In the above statement, there are two contingencies:
- If the Blue Jays Decide to Trade Bo Bichette; and
- If they do, Andrew Friedman will be all in.
Let me break that down for you. The Blue Jays may or may not make Bo Bichette available. If they don’t, there is nothing to talk about. I have no clue if they will or they won’t, so we wait. However, I do know (for a certainty) that if Bo Bichette becomes available, Andrew Friedman will be “all in.” Bo Bichette is an Andrew Friedman kind of player. Make no mistake about it; Bo Bihette is an elite shortstop. He is middle-of-the-pack when it comes to defense, but he is elite offensively, even if he has had a bad first half of the season. If he is made available, Andrew Friedman will want him and Toronto will demand a huge “overpay” for him. So, there is that.
I am not going to spend a lot of time discussing this because it is simply conjecture at this juncture. However, in the next two weeks, we should know. Toronto is 41-49 and unless they go on a huge hot streak, Bichette will likely be available… no matter what their GM says right now. All I know is this: I will not include Justin Wrobkeski in that trade. To get Bichette, it will take substantial prospect collateral… maybe even DePaula or J. Vargas. Bichette is not even entering his prime, so I would pay it. No question.
What is happening to Max Muncy happened to Ryan Pepiot last year. He missed most of the season with an oblique that just did not respond to treatment until August 19th. Max Muncy may not be back until September. Let’s hope he has enough runway to get his timing down. Can you imagine how different this lineup would look with Betts, Muncy, and Bichette?
Wrobleski flashed his skills and made a couple of mistakes, but you can see that this kid is special! He’s definitely a keeper. He could be better than a tired Crochet down the stretch. Tomorrow we see the Phillies and hope that Bobby Miller is finally back 100%.
We have discussed this subject many times. Most fans want this guy. I disagree that Freidman will be all in. He will not overpay for any player, and I would not trade for him unless he signs an extension. But that is me, and I am not running the team. I think he goes pitching first, then worries about the peripherals like any infield or outfield position.
Wrobleski and Ferris are two special left handed pitchers in the Dodger’s system. Hopefully neither one of them will be traded at the deadline.
100% agreed that Wrobleski is a keeper. The curve ball for his 2nd strikeout was incredible.
I am leaning towards Mark’s position on Bichette (sorry Bear). We can’t continue to rely on Lux, Taylor or Kike going forward if we hope to win the WS.
Bichette has the proven track record (3+ yrs) with his offense no matter what his first half stats are and his defense is adequate.
The other big question is – what the heck are we going to do about 3rd base??
Again, we are screwed if it is a combo of Taylor, Kike and Biggo.
So I think something big will occur for either a SS or 3rd base solution – but cannot even conjecture what that will be – other than piggy-backing on some of the other posters here who are more informed on some of the players that may be available.
I think it is time for another one (or 2) of Eric’s crazy trade scenario’s!
If for nothing else than to generate some more dialogue:)
That is alright, you can disagree all you like, but I do not see AF breaking the bank for the guy. He has never overpaid on any of his trades. I also do not think AF will just stand pat. He knows the stats better than we do, plus he can talk to the coaches and get some idea of how the players are working. Taylor you are stuck with. I doubt very seriously that they just eat his contract, even if it makes the most sense. They value his versatility even if the fans do not. And it is Bradley who comes up with the crazy trade scenarios. Eric is pretty conventional. Bichette has 3 hits in his last 5 games. In the last 28 days, he is hitting .167 with 3 extra base hits in 54 at bats and has struck out 16 times. Sorry, he doesn’t rate being traded for a bag of balls.
Anytime Eric, pop over to LADC sometime, we would love to have you. That is Jeff D.s site.
Well, the Dodgers had two elite shortstops, Corey Seager and Trey Turner and both walked away. They made a pretty good offer to Seager, but got outbid by the Texas Rangers. They let Turner go without even making him an offer, saying he wanted to play back east. Yet, when Turner was interviewed later, he said he had interest in re-signing with the Dodgers, but they never even approached him. Now you think the Dodgers will be all in on Bo Bichette. Seems like that isn’t exactly a priority at the moment. Miguel Vargas is playing well, both with the glove and the bat.
