Most of you have bitched and bitched and bitched the past three years, as the Dodgers have not won enough (or sometimes at all) in October. You have said that it only counts how they play in October. OK, I’ll buy that! But then you go and lose your freaking minds when they lose some games in June and July. Here’some Dodger fan losing his mind:
Hello, I detect a propensity that you just love to BITCH! Elton John was evidently talking about you when he sang at Dodger Stadium.
I find what many of you say hilarious, and that is all the time I am going to waste on it. Yes, it only counts how you play in October, so can you just STFU? OK, now that I have that out of the way, how about something with substance?
Oh, BTW, the Dodgers have the 2nd best record in the NL… so there is that! The world is not ending. The sky is not falling, and you have no clue how the Dodgers will play in October. Ok… here we go:
What’s Wrong With Bobby Miller?
- It could be his arm;
- It could be his head: or
- It could be his mechanics.
Of course, Dodger fans are going to go with #1 or #2… because they think ‘Jumping to Conclusions” is an Olympic Sport, but #3 is the most likely, especially if you like to study video. This is timeless video from 10 years ago that illustrates how a pitcher should reach their perfect release point:
Now watch Bobby in the game on Tuesday and you will see that he is flying open way too early which causes two problems: (1) You lose control and (2) you use velocity:
Now, I do not know if Miller is injured (I suspect he is not), and I do not know if he is a “head case,” but I do know that his release point is entirely out of whack! So, due to the All-Star Break he did need to go back to OKC and work on that release point for a couple of weeks. I have a feeling that Mark Prior and Conner McGinnis will be there for his next start. That’s all I have to say about it.
Do The Dodgers Need an Infielder, an Outfielder, and a Pitcher?
I mean, you could go out and trade for a whole new rotation. After all, you can never have enough pitching. However, with the pitchers the Dodgers have on the IL who are allegedly coming back, there is not enough room unless you think Glasnow, Yamamoto, Kershaw, Miller, May, and Hurt are all toast. If they are, the Dodgers are so screwed that even trading for several pitchers will not help. River Ryan will also get a “look see.”
You have to assume that some of the pitchers on the IL and in the minors will return successfully. You can’t replace the whole team. Do the Dodgers need an infielder? They need to lose Cavan Biggio and get someone who can play SS or 3B… or both. That is a given. I also think they have to expect Max Muncy to be back in September, so I would think that someone like Bo Bichette would be high on their list, but they could “settle” for DeJong.
In the outfield, Jason Heyward has been injured a lot but has not been as good as last year. James Outman may be useful against LHP, and I could make a case to platoon Vargas and Outman in LF. Teoscar Hernandez has to play every day in RF, so that leaves CF open. I am coming back to the idea of Luis Robert, Jr. if the price is not too high. Pages can go back to AAA and play every day, and maybe AF can get the ChiSox to take CT3 and Heyward (paying part of their salary) in a deal for DeJong and Robert, Jr. I would rather have Bichette, but I have no clue if Toronto will deal him.
How about the Dodgers trade DePaula, Rushing, Ferris, Lux, and Taylor, along with $10 Million Dollars for Robert, Jr. and DeJong? DeJong can fill in at 3B, 2B, and SS, and Robert becomes the CF’er. I would include Outman or Pages in the deal if necessary.
Here’s what I think about acquiring more pitching: NO! End of story! This is the horse I am riding.
That call on Rojas was BS. He was pushed off the bag. Could have been the difference in the game.
We battled with half our squad.
I like where we are at.
Hope we win tonight but not the end of the world if we dont. Treinen is nasty!!!
Tough game – winnable. Our two rookie outfielders misplayed two chances that cost us the game. Great infield play, great relief pitching, Stone not bad. Rojas was pushed- thought we should protest
We did challenge the call. Initially I thought he was pushed off but in the replay from leftfield it didn’t look like the infielders glove was bending like you would expect if he was trying to force his foot off the bag.
The Dodgers pitching coaches (esp. Prior) will recognize almost immediately–within 3 innings–when a pitchers mechanics are way-out-of-whack. So assuming it’s defective mechanics, they knew very early in Miller’s last game that he would struggle horribly and left him long into that game to fall apart.
Oh and that guy is a Typical Long Island tool! Oh and he is a Yankees fan too…..classy.
Seen too many of those guys in my life. Just chill out man.
Stone did pitch okay. Those two runs in the 5th should not have scored , Pages must make that catch and the inning ends scoreless.
