There are a few things that drive me crazy. I’ll beat you to the punch: “That’s not a drive… that’s a short putt!” OK, whatever! Things that drive me crazy are things that defy logic, so if you apply some logic, it won’t drive me as crazy!
Being Resistant to Moving Will Smith From Behind the Plate
Let me put this into perspective: Will Smith is in the process of becoming an elite hitter. Will Smith was drafted as a “defense first”catcher. His offense has evolved much more than his defense. Defensively, he is in the upper half of catchers, but his ability to throw out runners is suspect. I have no qualms about moving him; the logical place is currently LF. Concussions are serious, and the Dodgers are downplaying how bad this is. Hunter Feduccia has worked with a number of Dodgers pitchers; he is a LH hitter and a solid defender. He may be a big upgrade over Barnes and Wynns.
Austin Barnes should not catch more than once or twice a week. He has no shot at the plate. He should catch Clayton and catch another game every seven days, but the Dodgers HAVE to see what they have in Hunter. There is no reason to wait. The DFA of Jake Reed opened up a spot – send him a ticket Andrew!
Thinking You Can Win a Game With Taylor & Barnes in the Lineup
Combined, they are hitting 6-69! Whoever thinks that is OK is dumber than a bag of hammers! You have to do something about this Andrew! Like today! Call up Feduccia! Do it now! Is there an echo in here?
Wanting to Trade Max Muncy
In case you have been living under a rock, Max Muncy is tied for the major league lead in Home Runs with 10. Max is back and better than ever, and his defense has improved and will continue to do so. Max may very well hit 40+ HR this year, and still, some fans want to move him. Max is the least of the Dodgers’ problems. His 1.120 OPs is 3rd in MLB (second is James Outman with a 1.121 OPS). Quit talking crap about Max – It doesn’t make you look smart!
Wanting to Fire RVS
Ever since Robert Van Socyoc took over as the hitting coach in 2019 for the Dodgers, they have been one of the best hitting and run-scoring teams in baseball. Luke Williams, who has experienced a resurgence, credits RVS with his success (see video below). So do many other players. We all think that feast or famine (all or nothing) is a Dodger team problem. No, it’s more like an “Every Team Problem.” Scouts, analysts, pitching coaches, and computers are constantly looking for ways to get hitters out. They are always looking for that “hole” in a batters’ swing” which they can exploit. It’s harder to hit in MLB than it ever was.
Believing in James Outman and Cody Bellinger
Let me preface this with this: “I love James Outman. I love watching him, and he is one of my favorite players.” Many of you enjoy parroting repeatedly that I predicted he would be a 4th or 5th outfielder. Actually, this is what I said: “I see him as a 4th outfielder type. Solid, but not a regular. He could possibly fill in as a platoon in CF. We should see him in 2023.” Then, towards the end of Spring Training, I said that he HAD TO MAKE THE TEAM!
Some of you act like I am against James Outman. If anything, I am a huge fan, but I will tell you this: “Most of you never even saw him play until he came to the Dodgers for four games last year.” Then, you saw him homer in his first AB and had six hits in 13 ABs, and hit .462 with an OPS over 1.400. At that point, you jumped on the James Outman Bandwagon. “Damn the people who have watched him for years! I just saw the next Babe Ruth, and I am sure of it after four games!” Well, you don’t know crap after 13 ABs. You know a little more after 70 ABs, and James does look good, but it is very “childlike” to make a decision after a small sampling. 70 ABs are still a small sampling, but I have high hopes that James will be a solid-to-very-good MLB PLayer. But the jury is not in… yet!
TRUE STORY: Bob Hamlin of the KC Royals hit 29 HR in AAA in 1993. In 1994, he was the AL Rookie of the Year with 25 doubles, 24 HR, and a .282 BA to go with a .987 OPS. That was the Top of the Mountain for him. He never came close to any of that and was out of baseball three years later! The baseball landscape is littered with these types of players: Todd Van Poppel, Jerome Walton, and Gregg Jefferies, to mention but a few.
Saying that a player will be a 4th outfielder is not disrespecting him. It is very difficult to be an MLB player, and James Outman is one. I have watched him for several years and had predicted he would be one, so it is difficult for me to see fans watch him for four games and jump on the bandwagon because he is a shiny, bright object. “Yeah, you just figured this out after four games- I’ve been watching him for two years.” You don’t know Shineola after four games. You know a little more after twenty-six games (that’s how many games of experience he has.)
Many of you have said that we cannot trust that Cody Bellinger is back… and you are right! It’s a short sampling. It’s kind of like wanting to bench JDM against LHP because in 27 PA’s he has a poor BA, but has one the best hard-hit rates in baseball. I say that James Outman should play every day. I would even be in favor of batting him leadoff, but it’s a long season and an even longer career. Just like we cannot pronounce Cody “fixed,” we cannot label James Outman as a star… yet, but we can acknowledge what he has done as “damn good” and say that right about now, his future looks very bright. Enjoy the process because right now, James Outman is the best Rookie in the NL!
Believing That the Dodgers Will Trade for Shohei Ohtani This Season or Sign Him as a Free Agent
Shohei Ohtani is an amazing player, and he will never be a Dodger! Get used to that! Teams with stupid owners like the Angels or Mets will sign him. Shohei Ohtani will be 30 soon and on the downhill side of his career. Signing him would qualify as a dope-fiend move. The Dodgers don’t need to put butts in seats. They have that covered. OK, they might sell a few hundred thousand jerseys, but that is chump change. Put down the pipe and back away. The only way Shohei Ohtani comes to the Dodgers is if he wants to take a lot less than market value in order to be a Dodgers and win a World Series!
