MiLB – Bits and Pieces

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1. I have a quick question about the Minor Leagues. I must admit I only follow what is posted here and other sites about the Dodger MiLB system. It seems like according to posts by a few of you that you can access either the TV or Radio coverage of these affiliates? Do any of you care to share on how you are able to access these broadcasts? Thank you in advance.

2. Zeke – I subscribe to MiLB.TV and can listen to and watch any minor league games I choose. Just go to MiLB.TV and subscribe.

   Mark thanks for posting that note.

   Thank you George. You just made my day, week, season. I often wonder if many folks follow the minor league articles. Now I know.

   1. Thanks for the information DC.

3. Thank you George who ever you are, and Mark, I emailed my address. DC as always great stuff. Unfortunately I cannot afford the cost of both MLB and MiLB coverage, so I just check the scoreboards late at night. I honestly think Davidson would be a better option than Reks or Raley. Neither has shown anything, and Davidson at least has some MLB chops. When they got Neuse from the A’s, one of the players included in the deal was Cody Thomas. I know that many did not consider him a MLB type player because he struck out too much. Me, I have a hard time forgetting those HR’s he hit in spring in 2019. Getting traded was probably the best thing for him, but he is mashing at AAA Las Vegas. Hitting .289, with a .385 OBP a.667 slg, and a 1.051 OPS. He has 18 dingers and 52 RBI’s. He still strikes out a lot, 78 out of 218 Ab’s. But the guy has some serious power. Good luck to him. He is playing better at AAA than the guy we got for him.

   1. Recks and Raley’s minor league stats are comparable to Thomas and LV is even more hitter friendly that OKC. Just sayin.

      I did like Thomas more than Raley at the time of the trade, but ultimately thought they were interchangeable.

   2. That’s very cool of George to make his donations. Taking care of Badger and Bear.
      Nice report on MiLb today.
      Roll Tide.

      1. Not to Badger, to DC, Harold..Badger does not write for the site.

4. XlNT work DC… – I’m going to try and get out to Rancho Cucamonga after they get back from the road. Great venue and alot of bang for your buck…
   Yesterday good post for awhile and then my mind wandered… Easy today in my golden years, even while I continue to snort Prevagen…
   OK, by now I gotta say it!!! Friday cannot come fast enough… I covet Ruiz and a few others, but I’m powerless over the front office’s machinations…
   Got to sit down and watch several hours of taped Olympic stuff… Always a thrill for me…
   Go Blue… Go get em Julio
   41 days and a wakeup till my beloved Fighting Irish tangle with Florida St…

   1. I have gone to Rancho several times when I have been out in California. We wanted to go this time, but had so much on the plate, I just could not make it. Box seats were 13.00. I was in the 4th row next to the visitors dugout the last time I went and their bench coach was Joe Thurston. I talked to him for a while and he signed my program. Really nice guy. Seats were great. Food was as good as it is at Dodger Stadium and cheaper. Garlic fries were 5 bucks. They are 9 at Dodger Stadium. Got a Quakes hat and a set of baseball cards of the kids. It is a great family atmosphere and they have the two mascots that the kids love, Tremor and Aftershock. Just a great time watching the kids hone their skills. Notre Dame fan huh? Might not be able to like you anymore! Go Trojans! LOL>

5. Very nice! Thanks to George for taking care of the writers. Nice touch.

   I love the farm updates, thanks DC. Glad to see that the farm is looking pretty stacked at the lower levels. It’s amazing that this team continues to reload considering where we pick. There’s so many good catchers in the system, it’s hard to keep track of them.

   AC, I was directing the naive comment yesterday about those who say the Dodgers should cut bait at all costs. I support your argument that MLB should $%it or get off the pot. It’s completely unfair to keep handing out administrative leaves as opposed to a suspension unless they ultimately fold, of course.

   I mentioned before that I think the Dodgers are treated differently by the MLB. Kelly’s suspension and Urias’ suspension are recent examples. The Utley rule, 3 hitter rule, reduction of September rosters can all be loosely connected to our team. So, it’s right on form that MLB and Manfred is screwing us here.

   I think Bauer is at the least a little off and is more than likely on the spectrum. I don’t like his antics on the mound like doing the McGregor walk (I hate McGregor for the walk) and the sword celebration. But, I also acknowledge the good that he does, like working with the other pitchers and his kindness towards that bullied kid at Dodgers stadium.

   I’m not sure the legal battles argument has much to do with culpability by the accused and probably says more about the accuser. It sure looks to me that the restraining order was a ploy by a sleazy lawyer to push this out into the public after seeing that the PPD saw this for what it was, as setup. I mean, what the hell do you need a restraining order for when you live over 100 miles away and he hadn’t contacted her for a month?

