Well, in a couple of weeks, after the dust settles and a new Champion is crowned, if the Astro holes don’t win, we can all put on our GM caps and begin making our fantasy selections on just who the Dodgers might target via trade, free agency or dipping into the Asian free agent pool and plucking a Nipponese pitcher.
I expect some changes, maybe even one or two in the coaching ranks, and maybe the front office. Boston is looking for an exec. I believe the Mets are too. McCullough has been mentioned as a managerial candidate for a couple of teams. The Dodgers always seem to lose one that way to another organization. I myself would like to see some change in the hitting philosophy. But y’all know I am old school. I totally dislike strikeouts. Especially when players blow by 100 by July.
There will be a couple of very good starting pitchers on the market in Blake Snell and Yamamoto from Japan. There will also be a few who have had some success in the past but have fallen on tougher times lately. With Kershaw’s possible departure, and the Julio Urias debacle, LA might need a lefty. The best available is Snell. The problem is his agent. AF does not like doing business with Boras. Or at least with Bora’s high dollar clients.
He signed Martinez because he came relatively cheap. Snell is going to get major money and most likely a 5- or 6-year deal. Boras got Rodon a six-year deal with the Yankees, so I doubt he will have much trouble securing something close for Snell, who is a former Cy Young winner, something Rodon is not. And Snell will win the ERA title this year.
The one I would kick the tires on is Jordan Montgomery. He finished 4-2 for the Rangers with an ERA under 3. He is not a high strikeout guy, but he doesn’t walk a lot of hitters either. Only 48 in 188 innings. He only gave up 18 homers too. So, in almost half his starts, he did not allow a homer. He has also shown well in this postseason for the Rangers so far and pitched well enough for the Rangers to shutout Houston, 2-0 in game one of the ALCS.
The most prominent closer coming on the market is Josh Hader. Hader had 33 saves, 2 wins and 3 losses. He blew 5 saves. He gave up 3 long balls in 56 innings and struck out 85. His ERA was 1.28 and his WHIP was 1.101. He is one of the better closers in the game. But do the Dodgers want to pay him in excess of the 14 million he made last year because he is going to get more than that.
Others coming out as free agents, Will Smith, David Robertson, Craig Kimbrel and Trevor May. Daniel Hudson of the Dodgers has a 6.5 mil club option. I think they will not exercise it. There will be others as team’s non-tender players. So, the free agent list will be well over 100 players by the time of the winter meetings.
I have seen many posters saying the Dodgers need to sign a third baseman. Matt Chapman is the name mentioned the most. Arenado is who most actually want, but St. Louis does not seem to want to trade him. Me? Well, if they could swing a deal, I would take Ramirez of Cleveland. But there is a free agent who is 29 and I was impressed with his work as a Cub after he was traded to Chicago. Jemier Candelario. Candelario hit .254 and had 22 homers. He also is a very good defender.
But again, my gut feeling tells me that they are going to give their two kids a shot at everyday jobs. Busch or Vargas can play third. They both played there at OKC. Vargas and Busch also played 2nd base. So it remains to be seen whether the Dodgers pursue a trade or decide to play the kids.
I saw where Bradley had suggested that the Dodgers look at trying to get Ke’bryan Hayes from the Pirates along with Bryan Reynolds. Both would be very good acquisitions. The problem with the suggestion is that both of those guys just signed long term contracts with the Pirates. Hayes is only 27 and Reynolds 29. They both are signed for 7 more years with an option year added. Neither is all that expensive, but Pittsburgh signed those guys to be their core players over the next several years. They are not getting traded anytime soon.
There will be plenty of outfielders available once the non-tenders and outright release lists are finalized. Even old pal Joc will be free to sign wherever he wants. So far, the Giants are busy looking for a new manager. Four teams looking for those and there could be a fifth if Craig Counsell decides not to go back with the Brewers. His contract expires on the 31st of October.
So, get ready for the annual winter sleigh ride. For you guys in California and Arizona, that is a old time mode of transportation when it snows heavily. There will probably be some surprises in store. There always are. But come next February, we will have a much better idea of who is going to be at Camelback Ranch than we do now.
Dodgers need a second baseman that is consistent in hitting a third baseman that can also hit and play the field a Leftfielder that can pretty much play every day that’s what they need to look at in free agents ir trades and a left-handed starter in the rotation that’s what they need in the off-season I don’t think Vargas and Busch are the answer. Now Kike I do think they need to keep him, he can play everywhere and hit better than those two. So, I think their target would be Michael Brantley a LF Matt Chapman a third baseman and Adam Frazier a second baseman that’s my guess on position players. Now starters for pitching Snell, Nola maybe Stroman or Sonny Gray. To go with what they have in pitching. They then need to decide is it Muncy at DH or JD Martinez.