Only an idiot would trade the prospect collateral necessary to get Shohei Ohtani, and Andrew Friedman is no idiot! Big contracts to aging pitchers seldom pay off. Baseball land is littered with bad contracts for sore-armed pitchers. I do not think AF will even sign Julio Urias, who is three years younger. He will command an eight to ten-year deal, and at least two of those years will be spent on the IL.
In parting, I have three things to say, and you can just watch and learn:
- JD Martinez has one of the Top 22 Hard Hit Rates in Baseball. He will be just fine.
- David Peralta was signed to hit against RHP – he will be solid to very good. In case you haven’t been watching, he is slowly getting locked in. He is in great shape, and there is a reason his teammates respect the hell outta’ him.
- Jason Heyward is a very nice bench piece.
Totally agree. No trade for Ohtani giving up prospects. Also Angels would NEVER trade with the Dodgers, The Mets are the favorite to sign Ohtani when he becomes a free agent. I’d rather spend my money in acquiring two or three free agents for the money Ohtani will sign for. AF went to Japan recently to scout younger Japanese players that will become available. Our real immediate need is a star studded shortstop who can hit and field. Taylor, Rojas and Williams are role players and not everyday shortstops. Use prospect capital in a trade to acquire one.
Tyler Anderson’s ERA with the Angels 7.20.
There is a great article in The Athletic on JO:
https://theathletic.com/4440521/2023/04/22/dodgers-mlb-james-outman-homers/
I have a question for everyone here. I’m sure there will be differing answers, I have my own opinions but I’m curious what some of you will say.
As a manager what would you do to help get your team out of a losing streak assuming you have a better team than the record shows?
I would talk to one of the “team leaders” and have them call a “Players Only” meeting whereby they kicked me out and tried to work it out between themselves.
I tell them not to worry about it. Keep working hard, we trust you or you wouldn’t be here.
The moment effort is gone, those words change.
Nobody on this team is going to OPS 1.000. Those Muncy Outman numbers will come back down. I figured .800 to .850 would be outstanding. What that means to me is Peralta, Taylor, Barnes, Rojas and Vargas have to do better.
Agree mark, please don’t pour 500 billion dollars into ohtani! Tim Anderson would light a hot fire under some dodger butts! I said earlier, don’t wait for the braves or someone else to pull the trigger, make it happen now! Brian Anderson ain’t coming through those swinging doors anytime soon. The pirates are playing better baseball than we are! With Tim our infield is set! That puts pressure on 4 guys, Thompson,Taylor, Barnes and peralta. Heyward actually is hitting the ball very well with some bad luck and playing very good defense. Bring up Hunter , if he does the job, he starts, Will to left, Barnes once a week (if that), if Will is ok, let him spell hunter, so long Barnes and thanks for your service!
Even at 7-14, I do not think the ChiSox are ready to pack it in, but in another month, they might.
Tim Anderson will be a Free Agent after this season and will be 30 in June. Some moron will give him a 7 or 8-year deal… and it won’t be the Dodgers. He would likely cost the Dodgers Mike Busch and a lower-level player. Is he worth that.? He would be a bottom-of-the-order hitter for the Dodgers… probably 7th or 8th!
Yes tim Anderson do it today worth it.
I know Mark’s not talking about me because you said the words “most of you”. But in 2021 spring training I saw something about Outman and that was before he went on a tear in the minors. Just for the record.
I agree about Ohtani, I wouldn’t want the Dodgers to give up what it would take to get him.
I figured Muncy would bounce back this year from his bad year last year, but I also thought the same about Taylor. But there’s still time for Taylor to bounce back.
I’d like to see Feduccia brought up and it would have/would be the best time to bring him up while Smith is out, to see what he can do at the MLB level. I haven’t found much news about Smith’s concussion by the way. And I agree with Mark’s statement today “Will Smith is in the process of becoming an elite hitter”.
Just my 2 cents.
Nice take Eric
Thank you Cassidy.
Remember that the Dodgers have a very deep farm system.
When the Dodgers gave up their No.1 and 2 prospects to get Scherzer and Trea, well, did we really miss not having Keibert and Gray? Good players, not great. Plus two lower level prospects, the pitcher Carrillo and an outfielder whos namce I forget. But we got a great Scherzer for half and season, and a pretty damn good Trea Turner for 1 1/2 season.
The Dodgers gave up plenty to get Mookie. I like Kike and Verdugo and Conner Wong and Jeter Downs just fine–but I’d rather have Mookie on my team.
The Dodgers gave up five prospects, IIRC, to get Machado.
The point is that you often have to give up quantity to get premium quality. It’s fun developing an emotional attachment to prospects, but its the premium talent that leads to championships.
Right mark, but he’s still better than the bottom 3 we’re putting out there now.
I agree but is he worth Busch?
Might cost Busch, might not.
The real question is what would the Sox want?
They might prefer a pitcher like Pepiot or Grove. Instead of Pages, they might be intrigued by Ramos or DeLuca. They might want Vivas and some kid at Rancho Cucamonga. They might see Galiz as their catcher of the future. We just don’t know. It’s all negotiable–and the Dodgers could another prospect back along with Anderson. It’s all negotiable.