Sorry, but don’t they have other needs? More pressing needs. Like another starting pitcher.
Bichette would be an expensive trade in terms of prospects. Do the Dodgers really want to make that kind of deal. Who do you see in that deal, Mark?
What are the Dodgers priorities going into the trade deadline? Pitcher? Another hitter? Outfielder? Shortstop? Bullpen help?
The Dodgers could hold the line on pitching and hope the returning players come back healthy. That’s obviously a gamble so I think they do something. But will shortstop be a focus?
We could use a 3b like today.
My choice would have been to keep the home grown Seager. But the money Texas offered him meant LA would have had to pay him close to 400 million to make it even because there is no state income tax in Texas.
Mark , agree on both points.
Justin Wrobkeski is not included.
Fully in on Bichette.
At 26 he should be our shortstop for the next 7-8 yrs.
I agree with Bear that
an extension must be in place for the deal to work.
With the prospect capital it’s going to cost, I don’t want a rental and were
back in the same boat after next year.
Go Dodgers !!
Vargas went 0 for 4 yesterday with 2 strikeouts. But every at bat was a quality at bat and the K’s were the result of a great pitch and a bad umpire.
I do not believe that Andrew will trade Vargas and that he will end up playing third base or left field for the remainder of this season, depending on who Andrew gets at the deadline.
I still want Cody back in centerfield.
Why would Friedman overspend for pitching? We have plenty. 2 all star caliber players would look sweet . Their trade values are the lowest they will ever be, albeit still formidable. Let me see….Rojas over Bichette huh? Pages over Robert ? Double huh . It’s just a dream. But a damn good one. I don’t know what the FO will do. But that’s my 2 cents. Relax a little. It’s ok.
Book em
They have Yamamoto, no word on when he could be back, and he just started throwing, Kershaw, throwing a re-hab game soon, May, Gonsolin, Buehler, all on the IL, along with Grove, Brasier, Graterol. Miller has been ineffective so far.
Stone has been their best pitcher. Glasnow is closing in on the most innings he has ever pitched. Paxton walks way too many guys. Knack is a rookie trying to make his way into consideration and Wrobleski. Sorry, that is not a championship rotation. They need at least one middle of the rotation starter. If Kersh and Yamamoto make it back and are effective, all that much better. But they need an innings guy. The bullpen is going to be gassed by September if they don’t get some innings out of the starters. Oh yeah, Kelly is on the IL too. But he is close to returning.
How the team is playing right now is is irrelevant. They will be in the dance. Of course they don’t need a ss or cf, now. But come October , Rojas and Pages? I don’t think so. And they will have plenty of stud pitchers come October. If your gonna trade the farm, make sure you get quality all star caliber every day players. Relax and enjoy the ride.
Book em
If we are going to trade for an infielder, it will be a 3rd baseman due to Muncy’s slow recovery. If we don’t want Mookie at SS because of shabby defense, why in the wide wide world of sports would we want Bichette there? I totally agree with Old Bear on this one. Bat Miggy 9th and rest him once or twice a week. Upgrade the Pitching because that’s what has killed us the last few years. Clayton and Walker just may not be the answer to our playoff needs. Play Vargas in LF, Mookie at 2nd base and strengthen the bullpen and get one more starter.
But which third basemen will be on the market?
Help at 3B makes a lot of sense, especially with Max’s return uncertain. But who?
With Rendon’s return, the Angels just DFA’d Miguel Sano. He’s not ideal, but I’d rather have him on the roster than Biggio . Do any of the “sellers” UT/third baseman for sale who will move the needle? (I like the Angels’ Rengifo a lot, but now he’s dealing with an injured wrist. And there are doubts that Arte Moreno would deal with the Dodgers.)I
Meanwhile, I’m both glad and a bit puzzled that the Dodgers are considering Vargas for 3B again. Worth a shot, I guess. Rojas could be a late-inning defensive replacement if the Dodgers get a decent SS.
Bichette is an intriguing player. He has “star” quality even though he hasn’t played like one this season. Lux, like Bichette, was expected to be a bat-first SS but he has transformed into a glove-first platoon second baseman. Does AF see Bichette as a way of correcting his mistake with Lux?