Dodgers showed some fight and resiliency . Phillies proabably are the team to beat in the NL. Got a deep and capable lineup, 4 very good/excellent starters and a hard throwing bullpen from both sides.
For the Dodgers:
The good; Lead is still 7.5 games. Barnes starting to hit. One less bat to worry about going forward.
The Bad: Bottom of the lineup constructed out of Lux, CT, Kike, Biggio simply is not sustainable for a WS run. Too many dead bats who get an occasional hit but then go hitless for a week again.
The Ugly; Rotation gets decimated by the day.
the Future; In contrast to Mark I think the Dodgers probably need two starters at the deadline. If Yamamoto is out for good (Dodgers must know that by the deadline) they need another ace at the top of the rotation. It will take an overpay to get Crochet who is the only one who fits that bill.
Another starter should be considered with Miller totally lost, Buehler an uncertainty and Kershaw not a sure thing as well . maybe a rental like Flaherty or as someone mentioned our old friend Scherzer, maybe Eovaldi or deGrom. Rangers probably will be sellers so there should be a shot at one of those guys.
The Yamamoto situation will decide which direction the Dodgers will go at the deadline.
With a numbers crunch on our 40men roster coming up in the offseason the Dodgers have the ability and the urgency to deal some of their youngsters. Ryan, Wrobleski, Knack on the pitching side and Cartaya, Liranzo and Rushing as catchers give us some trade potential and value. Can not protect and keep them all. Better to use them now to bring in proven quality for the stretch run and postseason with the next wave of young pitchers already on the horizon ( Bruns, Ferris, Kopp, Campos for example)
Another bat is an absolute must too. Arozarena or Pham are my two prime targets. Robert jun. would be my dream scenario but he proably will cost too much .
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I disagree that Crochet is the only ace that will be available. I think Gausman can be had. Blue Jays are going to sell and even though he’s having a down year by his standards he’s owed a very affordable $22M a year in 2025 and 2026. He could be fixed pretty easily in the Dodgers lab IMO. Heck, I think Skubal could be had if the Dodgers want to get weird and take Baez contract off Tigers hands. Max Scherzer anyone or did he burn that bridge with Dodgers? I also want Arozarena….I know his April and May numbers were dreadful but he’s been much better in June. He also has that swagger which I feel this team lacks….and tends to come up big when it matters most.
Ram, the Rangers might be sellers, but deGrom is injured, again, and he just signed a 6-year-180-million-dollar contract. Highly doubtful LA takes that on. How can the Yamamoto situation decide which direction they will go? He just started playing catch. It will be well into August before they know anything, and the deadline is 19 days away. The problem with getting a starting pitcher is that the Dodgers are not the only team thin in the pitching department. There will be other bidders for almost every pitcher on the trading block. As for Scherzer, I am not sure I want a guy back who flamed out in the postseason the last time he was a Dodger.
It’s been reported that Crochet wouldn’t be a starter for the 2nd half.
I see nothing AF can do–outside of a miracle– to remedy all the dead bats in their line-up this season.
You can’t change that many players. Most of those already here just have to do better. Good luck with that.
Well, with Mookie and MM back (hopefully) you will weed out two of those dead bats immediately. Then bring in another bat from outside and you basically have 3 good bats to replace 3 out of Lux, Kike, Biggio, CT, Heyward.
That makes your lineup and bench a lot better without doing too much roster make up.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a ray of sunshine!!!
Cmon its not all bad, get in the dance and the impossible can happen!
Hoping for “impossibles” to happen is a surefire way to bring rain, ..not a ray of sunshine.
You must be fun at parties….
I can be, if that were a priority in my life.
What are the priorities in your life if not optimism about sports teams and enjoying the company of friends?
@Bluto: My priorities in life are personal, but while I have interest in being a sports fan, it is not high on my priorities of life.
Was a joke, but I agree about the import of being a sports fan
… and yet, through it all and with Mookie and Max out and others struggling, the Dodgers are either at the top of all MLB Teams or within an eyelash (a few points) of being #1 in BA, OB%, OPS, SLG, and Runs Scored.
And… with all the pitching injuries, they are still #7 in ERA among all 30 teams.
It is not uncommon for players to have a bad first half, followed by a good or better second half… or vice versa. CT3, Barnes, and Kike have all done just that.
In 2019, Kike hit .218 in the first half, followed by .277 the second half. Just last year, Austin Barnes hit .104 the first half, followed by .268 the second half.
