The Plan Unfolds…

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1. Better edit this Mark. You listed Trea, and Gallo twice. So the total is not 651, it is 463. You add the 25 from Alberto and the number is 488. Still way too many.

2. Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Mike Trout….
   They all struck out too much. In 2014, Trout struck out 184 times… and he won his first MVP. Last year, Aaron Judge struck out 175 times–but had an OPS of 1.111.
   Strikeouts were a big problem for the Dodgers last year, especially from Belli, Taylor and Gallo. Ugh.
   Trayce also struck out too much too–but he had a OPS over .900! And over 1,000 against righthanded pitching. Perhaps it was just a hot streak over 200 ABs–but I’m glad he’s on the Dodgers.
   Yeah, Outman struck out a lot too –but his OPS for 2022 (in AA, AAA and ML) was up around 1.000, which was higher than his peers Vargas and Busch.
   And has anyone mentioned that Outman excellent on defense too?
   He flashed a bit of that in his too-brief stint in the majors. He was playing centerfield and sprinted up to make a diving catch on a line drive. A less able outfielder could have played it for a single and no one would have complained. If he had missed it, it would have been a triple. But he didn’t miss. (This highlight was linked to in a Juan Toribio story today on mlb.com.)
   If Outman strikes out 33% of the time but produces an 800 OPS, will we be complaining about him?
   Folks here may recall that I was pushing for the Dodgers to sign Yoshida to play left. Kind of like Ichiro with less speed. He walks twice as often as he strikes out. When the news reported that Boston signed for $90 million, well, it was a lot more than I expected. (And we now better understand why AF has been conservative with the pursestrings.)
   If Vargas lives up to the hype, he’ll help mitigate the team’s K problem.
   If AF really does a salary dump with Chris Taylor, that would help too. And Belli and Gallo and their Ks are already gone.

   1. Muncy strikes out a lot too. Last season he had his lowest OPS since joining the Dodgers, .713. His career OPS though is .828. He walks a lot. Now, I give Max a slight pass because he was recovering from his elbow injury. I did the same thing for Bellinger in 21 because he was coming off of multiple surgeries. I think everyone should do a gut check. AF most likely is NOT going to trade Taylor and the reason is very simple. He is getting 15 million a year. That is a lot of money for a utility player. Taylor is valuable to the Dodgers because he can replace so many different guys if there is an injury. And, if AF wanted to dump salary, he would have done it well before spring training. He would have done it probably before the holidays like he did with the Kemp-Puig-Farmer-Wood deal. I am pretty sure they are not going to make any major moves or trades before the deadline. The only trade they made last year prior to the season was trading Pollock to the White Sox for Kimbrel. Not AF’s usual MO.

      1. Max also walks a lot. He might be the best example of “three true outcomes” on the squad. Muncy’s OBP was acceptable even while he was slumping badly.
         He’s one of those guys Roberts praises for the “quality at-bats.” He tends to see a lot of pitches, which helps wear down the starters.
         I have a lot more confidence in Max turning it around than I do Taylor. Last season, Max was coming back from a serious elbow injury. ( His second half was much better than his first, so we can hope the trend continues. Old man JT had a better second half than Max because he didn’t get the memo that he can’t catch up to fastballs in his dotage. The Sox are paying him more than the Dodgers are paying JD, so JT v. JD will be fun to monitor.
         Also: How will LA centerfield production compare to the Cubs?
         We are all hoping that Vargas can replicate his minor league success on a major league level. He could be second to Freeman in bat-to-ball skills on this team. If he crushes it he could push his way up the batting order.

         1. Read the second line, I said that. I think a lot of Taylor’s problems last year were injury induced, He even said he never felt right all year. He feels better now, so I expect him to be back to his career average at least. 12-20 dingers, and very good defense where ever he plays. JD Martinez had a better year than Turner did as far as DHing. He played all of his games as the DH so I expect much better production from that slot in the lineup. One can only guess how the centerfield position plays out.

   2. Big difference between those guys and all of the K guys on Marks list. The Babe did indeed strike out a lot, but he was also a career .342 hitter. Second highest career batting average in MLB history, only trails Ty Cobb’s .366. Babe also had a slugging percentage of .690 and his OPS was 1.161. Trout’s BA is .303 and his slugging over 1.000. Ruth never struck out more than 100 times in his career. He also walked over 2000 times. His OBP was .471. For a power hitter, that is excellent. Comparing today’s hitters with those of the past just doesn’t work. The game is so much different now. Another thing about Ruth, he struck out 1330 times. He walked 2062 times. And that was over a 22-year career. The first four seasons he was mainly a pitcher, and he did not start playing semi-regularly as an outfielder until 1918. He never struck out more than 93 times in any season, and he only reached 90 twice. He was usually in the 80’s. His high water mark for batting average was 1923 when he hit .393, slugged .764 and had a 1.309 OPS. All of that and he only struck out 93 times in 522 at bats. Babe was from another planet. Mantle struck out almost 700 times more than Babe in less years. Mike Trout has struck out more than Babe in 12 seasons.