Right now, Biggio and Lux are the weakest links on this team. Perhaps Lux can regain his solid ’22 form, but he’d have a better shot of doing it for the Blue Jays or White Sox–or whatever trade partner AF finds. Some might argue that Taylor or Kike are also weak links–but their versatility makes them more valuable.
Would AF overpay for Bichette? Mark says he would. But perhaps he’d opt for a cheaper rental like DeJong, and then go after Willy Adames in the offseason. Adames, who at 28 is only two years older than Bichette, is a glove-first SS with a big arm and power. He could easily shift over to 3B if Freeland or Jeondry Vargas mature, or ifranother SS emerges.
I don’t know if Brandon Gomes would consider this “big picture” thinking or not. Maybe Bichette fits the big picture better.
If Dodgers trade Vargas, wouldn’t it be a mistake? As far as I know, Friedman is not stupid, and he cares as much about this season as he does about the future, and I don’t know how many OF Dodgers he has in the minors, but I think Vargas, Outman and Pages would be the outfielders of the future.
Teo will be gone
Heyward will be gone
Kiki will be gone
The only one who can play OF is Taylor, and definitely no one wants him as a regular!
The Dodgers have several outfielders at AAA, but they seem to think none of them is ready for prime time. Here are the players and their AAA stats. Ryan Ward 26, .274 BA, 23 homers, 63 driven in. Chris Owings, 32 .258/8/25. Drew Avans, 28 .279/6/30. Austin Gauthier, 25 .267/2/16. Gauthier was just recently called up. Most of their OF prospects are in the lower minors.
Let’s give Ward a shot as a power LH off the bench for a few weeks. Right now there is no one in that role. I don’t understand what a Dodger prospect has to do to get called up and play. Instead, we get the Craig Biggios of the baseball world. I’m beginning to think the Dodger system is highly overrated in developing major league position players. Like Bear, I agree that most of the highly regarded position prospects are in the low minors and are 3-5 years away.
That I just cannot understand. He has decent bat to ball skills and power. Seems to me like a poor man’s Luke Raley, who is making a career for himself with the Mariners.
If Dodgers trade Vargas, wouldn’t it be a mistake? As far as I know, Friedman is not stupid, and he cares as much about this season as he does about the future, and I don’t know how many OF Dodgers he has in the minors, but I think Vargas, Outman and Pages would be the outfielders of the future.
Teo will be gone
Heyward will be gone
Kiki will be gone
The only one who can play OF is Taylor, and definitely no one wants him as a regular!
Bichette is good, yes, but SS is not a priority this season, no more than 3B or SP….
Tough crowd!! Rojas is hitting .294 in the last 30 days he’s well over .300. Is he the long term answer? Who knows. He is having a special year and he deserves the opportunity to take this year as far as he can. If you’re going after a shortstop for the future, get Jacob Wilson from the A’s. Sure one can slide Rojas either direction but he is playing an elite shortstop right now. Discussing cool expensive items reminds me of discussions I have with my wife on her purchases. My guess I’ll have as much luck here of changing minds as I do with her. Taylor of the last month is fine at second, third has been a black hole. I’d rather have a platoon of Pages and Outman in Center than Roberts even without giving up elite prospects.
I agree that thid base and pitching are the priorities.
I would also like to see Outman in center and Vargas at third get the opportunity to make their case in July. If one or both fail to convince AF then you go after Belli for center and trade for a contact hitting third baseman. I don’t know who might fit that role but I would be satified with a .240 hitter for more consistency in the back of the order.
I would also focus on the Cubs as a trading parter. With Busch’s performance to date, they might have a strong interest in more Dodger prospects.
Bear: I want to thank you for your comments – I read them all! I also admire your patience with Bradley.
Hang onto the pitching prospects!
Dodger need Bo Bichette Jack Flarethy and Jesse Winkler those three guys would improve this team and get rid of some of the strikeout kids. The fearsome six that strikeout every at bat. Go Dodgers.
