Yesterday, someone wrote this:
It’s fun to watch the roster additions and ruminate on who might be next!
— 4 -Gens
Another frontline starter is def needed, although the Dodgers may wait until mid-season, giving their young arms a chance.
The outfield is underwhelming at the moment. A bunch of platoons might get us thru the regular season, but we need at least one star, leader, grinder to who can make game saving catches while delivering clutch hits.
My biggest concern, however, is the left side of the infield. Muncy/Lux is weak defensively. That can’t stand imo. Muncy is slow to his right and even slower on rollers in front of him. Only Freddie digging Max’s throws out of the dirt keep Max’s defensive profile as average. Max does not pass the eye test; we all hold our breath when the ball is hit his direction in big moments.
Some of this is very accurate, I believe. If the Dodgers do not get Yamamoto, they may wait and see what they have and make a deal at the deadline. That would be smart.
As it stands right about now, here is the rotation – in no particular order:
- Glasnow – Make of him what you want – he has “Ace Potential” and most of his health problems were related to his TJ and Flexor failed rehab and surgery
- Miller – Kershaw had a 4.26 ERA/1.49 WHIP in his rookie season. The next year, he morphed into an Ace with a 2.79 ERA. Bobby Miller had a far better Rookie Season than Clayton (3.76 ER/1.10 WHIP) and it is not beyond reason that he could morph into an Ace in 2024.
- Buehler – He once was an Ace and could be one again.
- Sheehan – This guy’s upside is electrifying!
- Knack – More potential than Pepiot and he is ready
- Stone – Look for him to have a 3rd Plus pitch this year and be a factor
- Yarbrough – Probably not a starter but a very useful LH innings-eater. If you don’t have a LH starter, you need a guy like this in strategic situations.
- Kershaw – Maybe after the All-Star Break, and yes, he once was an Ace, too.
… and I am not including Michael Grove and Kyle Hurt, whom I believe are destined for the bullpen, which, by the way, is loaded! The farm system is also loaded with pitchers as well… who are a year or two away!
What the lineup could look like:
Against RHP:
- Betts 2B – Should have an even better year with Ohtani behind him
- Ohtani DH – What an addition to a solid lineup
- Freeman 1B – Will do what he always does
- Smith C – Is due for a breakout year!
- Muncy 3B – 35 + HR again
- Heyward RF – .800+ OPS is al that is asked of him
- Outman CF – 30+ HR as he only hits against LHP – the new (and improved Joc). Why do some of you think I hate him? I love JO. He might hit 40 HR someday!
- Vargas LF – Give him the shot. He is a solid hitter.
- Lux SS – It appears that AF is going to give him a shot, which I think will prove to be futile and I hope I am wrong – his bat will get better! It’s the defense that worries me.
Against LHP:
- Betts 2B
- Ohtani DH
- Freeman 1B
- Smith C
- Taylor 3B – A platoon with Muncy… maybe. Was 2023 an outlier for Max? He has a career OPS over .800 against them, so this may be unnecessary
- Vargas LF
- Margot CF – he gets about 200 ABs
- Hernandez RF – Assuming we re-sign Kike
- Rojas or Lux SS – Rojas goes against the toughest LHP to rest Lux’s knee.
That is too many position players, so the roster is not done, as there are too many platoons, and I have not even mentioned Barnes or Feduccia. What if Andy Pages is ready? I think it is unlikely the Dodgers will re-sign Kike. There is still work to do.
Impressive but in a perfect world we add Yamamoto, Arenado, and Adames and then all of their problems are solved. That is a championship team! Lets Geaux Dodgers!
I’d pass on Arenado, even if he was available. Owed $120m over the next 4 seasons and is showing his age. 23 was his worst overall season since his rookie year and his defense isn’t what it was just a year earlier. Max Muncy has two more years at $12m and a team option for a third. His defense isn’t as good at Arenado, for sure. But his offensive production will likely be similar. And for nearly 1/3 the cost. I don’t think Arenado is on the block either way. The Cards would probably demand a couple good prospect in any trade as well. I’d take Muncy and his contract over Arenado’s. Money better spent elsewhere.
Arena do is not ever a consideration.