3. Okay if the Dodgees could trade Taylor and Thompson. And say a pitcher that we have. What every day outfielder could we get from another team. Someone who would start every day like a Betts and Freeman. Let me give you a team and player that I would like to see in Dodger blue. Ian Happ! That would be an outfielder I would get. That player can play center field and Leftfield. And hey look at that! Taylor and Thompson get a reunion with Bellinger in Chicago. Happ is that kind of player. A player with serious energy and emotion and a clubhouse leader. How about that? Okay, let me hear why that would be a bad idea. Here is another Taylor or Thompson or Lux trafw that should happen. Trade with the Guardians who have outfielders a third baseman and a shortstop. We need every day starters right? So you get guys that can start everyday. Here are the players we could get and look good in Dodger blue. I am talking about Naylor Ramriez and Rosario. Just maybe the Dodgers could do that. Go get players we need with teams that have stars. And we give them good quality players. That have been good for us. It’s called having new faces in the the clubhouse. Now that it’s Freeman and Betts team. They know good players. Which they have played against. And the players would be great teamates.

4. Former USC running back Charles White passed away. He still holds the Trojan record for career yards. RIP Charles.

5. Jon Heyman confirmed yesterday that the Pirates are shopping Bryan Reynolds, but they want a return similar to what the Padres gave up for Juan Soto. They wanted a package of at least 4 top prospects, especially from the Yankees which included two of the Yankees top three prospects. I read about this on MLB.com. Teams are obviously balking at the price,

   1. Pirates must be crazy if they ask a similar package for Reynolds as the Nats did for Soto.
      Soto is on a different level, maybe one of the all time greats if he continues his pace.
      If the Dodgers should give up 3-4 top prospects for Reynolds they should be asked why they did not go after Soto last season.
      Even Page, Grove and Pepiot might be too much to give up.

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

6. Brian Kenny of the MLB Network ranked Reynolds as the 3rd best CF in the game. Al be it, Brian noted Reynolds’ defensive metrics had taken a dip. Likely because he has lost a step athletic wise.

   While I would not put Reynolds in the same class as Juan Soto with the bat, unlike Soto, Bryan Reynolds does possess the ability to play CF. The perception is that he will eventually move to a corner spot, but he is certainly more than capable of manning the position over the relatively near future.

   It has been rumored that AF has expressed interest in Reynolds. Rightfully so, he fills a couple of key holes for us. One thing we know about AF, if he wants a player bad enough, he will find a way.

7. Here are a few things that we need to understand:

   1. Guys like Judge and Trout and Babe Ruth may strike out a lot but they also have high batting averages, so they are not just three options. When you have guys like Gallo and Bellinger and Muncy and Rios who are low Batting Average Guys in the same lineup, you tend to get the same results. They all hit certain pitchers or none of them hit. They become huge rally killers. Gavin Lux struck out almost 100 times, so the 7, 8, and 9 Positions were Black Holes for the Dodger Offense. I am counting on a bounce back with Max Muncy. I think he will OPS over .900 and have his highest BA ever because of the loss of the shift. He will still strike out a lot, but Rojas and Vargas put the ball in play a lot more. When you put the ball in play more good things can happen. Yes, you can hit into a double play, but you can also get a hit or force the other team into an error.

   2. With the banning of the shift, there will be more open holes in the defense, and putting the ball in play will be even more productive.

   3. I hope I am wrong, but I think Outman is a candidate to strike out 200 times and Trayce Thompson just got lucky last year. I don’t think either will be sustainable. Outman runs fast, but he is not a plus CF’er – he takes poor routes at times, but makes up for it with his speed. That said, the Dodgers could live with 200 strikeouts in CF, if (1) the Defense was good and (2) the strikeouts at other positions are cut down. Many baseball people see Outman as Left-Fielder… and there is no mistaking that he struck out over 50% of the time with the Dodgers. Outman got lucky. It happens, but to me, he is no better than a 4th or 5th outfielder. Others feel differently.

   4. The Dodgers need to create a place for Miguel Vargas, be it 3B or LF. That’s why I suggested Lux go to CF. It opens up 2B for Muncy and 3B for Vargas. Next year, Andy Pages will likely be ready.

   The Dodgers have one of the best farm systems in baseball and it is ready to produce. Miller, Vargas, Stone, Busch, Outman, Pages, Cartaya, Pepiot, Ramos, Knack, Nastrini, Frasso, Kopp, Sheehan, Grove, DeLucca, Ward, Leonard, and Vivas are all projected by MLB Pipeline to be ready in 2023 or 2024. Obviously, all will not make it and some will be traded and some of the “Can’t Miss Prospects” will be passed by the “No So Hot Prospects”

   But the 800-pound Gorilla in the Room is the Luxury Tax. The Dodgers have to trade someone and unless they trade a couple of someones, it won’t be a blockbuster deal. Of course, we would all like Bryan Reynolds, even though he would be a defensive downgrade in CF, his bat would play up. The Pirates would have to be motivated to trade him however and just asking for a trade is not motivation. The Dodgers would have to motivate the Pirates with a deal that likely included a couple of top-pitching prospects and a couple of top-hitting prospects.