   I realize that the clock is not on our side it comes to Trevor. But, I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that he will be gone next year. I think Andrew is pragmatic and will only make a move if it makes sense for the team. He only got rid of Puig when he finally had better options for the outfield and was able to extract a couple of really good prospects and Puig had a longer list of indiscretions than just about anyone.

   BTW, thanks for the info on the Shingles vax. I got chicken pox from my son when he was little and it was brutal, but a cakewalk compared to the Shingles.

   This morning I find myself wondering if AF will pull the trigger on a big arm for the rotation. I think he’s going to do something, if just to show the players that he’s going to improve the team somehow. I just hope he doesn’t wait too long and wind up without a chair when the music stops like he did in 19 when he failed to solidify the bullpen.

   There’s absolutely no chance Bellinger gets traded at the deadline. I would say that Lux is also a safe bet to stay because of the impending free agency of CT3 and Seager. It also makes zero sense that the Nats would trade Turner and Scherzer in the same deal and AF already said that he’s not focusing on bats. Why would you when you have the best offense in the NL and your position players have rarely played together?

   1. They also made changes to the IL and changed it from 15 to 10 because they felt the Dodgers were using it for an unfair advantage over other teams. AF did use it a lot, and the pitcher train between AAA and LA was always busy. I think the Utley rule has caused more problems than it has fixed.

      1. Agreed. You can file that under “The law of unintended consequences”.

   2. >>> a little off and is more than likely on the spectrum<<<
      Totally agree & not an excuse for him in any sense, but explains a lot about him if you go down that road. My wife did some reading on his "younger years" and descriptions seem to fit that. Sort of a very intelligent socially awkward "weirdo" who others made fun of. Seems to have issues with normal social interactions & what is acceptable behaviors. Kind of textbook in that regard.
      cheers
      pb+

6. Kaybear was 3-4 last night with his 18th double. He is hitting .313 with a .385 OB% and a 1.027 OPS. He also has 16 HR and has struck out 25 times in 201 ABs. That and an 8% strikeout rate.

   By way of comparison, in Will Smith’s last year at OKC, he had 270 ABs. He hit 20 HR and had 11 doubles. He batted .268 with a .381 OB% and struck out 49 times (13%).

   Using those metrics, Kaybear would appear to be superior to Will Smith offensively. Yes, Smith is a good defensive catcher, but so is Ruiz. I would not trade Ruiz. He would be the catcher next year, while Will Smith moves to 3B and JT becomes the DH.

   Ruiz could be a star or borderline star! No way I trade him!

   Corey Knebel went 1 inning last night at OKC, struck out 2, and allowed Zero hits and Zero BB.

   Nunez went 1.2 innings and struck out 4.

   Garrett Cleavinger pitched 2 perfect innings, striking out 4.

   I am high on all three pitchers, but Nunez and Cleavinger may have to wait until next year!

   1. I want to see Ruiz sooner rather than later. I still take Thomas over Reks or Raley.

   2. I have a hard time trusting OKC stats this year with the performances of Raley, Recks and Souza at the MLB level.

      It’s also hard to compare AAA statistics between players who played there 3 years apart. Ruiz’s 1.027 OPS this year vs Smith’s .984 is a difference of just .043. Compare their AA numbers and Smith’s 890 vs Ruiz’s 659 is an eye opener. Just a .231 point difference.

      There’s a lot to like about Ruiz with that low strikeout rate and soft hands, but the CS% in the minors is a big red flag for me. He’s still very young, but he’s also used two options already. I would rather have him on the roster than Barnes, but I also understand that he’s our biggest trade chip. I’m willing to include him only in a deal for an impact player and that’s only because we still have Cartaya.

      I think all those lefties have a chance to be the second lefty in the pen this year and into the postseason. Cleavinger and Vesia are developing quickly and Nunez has some real tools.

      1. Kaybear is about 3 years younger than Smith, so three years ago, I would expect to see a difference. This was also before the Dodgers re-tooled his swing!

         He has an above-average arm and quick release. I think he will do fine as a catcher.

   3. Ruiz may be a star……but those exact words were said about one GAVIN LUX. How is that turning out for us? Last year….horrendous…..this year….somewhat better but still mediocre….not a star yet! (Though i realize you and Bear are much more patient than I am.)

      1. He is a kid in his first full season in the majors, and he has not really adjusted to that role yet. He has the raw tools, so yeah, being patient is something all Dodger fans should be. Not every good player gets off to a great start. Hall of Famer, Duke Snider took a couple of years before he figured it out. 47, 48, 49 he showed tools and promise. But in 1950 he became a bona fide star. And from 53-57 he hit 40 or more HR’s every year. Something no other Dodger has ever done. Padres are trying really hard to unload Hosmer’s contract on someone. I hope they have to pay through the nose to get rid of him.

