The Dodgers have three position players on the AFL Roster: Yenier Fernandez, Damon Keith, and Joke (I mean Jake) Vogel. Fernandez (.276 BA, .400 OB%, .517 SLG, .917 OPS), and Damon Keith (.231 BA, .474 OPS, .782 OPS) are the only two who have played. Vogel has not. Why? I have no clue, but players are brought here to generally work on something specific. Maybe he has an injury or maybe he is just working with the coaches. Fernandez is shining, playing SS and 2B. He has not caught any games as yet, but do not forget that he has primarily been a catcher in the minors.
The Dodgers also have pitchers Ben Casparius, Ronan Kopp, Jake Pilarski, Ryan Sublette, and Kendall Williams on the roster of the Glendale Desert Dogs. On the pitching side, here are the stats of the Dodger Pitchers:
- Jake Pilarski – 0-2, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 SO
- Ryan Sublette – 0-0, 2.70 ERA, 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 SO
- Ronon Kopp – 0-0, 3.00 ERA, 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
- Kendall Williams – 1-1, 5.87 ERA, 7.2 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO
- Ben Casparius – 0-1, 10.80 ERA, 5 IP, 6 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO
Make of it what you will. Most of them are there to learn something. Fernandez is the gem of the bunch. I would expect him to start at AA next year. Whether he plays SS, 2B, or C remains to be seen. Maybe all three. Kendall Williams could be a solid back-of-the-rotation starter and Pilarski, Kopp, and Subklette could all be very good or even great bullpen pieces IF THEY CAN THROW STRIKES!
The HR Derby and the All-Star Game are November 4th and 5th and the Playoffs are the 10th and 11th.
How did the Dodgers get swept in the NLDS? | The Dodgers Debate
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ season is over, losing in the NLDS to the Arizona Diamondback. How is that possible? Los Angeles Times reporters Jack Harris and Jorge Castillo and columnist Dylan Hernandez break it down for you.
Kopp is the best prospect there, looking at least like a future bullpen arm.
Rangers 2 Trashcheetos 0. At least that series got off on the right foot. The Mexican League El Presidente said that Julio can pitch there only after his legal problems are over. I think that will be a long time down the road. I believe the Dodgers should set a deadline for Kershaw to make up his mind about next year. Last season he signed early, November 10th. I think they should need an answer by the winter meetings in case they are going to try and trade for a left-handed starter or sign a free agent. The meetings are in Nashville and scheduled for Dec 4-7.
1. Can Kershaw even be counted on at all?
2. I think he will need surgery if he is going to play.
3. I am guessing that if he plays again, it will be in 2025.
No inside information – just a guess.
Totally get that, but they still need some sort of deadline. They had to wait on the Bauer decision last winter and it hamstrung what they could do.
UPDATE ABOVE – NEW VIDEO
Thanks for reminding me why I refuse to pay for a subscription to read those idiots from a paper that went straight down hill once it went hard core left wing and Jim Murray is gone
Thanks for the video Mark.
My take away is that we do need more clutch hitters. Will Smith has a history of being a clutch hitter in the postseason and so does Cody Bellinger.
I think Mookie and certainly Freddy can come through in the clutch but for whatever reason it didn’t happen. Maybe as simple as two guys slumping at the same time.
It’s my opinion that the best position player that the Dodgers could add this offseason is Cody. I know who his agent is and that it will not be cheap, but he brings more to the team than anyone not named Ohtani. He elevates the outfield defense as Outman moves to left or platoons there. Adds his clutch bat and a bunch of Belliebombs. Plus he is/was a fan favorite.
I think Dylan Hernandez is kind of an ass.
I have faith in Andrew to continue to improve the team and I look forward to seeing how he will do it.
Outman doesn’t need to be platooned.
I’d like to see Bellinger back too. Nothing like bringing a home grown Dodger back.
Will it happen? That’s another story. How much will it cost? Like you said Borass is his agent. Didn’t he say he would like to be a Yankee? If so there’s that too. But who knows.
I guess I should explain about Outman. It was his rookie year, give him more time to get a larger sample and then go from there.
Eric, I give Outman credit, and I do hope that he improves, but it would be very easy to argue that he does need to be platooned.
You have been very vocal in saying that you do not want Miguel Rojas as a starting shortstop. Miguel Rojas has an OPS of .643 against RHP and .722 against LHP. So, he hits Lefties better than Righties. No surprise!
James Outman has a .857 OPS against RHP (23 of his HRs are against Righties). That’s really good! However, he has a .664 OPS against LHP with just one HR. He is Miguel Rojas against LHP.
If he cannot fix that, he is doomed to platoon just like JOC.
Mark. Rojas has played 10 years, he has a WAY larger sample than Outman. It would be VERY easy to argue Rojas shouldn’t be starting at all.
Like I said, it is too early in his career to platoon him with the small sample he has.
All I said was that he needed to fix it or he would be a platoon player. It sounds like we agree.
Yep I agree. Just give him some time though.