Where does Busch fit in? He has nothing to prove in the minors. The way the bench is now if Heyward starts in RF, Outman in CF, and Taylor in LF, Lux at SS, Muncy at 3rd, Betts, at 2nd, Freeman at 1st , Ohtani DH and Smith at C : Barnes,Margot, Rojas and Vargas. No room for Busch. A trade has to be coming.
no mention of busch Mark? i don’t believe hernandez is coming back. could be wrong, though busch could be that bench guy who plays outfield and infield. are we. stuck with Barnes again? if Vargas hits, and Taylor is productive off the bench, give Feduccia the backup catcher position (if he hits in spring training). trade Barnes to kansas city (somewhere, anywhere) ! with taylor, rojas, barnes, and possibly including busch, not a lot of hits sitting on that bench! i’ll hold judgment on Margot. heyward ain’t 25 anymore! maybe if things work out for Outman, margot might be a better platoon option with heyward. i know you love kiki mark, but i believe he’s a 220 hitter on his way down. maybe i’m wrong but his infield defense was not great last year. as far as the starting pitching, if they can’t sign japanese righty, trade for cease,or take a flier on giolita. i said earlier, ride yarbrough until Clayton gets back. i’m scared that Vargas might not ever live up to expectations, but he does deserve a shot. but again , what about Busch?
Hopefully, Vargas or Busch, maybe both step up to add some extra punch. Friedman seems high on both, saying Busch is major league ready, while Vargas could become an impact bat. Maybe one gets traded, guessing Busch, or they keep both and find places for them to play. Only the outfield is left. One getting traded looks like a more realistic option. Burnes or Cease probably the most logical trade candidates.
The Dodgers need another starting pitcher and they need to find him now, not later. The problem with waiting until the July deadline is the playoff format, too many teams in the mix, less talent available in trade, more teams trying to acquire that talent and higher cost in terms of prospects. It’s always a sellers market.
I think it’ s ridiculous the money that Yamamoto will cost. Seriously? Are GMs just crazy. Or desperate. Probably a little of both. The Giants are definitely desperate. They have money, but nobody will take it. Even Buster Posey is admitting San Francisco’s image is hurting the Giants pursuit of players.
But the Dodgers have to get over the playoff hump and that means probably going all in on Yamamoto or whatever fall back pitcher might become available in the next few weeks. Burnes? Or Imanaga.
They do have young talent. But can the Dodgers afford that gamble? Friedman, Gomes and Roberts have been on the same page. They need high level experienced starting pitchers.
But, hey, if Miller and Sheehan step up, problem solved. If Buehler comes back at a high level and the young pitchers thrive, the Dodgers will move forward and overwhelm the rest of baseball, especially the NL West.
After Ohtani, they’re all in, and Glasnow is a good start. But they need to complete their mission.
I like Lucas Giolito as a fallback position as a 4th or 5th starter. A California kid who might flourish under Prior’s tuialidge.
His ERA was almost 5.00 the last couple of years and his velo has trended downward. How is he better than Sheehan, Stone or any of the other almost MLB ready young pitchers the Dodgers have? You sign Giolito for, say, 3/12 mil, now you’re just blocking opportunities for your young talent with a guy who really isn’t very good. Why?
And not to pick on this post, but I’ve seen several people comment that So-And-So will be great as a Dodger because he grew up in Bakersfield or Simi Valley or something. I mean, that’s a nice story I guess, but how is that relevant? … I suppose I’ve been guilty of that, too. I always wanted Arenado to be a Dodger partially because he’s a local boy (there’s a street named Nolan Arenado Drive nearby in Lake Forest), but where the guy grew up is not really relevant to constructing a team.
Friedman be like, “OMG! Burnes is from Bako? We gotta trade for him at all costs!”
Who says it is easy?
What I say is that it’s easy to see how the Dodgers and Brewers match up well for a blockbuster.
This has been the scuttlebutt for weeks: Burnes + Adames (both in last season before free agency) for Lux + Sheehan, at far lower salaries and years of control. The speculated deal could be altered, of course, but that’s the basic outline of the proposal.
