Don’t Jump Off of the Bridge Just Yet

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1. This metaphor doesn’t work for me.

   1. Not for everybody, just for those who are close to the edge.

2. Hi Bear,
   I’ve more or less given up posting here or anywhere else regarding the Dodgers on a daily basis but I still follow what you guys are talking about on occasion and am certainly a fan that watches almost every game. I’ll add my 2 cents and probably disappear as usual as it is too repetitive to read and post daily.

   When I heard the Dodgers would let Trea Turner walk, I was dismayed but not dejected. That guy was the best thing that happened to us beside getting Freddie. I understand the need to shed big contracts and getting under the cap and trust AF to do what’s best. No choice there in any case. When they announced Gavin Lux as his replacement, I thought to myself, ‘are they fucking crazy?’ I liked Lux last season but I would never equate him with the talent of a Trea Turner. I’m not a believer. Now, I could be wrong about this, but that remains to be seen for the future. When Lux got injured, AF had Rojas to slide into SS. This may turn out to be a bit of good luck as Rojas is capable but still no substitute for TT. So trying to reevaluate the positional players and keeping an open mind, I still cannot see how we could be as good as we were last season. We had two superstars, Trea and Freddie. Now we have one. Mookie is no longer a superstar and maybe never was. His time here has fallen short of what most fans expected from him and the money we are paying for his services. Unless he steps up this year, we might not even win the division because of his injuries and substandard bat that should be much better than it has been. I’m calling him out. Indeed.

   We got rid of Bellinger, finally. I’m happy to give some of the homegrown minor leaguers a shot at replacing him. It will not take much to do that and Outman and Vargas will probably be better producers than Cody has been. I’m good with all that.

   Chris Taylor does not belong on the squad as well as T. Thompson, brother of one of my basketball heroes. Neither produce consistently and strikeout much too often. Seeing them in ST only confirms my feeling about them. Let the young guys have a go. They can’t be worse.

   Max Muncy is the biggest question mark for me. For the better part of 2 years, he has not produced the magic we all thought he had. He comes to ST out of shape. How does a professional player get away with this? It’s enough for me to pass on him. However, I do believe he really tries as we see him get on base often with his walks and good reads on the pitching. He just can’t hit any longer. Will that change this season? I hope so. His fielding has definitely improved. I will give him a temporary pass until the summer. His ST numbers are not hopeful.

   Along with the above thoughts about the team, I am even more concerned about the pitching. This looks to me like a very weak rotation due to injuries and the so-called depth of the replacements. Beuhler out all season. Kershaw nosediving in ST and will inevitably miss time due to some injuries. Gonsolin not able to perform. Thor, a big big??? And our bullpen without a closer. This is the worst rotation I can remember in many years. I have no problem with Urias and I truly hope he remains a Dodger after this season. I am undecided whether May can regain his control that he had before his surgery. To date, he has not. We lost Anderson, big numbers last season. Who is going to regain those numbers? Our so called young arms from the farm still look unready to be plugged in from what I’ve seen of them in ST. All this leaves me feeling that the Dodgers will be experiencing something they have not experienced for quite some time, not being in first place in the division. This is not to say they will descend to be a cellar dweller. I don’t think they have the talent to be a championship contender any longer. I’m also saying that things may or may not be so rosy as some fans like to imagine that the Dodgers can do no wrong. I hope for the best and I’d love to see some big surprises this year from folks who have either joined the team or have been promoted from the farm. But players like Thor and Heyward have huge hurdles to overcome and their performances in ST have not brought joy to my heart.

   1. Betts 2022 OPS = .873
      Turner 2022 OPS = .809

      Betts also plays gold glove defense and turner is average at best.