   As painful as it sounds, how about Diego Cartaya, Bobby Miller, Emmett Sheehan, James Outman, and Jorbit Vivas, along with Blake Treinen and Chris Taylor for Reynolds? You have to pay a lot in player collateral to get Reynolds and for the pirates to take on Treinen’s and Taylors’ salaries. If Taylor has a good year, the Pirates could move him for more prospects.

   That is a lot to pay but the Dodgers HAVE to get under the Lux Tax or it could cost them $100 Milllion next year. They are going to get below that level – I guarantee it! The Farm would still be deep – just not as deep and we may give up a star and a superstar, but we get back a pretty darn good player in the prime of his career.

   I also like Gavin Lux at leadoff. If he can take his offensive game a step forward, he could be a .300 hitter with a .370-.380 OB%. Hit him at leadoff, ahead of Mookie Betts and Betts will see more fastballs which will also help him elevate his game. With Reynolds, this is the lineup I would want to see:

   1. Lux 2B
   2. Betts RF
   3. Freeman 1B
   4. Martinez DH
   5. Reynolds CF
   6. Smith C
   7. Vargas LF
   8. Muncy 3B
   9. Rojas SS

   Reynolds will be traded (at some point), but it could be Mid-Season… so we wait!

   1. Sorry, Mark, and with all due respect but your proposed trade is selfdestructing if you are the Dodgers.
      Miller has fantastic stuff ace written all over him. Cartaya might be the next Piazza. Not even in a parallel universe I give them up for Reynolds and staying under the luxury cap. Even with Reynolds this team IMHO has no shot at a WS title in 2023.
      I really hope the Dodgers and AF are smarter than that.

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

      1. I guess that makes you smarter than Las Vegas

         I’d like to hear you try and explain why

         1. I am not a betting man to begin with. Therefore I never listened to Vegas.
            Which indeed makes me smarter than them.:-)

            As for the Dodgers chances: If they win with the current roster it has to be a year like 88. And Roberts aint Lasorda and I do not see a Gibson anywhere on this roster to light a fire. A LOT would have to go our way to win .

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

      2. Cartaya has a ton of talent but anointing him as the next Piazza is very premature. They are deep at the catching position in the minors. If you are going to make a trade, make one from a position of strength.

         1. I saw some video of Rushing recently. He’s a beast. Between him and Cartaya–and Smith, and some younger guys at lower levels– the Dodgers are just loaded with catcher talent.
            Somebody really good is bound to be traded at some point.
            From what I’m reading in the LAT and various Dodger websites, the SS depth chart is now Lux, Rojas, Taylor because Lux’s offensive upside outweighs Rojas’s proven. If Lux falters, Rojas steps in as starting SS.
            Maybe they’ll figure it out before Opening Day–and perhaps the elimination of the shift could move Lux back to 2B. He should have more range than Max, right?
            McCutchen has signed with the Pirates. Oh well. Does that mean Reynolds is more likely to be traded?
            Also saw some video of Outman, playing CF, LF and RF in Tulsa.
            Yeah, he can do it. Great range, good arm. Betts, Trayce Thompson, Outman and Heyward can be a quality OF. (And maybe Vargas platoons with Trayce.)
            As forTaylor, I guess I hope that his salary and the strikeouts get dumped.
            Sorry, CT3. Nothing personal.
            But if it leads to Ohtani….

   2. Ah, doubling down on Dangerfield treatment …
      Maybe Outman got lucky in his brief stint in the majors.
      So are you going to say that Vargas, being a superior talent, just get unlucky in his much longer stint? Or was he simply in over his head? I think he and Outman both walked twice in the majors–but Vargas had about 35 more opportunities to do so.
      Outman didn’t get called up because of luck. He got the call because of merit. Despite the Ks, he outslugged Vargas and Busch. He’s improved more than his peers; Busch was a first rounder and Outman was 7th round, from a lesser program. He’s been trending in the right direction. He seems to respond well to coaching.
      And contrary to your suggestions, he has a reputation as a quality outfielder–while we’re still not sure where Vargas and Busch should play.
      It’s funny how you rag on Trayce and Outman…. and have somehow have convinced yourself that Lux is the answer in CF.
      The headline on this post is “The Plan Unfolds…”
      Is Lux-to-center part of this unfolding plan?
      Is there any indication that’s part of

      1. All questions shall be answered in spring training. Until then we are all morons and we do not know shit.

   3. Like I said earlier, Babe’s K’s are over rated. The man never struck out more than 93 times in any of his 22 big league years. And he only hit the 90 mark twice. Today’s sluggers strike out much more often than Babe. Ted Williams highest K total for a year was 64 and that was in his rookie year where he still managed to hit .327 with an OPS of 1.013. DiMaggio was better than that. 39 was his highest total also coming in his rookie year. Jimmie Foxx is 19 under the Babes 1330. He struck out more than 100 times twice. His average in both those seasons was over .300 and his OPS above 1.000. Mel Ott struck out under 1000 times in his 22 years. Mays, Aaron, McCovey, all struck out more than Ruth. Stan Musial struck out less than 700 times in his career. Judge has already struck out 908 times. He will pass by Ruth in the next few years. And Judge is not a career .300 hitter. His BA is .284.