I have to admit one thing: You are consistent!
Just wow!
Michael Brantley will be 37 next year and was injured most of this year. He had 54 ABs.
Adam Frazier will be 32, and he hit .240 this year. Now, understand this: An “average player” has an OPS+ of 100. If a player has an OPS+ of over 100 he is better than average. If it’s below 100, he is worse than average. Frazier’s OPS+ is 94. He is clearly a “below average” player!
Of course, Nola and Snell will interest the Dodgers at the right price, but Gray has proven to be a small-market pitcher who wilts under bright lights.
I explained in a post to you earlier that Brantley has been injured most of the last two seasons. He played in exactly 15 games this year. And as Mark says, he is 37 years old, happy in Houston, and if he goes anywhere, it will probably be back there if wanted. Chapman beat Muncy in exactly one hitting category, BA. He had fewer homers, RBIs, and his OPS was under .800. He struck out more than Muncy did, and although he has been a decent third baseman most of his career, he wasn’t that much better than Max last year. You might not think Vargas and Busch are the answer, and maybe they aren’t. But the Dodgers are not going to go sign a bunch of plus 30-year-old players and not give the kids a chance. As stated above, and maybe you did not read this, Snell is a Boras client. AF does not like doing business with Boras. J.D. Martinez is the only Boras client he has signed over the last several years, and the only reason he signed him was because it was a one-year deal for a very reasonable amount. Nola would be the only pitcher on your list they might have interest in, but once again, they are going to give the kids a chance. Frazier is nowhere near the player he was when he was with the Pirates.
I swear Bradley is a shill. His mission is just to get the reactions he gets from his trade ideas. And it’s working. He’s gotta be BulldogsandPenquins in disguise.
You could be right.
In the AFL last night, only two Dodgers played:
Damon Keith was 1-3 with a run scored (,250 BA/.768 OPS)
Ronon Kopp went 2 innings, allowing an unearned run (he made a throwing error) , but he did strike out 3 while walking just 1.
He will be a lockdown, multi-inning reliever if he can harness his control, but then if chickens had lips they would be people!
Bradley, we have practically the very players you just asked for. 36-year-old Peralta, 230 Rosario, Taylor, Kike etc. Wish big! Well, my World Series could be just fine if Texas wins 2 more games. You know what’s funny? All 4 teams left usually run the same lineup out 90% of the time. It still works! also love having some old school managers involved. A blast from the past! go Rangers!!
Okay then you all mention some free agents they would like other than Busch or Vargas that strike out every time they bat. Okay nobody but me has mention guys to sign just keep in house guys. And where did that get us this year. oh yeah at home watching the playoffs . So they better get some bats that can hit left handed pitching and right handed pitching.
Vargas and Busch do not strike out every time they bat. You struggle with math, don’t you?
Just because Vargas and May did not impress you in 2023 does not mean that they won’t impress you in the future. Let me give you some examples:
In 1972, Mike Schmidt hit .206 in 40 PA. In 1973, he hit .196 in 443 PA. The next year, he hit .282 with a .941 OPS!
In 2011, Mike Trout hit .220 in 135 PA. The next year he hit .326 with a .963 OPS.
Jose Bautista was a 20th-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2000, Bautista was never considered a highly coveted prospect or even a guy who could start at a major league level. After putting together some above-average seasons in the minors, he was called up in 2004, spending his first major league seasons bouncing around from team to team. From 2004 to 2009, Bautista strung together mediocre seasons for the Pirates and Blue Jays. In 2010, the 29-year-old completely revamped his swing with some timing mechanisms, one of which included a leg kick. The next year he had 124 RBI and a league-leading 54 home runs. He instantly became one of the most feared right-handed hitters in the game.
Derek Jeter hit .250 in his first callup. The next year, he hit .314!
Jeff Kent hit .239 in his rookie year before hitting .270 the next year and ending his career with a .290 BA.
Those are but a fraction of the players who failed in their initial chances. Progress is not linear!
Just because a player starts out badly, does not mean they will always be bad. You have to look at the talent level – you have to have Vision. You have sight!