I think some of the hitters we have will improve the second half and some will not and be gone. Even if the Dodgers make no trades for offense, this lineup will look much different when Mookie and Max get healthy… and it might be September.
1. Ohtani DH
2. Betts 2B
3. Freeman 1B
4. Hernandez RF
5. Muncy 3B
6. Smith C
7. Vargas LF
8. Pages/Outman CF
9. Rojas SS
Some fans just see problems. I think problems are opportunities in drag!
Solid lineup there.
How about Pillar from Anaheim? Plays a great CF I know hes been banged up a bit….
Good player…. but does he move the needle?
FWIW, Pillar recently said he plans to retire after this season. Maybe he’s more banged up than we assume, or just feels it’s time…
Good lineup… assuming everyone is healthy.
And why leave Heyward out? The best outfield defense probably reads Teo-Outman -Heyward.
And I’d flop Smith and Teoscar in the lineup.
Over the past 30 days, Teo has only hit to a .609 OPS, while Smith has been at .764.
Guess who’s second to Ohtani’s 1.232 OPS over the past 30 days?
A drumroll, please….
Chris Taylor at .964!
He can play 3B if Max is out. Perhaps he’d even platoon…
And we know how the front office loves them some boys in drag!
I am not my Sister’s Keeper.
Luckily
Too much hope-ium and too many “if’s” in your assessment of those bottom-order bats. Regular season offensive stats are against all in-season pitchers, and does not really reflect what will happen against harder playoff-caliber pitching. Muncy remains a huge question-mark on whether he can make it back in time to get his timing back with his swing. Many also doubt Vargas in LF can hold up in the playoffs. Barnes may be improving, but for the playoffs it won’t make much difference since Smith will catch every game, and Barnes will be relegated to pinch-hitter. ..UNLESS, Ohtani can play a position, which would allow Smith to DH and Barnes to hit regularly as the catcher. A Pages/Outman CF platoon only makes sense if Outman shows competence against MLB pitching — which he hasn’t done yet against EITHER north or south paws.
Yeah we are banged up (Max, Mookie and all the pitchers) and will probably get swept by the Phillies tonight.
It was good exposure for Vargas, Pages, Stone and Knack to play in playoff type games in July to prepare them for October.
Hope all the guys on the IL can make it back soon and can produce. Better to have these injuries now than in September/October like we experienced in 2021 with Max tearing up his elbow. Make it through this month, make some acquisitions and subtractions and hopefully make a deep run.
“Bo Bichette was pulled from the club’s win over the Giants due to soreness in his right calf. That’s the same calf that required a stint on the IL last month. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet relayed after the game that Bichette was undergoing an MRI.
The 26-year-old Bichette has struggled to a bleak .222/.275/.321 slash line this season, but a club that has fallen 8.5 games out of the AL Wild Card race and has begun to consider selling at the deadline can ill afford to lose one of its most talented players. Bichette’s combination of injuries, underperformance and remaining season of contractual control make him an unlikely trade candidate, especially if the Blue Jays hope to return to contention in 2025”.
Dave Roberts said today River Ryan is “certainly a possibility” to replace Bobby Miller in the Dodgers rotation after the All-Star break
Alex Freedman
@azfreedman
River Ryan completed five innings for the first time this season. Made one mistake, but other than that, looked good again with a bunch of soft contact and six strikeouts.
Who here still believes the 2024 Dodgers will win 100 games and why? I don’t!!!
Who cares? That’s meaningless come playoff time, it hasn’t helped us in the past.
The Dodgers are playing at a 96-win clip. I don’t care if they win 100 games, but if they get most of the injured players back, it is not out of the question that they could finish on a hot streak and win 100 games. It all about the playoffs… and you only need 3 starters there… with a stong supporting cast in the pen.
Interesting that Roberts had Roberts pinch hit with Outman and then had Lux come in for defense. Says a lot about what Roberts thinks of Lux’s hitting.
I agree. We have 12 pitchers on the IL plus Betts and Muncy. The Phillies have a total of 6 players on the IL. How would the Phillies look if they were missing Wheeler and 1 of Harper, Turner or Schwarber. The team we have this week should be vastly different than the one we see come playoff time. Last year, the hitting disappeared with the layoff.
They were missing Schwarber, Harper and Realmuto, who has been on the IL for a while, for the 10 games prior to the Dodgers coming to town. They were 5-5 in those games. But their pitching is far superior to what the Dodgers can run out there right now.