      1. Bellinger also played GG defense…………

         1. Oh now we are comparing Mookie to Bellinger? Come on man.

            1. Belli didn’t win the NL gold glove in 2022. Grisham did.
               Meanwhile, Mookie won his sixth Gold Glove.
               It’s true that people complain about Mookie. They whine that he is not as good as Trout, or that his stats should be better–and yet year after year he seems to be a top five MVP candidates. Trea had a higher BA, but Mookie’s OPS was MUCH higher. Mookie also had the most HRs of his career.
               Mookie critics always seem to ignore his fielding and his baserunning. He’s superior to Trout and maybe 99% of other players in those skills.
               Surveys of managers and players often rate Mookie among the best baserunners. Taking the extra base is not easy to quantify in a stat–but Mookie is a master. Many are faster, but few are quicker. His instincts set him apart, providing him with reads and jumps that most players lack.
               There was a episode in the WBC in which Mookie got a great jump on a Trout single and his dash to third drew a throw that caromed off his back into the dugout. So Mookie’s heads-up running enabled him to score from first on Trout’s single, while Trout took second.
               Mookie and Freddie tied for NL lead in runs in 2022, because Freddie’s a good baserunner too with good hitters behind him But Mookie played 17 fewer games than Freddie.
               If Mookie hadn’t been hurt a bit–and played hurt too–how many more runs would he have scored? How many more HRs would he have hit?

      2. Turner is below AVG and shrinks in the playoffs….

   2. As far as pitching goes we’ll have to wait till games count before making any judgement as they work on the pitches that require tuning instead of their ‘go to’ bread and butter pitches. That’s a hard thing to do when they’re in the grind. I see a lot of spark heading into thus coming season. Surely too early to worry.

   3. Try harder. Give up again. Lets wait at least 2 months before we declare the patient dead.

   4. Cheer up Jeff.

   5. Probably a little harsher then I would have been, but I can’t really knock any of this. I will always have hope that we might catch lightning in a bottle this season because you never really know. I love most everyone’s enthusiasm here that we can still win the division, but I also think a lot of you are underestimating the Padres lineup, I know in the past that they eventually turn into a shit show down there, but like I told my son after the playoff loss to them last season “this is much bigger then just losing the series, it gives them the feeling they can beat us” which is something they never had before. I see this season as not really a re-build but if we get to July and aren’t close we just might have to re-think spending money because it looks like the teams that are willing to do so might have the advantage now even if it means only getting a few years out of their investments.

      I guess the question is would you rather spend big and have a 3 year window with a good shot at the WS and then suck for a few years or maintain a realistic payroll and be just good enough to make the playoffs every year but not good enough to win. I’m not sure the latter is what I prefer but will be along for the ride either way.

      1. “I guess the question is would you rather spend big and have a 3 year window with a good shot at the WS and then suck for a few years or maintain a realistic payroll and be just good enough to make the playoffs every year but not good enough to win. I’m not sure the latter is what I prefer but will be along for the ride either way.”

         Good post overall, but I think with the expanded playoffs structure, I don’t know that there really is such a thing “good enough to make the playoffs every year but not good enough to win.” At this point, anyone can get hot in the playoffs and it almost doesn’t matter what your record was in the regular season.

   6. Hey Jefe, I know you are busy with your own site, so your lack of posting is understandable. And most of what you bring up hits the nail right on the head. I have never felt Lux was an everyday SS. I liked him a lot better at second, and he even was iffy there at times. But he has speed and he makes contact. I also thought that I would love to keep Turner, but there was always a sense that he was not entirely sold on Los Angeles. I also think it would have been wiser for Freidman to splurge on at least one star quality free agent to pair with Freddie and Mookie. Taylor looks totally lost, Muncy is at least making some contact. The team as a whole still strikes out way too much for my liking. And the pitching has at times been bad. But we will have to wait until at least the 50 game mark to make a more enlightened assessment of the team. Phillies aspirations at a repeat took a huge blow yesterday when Hoskins went down with a torn ACL. He is having surgery to repair it. They are already without Harper for a while.

      1. Perhaps AF is saving to splurge on two stars. One is Shohei, the other is Ohtani.

      2. That’s not Jeff Dominique… you know!

3. Good write-up, Bear.

   Is Mookie a superstar?

   Not really. But he is a very good player. Is he worth a $300 million plus contract? No. But most players are overpaid when you evaluate production versus cost. For the Dodgers to sustain this season, Mookie has to dramatically improve his offensive production.

   The Dodgers will definitely miss Trea Turner. The speed, the ability to change a game with his legs.

   I’m not sure we should think a team is old just because some of the players pass 30. Lot of production in the 30 to 35 crowd.