         1. I give Preller credit. He got the NL hits leader to be the table setter. Now he needs to create room. Moving Hosmer will allow the Pads to move Myers to 1B and Cronenworth to RF so Frazier can stay comfortable at 2B. The Pads know they will need to eat a lot of $$$$, but they seem to be willing to do so. I think they will take the best offer they get and run with it. I will be shocked if he is a Padre by the weekend.

         2. All good points Bear. I’m glad you keep me balanced.

            You are still all in on Cody, right? (Wink)

            1. I think Bellinger is a true talent. I think his whole season was knocked off the rails with his shoulder injury last season. He was getting hot just before the playoffs, and he had a decent series against the Padres and hit 2 HR’s against the Braves, the last one won the 7th game for them. He has played less than 100 games since the beginning of last season. Shoulder injuries are not something you just come back from and are as good as you were before. Then the hammy issue reared it’s head and he lost even more time. Any hitter has to have their timing down to be successful. Bellinger is only 43 games into his season. He basically had no spring training to speak of, then he gets hurt less than a week into the season. I think you are under rating him and just upset that he is not tearing the cover off of the ball. The last game he played, he squared up 2 balls and had a triple and a double. His speed and defense in center field is second to none in the majors. He is young, under team control for 2 more years, trading him would be incredibly stupid.

      2. I never said that about Lux. He has won me over at times, but I am not convinced. Never was!

7. Bowden says we should trade Pepiot and Cartaya for Scherzer. Somebody here thinks we already traded for him. I don’t know what’s next. I’m prepared to be surprised.

   1. It is just some crackpot on Twitter that sent out a notification that Dodgerfan picked up. These faux rumors will be flying this week. I think there is one twitter feed call Dodger Thinking Men@LAThinkingMen who swears he has unimpeachable inside sources. I think he got one right, and he swears that he posted it before any of the national journalists hit the wire. I do not remember what it was, but he always goes back to refer to that when he is called on some of his fantasies. I remember two years ago, he reported just before the deadline that the Dodgers traded for Felipe Vazquez and Ken Giles. Didn’t happen.

   2. It wasn’t long ago when Bowden stated that not only did he expect Arenado to be traded, but that he would be a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers by Christmas.

      I hope this isn’t the kiss of death.

      1. Bowden is the worst with his predictions. He uses the wall meet crap approach. Why he still employed as a baseball analyst after all these years is a mystery to me.

         1. It wasn’t a prediction.

   3. Pepiot Yes. Cartaya NO.
      Find another combo that makes the trade go. cartaya will mash and is an above average defensive C too.

      Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!

   4. It wasn’t a prediction. It was a suggestion.

8. A little more information on what the Cubs received in the Andrew Chafin trade.

   Greg Deichman – 26 year old OF. He is rated as Oakland’s #9 prospect by MLB, Baseball America, and FanGraphs. Bats left, throws right. He was the 2nd round pick in 2017 by Oakland out of LSU. He is a bit older for a prospect this high. He will be 27 next May 31. His slash line at Las Vegas was .300/.433/.452/.885. He has a MLB scouting grade of Hit – 40, Power – 55, Run – 40, Arm – 55, Field 50, Overall 45. He has a 40+ FV from FanGraphs. A lot of nagging injuries. He profiles as a power hitting corner OF, although he only had 4 HRs in the Las Vegas launching pad this year. He has been assigned to AAA Iowa.

   Daniel Palencia – 21 year old RHSP. In 2021 in the California League (Low A), he has started 6 games, with a record of 0-2. He has pitched 14.1 innings, 14 K with 6 BB. 6.91 ERA with a WHIP of 1.60. He has surrendered 3 HRs in those 14.1 IP. He is not ranked by MLB or Baseball America, but is #12 with FanGraphs with a 40+ FV. His fastball sits at 96-98 with a potentially plus curve. He will be a long term development project, but could end up as a high leverage late inning reliever down the road. He has been assigned to Myrtle Beach (Low A)

   Possible LAD comp – DJ Peters and RHP Michael Martinez.

   That is the cost for Andrew Chafin, who is having a fine year and will fit in nicely with the A’s bullpen.

   1. Thanks for showing the Dodger comps on that deal Jeff. Always interesting to see what the trade would/could have looked like had we made it.

      1. It is strictly a guess by me. I do not pretend to have all of the information, but those two looked to be a fair comp.

         1. I realize it’s only a guess, but you follow our minor leaguers closely enough that I’m happy with your guesses. And just for the record, I would have made that deal for Peters and Martinez.

