But… he gets it right more than most of us! I am not going to name names (OK, I’ll name one: Mark Timmons), but many Dodger fans have been extremely hard on Roki Sasaki, AND Andrew Friedman, and Brandon Gomes (by extension), saying that Roki needed to go to OKC to learn to pitch. That kind of means that Friedman and Gomes are morons… and they obviously aren’t! My excuse is that I forgot to take my Dumbass Vaccine. What’s yours?
For months, Roki Sasaki looked like a pitcher searching for a missing piece. The electric fastball that made him a superstar in Japan was there only in flashes, and the transition to Major League Baseball proved far from seamless. But on Friday night against the Angels, the Dodgers finally saw the version they’d been waiting for. Sasaki fired seven scoreless innings, punched out a career-high 10 hitters, and touched 100.6 mph in a dominant performance that screamed ace potential.
The radar gun wasn’t the only thing lighting up. Sasaki’s command has improved as his velocity has returned, and his revamped splitter and reshaped slider have become genuine weapons. Six of his 10 strikeouts came on the splitter, while his slider continues to generate ugly swings. More importantly, the uncertainty that followed him through much of last season appears to be gone. As Dave Roberts noted, hitters can sense when a pitcher lacks confidence. Right now, Sasaki is pitching like a man who knows exactly who he is.
The Dodgers trusted him enough to send him back out for a seventh inning despite an elevated pitch count, and Sasaki rewarded that faith with two more strikeouts. Since the start of May, he owns a sparkling 2.55 ERA, and the outings that once felt fragile now feel increasingly dominant. The velocity is back. The stuff is back. Most importantly, the belief is back. The Dodgers aren’t waiting for Roki Sasaki to arrive anymore. He just did. Other teams are trembling! Roki is throwing BB’s!
Rants & Raves
- The Dodgers are smoking hot and still haven’t broken a sweat. They are just going to the Country Club every day – “OK, let’s score 9 in the first and call it a day.” At some point, maybe in September, they will flip the switch and go into beast mode. That will be scary!
- It’s sad to see James Outman released by the Twins. Another team could pick him up, but I think it’s more likely he ends up in Japan. Some of you think I hate him, but the opposite is true. I just call balls and strikes. He is a great human being and made it to the Show; I’d like to see him go to Japan and make a few more millions! His case mirrors that of Joey Gallo – If you have a hole in your swing, MLB will exploit it and unless you can adjust, you are done!
- RVS could not work his magic on Michael Conforto. Hopefully, Kyle Tucker is different. We have seen flashes but not consistency. I am hopeful… but I am on the record that Tucker was a bad signing!
- Mookie Betts will hit .259 with 18 HR and a .744 OPS and win his first Gold Glove at SS. OK, maybe he will be in the Top 3. This is the decline I was worried about, but I still want him on my team!
- Tyler Glasnow wasn’t acquired for the regular season – Just the playoffs. Ditto: Blake Snell.
- The Dodgers must think Nick Frasso is closer than we think. The Dodgers originally acquired Frasso along with lefty Moises Brito in an August 2022 trade that sent righty Mitch White and second baseman Alex De Jesus to the Blue Jays. He has potential, but strikes are somewhat of a mystery to him.
- I see very little good that can come from trading for Tarik Skubal. He will be 30 this year and had Tommy John surgery in 2017, Flexor Tendon Surgery in 2022, and “Loose Bodies Surgery” this year. To believe that he will be healthy as he ages is silly, and you may end up trading a better player away! Oh, and he is a free agent in 2027. Open wide and say “Kyle Tucker.”
- I believe there is a chance that Snell or Glasnow does not make it back this season. Sasaki’s emergence mitigates that greatly. Yamamoto, Sasaki, Ohtani, and Sheehan make up a nice playoff rotation already, but if one comes back, where are Gavin Stone and River Ryan? Lest we forget, Justin Wrobleski has been nails too. Wrobleski has a 2.62 ERA. Shubal? 2.70!
- Tyler Glasnow is who he is; GLASS NOW AND FOREVER! But the guy they traded for him is out all year too… so there is that!
- Easton Shelton of the Tower Buzzers has prodigious power… but he strikes out at a 41% clip (in Low A) and walks very little. Unless he can fix that, he is doomed!
- Led by the Moron Arte Moreno, the Angels are the most pathetic team in baseball – in every way! No one is patheticer!
- Next comes the best part of this post: Jeff Dominiques’ Minor League Report. In my opinion, this is the deepest and best I have ever seen the Dodger Farm System, so they are fun to follow, and this is the best Damn Minor League Reporter on the Planet!
MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS
Round Rock Express (Texas) 9 – OKC Comets 2
LHSP Charlie Barnes allowed a run in the 1st inning on 2 singles, HBP and GIDP.
OKC tied it up in the 3rd. C Eliézer Alfonzo led off with a double (7) and moved to 3rd on RF Zach Ehrhard’s single. Alfonzo scored on DH Tommy Edman’s double (1).
Barnes pitched the next 4.0 innings scoreless, with 2 singles and 5 K. RHRP Carlos Duran entered in the 6th, and retired the side in order.
In the 6th, CF Alek Thomas walked and scored on LF Ryan Fitzgerald’s double (15).
Good to have speed.
In the 7th, Duran gave up a one-out double to Jarred Kelenic. He struck out the next batter, an IBB, and a strike out. However, due to a passed ball, the bases were loaded. LHRP Jake Eder relieved Duran and walked the next batters to score two unearned runs.
With RHRP Paul Gervase pitching in the 8th, a walk and 2-out HR pushed across 2 more.
With LHRP Ronan Kopp in relief in the 9th, he got 2 quick ground ball outs. Then BB, E6, BB, BB, Balk, and single, gives the Express 4 unearned runs. RHRP Chayce McDermott came in to get the final out.
