I remember a couple of years ago and again last year, when many Dodger fans wanted to get rid of Max Muncy and bring in Nolan Arenado. I remember that many thought Mookie Betts could not play SS, and after last season, Andy Pages was toast. Many also thought that Alex Freeland couldn’t hit, and Kike Hernandez should retire. Oh, yeah, Dalton Rushing couldn’t hit either. Some wanted James Outman over Miguel Vargas (how’s that working out?), and every starter and reliever on other teams who was the pitcher of the week was their flavor of the week. Just about everyone, except Andrew Friedman, got this one right: Michael Conforto must go! Oh well, no one is perfect.
I want to take this opportunity to look at what the Dodger lineup will soon be:
C Will Smith/Dalton Rushing – Will is 31 Years old and is signed through 2033, when he will be 38. He won’t be the everyday catcher by then. There is finally talk that he might start playing 3B (next year). It’s about time. Who is his heir apparent? Dalton Rushing or someone acquired in a trade.
1B Freddie Freeman – He is signed through 2027, and if the Dodgers re-sign him, it should be one year at a time. He will be 38 in 2028. I think he’s good this year and next. Beyond that? That gives me pause. Who is his heir apparent? James Tibbs III, Dalton Rushing, Chase Harlan, Logan Wagner, Josue DePaula.
2B Hyeseong Kim/Miguel Rojas – This will be a straight platoon, with Kim batting against RHP and Rojas batting against LHP. Rojas plans to retire after this season. Kim may get a chance to win the job full-time in 2027. Who is the heir apparent? Hyeseong Kim… unless Mookie Bettes wants to go back to 2B and Kim to SS or Logan Wagner.
SS Mookie Betts – He is now the SS and may be one of the best in baseball. He is 33 years old, and I think his offensive capacity is diminished. I think he is better served batting 5th or 6th, and when his contract is finally up in 2032 at age 39, I think he will have been gone for two years. When they signed him, I said that this contract would age badly and I stand by that! Who is the heir apparent? Hyeseong Kim, Alex Freeland, Noah Miller, or a trade.
3B Max Muncy – He has made himself into one of the best third basemen in baseball, both offensively and defensively. His contract is very team-friendly, and he can be controlled through 2028, when he will be 37. The Dodgers will ride him until the wheels fall off. Who is the heir apparent? Emil Morales, Chase Harlan, Joendry Vargas, Logan Wagner, Alex Freeland.
LF Teoscar Hernandez – He is on the downside of his career, in my humble opinion. He will be 34 this year and is signed through 2027 with options in 2028 and 2029 (which will never be exercised). He may not last the year. He will have good days and bad days, even though he is in the best shape of his career. Who is the heir apparent? Mike Sirota, James Tibbs III, Josue DePaula
CF Andy Pages – Andy is solid here and will likely improve as he is just 25 years old and controllable through 2030. He’s a borderline All-Star and Borderline Gold Glove. Who is the heir apparent? Mike Sirota, Eduardo Quintero (with Pages moving to LF).
RF Kyle Tucker – It is my belief that this was a blunder perpetrated by Dodger Ownership, who pressured Andrew Friedman to sign him. He will be 30 next year and is signed to a Godzilla-like contract through age 33. He blocks everyone.
DH Shohei Ohtani – The best DH in baseball who is signed through 2033 and will be 32 this year. I think he is in a slump, but at some point his skills will diminish. His speed with become average and his power will waine. When? I do not know and their is no heir apparent. Pray that he can play 5 more years!
Bench –Kike Hernandez, who is the heart and soul of the team. Tommy Edman – Kike’s heir apparent. Alex Call – League average. Alex Freeland is the heir apparent after Tommy Tanks.
That’s all too clean. It really is… There will be “career-ending” injuries and things no one anticipated, but the Farm System is very rich, and there will also be players we never anticipated to step up. Who knows, maybe even Ronan Kopp will learn what the strike zone is…
On the LOW SIDE, this is the best lineup in baseball. On the high side, it is the best lineup ever! Unfortunately, they are playing without passion and hunger. Some fans have said that you just can’t turn it on and off. I believe they can. Of course, inevitably, the blame falls on Doc because he brought in the wrong pitcher or messed up the lineup. Let me remind you that these are not the good old days. The lineup and pitching decisions are a collaboration between Dave Roberts, the coaches, and the front office. This malaise shall pass as it does every year. The wheels are not falling off this train. Patience Grasshoppers.
MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS by Jeff
Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado) – OKC Comets 1
LHSP Logan Allen started for OKC and did not come through the gates quite ready. Three straight singles scored 1, but RF Zach Ehrhard through the runner out at 3rd for the 1st out. He walked the next batter, but then got the DP to end the inning.