Bradley, you are mentioning two rookies, neither of whom has spent significant time in the majors. Michael Busch has 72 MLB at bats. He struck out 27 times. Yeah, too much maybe, but he was facing MLB pitching for the first time. Vargas has more experience with 303 at bats. But his strikeout percentage is lower than 25%. So not all that horrible. Vargas and Busch were not even around for the playoffs. So, you can’t blame the playoff loss on them. The only rookie position player active was Outman. Now there is someone who strikes out too much. The Dodgers as a team, hit. 246 against LHP. But they only had 1568 at bats against lefties compared to 3956 against right-handers. And their OPS against lefties was .787. Only .011 behind what they did against RHP in over 2000 less at bats. Your argument is weak. Duke Snider, you have heard of him, Dodger Hall of Fame center fielder and the best home run hitter in their history. Duke hit .242 over his first two seasons with 5 homers and he struck out 51 times. Back then that was considered a lot. He hit .292 his third year, and in his fourth, he finally blossomed into the player they thought he would be, 321 31 homers and over 100 RBIs. You cannot judge Busch and Vargas on the limited time they have had in the majors. They might just surprise the hell out of you and be solid players next year.
Not really do they run the same guys out there every game. Seager played in only 119 games. Jung, 122, Garver, 97, Jankowski, 107, Heim, 131, Duran, 122, Grossman, 115. Garcia, Taveras, Lowe and Semien, all played over 143 games. Only Lowe and Semien played more than 160. Houston platoons a lot. Only Bregman, Pena and Tucker played 150 or more. Altuve and Julks played less than 100. The Phillies had 8 regulars play more than 126 games, so they are close to running out the same guys every game. For the Diamondbacks, Carroll, Walker, Marte, Perdomo and Gurriel were the only guys over 140. The catcher, Moreno, played in 111, No other regular played more than 99. By contrast, the only Dodger on the opening day roster who appeared regularly while on the roster who played less than 100 games, Miguel Vargas who appeared in 77. Smith, 126, missed time with concussion, Freeman, 161, Had one day off, Rojas, 126, also missed time with an injury, Muncy 135, also missed time with an injury, Peralta, 133, Outman, 151, Betts, 152, Martinez, 113, missed time with injury, Taylor 117, missed time with injury, Heyward, 124. Except Austin Barnes, who is a true backup in every sense of the word, none of the other players were on the roster long enough to log 100 games. Very few teams, and it seems to be that the Phillies are the exception, run the same 9 guys out there every day. The length of the season, injuries and other factors like managers and teams using analytics to set their lineups, have pretty much made set rosters obsolete. To have a true star player at every position, like the Yankees in the 50’s would cost a team probably upwards of 300 mil in salaries a year.
Do you remember when posters here said they didn’t want Bruce Bochy coz he was too old and was a .500 lifetime manager?
Bochy is under .500 in the regular season. 2093-2101. He is a good manager, there is no denying that. But when he retired, there was no opening in Los Angeles. And there really was never an opportunity for him to come to LA and manage the Dodgers unless they were to fire Roberts. Bochy was hired by Texas on October 22nd of last year. Roberts at that point had signed his 3-year extension. He did that in April of 22. So why should people even bring up Bochy as the manager, the opportunity never existed.
It seems likely that two teams (the Rangers and Phillies who went big in the free agent market) will meet in the World Series. I wonder if the Dodgers, after a second straight failure to launch in the playoffs, will consider a slight change in approach. Will they go big in the pitching market? They finished second to the Mets in the Justin Verlander sweepstakes.
I’m guessing pitching will be the priority. Depending what Kershaw does, the probably need a lefty starter. Yes, Blake Snell would be great, but seriously, who wants to deal with Scott Boras? Jordan Montgomery would seem like a reasonable option. But the competition will be heavy.
The Japanese pitcher would seem to be perfect for the Dodgers. I’m thinking they focus on him and build around their young pitching corps. Will Walker Buehler return to top form. After a second TJ, some do and some don’t. Early reports are promising. I thought it was a real push to try to get him back in September. The Dodgers seem primed to make a big deal in the trade market this winter. Lots of prospects and you can’t keep them all.
They’ll commit to Michael Busch or use him as a big piece in a trade. The big player is, of course, Shohei Ohtani. But no one really knows what he wants, other than to make the playoffs. As a hitter, he’s exceptional. Pitching? No one really knows. That’s a complex deal or it’s a two year deal with an opt out.
I’m guessing Max Muncy plays third. Maybe one of the young guys gets a shot. But I wouldn’t push for a Chapman.
