My Not So Professional Analysis of the Trade Deadline

Posted By on August 1, 2023

Well, here we go. The deadline has passed. Which teams improved their lot the most, and who fanned? The Dodgers, after their initial flurry of activity last week, were expected to be in on just about every good starting pitcher out there. What ended up happening was not what the fans wanted.

The Astros get Verlander from the Mets. Although the Dodgers were thought to be in on Verlander, I never really got the sense that he wanted to come to LA. I also thought that the vesting option, which would guarantee him 35 million dollars in 25 if he pitched 140 innings next season, was a sticking point for LA. The option became a player option if he reached 140 innings.

In the end, the Astros sent their two best OF prospects to the Mets for Verlander. But the Mets are also paying 54 million dollars off his contract. It is a win for Houston, who gets a veteran ace to lead their young rotation.

The Mets kept busy and sent Max Scherzer to the Rangers for Ronald Acuna’s little brother. The Mets also sent a lot of money to the Rangers to cover at least a large portion of Scherzer’s 43-million-dollar option for 24 that he exercised when the trade was announced. Starting pitching has been a weakness for the Rangers, and they picked up a couple, also getting Jordan Montgomery from the Cardinals, who traded a few players away.

The Mets sent Tommy Pham to the D-Backs for minor-league infielder Jeremy Rodriguez. The Mets were in full sell mode, also sending Dominic Leone to the Angels. They traded Mark Canha to the Brewers. Most of the moves brought back minor-league players to help replenish the Mets farm system. Then late in the day, they acquired Adam Kolarek and Phil Bickford from the Dodgers for cash.

Miami was busy, trading Garrett Cooper and minor league lefty Sean Reynolds for Ryan Weathers. They also sent Jake Eder to the White Sox for Jake Burger. And in a last-minute move, they got Josh Bell from Cleveland for Kahlil Watson and Jean Segura. Bad day for Segura as the Guardians announced he would be released. The Mariners will also release Kolten Wong. They acquired reliever Eduard Bazardo from the Orioles.

The Cardinals, who earlier sent Montgomery to the Rangers, cleaned house some more, sending DeJong to the Jays for a minor league pitcher, and then they traded Jack Flaherty to the Orioles for three minor leaguers. Both pitchers had been on the Dodger’s radar.

Other than the trades they made last week for Hernandez, Lynn, Kelly, and Rosario, the Dodgers were expected to be very busy. Well, it did not work out that way. I never felt they wanted Scherzer back. They were very interested in Verlander. In my mind, I always felt one of the other starters, Giolito, Montgomery, Flaherty, made more sense. As the deadline approached, it became clear that they were targeting Eduard Rodriguez of the Tigers. I thought they might have an interest in Lorenzen, but he ended up in Philly.

An hour before the deadline, the news broke that the Dodgers and Tigers had a deal in place, and then Rodriguez exercised his no-trade clause, which had the Dodgers as one of the teams he would not approve. That is his right; it is in his contract. Most Dodger fans think he is nuts, wanting to stay in Detroit rather than come pitch in LA. But he cited wanting to stay closer to home and family on the east coast.

This, unfortunately for the Dodgers, left them with very little time to pivot and find another option. So, just after the deadline passed, the Dodgers announced they had traded for Ryan Yarborough of the Royals. A lefty, he has a 4-5 record in 14 games. Seven of them were starts. He has won four of his last five starts. Overall, his ERA is over 4. But in his seven starts, his ERA is 3.08. The price for him was Devin Mann and Derlin Figueroa. The Dodgers then sold Eddys Leonard to the Tigers. Yarborough has a very low walk rate. He was injured earlier this year when he was hit in the face by a Ryan Noda line drive.

As far as their division opponents go, all of the Western Division teams made deals of one kind or another. The Rockies unloaded some players, sending Grichuk and Cron to the Angels. Then they traded Brad Hand to the Braves. They also purchased Justin Bruihl from the Dodgers.

The Giants picked up AJ Pollock and Mark Mathias from the Mariners for cash. They were said to be pursuing some other RH-hitting outfielders, but nothing materialized. They have some issues with their rotation, as DeSclafani has an injury.

The Diamondbacks were very busy. They got Pham from the Mets at the deadline. They traded Chafin to the Brewers, receiving Peter Strzelecki in return. They also picked up Paul Sewald from the Mariners. The Padres also were very busy. They got Rich Hill and Ji-Man Choi from the Pirates. Then they got Garrett Cooper from the Marlins. Cooper cost them Ryan Weathers, the only major leaguer they gave up in any of their deals. Then, after the deadline passed, it was announced that they had received Scott Barlow from the Royals.

The West is a tight race as it stands right now. None of the contenders made what could be considered a franchise-shifting move. It seemed to me that all of the teams who are in the race made what I would consider depth moves. Barlow has an ERA over 5. But he also has 14 saves for the woeful Royals. A right-handed option for Josh Hader. Although the Pads have little hope of catching any of the front runners, they obviously feel that they can make it to the playoffs via the Wild Card.

The Diamondbacks went for depth. They had little, but that has changed some now. Pham gives them some pop off of the bench, something they lack. They also picked up Jace Peterson from the Brewers. Sewald, to them, is obviously a better option than Chafin. The Giants, in my humble opinion, did nothing to improve the team. Pollock is probably having the worst season of his career. Mathias is nothing more than a backup infielder.