But right now it looks like Anderson might be the best SS available…. unless the Dodgers really want to ride with Mookie. (Not the worst option!) Anderson may be a former batting champ, but I agree that he likely bats near the bottom of the Dodgers’ lineup. He or Vargas could be the “second leadoff hitter” that Mookie and Freddie drive in.
Sad to say, but I am not optimistic about Taylor regaining his form. I was always optimistic about Max, who has much better track and actually outhit both Will Smith and Trea Turner in the last two month of last season. Even when Max’s bat was cold, he was still getting his walks.
Yes, the Dodgers could trade three prospects for Tim Anderson. It could be like a miniature version of the Machado deal.
But only an idiot would trade prospects for Ohtani and Andrew Friedman is no idiot!
Just say NO TO OH! Let the Padres or Mets or Yankees get him!
Thank goodness folks here have made me see the light.
I am watching and learning!
Pages?
Pages would get it done too, but I hate giving up OF’ers! Especially RH ones.
I agree! But we need a shortstop with a good stick. Kris Bryant is another player we should be very interested in. Infield/outfield! Rockies are bad!
Byrant is always hurt.
According to MLB.com, Mookie is penciled in at SS and leading off in the April 23 game against the Cubs.
Could it be happening, folks? Could this be permanent?
No doubt this is all subject to change, but right now this is the lineup submitted that is backing Kershaw against righthander Marcus Stroman:
Betts SS
Freeman 1B
Muncy 3B
JDM DH
Outman CF
Heyward RF
Peralta LF
Vargas 2B
Barnes C
A shortstop in high school (but of course), Mookie has reportedly done infield drills daily as part of his routine. If anybody could make a move like this, it’s Mookie. Credit to Roberts for daring to start Mookie at SS.
I really like this lineup, because it moves Max into No. 3 spot. Not only is he tied for league lead in HRs, but he’s among the leaders in walks. His OBP is over .400. JDM, who is striking out too much, protects him at cleanup, and Outman, that lucky rookie, is in the 5th spot protecting JDM. Mookie and Freddie are not yet hitting on all cylinders, but they have the best track records on this team. No worries.
If Smith was healthy, I’d have him at cleanup and move JDM to 6th, behind Outman.
It’s funny to me that so many Dodger fans don’t seem to want Ohtani, arguably the greatest player ever, to wear the Dodger uniform. I always enjoy Mark’s oracular pronouncements. He says Ohtani “will never be a Dodger!” Of course, Mark also insisted that AF really wasn’t serious about Lux playing SS, and that you-know-who is “a 4th or 5th outfielder.” I find it funny that Mark thinks that Ohtani, at age 30, will soon be over the hill.
The naysayers, I think, make some faulty assumptions. One is that Ohtani will insist on something like a 10-year contract that would push the pricetag to $500-$600 million. Maybe, but maybe not. He might welcome a shorter contract with a high AAV—say, $300 million for five years.
Too much? Perhaps.
But remember, AF signed that fine fellow Trevor Effin’ Bauer for $104 million for 3 years. The cost of talent has gone up since then, but the Bauer debacle, I mean deal, strikes me a pretty good baseline for the Dodgers’ willingness to offer big bucks
If the Dodgers were willing to pay more than $34 million a year to Bauer just to pitch, how much would the organization be willing to pay Ohtani just to pitch? Certainly more than Bauer, right? DeGrom, who is 34, is getting $37m AAV in his 5-year contract from the Rangers . So let’s just say Ohtani, the pitcher, is worth $37 million AAV. (Note that the Dodgers reportedly offered Verlander, who is about 10 years older than Ohtani, a contract near $40 million before he took the bigger deal from the Mets.)
Now how much is Ohtani, the DH, worth? The highest-paid DHs are Miguel Cabrera and Giancarlo Stanton, who both signed their $30-million-plus contracts while playing in the field in their primes. So let’s put them aside and say that Ohtani’s comp is Kyle Schwarber, who is making $20 million a year. Anyway, Ohtani, as only a DH, would in that neighborhood. So let’s add DeGrom and Schwarber and put Ohtani’s value as a two-way unicorn at $57 million.
Now let’s say the Mets come in with a 10-year, $610 million offer–and the Dodgers counter at 5 years at $300 million, with an opt-out after three years. Big money either way. The Mets are guaranteeing a lot, but maybe he really doesn’t want to live in NY and be Met. If he signs LA for five years, he’ll have a chance at even bigger contract at age 35. He might make more $$ over the long haul.
But I suspect that Ohtani isn’t just a mercenary, and the Dodgers could align with his desires to play for consistent winner and live in SoCal. He’s in a no-lose situation.
If the Angels play well, or even if they don’t, maybe Arte Moreno won’t put him on the market.
If he does take offers, well, we know that AF traded his No.1 and No. 2 prospects (Ruiz and Gray) for a half-season of Scherzer and 1 1/2 seasons of Trea Turner. Ohtani may not play SS, but he’s an ace like Scherzer and had a much higher OPS than Trea (who recently signed his own $300-million plus contract.)
Anyway, there’s a decent chance that one of the very best pitchers in the game could become available at mid-season.
If this was Corbin Burnes, say, we’d be pondering what the Dodgers should offer to get him, right?
But if the pitcher is Shohei Ohtani, we’d be foolish to make an offer? We’d be better off if the Angels deal him to the Padres or Mets?