I love Miggy. Again what do his stats from April to June have to do with October. He’s 35 we need more. Outman ,Pages, Taylor in October? Really? Are the studs in the minors going to win us a World Series? No. I would be way more comfortable when the October crapshoot comes around if I had Bo and Luis. Not gonna happen but I am going to hope. Ok go ahead and get us an innings eater for a lottery pick. Hard no on giving up prospects for pitching otherwise. Way to fragile all across MLB.
Book em
How many World Series rings do Bo or Robert’s have between them? Rojas’s glove work isn’t going anywhere. If we are depending on Rojas bat to CARRY us to the World Series championship we are in trouble. In my mind it’s pretty simple if most (doesn’t have to be all) of our studs are steady or better yet hot, we will win it, if we have any pitchers left. If we go into an opportunity time to go stone cold like last year it won’t matter if we bring in Roy Hobbs.
Sometimes John, World Series are won by the least likely guys. I can name many over the years. Steve Pearce went bonkers on LA in the 2018 World Series. He was the MVP, not one of their stars. How about David Freeze when he was a Cardinal. He wasn’t their star player, Pujols was.
I agree Bear. I’m just cautious of an overpay. We all know that the team that gets hot or has several players get hot will win the big prize. The playoff system is fun but the way it was in the good old days the better team was more likely to win. Texas and Arizona in the World Series last year was a joke. I refused to watch an inning of the World Series. Like anyone gives a crap that I didn’t watch.:)
I enjoyed Texas beating the team that beat us, and Corey Seager had another stellar World Series and post-season. Corey now has 19 postseason home runs. That ties him with Pujols, puts him one behind Schwarber and Jeter. Two behind Bernie Williams, Altuve is second with 27, and Manny Ramirez is #1 with 29. Mantle who only played World Series games, had 18. Turner has 13, all with the Dodgers. He and Seager are tied for the most in Dodger history. Snider had 11, all in the World Series. He also hit 4 in a series twice.
I agree that if Bichette is available it would be a nice pickup for the Dodgers. Bear believes that it will take a major overpay to get him. That may be true, but if not AF will certainly make a legit offer. Without looking it up, how many contenders need a SS? I would guess not many. Supply and demand. If Bichette is obtained then Mookie is at 2B. So, who would you rather have, Bichette or Lux? I’ll take Bichette. With the exception of this year (so far) he has a proven record of offensive success. Lux needs a change of scenery. It would do both players good to move on.
In regards to Crochet, I would pass. Sure, he has been outstanding so far this season and he is only 25. He has pitched 105 innings so far which is twice his previous high. He was recovering from TJ surgery in 2022 and most of 2023. He’s a hard thrower which almost guarantees another TJ surgery in his future. I would think that Crochet is going to demand quite a haul. I don’t have a problem trading away prospects as most will never play for the Dodgers, but that doesn’t mean AF shouldn’t use the prospects wisely in trades. The Dodgers have enough pitchers like Crochet who have innings limitations and/or are recovering from injuries. With Glasnow and Stone rapidly approaching career highs in innings pitched and the uncertainty of Miller, Yamamoto, Kershaw, and Buehler returning from injury adding Crochet might be problematic. Throw in a injury history of Paxton. That leaves the inexperienced Knack and recently added Wrobleski as options.
Bottom line is that there is huge potential for a outstanding starting staff for the postseason. It’s, also, possible to have several bullpen games if the above pitchers run out of gas or don’t recover adequately by the end of the regular season. I don’t envy AF’s situation. It’s damn if you do and damn if you don’t. A second guesser’s perfect
scenario.
Carry on.
I have an inside part of myself that I need to work through. But anything involved with Texas teams and sports makes my amygdala trigger. It’s totally on me. If the Dodgers have any of the following people involved in their organization it will it will create havoc in my soul: Carlos Beltran, Alex Cora, Altue, Bergman. They in my heart have a lifetime ban from the Dodgers in any capacity. Normally I’m a kick back person but when I trigger it sits for a minute.
Nice take Bradley!
Damn, that’s really insightful Ted. I’m with you 100%.
Book em
Thanks Dano….. it’s booked!