The AL East, maybe the best division in baseball, saw Toronto and the Jays make major moves. The Jays went out and got Jordan Hicks and then Paul DeJong from the Cardinals. The Rays traded their top 1st base prospect, Kyle Manzardo to the Guardians for Aaron Civale, bolstering their starting staff. Boston picked up a utility infielder, Luis Urias, and then DFA’d Jorge Alfaro. Baltimore picked up Flaherty and traded Bazardo. The Yankees picked up a couple of relievers after the deadline passed.

Overall, there was more movement than most expected, but some who were expected to be traded were not, including Tim Anderson, Eduard Rodriguez, Tyler O’Neil, and Dylan Carlson. Other than Verlander and Scherzer, you could say no real star players got moved despite all the rumors that said they would.

Teams are now locked in roster-wise. They get to add two players come September 1st. There will no doubt be some players who will not be on the rosters come playoff time. There will be injury replacements and players who will get released.

The Dodgers added two starting pitchers, a relief pitcher, a utility player, and a SS/2nd baseman. The cost was several prospects and the DFAing of Bruihl, Bickford, and Eddys Leonard. I want to see how the new additions perform before I pass judgment. Hernandez and Rosario have had decent starts to their tenures. Kelly had a successful first inning. Lynn goes tonight. Yarborough will no doubt get a start next week or this weekend when they meet the Padres. Saddle UP!

This article has 142 Comments

  1. The Dodgers are a first place team that picked up some depth in pitching and position players. If everybody gets and/or stays healthy they have a competitive playoff team. I’d they have significant injuries well, that’s baseball. Then they’ll have to channel the ‘88 Dodgers.
    Yeah, the Braves are a powerhouse yadda yadda yadda. So were the Dodgers last year. Get to the playoffs, get hot and viola!
    I love my Dodgers win or lose. Have faith and enjoy rooting for a team that is always in the playoffs.

  2. I don’t know what AF was think no Bednar no Keller and you watched Hill go to the Padres for basically not much then they get Barlow and Cooper. And you didn’t want to give up prospects to help this year but wait until next year. Next year your hoping Lux comes back and Muncy another year at third base and no every day second base man or left fielder and play this rotating players around playing different positions like high school baseball. Some teams have to have four guys that play every day and can hit lefties and righties and they have Freeman Betts Smith that’s it they need a fourth guy. If its Otani okay so when he pitches he bats and when he doesn’t pitch he DH. So next year Muncy becomes your DH when Martinez has been producing better. I think they go after a starting pitcher and Soto to play Leftfield and don’t go after Ohtani. Being back Muncy and Martinez as your DHs find a back up catcher that can hit with Smith doesn’t play either it’s Rushing or Cartaya. If they get Soto in free agency that give them four every day starters in the lineup plus Martiniz as the DH so five guys in the the lineup everyday. Outman should be the centerfielder and this off season he learns to be in the lineup you have to bat against lefties and righties to play every day. Now that leaves second base so Lux comes back at shortstop do you try then to sign Rosorio to be your every day second baseman and then Muncy at third base. Right there you have a pretty decent lineup next year. But what starting pitchers will we have all you know is Gonsolin Miller Sheehan for sure don’t know about Kershaw and Urias and we hope Buehler comes back. So if you have Buehler Gonsolin Miller and Sheehan your going to have to have a ace. Have to see what pitchers will be free agents but that looks like the starting rotation next year. An the lineup by adding Soto signing Rosorio and Lux comes back would look like this.
    Betts Rf
    Freeman 1b
    Soto LF
    Smith C
    Martiniz DH
    Muncy 3b
    Rosorio 2b
    Outman CF
    Lux. SS

    That’s your 2024 every day lineup
    With Rojas on bench and who? Maybe Busch. Rushings Peralta Deluca and a free agent get rid of Taylor and Barnes.

    1. So Bradley, you’ve given up on Vargas? Martinez will not be a Dodger in 24. And I think Busch is at third and Vargas at second. Max will be dh, at least against righties. Pads are NOT trading Soto to us. But we will need big rhb in left

    2. I don’t even know how to respond except to say; “Apply for Friedman’s Job!”

    3. Point A: In order to get a player from another team at the deadline, both teams have to be willing to trade said player. The Pirates stuck to their guns and did not trade either Bednar or Keller. They listened to offers, but they obviously did not get one that fit what they felt was compensation for their players. Point 2: Soto is not a free agent after this season. He is arbitration eligible. He cannot be a free agent until 2025. Point 3: Muncy’s option for next season is a team option. No guarantees he will still be with the team. It is only for 10 million, so he could be back. Point 4: The Padres got Hill and Ji-Man Choi in that trade. They sent two MLB ready players to the Pirates, Jackson Wolf, a left-handed pitcher who just debuted in the bigs, 1st baseman Alphonso Rivas, another player who just came up. He will most likely replace Choi at first, and Estuar Suero. Suero is the jewel of the trade for the Pirates. 17-year-old switch hitter who projects to get bigger and stronger. Both Hill and Choi are rentals. I understand that Hill is still very popular with Dodger fans, but he is not a difference maker. Padres’ problems do not lie with their starting pitching. He is depth. He is also 43 years old. Point 5: I do not get why you are complaining about platooning players. The Dodgers have done that for years. Especially since new ownership took over and hired Friedman. There have been a few stretches when they had the same starting lineup out there every day. But that has not been the case for several seasons. They have had two or three legitimate stars and a cast of very versatile players behind them. Even JT was a multi-positional player when he first signed with LA. Point 6: The Dodgers made offers on Verlander and Rodriguez. They obviously thought those two guys could be difference makers. Mets wanted what the Astros offered and paid a lot of money to rid themselves of Scherzer and Verlander. Rodriguez, unlike Lynn, did not want to waive his no trade clause, so that deal, which was in place, fell through. You have a lot of passion for the team Bradley, and that is great. What you seem to lack is an understanding of the fact that trading players is not that easy. A lot goes into the moving of a player from one team to another.

