Miguel Rojas: An MVP in his own right

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1. As far a HFA goes….Ill pass. 2021 we had HFA and lost to ATL….

   Let ATL battle it out again with Philly..

2. Snell will be in high demand in offseason. Mark, do you think Friedman Will seriously make him a priority, especially if Clayton retires? Unless he goes back to the American League. I think now they should make him a priority. I know earlier I said no, but he pretty much dominates the Dodgers, so unless he goes to A L, sign him. Michael Bush player of the Year! Now what? Left field, 2nd base, 3rd, What? Either play him like they have done with Outman or package him in a trade for Arenado! The kid has nothing left to prove in the minors. Mookie is not winning the MVP award. In my eyes yes, but the whole baseball world wants Ronald! I’m sure Mookie would rather have a World Series trophy anyway. Was watching some of the Braves game last night, Travis d’Arnaud could have been a keeper for the Dodgers. Oh well, we got Barnsie!

   1. d”Arnaud was a Dodger exactly one week. He had one at bat, was DFA’d then traded to the Rays. It took him having a decent season with the Rays and then signing with the Braves for him to be in the position he is in now. He showed none of that, well, let’s change that, he never had that opportunity in LA, and he wouldn’t have gotten it with Barnes and Smith in front of him. Snell might be on their radar this winter, but it will boil down to length of contract. And whether or not they really want the guy. AF is not going to give a pitcher his age a contract over three years. In fact, the most AF has ever given is four. Do not count Mookie out of the MVP race yet. Trade for Arenado? Highly unlikely. A. He will be 33 next season and has 4 years remaining on his deal. B. I doubt St. Louis has a replacement on hand, and Busch, despite all his talent, is no Arenado and there is no third baseman like that in their system.

3. Im glad to see love going out to Rojas. As many of you know, I have been his biggest fan here since we got him. I’ve even said multiple times, do not replace him at SS with Lux. I don’t trust the latter….I completely trust Rojas. And now that his bat is no longer a liability, maybe we could extend his contract another year.

   Another player I have supported all year-Max Muncy- has also been a whipping boy for many of you because his batting average has hovered around .200 all year. Well, do you have a problem with 35 HRs and 101 RBIs? I certainly don’t. I know many of you want him replaced with either Busch or Vargas. Seriously? Do you really think either of those two could knock in as many runs as Marvelous Max? I don’t…. combined!

   Say “Yes” to Rojas and Muncy for 2024. Oh, and while I’m at it…. say “Yes” to resigning JDM and Heyward. These guys have earned another contract.

   1. Rojas is already signed for 2024 and Dodgers have a $5M club option for 2025.

4. Dodger Magic number is 3 for a bye in the NL Wild Card round over the Brewers and will be the NL 2 seed.

   1. Perfect. We can clinch that vs SF.

5. * Very nice comeback win last night. Terrific pitching continues. Pepiot looks better and better and it’s nice to see him stretched out to 97 pitches. And Max got the walk-off knock.
   * Like TM, I’ve been a fan of Rojas from the beginning, watching his actions at short. Nice shout out by Mark. I can be very happy with a contact hitter in the 9 hole who can hit .240, with his defensive chops. Did you see his play in the hole on Cabrera?
   * Have you noticed how he is always part of a Smith or Barnes mound visit? Even with Kershaw on the mound. That’s a pretty bold thing to do as a newcomer. That says a lot about his leadership and comfort with the team. He seems to always leave with something positive with the pitcher. I would keep him at short and find something else for Lux to do. Yes, you can lose your job due to an injury. Just ask Wally Pipp.
   * I thought Jessica Mendoza had a nice game in the booth. No irritating long rambles. She really does know hitting. If you are a world class fast pitch softball hitter, you know what you’re doing. It isn’t slow-pitch. It’s contact on 70 mph heaters, frequently rising, from the best in the world. That’s the MLB distant equivalent of 100.
   * She and Joe did miss one call on the safety squeeze in the 7th by Detroit. I liked the attempt to add on a run. She blamed the failure on the bunter, Zach Short. That’s partially true. It was a bunt right back to the pitcher. Actually the major fault was the runner at third, Baddoo. That runner’s job is to read the bunt. He’s not automatically breaking to home like a suicide. He reads the bunt and runs or stays. He ran. And it was a bad choice. It’s indefensible with a bunt anywhere but right back to the pitcher and a good read by the runner.
   * The Tigers have 2 big league names in Short and Baddoo. I could have a field day with those names.
   * Really neat to see the personal side of Brusdar and the emotions between he and his mom. Cool story and touching moment.