The Dodgers are in a “win now mode” as evidenced by Ohtani, Freeman, Muncy, Betts, Teoscar, Rojas, Kershaw, Taylor, Barnes, Kike, Heyward, et al all being on the wrong side of 30. They have a few good years left, but not as many as they once did. It would take several arms to get Crochet, but the Dodgers need to hoard arms, as they blow out more arms than anyone. I do not see them burning pitching prospects for someone like Garrett Crochet. Also, Max Muncy is signed for another year and other than his horrific injury at the end of 2022, he has been very durable. Oblique strains are hard to deal with, but I think they just have to shut him down totally until mid-August. I think it’s likely he will be back in early September and maybe Vargas can hold the spot down until Max returns. It’s worth a shot.
Bo Bichette will be 27 next year, and I could see his best years coming as a Dodger. I could see the Dodgers offering him a 10 year/$300 + Million extension. Rojas will be 36 next year and likely not an everyday player. Mookie would be better served at 2B.
I believe Bo would be a huge asset to this team and if you doubt his defensive prowess, just Google “Has Bo Bichette Improved on Defense?” Finally, if the Dodgers can acquire someone like BO, they do not need another 3B.
Earnest, straightforward take
Free Miguel Vargas. Let him play 3B. I can’t believe playing Vargas at 3B will prevent the Dodgers from playing in the postseason. Maybe, with consistent play, his defense will be improved. Will he be Brooks Robinson? Of course not.
But, when was the last time the LA Dodgers have had a GG 3B? He can’t be that much worse than Biggio defensively and I would be shocked if Vargas’s bat wouldn’t be a major improvement. That would allow the Dodgers to have an outfield of Teoscar LF, Outman CF, and Pages/Heyman RF. Trade for Bichette and JT. Move Lux and Kiki. Wishing CT3 a hot 2-3 weeks in the postseason. Then all could be forgiven for his regular season play.
I agree with you on this Ted. How bad can Vargas be at third. I would think his bat would be better than Biggio, Hernandez, Lux and Taylor. I also believe Lux needs a trip to AAA to reset he appears to be completely out of sync. I would move Taylor to second to replace Lux and a lineup that would look like this until the trade deadline.
Ohtani DH
Smith C
Freeman 1B
Hernandez LF
Outman CF
Vargas 3B
Rojas SS
Taylor 2B
Pages LF
I would bat Pages 9th to have him get better pitches hitting in front of the top of the lineup
MLBTR says Jazz Chisholm could be available. Started as a SS.
No thanks.
He made some very derogatory comments about Rojas. He also is a full-time center fielder right now. Was not all that great as a SS, which is why they moved him. His game is all about him. Not a team guy.
Saw this yesturday with regards to Bichette . It was also acknowledged the Dodgers biggest competition to get Bichette are Cleveland and Seattle.
From clutch points:
“They aren’t going to want to trade Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrero Jr. with both having another year to go before free agency.
But word is, past long-term negotiations with both stars never came close to agreement.
And folks who know the pair believe the Jays have little to no chance to lock up Bichette, and maybe only a slightly better chance with Guerrero.”
Bichette makes sense becaue they can sign him to the next seven years then move Rojas to secund base platoon with Taylor and hey how about this Mokkie plays Right foeld with platoon of Pages and outman in cf and Teo on leftfield so then they juts need to find someone to play thirdbase. How about Hornier from the Cubs or if aatrosslip Bregman talk about a lineup if Muncy can’t come back. And they add Bregman and could sign him in off season. Wow. They wouldnt need Muncy any more. They could trade Muncy and Buehler to the Red Sox for players. For outfielder and Jansen. All they could do but will they?
Mookie is not going back to the outfield full time. He would go if asked, but the Dodgers are not going to make him do that. I would not trade for Bichette unless he signed a deal before the trade was consummated.
There’s nothing like a Bradley post.
Secund base.
Mokkie
Right Foeld
If Bichette had been playing for the Dodgers this whole season, people would be pulling their hair out. BA. .226. 4 Homers, 30 RBI’s, .607 OPS, almost a 3 to 1 ratio on strikeouts vs. walks, OBP. 280, 1 triple, here is a decent stat 16 doubles, that’s okay, the rest is awful, past bad. He’s 36th in the MLB in batting average, OPS and OBP. Someone stated 300 million for ten years!!! Please someone educate me on all the love for Bichette. I have followed baseball real close for decades, I’m a stat freak, couldn’t wait each week to get the sporting news to go over it a number of times. Love to follow time frames such as 30 days, 15 days along with season. Bichette doesn’t show up good in any of these. Help me understand. Please
Bichette’s current 3+ month stats are terrible. No dancing around that.