While the Brewers may well keep their team intact to make a run in ’24, management of this small-market team must know that Burnes is likely to seek a massive contract after season. Remember how Brewers brass pissed him off in an arbitration hearing a year or two ago? If the Brewers are shaky at midseason, they could do a fire sale and wind up with much less.
I doubt that Burnes and the Brewers management have kissed and made up, and I don’t see the Brewers committing something like $200 million to Burnes. Adames is a secondary concern, but I’ve read the Brewers plan to let him walk because Brice Turang can easily move from 2B to SS. A deal with the Dodgers could hold down their payroll by several million for the next few years.
But OK, let’s say the Brewers aren’t budging. What are the Dodgers options?
–Make Yamamoto an offer he can’t refuse. The competition is intense. Playing with Ohtani might appeal to him–but he might want to be The Man for another team.
–Try to trade for Cease. The White Sox are reportedly considering offers from the Orioles and Braves. The Orioles have the top-ranked farm system, so maybe we should just root for them to block the Braves from getting him.
–Trade for Beiber and hope Prior can work his magic.
–Sign FAs Giolito and/or Imanaga and/or a player to be named later.
The Dodgers will wind up with a solid rotation, but there is nothing in Glasnow’s history to suggest he will throw even 150 inninings. AF still has a lot of work to do.
a top of the line starter is necessary! if walker isn’t able to hold up, then Cease makes perfect sense. miller, glasnow, cease, buehler, yarbrough (till clayton gets back) and Emmit in the wings, i like it. 2025 will be so interesting with gonsolin and may coming back. although i can dsee Dustin being slotted in as a potential closer! oh my goodness, i forgot ohtani!! what a dumbass! ( no comments necessary). Go get Cease!
Seasons Greetings from Amsterdam.
If you’ve never been then put it at the top
of your list.
Bobby would enjoy it here!!
If we sign Yamamoto to a 5/6 year contract that would lock down the core of the Starting Rotation for a long time.
Yamamoto
Glasnow
Ohtani
Miller
Let alone Buehler and the raft of young arms in the system. Plus May snd Gondolin.
The four mentioned above would look pretty tasty in the Post Season.
Sign Yamamoto and we are set for years to come. No point holding back now – looks like we’re going all in.
Amsterdam is definitely on the list. I’m assuming fun train ride from London ??
This is day 3 of a Rave weekend. Feels like I’m over the 100 pitch count already…..
You’d love it here – right up your street – very chilled.
Plenty for you to enjoy!!!
Those certainly lineups look plausible, Mark. And pretty damn potent.
See what a little Ohtani can do?
Your vision (I know you like that word) clearly doesn’t include Busch. He should be packaged for top quality pitcher–and it could be great for him to go to a team like the White Sox, Brewers or Guardians where he could get a real opportunity.
It’s pretty funny to see how determined you are to prove your old argument that Miguel Vargas is really so much better than James Outman. You want to give him LF full-time, and give Outman a platoon partner.
Exactly why isn’t clear.
Last season, the underestimated Outman played so well he won the CF job and finished 3rd in ROY voting. Only Freddie and Mookie played in more games that the guy they call “Outy.” Did Roberts consider his defense in CF a liability? Nope. Did he overcome a slump after a fast start? Yes. Could he improve in ’24? Well, why not… oh, unless you sit him against lefties, despite his strong OBP against those pitchers in ’23. (How you expect him to hit 30 HRs if he loses 200 ABs his pretty hard to compute.)
Meanwhile, the much-hyped Vargas (whose batting skills you have been compared to Freddie!) was gift-wrapped 2B because the Dodgers brass had so much confidence in him. Great for him–but he flopped. Perhaps it was the injuries–but he had also hit poorly during his debut in ’22. His defense was a disappointment too, with Roberts diplomatically describing it as “OK” because he was learning on the job.
Look, I’m fine with the idea of giving Miguelito a third or fourth chance to prove himself in LF. A brand new runway! That looks like the best option, especially if Busch is traded. Maybe Miguelito will break out with the kind of year we were expecting in ’23.
Outman proved in ’23 he doesn’t need a platoon partner. Against righties, he’s a power hitter. Against lefties, he’s a contact/on-base guy. By comparison, Miguelito still hasn’t proven himself as a major leaguer. He was neither a power hitter or a contact/on-base guy. This could change, sure. But he could also be one of the many players who succeed in the minors and fall short in the majors.