OKC tied it up in the 5th. 2B Tyler Fitzgerald reached on an error and scored on SS Noah Miller’s 2nd triple.
The game remained 1-1 going into the 10th. OKC loaded the bases with the placed runner and 2 BB. But a K and force out ended the inning. In the bottom of the 10th with LHRP Keynan Middleton on the mound. With the placed runner on 2nd, the second pitch Middleton threw was a RBI single to end the game.
RHRP Brusdar Graterol, RHRP Nick Frasso, RHRP Chayce McDermott, and RHRP Jerming Rosario pitched the final 5.0 innings without allowing a run.
OKC had 5 hits, but no Comet had more than 1.
Springfield Cardinals 7 – Tulsa Drillers 6
RHSP Christian Ruebeck faced 5 batters and all five reached before giving way to LHRP Evan Shaw. 2 runners scored and Ruebeck left with the bases loaded. Shaw got a force out at 2nd, but one inherited run scored. Shaw did a nice job inheriting the bases loaded and no outs, and only 1 run scored.
In the 3rd, with 2 outs, C Frank Rodriguez walked and scored on CF Kendall George’s first triple. George scored on DH Josue De Paula’s single. 3B Kyle Nevin and SS Elijah Hainline both walked to load the bases. RF Chris Newell singled to plate 2 and stole 2nd. On the throw to 2nd, the 2B had a fielding error and Hainline scored giving the Drillers a 5-3 lead.
Then LHRP Maddux Bruns entered. And surprise, he did not pitch well at all. He did get 1 out. But 1 hit, 4 walks, and catcher’s interference, generated 3 runs and he left with the bases loaded with one out. RHRP Carson Hobbs came in and got a pop out for the first out. But then gave up an infield single to score 1 before getting the final out.
I know we need to relax and be patient with the first round pick Maddux Bruns and his 11.68 ERA and 2.76 WHIP.
The Drillers got one more in the 7th after a single from Newell and three walks. But the score remained 7-6 through the rest of the game.
RHRP Nick Robertson pitched the 8th and 9th retiring all 6 batters, three by K.
Chris Newell was 3-4 on the night with a double. He had half the Drillers hits. Kendall George had the other XBH with a triple.
West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit) 4 – Great Lakes Loons 3
LHSP Jacob Frost started and completed 3.1 innings. He was pulled after 75 pitches. He surrendered a 2-out HR in the 1st. 3 BB and a WP scored another in the 3rd.
In the bottom half of the 3rd, 2B Nico Perez hit his 6th HR.
Frost got the first two batters out in the 4th and was lifted for RHRP Dilan Figueredo, who got the final out of the 4th.
In the 5th with Figueredo still on the mound, the first batter reached on an error. Next batter was HBP. There was a one out walk to load the bases. Next batter hit an infield single to score 1, before Figueredo retired the next two batters to end the 5th.
With RHRP Alex Makarewich on the mound in the 7th, he gave up a solo HR and a 4-1 lead.
In the bottom of the 7th, 3B Eduardo Guerrero doubled (6) and scored on LF Samuel Munoz’s RBI single.
In the 8th, three one out singles by Perez, DH Jose Meza, and C Victor Rodrigues got the Loons to within one. But that is as close as they got.
West Michigan had 3 hits, 2 of which were HR, and 8 walks.
- Nico Perez – 3-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI, HR (6)
- Samuel Munoz – 2-4, 1 RBI
RF Mike Sirota reached base twice on a single and BB.
Ontario Tower Buzzers 9 – San Jose Giants 2
What do you know. A game with limited walks by a LAD affiliate. RHSP Cam Leiter went the first two innings. He allowed 1 hit, but did not allow a run. He did not walk a batter, and had 2 Ks. He threw 33 pitches (21 strikes).
RHRP Seamus Barrett followed Leiter. He allowed the first three batters to reach on 2 singles and a BB. He struck out the next two, but then unleashed a WP to score the first run of the game.
Ontario put up 3 in the 3rd. C Anson Aroz drew a 1 out BB and scored on 1B Easton Shelton’s 2-run HR (5). CF Landyn Vidourek followed with a BB and scored on SS Emil Morales’ double (15).
RHRP Mason Estrada came in to relieve in the 4th. He allowed a HR, but little else over the next 4.0 innings.
In the bottom of the 4th, LF Brendan Tunink led off with a double (5). Tunink moved to 3rd on RF Jaron Elkins’ single. Aroz singled to score Tunink. After a DP, Elkins moved to 3rd. Vidourek singled to score Elkins. Vidourek then scored on Morales’ triple (3). Finally 3B Chase Harlan hit an RBI single to score Morales.