- Zach Ehrhard – 2-5
- Ryan Fitzgerald – 2-4, 1 RBI, double (15)
- Eliézer Alfonzo – 3-4, 1 rum, 2 doubles (8)
- Tommy Edman – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI, double (1)
Tulsa Drillers 2 – Amarillo Sod Poodles 0 – Suspended after 1.5 innings
Of note both Josue De Paula (23) and Mike Sirota (46) continued their streaks of reaching base with walks. Jake Gelof hit a 2-run HR (10), his 4th of the week.
Great Lakes Loons 16 – Lansing Lugnuts (A’s) 6
Great Lakes failed to score in the first, but then scored in 6 of the final 7 innings, failing to score only in the 7th. They also banged out 19 hits.
RHSP Isaac Ayon started and completed 4.0 innings. He retired the side in order in the first, but gave up a HR to the first batter he faced in the 2nd.
In the bottom of the 2nd, LF Kole Myers singled, stole 2B, went to 3rd on WP, and scored on an IB Eduardo Guerrero single.
In the 3rd, C Anson Aroz doubled (1) and scored on 3B Jose Izarra single. Izarra moved to 3rd on CF Chuck Davalan single. Izarra scored on a force out for a 3-1 lead.
Ayon allowed a pair of runs (1 earned) in the 4th on a double, single, his errant pick off throw and a single.
The Loons took back the lead in the 4th, Myers tripled (2), 2B Nico Perez hit an RBI single. He stole 2nd and moved to third on the catcher’s errant throw. Perez scored on Guerrero’s SF.
RHRP Robby Porco relieved Ayon and allowed a run on walk, double, and single.
The Loons continued the offensive show in the 5th. Davalan singled and scored on DB Eduardo Quintero’s double (10). Quintero scored on RF Jose Meza’s single. Meza stole 2B. Myers walked and Meza and Myers pulled a double steal. Guerrero hit his 2nd SF, giving the Loons an 8-4 lead.
The Loons put it away in the 6th. Aroz led off with a single followed by a double by Izarra. Aroz scored on Davalan’s single. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, Quintero doubled (11) to score 2. Meza reaches on an error and Myers walked to load the bases. Perez hit a 2-run double, and Guerrero singled for 2 more runs.
In the 8th, Guerrero doubled (9) and moved to 3rd on WP. He scored on Jose D. Hernandez’s pinch hit single
With 2 outs in the 8th, RHRP Alex Makarewich came in for relief. He walked the first batter and struck out the 2nd. After a really shaky start to his season, Makarewich has been stellar for 11 games. But he reverted to his wildness in the 9th. He struck out the first batter, gave up a single, and registered another K. Double, BB, and 2 WP scores a 2nd run. For me, I am giving Alex a pass on this one because he earned it on his previous 11 games.
Every Loon had at least 1 hit.
- Chuck Davalan – 3-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI
- Eduardo Quintero – 2-6, 2 runs, 4 RBI, 2 doubles (11)
- Kole Myers – 2-3, 2 BB, 3 runs, triple (2)
- Nico Perez – 2-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, double (13)
- Eduardo Guerrero – 3-3, 1 run 5 RBI, 2 SF, double (9)
- Anson Aroz – 2-5, 2 runs, double (1)
- Jose Izarra – 2-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 2 RBI, double (7)
Eduardo Quintero Last 30 games stats: AVG.353/OBP.472/OPS.929 SB(22/25)- K 26.8% – BB 16.9%
Ontario Tower Buzzers 6 – Stockton Ports (A’s) 5
Ontario put up 4 in the 1st. CF Brendan Tunink walked, and 3B Chase Harlan reached on an error. RF Ching-Hsien Ko had an RBI single, and 1B Easton Shelton crushed a 3-run HR (15).
RHSP Brady Smith allowed an unearned run in the 1st inning, but completed 3.2 innings and 60 pitches. He gave up 3 singles, walked 1, and struck out 8. That’s 8 out of 11 outs via K.
RHRP Accimias Morales relieved Smith and got the final out in the 4th. He allowed a pair of unearned runs in the 5th. He walked 3 in the inning, 1 single, but the runs were aided by a passed ball and catcher’s interference. RHRP Luis Carias entered to get the final out in the 5th.
Carias allowed 3 hits, 1 BB, and committed an error giving Stockton 2 runs and taking a 5-4 lead.
SS Mairo Martinus hit a game tying HR (5) in the 6th. Shelton hit his 2nd HR (16) of the night, a solo shot giving Ontario a 6-5 lead.
Carias pitched the final 3.0 innings (4.1 in total) without allowing a run, although he did pitch out of a jam in the 8th. He allowed a 2-out triple and walked the next batter before getting the final out via K. He retired the side in order in the 9th with 2 K. Carias navigated the final 4.1 innings to get thew in.
- Easton Shelton – 2-4, 2 runs, 4 RBI, 2 HR (16)
- Ching-Hsien Ko – 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (8)
- AJ Soldra – 2-4
- Mairo Martinus – 1-5, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (5)
ACL Mariners 2 – ACL Dodgers 1 – (7 innings)
18 year old, RHSP Adriano Marrero, started and completed two scoreless innings. He allowed a single, a BB, and registered 2 K.
RHP Chris Campos returned to the mound on a rehab assignment, completing 1.0 clean inning with a K. RHRP José Rodríguez made his 2nd rehab assignment and pitched 1.0 inning. He did allow 1 BB, but also struck out the side.
RHRP Spencer Green entered in the 5th. He walked the leadoff hitter, struck out the 2nd batter he faced, and then walked 3 straight, giving the Mariners the tying run.
