The Los Angeles Dodgers are currently #2 in runs scored and #3 in BA but are #1 in OB% and OPS, which, in my humble opinion, are the most important metrics. The pitching staff ain’t too shabby either. The Dodgers are #4 in team ERA, with the starters being #8 while the bullpen is #2 in all of baseball. In theory, both the bullpen and starters should get better as the season progresses, especially if Kershaw, May, Yamamoto, Graterol, Hurt, et al, can return.
Chris Taylor is showing signs of life. Miguel Vargas has quietly reversed his woeful rookie season. Andy Pages looks solid, and Jason Heyward continues what he did in 2023. James Outman should return soon, and the only question is who stays and who goes? Evan Phillips looks like the best closer in baseball. Mason Miller is more spectacular, but Phillips has converted all 12 save opportunities while Miller is 13 for 15. Thank you, but I will keep the prospects and Evan! He was filthy yesterday!
The Dodgers do not have to do anything at the trade deadline, but we all know that Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes are kicking the tires. Today starts a two-game series with the pathetic Angels. Shohei should hit at least six home runs in the two-game series. Then, the Dodgers head to play the patheticer White Sox and, hopefully, we will see the unspectacular Luis Robert, Jr, who is still hitting below .200.
The Dodgers are in “Country Club Cruise Control Mode” right about now and will remain there until after the All-Star Game. They are running away with their division and there is no urgency to win. They will have to dial it up later… but now is not the time. We are just waiting for Kershaw, Yamamoto, Hurt, Graterol, Muncy, and others to return, and there is no rush! Landon Knack will likely get the call-up as Feyereisen will likely be the man sent back to OKC.
Why do we have a Sunday off?
It’s perfectly fine
To sleep in a chair
From Monday to Saturday
There’s a MLB rule that states a team can not play a certain number of consecutive days without a day off. After Saturday’s Angel game.the Dodgers will have played 12 consecutive games .Then Monday begins a 3 game series against the White Sox.
I’m gonna try that rule out on my wife and see if I can get a day off from being told what to do.
Good luck with that my friend. Do that, and you have a great chance to wind up in the doghouse.
I am always amazed and amused how many grown men are frighened and afraid of their wifes.
My grandfather used to say: There are MEN and then there are human beings with a penis.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I live there! The doghouse!
There are rules about consecutive games played. There is a set number of days played agreed to by the players association and MLB. Not sure what that length is. But I also know that the Angels and the Dodgers play only 2 series, both of which are now two games instead of three.
Outman should be up at one point. He is our best cf. If he can reduce ks while batting against righties he could help. Pages could improve but at this moment. Needs to improve as a cf and needs to reduce ks especially with runners on. He has killed lefties but needs improvement vs. righties. Can he? I guess we shall c.
The first to go will be Biggio. When Muncy comes back he will go. Then it gets tougher. I believe the next will be Kiké. He is valuable as a defender n can get the big hit. But, Taylor has a huge salary and Kiké does not. Taylor has more speed, is versatile, has been clutch, he is trending up with a higher upside. Of course AF could trade one of them so Kiké would be easier to trade. If Pages progresses mb both stay. Or if Outman comes up Pages could go down. I think this is less likely if Pages doesn’t fall off a cliff. Pages could share cf with Heyward or Heyward would be the next to go.
I still think the number one target should be a ss. I still think Bichette if healthy. I hope they do not go for DeYoung? the white Sox ss. He would be cheap but that’s it.
Second mb based on injuries could become first I would look for a starting pitcher. Acquiring Bichette would take care of the bat and help Mookie/Dodgers.
Fully agree on Outman.
In the last few games, we’ve seen Pages fail to make plays that Outman would have made. Bringing up Outman is the easiest upgrade the Dodgers can make. An OF mix of Teoscar, Heyward, Outman and Pages is solid. But if the Dodgers could bring in Robert for 3.5 years, either Pages or Outman could be part of that deal.
The continuing uncertainty over Max–along with the poor play from Taylor, Kike and Biggio–could shift AF’s priorities. In the meantime, it would be nice to see what Lipcius could do.
I do not know why so many fans are so fascinated with Robert Jr. He is hitting under .200. He is striking out at a high rate. 34 in 89 at bats. He is injury prone. He is a damn good outfielder, but the Sox would want a Soto like package in return. And not the one the Yankees did, the one SD sent to DC. He has huge skills, but just like Buxton, he is an injury risk. No way I trade for that guy no matter how high his skill set is. The Sox are not even playing him every day. He has played 100 games or more exactly once in five seasons. And he might not reach that total this year.
Yeah, why would fans be fascinated with a guy who hit 38 bombs and 36 doubles last year while playing great defense?