8. Mark, for that package I will ask also for the Pirates closer.

   1. Yep, they give up that much, I would definitely want Bednar.

9. Oh I am sorry Old Bear but wasn’t you the person that said Ian Happ along time ago to replace Bellinger in center field. But now if I say trade Taylor or Thompson for him it’s a bad idea because you don’t say it first. The trade with the Guardians I mentioned because the Dodgers need a starting third baseman and shortstop and those two players the guardians have would be great steals for the Dodgers. Oh now we have to be fair to people in baseball it’s Cleveland. What player wouldn’t want to come to LA. I know Taylor and lux and a minor league pitcher would be like dam I have to go to Cleveland. But I am getting this trade thing.

   1. I have a theory. Bradley is a plant to stir shit up. It’s working as Bear has spent a great deal of time trying to school this guy and point out Bradley’s ridiculous ideas (and poorly written). And he’s defensive to boot. I bet Bradley was something as a kid with a Sears Catalog. Why are smart baseball guys, like Bear, wasting time with this guy?

      1. Don’t know, I try to get him to just understand that these ideas just do not hold water. I seriously think he does not know very much about the game. And I would pit my baseball knowledge in general and my Dodger knowledge specifically against his so-called knowledge any day. But at this point, I am done even responding to his posts. I have better things to do like set up my new 65-inch TV when it gets here this afternoon. Now I can watch the games in style.

         1. https://www.full-stop.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/never-argue-with-stupid-people-mark-twain.jpg

         2. Thanks Patch. I am done with him.

10. Very though provoking and BP is yet to be heard from. I know Bum will come up with some wild trade ideas. He is still jonesing to get Buxton I bet. The Padres signed Nelson Cruz to probably get most of the games at DH. He is getting 1 million.

    1. None of this is thought provoking. It’s pure fantasy.

       This is reality…

       Betts RF R
       Lux SS L
       Freeman 1B L
       JDM DH R
       Muncy 2B L
       Smith C R
       Vargas 3B R
       Outman / Thompson CF L
       CT3 LF R

       Bench: Barnes, Rojas, Heyward and the other side of the CF platoon.

       Rojas is a $5M utility guy that fields a lot better than last year’s $1.6M utility guy. The Dodgers are paying CT3 $15M to play mostly full-time in LF, and don’t see him as a valid option at SS. That’s why they traded Amaya, who they don’t think is ready, or will hit enough to handle SS in the Bigs.

       There’s been a lot of recent articles about how good the Dodger’s farm system is. But, at the same time, no one wants to admit they’re doing the right thing by making room for them to play. This doesn’t make sense. They’re contradictory positions.

       What makes sense is that they created room for their two most ready prospects. What doesn’t make sense is moving everyone around to let Rojas to play SS. This is Gwynn-esque all over again.

       Why Rojas is not the starting SS.
       1) He can’t hit
       2) He couldn’t keep his job as the starting shortstop for the Marlins – He lost his job to $8.5 M Shortstop Jean Segura. If the Dodgers didn’t want Lux to play short, they would have signed Segura for a few dollars more.
       3) He’s nursing an injury
       4) He also plays 2B and 3B well, making him an ideal late inning defensive replacement.

       Like you said, it will all be sorted in the Spring, so there’s no point in writing back to back posts on why Rojas will start at SS and calling everyone low IQ if they don’t believe that. Now, we wait to see who really has the low IQ.

       1. I knew you would have some decent arguments. Rojas is not a great hitter, no, but he ain’t that bad either. He lost his starting job because he was injured. From what I read the other day, Segura is going to play second with Chisolm moving to SS. But we will see.

    2. I wanted to trade Bellinger for Buxton before Buxton was extended. I still want him and have said so a few times but the Dodgers missed their best chance to get him if they ever had a chance. You as I remember didn’t want to trade Bellinger for a player with a huge injury history. Have your fun but don’t forget to be introspective.

       I also wanted Hanigar before he was injured and Gleyber at a time when the Dodgers needed righty bats.

       1. Very true. He has played more than 100 games just once in his career back in 2017. He is a very talented player but just is not on the field that much. He showed a lot of power last season with 28 long balls, but he only played in 92 games and hit .224. His defense is as good as they come, and he was in the top 10 center fielder list on MLB.com. At the time though, I would not have traded Cody for him. I would love the guy if he wasn’t so brittle.

11. Okay, I’m game.

    Why is the 800 pound gorilla in the room the luxury tax? Why is this such a big deal?