9. MLBTR just put out a list of 60 trade candidates, and some on the IL that should be watched. New report says that Scherzer prefers the west coast and want’s to go to a winner. That leaves the Padres out! LOL. Rumors flying all over the place. Market will get more crowded if Atlanta decides to deal. Right now they look like a buyer.

10. Without the Dodgers last night, I watched the Angels and Shohei Ohtani which I have wanted to do but didn’t get around to it. I felt I’d been missing something special.
    I was. He is special. He threw 7 inning, 5 hit ball with 1 earned. Went 1 for 4 at the plate, scored a run a stole a base.
    What dawned on me is that he had to be from another country to be given the chance to be a 2 way player in the Big Leagues. And the Angels have given him the opportunity to do so.
    Baseball scouts and brass can be a pretty conservative lot and stuck in their ways. I’m not sure how many organizations would have forced him to choose pitching or position player. I know if he had entered MiLB as a quality college, 2-way player, or certainly from high school, he would have had to choose. Being allowed to do both at a high level in Japan helped his case with the Angels. There have been a number of US kids who were good enough athletes and players to do both in pro ball but were forced to decide. John Olerud comes to mind. He was an Ace at WSU and ended up a very good pro first baseman but wasn’t allowed to try both. I could name more.
    I’ve had some friendly arguments with scouts about many things and most are convinced they know everything about how baseball and how it should be played. Most are very stuck in their ways. I bet there weren’t many who would have supported an everyday 2-way player.

    1. Yeah, Ohtani is different. Very different. As the DH becomes ever more popular, and minor leagues start using it more, it becomes less likely we’ll see an Ohtani here. As I’ve watched NL pitchers look hapless at the plate, many can’t even bunt, I’ve changed my mind about the DH. Get the bat out of their hands. For the most part it’s just embarrassing.

       1. It really is bad. Bunting is not as hard as these guys make it look. It taks practice, like anything else. And that’s quality practice against velocity and not some 55 mph BP. One of my favorite defenses against the bunt was to throw a breaking ball. It’s something they never see in BP and they poke at it almost every time, causing a pop-up. Mastering the fundoes is one thing and then they have to be dedicated to actually bunt. I see a lot of half assed attempts. The wasted at bats are embarrassing.
          I too am a convert to the DH and have no desire to see pitchers bat. And the advantage to National League pitchers is more than just 1 easy out. The 8th guy is pitched to differently as well.

          1. Me too. I think the 3 batter min changed it for me. Not that it is directly relatable, but that it already greatly changed the strategies employed in the league. As long as there remains the exception to ALLOW pitchers to bat if needed.

    2. I do not know how likely, but Brenan McKay, Tampa Bay, could be a two way player. He is still recovering from 2020 surgery on his shoulder, but he is hitting and pitching for AAA Durham. Very very small sample size. He is still recovering. McKay could end up a DH/relief pitcher in Tampa. Maybe, maybe not.

       1. I would think Tampa would prefer he focus on his pitching and they give the DH responsibility to a proven Major League hitter, say, someone like Nelson Cruz.

          1. Brendan is a couple of years away at making an impact, as a hitter or pitcher. I was just trying to come up with a possible two way player drafted by one of the MLB teams. I agree with Phil that John Olerud might have been a possible two way option, but you cannot deny he (and Toronto) made a good choice for his 17 year career. Olerud was a fantastic player.

11. Bauer’s administrative leave extended to August 6 (smh).

12. Still rooting for Trev but one thing’s for sure – it’s certainly totally messed the Dodgers up, which a cynical person might imagine was the intention all along.
    Once something of this nature became a Police matter, the outcome was never going to be swift.

    I’m happy to be wrong here, but I’m quietly confident that Bauer will not be charged with anything but this circus will ultimately have served its purpose.

13. To be concise, I don’t think that the Dodgers have much of a chance to win a league championship next year, unless they somehow add major players. I think they should go for the title now, because it’s going to be harder next season. Therefore, I want them to make a major effort to add Scherzer and Kimbrel, and if both are simply not feasible, then Scherzer, because we might have enough relievers to back up very strong starting pitching.

    Without another top starter, we are looking at Buehler, who is great, but is pitching a lot of innings. Kershaw, who has been good though not spectacular, and is injured right now. Urias, who is still somewhat of a question mark regarding his ability to pitch six or more innings in playoff situations, but we can hope he does. And then what? Price and Gonsolin? You may only need four starters, but we don’t have four reliable ones. With Scherzer, we have the best staff in the league and that might be enough.