Last 11 games our staff has given up 79 runs. Combine that with our “black hole gang” and it’s hard to believe we don’t have an 11 game losing streak. Vargas is hitless since we made him the “de facto” starting LF’er. Wonder what it will finally take to move arboretum jr?
Robert jr. I’m starting to spell like Bradley. AF has work to do. $232 mil just doesn’t get you what it used to. Dang inflation!
The elite hitters continue to be good, but the marginal ones are really struggling this year… all across baseball. Luis Robert, Jr. is still in the “struggling” camp after 150 ABs.
Over the past 30 days, Luis Robert Jr. is “struggling” to an .822 OPS, including 6 HRs in 95 ABs.
Not elite, but trending in the right direction after a slow start.
Among Dodger regulars over the past 30 days, only Shohei and Freddie had an OPS higher than Robert’s.
He also looks like a trainwreck in LF. He does not look comfortable out there to me at all.
RIP The great Shelley Duvall, owner of this ode to Bluto:
https://youtu.be/cRUa_E1CugU
He’s not a left handed hitter but I believe he’s hitting around .270. I know the Reds were trying to move him this past winner but Johnathan (sp) India might be available and I bet his price range isn’t bad. I don’t know much about him other than his main position is 2b. Maybe some of you could expand on rather that would be a good get.
India is hitting .268 with 7 homers, 37 RBIs, an OPS of .779 and 8 steals. The former ROY has hit as many as 21 homers in the majors. He is an excellent fielder. 27 years old, under team control until 2027. He only plays second at this point. Definite upgrade over Lux. He has decent splits.
Maybe Lux and a infielder prospect could get it done.
Doubt they would want Lux. They are loaded with infielders who are pretty good. Matt McLain, who would probably be playing second if he were not injured, is a better hitter than Lux or India.
“India is a big upgrade offensively over Lux, but is a down grade defensively. I live about 80 miles from Cincinnati and can attest that he is below average defensively. The Blog Red Machine says this about him:
Now, let’s get to the ugly part, shall we? Jonathan India, while a solid player, is a below-average defender at second base. India rated as one of the worst second basemen in baseball with -8 defensive runs saved and -6 outs above average. India committed nine errors at the keystone in 2023.
With all those numbers out of the way, let’s get back to the bigger picture. Jonathan India is a tough, gritty, ballplayer who was the unquestioned leader of the Cincinnati Reds last season. Even though the numbers don’t bear it out, that’s counts for something.”
Maybe Miggy Ro can be an influence upon him defensively. I like his offensive game.
Mark and Bear
Has India had any experience at 3b. I think he played a little in the outfield. What do think it would cost the Dodgers. The Reds are still in the W/C correct. India could be usable in the field but be a good bat to pinch hit like David Fresse a few years ago
I love the stadium in Cincy especially the plaza just outside the stadium.
India has played about 400 games at 3B in college and the minors with a .937 Fielding %. He really doesn’t have the arm… Rojas can play 3B. until Muncy gets back.
Seems like every year we as fans think the Dodgers have enough pitching. Then every year we see injury after injury. Which makes me wonder, is there an issue with their pitching philosophy? Is Mark Prior actually an expert? Is there a need to change both. Or is it just what every team has to deal with? By no means am I calling for Prior to lose his job, I would just really like to hear others opinions.
Mark Prior is one of the best in baseball according to experts all around the game, but he is not perfect. Like many of his counterparts, they are pushing high effort velocity and high spin rates which causes arms to fall off.
6:05 PM ET
Dodgers (55-38)
Phillies (60-32)
SP Landon Knack R
1-2 2.86 ERA PRIM
SP Aaron Nola R
10-4 3.48 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
C Will Smith R
1B F. Freeman L
LF T. Hernandez R
RF Andy Pages R
SS Miguel Rojas R
CF James Outman L
3B Chris Taylor R
2B Gavin Lux L
88° Wind 9 mph Out
Change: Banda starting the game. Looks like another bullpen game
Maybe just using Banda as an opener since Schwarber and Harper are both left handed hitters and no way Knack goes a complete game.