In the 5th Elkins hit Ontario’s 2nd triple of the night. Elkins then scored on a passed ball.
2B Joendry Vargas homered (4) in the 7th for the final run.
RHRP Jhonny Jimenez pitched a scoreless 8th and 9th.
- Emil Morales – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 2 RBI, double (15), triple (3)
- Jaron Elkins – 2-3, 1 HBP, 2 runs, triple (2)
- Anson Aroz – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Easton Shelton – 2-4, 1 run, 2 RBI
ACL Dodgers 8 – ACL Padres 7
- Daniel Mielcarek – 3-4, 1 run, 3 RBI, double (1), HR (2)
- Javier Herrera – 2-5, 1 run, 1 RBI, triple (1)
- Reyli Mariano – 2-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 2 triples (2)
- Brian Gonzalez Garcia – 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Jose Gonzalez – 2nd double
- Moises Bolivar – 1st HR
It’s so frustrating watching the team we love play so poorly! I don’t believe that this team is finished, not for a minute. Eventually the team will begin to bring in the new. If Freddie produces he will stick around for another 2 years at least. Mookie will rebound , bank on it. I have faith that Tucker will be the player that we thought he can be. Kim? I’m torn. His strikeout rate is not good. His defense is outstanding! I still believe the Dodgers don’t utilize his speed enough. BUNT more! Steal more! I said yesterday I didn’t think they were tired. I still stand by that statement. I’m not sure about Teo. He looks really confused at the plate. He may get his groove back, I hope so. But 2026 is more than likely his last in LA. Pages? Love him one minute. Want to kick him in the butt the next! But I believe he’s a Dodger for a long time. Rojas is done at the end of the season. Kike more than likely won’t be back. Tommy Edman? Good player. Bad health. Can’t stay on the field. Trades are always a possibility with this team. But who leaves? Maybe Teo if he continues his downward slide. They would have to find another team willing to take him. Maybe a team like Cleveland?
The facts? The team IS boring. But we are used to this. The team is so good. We are used to this! The team has flaws. Every team does. The team cannot flip a switch anymore. BUT, the team has enough talent to win a 3rd consecutive championship! I do believe they need an upgrade on the bench. Other than Rushing, they lack firepower off the bench. Yeah I know kike can hit it a long way. IF , he hits it. Rojas has been such a major part of the team for a while. He’s got some left in the tank. Call? I would play him more. If he doesn’t produce, put him in a package for a bat with some power. Individually, love all these guys. Collectively, they aren’t getting it done right now. Losing 4out of 5 to the giants (not good giants). Isn’t my idea of Dodger baseball!!
I’m curious about your comment about power on the bench.
When was the last time they showed a preference for such a dynamic?
Been a long time since they had a real power hitter on the bench. Most PH homers in a season? 7: Dave Hansen, mostly a backup 3rd baseman.
Last year?
Nice to have the pitching staff now on stage along with the offense for the Most Disappointing Show on Earth.
38, 37, 36, 35, 34, and a bunch of 33’s.
Maybe Father Time is telling us we don’t have as much time as we think.
And I still don’t think Alex Freeland can hit
Then again, for many years we won 100+ games but not the last one. AF may have a new strategy. Win 90 ish but make sure the old guys are rested and healthy enough to win the final game.
Which do you prefer?
Could not agree more, they are getting old and this board as well as podcasters echo the same message. Be patient, they’ll turn it on, you’ll see! They trot out examples like Muncy, he turned it around. True, but there are many examples of past glories being given of hope for present optimism, that did not pan out. This team is old, period. They appear energy-less, maybe they are, it happens . Yet, the “They’ll turn it on” optimism remains. They’ll turn it on until they won’t. The offense was stagnant in last years playoffs, and the bottom of the order has carried this team up until now. Now that the bottom has fallen out (pun intended) there’re in trouble. With no end in site, “Wait here comes Mookie!” He who by his standards slumped all last year. I know if I was tearing it up in the minors, with the major league guys in a season long slump I would be ticked and discouraged that they traded for another teams DFAers (Arizona trade). Well, you say they’ll fix him, then when he’s showing he’s fixed at the minor league level they’ll promote him. WELL, what about the guys we have ALREADY tearing it up at the minor league level! On the T.V. show MONK he describes his skill set as a “Blessing and a Curse.” Well, the Dodgers skill is “Patience.” Like Monk sometimes it is a blessing, but at times, maybe now it can become a curse.
Were they old when they started out 15-5?
I mean its only what one month later, suddenly they got old and cant play?? The just took a series from one of the hottest team in MLB, were they old then??
