract insured is a big issue at this point which so far seems to be one of the major hang-ups at this point. And finally E. As stated numerous times over the last several weeks, the Dodgers are more than willing to live and die with Lux at SS. So can we all leave fantasyland and finally do a gut check on the reality out there. The Dodgers are making a concerted effort to stay below the tax. Period.

16. Came back to see if Mark was done having his hissy fit over Bauer? Apparently not.

    Bauer is (or was) a very good pitcher and apparently a very bad human so EFF him and I’m glad the Dodgers 86’d him. I wish they could have gotten something for him rather than eat the entire chunk of salary but apparently no one else – at least for now – is willing to take a chance on this misogynist.

    Stand by for the cheating Astros to pick him up thereby confirming yet again they have no character as a team whatsoever.

    The sooner he never gets mentioned again the better off the Dodgers will be.

    1. You may have hissy fits. I don’t, but I am not surprised you think I am you. I am consistently consistent!

       I’m nothing like you.

       Remember that!

       It’s enlightening to see you embrace Cancel Culture. I figured as much!

       Don’t stay here too long… I don’t have many brain cells to lose.

       BTW, you get what you give and I gave it back to you. Don’t bring a Knife to a Gunfight!

    2. Apparently, you aren’t done with your hissy fit either.

       1. It’s more like a Little Karen fit!

          I am sorry, but I do not tolerate fools very well!

          1. No self-awareness. He’s doing the name-calling, but you’re throwing the hissy fit? Unbelievable. The morons are celebrating that someone could lose their livelihood over accusations, never considering that they’re possibly next. They just love giving up their rights, little by little.

    3. Wishful thinking Dan. If no team signs him, and he is denied the opportunity to pursue his career as a major league pitcher, the litigation will just begin. He will sue MLB and the commissioner’s office, and it will not just go away quietly. His team of lawyers have already hinted at that possibility. Although many GM’s have stated that they doubt he will pitch again in the majors, if all the teams collude and do not sign him, you can bet your house he is just not going to sit there and take it. He was never charged. Only the commissioner’s office found what it said was enough evidence of abuse to suspend him. The DA’s office did not find enough evidence to even charge him. He never went to trial, never admitted to anything in a court of law. None of us know what truly happened and we never will. Only two people know the truth. No witnesses. No collaboration with another person. There were no charges brought even though two other women made allegations. Those allegations were investigated, and still no charges brought. No, it will not just quietly fade into darkness. It will hang over Bauer, the Dodgers and Freidman for the rest of their existence. Like Joe Jackson, or Pete Rose, the damage to the reputations of the participants has already been done. As far as being a bad human? Well, if being kinky about sex is something bad, then he is not alone. All you need to do is look at what a large portion of the porn this nation churns out looks like. Bondage and S&M are huge sellers. His biggest mistake was being on social media soliciting it.

17. One Final Thing:

    I invite intelligent and logical dissent.

    But use your real name or STFU!

    It’s easy to talk behind a fake name on a keyboard.

    Use your real name or STFU!

    1. Damn strait.
       You know me Mark. We’ve met. I figured I’d let everybody else know.

       (Just trying to lighten things up, a bit 😉

       https://youtu.be/-4xShWbhkFI

18. Liam Hendricks will begin treatment for non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He is expected to not be ready for spring training.

    1. Wow, that is awful.

       My brother’s wife beat it several years ago, and now it is back.

       Damn!

       1. I had a roommate who had cancer. I watched him fade to nothing over a three-year period. Prayers for him and his family.

19. BTW, I have changed my mindset:

    It is now, “I do not have time for your stupidity!”

    Please observe the rules.

    1. Confirmed Mon Capitaine!

20. I don’t think it’s stupidity, more like self-righteousness.
    Apparently there are many here without sin by the looks of all the people holding stones,
    On opening day I would love to see the secret lives of all the judges, jurors and executioners shown on the Dodger vision screen.
    This would be in an effort to inform Dodger fans of what is acceptable behavior.