The first thing the Dodgers must decide is whether they pay a boatload of money for Ohtani to DH. If not, whole lot of ways to go.
Good write-up, Bear.
Thanks Buff.
Unfortunately for us…
Because the Dodgers chose to release Bauer, and then spent little chunks of money on Peralta, Rojas,
and a not so small amount on Syndegard they did NOT re-set their CAP and WILL have to this winter.
For me, with that being my belief I would spend what ever resources we have on Pitching.
Yamamoto, and the Lefty out of Japan as well. Montgomery…
I would bring back Kelly, Trinian, S Miller, and Hudson.
I do like Candilario for 3B.
A lot of people talking about Jordan Montgomery, IMHO the chances of that are Slimsky and Nonesky. The Dodgers would have to seriously overpay to get him Besides that, ( all things being equal ) why would he wanna come to the Dodgers? He’s pitching for a team with a great offense ,that looks like they could win for several years. He’s also a southern boy, so there’s that. Pretty sure the Rangers will play hardball (pun intended) to keep him.
The Rangers projected 2024 Payroll is $210 Million. They have $162 Million tied up in 7guys. With arbitration increases and the like, they are gonna be somewhat hamstrung and like Seager all you want, he is injury-prone and due to miss a season… again!
Honest question, Don’t you almost always have to overpay for top line FA’s??? When you are going after guys that everyone wants you are going to overpay and that’s just the way it is. We never do and always end up with our 2nd or 3rd option. It has worked for us in the past, but won’t always.
Jordan Montgomery would be a great addition for the Dodgers, and should have been a prime trade target instead of/ or in addition to Lance Lynn. However, like Snell, Montgomery has Boras as an agent which will make signing him as a free agent difficult.
I hope the Rangers can continue their run and have always liked Corey Seager. I understand why Dodgers didn’t pay him $325 million, but always felt they should have locked him up early, when I believe he had a different agent. Kyle Seager signed an early extension with the Mariners and played his whole career with that team. I think Corey would have done the same if the Dodgers approached him earlier in his career. Just conjecture on my part, but Colletti drafted Seager, and Friedman and the franchise did not keep him.
Agree RC -,and it certainly looks like he’s worth every penny at this moment, but maybe best judged when he’s a bit further into his 10 year contract before pronouncing it a success after year 2, a year in which he again missed substantial time on the DL.
It’s hard not to imagine a lineup with all of our recently removed home grown players added to Mookie, Freddie and Will. Imagine this year’s Corey, Cody, Yordan, Joc and Alex (Verdugo) still in Dodger Blue as well!!
Good point Watford. I understand the Dodgers not paying Seager $325 million with his injury history. That contract probably doesn’t end well. Once Seager won World Series MVP in 2020, Boras was not going to let him sign without free agency. Too bad we couldn’t keep the homegrown stars.
A couple of things RC. First, in order to pay Seager what the Rangers are paying him, the Dodgers would have had to pay closer to 400 million for him to receive the same money as Texas gave him and the length was a problem for LA because of his injury history. And the reason is simple, no state income tax in Texas and California’s is one of the highest in the country. Second, they offered Seager a deal, reportedly 250 million with fewer years and it was rejected. As for Montgomery, Lynn was not the primary target, they were after Rodriguez. He rejected the trade so late in the day, that they pivoted to Yarbrough. Montgomery was already off of the board.
Once again, I want to point out Friedman’s MO.
He goes after superstars and he goes after undervalued assets.
He doesn’t go after Chapman, Adam Frazier or Jordan Montgomery.
He could change his philosophy, but until now he hasn’t.
Ohtani is a superduperstar… but only a superstar in ’24.
Belli should be a superstar.
Who are the undervalued assets?
Guys like Peralta and Heyward who basically were paid peanuts and did better than expected. Heyward was being paid over 20 mil by the Cubs to not play for them. He cost the Dodgers 750,000.
Should be a superstar is decidedly NOT a superstar.
Undervalued acquisitions:
Heyward, Peralta, Syndergaard, Tyler Anderson, Ryan Brasier, Chris Taylor, Max Muncy,JD Martinez, Andrew Heaney, Knebel, Hudson, Pujols, Pollock
Shall I continue?
The Rangers approach to this season is interesting compared to the Dodgers. Both teams suffered many pitching injuries throughout the year.
The Rangers lost their ace, Jacob DeGrom after 6 games and also lost Scherzer, Odorizzi, Gray, and Pérez for parts of the season. However, unlike the Dodgers, the Rangers invested heavily in pitching assets before the season and during the season.