          1. Oh, thanks. I use spell check and try to proofread everything. I even go on the dashboard for the site and correct spelling. I am so anal sometimes. But I leave Bradley’s stuff alone.

      1. Thanks Phil! I was just saying who would be Dodgers next year. Don’t go after Ohtani. To go after a second baseman and a every day outfielder and a ace pitcher. I don’t hear anyone else saying what they should do in 2024. I thought they said Juan Soto was a free agent in 2024. So that’s why I said go after him. So, Phil call me an ass one more time and see what happens. All, I said was here’s the team for 2024. And this is what they should do. There you go grammar police.

        2. What are you going to do if he calls you an ass again Bradley?? Yell at him by using capital letters? Not much you can do on a computer.

        3. Actually, Phil called you “a pain in the ass,” and did not liken you to a donkey.

    6. Bradley, I think you’re the only one who deals with making future hires and alignments (which is totally uncertain), if you do it to open the controversy, applause.
      However, I’m glad that AF is the GM and not you.

      1. Really all I put was who would be back in 2024 and what they should do. And I don’t think Busch or Vargas are the answer okay. To many people want them to keep everyone in the minors. Well that doesn’t happen because of free agents. And all I said was who would be in the roster next year and gave my opinion. Mark and Bear and dodgersfan do it all the time . They give there opinion. And did any of there predictions come true nope. That why they call this a fan chat to talk about your team and hope they do this or that. That’s what I do. They should have gotten a ace starter but they didn’t.

        1. Definitely agree they did not get an ace. But none of us know what the Mets were asking from the Dodgers for the only real ace on the market. Civale is not an ace, Cease is, but he was not on the market. Keep posting your opinion Bradley. But get the facts straight and make sure you know they are right before you post. Soto is not a free agent at the end of this season. SO, the only way he could become a Dodger next year is if the Padres traded him to LA or released him. He is arbitration eligible after this season. Also, Soto, even though he plays left for the Padres is a natural right fielder.

  3. Well, deadline has come and gone.
    I am a little disappointed, but just a little.
    But AF tried his best and not his fault that Rodriguez envoked his not trade clause. Tigers should have cleared that up with the player before engaging into trade talks with AF. But it is water under the bridge now.

    The trade for Yarborough is a low cost risk. If he pitches like the last two month the Dodgers got a good deal.
    Will be interesting if he slots in the rotation or goes to the pen.

    Lynn did exactly what could have been expected. 7 innings with 3 Hrs given up. Got the win and ate some innings.
    So far so good but lets see how he does vs the better lineups.

    Key for us now: Get Clayton back healtyh and Julio to right his ship.

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

    1. Not counting on much from Gonsolin,he’s not the same pitcher as last year.

          1. Loss of velo.
            Needs more time to recover after his starts than usual.

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

  4. I don’t know if the trades made are enough or not, but this team is better than the one from a week ago, and it was already a good team, now is not the time to worry, LA has had very good teams, it has had the best teams and nothing, none, nobody can secure a championship. Let’s give them a chance and enjoy the ride, this isn’t over yet!

  5. Who knows how this season plays out. If Dodgers go to San Diego and lose4 or 3 of 4 the WEST is up for grabs! Have a feeling the Pads are about to make a run. Very disappointed with the acquisitions yesterday. I’m positive Michael Busch was hoping for a trade somewhere else, as he looks to be caught up in the Dodgers never ending minor purgatory! Looks like we’ll head into next season with another “loaded” farm system and the usual rhetoric. Would Dylan Cease have cost more than 3 top prospects? I know Friedman is a genius, so I’ll hold my tongue! Maybe Clayton is healthy. Maybe Walker makes it back. Maybe. Julio gets his sh***. together. If all three of those guys come back, we’re ok! 7 hits last night and Freddie had 4 of them! Looks like Kiki got out of the Boston doghouse and stepped pretty much into a full-time roll. Doc loves the guy, so he plays! Just not the lineup I envisioned or hoped for aft yesterday. Maybe it all works out, I sincerely hope so.

    1. Yarborough has a 3.08 ERA as a starter. He could surprise. They had a deal in place for Rodriguez, but the guy did not want to come to LA. Busch is raking at AAA. There is still a chance he gets called up if someone gets hurt, but I would bet he is on the roster September 1.

    2. Good point about poor Michael Busch…..for his sake, we should have traded him, and maybe he was part of that package to Detroit for Rodriguez.

      I do feel bad for young guys who have gone as far as they could go in the minors and just don’t seem to have a chance. Outman was fortunate we weren’t wise enough to resign Cody Bellinger long term (big grin).

      1. Bellinger had another great night as the Cubbies pounded Cincy, 20-9. He is well over .300 and now hitting with power again. He hit a ball off of the right-field scoreboard at Wrigley.