Robert has been recognized as a huge talent for years, and whichever team lands him–maybe the Phillies, maybe the Braves, maybe the Giants–will have him for the next 3.5 seasons on a team-friendly contract. Yes, he’s had a slow start to the season–but not as slow as big talents like Julio Rodriguez and Corbin Carrol. His recent struggles could reduce the price tag.
Of course the Sox GM should say he wants a Soto-type package, but he also knows he won’t get that. If he wants to deal Robert, he’ll simply take the offer that he thinks is best. (AF may simply pivot and sign Teoscar to an extension. Or perhaps he’ll do that and deal for Robert too.)
The injury risk should be baked into the offer. If Dodger management is fearful about injury risk, would they have dealt for and extended Glasnow?
Great logic. I just do not see them doing that with his injury history. Yeah, he is a great talent. And he has shown it for a full season exactly once. I think fans are being unrealistic going after only the big names. Think like AF. Show me one time he traded for a big-name star with an injury history. He never overpays. The White Sox will trade him, and some team will be dumb enough to pay their price, it won’t be LA. You can’t compare a second-year player like Carroll to a five-year vet. And Rodriguez is having a far better year than Robert is. .276/.333/.467. He has the same number of homers, more RBIs and much lower K percentage. They value pitchers differently than they do hitters. You want Robert out there 140 games at least. Pitchers are more easily replaced than hitters. You guys want trades, target more logical targets and players who are actually playing well but won’t cost the farm. Until Mookie comes back, Rengifo of the Angels would not be a bad choice. Hitting .300 and playing solid defense. Lane Thomas is said to be the Phillies #1 target. I think they are leery of the injury history too. In a couple of weeks, we will see. If the Dodgers were to trade for Robert, well I would eat crow. I have done it before. I just do not believe Gomes or AF are leaning in that direction, same with Bichette.
Bichette is on the IL. He is having his worst year at the plate. He might be a slight upgrade with the glove, but at this point, his bat is pathetic. .237/.286/.342. His OPS is .629 and his OPS+ is 80. He has 4 homers, 28 driven in and 4 steals. His K rate is low. But at this point he brings ZERO to the offense. DeJong has 14 homers; OPS is well over .700 and his OPS+ is 110. He and Bichette are almost equal fielding wise. No thanks.
Bichette, who’s having by far his worst year, SO FAR, brings more than ZERO to the offense.
I also think a trade to LA, combined with him being healthier, would do wonders for him. I’ve loved Gavin Lux’ potential ever since we drafted him, but even I’m ready now to move on and try something else.
Last year maybe. This year he sucks rocks.
Bear do u ever read the post u respond to? I said if Bichette is healthy. I know he is having a bad year and I know he is on the injured list. But he has a career ops over .800. IF HEALTHY he will probably get better. He certainly beats what we have now in Kiki, biggie, etc. this would give Mookie a chance to get away from ss. Our defense wouldn’t be any worse at least he has played ss. It would be a risk but the upside is far greater than what we have. Would u rather have Betts plus Bichette or Betts at ss plus lux? U might rather have Lux so fine but I much prefer Bichette. U said his bat is pathetic. What would u call lux bat?
RVS could also help Bichette, and getting out of Toronto could also do him wonders.
Yeah, I read what you wrote. I do not like trading for damaged goods and never have. Hill was hurt when they traded for him and so was Darvish. I would rather see them get a cheaper replacement like DeJong, who at least is hitting for power and is as good defensively. He would not nearly cost as much as Bichette. Mookie isn’t going to be around for almost two months. So, who is moving to second? Rojas is as good of or a better defensive SS than any of those guys mentioned. You still have the problem until Mookie comes back of weak bats at the bottom of the lineup. Lux at least has shown some signs of life, and his fielding has been excellent. Not a big fan of making changes just for the sake of making change. If this bothers you, so sorry. You are speaking of ifs. If Bichette was healthy, well so far, he isn’t and he hasn’t looked good all year. I am pretty sure AF and Gomes have a list of players they will likely kick the tires on. Bichette might be on that list. But I am not even sure SS is a position of need in their eyes. They seem content with what they have.
Dejong would not cost nearly as much. Why? I will tell u why he is a career .239 hitter. Defensively he would be ok but I just don’t c AF making a lateral move. We have enough .230 hitters now. The White Sox are not good but u can play loose because expectations are not too hi. Playing for the Sox and playing for the Dodgers are a world apart. He couldn’t handle playing for the Cards. Plus right now the Sox would be selling high on him. I would much rather have Rojas but as a reserve who can serve until and if we can do better.