At the trade deadline, they got both Scherzer and Montgomery plus Aroldis Chapman, and Stratton.
Before the season, the Rangers acquired the following pitchers:
DeGrom, Eovaldi, Pérez, Odorizzi, Dane Dunning, Heaney, Ian Kennedy, Sborz, Will Smith.
They brought in 6 quality starters and three late inning relievers in the off season, in addition to the two high end starters and relievers brought in at the trade deadline.
The Dodgers by comparison, brought in only a washed-up Thor in the offseason. Even though they had lost Buehler for the year, Gonsolin was injured last year, May was returning from TJ, and Anderson and Heaney were let go.
The Rangers have taken the win now approach, while the Dodgers are content to reset and settle for a transition year. The Dodgers won 10 more games than the Rangers this year and had a great regular season. But even coming into the playoffs as a 100-win team, few Dodger fans thought they could win the WS or even beat the Braves. And it turned out even worse than imagined when Dodgers were swept by an 84-win team without having a lead for even one inning.
The Dodgers major trade acquisitions the last two trade deadlines have been Joey Gallo and Lance Lynn. And their major free agent pitcher signing last offseason was Syndergaard.
The Dodgers front office needs more urgency to win championships. Not only did they bow out of the playoffs early, but they didn’t reset the luxury tax this year either. So next year may be another transition year again.
For every Rangers, there’s a Padres, Mets, Yankees and Blue Jays.
RC, allow me to repost a comment I made a couple of days ago about the Dodgers reason in constructing this season’s roster:
* There’s been plenty of complaining after our early playoff exit. Many complaints revolve around AF not adding much last off-season and particularly at the Trade Deadline. There’s wasn’t much help actually, especially for the money. What seems to be forgotten is this was the year to cut payroll, even get under the “ceiling” and look to spend smartly this off season. We didn’t even know what our payroll was due to the Bauer decision left blowing in the wind for far too long. AF likes reclamation projects but much of that was to conserve money. Whether it’s for Ohtani or other proven players, we have the money now. We know more about our youngsters and their trade value to fill needs. This was the plan from the Git-Go and AF stuck to the plan and didn’t deviate from the mission to whittle salary. I can’t wait to see how we use that cash and trade pieces this winter.”
I think many here continue to miss that point. I believe there was a method to AF’s madness.
Good points Phil.
Friedman had a lot of obstacles to overcome starting with the Bauer decision. But in the end, the Dodgers did not reset the luxury tax, and did not win even one playoff game. Friedman ended up taking the middle path and didn’t accomplish either of his main goals. Will be interesting if he has to get under the luxury tax limit this year.
I expect the following:
1 – They will try Lux at SS – no way to know if his ACL reconstruction has affected his lateral movement.
2 – They will give Busch and Vargas long looks. 2B, 3B and LF are all possible landing spots for them. We really don’t know if either of them are the real thing. The limited looks they got are not definitive and they are still trying to figure it out.
3 – Max Muncy does not meet the eyeball test or any other test at 3B. He will probably DH mostly next year.
4 – JD Martinez is likely gone. He signed for one year to re-establish his value. They don’t need 2 DHs and Muncy will be cheaper, he is younger and healthier.
5 – I expect that Jason Hayward is back for a year or two as a 4th OF.
6 – Rosario has no plate discipline and he’s gone. Kike is the same guy as Taylor and Taylor is under contract so Kike is gone. Peralta is gone.
7 – They have several relievers who are free agents or are the Dodgers have team options. These include Kelly ($9.5M team option vs $1M buyout), Brazier, Shelby Miller, Treinen ($1M (?) team option), Daniel Hudson ($6.5 M team option), Jimmy Nelson, Alex Reyes ($3M team option). I’m sure they would like to keep Miller or Brazier but they could be offered more after the seasons that they’ve just had. I could see them exercising Treinen’s option because it’s cheap to see if he has anything left. I expect that Reyes could be resigned for cheap. Nelson and Hudson are likely gone.
8 – Lance Lynn has an $18MM team option. He’s gone. Kershaw is a big questionmark. So is Buehler, although he will be back. (Pitchers with 2 Tommy John surgeries don’t have a particularly good track record.) This is the area of greatest need. It will be interesting to see what magic that Friedman can pull from his hat to bolster the rotation.