162 is a LOONNNG season. Losing sucks but the goal was never to win 118 games. The goal is the get into the dance as healthy as can be and roll the dice…worked pretty well the last 2 years…..
the Dodgers’ website announced that the team has lost 4 in a row by 4 or more runs since the Daffiness Boys of 1936! But all is well. Really.. scored 4 or fewer runs in 15 of last 20 games.
Giants pitcher last night another bum with a 6 ERA but looked like Cy Young against the champs.
All is well
So much talent in Ontario.
Whose runway will prove to be longer CT3’s last year in the majors or Bruns” this year at a much less impactful pro ball level?
Two exe Dodgers dealing with shoulder issues. Gavin Lux pulled from his rehab stint due to a shoulder injury. Alex Verdugo was released by the Padres and is scheduled to have shoulder surgery. Not much to say about the game except they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Eric Haase?????
Wednesday’s Dodger Affiliates’ Schedule
9:00 a.m. PT: Tulsa (Patrick Copen) vs. Springfield
3:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Sterling Patick) vs. West Michigan (Ben Jacobs)
5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Cole Irvin) at Albuquerque (TBD)
6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (Isaac Ayon) vs. Rancho Cucamonga (TBD)
AF rewarded generous contracts to Treinen and Edman for their contributions in the playoffs and World Series in 2024. Both contracts have been a disaster so far.
Add to your list: Glasnow ($115M), Snell ($137M), T Scott ($77M), E. Diaz ($60M), Tucker ($220M), and
Teoscar ($42M). The Guggenheim group has been, IMHO, reckless the past couple of years with the amount of money they have paid for players.
The resigning of Teoscar has blocked a possible opportunity for a Dodger prospect. And, as Jeff mentioned, the Tucker signing was a real head scratcher. With all the OF prospects in the Dodger system, when are they going to get a chance to play for the Dodgers?
What they did to Ryan Ward’s career is a complete disregard for the player and the person. The reasoning behind it by the Dodgers is confusing. I know, it appears no other team has had an interest during a rule 5 draft, but at least they could have released him to find an opportunity on his own. I can’t believe he wouldn’t have been more productive than many of the current outfielders/1B playing for all the crappy teams in MLB. It would have been nice for him to find out.
Ward’s defense as an outfielder was in question. Teo had a great first year and got rewarded for it. In retrospect, resigning him was probably a mistake, just like signing Conforto did not pay dividends. But who at AAA in 24 besides Ward had a good year at the plate? Pages was already here. I remember way too many players who tore up AAA only to be over-matched when they came up. DJ Peters and Billy Ashley to name just two. Ward wasn’t getting a shot at first with Freddie signed through 27. Prospects are suspects until they prove otherwise. LA likes their veterans. The OUTSTANDING kids get a shot, the fringe guys, not so much. Why do you think they traded for Alek Thomas? Not for his bat, but for his glove. He is an elite CF, and a true backup for Pages. He won’t give you any pop, but he has elite speed.
It’s getting to be Treinen’s turn to say goodbye and thank you to him like they did with Barnes and cT3
Doubtful. Treinen is still one of the more effective arms in the pen. Mills will be the first to get cut. Treinen’s ERA is about the same as Henriquez. Barnes and CT3 were position players on the last year of their contract. This will most likely be Treinen’s last year. But he will get a long rope as compared to some other pitchers.
The Dodgers haven’t been good since Alex Freeland was on the team.
Man, those were the days
The Dodgers have the 8th-best record in baseball right now, even though several players are mired in slumps, and others are on the IL. They are 5 wins behind the team with the best record. They are on a 93-win trajectory. This happens every year. Many Dodger fans lose their freaking minds if they don’t win 162 games. I made a meme of it,
I have to say, not in an argumentative way that they are tending downward. To begin this season they had the best record in baseball then dropped to second and so forth to now 8th? To use a business analogy if sales are dropping because we’ve not updated our product line and sales continue to drop from 1st to 8th, do we do some self examination? Or do we simply say we’ll bounce back? They are now 1 and 4 against the hated/terrible Giants! Dominated even. If a Dodger team can’t get up for hated rivals, we need to ask why? Mark you are a very successful businessman I’m sure that reveals a constant attitude of self examination of your product and employees. If a salesman on staff was good in years past, but currently seemed lethargic and had seen a decline in sales, you would not simply assume he will bounce back. It’s time for a meeting, some rump kicking, or maybe calling up a young stud from the minors. After all the Dodgers are a business.
Dodger fans have been psychologically reprogrammed by success.