Rather than mess with Outman’s progress, Vargas could shuttle between LF and 3B, serving as a platoon partner for Max. So against righties, the lineup could be :
Mookie
Freddie/Shohei
Shohei/Freddie
Will
Taylor LF
Lux SS
Vargas (platooned for Max)
Margot (platooned for Heyward) RF
Outman CF
If he hits, Vargas could move up behind Will. Outman, with his ,350+ OBP, would get on base ahead of the Big 3.
Just my opinion, but any lineup that has CT3 hitting 5th on a regular basis is in need of some serious adjustment.
Way too many strikeouts and not enough power to make up for it.
If he’s in the lineup he needs to be farther down.
RHPs are 70% of the league, so CT3 would hit about 30% of the time. If that’s regular…OK.
Personally, I do not think Muncy needs to be platooned. He just had a bad year against LHP in 2023, but he’s generally been about the same vs. LHP and RHP
Chris Taylor is not an everyday player! Neither is Kiki! I agree either busch or vargas need to be included in a trade for a pitcher. trade one now , not after they maybe struggle and bring their value down. at the deadline. no way yamamoto gets 350 million from me not having thrown a single pitch in major leagues! busch , cartaya, and stone, maybe one more for cease!
just wondering, does ohtani speak any english? don’t matter , just curious.
There was a recent article where Lars Nootbaar (Cardinals outfielder who is part Japanese and played on the Japanese WBC team with Ohtani) says he speaks enough English to communicate fairly easily with his American teammates.
Nootbaar said Ohtani was a great teammate and he loved playing with him. Also indicated he wasn’t nearly as serious in the clubhouse with other team members as he appears to be in interviews. He likes to joke around and just be one of the guys.
Platoon Vargas w/Max Muncy? Why would anyone platoon a player that is coming off of a 36 HR, 105 RBI, 95 Runs scored .808 OPS season? Makes zero sense and I seriously doubt AF & Roberts are even considering it.
Check out Max’s 2023 stats against lefthanded pitching. Did most of his damage against righties,
Still showed power against southpaws, but his BA and on-base percentage were awful. By contrast, Outman had a very good OBP (over .350) against lefties.
But as Mark suggests, perhaps Max’s struggles against southpaws in ’23 was a blip. I have not researched his splits that deeply.
I’m not sure about Vargas, but I’d wager that Taylor’s defense is superior to Max’s. But Vargas did play a lot of 3B in the minors.
I had previously suggested that the Dodgers get FA Nick Senzel as a platoon partner/ defensive replacement for Max. He crushed lefties last year, and could play the OF as well. Wound up signing with the Nationals.
Is Vanasco headed to OKC? He is also on the roster and is a starter.
Vanasco pitched in 25 games for OKC and Tulsa combined last year. He didn’t start any of them, was the closer in 12 of them, and pitched a total of 29 innings.
I’m thinking the Dodgers view him as a bullpen piece, not a starter.
Thanks Blue, I did not check his minor league stats.
I think the smartest thing would have been to leave Vargas at second and Betts at RF, they already asked Vargas to learn a new position, and now, again, another new position (LF)? And next year, after Muncy leaves, again, Vargas at 3B? I don’t want to imagine what they will do with Miguel if he doesn’t work in LF
Smartest thing is a bit presumptuous Jorge.
Lourdes Gurriel has resigned with the Diamondbacks.
Everyone’s outfield is better than ours….especially now that Mookie is 2B, which I think is not the best move for the team. I think we need Vargas, Busch, or Lux to play 2B, not Mookie. Rojas is a great SS in the field and has enough of a bat. Lux at SS is wrong.
Phillies have a very good bullpen….you need to go and check it out in Baseball Reference.
I say they do the trade with Brewers for Burnes Addame Yelich that gives dodgers what they need and lux Busch and Cartaya and pitching to the Brewers now do your lineup with that plus getting kike back then you have less platooning and pretty good guys off the bench or defensive replacements Taylor Hernandez Margot Feduccia Pages bench.