    We know that other teams will make acquisitions. SD will, and SF will likely make one key addition. The Mets and Brewers will. I will concede simply to avoid argument on it, that Ruiz could be a fine player here, depending on one’s definition of that. There aren’t many catchers who are offensive stars. Smith could be another Carlton Fisk, maybe that is optimistic. But in order to keep Ruiz, we are going to not get a major piece in trades, and we are going to move Smith to the infield, where he might not be adequate, and risk him being unhappy and going to free agency? All for a catcher hitting a bit over .300 in the minors? I could see Ruiz being the starting catcher here, hitting .270 or so, on a team which doesn’t make the playoffs for a few years. We’ve seen Dodgers teams like that.

    Get Scherzer, and there’s no reason he could not be good for the next two seasons,. If Kershaw leaves or retires or gets hurt again, we don’t have enough quality starters. If SD gets him, they are clearly better for the next few seasons. So it should be obvious. Give up Ruiz and Pepiot if necessary. Neither of these is considered a top ten prospect, for what that’s worth. Get Scherzer and Kimbrel, and even if we do not win the title this year, we will be one of the top favorites next year. Do not get either, and we will be looking up at SD, SF, NYM, and Milwaukee, at least. But at least we would have Ruiz, to move Smith to some infield position, and we could root for us to get to 90 wins, though I don’t think it would be likely, without Seager, with Turner declining, Bellinger iffy now, Betts a questions mark as to physical condition, Kershaw gone or not even as good as this year. We need an infusion of top talent now, as strange as that may look in print.

    1. Good read William. Thank you.

       Ruiz is 23 and ready. Cartaya, 19, could possibly be ready by 22, but say he’s ready at the same age, we could have Ruiz up sharing time with Smith for a few years then sharing time with Cartaya for several more. And, there’s Smith, who looks like a younger Posey. We are catching rich. I just assumed one of them would be used in trade for pitching, but, maybe not.

       I also assume we will be fine next year. Friedman will figure it out.

       For the first time in as long as I can remember I disagree with W. The Dodger players apparently don’t want Bauer back and neither do I. For a guy who is supposed to be so damm smart he sure screwed the pooch on this one. Second chance? Sure. Go to Japan.

       1. I think that if Bauer can’t find work in MLB we’re more likely to see him become a professional wrestler. Was there ever a personality more suited?

14. I think Milwaukee will be very difficult to beat in October, their three SP are very good and the bullpen is tough, their players on the field also play good defense, it is a team that will be very difficult to beat in October.

    1. And you can bet that the Brewers will get another bat before Friday. They will be very tough.

       1. Yelich just went to the Covid IL> Brewers will be no pushovers that is for sure. Lots of reports that the Dodgers and Nationals are in deep discussions about Scherzer and DC wants to get the trade done before Thursday. Supposedly, the Dodgers are not inclined to include Ruiz in any deal involving a player not under contract beyond this season. Also, Lux has been named as a possible center piece of a trade with DC. We will just have to wait and see. Phils in serious talks with the Pirates about Anderson.

          1. Lock up Taylor now. Makes dealing a Lux more doable.

          2. The Phillies have completed the trade – 20 year old RHSP Crisitan Hernandez currently at low A Clearwater. Big strikeout pitcher. 74 K and 22 BB in 59 IP. 3.49 ERA and 1.200 WHIP. Also 21 year old catcher Abrahan Gutierrez. He is also at Clearwater, hitting .285/.418/.424/.842 with 5 HR in 208 PA. He has 29K vs 36BB. Both are young Venezuelans. I just want to know, how did Gutierrez slip away from LAD?

             I am not a huge Tyler Anderson fan, and I think Pittsburgh did very well with these lottery prospects for a rental pitcher they picked up just for this purpose. Hernandez is rated #29 by MLB. FanGraphs ranked Gutierrez #32 and rising while Hernandez was not ranked. I am glad the LAD stayed away from Anderson.

             1. Me too, I was never high on him anyway. Rogers of the Twins to the 10day IL. DC will be even more likely to deal now, Strasburg is having Thoracic Outlet Surgery and will be out until next year at least.

          3. There was an interesting twitter thread yesterday started by Howard Cole who said, “Gavin Lux changes teams by Thursday.” Of course that set of a bunch of comments and ran the gamut of emotions. On the first response, the tweet said “Ain’t happening Howie. He’s got very little value.” And Howard responded with “Talk to me on Thursday”. Then later in the thread, Jeff Passan tweeted “He won’t get traded LOL”. Two guys supposedly with connections on opposite sides of “what they know”.

             I think it is more likely that Lux is included more than Ruiz. Maybe the deal gets a little more involved and LAD gets Harrison. We will learn more soon enough.