RHRP Alvaro Benua came in relief in the 6th. After he walked the first batter there was an injury delay. After two WP Benua was deemed injured and was lifted for RHRP Dailoui Abad who finished the walk charged to Benua. Abad served up a sac fly for the go-ahead run.
DH Matt Gorski, also on a rehab assignment, was 2-3 with an RBI. Gorski’s 2 hits were doubles.
DSL Brewers Blue 11 – DSL LAD Mega 2 – (7 innings)
The LAD Mega team managed 4 singles in this game. 3 singles, a walk, and WP allowed for 2 runs to score in the 6th inning. No LAD Mega hitter had a multi-hit game.
DSL LAD Bautista 8 – DSL Pirates Black 7 – (8 innings)
Down 2-0 in the 1st, after a BB and WP, RF Rubel Arias doubled a run home, and he scored the tying run after a pair of WP.
LF Fran-Jean Haseth led off the 4th with a triple and scored on Ariel Reynoso’s single.
Pirates scored 3 in the 5th to tale a 5-3 lead.
Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Mega in the 5th. A balk scored a run closing the deficit to 5-4.
The Dodgers scored an unearned run in the 6th to tie it up.
Neither team scored in the 7th, so the game went into extra innings. The Pirates scored 2 in the 8th. In the bottom of the 8th, with a placed runner on 2nd, a Mega batter drew a BB, and CF Helvin Mendoza hit an RBI single. Arias followed with another RBI single. After two Mega batters were retired, 1B Haram Hernandez singled home the winning run.
- Rubel Arias – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 2 RBI, double (2)
- Haram Hernandez – 2-4, 1 BB,1 RBI
- Fean-Jean Hasath – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 run, triple (1)
If you go back and read my comments, I was one of the few who said to give Roki a chance and that his work ethic would eventually prevail in results.Also i said coming over from Japan is a huge adjustment with the language barrier and culture.How many of us could go to Japan at 23 years old and succeed at a business the first over second year there? The answer is none of us. I knew also that it helped having Ohtani and Yamamota in his corner helped. His confident facial expressions now on the mound tell the whole story.
Don’t forget that in addition to dealing with language and cultural issues, Sasaki had to use a baseball that was slightly bigger in size and less tacky.
According to pitching guru’s, since May, Sasaki has pitched better than Skenes.
Include me in the small group here who felt the way you did about Sasaki. Ditto your entire post.
I believe Ohtani and Yamamoto had a large part in helping Sasaki with the mental aspect of pitching in MLB. The coaches handled the mechanics part. His turnaround could be huge for the Dodgers. Credit to the FO for sticking with the strategy of having Roki stay, learn, and improve against MLB hitters.
Many believe Roki’s main issue was the loss of velocity and confidence. So, he was not effective throwing 97 because he used to throw 100 MPH? Really? You might want to talk to HOF Greg Maddox or later in his career Clayton Kershaw about velocity. What he needed was to learn a new pitch or two and to better locate his pitches. Which he has appeared to have done. That lead to confidence improvement and even a return of his velocity.
It’s awesome to watch a player take to coaching and listening to his fellow pitchers to help improve his physical ability and mental approach. It’s like they made a trade deadline move early in the season without giving up any players. Continued success Roki!!!
Sure the angels are pathetic! But after a nine run inning, the “pathetic” halos shut the Dodgers down! Guess I’m just greedy. Could a nine run game possibly be followed up with a 2 run outburst?
Seriously, Yamamoto is unreal! He is as good as it gets! Although the first inning is a bit of an issue at times, he was dominant after that. A bunt he couldn’t quite field, and a ball Pages normally catches kept him from possible throwing a no hitter! Yamamoto,Ohtani, and Sasaki? And they are dodgers for a long time!
I’m beginning to think that Glasnow will be moved in the offseason. Love watching him pitch! When he pitches. A team like Texas would make a lot of sense. Ryan and Stone will be coming hard next season. Wrobleski and Sheehan will have to pitch their butts off to stay in the rotation. Maybe to even remain a Dodger!
Jeremy Pena? Wouldn’t be a bad idea. If a deal were to be made, hopefully the front office absolutely “trashes” the aaaasssstros! I would think that Kim would be included in a deal for Pena. If Mookie has to move to second to accommodate Pena, then Kim and Freeland both become a question mark. Although I would think Freeland would not be moved since he is very good defensively at third.
Dodger baseball heading east after today. I haven’t checked the schedule yet, I would assume Skeenes will be in the rotation for the series in Pittsburgh. Should be fun!
One last thought on Skubal. Could the dodgers actually pull off a trade that gives the tigers some package that would satisfy them, but not really delete their top prospect inventory? One that wouldn’t cripple them in case (a very good case) the Dodgers don’t really want to resign Skubal to a crazy contract! 3 months of Skubal in that rotation? Something to consider! Again, not saying I want it to happen, just wondering out loud!
The Astros of all people are NOT trading Jeremy Pena to the Dodgers.Bet it!
If Yamamoto can learn to have a clean first inning, which he has had problems with ever since he came to MLB< he would be a beast.
He IS a BEAST!
Pitchers who have a 4.53 first inning ERA are not beasts. They are vulnerable to big innings. His worst innings are the first and the third, in both his ERA is over 4.
I think he’s already a beast
Pretty sure the Blue Jays would agree.
As for Roki, he is certainly showing his ace potential and justifying the brain trust’s decision to have him work through his issues in the majors and not send him to down to the farm. He is stepping up at the right time, when we’re unsure what we might get from Glasnow and Snell this season.
But while Roki steps forward, it looks like Sheehan has taken a step back. The mighty Angels knocked him out in the second inning. When I first saw that news, I worried that maybe Sheehan had gotten hurt. But his pitch count was up to 49–including 14 (!) that came in a duel with Nick Madrigal.