I can imagine the posts
“Boy, we really dodged a bullet when the Padres got Ohtani for their stretch run! Who needs Ohtani when we have four prospects who might someday be average players in the majors, right?”
Seriously?
Ohtani is not even close to being the best player ever. He is a superior talent, that is true. But no player is worth that much even if he is a 2-way player. He is one sore arm away from the IL. And his skills will start to deteriorate. How many 30 year olds last more than 5 years in the game past 30?? And if anyone actually reads sports news, the Angels have repeatedly said he is not going to be traded. I totally believe that. Angel fans, who have little enough to be happy about, would riot if they traded the guy. Especially if he was traded to the Dodgers. I doubt his agent wants him to sign a shorter deal with a higher AAV. That is wishful thinking.,
Also, Bryant has a very nice long-term contract with Colorado.
The Rockies would have to an abrupt 180-degree turn to put Bryant on the market. They’ll stick with their investment for a while.
Just say NO to OH!!!!
I recently found LA Dodgers Talk— I think this is one of the best Dodgers websites
But I paid you to say that. 😉
Give it time Tom
Welcome to the nuthouse, Thomas.
They might want the Dodgers to take Yasmani Grandal’s contract in the deal. Bear would be elated! 😉
Oh yes, I love Yasmani.
You may be right, Mark. Shohei Ohtani will probably never be a Dodger.
It will cost a fortune. Maybe more. But you need to look beyond traditional thinking. You get two players in one. A very good DH and an elite pitcher. So what will a good DH cost you? $10 – 12 million, maybe more. What will an elite pitcher cost? $25 to $30 mil.
I read this story a while back about how Ohtani generates something like an additional $15 million a year for the Angels — merchandising, marketing and sponsorship dollars. Much of that due to the Japanese market.
So factor all that in and maybe Ohtani makes some sense, even for the Dodgers. Remember the Dodgers have wanted Ohtani for a long even back in his high school days.
Will the Dodgers re-sign Julio Urias? Maybe not, Scott Boras and all.
So why wouldn’t the Dodgers pursue Ohtani?
Every year we hear this will be the “year” the Dodgers cut payroll. Heard that a lot a couple of years ago and then they signed Freddie Freeman. This past off season, the Dodgers made a huge offer to Justin Verlander, only to have the Mets top it at the last minute. Even Kershaw thought Verlander was going to be a Dodger.
The Dodgers are in the midst of a youth movement, which means lower salaries. It seems like a perfect time for LA to go big in the free agent market. If not this winter, when?
As to James Outman, since MLB eliminated the team in Lancaster I don’t get to see the Dodger minor league prospects. All I have to rely on is what scouts, minor league coaches and video to assess a player. Doesn’t replace seeing them in person.
But what I do know is a lot of his coaches were high on him and he had good numbers. He’s also an athlete, which is a big plus.
2:20 PM ET
Dodgers (11-11)
Cubs (12-8)
SP Clayton Kershaw L
3-1 2.52 ERA 25IP 26K
SP Marcus Stroman R
2-1 .75 ERA 24IP 25K
Confirmed Lineup
SS Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
3B Max Muncy L
DH J. Martinez R
CF James Outman L
RF J. Heyward L
LF D. Peralta L
2B M. Vargas R
C A. Barnes R
Partly-cloudy-day
40% Precipitation
42° Wind 7 mph L-R
Mookie starts at SS
Saturday scores
Oklahoma City 3, Albuquerque 2
Wichita 4, Tulsa 3
South Bend 4, Great Lakes 2
Rancho Cucamonga 7, Fresno 3
Sunday schedule
10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Adolfo Ramirez) vs. South Bend (Kohl Franklin)
11:05 a.m. PT: Tulsa (Landon Knack) vs. Wichita (Carlos Luna)
12:35 p.m.: Oklahoma City (TBD) at Albuquerque (Karl Kauffmann)
2 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Jared Karros) vs. Fresno (Gabriel Barbosa)
Sunday is the first professional start for Karros, son of Eric who was drafted in the 16th round last year out of UCLA. Karros the younger has 12 strikeouts in 6⅔ innings in his first two games this season for Rancho Cucamonga, both in bulk relief, with a 4.05 ERA.
Tim Anderson, who will be 30 in June, will make $12.5 million in 2023, and his contract includes a $14 million club option ($1 million buyout) for 2024. Assuming that is picked up, he will reach free agency at age 31 after the 2024 season. He is worth pursuing.
I have been preparing and leaving Arizona so I haven’t watched as intently as usual; but a couple of things got me asking “are you crazy?
We’ve watched Belli for years. Where are the holes in his zone? I’ll bet you would agree with most by saying Hard stuff UP and pitches soft away, making him reach. I would never pitch him in, especially low and in. It’s right in his “ loop zone” and speeds up his bat. The only thing he would see IN is a heater to knock him off the plate.
I haven’t seen every AB but I saw him homer on a FB thigh high, inner 1/3, another on a FB thigh high middle outer 1/3 and a breaker again slightly in and down that he pounded. Yesterday we did throw 2 heaters up in the zone and the HPU missed both.
Why? I’m not privy to the data the pencil-necks spit out of the computer lab but my eyes tell me pitch him UP hard and soft away. No more targets middle in and low in the zone , please.
Dustin May has a “Bigfoot chance up”. They say it’s out there but nobody has ever seen it. He really needs something 86-88 with some arm side run or sink. He has 3 great moving fastballs, the 4 seamer, cutter and 2 seam arm side runner they call a sinker. He threw that curveball more but he can’t locate it at all and it’s basically caballo mierda. His arm slot is perfect for a sinking arm side change to get guys off those fastball and get some swing and miss. A change would be a game changer for him.