        1. He’s playing great defensively,too. He turned a double play on his knees a few games ago, very impressive. I got a good laugh out of all that talk/rumors that the Cubs were going to trade him. Lol

  6. I agree with Jorge….we are a better team now than before. I feel better with the two new starting pitchers than I do with Sheehan and Grove. I don’t have much confidence in Gonsolin so I’m hoping he can maybe go pitch one inning out of the pen. I actually think that might help him instead of pacing himself for 6 innings.

    I love Kike, so that was a huge pickup for me…have no real desire for Rosario to play SS because I think Rojas is a great fielder and I can live with his .220 bat if all the other guys are mashing as they should be.

    I’m not sure how the new Pads will be, but I suppose they have improved as well. I have a bad feeling about them rising up enough to make the playoffs, but not first place. I just hope we can at least split with them in this 4-game series coming up. We shall see….

    1. The Padres got two guys, Cooper and Choi, to fill one hole, 1B. They both also might rotate at DH. Neither scares me. Hill is 43 and a sub .500 pitcher. He is rotation depth and a replacement for Ryan Weathers, who they sent to Miami. The one that concerns me is them getting Barlow from the Royals. He was the one relief pitcher I was hoping they might pick up. He has 14 saves for a last place team. He is the right-handed option to Hader.

    2. TM, try to dismiss that bad feeling by not “decreing” it.
      If I remember correctly, you previously had another one and I also remember that it materialized.

  7. Lynn’s pitching performance didn’t inspire me with a great deal of confidence. Yes, he went seven innings but the three solo HR’s to a bad hitting team is of concern. I guess if he can limit runs allowed to solo HR’s he might be serviceable, but HR’s with runners on board will continue his ML leading era and HR’s allowed.

    He gave the BP a bit of a breather, but the Dodgers will go as far as CK and Julio can take them. TG is not a difference maker, Miller is a rookie who might be up and down with his starts and Sheehan is a question mark with his two pitch mix.

    Would have liked the FO to acquire Giolito, Montgomery or Flaherty but it takes both sides of a trade to match up and apparently we didn’t have the pieces to match up or the FO was reluctant to part with certain talent desired by others. Love our offense and BP, but the SP is suspect and of concern for the pennant race and post season.

  8. Lynn relies too much on his fastball and it’s not that great. His success depends on increasing his off speed stuff and locating it. I thought Sheehan’s off speed stuff looked much better last start and that’s the key for him. Our season depends on Kersh being healthy and Urias and Gonsolin returning to form. Maybe Pepiot surprises us. I like him. And Miller looks like bulldog 2. I’m hopeful. Atlanta could pull an us from last year and give us a chance. Never know.

    1. I thought his pitch mix was interesting. Dodgers must have told him to focus on FB/Curve.

      Barely any cutter use, which was really unexpected. Maybe they are going to fiddle with his grip?

  9. Most people are incredibly disappointed and that’s understandable. They had high hopes of landing Verlander or Arenado or one of the slightly better than average pitchers available in trade. Maybe even Rodriquez.

    One of the great things about low expectations is your seldom disappointed. I never thought we were getting Arenado. That was a pipe dream. Verlander seemed too complicated, too much money and too much contract. What the Mets did somebody pointed out was historic — the term they used, underwriting those trades with millions and millions of dollars. No one has ever seen anything like it. Still, the remainder of the contracts were still expensive. The Mets? Apparently focused on 2026.

    The Dodgers got outbid by the Angels for Giolito and they apparently weren’t willing to increase the prospect package to make the deal. Maybe that’s a statement of what the Dodgers were thinking. No, we’re not doing it. We value our prospects more than your pitcher.

    Hey, I won’t disagree. I wouldn’t include Sheehan or Miller for Verlander. So did they write off the season? Is this actually a transition year?

    Well, no they are still in first and Lynn pitched seven innings last night. I think Ryan Yarbrough is interesting. Pitched well as a starter.

    I do believe the Dodgers intend to go all in on Ohtani this winter and they are the favorites to land him. They had no real interest in big contracts cluttering up the financial future. They have money coming off the books and lots of it. They have Walker Buehler back, Miller, Sheehan and more coming up.

    No one is quite certain what Kershaw (I hope he’s back) will do and Urias may leave as a free agent or he could return on a short term deal to rebuild his value.

    But the Dodgers seemed primed for next season. They can create a pretty good hybrid version of a six man pitching staff.

    As for now, they really need Urias and Gonsolin to pitch better, Kershaw to come back healthy.

    They would seem to have enough to win the division. The rest is a crapshoot.

    1. Report this morning is that the cracked fingernail that was bothering Urias is good enough for him to make his start on Thursday. Kersh is also very close to coming back. Martinez reported he feels much better and could be back at DH tonight. I don’t see why guys are complaining so much about Lynn giving up three solo shots. Kersh does that a lot. At least when Lynn gave them up, it was late in the game, and they had a lead. He also had something Dodger pitchers have not done very well. He shut them down after the team scored four. Overall, his outing was a B-plus at least. And the guy brings fire out there. He has a passion not many of our pitchers do. Smith had the Golden Sombrero last night. He has not hit well for over a week. They still have a strong and deep lineup. If Muncy can make a little more contact, they will be pretty formidable.

      1. Smith is a concern for sure, going from being near the best at putting the bat on the ball to the worst. We need him to come out of his slump to have our 1-4 return to the best that’s out there.