   At the same time, I’m happy to see James Outman and Miguel Vargas making the club this year. Some good young pitchers will get an opportunity this summer.

   I’m still amazed that Cody Bellinger was unable to turn it around. Incredible talent, his bat imploding. It’s happened before, but to watch Cody suddenly become so dysfunctional was stunning.

   1. Can “most” players be overpaid in a marketplace with limiting factors?

   2. Mookie is 100% a superstar.

      1. For those who say Mookie doesn’t deserve to be called a superstar, a simple question:
         Who are the superstars?
         We can probably agree on Ohtani and Trout. And now Judge.
         Who else?
         How many current players have earned the label?
         And how do their accomplishments compare to Mookie’s?

   3. I mean Mookie is by pretty much all accounts a top 10 player in MLB. Will he have another season like he did in Boston and won the MVP….probably not but then again Judge will probably never have a season like he did last year. if he can continue to score 100+ runs and hit 30+ homers with gold glove defense I’d say that’s pretty damn valuable. With the way player salaries are going in a few years we will all think Mookie for $300M+ is a steal. It’ just amuzing that some people refer to Trea as a Super Star and not Mookie. When you look at the stat lines Turner brings better speed, batting average and more RBI’s (guess who he’s knocking in) but Mookie dominates him everywhere else and OBP is pretty much identical. If you go by WAR Mookie last year was at 6.4 and Trea 4.9. If I have a knock on Mookie it’s that he needs to be more consistent this year and I think he will. I will say I still don’t think we’ve seen the best of out of Trea and we haven’t seen his “career year” yet.

   4. Thank you. I think Mookie is one of the better players in the big leagues. But I still feel he has underperformed at times. Is he a .300 hitter? He could be, but I think he should be more in the .280 range than down where he has been. I would like less homers and more doubles and stolen bases. With his speed, he should be a 30 plus a year guy.

      1. Hilarious reading the grousing about Mookie.
         Sounds like you wish he hit more like Trea–but Mookie’s OPS and WAR were much higher.
         You would prefer doubles to HRs? Seriously? Then you want Mookie to be more like Freddie, who led the league in doubles and had only 21 HRs to Mookie’s 35.
         Mookie hit plenty of doubles too. Myself, I’d like to see more of Freddie’s doubles sail over the wall.
         The good news is that Mookie and Freddie have long track records of success, so we don’t have to worry much about them. Except to hope they stay healthy.

         1. Opinions Duke. I think a guy who makes 30 mil plus a year should hit a lot better than the .264, .269 he has hit the last two seasons. he hit below .290 once in his first seven years. He hit .292 in the shortened 2020 season. Yeah, I would like to see him hit more doubles. He is not what one would describe as a pure power hitter. When you consider his overall average the last two seasons in Boston was .320 with an MVP award, yep, he needs to be more consistent. 35 homers, that’s great, but that is what you want your 3-4 hitters doing, not the leadoff man with no one on. He drove in 100 twice in Boston, why not do that here? It is all about driving in runs and scoring them. He scored plenty last year. I give Freeman a pass in the power department his first year playing full time in LA. Not the home run park Atlanta is. But he should improve on the 21 he hit last year. He and Mookie scored exactly the same number of runs last season. No Trea behind them this year.

4. It was only a couple of years ago that the Dodgers were stacked. They signed Bauer as the highest paid AAV in the game to join an already loaded starting rotation just to rub it in to the rest of the league. They were pigs coming off their WS win.

   Entropy is inescapable. The Roman Empire eventually crumbled. The Dodgers have won the division for, what? Ten straight years? Everything comes to an end, and maybe the Dodgers are in a transition period where they are not the juggernaut they were.

   A big part of the offense last year was TT’s production. He was as catalyst in so many ways. You can replace him potentially in the aggregate, but so far I’m not seeing it, especially now that Lux is out.

   Last year Gonsolin made the AS team, Tyler Anderson was a career 4.00 ERA pitcher who became a 2.50 ERA pitcher and the team’s most dependable starter. Heaney rebooted his career. Kershaw pitched well. Urias became the ace of the staff and one of the best starters in the game. Everything went right last year, in spite of Buehler going down. Everything has to go right this year. So far it isn’t.

