Unless you wear “blinders,” I am sure you already know where this is going and it pisses you off to no end. They say “The Truth Hurts.” But, THEY say a lot, don’t they? OK, just the facts ma’am, OK: This offseason, the Dodgers have added three shortstops to their systems, namely Trey Sweeney, Noah Miller, and most recently Andre Lipcius. Add in Joendry Vargas, who is now a SS, but at 6’4″ his future may not be at SS (they said the same about Seager, and he is a Seager Clone… well except that he is RH). We likely won’t see him until 2026 or 2027… at the earliest. I currently have no opinion as to whether he can stay at SS or not. He has the arm… but that arm will also play at 3B.
The plethora of SS that have been added by Andrew Friedman and Company are because they do not believe Gavin Lux is the answer at the position. Gavin Lux has one position he can play on this team and it is already manned by the best second-baseman in baseball, so he is hoping against hope that Lux has the ability to not look too bad at the position. He also has contingencies. The biggest one is Willy Adames. I know some of you are tiring of hearing this, but I have found that what irritates people the most is when you are getting close to the truth. Then they really get pissed off… especially if you are talking about something or someone they really like.
Gavin Lux has played SS – he has no experience in the outfield, but I think he could learn it and be very good there. The problems is that the Dodgers have a handfull of better options for the outfield than Lux… and you can rest assured that Mookie Betts is not moving off of 2B… shoot he did not even bring an Outfielders’ glove with him to Spring Training. I would not be surprised if Mookie does not see an inning in the outfield this year.
One fan put it this way:
“I keep seeing all over this sub & on other social media that we don’t need to sign a premium SS as we can just slide Gavin over, and it’s just very confusing to me. He has enough trouble making the throws from 2B after overcoming a borderline yips case and now people think it’s a good idea to place him at a position where the throws will be even harder ??? Not to mention his very poor arm strength (avg velo of 79.4 mph) which would rank 47th of 51 qualified shortstops. The last time we tried him there in 2021 he managed -4 OAA in 59 games…Please stop this madness. GAVIN LUX IS NOT A SHORTSTOP.“
— Annonymous
Yet, you read in The LA Times, The Athletic, Dodger Blue, and Sports Illustrated (R.I.P.) that Gavin Lux will do “just fine” at SS. Many call Lux a “Bat First SS.” That is what Seager was/is. He is not the greatest SS ever, but even though his range is limited, his bat plays way up. I call bullshit on Lux being a bat first SS. There is no comparison of Lux to Seager’s bat. Gavin Lux has a “nice bat” but it will not make up for his YIPS. There I said it: Lux has the YIPS. What are the YIPS? Well, first of all, you have to acknowledge that there is such a thing. Mayo Clinic defines the Yips as:
“The yips are involuntary wrist spasms that occur most commonly when golfers are trying to putt. However, the yips also can affect people who play other sports — such as cricket, darts and baseball.
— Mayo Clinic
It was once thought that the yips were always associated with performance anxiety. However, it now appears that some people have the yips due to a neurological condition affecting specific muscles. This condition is known as focal dystonia.
Changing the way you perform the affected task might help you find relief from the yips. For example, a right-handed golfer might try putting left-handed.”
Gavin Lux has (in the past) and in the current had several episodes, In 2020, he had a pretty good Spring Training. He showed off his speed, had good at-bats, and was the favorite to win the second base job. As we know, spring was cut short, and when they returned for “Summer Camp,” he came in a week late, and everything good that we saw at spring training was out the window. He struggled mightily, and it shook his confidence, and it showed. He struck out a lot and even committed unacceptable errors on easy throws.
Those errors would return when he came back up. He has had cases of the YIPS on several occasions going back to (at least) his minor league days. I have talked to players who has had the YIPS and it is terrifying. Most never fully get over it and they are just waiting for the next episode to read it’s ugly head. I am sure that some players have beaten it, but I don’t know who. Lux needs to go to 2B where the YIPS can more easily be hidden. Now, I know that Steve Sax and Chuck Knoblach had the YIPS and somewhat surrmounted it, but not at SS. Lux just needs to go to 2B and stay there. The YIPS might go away entirely if he can just focus on his hitting.
I think Lux is a .300 hitter who will OPS in the mid .800’s and hit 15-20 HR, if he can just focus on that. I know some of you are tired of reading this and are asking “why do you keep bringing this up?” It’s very simple: This is what will prevent this team from winning a championship! You can have a “bat first SS” but you cannot have a SS with YIPS and win a Championship. End of story.