  10. Jorge Alfaro was released, i understand he doesn’t hit, well, Barnes doesn’t hit either, but at least Alfaro is a much better defensive catcher, he could be a good option, what’s the worst that could happen?

    1. Actually, Barnes is a great defensive catcher with a weak arm. Alfaro has a better arm but his defense is questionable, although he is a better hitter than Barnes. Bob Melvin did not want him because of that.

  11. Can someone enlighten me here…..I thought LA was on Rodriguez’ no trade list. Which tells me he didn’t want to play on a west coast team. So why did LA invest so much time and effort to acquire him, knowing he didn’t want to play for them?

    1. Lynn had LA on his no trade list as well. But he waived it. You would think any professional player would want to leave a losing team and have a chance to play for a winner. Rodriguez clearly has some issues.

      1. He has a World Championship Ring. Maybe there are some family circumstances we don’t know about. At any rate, maybe he is happy just the way he is.

    2. Most player will waive their No Trade Clause to go to a winner.

      E-Rod did not want to go to the West Coast. I heard that all of his no-trade teams were West Coast teams.

      It’s his choice.

    3. This has been covered in the press. While Rodriguez never said he would waive his right, his agent and the Tigers’ execs didn’t think it would be an issue until it was.

    4. They might have been under the impression, as maybe the Tigers were, that he would waive the no-trade. My thinking is that neither the Dodgers, who couldn’t anyway, or the Tigers, went to his agents and said, hey, LA wants him badly, will he waive his no-trade? The deal was announced right at about an hour before the deadline. He had 9 other teams on that list. LA had little time to pivot. They pivoted first to the White Sox to see if they would move Cease. At that point, the Sox were listening to offers. But the price was very high.

  12. On the fingers crossed list is is injuries. Kershaw? JDM? Smith-4Ks from his first game back from ‘minor’ injury.

  13. Miguel Vargas was 1-4 with his 5th HR since his demotion. He drove in the only two runs of the game for OKC. BA – .313/OPS – 1.022.

    Pepiot – 4 IP/3 H/1 ER/4 Ks

    Gus Varland ERA – 2.15

  14. There’s a difference between intellectual and smart. A plumber is smart, they know how to do a skilled and effective job on the task at hand. Intellectualism isn’t about practical results, it’s a passion for exploring what others have said, though this approach is sometimes misused to make others feel uninformed or to stall.

    If you want to know what the scholars have written, ask an intellectual. And if you’ve got a problem worth solving, it might pay to ask a smart person. Dylan Hernandez is certainly not an intellectual and he is absolutely not a smart person. Here is what he says about the Dodger today:

    https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-08-02/dodgers-trade-deadline-hernandez

    It will be funny if the Dodgers get to the World Series and while they’re not the favorites, I would not bet against them!

    Add Plaschke to the list of Naysayers:

    https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-08-01/column-trade-deadline-debacle-dodgers-andrew-friedman-fail-to-improve-starting-pitching

    Hernandez and Plaschke need a lethal dose of Dumbass Vaccine!

    2. There is a term used in finance called “prevailing bias”. A prevailing bias is a belief that is universally accepted as fact, with little or no challenge. Often, the belief was, at a time in the past, correct. The problem is, things change. And if you don’t consistently challenge a belief, you’ll be blind when the underlying fundamentals change and that belief is no longer supported by facts.

      This was the basis of the Great Recession. “The real estate market is regional. Prices can’t go down across the country, at the same time. Diversified pools of mortgages are as safe as treasury bonds”. That was true for two decades. Until it wasn’t. But it was so engrained in the thinking of the markets that it was almost laughable to challenge that belief. And that prevailing bias nearly destroyed our economy.

      When I read those two Times articles all I see is a massive prevailing bias. That spending big on dope fiend free agent contracts and unloading your minor league system for shiny new players is the key to success. When all the evidence, right in front of their eyes, says otherwise.

      The Mets resigned all their players last year. Locked them in long term. Went out and got two aces. On paper, they were the powerhouse of the NL East. They are currently 19 games out of first place. They had to eat a kings ransom to get out from under two contracts and acquire some minor league talent. Full sell mode. They have basically completely pivoted and have all but given up on 2024. They are now building a minor league system to compete in 2025. It’s seems like Cohen has recognized the prevailing bias. I could go on and on about the Padres. The biggest buyers in MLB in the last year. Loaded up. Gutted their minor league system: completely. And they sit 8.5 games out of first place.

      Braves haven’t made a huge move. Trade or free agent. They have the best record in baseball. Baltimore has been hoarding minor league talent for years. They have the second best record in baseball. The Rays, Brewers…. How many big free agents signings and mega trades have they made? Both right in the hunt.

      So when I hear these sports writers talk about a “disastrous off season” or “disastrous trade deadline” or that AF isn’t interested in winning a WS series because he’s not behaving like the Mets or Padres, well? They are completely blind to the facts directly in front of them. They are blinded by a bias that is no longer supported by evidence.

      Period.

  15. I believe that Lance Lynn will benefit from another five days around Prior, McGinnis, Kershaw, and others and will deploy his pitches differently next start. He can potentially be the best deadline pickup of any starter if you want to think about it logically and not emotionally!

    1. Logic says his MLB leading ERA and HR’s allowed, #3 in hits allowed, #6 in batters faced is a concern. Emotionally, we all want him to succeed with better sequencing, better use of his off-speed stuff, a change of scenery/coaching, pitching behind a more potent offensive club etc. but I’m from Missouri and I need to see it to start believing it.