             1. There was a story on one of the Dodger threads that said LA is not interested in moving Ruiz for anyone who has a contract that ends this year. Meaning he would not be moved for Scherzer. I have seen some posts, I do not believe any of them, that say Turner would be included in a deal with Scherzer, and then he would move to second when Seager comes back. Yeah, like that will happen. Nobody knows anything at this point and we all know how tight lipped AF is about trades.

             2. Howard Cole has zero connections, as far as I can tell he’s notoriety perseveres because he makes inane comments that drive engagement.

                “Hot takes” the worst discourse.

             3. Well, I do not know Howard Cole personally, but I do have a couple of friends who are connected and they do know and talk to Howard. I just checked after you wrote this. He may not have the contacts that Gammons, Rosenthal, Heyman, or Morosi have, but baseball people do talk to him. I am not giving any credence whatsoever as to what he said about Lux not being a Dodger on Thursday. Maybe that was intended to drive discussion, because it did. You don’t like Howard Cole, that is fine. I read him, and I am okay with his style.

             4. You know way more baseball people than I, I know none. I defer to them.

                I think I remember a flurry of silliness from him two years ago, when he threw out there:
                A Jansen for Greinke trade
                Dustin May being on the block
                Joc Pederson about to be traded.
                Alcides Escobar on the way to the Dodgers

             5. Howard Cole is the same guy that demanded the Dodgers immediately release Urias.

15. True Lux doesn’t have a lot of trade value right now. But I think you guys are giving up on him to soon as he is only 23. He struggled at each level in the minors when he moved up. Eventually he figured things out. I’m thinking he is going to settle down and end the season into the playoffs with a solid dependable bat.

    1. If Lux has to be in a deal for Scherzer, I am doing it. He might figure it out and he might not. Scherzer is a big game pitcher.

    2. I have not given up on Lux. I have never given up on him. I am only saying what Howard Cole indicated in his tweet about Lux moving to another team on Thursday. I do believe that it is more likely that Lux is traded more than Ruiz, but that does not mean I have given up on Lux at all.

16. I think that for the Dodgers for the rest of the season what they need most is to strengthen the bench, they still cannot replace Joc and Kiké, guys like Culberson and Josh Harrison, I’m not saying that they if not players like them to avoid putting in the field of play to the Neuse and AAAA company, and wait with an experienced bench for the missing players to recover their health, what has damaged the team is obvious that they are injuries but what has damaged the team the most is that the substitute players this year have not done the job, we have always had injuries but in the past the substitutes did not miss the headlines while they were in the IL, and thinking in October the priority is a first-class closer, and if they also get a good SP, then it is Welcome.
    I don’t think the Dodgers are going to trade Lux, even a 5 year old can see that he is a diamond, maybe an unpolished diamond but a diamond after all, he is going nowhere.

17. Matt Adams released by the Rockies.

18. If the Dodgers are interested in Trea Turner it could be as a centerfielder. Betts is out and we have know idea when he will be back. Getting Turner would allow Bellinger to play right field.

    I know he bats left but what about Schwaber to come off the bench?

    1. Schwarber is still on the IL with a severely strained hammy. Won’t be back anytime soon.

       1. Latest on Schwaber, from 2 days ago;

          Kyle’s making progress,” Martinez said. “There’s no timetable with him, but, man, he’s working diligently to get back. I watched him take batting practice (Friday) on the field and, swing-wise, he looks normal. The next hurdle will be to run, get some strides in, build his speed back up and then go from there

          1. No where to play. He is at best a marginal fielder. I doubt the Dodgers have much interest in him. They are loaded with lefty bats. They said the same thing about Bellinger for a week.

19. Now there is a report that says the Pirates-Phillies trade for Anderson has hit a snag. Anderson in the Pirates pen warming up. per MLBTR.

20. Belli back in the lineup playing 1st base. Taylor SS, Muncy 2B, Turner 3B, Smith C, Bellinger 1B, Pollock CF, McKinney. RF, Raley, LF Urias P.

    1. Roberts does it again why is Raley playing instead of Matt Beaty?

21. I always get nervous this time of the year. Twitter is so strange, you do not know who to believe, so I just do not believe any of it. There have been two tweets in the last 30 minutes that have said the Dodgers were close to getting Scherzer. Me, I will believe it when I see it posted on the Dodger web site and not a moment before.

    1. Consider the source Bear. And always verify that it’s not a fake account.

       If guys like Rosenthal, Passan, Heyman, or Joel Sherman say it’s just about to happen, it probably is.

       1. I do. There are so many fake accounts that use those guys names. But like I said, when I see it on the Dodger web site, then I will believe it. There is a story on MLB.com that is saying the Nats want a deal done in the next 48 hours or less.