Some fans don’t want to trade Lux for Adames who only has one season of control. Yes, Adames strikes out a lot, but he also has great power and may improve under RVS and Company. At any rate, his defense is on par with Rojas and with Adames, Rojas would be redundant. Pages or Vargas power bat would play well here. The Dodgers still have Muncy, Freeman, Heyward, and Outman as LH threats. I would trade Lux for Adames and a Championship in a heartbeat. Yes, there are no guarantees, but I like the odds a lot better. Hell, I’d trade Lux and Vargas for him if forced to... and you know I like Vargas’ bat. That would be a huge overpay, but I’m trying to make a point.
BTW, the one year of Adames could turn out to be more. You all know the Dodgers could re-sign him… don’t you? OK, hate on me! This ain’t going away…
Agreed
I think the Dodgers could make a better trade but Friedman is definitely seeking backup.
“Changing the way you perform the affected task might help you find relief from the yips. For example, a right-handed golfer might try putting left-handed.”
— Mayo Clinic
Perhaps a possible solution is to make Gavin Lux the league’s lone left hand throwing SS. There, problem fixed (sarcasm alert).
Those on this site they wanted to sign Lucas Giolito this is what the Red Sox got by signing him:
March 5, 2024
Initial imaging on Giolito’s right elbow showed a partial UCL tear and flexor strain, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Giolito will be examined further before any decisions are made, but season-ending surgery is a possibility. It’s brutal news for a Red Sox team that already seemed a little light on rotation depth. Giolito’s two-year, $38.5 million contract contains an opt-out after the first year, but he surely wouldn’t exercise that if he winds up requiring surgery. Worth noting is that Jordan Montgomery remains a free agent and has been heavily connected to the Red Sox.
It looks like curse is back in Beantown when the Red Sox traded Verdugo to the Yankees instead of Babe Ruth.
Dodged a bullet for sure. Might explain some of his problems last season. Gray looks like he is going to be on the IL opening day too, so the Dodgers might not face him in LA when they take on the Cardinals.
I never wanted the Dodgers to get Giolito. His best year was the short 2020 year (small sample), he had 5 other years with large samples, 3 of them were bad years, 1 was average and 1 was good. Why any Dodger fan would want him is beyond me, considering the pitching prospects that are either ready or very close to being ready.
I could sense many panties wadding themselves as I read this Mark. Good job! Hahaha!
Lipcius hasn’t played SS since 2019 and he sure as hell isn’t the answer there either. Facebook acct hacked again, what a pain in the ass.
Set up 2FA, it’s a pain in the ass, but it’s pretty good.
Thanks, I found out it wasn’t hacked, the whole system is down. But I will try 2FA.
This is a reply by old bear48 to a post about Andre Lipcius on Jeff’s websight. So maybe there are not as many ss as we thought.
Guess bear beat me to it…
“Oldbear48
Reply to Duke Not Snider
8 minutes ago
He (Andre Lipcius) hasn’t played SS since 2019. More of a utility guy.”
It shows the perceived state of the Dodgers that the most press seems to be about Lux.
While my Dodger bias is for Lux to succeed, I have no insight to add since I haven’t seen any of his games.
I agree with what Mark and others have stated is that he does have issues:
Are they fixable – Yes!
Will they be fixed – Who knows!
Question for Bear (or others) – when Steve Sax had his issues how many years did it take before it became a distance memory ?
For the short-term (through June-ish) I do not see the Dodgers making any moves unless Gavin absolutely falls apart.
I know Mark is advocating for Adames – but, as a non-expert watching the games I don’t think I can handle another all-or-nothing type player in the lineup.
Muncy the past couple of years has been unwatchable as has Chris Taylor – adding another bat that doesn’t move the needle in most innings does nothing for the enjoyment of the game – so I am hoping another player (if needed) is available as the season progresses.