1. I will trade for Juan Soto
2. I wil trade for Luzardo
3. I will sign Yamamoto
You honestly believe that the Padres would trade Soto to the Dodgers? Preller has not made a trade with LA since he got Kemp. Luzardo is young, one of Miami’s talented starters. I don’t think they want to trade him. Yamamoto is going to have numerous teams knocking on his door and he won’t come cheap.
Soto’s under contract for one more year and then he’s a free agent. Why would they want to do that when there’s no guarantee that they can re-sign him, especially when he’s a Boras client? He turned down a $400MM extension from the Nationals before they traded him.
OK, Fallito, you bring up a name we haven’t spoken about, Jesus Luzardo.
He’s a very good, young, lefty pitcher. That’s the positive.
The negative? Why would the Marlins want to trade him?
If you were given the GM’s job, who would you offer the Marlins to convince them to trade him?
As they say, get the band back together if possible. Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson. DeLuca platoons with Joc. There’s your outfield with Outman. Betts goes to SS.
DH?, 3B?, 2B?. The in house options are Martinez, Muncy, Busch, Lux or outside the Dodgers organization. I don’t know who realistically because I haven’t looked.
Bring up Feduccia. Barnes gone.
Pitching, pitching, pitching and more pitching. Good pitching beats good hitting. Start with Josh Hader and try to keep the 4 dominant relievers this year together, Phillips, Brasier, S. Miller, Graterol.
Use any or all of Vargas, Cartaya, Pages in trades for top shelf pitching. Especially 2 top shelf starters and look to the free agent market too. I don’t know who realistically because I haven’t looked.
There’s other guys I’d keep too, but I think those are the important things. I’m not saying I’m right though.
Joc can’t play OF any more. Did you see him with the Gigantics this year. He has a beer gut. And he wasn’t very good either. I don’t trust Bellinger to be honest, and I think he’s done with the Dodgers. He’s ticked at being non-tendered. And who’s to say that Mookie can be the everyday SS?
I believe the Dodger ship has sailed with Belli. Joc would not even be a decent DH anymore. He still cannot hit left-handed pitching and Muncy did well against lefties this year. I think Mookie is a very good athlete and he would have no problem playing SS or second base. As a matter of fact, I would love to see him move to the infield permanently. Less chance of injurie and he loves being closer to the action. Ya never know until you try.
I like Cody, always have. But two problems exist. A. He is a Boras client now, and we all know how AF feels about that guy. Two, on MLBTR today, they were saying how Cody could command a deal worth 250 million or more because of his age and skill set. Would AF honestly sign another player to a long-term deal over 200 mil? Doubtful especially since Boras is his agent and will try to play two teams off against each other. It isn’t about winning now; it is about the money. Bellinger also might want to finish his career where he grew up watching baseball, with his dad’s Yankees.
The problem with most ideas about which free agents to sign or who to trade for is that A. the teams have to want to trade said player, B, you have to have players they want, and fringe guys are not getting the big talent back. C. Free agents, at least the good ones, are going to have more teams seeking their services, which means you most likely are going to overpay to get them. Ohtani is an example. Ohtani is going to get a very large, long deal. Even if he cannot pitch next year. Most of the stories I have seen and read have about five teams seriously in the running to sign him. These are teams with the financial wherewithal to do so. Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Dodgers, and the Giants. SD has an outside chance if they really want to break the bank again. They are loaded with long-term deals. The Angels, his present club, are not on any of the lists I have seen. We should know where he is going before the end of the year. I am sure he wants to sign as soon as possible. The Angels have exclusive rights for five days after the World Series. But I don’t see them getting a deal done.
1. Boras does not like to sign extensions – he calls them “snuff contracts” and says they frequently leave 40% on the table. Seager was all about maximizing his worth. No way AF could have extended him. Maybe Will Smith!
2. Cody will not be back because of who his agent is… and other things.
3. The Dodgers might trade one of Vargas, Cartaya, Pages, and/or Busch, but it would be really dumb to trade them all.
4. AF will kick the tires on Montgomery but will likely be outbid.
5. Yamamoto? AF will be in on him… big time.
6. Hader? The Dodgers will not pay BIG BUX for him… nor should they.
7. AF will sign a couple of players everyone despises, and they will be stars.
Stay Tuned!
Oh – Lots of people say that AF should have traded for Jordon Montgomery in Mid-Season. What was the asking price? In dealing Montgomery and Stratton to the Rangers, the Cardinals acquired right-handed pitcher Tekoah Roby, infielder Thomas Saggese and left-handed pitcher John King, who has pitched 127 1/3 Major League innings.