But you watch the player play and hear how well he is respected in the club house along with his work ethic and most importantly you look at his age and career stats and you see an excellent baseball player who is currently struggling in the first half of this year.
Bichette is an excellent offensive player and improving defensive shortstop. Other than Rojas and the youngster Miller, who I believe is at High A there isn’t a better defensive shortstop in the Dodgers system.
If a stats person only, then his career stats. should speak for themselves.
A 3+ month poor performance should be considered the exception and not the rule.
This is reflective of playing around 560 games total
Career Regular Season:
Age : 26 yrs old
AB: 2479
AVG: 290
HR:93
RBI: 343
SB: 56
OPS: 800
Fielding %: .964 SS
Strikeout % @ 21%
Thanks for the response, enlightening. What kind of a package would you give to him and what kind of contract. I guess I’m just not of a change for the sake of change type of person. Again, I wouldn’t over pay on a player that is having the year he’s having unless there was an absolute need. I don’t think it’s a short. I agree we need another infielder but with Muncy and Betts coming back we don’t need to pay a ransom fee. I like our outfield but if they bring in Vargas to play 3rd we are short in the outfield. I think that Heyward is okay but not an everyday outfielder. Again. Thank you for your post I don’t follow the Blue Jays and didn’t realize the type of career he is having. With that said I would be cautious of an overpay like DePaula or one of our young pitchers and I sure as heck wouldn’t give a huge long contract until it is proven that this season was just one of those years. Thanks NJ
I completely understand your thought process and concerns John.
I too would hate to overpay for someone who is not performing well at the time of a trade.
Who knows maybe his poor performance so far could help reduce the cost in prospect capital a little.
I also don’t like long term contracts as they don’t usually end well
In Bichette’s case, because he just turned 26 in March, a longer term contract may be in order.
Maybe a 7yr deal, which would keep him through his playing age of 33.
So just before he potentially starts a noticeable decline.
Maybe 7 yrs $225 million. Avg $32m/yr.
As Mark stated he probably would want 10yrs and
$300m or more.
I’m not very good at matching up what a prospects worth is to MLB talent.
I know the Milb talent that I would hate to loose.
Regulars:
E. Morales-ss
J. Vargas-ss
J.DePaula- OF
E. Quintero-OF
D. Rushing- C
Pitchers :
R.Ryan
J. Wrobleski
J. Ferris
P. Martin
I may have missed 1 or 2 but other then that a reasonable combination of anyone else would work
I’m sure they would be looking at 2 or 3 of the prospects I would not want touched
Maybe Mark or Bear or some of the other posters would have a better feel on what it would cost.
Excellent exchange NJ and John. This kind of give and take is what a good blog provides fans.
If I may be so bold as to put my 2 cents worth into the conversation, I’m not sure Bichette could get the kind of contract you mention considering what kind of year he’s having. I agree that it’s probably an aberration but if you’re handing someone 10/300, you want to make sure it is before extending him. He’d either have to settle for less if he signed an extension now (unlikely he’d do that) or not sign just yet and prove that he’s actually the player we all thought he was.
With regard to your prospect list, DePaula is the one player I don’t think I trade for anyone. As far as trading for Bichette, you could probably include one of the shortstops on your list because Bichette would be the shortstop, hopefully long term.
I would prefer to keep Wrobleski, especially after what I saw yesterday, but I would consider any of the other three in the right trade.
I’d also include Rushing in the right trade because he’s blocked at all three positions he might play (DH/C/1B)
JMO, I’m sure others will have different thoughts.