His first four years he made 19, 30, 21, and 22 errors. In year 5 he made 16. Then his last two seasons as a Dodger, he made 14 in each. Now not all of those were on throws. In 83, the year he had 30, that was when they said he had the yips. He got better the next season. After he left the Dodgers for the Yankees, he only made 27 errors in the three years he was in New York. He only played one full season for the White Sox at second and made 20 errors that year. After 1992 he was no longer a regular. He made 187 errors at second base in his 14 seasons. By comparison, Davey Lopes, who also played 14 years as a second baseman, made 162, Not that big of a difference. Here is a kicker, Sax actually had a higher fielding pct than Lopes at second, .978- .977. Sax has 2 rings, Lopes, 1. Lopes earned one gold glove, Sax none. I agree about Adames, another 140 plus strikeout hitter, no matter how many long balls he hits, is needed in this lineup. Plus, Adames is RH. Right now, there is a nice balance to the roster. 7 RH hitters, 6 LH. Lux has had maybe three chances. So far, not many players have hit the ball his way, so we really have no clue as to how much he has improved. He has made 2 errors on 2 throws. Those are the only two plays I have seen him make in his four games at SS.
“…but I’m trying to make a point.”
Indeed.
Well Lux is gonna be our SS, at least up until the deadline
I am a big fan of Gavin Lux, but I acknowledge that he may struggle at SS defensively. Let’s see how the spring training evolves and probably the first months of the season. The Dodgers already have alternatives at SS on the roster with Rojas, Taylor, and Kike, so I see no need to trade at this point for another SS. Adames is Mark’s favorite target, but he is not much better than Rojas, Taylor or Kike when you consider his recent hitting and cost.
Adames hit 217 last year with an OBP of 310 and OPS of 717. The prior year he hit 238 with only a 298 OBP and 756 OPS. Sure he has HR power, but Rojas actually had a better batting average last year and is probably a better fielder. Plus Adames makes $12.2 million this year which equates to over $25 million when you consider the luxury tax. For comparison, Lux makes only $1.2 million this year and has two more years of control. Adames may become a trade option later in the year if the Brewers are not contending or if recently acquired prospect Joey Ortiz develops into the future Brewers SS.
The Dodgers created this problem at SS when they let Seager leave as a free agent and did not extend him earlier in his career. They paid Mookie $365 million but did not extend Seager. They paid Bauer $42 million per year only 3 months after Seager won WS MVP instead of extending Seager. Then they paid Chris Taylor $16 million per year when Seager was a free agent. Seager is now a two time World Series MVP with 19 career postseason HR (Mookie has 4 postseason HR in his career).
Great post, IMO, until the last paragraph which is pure conjecture mixed with hindsight bias.
LOL
I read the headline, ‘What’s With All the Shorstops,?” and I immediately told myself, ‘Oh boy! Mark’s about to go on a Lux diatribe.”
You didn’t disappoint. That poor dead horse! It can’t catch a break with all that non-stop beating.
Although, I will say the Focal Dystonia bit was actually interesting. I learned something.
Adames is an elite defender. Although he hits jacks, his wRC+ is barely above average.
The Dodgers way is predicated on supplementing expensive stars with younger, more controllable players. Lux is still young and controllable and has a really high offensive ceiling … as in a Future Value score of 70, which is elite.
The Dodgers could try to trade Lux in a package for Adames, but that would run counter to the way Friedman operates.
My humble opinion is very simple. I propose trying a player out first with enough of a sample size to make an informed assessment before we make rash judgments like “he can’t play SS!’ … or “He’s a very special hitter (Vargas)” … or “he’s a 5th outfielder.”
If Lux has troubles that drag well into the 2nd half of the season, then the Dodgers can always pivot.
I haven’t looked, but could the Dodgers minor league teams have piss poor SS and could AF added these SS for future trade(s)? AF playing chess while others are playing checkers?
No to Adames.
I might have a post in jail. If not, then posting from mobile might have some issues on the reboot of this site.
BTW, what I do like about Jeff’s site from a technical perspective is the text editor features like italic, bold, etc. It’d be nice if we had those here.
Yep I like those too. Plus the thumbs up.
8:05 PM ET vs Angels at Glendale
Angels (7-3)
Dodgers (9-2-1)
SP Chase Silseth R
1-0 .00 ERA 2IP 1K
SP Bobby Miller R
0-0 4.50 ERA 2IP 1K
Confirmed Lineup
2B Mookie Betts R
DH S. Ohtani L
1B F. Freeman L
LF T. Hernandez R
3B Max Muncy L
RF J. Heyward L
CF E. Hernandez R
SS Miguel Rojas R
C A. Barnes R
74° Wind 6 mph Out
Offense sputtering, get rid of these guys! Braves signed an outfielder with a great name for a ballplayer: Skye Bolt.
lol Haley got Trumped.