Who knows what AF thinks. I am sure he is considering pitching, hitting, and d not necessarily in that order. DeJong does not make us any better. If he goes for Robert then DeJong could figure in the deal depending upon what the deal is.
What we know is the Sox are ready to deal whereas Toronto and the Brewers may not be willing to deal. Miami will probably deal Tanner Scott but will AF be in on it. If he were available and healthy I believe Bichette would give us the bat we need, a ss to get Mookie to second, at his best a speedster with pop. Even if he didn’t pan out he wouldn’t be any worse than Lux.
Our of problems could b solved internally if the players return to form. Another sp injury could put pitching on the front burner. Between now and the deadline ours needs could change drastically.
With Mookie on the IL until August, and Max’s recovery going slowly, dealing with the infield may become more of priority than the outfield.
Mookie obviously can’t get more reps at SS for a while, so he’s less likely to improve before the playoffs. Perhaps it’s best to plan on Mookie playing 2B when he comes back—and put Lux into a trade.
Rojas has been excellent–much better than expected–but at age 35 can he keep it up? I can see a deal for either Bichette or DeJong making sense, as either would be an upgrade over Lux. Perhaps the Sox or Jays would welcome Lux in a package.
There are reasons to think that both Lux and Vargas will be dealt in the next few weeks, And yeah, AF was convinced those two guys should be the keystone combo before the ’23 season.. Not the best-laid plan.
As Mark notes, the bullpen has been excellent. And there are other impressive RPs in the pipeline: Henriquez, Lao, Yean, Dreyer, Wepf and others. But getting a proven guy like Tanner Scott might be the best move. He and Vesia would be a good 1-2 lefty punch.
What would the Marlines want for Scott?
And what would the Angels want for Luis Rengifo? What other UT upgrades might be on the market?
Yankees DFAd Victor Gonzalez and called up Phil Bickford. Get rid of one former Dodger for another. Scott might cost you three prospects. Dodgers would not be the only team bidding for his services. Expand the deal and get Luzardo too. I would target Rengifo, but Moreno might not want to deal with the Dodgers. Still has a bad taste in his mouth because we got Ohtani.
It will be interesting to see what AF will do
Yep, and do not forget Gomes is in on those decisions also. AF the last few years has gotten lesser talents at the deadline. Other than 21, and 18. He has stuck to fringe players or AAA fodder.
3rd years a charm!
Lux will almost certainly (I hope) be traded, while Vargas isn’t going anywhere…. He is the LF next season
I cannot put into words how much I LOVE this phrase:
“Lux will almost certainly (I hope) be traded…”
I suspect that both Lux and Vargas will be traded–and that would be the best thing for both.
Sad to say, but Lux is now limited to a platoon role at 2B. And it seems clear that Mookie should take over that job full-time.
Meanwhile, Vargas is being platooned in LF. But because he faces lefties, he’s on the short side of the platoon, on the field about 1/3 of the innings. This might be fine if Vargas was also perceived as a decent utility option–but management has made it clear he is no longer considered a viable infielder. Nor is he trusted to play CF or RF.
If the brass believes that Vargas is the left fielder of the future, he should be getting as much opportunity as Pages. But he isn’t.
And the other day, when Roberts needed a pinch hitter from the right side, he chose Rojas and passed on Vargas, even though Vargas has been swinging the bat well. I wish Roberts had given Vargas the chance to be a hero, but it went to one of the veterans he trusts.
.
Ouch. Imanaga gives up 10! earned runs in 3 innings last night. Guess we did sign the right Japanese pitcher!
Bear,
I agree with you on Robert’s Jr.
That should be a no.
Very gifted athlete and excellent potential but really a tough medical past.
Even in the minor leagues he didn’t play a ton of games. Looks like some IR time and rest days in there.
Played around 200 MILB games over 3 yrs 2017-2019. Avg of 67 games a year. I believe once you get to at least class A level your playing around 120-130 a season. So 67 games a yr i is not good
Would not consider offering any of our top prospects and therefore not a deal that the White Sox would probably consider.
Between Outman, Pages, Vargas, Hayward and Teoscar were okay in the outfield going into the playoffs
But I do much prefer Bichette over Dejong.
Just a better talent and pedigree and worth much more prospect capital.
This should not be a short term fix.
Yes injured now but this should be a move for not only a playoff run this year but I would think this could be our future shortstop for the foreseeable future. (next 5-6-8yrs)
The numbers other than this year just don’t compare career wise.
Bichette : Career
Avg: 293
Hr: 93
RBI: 340
SB: 55
Strikeout rate: 21.6%
Fielding% : 964
Games : 594
Dejong: Career
Avg: 229
HR: 130
RBI: 373
SB: 25
Strikeout rate: 30%
Fielding %. 980
Games :800
Dejong offers better defense and a little more power
Bichette- 1 hr every 26 AB
Dejong- 1hr every 21AB
Bichette just turned 26 in March and Dejong will be 31 in August.