And to think: when the season started, I worried that Sheehan, Wrobleski, Stone or River Ryan might get screwed by the favoritism afforded to Roki. That said, it’s a long season, and the decision re Roki appears to be paying off. (Still looking forward to Ryan, and hoping Stone gets well soon.)
If the playoffs started today, how about…
Shohei in game one, Yoshi in game two, Sasaki in game three, Wrobo in four… Or maybe keep Wrobo for long relief?
Yes, there’s no need for Skubal…. assuming the front-line starters stay healthy.
Why wonder about Skubal’s fate? Because as things stand now, he is the only obvious impact player–or needle-mover– who seems likely to go on the trade market. Every contender should give him strong consideration.
I think Mark’s take on Mookie seems about right. But I could also see the brass deal for after a top-tier SS and shifting Mookie to 2B. The Dodgers have good-enough in-house options (Freeland, Kim, Noah Miller, etc) but if the Astros are willing to move Jeremy Pena in his prime. My guess is that this would be more likely to happen over the winter.
Why not, AVF?
The Astros, of all people, are the only people who could trade Pena. The Astros are in the AL West, wallowing in 4th place ahead of only the woeful Angels, so they might want to shake things up. If the Astros decide to deal Pena (perhaps to reduce salary and make room for an in-house successor), they should pursue the deal that fits their needs. The Dodgers have ample depth to make it happen.
The bad blood caused by the trash-can incident is old news. At this point any grudge from either side seems silly.
Arte Moreno should sell the Angels while franchise prices are high and move on . His team has been a total embarrassment to baseball under his ownership for years.
this has been reported, he didn’t get the prices he was looking for.
Naturally, his franchise is not worth what he thinks it is.
AF hasn’t exactly knocked it out of the park with the last handful of trades and FA deals but he can make up for it by not trading any of the farm for Skubal. Yes, it is very crowded in AAA/AA but we have an aging/tradeable team with Max, Freddie, Teo, Call and yes, even Mookie, who can be offered a savings face buy-out, or coaching slot. Mookie will not ride the pine to collect his salary. He has too much pride and is too classy if his game continues to regress.
That opens up 5 spots within 2 years or less.
Not sure how the lockout will affect the players contracts but a long strike could be a blessing, helping to clear out the aging veterans. Maybe Jeff, Mark or Bear could give some clarity to that.
Bottom line: AF could stand pat, spread rumors, stir the pot and watch the FA circus bidding war. Yes, we will miss out on a few risky superstar pitchers but Skubal will be available again, in a few years, after his TJ Surgery. The bonus is we get to promote a handful of stud position players and some pitchers we didn’t give up in trades. It’s a win-win for AF and a win for the Dodgers.
Good post DJ.
“Yes, we will miss out on a few risky superstar pitchers”
AF has already accomplished this with signings of Glasnow and Snell. Both have had major injury histories yet they were signed for outrageous amounts of money. I never liked either signing. There are no sure things when it comes to evaluating pitchers. But, with such glaring red flags by both Glasnow and Snell I found it confusing that AF and Gomes would make them Dodgers. After the Snell signing I realized that money was no object when it came to the FA market. They have backed that up this offseason with the unexplainable Tucker signing. It looks like the already on the roster, Alex Call, was just as accomplished.
Wait. did you just compare Alex call favorably to Kyle Tucker?
In a sarcastic, humorless kind of way. Yes. Yes, I did.
I was venting my frustrations with Kyle Tucker’s play so far this season.
Thanks, Ted
Call has been everything the Dodgers wanted. They didn’t give a lot of playing time because they invested so much in Tucker. I ‘d like to see him get more. That said, Tucker is way better than Conforto was for us. He still might be a stud rather than average. Mookie is my biggest fear and sadness if he doesn’t get it back.
Triple A wouldn’t have challenged Roki the way MLB has. My guess is that the FO, Roberts, Prior et all made a commitment to Roki, to help him develop in the bigs, after he pitched out of the bullpen last year. Mark T has often said “progress isn’t always linear”… this progress never had to be linear! I’m sure Roki will have a bump or two, but it sure looks like he’s turned a corner. If he had wanted to make money, he could have played a few more seasons in Japan before signing as an international free agent like Yoshinobu. He didn’t. He wants to compete, against the best in the world, in MLB. Maybe he was a little stubborn to take coaching advice, but what professional athlete isn’t somewhat stubborn? Stubborn can be persistence in another light. Roki and the whole org deserve credit.
Elite starting pitching is the playoff game changer, as we saw last season. The org depth will let them slow play Glasnow and Snell for 2nd half. Skubal could be a very spendy wild card. If YY, Shohei, Roki, Wrobo, Glasnow, Snell, Sheehan are all healthy or trending back to pitching by the deadline, Skubal would be an incremental upgrade at a premium cost… not a typical Friedman move. River Ryan is an in house wild card, but they’re not going to jeopardize his long term out look by over extending the innings this year.
They’re as likely to promote a prospect as make some kind of trade for an upgrade. maybe another arm for the ‘pen. They’re scoring runs, even if some of the at bats make you puke a little bit… we’re so spoiled, to be Dodger fans right now!
Dodger and Braves have the largest leads in the majors. LA is 8 ahead of San Diego.
The Dodgers are 42-23,the Braves are 44-21,the two Best records in baseball,the Dodgers’ Run Differential is +141 and the Braves ‘+115. the Dodgers’ record against teams .500 or better is 19-12 and the Braves’ record is 20-11. These two teams are evenly matched and will probably face off to who will represent the National League in the World Series. The Brewers can’t be taken lightly either with their two stud pitchers.
Interesting.