It was rumored that the Cardinals were asking for LA’s Top Pitching Prospects (plural). “The deal would have to be headlined by at least one of the Dodgers’ top pitching prospects — Bobby Miller and/or Emmet Sheehan — and would need to include some combination of pitchers Gavin Stone, Michael Grove and/or Ryan Pepiot,” Bowden continued. “The Cardinals would be looking for at least three young starters.
The Cardinals only received the Rangers #11 prospect, their #14 prospect, and reliever John King who had a 5.76 ERA when traded by Texas. The Rangers received Montgomery plus reliever Chris Stratton.
The Dodger equivalent might have been two pitchers like Bruns, or Payton Martin or Ronan Kopp for Montgomery. Certainly would not have included Bobby Miller.
Whatever happens just hope Friedman uses a different philosophy then has been using because one has been using isn’t working
Well, it works during the regular season, but the playoffs are another problem. It should not be lost on anyone that only one division winner is left in the playoffs nd they only won 90 games (Houston).
The playoffs are what matter most. There’s no rings to be won in the regular season. Only teams that might be celebrating or satisfied with having a good regular season are piss poor teams in the first place. And what you just posted only shows how little regular season means
To expect them to win all the time is unrealistic. And you HAVE to win consistently in the regular season to just make the playoffs. All this aren’t built for the playoffs stuff is bull. You either perform or you don’t. They weren’t even supposed to make the playoffs. You cannot have it both ways. They won 100 games with the team they had, they dropped two players from the final months roster, and neither would have made much difference. They got outplayed, it happens. Some act like it is the end of the world. It is just a game, and entertainment. And for 162 games, I was highly entertained. Their pitching staff was shorthanded and had to rely on the kids. Their two vets imploded in the playoffs . Lack of execution and hitting doomed them, not the roster construction. Oh by the way since Freidman took over, they have won more playoff games than they have lost SO something is working.
For those dump Doc Roberts supporters, you are going to be disappointed for at least another year. Andrew Freidman just confirmed that Roberts will indeed be the manager in 24. Brandon Gomes declined to be interviewed for the Red Sox GM job.
It is time to slowly transition Will Smith to Third or Second. Maybe carry three catchers. Smith’s bat is essential.
I enjoy regular seasons to of course but I would enjoy more not getting embarrassed like we have last three playoff series we been in. It’s ok bear you and mark are happy with the way things are. I’m happy for you but some of us fans crave way more no matter how much you all defend the way things are. Getting outplayed in the playoffs has become routine. What do they say about what insanity is. Changes are needed. What I don’t understand is how easily you all except losing. I never used to be but I’m on the dump Roberts band wagon now to. Players aren’t responding to his voice anymore.
They do not get outplayed all the time, if they did, they never would have made it to the World Series three times. Get real, you can’t win all the time. How do you know the players are not responding to Roberts? Are you in the clubhouse? You are guessing. Changes will come just not the ones you want. They won with a flawed team, we all knew it, expecting a Championship from this team was wishful thinking. There isn’t a poster on this blog, not me, Mark, you, or anyone else who has a clue what goes on behind the scenes. It is all guess work. Yeah, some fans are upset. So what? The way things are is an unprecedented stretch of success to even be able to play in the postseason. Just a bunch of spoiled brats crying in their Maypo. Be happy they even got there with what they had.
Dave Roberts isn’t the problem. There is old saying “Coaches get to much blame when teams lose and to much credit when they win.”
Here’s the AF and Gomes press conference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp6oTXUrQcM
norcaldodgerfan
Thank you for providing that video. I’m going to talk about one specific thing Friedman talked about in that video tomorrow.
It was 6 or 7 years ago when Roberts was a complete disaster in the playoffs. He should have been fired. He was rewarded with a contract extension. He has carte blanche with management.
I don’t blame him for this years collapse except to note that motivating his players is part of his duties.
I will say that if you are depending on a manager that leaves his starting pitcher in the game to give up 4 home runs in what will be the last game of the year you may be waiting a long time to ever advance in the playoffs.
To Bluto’s point, I would add that AF is very reluctant to sign pitchers to long-term contracts. If Snell wants the security of a 5- or 6-year deal, he probably won’t be a Dodger.
As I recall it, Kershaw worked through one five-year deal and has since opted for one-year deals, which AF probably loves. The Bauer deal was a three-year commitment at a record AAV. AF was willing to pay Tyler Anderson the QO of $19-million after his breakthrough season,, but was unwilling to give him a 3-year deal at a lower AAV like the Angels. (Anderson did not have a good season–but we don’t know how he would have pitched under Prior with a better team behind him.)