   The only constant is change. Don’t overreact if the Dodgers struggle a bit this year, miss out on winning the division and perhaps get bounced early in the playoffs. If this happens maybe they do something big and sign Ohtani.

   I think Ohtani is going to get a 500 million contract. I think he’s worth it. The only places I see him getting that is with the Yankees, Boston, Dodgers and the Mets if Cohen is truly out of his mind and wants to set his money on fire.

   Just watching a little bit of Taylor, it appears as if the league knows about his huge gaping hole in his swing. I see pitchers throwing him a steady diet of sliders and fastballs on the low outside corner. They’re not even trying to get him to chase pitches off the plate. They’re aiming for that corner of the strike zone because they know he can’t connect with that pitch. Baseball made a big deal about launch angle the last few years, and Taylor reinvented himself as a player by reinventing his swing. He has a pretty extreme pull/uppercut swing path. That works if you wait for center cut pitches, but if it’s a breaking pitch low and away, there’s very little chance of making contact if you’re swinging pull/uppercut. He’s not adapted.

   1. I think we can add SF to the Ohtani Derby and also possibly SD if they decide to remove Soto or Tatis to help pay for it.

      1. I forgot about SF, and thought a little bit about SD, but they’ve spent so much already that, you’re right, they’d have to shed a couple of those guys.

   2. Not sure why you think Ohtani is worth $500million. Has he catapulted the Angels into serious contention for a ring? I could care less if they sign Ohtani. I don’t think that’s the route the Dodgers should take. One of their great strengths is the farm and theirs is a big crop that they’ll be harvesting in the next year or two.

      1. The market knows the worth of nothing and the value of everything.

      2. He’s a stud MVP hitter who would probably get 250+ on the open market and a stud pitcher who would probably get 250+ on the open market x 2.

         Has Trout?

         Good for you.

      3. Well Jeff the question I would ask you is do you know any other All Star pitchers who can hit 40 home runs?

         I don’t think he’s worth it, but it’s not my call. He’s turning 30 in July of next year. So front load it, and play in the National League. He’d be a huge hit in SF, and that’s a great city in which to live. But, I think he’s got LA written all over him.

         1. Ohtani has been amazing the last two years both as a pitcher and a hitter,
            However, I doubt the Dodgers will offer a $500 million deal to him based on the current facts.
            He will be 30 next July and has already had one TJ surgery. The injury risk alone would make a deal this size very risky. Sure he could still hit, but his 875 OPS was outside the top 10 last year, and a DH only is not worth $50 million per year. Also, Ohtani hit only 190 in covid year of 2020 and his career average is 267.
            A more likely scenario is the Dodgers sign him to a short term deal of 3 to 5 years at $50million plus AAV.
            Ohtani did not select the Angels based on his salary, but instead on the baseball fit. He also may want to finish his career in Japan which would make a shorter deal more enticing.

5. What bridge? Where?

   On a bet I jumped off a bridge into Whiskeytown Lake in ‘75. I was told it was 75’ off the water. Water is damm hard when you jump on it from that far away. I wouldn’t do it again. Made $45, which at the time was a half month’s rent.

   I’m still stuck on the cap issue. I thought for sure it was a reset year. If not why did we get Rojas and let Bogaerts go to our rivals? I think we are one Taylor-like dump away from resetting and would not be surprised if something like that happens in preparation for Ohtani’s $40+ million a year for 10 years. Of, maybe they can do that anyway with expiring contracts. Or maybe this ownership group doesn’t much give a rat’s ass about paying taxes.

   At any rate, I don’t expect much out of this year’s team. Maybe they will surprise me.

   1. Funny, I have jumped off same bridge and yes, water is dang hard, lol!

   2. After seeing close to the final roster, the Dodgers win 93 games in 2023 and finish second to the Padres in a close race, We won’t be able to beat up on NL West teams where we were 54-21 in 2022 with less games scheduled this year. With the balanced schedule we will be playing 26 games against the AL East and AL West which we did not play in 2022. except the Angels. Both are tough divisions. Our offense will sputter and I’m not in love with our pitching That is my opinion and fearless prediction for the upcoming season.