Bichette just reaching his prime.
Dejong could be a short term fix but if there is a chance for Bichette, that should be the move.
Go Dodgers!!
P.S
Mark please keep RVS away from Bichette.
Also
Bichette career OPS:806
Dejong: career OPS:718
Why?
Just look at Bichette’s career numbers. Why would you want to mess with that.
He is a averaging
Around 24 HR/year.
( Take his 3 full seasons and add 3 shortened seasons)
2019/2020 and this year 2024.
So that’s 4 full seasons of stats
That’s Around 24 HR/yr.
What does RVS potentially add to that 8-10yr and at what cost.
Not worth it.
He has very good bat to ball skills
Why sacrifice that and batting avg and more importantly strikeout rate for some more slug.
This team is in need of a player or 3 that can provide consistent contact.
Just don’t see messing with that.
I don’t think RVS does a great job with Young talent and can actually hurt there growth
(Bellinger/Outman and Vargas and I’m guessing he has had a hand in Lux’s performance as well to name a few.
All these guys were top prospects that performed at a high level in the minors before RVS coached them.
He seems better suited to reconstructing veteran hitters that were underperforming and getting them more into launch mode. The all or nothing guys like Muncy and Taylor.
Although it looks like Taylor is backfiring as well
J.D Martinez was the exception to the rule. I think he was RVS’s meal ticket .
Go Dodgers!!
10:10 PM ET
Angels (29-45)
Dodgers (47-30)
SP Patrick Sandoval L
2-8 5.24 ERA
SP Landon Knack R
1-1 2.61 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
RF T. Hernandez R
1B F. Freeman L
CF Andy Pages R
SS Miguel Rojas R
LF M. Vargas R
3B E. Hernandez R
2B Chris Taylor R
C A. Barnes R
78° Wind 9 mph Out
06/21/24 Los Angeles Dodgers recalled RHP Landon Knack from Oklahoma City Baseball Club.
06/21/24 Los Angeles Dodgers optioned RHP J.P. Feyereisen to Oklahoma City Baseball Club.
Thursday scores
Albuquerque 8, Oklahoma City 5
Northwest Arkansas 5, Tulsa 4
Quad Cities 7, Great Lakes 0
Inland Empire 8, Rancho Cucamonga 6
Friday Schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Chris Campos) vs. Quad Cities (Frank Mozzicato)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (River Ryan) vs. Albuquerque (Peter Lambert)
5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Hyun-il Choi) at Northwest Arkansas (Luinder Avila)
6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Wyatt Crowell) vs. Inland Empire (Andre Sanche
Transactions
Triple-A: Right-hander Sauryn Lao got promoted to OKC after a 1.90 ERA with 29 strikeouts (a 29.3-percent rate) and only eight walks in 23⅔ innings for Tulsa. It’s been a rapid rise for the 24-year-old, who was an infielder before converting to the mound last year. He’s only been pitching in games for about 14 months, and he’s already in Triple-A. He pitched two scoreless innings in relief in his OKC debut with two strikeouts.
Double-A: Right-hander Lucas Wepf was promoted to Tulsa after a 1.84 ERA and eight saves in Great Lakes, with 44 strikeouts (39.6-percent rate) and 10 walks in 29⅓ innings. The 24-year-old Canadian was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Louisiana Monroe in 2022.
Low-A: Carlos Duran was activated after over six weeks on the development list. He started and struck out four in his 2⅓ innings, allowing a run in his sixth game of the season
7-9 wow!! why barnes again?
Don’t really hate Barnes playing 2 or 3 games against the Angels and White Sox give Smith a breather against the weak teams. Can always put Smith in late if needed.
dodgers have more trouble with weaker teams than stronger teams! …. muncy to the 60 day dl
Rengifo stole 2nd n 3rd on the same pitch. Barnes pop time around 8 seconds. Can’t wait to c him bat.
Blue Jays have played 75 games and are 5.5 games out of a wild card spot. If they go on a losing streak, they might become sellers. But they could go on a winning streak that keeps Bichette off he market.
In the AL, only three teams are clearly out of contention: the Angels, the A’s and the Tigers.
In the NL, only the Marlins and Rockies are out of contention.
The NL is much more bunched-up than the AL: Seven teams are within 2.0 games of the wild card…
As for tonight’s disappointing game, the best news was another strong performance by Knack. Perhaps he’s a keeper, or perhaps he just enhanced his market value for a trade.