    Did I miss the press release? Did Friedman or Kasten make a big announcement that the Dodgers must get under the tax threshold? Not that I recall. Everybody seems to embrace this as some kind of crisis. But is it?

    A few writers have suggested this is all about Trevor Bauer and his $22.5 million chunk of dead money. Don’t like that one. How about the pursuit of Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto in 2024. What exactly is this based on — the need to get under the tax line. As far as I’m aware, the only two comments that may have led to this is Friedman’s comment that carrying a payroll this high is not sustainable. But he says that or something similar every year. Or maybe it’s Kasten’s comment about a youth movement because the Dodgers have a lot of players on the brink of major leagues.

    What we have here is a whole lot of assumptions pretty much based on interpretation of a few words here and there.

    Not to toss a wrench into all this, but the Dodgers tried to sign Justin Verlander to a two year deal at $40 million per season. Wait. If they had done that deal, LA would blown through the tax threshold, right.

    Now Mark mostly offers sound trade thoughts. Okay, some of you may disagree, but they are within the ball park of logic and common sense.

    But Mark’s trade proposal to get under a cap that I seriously doubt the Dodgers are truly concerned about is way outside the box of reason. It makes absolutely no sense and that’s not Mark. Maybe he’s just stirring the pot.

    As to the Pirates and Reynolds, move on, nothing to see here. Package similar to Soto? Nonsense. While the guy is a good player, that’s all he is. Deep breath everyone. Stop looking desperate. It will all work out. Reynolds isn’t going to make or break the Dodgers season.

    Hey, Chris Taylor can play center. No, he’s not Bellinger. But he hustles and if he can produce more contact, that would work. If not, let Outman play. Forget trying to be perfect, not going to happen.

    So, stop worrying about the tax threshold. The Dodgers have the highest revenues in MLB. Heading into 2024, they have only $64 million or around that committed in payroll. Sounds like a lot of flexibility. Don’t the Mets have a payroll commitment so $235 million.

    1. The biggest problem with going over the CBT is the penalty for doing it for the third time in a row. I am sure had they found someone to take Bauer, they still would have to pay a large chunk of that 22.5 million. I have seen no press releases from the Dodgers stating that they want to stay under the tax, but many pundits on many different media sites have said that is their plan. The Mets without signing Correa are still closer to 250 mil. But Cohen does not care, he wants to win a championship now. As for freeing up money for Ohtani, that might be out there, but he is going to command the largest contract ever. Oh by the way, Soto is not a free agent until 2025.

    2. Buffalo,

       Even Ray Charles can see the Dodgers have to get under the tax as `if they are over it this year, it goes up even more next year and they lose draft positions and international signings. I don’t have enough time to explain it now, but here it is:

       https://www.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/competitive-balance-tax

       The Dodgers will get under the tax threshold THIS year and I will say I told you so.

       Of course, they are not going to articulate it but everyone knows it.

       1. I agree but then hold on to your blue chip prospects for a blockbuster trade or two next season if you chose that road.
          A guy like Reynolds while a good player will put you not over the hump.

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

       2. Mark, those are the advantages of doing it. I get that. But explain the Verlander offer and aren’t they already over the cap. I even suggested that they trade Muncy or Taylor to get under, if they are actually serious.

          But I’m not convinced they’re going to get under. Unloading top prospects so you have more international money or a higher draft choice doesn’t exactly make sense.

          And if they don’t get under the cap, I look forward to reading your column explaining why.

          Probably makes more sense to shoot for 2024.

          1. Are you positive that Friedman was just not driving the price up for Verlander?

12. The Rojas trade clarifies a lot of things for me. While we no doubt will see a lot of moving around with players and positions, I believe the team’s goal is to field a lineup similar to this:

    C–Smith [Barnes as back-up]
    1B–Freeman [He will play every day]
    2B–Muncy [This and 3B are the most unsettled positions but I think we want Vargas full-time somewhere]
    SS–Lux [Rojas is a good back-up option, especially in the long-term if Lux can’t hack it]
    3B–Vargas [The next core position stud–let’s give him a home]
    LF–Taylor [$15m reasons for him to start every day]
    CF–Outman/Trayce [Make it a competition this ST]
    RF–Betts [Could bail out CF or 2B in a pinch]
    DH–Martinez [Position: batter’s box–didn’t see the field in 2021]

    1. Good lineup Brian, but I disagree with one thing. Taylor is not going to be the everyday left fielder. He is the one player on the team who can play 3 infield positions and all three outfield positions and give you a solid defender at each, He will revert to his super utility role. There is no one else who can do that.

       1. CT3 – will play somewhere between 140-155 games next year. That is basically as full time player. Most of that will be in outfield if you go by his last 3 full seasons.

          1. 2018 was the last time he played in 150 plus games. He played in 124 last season. Mostly because he was on the IL for a while. 95 of his games came in the outfield, with 80 of those in left. I think he is most effective as a super sub. I think the amount of games he plays will be directly related to how the rest of the outfield stacks up.