Just past the 1/3 post in the season, the NL seems to be shaping up as a showdown between the Dodgers and Braves, who are now living up the expectations of recent years.
The Brewers could be formidable… especially is they deal for Skubal.
Jeff, what draftees are the Dodgers looking at in the upcoming Draft in July? With only 6 picks in the first 10 rounds and limited pool money, hopes are they find some talent and value. Their first pick is #40. They lost 4 picks in the first ten rounds with the signings of Diaz and Tucker.
It is so hard to predict who the Dodgers could possibly grab at #40. But my draft source says C Will Brick, Christian Brothers HS (TN) is someone high on the Dodgers list. He just turned 18 and is considered the top prep catching prospect. I am sure that super scout Marty Lamb has him targeted, and this seems about the perfect time for drafting a HS catcher prospect. He is the starting catcher for USA 18U World Champions. He is projected to be drafted in the 30’s or 40’s.
BUT, he has a commitment to Mississippi State and I am not sure the Dodgers have the necessary bonus $$$ available to convince him to sign. I am guessing that an SEC baseball school like Mississippi State has the NIL $$$ to convince him to stick with his commitment.
So I am looking at college bats that might be around or could slip. One bat could be Sawyer Strosnider, RF from TCU. Power over hit skill. Sounds exactly what the Dodgers look for. I am just starting my review.
I vote for Will Brick.
Great name for a catcher.
Thanks Jeff.
My excitement over the draft and international signings rivals my Dodger game love along with the farm news you so to unselfishly bring us fans.
Yes, Arte Moreno has not run the Halos very well since buying the team from Disney (I think for something in the area of 185M) despite spending millions on disastrous FA signings including Tio Albert, Rendon, Hamilton Matthews Jr etc, etc. The entire Angels organization is currently a DISASTER and complete 180 difference from the Dodgers machine! The results of the upcoming lockout next season will probably dictate whether Arte will sell or not especially if MLB doesn’t figure out broadcasting rights/revenue. That being said , riddle me this… who was raised in a family of 13 as the oldest child in a tiny 2 bdrm home in Tucson, AZ, is a Vietnam combat Army veteran, put themselves through the U of A using G.I. bill, self made billionaire, first owner of Mexican descent to own a major sports franchise and currently owns a MLB team probably worth at least 4 billion? Hate but don’t negate. VIVA AZUL!!!
I keep hearing progress isn’t linear. I don’t know who first said it, probably some Greek dude named Hypothesis, but I think an argument could be made that the premise isn’t true at all. I believe in the traditional sense, a formal argument and path to successful consequence operates linearly by using a step-by-step progression of logic to link premises to a conclusion. This fundamental structure relies on moving in one direction from established truths or assumptions to an inevitable outcome. Premise, inference/reasoning, conclusion. I do believe I read that somewhere. Maybe in my Chico State Logic class. Or perhaps I just asked AI.
The point is Roki had to get from here to there. And it looks like maybe he did it. We in here of course are non linear, flapping our yaps flying around in circles attempting to be clear concise and comprehensive and speaking for myself often failing miserably. Our complex arguments and creative rhetoric takes a non-linear or even “circular” approach—such as walking around a central problem to examine it from multiple perspectives rather than moving in a straight line.
Conclusion? Progress is both linear and non linear.
Oh, and it wasn’t a Greek dude who first said it. Turns out it was an Italian woman. Maria Montessori. In addition Martin Luther King in his 1967 book “Where Do Go From Here: Chaos or Community” (sounds topical) said “First, the line of progress is never straight. For a period a movement may follow a straight line and then it encounters obstacles and the path bends.”
Mark Timmons and Martin Luther King. Birds of a feather.
The exact phrase “progress is not linear” is widely attributed to the educator and physician Maria Montessori, who famously stated it during a lecture in London in 1946.
Or we can say that progress is piece wise linear.
“Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability.” — MLK
Mark:
I saw in the last post that you mentioned you were going to a new format soon. Just curious what the new upgrade will be. Are you still going with a WordPress as the source code or what will you be using? I work in technology so was wondering what you will be using.
Zeke,
I am supposed to meet with the developer this month. He is pushing this:
https://www.netlify.com/
I seek input!
mockup:
https://ladodgerstalk.netlify.app/
Looks clean. I like recent comments.
I agree nice clean format!
https://www.reddit.com/r/webdev/s/6lLTBGxuEQ
https://www.reddit.com/r/Netlify/s/Y13XII9mky
The Kyle Tucker signing was good in my opinion.
It solved several problems and only cost us cash. Dodger brass is way ahead of us in noticing the developing weakness of the offense–Mookie’s production continues to decline, opponents can pitch around Shohei, Pages got stage fright, Max swings for the fences (yes, he gets walked but it rarely matters bc he is slow runner and the rest of team is also swinging for the fences), Teoscar is a question mark, etc.
Enter Kyle Tucker. Did we overpay? Certainly, but only in cash. Next season will likely introduce some payroll restrictions, which means a Tucker signing won’t happen again. To acquire a high caliber player in the future, the Dodgers will need to include valuable prospects and pitching. We gave (bought) ourselves another year to evaluate our OF prospects. Win.
The Dodgers experimented with a reclamation project (Conforto) and likely were determined not to take that risk again due to our aging roster. Our prospects are a few years out. Tucker plays good (not great) defense, hits HR’s, and is a contact hitter–something the team was missing last October. Is he underperforming at present? Yes, but as someone said recently, “it really only matters that he shows up in the playoffs.”
I believe he is adjusting to Dodger expectations, but will be fine. I have to admit, it’s nice not to worry about our outfield even when Teo goes down.
“Next season will likely introduce some payroll restrictions, which means a Tucker signing won’t happen again”.