Poor CT3 and Barnes couldnt hit a bull in the ass with a bag of ice.
I don’t understand pitching protocols any more. I see things the make my “ mother hen” blood boil with pitchers. May and others pitched on a cold, windy, damp Chicago day with NO sleeves. The fans are in stocking caps and parkas and the pitchers have bare, exposed arms. WTF.
And May, after being pulled, lingered in the dugout, sweat-soaked with NO jacket on. In my coaching career I must have reminded the pitchers 10,000 times to “ put a jacket on”. If you ever pitched, I bet you heard that too.
And if you threw 75 pitches or more, I had pitchers ice asap. May would have been in the clubhouse, nice and warm, icing his arm and not standing out in the wind.
Meanwhile nobody builds up arm strength . Pitches are capped at 85 to 100 and everybody is satisfied with 6 innings.
High and tight, low and away. That’s been a sound strategy since Abner was a minnow. Got Kemp out about a hundred and fifty times a year.
Location and change of speeds is more important than speed. May looks to have a curve ball now. Develop a change and he could be unhittable.
Agree 100% about the jacket. I’d prefer he goes to the clubhouse immediately, but that won’t happen.
Yup Badger, a timeless formula. But with Belli if doesn’t have to be high and tight; just high. High and away works. He is traditionally late. So don’t speed him up.
It feels like it’s hard to get a call on that up and in corner, but that’s where to go. That corner used to be about arm pit/ top of the letters high, but that was 50+ years ago. Now it’s closer to the navel and easier to get to. But it looks to me like if there’s not enough heat on it, Bellinger won’t get to it. A fading change or two seamer a few inches off the plate after that pitch gets just about anybody.
meant of course if there is enough heat on it Bellinger won’t get to it. But you knew that
Back ‘in the day’ When Jim Bouton wrote his book ‘Ball Four”. Said they had to listen to scouts reports and it was always the same. Fast ball up and in, breaking pitches away.
I totally agree that I don’t want the Dodgers signing Ohtani.
I never really thought about Smith in left field, always 3rd base, but no way are you moving Muncy.
While it would be nice to have the Berlinger of these first few weeks – I was happy that the Dodgers did not sign him – if we had there is no way Outman would have made the team out of spring training.
I am totally done with Barnes and Taylor combo – what is Feduccia suppose to think!
As Mark and others have stated, Feduccia has caught a significant majority of the pitchers, so why the heck is Wynn (a Giant castoff on the team) on the team? Pretty insulting!
I appreciated loyalty but the goal is to put a winning product on the field. Not sure why we have to keep seeing the same crappy results.
Taylor and Barnes have a “large” sample size of 2+ seasons, the Dodger farm system has players that definitely CANNOT do any worse, and realistically will be better.
Anyway hope Kershaw can throw another good game.
I would want them to sign Ohtani. Not my money. I just don’t think they will.
I was looking at weather of cities and regions that would be considered similar to a Japan, sister cities if you will, and was a bit surprised to see the match ups were on the east coast. North Carolina. Having no idea if these things are important to Ohtani, I then checked demographics of various cities. Orange County is 28% Asian. The cities with the highest number of Asians, clubs that could afford Ohtani, are the Bay Area, Houston, NY, and LA. SD is on the list too. California leads the way. Again,having no clue what Ohtani values most, other than money of course, I don’t know what might interest him. My gut tells he kinda likes where he is.
Don’t rule out Seattle with their history with Asian players. Big stretch financially but they are on the rise.
Good point.
Mark, I reread what you wrote up top and you did start out saying 4th or FIFTH outfielder during the offseason and you only wrote 4th up top. But I don’t care anymore because you came around and dropped the FIFTH part and that was what bothered me. Peace though.
I don’t think anyone has to stick to an initial opinion about anything. As results change we get to update our opinions
Correct. I don’t disagree with that.
Yes, agreed.
But Mark is especially stubborn about his opinions. It’s part of his charm. And he was remarkably slow in recognizing Outman’s potential.
Just a few days ago, Mark was predicting that Vargas would be ROY.
I hope he’s right about that! But right now it looks like Outman has a better chance.
Many ROYs have not even made it to the Big Clun by April 23rd.
Charm huh.
Ok.
We have about 87% of the season left to play. ROY obviously won’t be decided in first 20% of the year, but it could be decided in the last 20%.
What I wrote up above has been on the website since September 6, 2022, and has never been edited. I may have said 4th or 5th OF once, but mostly I have said 4th. At the top of the Home page, you can see it if you click on Top Prospects.
Just FYI: Dodger Lineup vs Stroman Lifetime: 17-83 -.205 BA – 1 HR & 8 RBI & 21 K’s.
Cubbie Lineup vs Kershaw Lifetime: 26-88 . 295 BA – 3HR &11 RBI &16 Ks
Those figures mean NOTHING just INFO to make everyone a little more informed. Of course Outman and Vargas have never faced Stroman and Bellinger of course has never faced Kershaw.
Mookie at short solves a lot of our problems this year and going forward. He doesn’t have a lot to live up to,defensively from our last 2 SS’s. It’s easier to find a star outfielder than a star SS at the deadline.