    1. Fans care about few things when they go to Dodger Stadium. They care about winning, and they care about their next beer. They go there to be entertained, not preached to. And who is being judgmental now? You are judging people you do not know simply with those couple of comments. Acceptable behavior? By who’s definition? Yours? Sorry, I have seen athletes and senators and presidents and just plain folk to a lot worse and not be judged as harshly as Bauer has by fans who know exactly none of the facts except what they read in the media. I doubt there are many who have not sinned in one way or another. Show me someone who hasn’t. I know the difference between right and wrong, but I have crossed the line a few times. I had my reasons. But I will never judge anyone I have never met.

21. Uggh is it about winning a world series or have grudges against a player that beat you in a world series. With Correa. Let’s see didn’t Mookie Betts play for a team that beat the Dodgers in a world series and then once a Dodger the fans welcomed him as a Dodger. Or wasn’t there former Giants that became Dodgers and then fans likes them like Kent, Butler, and several pitchers. I think the dodger fans would like Correa and his bat in this lineup. They sure liked when Machado was a Dodger. Guess it’s okay play the rookies. And then see if we can get into the playoffs. It would be for Correa a two year deal. And you think he would want to be in Minnesota or Los Angeles for two years.

    1. Correa is a good player, no doubt about that. I have serious doubts he would even consider a two-year deal. And the talks with Minnesota are for more than just two years you can count on that. His agent is Scott Boras. Yes, Mookie played for a Boston team that beat the Dodgers, but Mookie was never accused of cheating either. Machado was not as well liked as you might think. He was nicknamed the Smirk while he was here. He deliberately stepped on an opposing player in the playoffs. And despite what some may think, he was not all that after he came to LA, and he stunk up the joint in the World Series. It is fitting he made the last out of the series when struck out. And he is despised now. Yes, several Giants became Dodgers, mostly through the free agent route, some Dodgers have become Giants and there are several of them still with the team. But they rarely trade players between them. The Red Sox in 2018 were a far superior team to the Dodgers that season. Few fans hold grudges against players who beat them fairly. But Correa is not seen that way. He has had confrontations with the Dodgers when they have met since then. The biggest hang up right now, like I explained to you earlier, is the fact that as it stands at this moment in time, the insurance company is not willing to insure his contract. Major League teams purchase insurance on contracts to protect themselves in case of injury, and since the hang up with both the Mets and the Giants concerns his previous injury several years ago, why would the Dodgers sign him for two years with no guarantee of protection? Betts came in trade over a year after the defeat at the hands of Boston. The Dodgers had tried to trade for him in 2019. Freidman is trying to get the team a little younger, a little cheaper. It is not like they do not have any good players. They still are a very good team with a solid pitching staff and All-Star players at several positions. Just because they made no major moves, and let some players walk because they are unwilling to keep blocking their own players from making it to the majors, doesn’t mean they are throwing in the towel on the season. If, and when they decide, not the fans, that Lux is not cutting it at SS, or Vargas is a complete flop at third, or any of the outfielders, Max and Taylor, are not playing at a level they expect, then and only then will you see some major movement. By the deadline us fans and the team will know where the holes are. And AF will make a move to improve the team. Correa liked playing in Minnesota, he had a two year deal. It is not about where you would like to play, it is about how much money you can make there. Yes, it is about winning, but I have seen them win with less talent than they have right now. Everybody is in panic mode because of the moves the Padres have made.

22. Bear, you seem to have missed my point, but you in fact made it with your rebuttal.

    1. Could be, but I doubt I missed the point. I am simply tired of all the posturing and finger pointing.

23. That apology from me the other day was to the rest of the people here besides Bulldogs.

    Bulldogs

    Bear said to me people left this website because of personal attacks. They left because of you Bulldogs and your personal attacks. Nobody here does anywhere near the amount of personal attacks that you do and you got banned for those personal attacks too. And you showed again the kind of person you are with yet again another personal attack on me in your last post to me. It’s amazing how anybody could like you.

    There was no name calling/personal attacks in this post. Just truth telling and an opinion in the last sentence.

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