This, and only this, is why I COULD see a trade for Skubal within the next month, because it likely couldn’t happen with the new CBA. Provided of course we could extend him before the current CBA expires, this is the main reason I think we’d go all in (or even more all in, after getting Tucker and Diaz)
This makes no sense why would you extend a player to further worsen the impact of the cap?
Would be like investing in an alcohol distribution company before prohibition
You’re assuming a “hard cap” would be in effect immediately.
I think they would give teams whose payrolls are above whatever limit is implemented time to gradually decrease that payroll. Hence we’d be ok for a couple years with a Skubal (and a Diaz and Tucker) and wait out the bloated contracts to expire .
No, I was not assuming a hard cap would be immediate.
But you are still creating work (to undue the expenses) for yourself.
Even if implemented over 3 years, you still need to unwind contracts for those three years while giving players on your current roster raises, and signing new ones.
I agree that is how it would work, but I am of the opinion that there will not be a salary cap. I cannot see MLBPA giving in on that one.
Very little chance of payroll restrictions, especially if MLB keeps pushing for a cap. MLBPA will never agree to that.
When the Dodgers signed Mookie, Freddie and Shohei to big contracts, they immediately made a big, positive impact on the field.
We’re waiting on Tucker. So far, waaay below expectations, though he does show signs of progress.
With Conforto, we expected good-but-not-great performance. By midseason, we were hoping for maybe league-average.
He wound up being one of the worst hitters in the game.
Why is Jeremy Pena being mentioned as a possible target by the Dodgers? Don’t they have Mookie, Rojas, Freeland, and Kim available to play SS? What does Pena have to offer that isn’t already being met?
“What does Pena have to offer that isn’t already being met?“
5 years of 4+ WAR
Ok Badger. But, beside that? You with your stupid OPS and WAR stats. Lol.
I’ll concede this time.
Most front offices take OPS and WAR more into consideration than BA or other stats.
He also hits LHP well.
Why Pena? Because he would be a significant upgrade in the middle infield.
He’s a proven high-calibre SS in his prime at age 28. To borrow the prospect jargon, Pena’s consistent 4+ WAR “floor” might be higher than the perceived ceilings of Kim, Freeland, Edman, Noah Miller or any other middle infield prospect the Dodgers now have. (Emil Morales plays SS but seems destined for 3B.)
Let’s assume Mookie shifts to 2B and doesn’t suck. In a few years, the post-Max, post-Freddie infield might read like this:
Morales-Pena-Mookie-Tibbs.
Something like that, maybe. The post-Teo OF might read De Paula, Pages, Tucker, with Sirota and Quintero in the mix. (I nearly left Tucker out!) Smith and Rushing still share C duties.
Acquiring Pena would help the Dodgers get younger–but he’s the kind of seasoned veteran they like. Think Miguel Rojas with more youth and pop.
My 2 cents on Skubel. I am in favor of trading for him., assuming he proves his health in the next couple of weeks. First, we are rapidly approaching a 40 man roster crunch this off season. If we don’t trade some of these guys we lose them to the rule 5 draft. Hernandez and Tucker both have another year left under contract. So unless the trade Hernandez the 1st available outfield slot open is 2028. The 2nd thing we do by trading for Skubel is keeping him away from the other contenders.. I’d hate to face the Brewers or Braves with him on their staff. Both those teams have the money and prospects to get a deal done. 3rd I would rather Skubel slotting fourth in a playoff rotation than Glasnow or Wroblseki.
2nd 2 cents. I think Tucker has a monster 2nd half. Too good a hitter to slump for a full year.
If there is a lockout, there will not be a rule 5 draft. It will delay needing to put anyone on the roster until the winter of 2027. If they were to trade for Skubal it would be for this season only. There will be drastic changes to the tax system or a cap. I use to think there was no way the owners get a cap but the last time they pushed for a cap the NLRB ruled in the players favor. That won’t happen again if it goes before the board again.
If there is a lockout, MLB is run by morons. The game has never been healthier. They would be cutting their own throat.
Put Gelof on the prospect radar. Major league bloodlines, 2nd round pick from baseball factory Virginia, mostly 2B now . . .
I see your boy Gelof homered again today.
Scott & Yates were pretty bad blunders last year.
So was Conforto.
May trade was genius. Ditto Feduccia, Outman to a lesser degree. We got a decent arm for Banda. Ohtani & Yamamoto transformed the organization.
Betts and Freeman weren’t bad moves either!
Godfather moves
Well, Harlan is #8 in BA. The Dodgers chose Harlan with their third-round pick in 2024 and went more than two times over slot to sign him for $1,747,500. A nagging hip injury from his amateur days as a Pennsylvania prep led to surgery after the draft. Harlan made his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League in 2025 and reached full-season ball during the dog days of summer. He can play 2B or 3B, but could also see 1B or RF.
SCOUTING REPORT:
Scouts in the ACL gushed over Harlan’s raw gifts, with some tabbing his raw power as a true 80. His top-end exit velocity of 114.7 mph provides a key piece of the evidence behind that assertion. Now, the question will be whether he can refine his hit tool enough to regularly access that kind of thump. Harlan’s miss rates were just OK, and scouts noticed particular weaknesses against premium velocity and spin. That was especially true toward the latter part of the season, which the Dodgers attributed to the longer workload, especially in his first full year back from surgery. After tweaks to his setup and mechanics, Harlan’s swing is short and simple, with only a moderate hand load required to put charges into baseballs. Harlan mashed lefthanders in a small sample but was only fair against righties. Already 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Harlan’s chances of sticking at third base will require him to maintain his quickness and athleticism as he matures. His plus arm strength would also fit in right field, where his power would also profile if he has to move in the coming years. Scouts also give him high marks for his work ethic.