A lot more stress at that position. Would it in any way take something from his hitting? We need to raise his OPS, about 100 points in this lineup, and I’d rather he focused on that than the attention required at learning the busiest position facing the plate. I’ve said it plenty already, I prefer a shortstop there. Rojas would be acceptable if he could OPS+ 100. He’s only done that twice in his career so that won’t likely happen at his age. So, all that said, go to 6 Mookie.
So far, so good with Mookie at SS. Homered and a double today.
Mookie doesn’t strike me as the kind of player who gets stressed out over anything athletic, whether it’s batting game on the line or needed one more good roll for his latest 300 game. (Not to pick on then, but remember how lost Lux looked in the OF and Joc at 1B? Those guys were stressed out.) Mookie’s an exceptional athlete with a rigorous work ethic who has regularly made clutch plays with his bat, glove, arm and legs his entire career. We can assume every major leaguer is a good athlete–but Mookie is one the exceptional one.
If you think back to being a kid playing sandlot or Little League, it was usually the best athlete who played SS. Mookie grew up playing the position. It’s really not that new.
David Vassegh
@THEREAL_DV
Dave Roberts said Evan Phillips will rejoin #Dodgers in Pittsburgh.
David Vassegh
@THEREAL_DV
Tony Gonsolin has joined #Dodgers in Chicago.
Could Gonsolin be starting against the Pirates on Wednesday in place of Grove which will give all the Dodger starters an extra day of rest?
Maybe
I doubt it.
Dodgers Planning To Activate Tony Gonsolin For Wednesday Start
By Mark Polishuk | April 23, 2023 at 3:33pm CDT
Tony Gonsolin’s 2023 debut may be imminent, as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) that Gonsolin will “likely” be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday’s game against the Pirates. It won’t be a full start, as Gonsolin is expected to pitch around four innings before giving way to the bullpen.
Some speculation that Stone could be ready.
But my guess is a bullpen game.
Two horrible defensive plays in the first inning.
Not a great start.
Muncy got really bad hop, Barnes has to catch that tip!
Looked like an ok hop to me. He got caught flat footed in between hops. Charge it, or, take a step back.
Outmans throw to home was a. Off line by 15’ and b. thrown to the wrong base.
Muncy should have charged the ball.
They just showed the zone chart for Outman. Where is it he hasn’t hit yet?
High and tight, low and away.
But don’t tell anybody.
If he decides to slap the low and away pitch the other way, that location will be taken away from pitchers. BTW, where is Outman’s elbow pad? That’s like not wearing a cup, well second cousins at least.
If I remember correctly it’s ok to share a cup with your second cousin.
Badger
That is just wrong. Let the nightmares begin.
LOL
My son, now 13, did some catching a couple seasons ago.
We forgot his cup, so he used the rectangular case to my iPhone.
Who knew? There’s an app for that!
I like Betts at SS because like Cassidy said it’s easier to get a star 0F than a star SS and I’d rather see Peralta/Heyward/Thompson/Taylor play the two other outfield positions than Rojas at SS
So far so good with Mookie at short!
I see our SS hit a HR. Way to go Rojas!!
Our catcher slugged a base hit. What’s going on?
Blind squirrel. The nuts are there ….. and that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Ohtani, unlike Greinke, might not want to sign with the highest bidder. He wants to win and will probably choose a location that also has a good chance for a championship. He is going to get a shoe contract etc. I think the Dodgers will offer a max 5 year contract, maybe 4 at 45.
If the Dodgers were to trade for Ohtani, my guess would be Muncy, Urias, Busch, and another pitcher would be on the table. Moving Muncy would open third for Smith.
Ohtani is not going to be traded to the Dodgers period. Bank on it.
You don’t seem like a guy who has a crystal ball but you keep using one.
Bums
You need to invest in my Max Muncy app on the google play store. Any time we need a Max home run just grab the app and magically Max hits a home run. Makes baseball much simpler.
If you are the Dodgers you trade prospects for Ohtani ten times out of ten. Maybe fourteen times out of ten.
You are the Dodgers and the asset is Ohtani.
How is this even a debate?
First, why give up prospects for half a year of Ohtani when you can just sign him in the off season. Secondly, the Angels are not going to trade him. Especially to the Dodgers.
Because you also get him for the current year?
Because there’s a chance he likes being part of the team?
Part of the reason to develop prospects is to trade then. There just aren’t enough game day or 40 man spots. Plus, it’s the Dodgers!
Ohtani will not be traded to any team per a top Angel exec in an interview with someone on Yahoo sports. Angel fans would implode.
They will trade him if they are not in playoff contention. Can’t risk getting nothing for him and he’s not resigning there. Remember this?
https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/video/nationals-gm-mike-rizzo-we-are-not-trading-juan-soto?amp
I bet he would like playing for this team. I would also bet he will go where the money is. NY has an owner that doesn’t like to be outbid. So does San Diego. Our organization just doesn’t operate like that. This is why I think Ohtani will play elsewhere. I’m fine if I’m wrong about that.
First, why give up prospects for a half year of Ohtani? Because half a year of Ohtani might be just what the Dodgers need to win the WS this year. (Remember, Darvish and Scherzer were mid-season acquisitions. I think Darvish would still be a Dodger if not for the cheating Trashtros.)
And this season, the Dodgers would also want to keep Ohtani away from the Padres and Mets. It’s not hard to imagine Ohtani shutting down the Dodgers in the playoffs, is it?
As for the second point….