   3. I jumped off some rocks in Greece once. I’m not sure how high it was [certainly not 75′] but I do remember swimming around underneath to check for rocks before we did it. (My friend did a flip; I just jumped and prayed.)

      1. Honestly I don’t think it was that high. That’s what the guys making the bet told me. Depends on how low the lake level is. Probably is now. I said jump. I meant dive. The key is – make sure your hands break the water.

6. Padre fans slow rolling it so far. They come up here weekends & front colors around the pier on Saturdays. Small groups sticking together & no trash talk. Makes me nervous, do they actually believe we’re their dogs now?

   The New Era of Friars? Busted dreams coming? Think so. We need to slap them back – last year didn’t prove anything but they got lucky.

   1. Padres have some issues of their own. They have not really lit up spring training. They have two starting pitchers out, Musgrove and Morejon. Tatis is not going to play for the first 20 games as he finishes his suspension. And when he returns, he will be playing a new position, CF. Soto has not had a very good spring. Their clubhouse leader is Machado. And while he has matured some, that is not the guy I want leading my clubhouse.

7. I went off of the diving platform at Brookside Park. 30 feet up. Felt like I broke my ankle when I hit the water. Patch, they won 8 in a row before the Giants won the title in 21. 9 of the last 10 though. Braves won 14 in a row and one World Series in their best run with a trio of Hall of Fame pitchers, Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz, leading their teams. So the Dodgers with only one title in their run show just how hard it is to just get to the series let alone win.

   A lot of what Jeff said makes sense. I see a lot of holes, and more questions than answers. One huge problem last year was the number of strikeouts. But yet, the team was the best in the majors at scoring runs with two outs. I think they will miss the leadership of Turner, JT, not Trea. He was their glue. But they still have several good clubhouse guys. I think the banning of the shift is going to help Muncy’s BA a lot. He has not shown a whole lot of power this spring, but he has hit a lot of balls right on the button. I think his elbow had as much to do with last seasons showing as anything.

   I have to believe that they are going to be okay this year, but this is for sure not the same type of team that it was last year. The rotation has the potential of being very good or a disaster if they have any more injury’s. They do have 3 guys very close to being ready to step in if any of the big 4 go down. But just how well they will replace the starters is a question. I also believe they will need to make a deal at the deadline. Maybe a power hitting outfielder, or even a starting pitcher. I think they have more than enough solid backup bullpen pieces.

   1. I don’t like strikeouts either. Old school. Put the ball in play. But you cannot argue with leading the league in runs scored. Clearly, strikeouts didn’t matter to that team.

      That said, I don’t see this team leading the league in runs so putting the ball in play may be more important this year.

   2. I think Munce is done. Bat speed gone.

      1. Small sample, of course, but Muncy has had a decent spring with a .803 OPS and high OBP. The elimination of the shift should help him produce.

         1. I don’t think he’s done. I look for a decent year out of him.

      2. I think that is a way premature statement. Muncy is hitting the ball and his bat speed looks fine. He is making contact and although the power is not there yet, his elbow is healthy and he is getting hits on balls that were outs last year.

         1. I’ve been a fan of MM. His glove is what really bothers me. He goes .240/15/50 ? Then what? Devers is my guy at third. How can we pry him free? Red Sox are trash – they need arms & bats. Package of Grove, Pepiot and a couple bats and they’d prolly bite. Devers attitude may change lots when Sox are 20 games back on Memorial Day.

            1. Won’t matter. Devers signed a long term contract. He is not going anywhere anytime soon. And his fate is in their hands.

8. Badger, in case you were wondering, when you hit the water you were going in excess of 40mph. Ouch.

   1. Good stat MP. I sure felt it. I was a pretty good diver as a kid and I dove a lot at Shasta College. Showing off mostly. I knew about entries, but I don’t recommend diving off bridges.