If the Dodgers made a managerial move brought in three new position players by trades or free agents. And keep either Muncy or Martiniz as the DH. Herr should be the manager not Robert’s. Bring in Orel Hershiser as manager and his bench coach Mike Scioscia or Chase Utley and Mike Scioscia or some old school Dodger here is one Rick Dempsey or Mike Matheny, he led the Cardinals for how many years. I really get tired of Robert’s when the playoffs get here. Or how about Nomar Garciaparra, Orel as pitching coach and Mike as bench coach now that would be bringing back Dodger blue attitude then the nice boy image they have now with Roberts.
Two chances of any of those becoming the Dodgers manager:
#1 Slim
#2 None
3rd choice, non-existent.
You are closer than I am. 😉
I will try to answer those suggestions in order Bradley, and please read the response carefully. Orel is perfectly happy being a broadcaster. One of the reasons he does not coach anymore is because of all the travel. Being a broadcaster gives him more time off to be home in Las Vegas. He has zero managerial experience, so he would not even be considered for the position. Chase Utley might be a great choice except for the fact he is living in London as Baseballs ambassador. He has his family with him, and they are loving it. Why would he leave for the uncertainty of a managerial position? Rick Dempsey is 74 years old and has not been on any teams coaching staff since 2006. Since then, he has been broadcasting. He hasn’t managed at any level since 1998. Mike Matheny started managing the Cardinals in 2012. He took them to one World Series, 2013 against the Red Sox and they lost. They made the post season his first four seasons as a manager, but never made it again. He was fired half-way through his 7th season. He managed the Royals from 2020 to 22. They never finished higher than 4th and he was fired after the 22 season. He is not that great of a manager and certainly not as good as Roberts. Do you realize that Roberts has a winning record in the post season? 45-33. Winning the whole thing is not that easy. But twice, 2017 and 2020, his teams won 10 or more playoff games. Yeah, I get it. Losing a series sucks, and especially the way the last two have ended. But Roberts is not getting fired or replaced anytime soon. As for Scioscia, His teams went to the playoffs once in his last 9 years as a manager. Would he be a change, most likely. But he has not managed since 2018 and has not even been mentioned as a candidate for any of the existing openings, let alone the Dodger job. He left the organization because he was passed over many years ago. As for Nomar, he is another who is perfectly happy being a broadcaster. If he had any desire to manage, he would have done that long ago. And I think the Dodgers don’t have a nice boy image. And image has zip to do with Roberts.
LA Times
Kim Ng, first female general manager, leaves Marlins for same reason Derek Jeter did
Steve Henson
Mon, October 16, 2023 at 2:07 PM EDT
One of the Giants managerial candidates is Alyssa Nakken. She is an assistant coach with the team and is thought to be the first female considered for a managerial position in the majors.
The ownership won’t spend money to improve the Marlins.
Manfred should force them to sell the team, but he is too busy moving All-Star Games and Blackballing Trevor Bauer!
Hopefully, the Rays have solved their problems, but the Marlins and Royals are big problems. Portland and Nashville and/or Montreal are possibilities as 32 teams seems just about right.
I remember a lot of posters, throughout the blogosphere, saying good luck with ever getting into the playoffs again, much less the World Series. How much money do you need, isn’t winning more important?
How do you like me now. You know who i’m talking about.
I am not sure what you are saying, but spending more money is not the path either.
Corey Seager. A lot of posters thought he should’ve taken less money to stay with the Dodgers,to have a chance to win more championships
You only get chances like that occasionally. He did the right thing.
This is the way.
This is in my office. Bluto may be the only one to get it:
And a lot of posters thought he wasn’t a shortstop and had to move to 3rd base.
Not me. I said he might move when he was 35.
Anyway I just found a copy of Marks Predictions written 12/17/22. Interesting Reading.
LuX .290- 14 HR 30 SB
Betts .290- 35 HR-18 SB
Freddie- .310-25 HR
Smith- .275-30 HR
Muncy-.255-35 HR
Martinez- .290-20 HR/ 35 doubles
VargasLF-.275-20 HR
Taylor SS-.260-18 HR 20 SB
Outman/Thompson-CF .240 25 HR
Pretty Darn good. Couldn’t know about Lux. And maybe substitute Heyward/Peralta for Vargas and Thompson and pretty spot on.
I ain’t crazy!
I did miss on Vargas… but there is always next year!
You couldn’t have known about Peralta and Heyward. so if you substitute them for Thompson and Vargas, I think its the most accurate prediction in history of MLB
Thank you. Usually, people only point out when I mess up… and I do that plenty!
Texas won. Let’s hope the Phillies do. Astros cheated in 2017 and Arizona knocked out the Dodgers.
Phils hit two bombs off of Gallen in the first inning, Schwarber and Harper. Carbon copy of his start at Dodger stadium during their last series when LA swept them beating Gallen, Kelly and Pfaadt. August 28th. He gave up a homer to Freeman, Smith singled and Muncy hit a 2-run shot. They won 7-4. The next night they scored 3 in the first off of Kelly and won 9-1. Then they beat Pfaadt 7-0 getting 4 runs in the bottom of the third. Then the Braves came in and took 3 of 4.