22. Notes from Internet:

    There was this dodo on another Dodger board who used to call Dave Roberts a moron, or stupid or something. If we every run into that guy or someone else who shares his opinion don’t show them this from the great Jon Weisman:
    https://www.dodgerthoughts.com/2021/07/27/dave-roberts-dodgers-manager-hall-of-fame-record-be-kind-on-twitter/

    If you’ve had a child, this piece on Chris Taylor is just awesome:
    https://blogs.fangraphs.com/chris-taylor-puts-the-super-in-superutilityman/

    Jim “lazy” Bowden on the Dodgers & Trade deadline ($$$$)
    https://theathletic.com/2733817/2021/07/27/mlb-trade-deadline-lightning-round-jim-bowden-answers-22-questions-on-buyers-sellers-big-names-and-more/

    What are the trade deadline priorities for the Dodgers? — Vinicius B.

    I am hearing they are in on both starting and relief pitchers, and have touched base on the very best players available at both positions.

    Josh Thomas on Twitter takes a look at Tsutsugo and what the Dodgers are doing with his stroke.
    1) Barrel – he’s around the ball already on the left, still well inside of the ball on the right
    2) After the shorter path to the ball, shoulders look better, head down longer, driving it > rolling over
    https://twitter.com/jokeylocomotive/status/1419429137085714436

    Devan Fink on Pujols’ role with the Dodgers
    https://blogs.fangraphs.com/with-dodgers-albert-pujols-finds-a-role-by-bashing-lefties/

    Rosenthal on a bunch of good stuff including Sherzer: ($$$)
    https://theathletic.com/2732480/2021/07/27/rosenthal-trevor-story-max-scherzer-mlb-trade-deadline/

    The acquiring team would not catch a similar break in its luxury-tax payroll, which is based on players’ average annual salaries. The luxury-tax hit would be approximately $10 million, a figure that might discourage some clubs. But the Dodgers would not necessarily be deterred

    Jon Morosi cites “Sources” with this report: Twins discussing José Berríos in trade talks with multiple teams, including Padres and Dodgers

    Ben Clemens chat
    Adam: If I set the qualitative over/under on the Dodgers’ trade deadline acquisitions at “Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy,” which side you taking?

    Dodgers signed UDFA Gaige Howard from New Orleans.

    Ben Clemens: Over, I think. I haven’t heard any specific rumors, but the Dodgers have always done a good job (in my eyes) of understanding the leverage of adding pieces. And they’re in a very high-leverage spot right now

    Kevin Acee from the San Diego Union Trib reports:
    It looks like if Eric Hosmer goes, so does one of the Padres’ top four prospects.
    That’s what is being discussed.

    FanGraphs on the exquisite hitting in the NL West:
    https://blogs.fangraphs.com/swinging-less-is-better-at-least-in-the-nl-west/

23. Yep, gonna be a wild ride. The Dodgers are casting a wide net for pitchers, so the rumor mill will be cranked up to full speed.

    Read that Ruiz won’t be traded for a rental. This makes sense. Better get a couple of years of top shelf talent if you’re gonna give him up.

    Is Raley a better option in tonight’s lineup over McKinstry in LF? I’m so frustrated that Raley and Recks both put up lofty numbers in OKC and can’t hit any better than our Starting Pitchers! Maybe Bueller and Urias can pick up a glove and help out in the OF?

    I sure hope this team grows a pair and beats up on the Giants without our two best players from last year’s postseason run. I know it’s a big ask, but they owe me after giving the Giants two games during the last series.

    1. Fingers crossed, I know we are mathematically 2 behind, but for me we are 3 behind as that is how many losses we need to make up.
       cheers
       pb+

       1. In July, I’m only concerned with finishing this series in 1st place. I still think there’s a lot of season left and plenty of time to bury them over the next couple of months. My hatred for the Giants has no rivals.

          Cheers to you PB!

24. Tonight’s Lineup:
    SS: Chris Taylor
    2B: Max Muncy
    3B: Justin Turner
    C: Will Smith
    1B: Cody Bellinger
    CF: AJ Pollock
    RF: Billy McKinney
    LF: Luke Raley
    P: Julio Urias

25. Mariners have just traded Kendall Graveman, a very good reliever and Rafael Montero (whom the dfa’d) to the Astros for Joe Smith (ERA over 7.00) and infielder Abraham Toro (batting barely above .200).

    I can’t believe we couldn’t have done better than that.

    Jeff, if you’re out there, could you please explain this from the Mariners viewpoint. Makes absolutely no sense to me. I guess they must really like Toro whose minor league stats are pretty impressive. He sure hasn’t done anything in the majors, but he’s only 24.