Lineup
Betts 2b
Ohtani DH
Freeman 1b
Smith c
Muncy 3b
Yelich LF
Outman cf
Heyward rf
Addames SS
This implies there’s some trade with the Brewers that can be executed?
Bradley, what are you talking about?
Bradley, you are beating the same old horse to death. Milwaukee is not inclined to trade Burnes at this point. If they do, it will most likely be at the deadline. Kike is not a Dodger and at this point, he is not even on the radar. Yelich has too many years and too much money left on that deal to be appealing to the Dodgers. Adames is a K machine. A one-year rental. No thanks. If this deal was even going to be considered, it would have already been done by now. Thats why they traded for Glasnow. They do not need another left handed hitter in the lineup.
Oh, I think all these possible deals are being held up by Yamamoto’s decision.
The Glasnow deal was different.
The Rays knew they wanted to move his salary–and they also knew his injury history would depress his market. But the Dodgers stepped forward with an offer they liked.
The Dodgers are one of the very few franchises that would take on the high-risk, high-reward deal.
I’m trying to be optimistic about Glasnow, but….
If you really think that the Brewers are in such full tear down mode that they’d unload two marquee players under team control for another year just to save a little money, why not just include Yelich in the pie, too? That would partially solve the outfield problem, although no guarantee he doesn’t revert back to the doldrums he’s been in since 2019.
People keep saying they want Burnes, or Adames, or Arenado, or Cease, and Yamamoto – or all of them together – as if it’s as easy as snapping one’s fingers. The Ohtani signing has distorted people’s expectations. You want to sign anybody and everybody for a billion dollars and trade for So-And-So in exchange for a bag of balls, and flip out when it means you have to let a guy like Pepiot go.
Agree the outfield is pretty weak. Anyone have any suggestions that aren’t in fantasyland?
All things on hold until Yamamoto signing. If Dodgers don’t get Yamamoto then I think they would pursue Imanoga. He is a left hander and not subject to penalty with regards to luxury tax and international money. Burnes does not seem available and the prospect cost for Cease would be significant by all reports. A rotation of Glasnow, Buehler, Imanoga/Yamamoto, Miller and two of Sheehan, Stone, or Knack would be fine to start the year.
I hope the Dodgers give Lux the opportunity to be the starting shortstop. He was going to be given that chance last spring, and barring any setback, he should be given that chance this year. Also, I would like to see them carve out at bats for Busch and Vargas. Vargas can play left, third, and second and Busch can play left, third, and DH when Ohtani misses some games. If history is any indication, Ohtani plays about 135 to 140 games a year. Plus more planned rest for Betts and Freeman makes sense to me. I appreciate them wanting to play everyday but Betts, in particular, has faded in September and October the last two years and this team needs to be rested and healthy in October. That would also create at bats for Vargas and Busch.
I am not of the mindset to field a veteran or former All Star at every position. That was the Yankees approach and it has left them in their current state. No to Adames, no to signing another left fielder. Evaluate things at the All Star break when you have more information.
Last, want to reiterate what Mark mentioned – that Dodgers and their front office are making decisions based on way more information than we have. Not to say they don’t make mistakes in projection and strengths but their track record is pretty impressive. I would be fine with them signing Imanoga or Yamamoto and then cleaning up at the margins.
I would like to get Reynolds from the Pirates in a trade. He would be our 2-way OF. He signed an extension last year but he also voiced his displeasure with the Bucs. Send Busch., a pitching prospect and Margot with $$ covering half his salary.
Other ideas — Yelich, or as Blind Joe mentioned, convince JD to play some LF.
JDM wants to play LF – it’s his body that won’t allow it!
There’s a lot of hope from Mark up top as usual.
It’s as simple as this, except getting these guys to sign. Sign Yamamoto and Hoskins and you’re done. Back up plan if you can’t sign Yamamoto is Imanaga.
Yamamoto
Buehler (a young guy until he gets back)
Glasnow
Miller
Sheehan
Starting position players not starting lineup:
DH Ohtani
C Smith
1B Freeman
2B Betts
SS Lux
3B Muncy
OF Outman
OF Hoskins
OF Heyward/Platoon partner
Bench: Feduccia, Rojas (Yuck), and Taylor or Margot platoons with Heyward. And if you want to platoon Muncy with Taylor whatever. Margot platoons with Heyward.