Most fanbases live in a draft-pick wasteland where 84 wins gets you a parade route and a key to the city. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers have basically turned the regular season into an assembly line:
Win 100 games, complain anyway, repeat.”
So now the fanbase reacts to a Tuesday loss in May like Victorian townspeople spotting a comet.
Player goes 0-for-4?
“DFA him.”
Bullpen gives up 2 runs?
“The dynasty is over.”
Team is on a 93-win pace with half the roster held together by kinesiology tape and sunflower seeds?
“Worst team since the Black Sox.”
The funniest part is the annual cycle:
April:
“THIS TEAM IS UNSTOPPABLE.”
May slump:
“Dave Roberts has destroyed baseball civilization.”
June injuries:
“We may never score again.”
August:
Dodgers quietly win 97 games.
October:
Entire emotional ecosystem detonates.
Dodger fans are basically Wall Street traders with helmets. Anything short of perpetual upward graphs causes immediate emotional margin calls.
And honestly, part of it comes from expectations. When your payroll resembles the GDP of a medium-sized moon colony and your roster includes MVPs stacked like Pokémon cards, fans stop viewing “good” as acceptable. They expect baseball perfection in a sport specifically designed to humiliate perfection.
Baseball is chaos. The best teams lose 60-plus games. Hall of Famers fail 70% of the time. Even the Los Angeles Dodgers go through stretches where the lineup looks like everyone ate expired airport sushi before first pitch.
Yet every season, some fans react to a 3-game losing streak like they’re guarding the final candle in a medieval plague village.
Meanwhile the team is sitting there with:
A top-10 record,
Stars on the IL,
Key hitters slumping,
… and still pacing toward the postseason like an armored train rolling downhill.
It’s not insanity exactly.
It’s spoiled-baseball aristocracy.
I think some people just like to be miserable, instead of enjoying what they DO have.
And what we all have is the best Organization in sports…..
I totally agree they have the best organization in baseball. I totally have enjoyed most every season since 2012 when Guggenheim took over. But not every day is all wine and roses. They go through stretches like this when the baseball they play is simply unwatchable. Right now, this team is not entertaining or watchable. It hasn’t been for more than a couple of weeks. You might be satisfied with mediocrity, but from this kind of an organization, I, and many other fans, expect better play. They are slow to make adjustments; they seem to be waiting for something. Maybe I am wrong, if they were playing up to their capabilities, well, no one would gripe if they lost now and then. But the way they are playing now looks like they are just sleepwalking.
There is an old saying — It’s when the complaining stops that signals trouble.
There is a difference between complaining and analysis and merely burying one’s head in the sand
And when fans accept mediocrity from a supposedly elite team, that is dumb.
I say again that games in May count as much as games in September. One third of the rotation is consistently bad.
In the last 30 days the Dodgers have scored 113 runs and allowed 149. A run differential of -36.
… and yet they still have a +59 Run Differential – Good for 3rd in MLB.
That is mostly because of the way they played early. The last 4 games alone, they are -20.
Dodgers have 8th best record in baseball……2 days ago Bluto posted that they had the 5th best.
While I’m waiting for the Dodgers to break out of their funk, I can look forward to Paul Skenes’ next start. He is must watch TV for me. He is the best pitcher in the game by a wide margin.
Last night it was another treat; took a no hitter into the 7th, finished with a 2 hitter through 8, 10 K’s reducing his ERA under 2.00.
He last gave up a walk a month ago. He has 40 K’s since his last walk. He struck out the first 6 Rockies yesterday and it looked like Little League; wicked stuff and just paints.
Sorry to go on and on about a non-Dodger but if you are not watching this guy, you are missing a generational guy.
ps – please no caveat like “until he breaks down”. Just enjoy the moment.
Skenes is something to watch that is for sure. Dodgers made Hauser look like an ace, just like they have several mediocre starters this year. They are 6-6 in their own division, and they have not played the Padres yet. They are 1-4 against the Giants, a team they have dominated the last several years. Best news about the Padres is that their offense has been anemic, but their pitching has been pretty good out of the pen, starters, not so much. Tatis is hitting just .245 and has no homers. He is also striking out a ton. Machado is hitting .193. He has 6 homers. They are hitting .223 as a team. Fermin, Merrill, Sheets, Castellanos, Laureano, all hitting below .221.
Without RP Miller,the Padres are .500 team at best. They will fade as there is nothing special about their offense or starting pitching. We should win the Western Division easily,but the Dodgers are going make it tough on us OLD guys.
Our COO is a huge Cubs fan. When I walked into the office today, he said, “Why are you in such a good mood? Don’t you know the Dodgers have lost 4 in a row?”
I explained that the Dodgers do not have any control of my happiness.