    2. Excellent summary Brian.
       The Rojas trade provides a great defender at SS, who was the second best SS in the MLB in defensive runs saved.
       The Dodgers are now able to alternate Muncy, Lux, Rojas, and Vargas between 3B, SS and 2B. This provides versatility and depth at these positions. The Dodgers will miss Trea Turner, but in less games, Rojas had 2.5 bWAR compared to 4.9 for TT last year. Not the huge difference that I expected for a $300 million player versus a $5 million player.
       In terms of LF and CF, there are also multiple options between Taylor, Outman, Thompson, Heyward and others.
       While Taylor will not play every game in LF, he did play 80 games in LF last year, more than any Dodger. He will again alternate between multiple positions but probably spend more time in the OF this year.
       The roster is not loaded with stars, but it is competitive with depth at all positions.

13. Says right on Yard Bark this morning. Dodgers looking to trade for a corner outfielder. They mention these names; Brian Reynolds, Alan Kelenci from Seattle, Dylan Carlson St Louis, and Alek Thomas Arizona. So Old Bear? Guess Bradley was pretty close in saying. The Dodgers don’t want to go into the season with Taylor and Thompson as there starters. They want a hitter. Didn’t I say that.

    1. When they make a trade, you’re right. Don’t put the cart in front of the horse.

       1. Feel better?

          1. I never felt bad.

14. It’s only morning and there are already two posts which epitomize why this blog is so much fun.

    1. None of this is thought provoking. It’s pure fantasy…..This is reality…
    2. Says right on Yard Bark this morning. …. Take that and ponder it…. because it’s eating at you I was right.

15. Dodgers avoided arbitration with Trayce Thompson, 1.45 mil, Caleb Ferguson, 1.1 mil, Will Smith, 5.25, and Walker Buehler, 8.1 mil. They still are negotiating with Almonte, Graterol, Phillips, Urias and Gonsolin. Dustin May settled for a little over a million. Soto got 23 mil from the Padres. In case anyone wonders where I got this information, it is posted on MLBTR. They have an arbitration tracker that lists the arbitration eligible players on each team. Dodgers also agreed to a 14.25 million dollar deal with Julio Urias. Padres avoided arbitration with Josh Hader, and the Phillies and Rhys Hoskins agreed on a deal.

    1. So, Soto got $23M. If the Padres aren’t a successful playoff/ World Series team by the end of 2024 then with Soto becoming a FA in 2025, I’m predicting Soto bolts up the freeway to Dodger stadium. The Dodgers should have plenty of cap space to sign him. Betts will be a 2B or be ready to move there. It could be an OF of Lux/Outman, Pages, and Soto. It would be a fitting and satisfying scenario for the Dodgers and its fans. Forget Ohtani. I’d prefer Soto to spend big bucks on.

       1. They have to pick and choose. Who would you rather have, Soto or Ohtani? Ohtani is going to cost close to a half-billion dollars. Soto is going to get a long term deal that will take him into his mid–30’s. I do not think they could or would sign both.

          1. Some plausible lineups here, but a Trayce/Outman platoon seems unlikely to me because Trayce has those big reverse splits. If Outman, batting left, has big reverse splits too it might make sense–but I don’t think that’s the case.
             I would argue that Outman should not be platooned. Like Vargas, the rookie should get a real opportunity to prove himself. If he turns out to a be a platoon guy, fine. But let’s find out.
             Taylor gets a hefty paycheck but had a truly awful 2022. With Belli and Gallo gone, nobody on the current roster needs a bigger bounce-back than Taylor.
             If he hits, perhaps he could be Trayce’s platoon partner. Trouble is, that pair could easily pile up 200 Ks. (I’m hoping, not expecting, that Heyward bounces back to become part of the solution.) If Taylor stays, I see him back as UT guy.
             Using Vargas in an OF platoon with Trayce would mitigate the strikeouts–but the best-case scenario would be for him to fully take command at 3B.

16. Information concerning player salary arbitration figures are posted online on MLB Rumors and other sites as well.

    Dodgers, Julio Urias Avoid Arbitration
    By Anthony Franco | January 13, 2023 at 2:32pm CDT

    The Dodgers are in agreement with starter Julio Urías on a $14.25MM salary for the 2023 season, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). The sides avoid a hearing for the left-hander’s final season of arbitration eligibility.

17. Bear, I am going to defend those that are attacked. When you say “what eats at me is your bad grammar” you are disregarding your total lack of ability to understand how to write a paragraph.

    The purpose of a paragraph is to express a speaker’s thoughts on a particular point in a clear way that is unique and specific to that paragraph. In other words, paragraphs shouldn’t be mixing thoughts or ideas. When a new idea is introduced, generally, a writer will introduce a new paragraph.

    Putting white space between paragraphs helps readers. Mixing many unrelated subjects into a long paragraph is for one thing poor grammar not to mention hard to read.

    Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

    1. Point taken, but at this point in time I am just not going to respond to his posts. If he wants to make his point, he can without worrying about what I might say. I am not a professional writer. I do this for love of the game and the team period.