Done. Let’s roll.
Hoskins rejected the QO by the Phils. Good bat. Lousy glove. Ya think the Dodgers are going to sign him for a multi-year 15-25 mil AAV and give up those draft pics?
Rumor has it that’s why they were never in on Snell. They’d have to lose more draft pics on top of the ones they’re losing by signing Ohtani.
Look it up. No QO to Hoskins.
I forgot to mention Yuck about Margot.
I also forgot to mention you still have Busch and Vargas in the minors (bench or starter) if any injury occurs.
You’re right. I misread the headline. The Phil’s declined to extend the QO, not that he declined their QO.
Still a lousy glove in OF.
Hoskins made 7.7 million in 2022 and injured 2023. No way he’ll get 20 million per year. Probably 15 million.
Oh yeah, you can go with a 6 man rotation and get BOTH Yamamoto and Imanaga. Less wear on them to keep healthy for the playoffs.
I can’t believe a lot of what I have read here lately:
1 – Margot was acquired in part because it was a sunk cost of getting Glasnow. He’s a replacement level guy who is overpaid at $10MM but the Dodgers can afford it. He can run and field.
2 – Glasnow has ace-level stuff. Here’s part of an article on MLB.com
“Of all the prototypical power pitchers in the Majors today, Glasnow might be the most prototypical. He has the ideal combination of stuff — the explosive upper-90s fastball, the wipeout 90 mph slider, the drop-off-the-table mid-80s power curveball — and size. Glasnow is 6-foot-8 with massive release extension — he releases his pitches 7.5 feet in front of the rubber, one of the highest marks for any pitcher, which gives hitters even less time to react to the arsenal that’s already designed to overwhelm them. That’s what made Glasnow one of the nastiest strikeout pitchers in baseball during his tenure in Tampa Bay. Glasnow’s 12.2 K/9 as a Ray ranked fourth among starters for that time period, 2018-23, behind only Spencer Strider, Chris Sale and Jacob deGrom. In 2023, Glasnow struck out 162 batters in 120 innings…”
Can he stay healthy? If so, the Dodgers have an ace.
3 – DeLuca is not going to be a great OF. The loss of Pepiot hurts, but he was never going to be as good as Glasnow (again, with the caveat that he stays healthy).
4 – Rhys Hoskins has not played OF since 2018. And then he was one of the worst OF in baseball. (Check our this defensive numbers at Baseball-Reference.com) The Dodgers really don’t need him. I would rather try JD Martinez there, but he would probably break down.
5 – I am concerned about OF offense and INF defense. Muncy is as bad as anyone I’ve seen at 3B since Dave Kingman played there with the Giants. But they can’t DH him. Mookie is better in RF than 2B. And we don’t know if Gavin Lux can handle SS since his knee injury. I suspect the Dodgers have an opinion on the matter though.
6 – Their big need is still the rotation. The current rotation (Glasnow, Miller and ?????) needs work. Maybe Sheehan or one of the other kids steps up, but they still need a couple of guys. But the Dodgers know that. Who will be the next new SP in Blue? IT doesn’t look like the Brewers intend to trade Burnes yet.
7 – Why the concern about Vargas and Busch? They either will or won’t be contributers this year. I expect at least one to be trade bait in a deal for another SP, more likely Busch, since it appears he has more trade value right now.
8 – There’s no way that they sign Ohtani and trade for and extend Glasnow if they weren’t going to push all their chips in this year. There will be more new faces before Spring Training for sure.
With all due respect, I certainly do not view them as the Vatican. Given the comparative track records the Dodger front office comes out ahead. Compared to other major league front offices, they are certainly among the best at what they do. Their work these last ten years and the opinions of other people in the industry surely support that assessment.
Secondly, expressing my opinion as to the moves they should make going forward does not equate to lying prostrate before them. That is a little over the top. If remains to be seen if they will do what I suggest. That is my opinion, no different than any of the other opinions on this site.
Surely you don’t dispute that the decisions they make, or any other ML team makes, are based on more information and first hand knowledge than any of us have. Does not make those decisions infallible or always right. But it does make them better informed. Not a controversial statement.