  17. Nastrini was the only real prospect loss.

    Robertson will potentially stick as well.

  18. Personally, I did not expect them to land a big star pitcher. I would have liked to have seen Flaherty or Giolito. Cease would have been great as would Civale. But at what cost? Mets are throwing in the towel not just on this season, but 24 also. They as much as told Scherzer that as he went out of the door. Nobody in the division landed what I would call a franchise changing player. Padres addressed weaknesses. Giants did bupkis. Az added some depth. Dodgers did the same. Rosario and Kike ad depth to the bench. And neither cost much. Jury is out on Lynn, and Kelly. Most of us have never seen Yarborough pitch. I think the Dodgers have enough to win the division. I also think it is going to be a dog fight right to the end. The Dodgers biggest advantage is experience for most of the roster. Especially playoff experience. It is going to be one hell of a ride.

      1. Positional player: Didn’t want to lose Outman, DeLuca, or Busch. If we had to lose one of them, I was okay losing Vargas (sorry Mark).

        Pitcher: I also was okay losing Stone or Grove…..not Pepiot, Knack, or Miller.

  19. To me who the Dodgers called aboard feels like they’re an addition of some needed grit. They appear they want to be part of this thing that are the Dodgers. I feel a new energy and I welcome the returns. Fun times ahead, This is a team to cheer for.

  20. “I believe that Friedman did very well at managing the trade deadline. He tried to get the high profile players, but refused to overpay and gut the farm system in the process. Thank goodness he doesn’t consult the chat rooms when contemplating a trade. The acquisitions he made all seem to be solid players, and it was done without hurting the farm. Kike and Lynn came through well last night.

  21. Is there like a statute of limitations on how long some posters here get to whine about what they think should have been and act like somebody stole their crayons? Can we now move on to baseball on the field?
    Last night’s game was fun. I think Lance Lynn did a great job. I love his mound presence. I think he did exactly what Syndergaard couldn’t to. Except for a few instances, he stays out of the middle of the plate. I guess we already have him featuring more breaking balls and different sequencing. I’ll take what he did last night every outing. 7 strong, 93 pitches, 7 K’s, 3 earned and 1 BASE on BALLS. I’ll live with the 3 solo homers. Seems to me exactly what we needed without all the $ and fanfare.
    Once again Mookie and Freddie carried the club. They were 6 for 10 with a homer, 2 doubles and an SB. They’re pretty good. the rest of the order 1 for 23.
    That’s where I’d focus my attention instead what pitcher we didn’t get.
    When can we expect all the sobbing about what didn’t happen to die down and we can continue to try to win the Division? I think we are in good shape.

    1. Is there like a statute of limitations on how long some posters here get to whine about what they think should have been and act like somebody stole their crayons?

      Clinical insanity, psychosis, and being neurotic or psychotic cannot be cured at this time.

      1. Maybe Crayons is all a person has. Look at what happened when somebody took Terrible Tommy’s pencils. All Tommy wanted to do was draw.

          1. Lol….I bet many here do not know what you are talking about here…well, at least guys under 60. Which I’m not…so I know! Haha

    3. Phil, did you watch the game? He made a couple of pitches there in the seventh inning to the last hitter he faced, who he struck out, that just moved so much. A tailing cutter that must have broke at least 8 inches, and a rising fastball that did the same. Looked like a reverse curve at velocity. Umpire last night was again erratic. Called more than a few pitches low in the zone strikes. Gelof hit a homer. On the same night, his kid brother, now a Dodger prospect, hit one for his AZ developmental team.

      1. I did watch every pitch, Bear. I won’t comment on a game based on the box score. I comment on what I watch.
        I’m with you and thought Lynn’s stuff had terrific life. It’s easy anymore to get caught up with below average velo, which is now 92 – 93, and wonder if it can play. But, as you know, that can work if it moves and stays on the edges. That’s what Lynn did.
        You’re also right about Ryan Addison behind the dish. He was horseshit. My book on the guy was (yes, I keep a book on the umpires) “Flips coins. Very inconsistent zone. Just Misses pitches all over. No pattern. missed 17 pitches in one recent game”. I thought Lynn showed the maturity you would expect from a veteran while he got pinched on the corners that he need to be effective. He just stayed the course and picked away.
        I thought he was great. But I guess he isn’t Scherzer of Verlander or Rodriquez who my be geographically challenged like A-Rod was when he went to Cincinnati.

        1. I loved his demeanor. He was so fired up when he struck out that last hitter. Cursing at himself and all, He must love the Dodger D though. They made some good plays behind him.

    4. Love your comments Phil!
      And hopefully Lance Lynn continues to put up old school performances like last night. But he did pitch against the worst team in baseball and give up 3 HR. And even Noah pitched well in his debut with Cleveland. Let’s see how Lynn performs in a few more starts and maybe Friedman will be earn his genius label again.
      I understand that the team needs to move forward but fans are also allowed to assess the front office performance.
      My initial assessment is they failed to get a top starter when their rotation just put up the worst pitching month in LA Dodger history!
      There were at least 10 better options in addition to Lynn to fit in the rotation and Dodgers didn’t get one of them. Instead they kept 28 of their top 30 prospects.
      And Friedman did a poor job last trade deadline as well with his main acquisition of Joey Gallo.
      I hope the Dodgers can battle and hold onto the division title. And maybe Kershaw, Julio, Gonsolin and Buehler will regain health and effectiveness.
      But IMO, Friedman left little room for injury or setback by not getting a better addition to the rotation.