While the Angels might be reluctant to trade with the Dodgers–yes, maybe Arte Moreno’s ego gets it the way–the baseball people like Minassian would pursue the best deal regardless of the team. The Dodgers have the deepest farm system and would be in position to make a strong offer without gutting the system.
A few years back, Moreno nixed a deal that would sent Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling to the Angels for Luis Rengifo and a prospect. (I recall reading that then-young and little-known Andy Pages was also part of that deal.) Anyway, most people think Moreno blew that one.
Ohtani is the best baseball player I’ve ever seen.
But people said the same thing about Pujols and Miggie.
Trading away a pile of prospects for a couple months of Ohtani and THEN needing to drop $400m+ (and it could be a lot of +s) for him at 30 isn’t something I’d do. So it is debatable. I just proved that 🙂
I saw Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams. Also Jr Griffey. He is no where near the best player I have ever seen.
I’ve seen Griffey. And he’s an all around better player than Griffey.
Never saw the others, unfortunately.
I’ve never seen Ohtani in person. But I think he’s in a class by himself.
Ohtani is a great DH and pitcher. The other players were great hitters and defenders that fans could watch every game. What separates them is there have been far more great hitters/defenders than great pitchers/DHers,
I’ve seen Ohtani several times. He hit a home run at a game early last season. I was there. He hit a HR to slightly right center. A line drive. Ridiculous exit velocity. It made a sound I’ve never heard. It sound like a bomb went off. I will never forget that sound.
And I’ve seen Griffey hit a home run in San Bernardino in 1988.
I’ve never heard that sound.
Ohtani might be the best pitcher in baseball right now. He’s definitely in the conversation.
Right now, he leads the ML in ERA at 0.64 and batting-average against at .092. He has struck out 38 batters in 28 innings. In 2022, he finished 6th in ERA and struck out 219 batters in 166 innings.
He also might be a top-ten hitter. His start this season is not Outmanesque, but a .825 OPS with five HRs isn’t back. Last season, he ranked 10th in the MLB in OPS of .875, just ahead of Mookie, Alonso, Soto, Jose Ramirez, Julio Rodriguez…. Pretty good company.
But I have watched and learned….
NO TO OH! …NO TO OH! ,,,LET THE PADRES HAVE HIM!
It’s great to see Outman have such a hot start. But I agree with Mark. Still too early to know where he will fit in for this season and moving forward.
I’ve reserved my opinion on Outman because I never got to see him play up close. He skipped Rancho all together. He moved from rookie league to high A. He Didn’t play a game in low A. I tend not to have strong opinions about guys I haven’t watched play. And I didn’t see a single one of his minor league games (outside of highlights). I tend to reserve judgment before I sound off. Unlike Lux, Vargas, Cartaya… ect. Whom I saw play many, many times and talk to many times.
I remember how Joc started. His first month or two in the league he looked like the second coming. After the AS break he became what he is today. A platoon outfielder. 70 ABs isn’t much to go on. I’ll reserve judgment. But I’m rooting for the kid and our record would be in the trash without his bat, so far, this year. He and Muncy have carried this team, so far.
If Outman becomes another Joc–but faster, with a better glove–he’ll have a really fine career and be making more than $19 million.
I think it makes more sense to see if a young hitter can hit both lefties and righties before you consider a platoon. And when the platoon option is a struggling Chris Taylor, that’s all the more reason to avoid a platoon.
BTW, I still think Roberts was wrong to sit the suddenly hot Max Muncy after his first two-HR game in favor of ice-cold Taylor. Of course it’s impossible to know what Muncy, now the leading HR hitter with an OBP over .400, might have done, but Taylor struck out 3 times and the Dodgers lost.
Oh well.
Totally agree with Mark’s column today.
Friedman is NOT stupid, doesn’t make moves that are not well thought out even if they don’t all work out. I MIGHT be able to see him trading for Ohtani as a rental if it would win the World Series, otherwise not a chance. Cohen will sign him because he wants NY fans to love him!
PS: Agree on Cobb’s comments about Joc. Loved me some Joc the first half of 2015(?). Thought sure we had a R.O.Y. and solid everyday player. So did a lot of other people. I wish he’d signed anywhere but SF.
Bluto my friend, I think if you leave off the first line and the last line of that post you would encourage more discourse.
That said, I agree with the last line, the asset is Ohtani. That’s not in question. The question is – what’s he worth to YOUR franchise? It’s my opinion, and only my opinion, he would be more valuable to other organizations.
If Mark is willing, let’s kill those lines!
Poof!
What happens when a pitcher puts a ball on a tee against Max?
He swings and misses or hits it to the fence and beyond.
Did I get it right?
I forgot to post earlier that the Dodgers released Rubby De La Rosa.
Bummer.
I will always root for Rubby De La Rosa just because of his name.
But I am really happy for Victor Gonzales returning to The Show. He was a big part of the 2000 championship team.
I had no idea Victor Gonzales was that old! 😉
Dodgers Planning To Activate Tony Gonsolin For Wednesday Start
By Mark Polishuk | April 23, 2023 at 3:33pm CDT
Tony Gonsolin’s 2023 debut may be imminent, as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) that Gonsolin will “likely” be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday’s game against the Pirates. It won’t be a full start, as Gonsolin is expected to pitch around four innings before giving way to the bullpen.
He’s thrown only 3 innings. How can he be ready, especially on a cool night in Pittsburgh?
He threw several bullpens and/or simulated games before that.