Singing the Blue not only do I appreciate your 2cents worth I welcome it. We all want the same result. I’m not the GM but NJ’s contract thought I respectfully disagree, to much money and to many years. I agree with singing the blue but maybe more bullish I like our prospects. We have enough that we could let go a catcher and a middle infielder but I’d be hesitant with any pitchers especially left handed pitchers. Who would of thought a year ago with maybe the exception of Miller and perhaps in a stretch what are starting rotation would look like. A free agent and a trade, Glaslow and youngsters. I never knows especially with pitchers what the future brings.
Thanks STB. Appreciate your comments and impute
If there is no extension then the draft capital would need to be much less..
Not sure that works for either side.
The 2 SS,
E. Morales and
J. Vargas are both big kids at 17and 18yrs old.
They are going to grow into those bodies and 1 could move off SS to 3rd base
It’s early but we could be looking at our future SS and 3B. Time will tell but they are very highly thought of.
Good point on Rushing as he is getting close to the majors and has no where to go other then Smiths back-up
I may like this kid
E. Quintero-OF more then Depaula.
Not only a very good hitter but transitioning very well to the Outfield as a CF
DePaula has work to do to find a defensive position.
But his hitting tool is outstanding
Good trade options are Ryan McMahon of the Rockies and Isaac Paredes of the Devil Rays. Both can play 3B and or when Muncy returns move over to 2B. Both would be cheaper options than Bichette. Food the thought.
Charlie Monfort, the owner of the Rockies, will not trade his favorite player to the Dodgers. Rockies have not made a deadline trade with LA since the Dodgers sent Todd Hollandsworth there.
I think Mookie and the Dodgers have both concluded his future is at 2B.
Watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SToCVS7pQoM
Defense:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/epdiSfY4hDc
This guy is suggesting that Lux needs to go back to AAA:
I don’t think he’s wrong . Lux needs a reset of some sort. He’s just not getting the job done right now. Will it hurt his trade value to send him down, maybe be he’s not doing anything to help his trade value right now. I hate being negative about a player because they are trying to do the most difficult thing in hitting a baseball. I couldn’t do it well enough to go very far so I don’t like bad mouthing players.
I noticed for many years the Dodgers’ offense does not play well at Dodger Stadium. The recent series against the Rangers, the Diamondbacks and the Brewers are an example of that Oh, and don’t forget the Padres.
And yes, I am a Dodger fan and I DO expect a Dodger SUPERTEAM out there.
why does bradley continue to beat the Bregman drum?? True blue dodgers don’t want that piece of crap!! I’m a laid back type of guy. give and take type of guy. consider myself a forgiving type of guy. But Bregman can rot in , well you get it. The hall of fame takes character into consideration . Do any of you dodger fans consider any of those cheaters high character individuals? i sure as hell don’t! Would you have wanted Aaasrod or bonds on a dodger team? no way! so why bregman? Might be the reason Bauer will never ever be a dodger again. not saying he was guilty, saying he probably shouldn’t have been signed in the first place. Always been proud to be a dodger fan. Proud of the players they put on the field. So lets win with integrity, not cheaters!
100%
Well I would like Arenaldo at third base or Devers pr Rameriz from the Indians Dodgerdad. Maybe they could get Parades Arozaran and Elfin from the Ray’s. But dam bregman and bichette added to that lineup for the next seven years. And apparently we have all the pitching in the minors but are going aftee Max Fried and another Japanese pitcher in the off season if you infield included bregman bichette Betts freeman Smith that’s be pretty dam good for the next seven years all you have to do is build a outfield next. That’s why I say go after Bregman if the Astros slip and want to sell. We had JD Martiniz on our team right last year. Didnt he beat us to win the world series with the Red Sox. So yes we do take great players Dodgerfan. And the Red Sox won the series that year. And who was their right fielder? Mookie Betts
Houston is 2 games out of first place, and their GM says they will absolutely be buyers at the deadline, so you can forget Bregman.