After the graduations, Harlan made a top 100 (#100) in a much, nuch, much less heralded publication (blogger), I never use that as a source, but I do know Harlan is in consideration from both BA and MLB Pipeline. First, for me, I want to see him at Great Lakes, He needs to move out of the California League and face more advanced pitching.
Jeff, I woukd enjoy a piece about some prospects who have put their name on the map this year. Or increased their value. Shelton, N. Miller, Hainline, Gelof, B. Smith, Root, Leiter . .
I can work on that. Thanks.
Cool, thanks
Cool.
Just a hunch, but I suspect the Dodgers see Morales, now a SS, as Max’s likely successor, and thus Harlan might be pushed toward 1B because Freddie won’t play forever. With the current roster, Harlan and Tibbs might be each other’s competition.
Corner OF? Maybe. But the Dodgers have an abundance of OF prospects…
The issue isn’t getting Skubel for our rotation. It’s keeping him off the rotation of the Phillies, Braves and Yankees.
Is it worth 3 good prospects who are replaceable for a three peat?
Depends on how good the 3 good prospects are…
Rather than keeping Skubal away from other teams, I think the Dodgers would make a serious offer if injuries or poor performance call the starting rotation into question. Will anybody’s arm fall off?
Then losing him in free agency. We have enough overpaid over 30 pitchers, Snell, Glasnow. We don’t need Skubal for 3 months.
I am not convinced about Sasaki. He needs fastball command to be effective and doesn’t always have it. It’s a straight pitch and if he can’t dot it somewhere it’s hittable. but it’s better down in the zone where it is less hittable and plays off of his slider and split.
He still looks like a baby giraffe out there. He’s fragile and isn’t someone that I want to see out there against a real MLB team as opposed to the Angels.
Couldn’t disagree more!
He looked pretty good last October. Saved our bacon.
His previous 2 starts were against Phillies and Brewers. Two playoff teams.
dodgerrick. If Sasaki is fragile what in the world does that make the $400M+ tandem of Snell and Glasnow? At least Roki is available to take the ball when his turn comes around. So, what teams would convince you that Roki is a legitimate MLB pitcher? Asking for a friend.
Good point.
Worth remembering that Roki is also a bargain compared to Snell and Glasnow.
4:10 PM ET
Angels (24-41)
Dodgers (42-23)
SP Jose Soriano R
6-4 2.72 ERA
SP Emmet Sheehan R
3-2 4.50 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
1B F. Freeman L
RF Kyle Tucker L
3B Max Muncy L
CF Alex Call R
C D. Rushing L
LF Ryan Ward L
SS Miguel Rojas R
2B A. Freeland S
75° Wind 7 mph Out
NO Mookie
Or Smith
Or Pages!
Final give away game
Pages is too young to be sitting!
No, he isn’t. He has been slumping. His BA over the last 4 weeks is .210 and his K rate is almost 40%. A day not thinking about it will be good for him. It is two days off since they do not play until Tuesday.
Sunday Dodger Affiliates’ Schedule
10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Sterling Patick) vs. Lansing (Nathan Dettmer)
12:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Cole Irvin) vs. Round Rock (David Davalillo)
12:05 p.m. (Game 1): Tulsa at Amarillo (resumption of suspended game)
1:05 p.m.: Ontario (TBA) vs. Stockton (Josiah Romeo)
no earlier than 2:05 p.m. (Game 2): Tulsa (Wyatt Crowell) at Amarillo (TBA)
A couple of thoughts:
* Kyle Tucker hasn’t become a favorite and AF catches some shit for Tucker’s signing from folks here. While he’s not burning up the league, currently hitting 30 pts below his career average, his still way better at this point than Michael Conforto, who the Dodgers stayed with for 162 games.
Through 61 games, Tucker is hitting .240 / .726 with 29 RBI. Through 61 games last season, Conforto was hitting .175 / .600 with 12 RBI. Despite his lack of performance so far, Tucker is still an improvement over Conforto.
*AF got some props this morning for sticking with Sasaki. I’m certainly glad he did and I’m pleased with Roki’s progress. But I’m not sure it was insight on AF’s part, over necessity.
One of the reasons they stuck with Sasaki is because we had few alternatives at the time in our starting rotation.
His stats on the road are much better. He is hitting .287 on the road and has 4 of his 5 long balls and 20 of his RBIs on the road.
Tucker is earning $43m per year MORE than what Conforto was overpaid at $17 mill.
Both are wildly overpaid based on performance. Shouldn’t we expect all-star numbers from the $60million AAV Man?
At this time last season, I was lobbying for the Dodgers to replace Conforto. Tucker obviously isn’t sucking like Conforto did, but didn’t we all expect better?
If I had my druthers, AF would have managed to wangle Buxton in a trade and let Tucker sign elsewhere. Oh well. We have Tucker for this season and three more to come. I’m hoping this contract isn’t a Rendon-like albatross. I’m not expecting him to win an MVP–that’s Shohei’s job–but I am expecting at least all-star caliber performance while he and his contract keep prospects like DePaula, Hope, Tibbs and Sirota in OKC.
Sheehan may have pushed it with Madrigal, but if Tucker makes the catch and the HPU calls a foul tip instead of ball 4, he gets out of the inning.
100%
I’ll go on record – I would have left Sheehan in. Go out, give him a pep talk and at least let him attempt to finish the inning. It’s the Angels. You can score 8 against this staff. You got an 8 game lead, he hadn’t even thrown 50 pitches yet.
Yeah, I agree. I wonder if someone in the dugout saw some issue, or if the heat was a determinant.
Not a huge deal, though.
I thought maybe Sheehan hurt himself, but there’s been no mention of that.