Worried about shortstop yes and will Muncy hold up all year long. But look around at third baseman and shortstop possible trades. I guess Cleveland would make sense with Ramirez 3B and is thee shortstop Jimenez as a possibilty. The pirates have two good young players in 3b and Shortstop but there trying to build a ball club. Hmmm Muncy and Lux to where. Thera not really a team that’s like wow I want those guys but the Cleveland guys maybe. And that team could use two guys like Muncy and Lux to go with the young guys they have.
Muncy is not going to get traded Bradley. He is adequate at third and he is a power hitter with a high OBP. He has a two-year deal and the front office, and coaches love the guy. The season hasn’t even started yet and your suggesting trades? Muncy is having a good spring, and he made a couple of good plays yesterday before he got hit in the knee.
I was just saying will Muncy hold up all season. Or get hurt that’s what I was saying. And to get value for a good third assman and shortstop you have to trade good players. Who in that starting nine of players we have would you trade. Maybe Outman and Lux. So I was saying if you need to replace thirdbase and shortstop who could you get that was better. That was my point. To gamble if Muncy could stay healthy all year and he is a great power hitter. You never know everyone thought Justin turner would be a dodger for ever and look where he is playing this year. Trades happen in baseball especially during spring training. If Muncy get hurt what thee option at thirdbase. Taylor or Hernandez there every day. They should have gone after Arenado in St Louis. That’s my point.
I get that, but Max Muncy has never played less than 135 games in any full season he has been here except for the Covid year. JT played more than 130 just four of the eight full seasons he was a Dodger. To make a trade Bradley, the other team has to be willing to trade the player you want. Arenado, despite what everyone said, was never on the market. That was all speculation. Yeah, trades are made in spring training, but rarely are stars traded in spring. That usually happens at the deadline. Taylor and Hernandez are the third base options. If Max were to get hurt, then they might consider a trade. The Guardians would have to want to trade Ramirez. Here is the kicker, the Dodgers would have to want to take on his contract, which is large enough to put them way over the CBT. He is owed 106 million over the next 5 years, so why would they want to pay him 10 million more than they are paying Muncy this year? He just signed that extension. As good as he is, he still does not have Muncy’s power.
The Dodgers had the game’s second most productive offense in ’23 with light-hitting Miguel Rojas as the full-time SS, right? Only the Braves outscored the Dodgers.
Rojas is now a year older, so he may not be quite as good. But the Dodgers upgraded significantly by replacing a very good JD Martinez with HOF-bound Shohei, and the mediocre David Peralta with Teoscar Hernandez. Not only do these guys add power to the lineup but also plenty of speed.
Even if Rojas is the SS, the Dodgers should score a lot more runs in ’24 than they did in ’23.
So I’m not too worried about seeing what Lux can do. If he proves unworthy, the Dodgers could go after Adames or someone else at midseason, or simply play Rojas.
Or Chris Taylor. Or maybe Sweeney if he seems ready.
Hey, any word on where JD Martinez might be signing?
Excellent points Duke. Not only were the Dodgers the second highest scoring team in the MLB last year, they averaged 5.59 runs per game which the most for any full season in LA Dodger history. For comparison, in 2022 the 111 win Dodgers scored 5.23 runs per game and in 2021 the 106 win Dodgers scored 5.12 runs per game. And on paper, this year’s Dodger offense should definitely be better especially at LF and DH. The team can afford to play Rojas at SS for defensive purposes if necessary this year.
When I look at a ballplayer, I do look at their stats, but stats are just a history lesson. What happens in the past is history. What happens in the future is a mystery. The odds are, a player will do one of two things in the future:
1. They will be the same;
2. They will be worse; or
3. They will be better.
FV (Future Value) is what every talent evaluator tries to determine. The Dodgers have been very successful at resurrecting some player’s careers, such as CT3, JDM, Max Muncy, et al. It doesn’t always work! Sometimes it is due to injury (Peralta) or sometimes, what they are preaching does not resonate.
I do not look at Willy Adames and say, “Yes, I want that guy who had an OPS+ of 95 last year or has a career OPS+” of 107. I say, “I want that guy who OPSed .866 in the second half of 2021 and had an OPS+ of 133 during that time. How do we get that guy?”
To me, not having a long-term deal is a good thing. If he can’t be that .800 OPS guy, then don’t sign him or sign him on the cheap. No risk = No reward.
Just because he has only put up .866 OPS once, doesn’t mean he can’t do it again. OTOH, it shows he is capable. I think RVS and Co. can get the max out of Willy and I do believe he is a better SS right about now because he is 7 years younger than Rojas. That’s why I would roll the dice on Adames. The future is different from history. Sometimes it does repeat itself, but sometimes not!