AF is fine with long-term deals with proven everyday players, as Mookie and Freddie illustrate. Even if he can’t pitch for one season, Shohei is a proven everyday DH–the best in the game. He’ll probably be pitching in ’25–and he could be an SP or do a Smoltz and move to the bullpen. If he is someday told, “You will never pitch again,” he could slide into the OF and open up DH for others.
One of the Dodger YouTubers made an interesting point yesterday, suggesting that the AF really whiffed in ’22 when he failed to deal for the Reds’ ace Luis Castillo. It reminded me that I had been hoping for a big package of Castillo + Drury. The Mariners snagged Castillo and the Padres wound up with Drury. Both Castillo and Drury have had successful runs since those deals.
The Mariners gave of three of their top prospects for Castillo, and promptly signed him to a 5-year, $108-million contract. DiPoto wasn’t messing around: the Mariners went out and locked up their ace. In ’23, Castillio finished 14-9 with a 3.34 ERA and 219 Ks and a 1.10 WHIP.
When the details of the Castillo deal were reported, it seemed like an overpay–three good prospects for a rental? But of course DiPoto made sure it wasn’t a rental. I’m left wondering whether AF would have made such a deal. Would he have offered, say, Cartaya (#1 prospect then) and nice sweeteners (like Busch or Knack or ??) for Castillo alone? How about an “overpay” for both Castillo and Drury?
I already said it: Spilt milk. But my point is that AF may be overly focused on what he considers a fair price than aggressively pursuing a difference- He nickeled-and-dimed it in ’22, getting Gallo for Beeter and Chris Martin for McKinstry. He did not swing for the fences like DiPoto.
If he had, perhaps he would have dealt Cartaya and Busch at peak value and now Castillo would be fronting the Dodgers rotation. And at least in ’22, the roster would have featured Drury instead of Vargas.
Let’s pause now and remember how, after Lance Lynn’s first couple of starts with the Dodgers, there was a lot of chatter here about how AF had “won” the midseason trades. That proved to be premature.
Is there an ace-caliber lefty on the trade market?
My guess is that AF won’t swing for the fences.
Another Friedman quote which is noteworthy is this gem that McCullough got:
Andrew Friedman: “If you’re always rational about every free agent, you will finish third on every free agent.”
The Phillies are the embodiment of what the Dodgers thought they would be.
Without the playoff slump and pitching injuries.
Favorite Stat from the broadcast? Phillies LEADOFF hitter had 47 HR and 48 singles.
Well…
The Phillies had a pair of top-tier SPs from Day One in Wheeler and Nola.
Even as the season started, the Dodgers’ rotation was iffy at best, with the injury-prone Kershaw, May, Gonsolin. We weren’t getting quality Julio even before the domestic violence. Rookies were summoned to patch up the rotation, with mixed results. When the Dodgers landed Lynn, it was considered a smart move–even though Lynn had been awful most of the season and led the majors in HRs allowed.
The Phillies also have that junkyard dog grit that the Dodgers lack. These Phillies play with a chip on their shoulder, while the Dodgers smile and want everybody to get along.
Harper, Realmuto, Castellanos, Schwarber–do any of these guys act like they want to make nice?
We’ve discussed the “edge” factor before, and I’m not sure what the solution might be.
But I think the character of these teams are very different.
Yep. There are making Diamondbacks look like an 84 win team
The Diamondbacks are an 84-win team. They are nothing special. They went on a 5-game winning streak at exactly the right time, now they are facing a team who had no break and had to win two series just like they did. Only difference is the Phillies lost one to Atlanta before sending them home. The only game against LA that they dominated was the first one. Had the offense woken up, 2 and 3 were winnable games. It happens, get over it.
Andrew Friedman wouldn’t comment specifically on Ohtani, but he suggested that the Dodgers will be aggressive in pursuing frontline free-agent talent, particularly in light of coming up short in that regard in recent winters — something out of the norm for most of the decade-plus since the Guggenheim ownership group took over.
“We’re extremely angry, disappointed with how these last two offseasons have gone, and we’re going to do everything we can to put ourselves in position for it not to happen next year,” said Friedman. “So what that means exactly, I’m not sure yet, but I do feel very confident that when we show up in Arizona in February, we’re going to have a team that has very, very legit championship aspirations.”
Pitching, pitching and more pitching. A 400-million-dollar DH??? Not so sure about that.