As fans, we can disagree and will be right at times. That is the fun of being a fan. It is fun to play GM at this time of year. We all do it. I disagree that the Dodgers are not that good, as is. They need another starting pitcher for sure and they need to be right on the Glasnow trade. But they are not done yet, either. Hard to see the several teams you claim are better.
Remains to be seen if paying Margot 12 million is a mistake. It is a one year commitment to a fourth outfielder or platoon outfielder. May work out and it may not. But he was not the reason for the deal. He was necessary to acquire Glasnow. If Glasnow can stay healthy the Margot acquisition is a footnote.
Thanks for the reply. It is what makes this site interesting.
1) Defense stats are flawed.
2) Do you really want to trade starting pitching prospects and block them for overrated vets besides Burnes, who’s not going to be traded because the Brewers have a very good chance at winning their weak division? Plus it will take a ton to get Burnes even for 1 year. And you might have a gem or 2 starting pitching prospects. It would be a shame to trade another Pedro Martinez or someone close to him or 2. Yamamoto is a free agent that only costs money and for that matter Imanaga too.
3) You can always have Betts at SS and Lux at 2B. Betts is a superior athlete he can handle SS.
4) Give Hoskins all of spring training to get comfortable with LF where he has played before.
5) Trading at the deadline is more expensive than trading now (I don’t want to do that now either), it’s called supply and demand because of the expanded playoffs there will be very few GOOD players available.
Just my 2 cents.
Here’s a brief segment of an interview Glasnow did about his arm injury/surgery.
Very interesting.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1736497054745031000
Thanks for sharing this! Anyone who is concerned about the Dodgers trading/extending an “oft injured” starting pitcher should understand that a misdiagnosed injury was behind his 2019-2021 shortened seasons. An injury that eventually led to his TJ surgery, but surprisingly not because of a tare in the UCL. Talk about a freak condition that doctors failed to properly diagnose.
Since the MRI failed to pick up a tare, TJ surgery wasn’t recommended. It wasn’t until he had surgery to inspect/correct the ailing elbow that the surgeon discovered the UCL had detached from the elbow. Apparently, he didn’t experience a drop in velocity but the condition kept him from pitching deep in the season.
I realize there are no guarantees when it comes to a player’s health, in particular pitchers, but I’m sure Dodger brass saw this as an opportunity to capitalize on an elite arm who would’ve likely commanded a substantially larger contract had his condition been properly diagnosed and corrected earlier in his career.
Go Dodgers!
A year ago everybody was talking about Bryan Reynolds from Pittsburgh. He signed a pretty good contract so we’d have to give up something pretty good to get him. How about Vargas, Busch and Stone ?
Pirates have to want to trade him first, and they have not shown any inclination to do so. Especially now that he has signed a contract that covers from now to 2030. He is one of their Linch pin pieces along with Hayes and Cruz. And the Pirates believe they can compete in the weak NL Central.
Anything we put out there is pure speculation. I am pretty sure AF and company see the holes in the roster. I don’t think they bring Kike back simply because he is another Chris Taylor. Kike had a resurgence of sorts after he rejoined the Dodgers, but they really do not have a need for another Chris Taylor clone. As for Barnes, he is not going anywhere. At least not before spring training. All of those calling for them to trade for Burnes and then be forced to take on Yelich and Adames, Yelich is left-handed and does not solve the lefty heavy thing with this roster. He is also due over 100 mil over the rest of his contract. Adames may be better defensively than Lux, but he still strikes out way too much. As for the outfield, I think AF has some more moves up his sleeve. We will just have to wait and see.
The Dodgers signed outfielder Austin Beck to a minor league contract, as Beck revealed via his X account. Beck selected sixth overall by the Athletics in the 2017 draft, though his eight games with Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate in 2021 represents his highest step on the minor league ladder. Multiple injuries have set back Beck’s progress, most notably a torn ACL that cost him the entire 2023 season. The Dodgers will take a flier on Beck to see if there’s any late-bloomer potential now that he’s healthy, and Beck is still only 25 years old.
Hopefully it ends up in another Max Muncy or Justin Turner reclamation type project.
Yamamoto having a second meeting with both NY Clubs. No mention of the Dodgers.
Doesn’t sound promising.