9. Roberts is going to throw Urias’ arm off this year.

   1. He’s the only pitcher I see throwing over 150. I think he could get 175+ if he isn’t injured.

10. 4:05 PM ET vs Brewers at Glendale

    SP Julio Urias L
    1-1 1.35ERA 6.2IP 5K

    Confirmed Lineup
    RF Mookie Betts R
    1B F. Freeman L
    DH J. Martinez R
    3B Max Muncy L
    CF T. Thompson R
    LF Chris Taylor R
    2B M. Vargas R
    C A. Barnes R
    SS Miguel Rojas R

    Clear-day
    0% Rain
    60° Wind 9 mph Out

    Looks like the Opening Day Lineup without Will Smith catching and Outman in CF

    1. Peralta will replace Taylor versus lefties.

       1. Peralta will replace KT3 against righties. He has a career OPS of .836 against righties and a .663 against lefties.

11. Julio Urías named Dodgers opening day starter for 2023
    Left-hander will start on Thursday, March 30 against the D-backs at Dodger Stadium

12. I’m trying hard to be optimistic about this year but it’s not working out well. We just got to many players on what looks to be opening day roster that just aren’t very good. We got plenty of weaknesses and very little strengths

    1. Our rotation is a strength. Our farm system is a strength. Mookie & Freeman are strengths. Our buying power is a strength.

13. The problem I have with the Dodgers this year is they didnt do anything like in years past like get a LF or a better third baseman. There relying on Thompson Taylor and Muncy to have these big seasons. When in years past they went and got a player that would improve them. Rather then wait and see how a player does. And as you look at AAA there’s not a player like wow can’t wait for this third baseman to get here or left fielder. If Taylor and Muncy sputter and say Pepiot that might be your only players to improve and get better players from other teams. I am sure the Phillies would love to have those two players and pitcher after Rys Hoskims how’s down at first base. They could plug in Muncy at first base and Taylor at thirdbase. If say they would give the dodgers Blom or an outfielder and maybe a reliever that’s just an example of what they could do now. But now we have what we have and wait and see. Just never had so many questions as how third base shortstop left field and centerfield will be for a Dodgers team. Because usually in the off-season. They go and get the players they want.

    1. Could do Bradley but won’t. You need to understand that teams rarely these days make trades just before opening day. The Phillies feel that Bohm and Darick Harris can handle first. They could even slide Nick Castellanos over there if they like. There is a free agent they could sign, Miguel Sanos, or they can wait and see if Yuli Gurriel opts out of his contract. The same with Luke Voit, who can do the same if the Brewers do not add him to their roster today. Brewers also announced that second baseman, Keston Hiura will not make the team. He has no options left so the Brewers will have to trade him or place him on waivers in the next few days. Jurys Familia is being released by the Diamondbacks. Had a decent spring, but is not going to make the team.

14. Bear sounds like your saying let’s go get even more players others don’t want. Got a self full of them already hanging on for dear life

    1. Not saying that at all, just reporting who is getting cut. I would not mind them signing Culberson to a minor league deal. He is a solid defensive player who can sometimes get a clutch hit. But only as an insurance policy.

15. Ya, I have very low confidence in Max Muncy lasting the whole year at 3b. He is just not that good over there.

    1. The infield looks nothing like what I had planned, which was Vargas, Bogaerts, Lux and what’s his name. Muncy was my DH and occasional sub for Lux and what’s his name. Lux goes down? Betts or Busch.

       I guess there are a number of reasons why I not a GM.

    2. I think Muncy and Taylor are both the players the Dodgers have that other teams would trade for because of veteran leadership and playoff experience and able to play other positions. Who the Dodgers could get well I say a new every day third baseman or a new every day left fielder that can hit both righty and lefties. If the Brewers are out of it. Watch at the trade deadline I could see the Dodgers going after Yulich and adames and Burnes. It gives the dodgers an everyday left fielder an every day shortstop. But which players do the Dodgers give the Brewers. Say a Taylor Thompson Pepiot Busch. For those players. Dodgers try to get home town boys to come back to LA. Yulich is a hometown boy who leads off for the Brewers so those who say he can’t hit. Why is he the leadoff man.

       1. I think you mean Yelich and no thanks.Something went wrong with him. He peaked at 27 and is being paid until he is 38. Burnes, yes, but they won’t want the package you offered. Adames is team controlled through ’24.

          That said, Yelich is only 30. Maybe getting out of Wisconsin is all he needs.