I know for a fact that the Dodgers like Adames.
I understand why you like the guy, Mark. He can be an offensive force, but I believe it is way too early to even think about trades. And Lux has not had all that many chances at SS. Unlike last night when several balls were hit to the SS. Trading Lux makes them RH heavy. The roster is well balanced right now. I have to believe they are going to give Gavin plenty of time before they even contemplate a trade. With this being his free agent year, and being a rental, I just do not see the Dodgers making that move.
I agree. We don’t need Adames. Wait till the trading deadline and see what our real needs are to put us over the top. We have plenty of trading capital to make that happen.
Totally agree with that sentiment AVF. I must admit one thing, much like Yasmani Grandal, I cannot stand Adames. I tend to dislike players who never seem to come up clutch. Grandal was like that and for all his supposed great defense behind the plate, he had more passed balls than Ellis ever had. My biggest memory of Adames is of him naturally striking out to end the 2020 World Series. And I really hate strikeouts.
To me Adames’s greatest appeal is not his offense, but his first-rate defense.
He handles all the routine plays and his arm is a strength, while Lux’s is a weakness. Adames’ power is a bonus–but for a powerhouse like these Dodgers, the glove is the bigger selling point. (I’d rather have a high OBP guy batting 9th ahead of Mookie and Shohei instead of a 20+ HR guy who Ks too much.)
Again, I don’t think there’ s any rush here. Lux is off to a rough start–he seems nervous out there–but we can hope he’ll improve with more reps. If he falters, then it’s Rojas to the rescue–again.
Dodgers can shop for an SS upgrade at midseason. Perhaps it’s Adames, perhaps someone else. The Reds and Orioles have a surplus of talented middle infielders.
What if the Reds consider offers for Matt McClain? He’s young and wouldn’t be cheap. But he looked good at SS before Elly De La Cruz was promoted and the Reds shifted McClain to 2B.
Just a thought.
That could be a possibility. But again, as with most trade idea’s, both teams have to be invested to make a deal.
Garvey will face Schiff for the vacated Senate seat in November. Good for Garv, but his chances of winning are slim.
I wish this “managing the opponent” stuff would disappear. First Dr. Oz, now Garvey. I’m not sure why but it bothers me.
We should all should give Lux a fair chance at shortstop. He has put in a lot of hard work in the off season coming off that horrific leg injury. As I have stated many times in the past on this site , the Dodger brass is smarter than all of us here, and will make the right move if necessary. We could all state our opinions,but it doesn’t mean a dam thing in the scheme of things.
Yes, sir AVF! You’re 100% correct. However, the purpose of this site is to give opinions, hopefully somewhat rational but obviously not always the case! I agree with giving Lux a runway until August, but if the team is, “all in”, then trading Lux now for Willy shouldn’t come as a great surprise either. I’m good either way….isn’t our money! We’ve busted through the CBT like no other so what’s another 25 mil? It’s all Monopoly money….kinda like the feds just printing billions of dollars each year. Dodgers are now in full villain mode anyway so why not go all in??
BTW, GO Garv#6!!! Hey Bear, didn’t Garv make the 1974 AS game as a write in candidate and went on to win the ASG MVP??
VIVA AZUL!!!!
Yes, he did, and he also won the MVP award that season. There have been 14 MVPs in the Dodgers history. Only multiple winner is Campanella. He won it three times.
But didn’t Duke deserve it one of those seasons?
The story I heard is that one writer inexplicably left Snider off his ballot, giving Campy the MVP. (Sort of like Mark Jackson omitting Jokic and thus Embid getting the MVP.)
This is certainly a case for Bear!
Yes, 1955. Campy beat Duke by 5 points. Duke had a Great year, .309 average, 42 homers, he drove in 136 and scored 126.
3:05 PM ET vs White Sox at Glendale
Dodgers (9-3-1-0)
White Sox 4-8)
SP Y. Yamamoto R
0-0 .00 ERA
SP Michael Kopech R
0-0 .00 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
2B Mookie Betts R
DH S. Ohtani L
1B F. Freeman L
LF Chris Taylor R
3B Max Muncy L
CF James Outman L
SS Gavin Lux L
C A. Barnes R
RF Andy Pages R
73° Wind 6 mph R-L
I’m not sure if people discuss Will Smith’s extension as much as they do discuss the silly notion of him switching positions, but on the subject of extensions the Athletic takes a stab ($$$$) The suppose 5 years with a come of $82.5M, ($20M for his ’24 & ’25 arb years). Not sure if Smith goes for much lower than Realmuto, but it’s interesting.
https://theathletic.com/5319765/2024/03/06/mlb-extensions-bo-bichette-kyle-tucker/?source=user_shared_article
ALSO
Roberts said that Daniel Hudson will be in the bullpen. His opt-out date is March 15.