       1. Thanks Bear for your response. I was kinda dreading the thought of a back and forth. I really like your thoughts and research and appreciate how much you bring to several blogs.

          1. Not to worry my friend. It was my fault. I let him get under my skin and I should not have.

18. Have some medical appointments coming up. So I won’t be on here part of next week. Spring training a little over a month away.

19. I had a recent post deleted. Why?

    1. When I deleted my post, anything that was an answer to that post gets deleted. Go ahead and repost what you said. My bad. It wasn’t anything you said, that is just the way the system works.

       1. Thank you for responding.

          1. Anytime Andrew. I am sorry I forgot that it does that.

20. The Dodgers are in agreement with starter Julio Urías on a $14.25MM salary for the 2023 season, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). The sides avoid a hearing for the left-hander’s final season of arbitration eligibility.

21. Wow did they delete my messages to Old Bear. Man he needs to be told he isn’t always right. So, I told him off and they deleted it. Wow. Hey, I go on here to spread the news about the Dodgers. And say what they should do. Old Bear is worried about money. When do the Dodgers worry about money or the Yankees or the Mets. If they want a guy on there team. They go and get that player. It isn’t like we are fans of the Pirates or Marlins or As. Who don’t have money. Watch Money Ball the movie. The good teams spend money to get the good players from teams that can’t keep their players. Now watch guys Old Bear will argue how I am wrong. Just because he hates every post I put up. And you know what. Dam right I will keep posting.

    1. OK, let’s all play nice!

       Peace out!

       1. I am done Mark, do not worry about it.

    2. Bradley, I deleted my replys to your posts. When I did that it automatically deletes any answers. I am not here to argue with you. I am not worried about money, it isn’t mine. What I said was that the Dodgers were trying to stay under the CBT and not pay the penalties again. That is why they have not traded for a high salaried player nor signed a prime free agent. You disagree and that is your right. But you crossed a line when you called me a black bear. I am not black. You also said you would like to catch me speeding in California and give me a ticket. Well that will never happen. I drove trucks for forty years and have an excellent driving record. You have a nice day and this will be the last time I respond to you. I do not hate your posts, I simply disagree with you. Post all you like.

22. According to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, L.A.’s current plan is for Rojas to serve as a utility infielder, bouncing between short, second, and third. The mostly unspoken part of that plan is that Rojas would provide insurance in case Gavin Lux struggles defensively at shortstop.

    Rojas says “My main focus is play shortstop, to play second base, and to play third base, to play first base … wherever they need me, I’ll be ready to help. You guys know that I came up in ’14 and I played different positions and nothing has changed on that side.”

    1. Works for me. I still believe that they are not going to trade Muncy or Taylor

    2. If you believe that, I have a bridge…

       1. Where is your bridge, I would like to see it!

       2. You sure do have a lot of bridges. Or, is it just the one bridge that you’re having a really hard time selling?

23. I still think some how the Dodgers think they need more. In order to compete for a world series. If there thinking?
    Let’s play two or three rookies in a lineup this year. I just don’t see the Dodgers doing that.
    They have always liked having a lineup that can hit. Now, I might be wrong and Outman and Vargas and they are amazing. But I think they need a everyday outfielder with Betts. I just don’t think Taylor, Thompson, or Duggar are the stars that people would want to go see. I see these guys as defensive guys. Who are there to give guys a day off. So, that’s why I suggest a Bryan Reynolds, or a Alek Thomas, or a Tyler O’Neil. Anyone of these guys would be an every day starter in the lineup. With of course Betts Freeman Muncy and Smith and oh JD Martinez.
    That’s my opinion on what the Dodgers should do. And in years passed the Dodgers have done that. They traded a bunch of guys to then become legit world series contenders. So, we will see if they do that this year.

    1. Las Vegas and several baseball writers say the Dodgers are among the Favorites to win it all.

       So you are smarter than them?

       I doubt that.

       You are talking crazy.

       I do not do crazy!

       Shut up with the stupid stuff or I will vaporize you!

       Take your brain out of your desk and put it back in your head or I will press a button and you will be gone.

       I do not suffer fools..

       1. What was his name? Hamchuck? He went away at the hand of our (mostly) benevolent dictator, not because he was offensive, but simply because he was dumb. Too much dumb makes this place dumb.

          Bradley has been mildly entertaining for a while, but the novelty is wearing off.

          One rule here … don’t suck.

          1. I am too stupid to have stupid people around me. I need to raise my IQ, and guys like this do not help me.

    2. Tyler O’Neil had one breakout year, two years ago as a 26 year old. Thomas is very young, coming off his first year, not a good one. Why are they better options than James Outman, or CT3 for that matter?

       You’ve mentioned Reynolds about 100 times. Everyone agrees they would like Reynolds, but not for a “Soto package” which is what they’re asking for.