       2. Bradley, the only way another team would trade for Chris Taylor is if the Dodgers ate a huge piece of his remaining contract, and sorry, no one wants to pay a utility player 15 mil a year if he is not producing. The only way Taylor and Muncy can increase their trade value is to have comeback years. And if they do that, their value to the Dodgers increases. Yelich is toast. He hasn’t played well in a couple of years. Brewers are not going to trade their starting shortstop, Adames, and one of their best pitchers, for the dead meat you offered there. If they decided to trade them at the deadline, it would take a huge package just to get Burnes and Adames.

16. I wouldn’t call the rotation a strength better than average maybe. Julio Is good. Kearse’s great years are behind him. May is hit or miss. I see Thor a 500 winning percent type. Gonsolin can’t stay heathy for long. There unwilling to use buying power and the farm system is always a big question mark if can make real good big leaguers or not and could only do so much this year other than trade bait. Got some depth with stone and miller but there unproving

17. What if Todd Boehly spent as much on Dodgers as he does with Chelsea FC. $600 mill new contracts & major renovations on Stamford Bridge. He’s visible at matches and is really stirring up the wage wars with the oil teams.

    Like him or not SAC is attempting to buy a 5-6 year run of excellence with Mets. Same for Padres. Do we let the bean counters dictate our rebuild? If we miss out on Ohtani – how can we keep up?

    These kind of rants wake me up at 3 am. Hoping to hear some good news so I sleep better tonite. We’re drifting out of top level ball. Help us Todd Boehly – break open the wallet.

18. ENOUGH….jeez! The season hasn’t started yet and when it does start it’ll likely be a slow start but I’m willing to put up $200 that MY 2023 Dodgers win the division AGAIN. Any takers here? The 2021 Giants beat us by a single game with a team that wasn’t as good of a team as what this team is. And if changes are needed changes will happen but big changes won’t be needed. Yeah I’ll give the field of the division for a $200 vs $200 bet and I’m poor. Take the bet and we’ll work out details of who holds the funds payable to the winner. Then you can cheer for all those teams because you’re not really Dodger fans. CHEERS!

19. Tommy Time.

    Light a fire under ownership.

    https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRvDo6ay/

20. Pepiot named the # 5 starter. Grove and Gonzalez optioned out.

    1. Makes sense to me.

21. The Dodgers have a talented roster, and should compete for the division. However, after losing the division by 22 games last year, the Padres have definitely closed the gap. The Padres have added so many big name players since last June including Soto, Hader, Boegaerts, Tatis, Carpenter, Cruz, Lugo, and Wacha while not losing much.
    Alternatively, the Dodgers have lost some big names including Trea Turner, Justin Turner, Lux, Anderson, Bellinger and Buehler with only modest additions to offset these losses.
    Many experts are picking the Padres to win the division. Just today, Steve Phillips predicted the Dodgers would miss the playoffs, and Jim Bowden picked the Padres to win the division.
    As opening day approaches, I am optimistic that the Dodgers will find a way to win the division again and make a playoff run. But I expect it to be a challenge.

22. I’m really happy with these final roster decisions.
    Outman was obviously deserving–but for weeks it looked like the brass might send him to OKC.
    Andre Jackson has been grinding for years–and always seemed overshadowed. Frankly, I was hoping the Dodgers would trade him to give him a chance elsewhere. He must be thrilled to make the roster .
    Pepiot was expected. A few weeks ago I read a wonky report that showed Pepiot’s internal stats were actually much better than his ERA would suggest. Grove would have been fine, but Pepiot seems to have more upside.
    Of course, neither Pepiot or Grove have shown the potential of Gavin Stone. He’ll get his chance soon given all these fragile SPs.
    Putting Pepiot and Jackson on the OD roster probably enhances their perceived trade value. Over the first few weeks of the season, the Dodger brass will get a better idea of how the position players will shake out. The roster still has a surplus of outfielders.

    1. Yeah, it’s a bit imbalanced. Things will shake out soon. Still adjusting to losing Lux. We didn’t replace him.

    2. The weakest Opening Day roster in many years. Too may questions, AF has some work to do during the season and especially at the trading deadline.

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