Dodgers will need to clear another 40-man spot. Another trade for prospect? My first thought was Frasso to the 60, but somebody on X said that has a negative impact on team control. Can someone help me out with that?
FINALLY
Pipeline updated its Dodgers top 30 today:
https://www.mlb.com/prospects/dodgers/
Of the list: Kendall George and Frasso seem high, and the player with one of my favorite names lands at 24.
Someone at TrueBlue did this and it’s awesome! They broke the list by ages. H/T to the person, 68elcamino427
AGE
17 / SS / Emil Morales (Rank 19)
17 / RHP / Jesus Tillero (30)
18 / SS /Joendry Vargas (13)
18 / OF / Eduardo Quintero (20)
18 / OF / Josue De Paula (4)
19 / OF / Zyhir Hope (21)
19 / OF / Kendall George (12)
19 / INF / Alexander Alburtis (24)
19 / OF / Samuel Munoz (25)
19 / RHP / Payton Martin (11)
19 / RHP / Hyun-Seok Jang (18)
20 / LHP / Jackson Ferris (8)
20 / C/1B / Thayron Liranzo (10)
21 / SS/2B / Noah Miller (27)
21 / C/2B / Yenier Frenandez (28)
21 / LHP / Ronan Kopp (17)
21 / LHP / Maddux Bruns (15)
22 / 3B / Jake Geloff (23)
22 / C / Diego Cartaya (9)
23 / C / Dalton Rushing (1)
23 / OF / Jose Ramos (29)
23 / OF / Andy Pages (3)
23 / LHP / Justin Wrobleski (16)
23 / SS / Trey Sweeny (22)
24 / INF/OF / Ausitn Gauthier (26)
25 / RHP / Nick Frasso (2)
25 / RHP / Gavin Stone (6)
25 / RHP / River Ryan (5)
25 / RHP / Kyle Hurt (7)
26 / RHP / Landon Knack (15)
Can’t lie I missed your blog to. Go dodgers
Is it too late to get our money back?
Austin Barnes should be forced to bunt every ab!
Perfect timing! Just trying to inspire him!
I was just checking today’s box score and noticed that Pages was 2 for 2 – I thought he was sent down the other day.
Am I missing something?
Also, no errors buy Lux:) – did he have any chances?
Being reassigned to the minors, does not impact your ability to play in spring training games
Lux had several chances. He made some low throws that were hard to handle for Freeman, but the only Dodger error was made by Muncy on a throw. He also had a ball get by him that scored two runs. Yamamoto was not sharp by any means. Allowed 5 earned runs. He struck out four but gave up 6 hits and walked 3 in his three innings. Brasier got the win, but he coughed up the lead after Freddie had given them a 7-5 lead with his grand slam. They ended up winning 12-9. As for Pages and the other minor leaguers, the regulars won’t play full games until just before they head for Korea next week. New Dodger Lipcius was 2-3. Rushing, Davis, Padlo, Okey, Ward, Avans, all got playing time plus 2 minor league pitchers. Those kids will get time late in games up until they leave. Some even get to play in the freeway series against the Angels when they get back from Korea as a reward.
There’s one shortstop that would be good to get that is on a low market team. I don’t think if we can get him this year. But like people say Dodgers have players to trade and this player is going to be a good shortstop. And what is it that the dodgers and Yankees do they steal talented players from teams that can’t afford them. That would be Bobby Witt Jr. From the Royals if they could get him and trade so players that would be a good plan. Or the shortstop from the Bluejays oh his dad was a good player Bichette Jr both good genes either one of those guys are up and coming players. Thats if they get on a team like the Dodgers or Yankees they will be stars.
Both are already stars
Um, didn’t Witt just resign?
Yes, 288.7 million for 11 years. No way he gets traded anytime in the foreseeable future. Bichette has two more years on his deal that pays him 27.5 million over the next two seasons. He will be 28 when he becomes a free agent and should get a very good long-term deal if he continues his production. He is a .299 career hitter with an OPS+ of 123. His career OPS is .826. Last season was his best defensively. He only made 8 errors after kicking 23 and 24 the two prior seasons. His fielding pct is just a tad higher than Bichette.