6. As far as Verdugo is concerned, maybe the saying, nothing to see here is appropriate. Yes, he can hit, and play defense, but didn’t the Red Sox bench him twice for issues involving attitude?

   What about Blake Snell? Maybe the Dodgers pursue him or maybe not. I’m not getting a read on that. Since the injury, I’m not quite sure the Dodgers will pursue Ohtani, who just had surgery and won’t pitch again until 2025. There was a story the other day that the Dodgers will indeed pursue Ohtani this winter. But so will the Giants, Mets, Angels and Red Sox, maybe even the Mariners.

   But the Dodgers have proven again that they can rule the west using a variety of approaches. If they win the World Series this fall and there is a good possibility that can happen if they play up and get a little luck.

   But if that doesn’t happen, back to the drawing board. Before the Dodgers can be considered “great” they need to win it all, two or three times in the next five or six years. Otherwise, you have Stan Kasten’s Braves.

   After all, talk with a Giants fan and they are quick to point out they won three World Series championships and the Dodgers only won one. Although I would rather be good every year than pointing to past championships, Parades are important.

   Would signing Snell make a difference, moving forward? If he stayed healthy and pitched in the playoffs like he often does against the Dodgers, well yes, they should definitely pursue him.

   As to Ohtani. Brings additional revenue streams wherever he goes, and he’s a great hitter, but offers less certainty as a pitcher. Plus there is the massive contract, minus the additional revenue.

   Since the Angels didn’t trade him because they wanted the approximately 22 million dollars over the prospects the trade would bring and now considering the Angels have said they want him back, maybe the money stuff works.

   As for Max Muncy, yes he hits homeruns and drives in runs, he still to needs to hit for a higher average, he has admitted that, simply strikes out too much with runners in scoring position. But I think the Dodgers bring him back and hope the average climbs.

   Then there is Rojas. The glove plays big, but he’s also had a lot of clutch hits.

   1. I keep hearing that Ohtani will bring additional revenue, but how much? Is he going to help the Dodgers lead the league in attendance? They already do! Jersey sales do not all go to the team – it is split up several ways.

      1. I agree on the additional revenue issue. A team like the Angels have had years of very good attendance and years with relatively poor. Ohtani did sell a lot more tickets for the Angels, despite never making the playoffs in any year he was with the team. The Angels have only had one other marketable star in Trout in that time. So I’m sure Ohtani did bring in a lot of additional local marketing revenue.

         The Dodgers aren’t the Angels. They already have two bonafide super stars to market locally for in stadium advertising. They lead the league in attendance and have a great TV audience. The Dodgers have likely already nearly maxed out there in market advertising revenue. The additional audience from Japan would likely bring in some additional add dollars from Japanese companies buying sponsorships but it would likely be minimal, compared to the impact Ohtani had on the Angels.

         I keep hearing numbers like $20m thrown around. I don’t buy that. Not for the Dodgers. Maybe Seattle or SF, but the Dodgers are already the second most marketable franchise in baseball, lead the league in attendance and are at the top in terms of tv viewership. Ohtani as a marketing asset is worth much more to teams in smaller markets. And those whose’s TV deals are nearing time for renewal. Ohtani would be excellent leverage in negotiating a new TV deal. That’s not the Dodgers.

      2. The Angels said that trading Ohtani would cost them more than $20 million for the remainder of the season. I assume that includes ticket sales, merchandise, sponsorship and advertising.

         It would not be that much for the Dodgers since they already sell more tickets than other teams.

         That brings us back to new revenue streams, which mostly comes from Japan. The best guess or estimate I’ve seen is somewhere between 20-22 million. That comes from sponsorship, marketing and advertising dollars, all directly tied to Ohtani.

         Maybe the Dodgers enhance that amount simply because they are far more sophisticated than other organizations.

         The Times and sports business experts have addressed these revenue streams, which are unique to Ohtani. Obviously, he is a major celebrity in Japan and the Japanese interest is leading to additional revenue streams on an unprecedented level.

         Whichever team signs Ohtani will benefit from new revenue.

         I’m sure the Dodgers have estimates and projections regarding potential Ohtani revenue, plus what he would add to the club’s offense.

         We are in uncharted territory.