Maybe with the day off tomorrow, Doc wanted everybody to pitch today.
Just saw that highlight of the foul-tip K that wasn’t called. Sheehan got screwed on that one.
Why don’t the rules allow that call to be challenged?
It makes no sense.
Would you tell him get through the rest of the inning throwing 70 mph 2 seamers?
This is some bad baseball, by players and umpires.
Might not score 8 with this lineup.
And HPU Dan Iassogna cost them 2 more runs. Vesia had Madrigal struck out hen he called strike 3 on a pitch way outside that was challenged and won by Madrigal, exceept he swung and then could not get the 1BU review.
Sirota HR’d again today. Game-winner. So did Hope.
I’m going:
#1–De Paula
#2–Sirota
#3–Tibbs
#4–Hope
#5–Quintero
#6–Harlan
#7–Morales
#8–Root
#9–Davalan
#10–Ferris
Hope said hold my beer today. Lol. Not sure who my top would be in order. I would have Morales ahead or Harlan. I don’t think Ferris is in my top 10. I definitely have JDP and Sirota 1-2 like you though.
Just a conversation piece so thanks.
Serwinowski, Ko, Zazueta, Copen, Ehrhard all have cases.
Well as Badger would say, this has sucked ruby begonias.
John, your post is in jail again. Mark hasn’t figured out why yet.
We’re gona win this game somehow, aren’t we
Feels that way
or, maybe not
I guess not
Joe really likes Siri, a fringe MLB player
Ohtani’s HR will bring us within 2
2 helps, but……
Derp
When asked how he felt about his slow start Kyle Tucker said “I don’t give a sh*t. I get paid $100,000 per plate appearance whether I strike out or hit a home run”.
Ok, he didn’t say that. He may have thought it, but he didn’t say it.
Is this game over yet?
Some Dodger related content from recent FanGraphs chats:
manowargs: Who’s the best pitching prospect in baseball? And can you compare/contrast Seth Hernandez and Ryan Sloan?
Eric A Longenhagen: Sloan it’s 95-100, fastball has great shape and is playing like a 70, cutter, sweeper, splitter. Breaker playing more like 55/60, split more average. Huge extension, beefy guy but great athlete. Workhorse… Sethy 95-99, bad fastball shape, playing like a 70, gyro slider, curveball, changeup. Secondary pitches all playing like elite offerings. IN-zone rate for secondary pitches (35% for slider, other just under 50%) suggest there might be a strike-throwing issue not yet exposed. love both arms, River Ryan is the best pitching prospect if you want a combo of ceiling and proximity
Jay Jaffe Chat:
Two rats in a wool sock: The fact that Tucker’s playing like this on a $240 million contract (nearly half a billion if you include luxury tax) and literally no one cares, makes me think that a salary cap is inevitable
Jay Jaffe: “here’s a random fact based on a small sample, let’s extrapolate this into an industry-redefining event that would require the collapse of the players’ union”… Tucker has started slowly, but he improved from April to May, and the Dodgers are in first place and have bigger issues to deal with. So no, I don’t see how this means that this is going to lead to a salary cap.
jdefrancesco5: Who do you think will be the next player to reach 90 WAR?
Jay Jaffe: Mike Trout, if we’re going by fWAR (89.5), though he’s at 90.2 bWAR. I think Mookie Betts has a good shot if we’re going by bWAR (75.0) but he’s only at 62.8 fWAR because DRS loves him more than other defensive metrics
Interesting post Bluto.
In Tucker’s defense he’s OPS’d over 1.500 in June.
It was on June 3rd when he had 3 hits including a home run .
Can’t believe this game isn’t over yet.
I often forget the luxury tax…, but it’s another argument in favor of smart trades for proven players instead of writing fat checks for free agents.
“Hey, iI’s not my money,” we fans often say….
But then we go to Dodger Stadium and experience sticker shock.
One fugly game. Bullpen implodes. Get within one and BP gives up 7? Horrific.
Sheehan did not have good command and did not have a put away pitch. Might this be the start that convinces the brain trust to call up River Ryan?
Ryan will definitely get some run, but probably needs an injury? Or if Lauer regresses to a spot starter level? I can’t imagine it’ll be due to an outlier bad start from one of the Dodgers established pitchers.
Some of the people I follow are quite bullish on him, it’s kinda amazing.
The Dodgers seem to be in no hurry to promote Ryan, who was a bit shaky in his last start. Sheehan wasn’t sharp, but I expect him to stay in the rotation for a while unless he gets hurt.
I can’t imagine that any other team slow-plays this game the way the Dodgers do. Most teams would be eager to get Edman back in the lineup, for example, but the Dodgers know they can take their sweet time, especially with a huge lead in the West.
This game was one to forget, but long-suffering Ryan Ward won’t forget going back-to-back with Rushing. A little silver lining.
“As of June 8, 2026, Max Muncy has struggled significantly with runners in scoring position (RISP), posting a .143 batting average in those situations. A notable reason for his low RBI count (22) despite hitting 14 home runs is that 12 of those home runs have been solo shots”.
Skubal pitched 5 scoreless innings in his rehab start. Struck out 5 and allowed just 2 singles. Kids were probably star struck.
Arizona signed OF Max Kepler to a major league contract despite the fact that he is serving an 80-game suspension for PED use. Kepler has already served 65 games. He was released by the Phillies following his suspension.
Nothing to see here, today is a new day, move on from yesterdays debacle.
What I don’t understand is we had a chance to win the game when it was 6-5 Angels after 6. The bullpen was well rested,so why didn’t Doc bring in one of the high leverage guys in the 7th with either Hurt,Klein or Scott. Today there is NO game,so that is another reason to bring in one of those guys. We gave away a winnable game yesterday.