Yep…
Witt re-signed to a big deal and is now the proverbial “Face of the Franchise.”
Seems to me that AF deliberately avoided the inflated SS marketplace, in which several guys are getting long-term AAVs north of $25m. The combined salaries of Lux and Rojas is less than $6 million.
Trea Turner says the Dodgers never bothered to make him an offer. Perhaps part of the reason was to save for Shohei.
Dodgers may not have made him an offer, but they had an idea what he wanted when he turned down more money from SD to take the Phillies offer. He is an east coast guy anyway, and the Phills did not get much for their almost 28 million investment his first year. He struck out 150 times last year. His BA dropped 32 points, and he only walked 45 times. He did get 30 steals without being caught, but I think the new rules helped there a lot. His OPS was below .800. He made 23 errors, 7 more than he made his last year with LA. One thing he did do was play well their first two playoff series. But he disappeared against the D-Backs and only hit .200 in the 7 games. Miguel Rojas made only 6 errors last season. LA defense at SS was outstanding. Miggy hits anywhere near his career BA of .257 and the Dodgers will take it. He isn’t going to give you much power, he averages 7 long balls a year, but his defense more than makes up for it and he does get some big hits. I cannot understand why so many of most of the Dodger blogs want this guy gone. He is also great in the clubhouse.
Bear
Don’t take any of this wrong, but the game has moved way past the Ozzie Smith’s at SS. Thechnology has taken over. If you have a good hitting SS you have a leg up on other teams. Same goes for catchers.
How many errors can a SS make throughout the season and out of those errors how many cost the game? Compared to how many extra runs can a good hitting SS produce throughout season over a guy like Rojas?
In the playoffs, runs are hard to come by against the best pitchers in the league.
There’s a lot of what if’s that can happen that carry into the playoffs and having a poor hitting Rojas to add to it doesn’t help.
Also you mentioned Rojas hitting near his career average. Don’t forget his age and don’t forget .236/.290/.322/.612 last year and .236/.283/.323/.605 the year before.
Not to worry Eric, I totally understand your logic. No, Miggy is not getting any younger, and the last two seasons have not been great for him. He is 35, and probably in his last couple of seasons. But he doesn’t need to be great if Lux hits and is at least MLB average as a SS. He was brought in as an insurance policy. I would think, if the Dodgers felt Lux could not do the job, they would have traded for a younger replacement last season. They have had plenty of chances to upgrade at the position, and have stood pat. Why? Simple, they trust the players they have now. Few teams have five guys on the active roster who have played SS at the major league level. Rojas, Lux, Taylor, Hernandez and Betts have all had in game experience at SS. Granted, only 16 games for Mookie, but he could handle it for a week or so if needed.
Yep I agree Bear. I thought you were talking about Rojas being the everyday SS if Lux is not an option after giving him some time.
But I think Betts could handle SS perfectly how athletic he is and the arm cannon he has no matter how little experience he has at SS. That would be my backup plan, Betts SS and Lux 2B.
After what’s transpired so far on the field in ST, I’m leaning much closer to Mark on his evaluation of Lux.
After a handful of games? The kid has played a grand total of 68 games at SS at the major league level. He wasn’t cleared for baseball activities until late in the year, so he has probably actually been on the field getting to balls a little over a month or so. Those mechanics do not come back right away. As Mark is prone to say, progress is not linear. Give him a real chance, which means, don’t make judgements until after he has been out there for say, 50 games. After that time, the team and the fans should have some idea of how well or bad he is going to play the position. Making judgements after a handful of spring games is not really fair.
To your last sentence — I’m not “making judgments” yet, I’m simply forming opinions based on some ST games and what I’ve learned/seen that is subject to change over time. And I won’t make a definitive judgement on Lux until later. However, I’m not bound to take 50 games (or thereabouts) to come to conclusions on him. Depending on how well, or how poorly he plays, it may take less time or more time than that to make up my mind.
Huh.
To your last sentence — I’m not “making judgments” yet, I’m simply forming opinions based on some ST games and what I’ve learned/seen that is subject to change over time.
Last time I was in school, I learned that judgements are opinions. Maybe opinions with thought behind them, but definitely opinions.
When did this change?