         1. Yes, we are in uncharted terriitory. MLB is promoting baseball globally, and Ohtani is the biggest international star in the game. If the Dodgers can profit from TV revenues in Asia, why wouldn’t they pursue it? Marrying the Dodger global brand to the Ohtani global brand could be a win-win. Ohtani wants to win, and the Dodgers check that box and others.
            Ohtani’s injury has lowered his pricetag, but he looms as the best bat on the market, with Belli probably second. Belli’s having a terrific year–but look up his numbers and compare them to Ohtani. Yes, Belli adds value with his glove, but Ohtani will add value with his arm in 2025.
            Is that guaranteed? No. Is it likely? Absolutely. The Dodgers certainly have faith in medical science and Dr. Attrache in particular. (Remember how AF signed Tommy Kahnle to a two-year deal knowing he couldn’t pitch during the first year. Made no sense to me, but it did to AF.)
            Just for the sake of discussion, let’s say Ohtani’s injury has dropped his pricetag to something like $400 million for 10 years. Still very hefty, but not radically out of line with other megacontracts.
            Could the Dodgers do better spreading that $$$ over three or four or more players?
            Perhaps they could. Perhaps they could field a better baseball team.
            But could they produce a better entertainment product? I’m not so sure.
            Even hurt, even as a DH, Ohtani is a superstar, and the prospect of him returning to two-say superstar status is exciting.
            I think the Dodgers are probably in on Ohtani, but perhaps not. At any rate, I really like the idea of a batting order that starts Mookie, Freddie, Shohei….
            On another matter, yes, Miguel Rojas has really had a fine season, especially with the glove. His bat has come alive at the right time.
            On still another matter, I don’t know why Mark keeps insisting that some people here were predicting that the Dodgers would be a .500 team. I don’t recall that at all.
            I do recall a common view: that the Padres would be really, really good and might beat the Dodgers. That didn’t happen. Some other predictions also did not come true, such as Vargas competing for ROY.
            I’m still dumbfounded that Mark would be willing to trade Miguelito and two other top prospects for Alex Verdugo.

7. I just don’t see AF signing Snell he’s a Boras client. The only Boras client AF signed was Martinez and he wanted to reunite with Van Scoyoc. I think Aaron Nola is more likely than Snell. I personally would prefer Nola over Snell. I would hope Heyward and Martinez would be resigned. I just don’t see Martinez coming back he’s probably going to want a 3 or 4 year deal.

   1. I think Nola is a Tommy John waiting to happen. I am frankly surprised it has not happened. There are a lot of baseball people who think the same thing.

      Snell has had TJ, and I think you could get 3 good years from him. I also think the Dodgers would make him better. He may want to win a Championship or two and might sign a three year/$150 Million deal with the Dodgers.

      It’s worth thinking about.

      1. No pitcher is worth 50 mil a year. 3/100 maybe, no way AF gives that guy 50 mil a year.

      2. Any pitcher is a candidate for Tommy John now days. Nola went 6 strong innings against the Braves today.

         1. I would take Nola over Snell.

8. I agree that in the very unlikely event the Dodgers got Verdugo back he’d be on his best behavior. But for how long?

   The veterans with the influence to keep him on the straight and narrow will not always be there. Kersh, J-Hey, Peralta, Rojas and others may/may not be there or in some cases he may not have enough regard for them to care about their opinions.

   Anyway it likely won’t happen and that MIGHT be too bad because he certainly does have talent when he’s motivated to utilize it to its highest degree.

9. Following up on yesterday’s conversation of manager of the year.

   Of the teams that will make it to the playoffs or have a good chance at making it to the playoffs in the National League, here are the 1 run game records and run differential as of today.

   Marlins 31-13: 18 above .500: Run differential -37

   Brewers 27-17: 10 above .500: Run differential +58

   Reds 34-26: 8 above .500: Run differential -45

   Braves 21-15: 6 above .500: Run differential +219

   Giants 23-18: 5 above .500: Run differential -18

   Dbacks 21-19: 2 above .500: Run differential -22

   Phillies 24-22: 2 above .500: Run differential +72

   Dodgers 15-14: 1 above .500: Run differential +191

   Cubs 20-21: 1 below .500: Run differential +99

   Of the above teams which ones were expected or somewhat expected to make the playoffs and which not?

   Normally the managers of the 2 World Series teams win manager of the year.

   Of course the season hasn’t ended yet.

   Does any of this matter in the discussion for manager of the year? You make the call.

   I have no opinion.

   1. The voting for Manager of the Year takes place before the Post-Season.

      1. I stand corrected. My fault.

         Does it happen after the regular season concludes and before the playoffs?

         1. Yes

10. As for Max and his 35 homers and 100 RBIs. He bats behind Mookie, Freddie and Will. So Ok maybe we can’t replace 35 homers, but what if someone had 20 homers and batted .280 in that slot, maybe they still have 100 RBIs. And bat Max 6th. Who knows. But like when we stuck with Cody for 2 years when he was the worst hitter in baseball. In the end we win the division and it doesn’t matter. Until it does I guess.