To get Bregman and Bichette for the next seven years means that they A. Have to sign Bregman while he is in free agency, and B, get Bichette to sign an extension before he becomes a free agent. That is not happening. Neither is there any shot of them getting Devers from the Red Sox or Ramirez from the Guardians. The reason is simple, Guardians are in first place. They are not trading their star player. He is also under contract for four more years for 88 million. As for Devers, he also is Boston’s biggest star, and he just signed a long-term deal for 288 million. Neither are going anywhere. JD and Mookie were on the 2018 team, but Mookie drove in 1 run, and only hit .217 for the series, JD hit .278, hit one homer and drove in 5. We got beat because Steve Pearce, who was a mid-season pick up, had an awesome series. He hit .333 had 3 homers and drove in 8 runs. Teams in the race are not going to trade their star players. None of those guys will be available. Now the Rays might be more amenable to a trade. And each of the players you mentioned might be on the block. And AF loves former Rays.
I’m hoping Ryan River gets the start on Thursday. He’s been really good his last couple starts. He’d have to be placed on the 40 man and he’s probably only going to be able to go five innings max, but I read it’s going to be a bullpen game. He’s looks like the real deal.
Still doesn’t matter bradley! bregman is a cheater!!!!!!! don’t you understand that he is not dodger blue material? watch the look on his face after hitting the home run in the world series. he knew what was coming and the smirk on his face tells it all! kershaw couldn’t believe he hit that pitch!! he doesn’t deserve to wear the same uniform clayton wears! end of discussion!
Not a fan of going all in for Bichette, Robert, Crochet, Bellinger, or many of the names being kicked around. With Betts return, the Dodgers top five are as good as any in baseball. If Muncy returns in time to be ready for the playoffs then the top six match up with any in baseball. We don’t need to overpay for improvements to lengthen the line up. I like Rojas at shortstop in the playoffs. He will need rest over the last eleven weeks but him batting ninth and playing great defense in a playoff series is fine. If Outman (vs. righties), Pages, and Vargas are batting 7th and 8th in a line up that may be fine as well. There are 15 games or so before the trade deadline to get a better idea. My point is that any offensive additions like Robert or Bichette or Bregman at the deadline don’t guarantee a damn thing. The Braves had the best line up in baseball history last year with five guys with 98 or more RBIs and were eliminated in the NLDS, just like the Dodgers. I am sure that the FO has done the risk – reward analysis with far more information than we have. None of these high cost acquisitions does much for me. The lower cost alternatives that have been mentioned make more sense – Pham, Hoerner, DeJong,etc. One or two of those to lengthen the bench depth make more sense with a much lower prospect cost. Save for the Trea Turner deadline deal they also seem more in keeping with AF’s approach. I think that Mookie Betts has worn down late in the season these last two years. A silver lining to his injury is we will see a fresher and more rested Betts in the playoffs.
Bear made a comment that I’d like to touch on, Corey Seager’s contract. Yes California has State income tax and Taxes doesn’t. When for example the Rangers play in California, all the Rangers pay the California taxes for the amount they make in those games as the Dodgers don’t pay State taxes when they pay in Florida or Texas,etc. another point Texas has the third highest property taxes in the country. Seager if he owns a home, car etc of property tax he pays that for the whole year. Texas Corporate income taxes are fairly low so they fund their a lot of their State Government with property taxes. So using State income tax as a reason needs to take a deeper look.
Without any way of knowing , Seager probably has his own corporation so his secondary income would be at corporate income tax. I can’t see how he could put his playing contract into the corporation but I’m not a tax lawyer so I could be way off. Wouldn’t be the first time.
Seager does not own a home in Texas. He bought a house in Tennessee. It is just south of Nashville in a town called Brentwood. He paid 4.62 million for his off-season home. He most likely rents a place in Texas for the time he spends there. So, the property tax is not an issue for him. He would not save that much on property tax if he lived in California. Homes are more expensive there anyway. I would think all of his vehicles are registered in the state of Tennessee. He probably leases a vehicle while in Texas.
Bear, I’m fairly certain that Seager’s landlord if he’s renting has the property tax figured in the lease that Seager signed to rent the house.
Dylan Hernandez, who I waffle on liking, has a piece where he wonders about Roberts’ lame duck status ($$$$)
https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2024-07-08/dylan-hernandez-column-on-dave-roberts
What I found interesting was this text that AF sent Dylan:
“Doc is a big part of what we have accomplished in the past and we look forward to him being a big part of what we will accomplish in the future. Right now, all of our focus and attention are on doing everything we can to win a Championship this season.”