       1. I read a post on Google news about 10 minutes ago. It said what the Pirates are seeking is at least 2 top tier pitchers. One reason their talks with the Yankees have stalled. Yanks do not have any pitchers in the top 100 class. They seemed to think the Rangers will have the best chance to pull off a trade for Reynolds. Reynolds if the Dodgers were interested, would probably cost them at least two of Miller, Stone, Pepiot or Grove. Most likely they would want at least two lower tier prospects on top of that. My problem with any trade for just one player, is that I do not believe trading for Reynolds makes them the instant favorite to win. The kids gotta play sometime, I think two rookies will make the team out of spring training, Vargas and Outman, with maybe Grove or Miller making the staff.

          1. I see it the same way. It’s pretty easy to set the position players, no guesswork involved. There may be a surprise, but it sure looks like they cleared room for Outman and Vargas.

             1. Yep it do seem they are committed to getting a little younger.

24. Why would you expect the Pirates to ask for nothing less than the moon? The focus should not be to offer them the moon, but try to figure out their version of Mount Everest in terms of cost. Pun intended!

    1. Most of the latest story’s have them asking for just that.

25. Fine go with Taylor and Thompson. You guys seem fine with those two and Betts in the outfield. Yeah! Dodgers win World Series and don’t do anything this year. Just wait I bet they do make a trade.
    Now my ideas are dumb.

    1. No, they always have been dumb… not just now!

       We just tried to be nice.

       We are done with being nice.

       Go away!

       1. Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight!

          1. Oh I will post Mark. You can count on that. If they don’t think Lux can be the every day shortstop. Then there’s a problem right. Some how Muncy has got to be in the lineup right. So he has to play 2b or 3b right. And Vargas can only play 3rd. So where does Lux play? Okay so if your telling me Taylor is in LF and Outman in CF and Betts in RF. Where does Lux play. Again it’s shortstop which is scary. We will see in spring training. But if he can’t. Then they have to go get a better shortstop and use Rojas as the utility guy. How is any of that dumb. It’s not. So fans give there ideas of what they could do.

             1. Vargas might be able to play LF or 2B. We’re not sure yet.

    2. It’s not just Taylor and Thompson. It’s Taylor, Thompson, Outman, Heyward, Pages and possibly Busch that will all see outfield time this year. You want to block those guys for O’Neil or Thomas? I don’t see the point. Reynolds, yes. But, not at the current cost.

26. Some are suggesting that Outman and Thompson are going to platoon. I don’t see how that can happen because Outman is no doubt going to hit RHP and Thompson had reverse splits last year and has reverse splits for his career. So that doesn’t make any sense. It would make more sense for Thompson to platoon with Taylor but I don’t see that happening either. Thompson will be the 4th outfielder. To me it seems like the powers that be are going to have Outman start without a platoon and see how it goes and apparently Vargas too. Also why Outman in LF? He’s more athletic than the rest of the outfielders besides maybe Betts. He’s got CF written all over him. But I’m not picky about defense so whatever.

    I say apparently about Vargas starting because I think Vargas needs more time in AAA and I don’t mean a full year, it just depends. But it’s a moot point beccause he’s going to be a starter and what better option do the Dodgers currently have, none. I think he will struggle for at least 2.5 months right away and then who knows.

    To me it seems like things are set unless there is a trade:
    C Smith
    1B Freeman
    2B Muncy
    SS Lux
    3B Vargas
    RF Betts
    CF Outman
    LF Taylor
    DH Martinez
    Without any platoons and unless injuries happen in spring training.

    My 2 cents.

    1. Eric, I think your lineup is very likely the one we will see on opening day barring some unforseen trade .
       IMHO this lineup is not overly impressive. Lots of question marks:
       Will the rookies hit and field ?
       Has Martinez´s bat some life left in it ?
       Can CT3 return to his better days ?

       On paper this is not a championship caliber offense. Have to hope at least half of the questions come with the right answer for the Dodgers or we will be struggling to score runs.
       Pitching is a different story. We are among the best there in all of baseball.

       Maybe the Dodgers have to go back to their roots: Great pitching and manucacturing runs.

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

       1. With Betts, Freeman, Muncy, Martinez, Smith , Lux, and if just one Rookie plays up (let’s say Vargas), that is a lineup with SEVEN (7) Potent Hitters, and then add in the fact that there is usually someone who may surprise us and that is a DAMN GOOD Offense. The Pitching is already Elite.

          They won 111 games last with ZERO Production from Bellinger, Muncy, and JT in the first half of the season. AS B & P has stated this lineup could be better than last year. Now, maybe it won’t, but it is not going to be appreciably worse! To say otherwise is just plain dumb!

    2. I totally agree with all of this. I’m not in favor of platoons, but we’re talking about the Dodgers here. They have a hitting project in Heyward who bats left and Outman bats left. The other two outfielders bat right. Outman hits lefties much worse than righties and Thompson didn’t have reverse splits until last year. It looks like a platoon situation to me.

27. Andrew McCutchen re-signed with the Pirates for $5 Million. The Dodgers were talking to him , but they were trying to steal him for $2 Million. They will be under the salary cap (Luxury Tax)! I guarantee it!

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