    1. Yes, batting order matters. The RBI is really not as important as Runs Scored–but the “Triple Crown” honors the RBI. For that matter, it honors old-school BA too–but OPS is clearly a better measure of offense. But yes, Max has knocked in Mookie and Freddie a lot this year.
       So why not give him credit for it?
       Max has more RBIs this year than he has ever had before.
       He has more RBIs than Freddie even though Freddie is hitting more than 100 points higher and has had about 150 more plate appearances than Max. How many more HRs and RBIs would Max have if he had played in 150 games like Freddie, and not just 126?

11. Mark, as you know I’ve often voiced an unpopular opinion here and just about anywhere else. But I choose to own the many things I’m wrong about. I did include my disliking of Verdugo could be more of me than of him and it has nothing to do with the talent he has. These past few days I’ve been issued a lifetimes worth of glacial indignation matched by pain there’s no getting used to. I don’t have many nice things to say about anything.

    1. https://tinybuddha.com/blog/8-tips-to-feel-at-peace-with-yourself/

12. I have a brother-in-law that is a huge Red Sox’s fan. After the trade he called me and asked about Verdugo. I told him if he liked James Loney, he’d like Verdugo as a player. He will hit anywhere from .280 to .315, have about 15 home runs and is a good fielder. I told him his attitude is questionable hopefully he matures as a person as he matures as a player.

    I remember reading when Verdugo and Greinke were with the Dodgers, Greinke threw Verdugo’s stuff off the bus because he was always late.

    Personally, I wouldn’t give up a lot for Verdugo. I heard he’s wore out his welcome in Boston and we may be able to get him cheap.

    1. Exactly!

       But, I thought it was Puig’s stuff he threw off the bus.

       1. I believe it was Puig.

          1. It was Puig, Greinke was long gone by the time Verdugo arrived.

13. Sometimes, I am ashamed to be of the same species:

    Their dog took a lady’s sandwich, so she tried to stab the dog and missed… stabbing the baby instead!

14. Mark as usual I believe you are correct on Puig. My bad

15. I am neutral on Verdugo. He can hit, he is a decent fielder, but for a guy who is 27 years old, he still acts like a street punk. I would not give up more than one player for him. Maybe he straightens out, and maybe he doesn’t. But he is a lefty hitter with not much power. We have some of those already. If they want to bring Heyward back, he is not needed. Do you want him blocking someone like DeLuca from making the roster? I think not.

16. So what happens with Michael Bush? Anyone care to speculate? I’d JD wants to come back , do they? Or do they sign Ohtani and cross their fingers that he can pitch in 25? It look as if Max will be back next year. Lot of DH possibilities

    1. Opening day 3b in 2024 with Muncy DH.

17. ATL loses again….

18. Alex Verdugo appears to be a punk. He was a problem when he was a Dodger, and his performance was OK – not great.

    He hasn’t changed his stripes with the Sox. Here is part of an article from last month:

    “Two weeks ago, Red Sox right fielder Alex Verdugo was benched by manager Alex Cora for allegedly arriving to the park two hours before first pitch in a game against the Blue Jays. Earlier in June, Cora also benched Verdugo for his lack of hustle. Last night against the Astros, Verdugo was ejected from the game in the fourth inning for barking at home plate umpire, Pat Hoberg…

    “In 113 games this season, Verdugo is hitting .273/.341/.427/.768. He has nine home runs, 46 RBI, and is second on the Red Sox in doubles with 32 behind only Jarren Duran. Verdugo leads the team in triples with four. He also plays a great right field. Despite having respectable numbers, his maturity and leadership qualities remain in question at a time when the Red Sox need all hands on deck if they have any hopes of playing postseason baseball in 2023.”

    So his numbers are OK but not great. And he’s still a head case. The Dodgers have had other talented players over the years who proved to be more trouble than they are worth. Given that the Dodgers already know what Verdugo is about, why would they subject themselves to that on purpose?

19. 10:10 PM ET

    Tigers (70-81)
    Dodgers (93-57)

    SP Reese Olson R
    4-7 4.30 ERA
    SP Bobby Miller R
    10-3 4.02 ERA

    Confirmed Lineup
    2B Mookie Betts R
    1B F. Freeman L
    3B Max Muncy L
    DH J. Martinez R
    LF D. Peralta L
    RF J. Heyward L
    CF James Outman L
    SS Miguel Rojas R
    C A. Barnes R

    70° Wind 7 mph Out

20. The catch byOutman was beyond outstanding

21. I do love this team.

    https://youtu.be/BR676PNOens?si=Fcm1W9HnWgdyVv7P

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