    5. 100% with you, Phil.

      It was a good game. And one of those solo home runs was on a good pitch. Fastball high and tight, right on the corner. Batter just turned on it. That’s a called strike or swing and miss 95% of the time.

  22. OK. I agree lets leave the ‘trade deadline’ in the rearview mirror and concentrate on the next two months a get ready for playoffs. A good start would be sweeping this terrible Oakland team

    1. Yes, they need to sweep the A’s. Giants stayed 2.5 back and AZ lost a game in the standings. Giants and Az have played 3 more games than the Dodgers. Dodgers at 105 SF and Az at 108. Who gets sent down when they activate Yarborough>????

  23. Barnes ,and Kiki becomes the backup catcher! Funny huh? Getting on a plane tomorrow for New Hampshire wearing dodger blue! In-laws are Red Sox fans! Have a lotta fun with them! (Despise Cora) go Dodgers!

    1. Should have waited until the Dodgers are in town….

      My son played up in NH the past 2 summers…

  24. Wow, that Gelof dude for Oak/LV looks legit.

    God willing, his brother has similar talent and progression to the bigs. We have an opening at 3b waiting for him.

  25. For all that wanted Giolito:
    Gave up 9 ER in 3.3 innings vs the Braves today. Got hit like a rented mule.Literally.Lol

    Braves definetely are the team to beat this season.

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

      1. Lol is indeed what I’m doing….big smile on face today seeing Lucas Gioloto lay another egg in ATLANTA today. He stunk in his first game he pitched for the Angels as well.

        Of course, no disgrace getting pummeled by the mighty Braves, but if you can only go 3+ innings and give up 9 runs, that does not make me feel warm and fuzzy about him in the playoffs. I doubt Verlander would do that.

        So, like many said…there really many solid great pitchers out there to trade for. We all know V and Scherzer were the best two options. Everyone else….hold your breath and at times, close your eyes.

    2. I have a lot of friends who are Angel fans and this whole thing isn’t going to end well for them.

      Zero chance of resigning Ohtani if they miss the playoffs. So they literally have gone all in a what might be a 15% to make the playoffs. Gutted their already poor minor league system. The strength they had was in their pitches in the lower levels. Several were moved. Along with their best position player. All to up the odds of resigning Ohtani from 0% to maybe 10%.

      Arte is literally gambling at this point. If Ohtani walks they will be a 75-80 win team for years.

  26. Just keep winning games and series and stay slotted in the #2 seed. Sure would be nice to get Pepiot built up, could be a big weapon.

    1. That’s from a month and a half ago!

      Here is a much more current article:
      https://www.truebluela.com/2023/8/2/23814655/tony-gonsolin-down-year

      That writes:
      His pitch velocity has also not seen a drop that would cause this kind of regression is his numbers…With all that considered though there are three numbers to me that explain his fall off in 2023:

      1. Over the last three seasons his whiff percentage has gone from 29.7, to 26.9 and all the way down to 21 percent this season.
      2. His chase contact rate in 2021 it was 46.2 percent, and in 2022 it was 51.3 percent. This year, it’s 63.8 percent, a number that’s 5.7 percent higher than league average.
      3. Gonsolin’s zone contact rate last season was 81.6 percent, this year it’s 86.7. So essentially, Gonsolin is missing fewer bats in 2023 which is an indicator that his stuff isn’t nearly as good

      1. His velo has dropped for 3 years now.
        https://ladodgerchronicles.com/the-curious-case-of-tony-gonsolin/

        Not surprising his whiff percentage has gone down over the same time frame, his chase contact on the rise and his zone contact rate on an all time high.
        Less velo usually leads to less whiff and more contact.
        You can get away with a mistake more often or easier when you throw high 90s than low 90s.

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

  28. It’s not the velocity. It’s the Pitch Movement!

    According to Baseball Savant, here are the averages of Tony Gonsolin’s fastball over the years:

    2019 – 93.6 MPH
    2020 – 95.1 MPH (anomaly – short season)
    2021 – 93.8 MPH
    2022 – 93.8 MPH
    2023 – 92.5 MPH

    So, he is down 1.3 MPH over past years. That is not a lot. But Wait!

    In his last three outings, the announcers and Doc have said that he has experienced an “uptick” in his velocity, so I went back and counted the pitches in his last start. Here is what I found:

    21 pitches over 93 MPH
    6 Pitches over 94 MPH
    3 Pitches over 95 MPH

    I think it is either his mechanics, release point, grip, or the space between his ears. Maybe all three!

    If you go here you can see he has less movement:

    https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/tony-gonsolin-664062?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb

    1. Yes.

      “I think it is either his mechanics, release point, grip, or the space between his ears. Maybe all three!”

    1. No kidding Cassidy. What a difference maker. Honestly, some folks were just grouping at straws. If you’re not making dumb moves you ain’t trying to get better.
      I watched Giolito a lot and he’s okay. But I never saw him as any kind of difference maker that would dictate giving up much.

  30. Time out to Ponder this….

    1. Mookie
    2. Seager
    3. Freddie
    4. Bellinger
    5. JDM
    6. Will Smith
    7. Max Muncy
    8. Perralta/ Kike
    9. James Outman

    1. I was thinking the same thing, but would Cody have ever changed and been what he is now? We will never know, but I doubt it. He is a different hitter now.