Great analysis
Thursday schedule
2:35 p.m. PT (doubleheader): Great Lakes (Patrick Copen & Payton Martin) vs. Fort Wayne (Jagger Haynes & Sam Whiting)
5 p.m.: Tulsa (Carlos Duran) vs. Corpus Christi (James Hicks)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Alec Gamboa) vs. El Paso (Jhony Brito)
7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Cam Day) at Stockton (Tzu-Chen Sha)
If Taylor Ward and another outfielder and Anderson are available with the Angels. Why wouldn’t the dodgers go and get them. Is it just the owner won’t deal with the dodgers when they Dodgers would have better prospects then say the Pirates. If the Dodgers got Anderson and Evoaldi that would give them a one two punch until Glasgow and Kershaw and maybe Yosemoto come back and then they have Stone so do that go get those two pitchers
That is about it Bradley. They have not made a trade in quite a few years. Moreno got mad prior to the 2020 season when the Dodgers and Angels had agreed to a trade sending Joc Pederson, Ross Stripling and a minor leaguer, supposedly Andy Pages, for Rengifo and an Angel minor leaguer, supposedly Jo Adell. The Dodgers though were in negotiations with the Red Sox for Betts, and wanted to wait until that trade was finalized. Moreno got tired of waiting and pulled the deal off of the table. The last time the teams traded any players was in on the same day in 2014. Drew Butera was traded to the Angels for Matt Long, a minor leaguer, and that same day, the Dodgers traded Andrew Heaney to the Angels for Howie Kendrick. Other than picking up players off waivers, they have not made a trade since. Colorado has not made a trade with them since November of 2014 when they traded Juan Nicasio to the Dodgers.
T.Robb
Adding to what Mark just said
Prior and the Dodger organization’s pitching department is considered one of the top groups in baseball
at developing both young prospects and reclamation projects.
Their record is undeniable.
Injuries maybe not so much.
Is it the type of players they go after, one’s with high spin rate and big velocity?
Is their some deficiencies in their Training Dept ?
Don’t know the answer to that. But they are usually at the top of league each year with players losing time to the IR.
I did see something today that caught
My eye and it could mean nothing or maybe it’s just a frustrated player who is trying to find the answer of how to become a new pitcher with diminished skills.
I’m talking about Walker Buehler.
In an article today it said:
Walker Buehler Working On Pitching ‘Issues’ Away From Dodgers.
Right-hander Walker Buehler is trying to correct his own issues by working out at Cressey Sports Performance in Florida. According to Roberts, Buehler has been communicating with the Dodgers’ pitching coaches and is throwing bullpen sessions there.
While players don’t usually train and practice away from the club’s coaches during the season, the Dodgers have backed up Buehler’s decision:
The idea of working at a facility outside the Dodgers’ organization was Buehler’s “and we’re supporting it,” Roberts said.
There is still no timetable for when Buehler will be ready to return to a Major League mound.
The Cubs placed Bellinger on the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a fracture in his left middle finger, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
“Bellinger had to be taken out of Wednesday’s game after he was hit in the hand by a pitch in the seventh inning, and imaging confirmed Thursday that the incident resulted in a fractured finger. He’ll be sidelined through at least July 21, though the Cubs haven’t yet provided a timeline for his return. Alexander Canario will come up from Triple-A Iowa in order to replenish Chicago’s outfield depth”.
Wow, just wow
In a game of slug versus small ball it appears slug is winning
“But then you go and lose your freaking minds when they lose some games in June and July.”
They should be beating th3 ahit out of teams like the dbacks, Padres, and royals. They lost all those series. Don’t give me that shit.
You may think it’s shit, but when teams are on bad streaks, they can lose to the little sisters of the poor. Maybe you haven’t played this crazy game, but the D-Backs and Rangers went through this kind of stretch several times last year. The games in October are important.
I think Nola must have some pictures of this umpire doing something he shouldn’t. Some of the calls he’s getting are ridiculous.
How about Pham and DeJong from whitesoxs anf taylor ward and Anderson from from angels and Guasman and JT from the Bluejays. now to get those guys send players like Kiki away taylor biggio Heyward outman DePaul Pages Lux and some pitchers and rushing. Okay taylor Ward can play CF every day and Pham he can play LF or RF even cf AND then you have Teo Hernandez on lf or Rf DeJong can play third Rojas at ss and yiu still need to trade and get a secjnd baseman becaue yiu traded away taylor keke and Lux maybe yiu do get a Baez and Flarethy then yiu get Betts and Muncy come back but those guys righgvthere would improve the dodgers then what they have now. Ward gives you good play in cf and Pham gives you good play every nite and just get JT back because of his presence in the clubhouse and you get rid of the blackhole guys he could pinch hit or maybe play a little third base or second base until Betts gets back.
I like AF’s strategy this year of being a wild card team. Certainly being a division champ with a bye hasn’t worked. Outman living proof that what happens in OKC, stays in OKC.
Did we lose the division lead?