Thanks for the school lesson. But either way, I said I’m “leaning” towards Mark’s view on Lux, which means I haven’t drawn any definitive conclusions on him yet.
9:05 PM ET vs Giants away in Scottsdale
Dodgers ( 10-3-1)
Giants (3-6)
SP James Paxton L
0-0 4.50 ERA 2IP 4K
SP Kyle Harrison L
1-0 2.08 ERA 4.1IP 6K
Confirmed Lineup
SS E. Hernandez R
2B Miguel Rojas R
C Will Smith R
LF T. Hernandez R
CF James Outman L
DH M. Vargas R
RF J. Heyward L
1B Kevin Padlo R
3B A. Lipcius R
58° Wind 3 mph Out
Well this is a very pleasant discovery and it ups my quality of life being able to join this community again, at least for the time being. My right shoulder ain’t working too well today so I’m just gonna say thanks Mark for your restart. Got some reading to catch up on. Again thanks.
Trevor Bauer Joins Independent Team, Will Pitch Against Dodgers This Weekend
Free agent right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer will face his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, on Sunday, March 10.The Asian Breeze, an independent team, announced on Thursday that Bauer will participate in their upcoming game against the Dodgers this weekend.
What Is the Asian Breeze?
The Asian Breeze is a travel team whose sole purpose is to get undiscovered players in front of scouts as they take on minor leaguers in MLB organizations.
Players typically pay a fee to participate, but among those who are hoping to make the team in 2024 are former US and Japanese professionals.
In three days, they are set to take on the Dodgers at the Camelback Ranch backfields, and there will be at least one “discovered” player on display, as Bauer is joining to face his former team.
Thanks for posting this Andrew. Should be very interesting. Ironically, the last team to see him pitch in this game and decide to sign him would be the Dodgers, but I assume there will be other scouts in attendance as well.
If I’m correct that you’ve just taken this verbatim from some place and these are not your own words, it might be nice to give credit to whomever you took it from. If I’m wrong and you’ve re-written the post, please just ignore my comment.
Interesting stuff out of Dodgers camp today:
1. Buehler threw today, and looked either sharp or locked in. Depending on which synonym you prefer. He struck out four batters (he was facing a few minor-leaguers in the org) missing bats.
2. ALERT! Roberts changed tack today, noticeably. He is not longer committing to Gavin Lux being the Dodgers opening day shortstop. While the team is still confident in Lux’s defense, he also reiterated that “performance matters” & that the club will do what is best for team.
3. Rosters for the Spring Breakout game have been released. For the LAD, some prospect names:
P: Ferris, Henriquez, Karros, Kopp, Rooney, Wrobleski
IF: Albertus, Gauthier, Sweeney
OF: DePaula, George, Munoz
C: Yeiner, Lirazano, Rushing
Sheehan has resumed his throwing program, per Bill Plunkett
More from Roberts on Lux:
To do anything where you’re trying to be perfect is difficult, and I think there’s some part of it where he hasn’t played baseball in quite some time,” Roberts said. “As he’s making plays and trying to get it across the diamond, he’s trying to be too fine. I don’t think it’s the mechanics of it. I think it’s just freeing himself up to be the athlete that he is.”
I don’t think that he’s the same person or player that he was years ago when he had those issues,” Roberts said. “They might be showing themselves a little bit, but I really do believe he’s in a much better head space, and it’s only going to get better.
“He is much more mature, as you would expect in [five] years time. He’s been through the highs, and he’s also been through some tough times with getting hurt. He’s just a much more mature ballplayer and person.
“I know he’s working his tail off as far as, No. 1, getting back to health, working real hard with our infield guys on the back field on completing plays. The next part of it is doing it in a game, in a big-league ballgame.”
As he’s making plays and trying to get it across the diamond, he’s trying to be too fine. I don’t think it’s the mechanics of it.
Dave sure did not give Lux a vote of confidence. Several sites have reported that Lux might not be the opening day SS. Well that makes sense, gives him time to work on his issues. Rojas, Taylor or Kike could very well be there against the Padres. We will just have to wait and see. Tonight’s game was postponed, then cancelled because of the rain. Paxton looked pretty good, but that Harrison kid on the Giants has some nasty stuff.
Finally got an appointment to meet with an orthopedist. My knees have been bothering me for years. Bone on bone down there. I do not care who plays SS, I just want this team to win. However, I really dislike trading for rentals. That is my biggest beef against trading for Adames. But I do believe, if they decide to trade for a SS, it won’t be before the All-Star break.