      Seager was just too costly.

    2. What a lineup !
      You could also put in Justin Turner and/or Gavin Lux at 8th spot.

  31. 10:10 PM ET

    Athletics (30-78)
    Dodgers (60-45)

    SPHogan Harris L
    2-5 6.07 ERA
    SPTony Gonsolin R
    5-4 4.25 ERA

    Confirmed Lineup
    RF Mookie Betts R
    1B F. Freeman L
    C Will Smith R
    2B Amed Rosario R
    3B Max Muncy L
    DH Chris Taylor R
    CF James Outman L
    LF E. Hernandez R
    SS Miguel Rojas R

    76° Wind 11 mph Out

  32. Tuesday scores
    Round Rock 4, Oklahoma City 2
    Wichita 3, Tulsa 1
    Fort Wayne 10, Great Lakes 5
    Fresno 2, Rancho Cucamonga 1

    Wednesday schedule
    4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Ronan Kopp) at Fort Wayne (Henry Henry)
    5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Mike Montgomery) vs. Round Rock (Owen White)
    5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Orlando Ortiz-Mayr) at Wichita (Pierson Ohl)
    6:50 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Gabe Emmett) at Fresno (Mason Albright)

  33. Seager looks just like Jamie on blue bloods! Love that show! Grandsons first birthday this weekend, so had to come to New Hampshire this weekend. Hope to come up to Boston soon and watch Dodgers. Love your takes Mark, agree with 95%, but can’t agree about Barnes be a great defender behind the plate. Never had impressed me . BUT, I will say he is better than Grandal any day! He’s not the worst of last 5-6 years. Gary Sanchez anyone? That Gary! He’s Scary! As tha absolutely horrible John Sterling used to say! Should be fun watching Doc figure out pitching rotation! Any many miny mo. Yarbrough, Sheehan, Miller, Clayton, Julio,Tony, Lynn, and Grove! Have fun Doc!

    1. I’ve always wanted to check out New Hampshire and neighboring states. The goal is to really explore Portland ,Maine, and see how it is!

      1. I also highly recommend Newport, Rhode Island.

        Tour the mansions from “The Gilded Age” on a motor scooter and eat Lobster on the ocean. Stay at the Newport Harbor Hotel – It is awesome. They also have some great boats. My wife and I went there several years ago and had a blast. If you are on the East Coast, you have to go here. My son-in-law (a big Red Sox Fan) is from there.

        newport

    1. Man Liam can’t get a break. The poor guy just celebrated April 20th with his first pitching since beating non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Now TJ. Sorry to hear this.

    2. We rarely use our prospects though….when will DeLuca or Busch, let alone Vargas, ever see the field again? How about our 4 catchers in the minors? When do they get to play?

  36. Anxiously waiting for the Ryan Yarbrough Era to start!
    Seriously, I am. My 13-year-old son, the crafty southpaw, needs some more modest-velocity role models.
    While there was no big-name acquisition, I still think this first-place team has improved its chances for the stretch run and postseason.
    Why? For starters, Lynn is a lot better than his ERA suggests. His career, while not in the Scherzer/Verlander stratosphere, is better that Giolito’s and Rodriguez’s. He’s a few years older that those guys–and a few years younger than S/V–but could be just a few tweaks from being his not-so-old self. (The more Giolito pitches for Anaheim, the more I prefer Lynn.)
    I choose to be optimistic about Kershaw, Miller, Urias, Gonsolin, Sheehan and Yarbrough. And Brandon Gomes suggests that Buhler really could be back in September. That could be a big boost.
    I am saving my pessimism for the position behind the plate.
    Will Smith needs to stay healthy to he can play. But the more he plays, the more chance he has of getting hurt.

    1. Lynn is going to give up his fair share of long balls. However, he was able to limit the amount of runs allowed by keeping base on balls to a minimum. As long as he can keep the free passes in check, he is going to be fine.

  37. Maine is a beautiful state, Portland a wonderful city. The Portland Sea Dogs play there. Their a double A
    affiliate of the Red Sox.

  38. Good on Outman putting the ball in play with 2 strikes and hustling up the line to score another run.

  39. Watched Montgomery pitch for OKC today. Looks like he is rounding into form. Devastating breaking stuff. He has up until today pitched only around 40 innings. He could make an emergency start or two. They were lamenting the loss of Devin Mann on the broadcast. Busch with another bomb tonight, #19. Ward has one too. Got news late this afternoon that one of our picking on the porch members had passed away this morning. One of my favorite people. Del played bass and was a native Coloradan. He loved his country music. At one time he was the mayor of the little town of Williamsburg which is about 8 miles southeast of me. RIP Del.

  42. Looky looky who just got his first dinger! Finally! And Freddie is just out of his mind right now! Baseballs best bargain!

  44. Oh by the way. Wasnt there people that said. No, we shouldn’t get Amed Rosorio. And guess what home run tonite. Now what you think. And now Migel Rojas home run tonite in the same game oh my the shortstop and the second baseman both hit home runs tonite for the dodgers. Has that happened yet this year? Bear just loves when I bring up Rosorio and being a Dodger now.

  48. Still a long way from the playoffs, but as of now, it is up-for-grabs as to who will be this team’s 3rd playoff SP after witnessing Gonsolin’s shaky performance tonight.

    Lynn, Miller, Pepiot, Sheehan, “committee?”

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