The All Star break is coming at a good time. Everyone can relax catch their breath. Sometimes a break is the best medicine.
Cassidy,
Would you like to wager on the National West Division. I’ll take the Dodgers you can have the field. You decide the Wager I think I’ll be able to cover it.
Don’t mean to be this way but I don’t care for negative vibes. That being said do we have a deal. If this illegal then I’m out. I don’t gamble so I’m not up to what you can and cannot bet on
Didn’t say we wouldn’t win the West. Playing like this we might not have a better record than Brewers or Phillies and would be a wild card. PS It was a joke!
All’s good. I shouldn’t have responded. I apologize.
Bradley. you is something else!
Pham and DeJong are possibles. They might try and get Fedde instead of Crochet. Angels are not trading with the Dodgers period. Jays want to unload their players who are free agents after the season. Gausman does not fit that category. As for Justin Turner, he is nothing more than a DH now. He rarely plays third and he has not been hitting well. Why would the Jays want Biggio? They just got rid of him. Taylor’s contract makes him almost untradeable. Teams are not going to just take the Dodgers garbage for their players. Pages might be enticing to some team, but I am not trading DePaula. You just tried to trade three of their outfielders. They might get rid of two, but not three. Kike has little trade value either. Bradley, Baez is having the worst year of his career. He is hitting .191 with 1 homer. JT is not going to help this team. There are plenty of good clubhouse guys on this team, including Teo, Mookie, Freddie and Heyward.
Some times a change of scenery helps a guy and they hut better. Remember when the braves traded and got three new outfielders and they just took off and won a world series . Thats what the Dodgers need a spark two outfielders a second baseman and two starting pitchers stop messing with these guys who should be in the Minors and get some guys that know how to pitch for the playoff look you said Scherzer Evoldia Flarethy Skohl Gausman Kirkjui Freede get ball.players then having three basically rookies outfielders and one over the hill outfielder in Heyward. Pages outman Vargas and Heyward ain’t going to when yiu a world series no maybe a outfield of Hernandes Robert Jr and Pham and Pillar could see all veteran guys and you have a infield of Muncy DeJong Betts freeman and Smith now that sounds better doesn’t it.
Braves were in a different situation in 21. Acuna was down, they were floundering on the field. When the deadline came in 21, the Braves were 2 games under .500. Surprisingly, they became buyers instead of sellers. The three trades they made cost them no top prospects. They traded one player for Soler, one player for Duvall, and sent Pablo Sandoval to the Indians for Rosario. They had traded for Joc Pederson on the 15th of July. Other than Acuna, none of their regular outfielders were hitting very well. Ozuna was suspended, so the Braves really had no choice except to get what healthy bodies they could. None of the players they picked up really shined during the regular season. Soler brought the steadiest bat hitting .269 with 14 homers and 33 driven in. Duvall brought a lot of power, 16 homers, 45 driven in, but a lot of strikeouts too. 69 in 199 at bats. Pederson and Rosario both hit 7 homers. The Braves only won 88 games. And they won their division because the Phillies were barely over .500 and the Mets stunk up the joint. The Dodgers are not in that same situation. What is on the field right now, is not going to be the team at the end of the month. Scherzer is not going anywhere. He has a full no trade and has said he will exercise it. No one knows yet who the sellers will be, so it is not really easy to make deals right now. Most feel the White Sox, Marlins, A’s, Rockies, Nats Jays, Rays, Tigers, Angels and maybe the Rangers will be sellers. You cannot count Heyward right now; he is on the IL and won’t be back for a while. Until they are certain who is going to be on the market, it is very unlikely any deals are made before the deadline. And Freidman is not going to overpay for any player. Trouble is, no one wants the Dodgers garbage. Lux, Vargas, Pages and Outman are probably the most tradeable players on the roster who are not regulars. Taylor, Kike, and Biggio, have no value at all. You are right, sometimes coming to a new team is invigorating to a player. But it can just as easily go the other way too. I can cite plenty of examples since Friedman took over. Reddick, Granderson, White, Gyorko, Dozier, Gallo. All of them were late season pickups by Freidman. One success story was David Freeze. You can’t just toss names out there and say that the Dodgers can go get them. It takes two willing partners to make a trade, and both teams have to feel they are getting a good bargain.
The proposed trade with the White Sox is a serious overpay. AF would never come close to that payment.
No, he sure would not. AF has never overpaid in prospects when he has dealt for a team’s star player. Even when he traded for Machado.
We didn’t need any of this.
What did I just read