Not the same, but, the Dodgers must know what they’re doing. Probably a bullpen game.
Nice win. Lets just keep it going in Steel Town. Ohtani no.
Just say NO to OH!!!!
Looks like we most likely will be at a tie to lead the division at this day’s end,
Yep, tied with Arizona and a half game up on San Diego. As bad as play has been we are not in nearly as bad of shape as so many here stated.
Ohtani is an all star pitcher AND an all star hitter. No one in the HISTORY of modern MLB history has even come close, including the Babe. If he continues this level of excellence for another 5-6 years I don’t see how he can’t be considered the greatest ever!
Also impressive gut check by our Dodgers after that debacle on Friday!
More than an all-star. He’s won an MVP and then finished second, to Judge.
Check out his current pitching stats. Certainly one of the best in the game. Total domination.
Badger: Gonsolin threw 57 pitches in his MiLB rehab start. The start on Tuesday will function as his second rehab start (probably 75 pitches or so) only it will happen with the big club. He should go 4-5 innings and get him ready for 85-90 pitches in his next start, which gets him close to being full ready.
Yeah. I read about his start. Saw video too. 3 innings, 2 earned, 57 pitches. Yeah, a lot of strikeouts, but several chases.
OK, but I don’t like it. I would want to see 5 innings, 75 pitches in a low stress minor league game first.
How about some kudos for our ace, who, battled without his best command today.
He’s just a joy to watch, never giving in.
Career WHIP back under 1, I believe.
Amazing stat.
Just say NO to OH!
Nop
OK, let’s assume that the Angels flop (again) and Ohtani is on the market. Put aside his bat for a second. Let’s assume that Ohtani is best pitcher on the market (and it probably ain’t close). Let’s further assume that Dodgers want to shore up their pitching staff, which is always a reasonable assumption.
In years past, the Dodger front office brought at mid-season in high-impact players like Scherzer, Trea Turner, Darvish and Machado at mid-season. The Dodgers gave up a lot of young talent to get those guys, but which of these deals do Dodger fans regret? Any of them? And while it was not at mid-season, but the Dodgers also gave up a lot to get Mookie. Does anybody here wish we had Verdugo, Kike and Connor Wong instead of Mookie? I know some of you think Mookie overrated–a star, but not a superstar. But do you wish AF hadn’t pulled the trigger on that deal?
But back to the 2023 mid-season trade market with the Angels entertaining bids for the most extraordinary player in the game…
The Padres will make an offer. So will the Mets. So will the Yankees. So will other teams.
But the NO-to-OH crowd say, “Don’t do it, Andrew! We don’t want that guy! We want to keep our top prospects in OKC and Tulsa and Great Lakes and Rancho Cucamonga!”
So the AF says, “Yeah, we’ll let the Padres get him.”
For some reason I don’t think it would work out like that.
Strong argument Duke.
I await a rebuttal.
Plain and simple ,the Angels are NOT trading Ohtoni to the Dodgers.
You could be right.
The smart move would be to take the best offer. But when it comes to baseball, Arte Moreno is often not very smart.
I assume that Moreno is still planning to sell the franchise. Not sure how that might factor into the decision.
Duke –
You make a pretty strong case for going after Ohtani. You are right about who actually regrets the loss of the prospects for recent Dodger deals. And, you probably could add the SF Giants as Ohtani suitors.
There would be a lot of public pressure on the Dodgers to get into the bidding war for him. Not sure the Dodgers want to send a “not interested” message to the 40k+ fans every game at Dodger Stadium.
Sure glad I am not on that hot seat!
What would be the tax ramifications, if we’re over again this year, to signing Ohtani and it puts us over by 40-50 mil next year? Does his signing mean we don’t sign Julio or Kersh next year? There’s a lot of moving parts here. I’m sure AF and Co have all the numbers pencilled out for all the scenarios. If there’s an unlimited budget who wouldn’t want Ohtani!
Depends on if we reset. If we don’t, we will remain at 50%.
Ohtani is on his way to 10+ wins again this year. The Dodgers likely won’t need those wins to make the playoffs. You know who would? SF. He would light that team and that fan base up.
On a side note.
This weekend my son (freshman catcher for his HS JV team) tried to convince me (once again) about this new catching philosophy. About almost always having a knee down (to frame more effectively). I don’t buy it. I have never bought it. My son’s coaches won’t even entertain a knee down with runners on. My son is excellent at blocking. But he keeps telling me “I could block better with my knee down”. I call BS.
Watch how this ends.
My 15 YO could have blocked that pitch. If his knee WASN’T down!
https://twitter.com/therealjhair/status/1650237282518188032?s=46&t=QLZL6rUStVTcnhF7gF-Qig
Kike was not involved in the Betts trade. Substitute Jeter Downs.
Good catch! Kike was signed as a free agent.
Thanks for the correction.
So the question is Dodger fans would rather have Verdugo, Connor Wong and Jeter Downs than Mookie. Pretty sure most prefer having Mookie.
04/23/23 Los Angeles Dodgers placed RHP Evan Phillips on the bereavement list.
Praying for Evan and his wife.
Potentially devastating news involving RHP Evan Phillips surfaced on Twitter late on Sunday night following an update on the MLB transactions page. The reliever was placed on the paternity leave list on Thursday as he and wife Elizabeth were reportedly welcoming their first child. Notably, he flew out from LA to Chicago with the team but immediately flew back. Now a report showing he’s been placed on the bereavement list has fans very concerned.