    1. Seattle probably wants a controllable 3rb base option after Seager leaves and was willing to give up a reliever on an expiring contract to get him. Toro’s just 24 and he raked in the minors. Graveman is 30 and he’s never been good before this year. The other two guys are footnotes.

       I don’t find this trade shocking in any way.

       1. After doing a little more investigating I can’t argue with your explanation B and P. Just going to be hard on the guys in the clubhouse when they’re on the edge of going to the playoffs and the GM trades their closer. Maybe he has something else coming.

          1. He better, because this by itself is a disaster. They have not been in the playoffs for 20 years. 20 YEARS OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS. They are right in it today. They have 9 with the A’s and 11 with the Astros over the next 61 games. They control their own destiny. They have one of the best relievers in the game and they worry about 3B for next year? The crap that Lux gets here and anyone wants to defend Toro? Now if they end up with Kimbrel, I will get off my high horse. How would you feel if the Dodgers came out and said we are not going for Scherzer or Kimbrel or any other difference maker because we are more concerned about how we stack up in 2022.” Thus far that is exactly what Dipoto did to the team and fans.

             1. I think I might be OK with Andrew trading our closer for an up and coming young third baseman. That might turn out to be a win-win.

          2. They have another nigh-impossible to hit reliever in Seawald

             1. I hope you are being sarcastic or he is a friend of yours. Paul Sewald is not a closer by any stretch. I think he has 7 career saves and 7 career blown saves. He has a career ERA of 4.94 and a career WHIP of 1.299. It will be Sewald and Steckenrider who will fight it out to be the closer. I think Steckenrider has 9 career saves and 9 career blown saves. Moving Graveman just moved JT Chargois and Casey Sadler up the leverage ladder. Both are having good years, but I would not want them closing for the Dodgers.

             2. Shrug.

                Just got it from Passan:

                Mariners are far from done. They’re still looking to add players, per sources, and could be very active over the next 72 hours.

                With Graveman gone, Paul Sewald, who has been phenomenal this year, should step into the closer’s role.

                https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1420161407211945984

    2. No I cannot. I won’t even try to push that LAD could have (and should have) done much better. This proves why Jerry Dipoto is the worst GM in MLB, now that Neal Huntington is gone. I read that the Mariner players are pissed. They were a game away from A’s who went out and improved their bullpen while the M’s dismantled it. Here’s hoping that Graveman gets back to back saves the next two nights against the Mariners.

       1. DiPoto has said that there are other moves coming and, although I had never heard of Toro, he’s supposedly very high on the baseball nerd list. So I guess we need to wait until Friday before we crucify Jerry D.

          And although I agree with you most of the time AC, and would have liked to have gotten Graveman, I don’t think it’s fair to call DiPoto the worst GM in MLB since I’m guessing the Mariners will make the playoffs for the first time in centuries either this year or next.

          1. I think DiPoto earned that moniker from his time with the Angels and what he’s done so far with the M’s and that is basically tread water.

             1. Any GM who has to work for Arte Moreno gets an automatic pass from me.
                As far as what he’s done with the M’s, at least to me, he’s assembled a pretty damn good young team.
                I’m really interested to see what else Trader Jerry has up his sleeve this week.

       2. I thought it was weird to make a trade like that one game out of the Wild Card. Maybe they feel like they needed to get another bat in the lineup and had a surplus in relief pitching. A win now, win later move.

26. I just got to read the more recent comments, I appreciate seeing the up-to-the-minute status. I will just say that if the Dodgers do not get Scherzer because they want to hold on to Ruiz, Ruiz had better help them win several titles, because Scherzer would give them a great chance to win this one, and next year too, if they can sign him. I don’t know what a catcher who has had a few at bats in MLB, can get you in terms of titles, particularly when you already have a fine catcher now. Ruiz must be the next Johnny Bench or Yadier Molina. It’s not like we have won more than one title in 33 seasons, and we have had a large number of prospects during that period. Play Smith at catcher, and then if Cartaya is really great, you can see about moving him to prolong his career. But why in the world would we try to move him off his best position, for a rookie? Ruiz is that essential, even if keeping him would mean that we do not get Scherzer and lose in the first round of the playoffs to a team with better starting pitching?

    1. It might not take Ruiz to get Scherzer. I’ve seen estimates of the return for him and they go all over the place, from ridiculously high to others saying it won’t be that spectacular because he’s only a rental. So maybe AF could put a package together of good prospects that doesn’t include Ruiz if he wants to keep him.

       Ruiz could be the next Johnny Bench or Yadier Molina so to give that up for two months of Max would be regrettable. On the other hand he might turn out to be the next Johnny Molina.

27. It might mean nothing, but, Trea Turner was pulled from the lineup against the Phillies after one at bat. Reported by Jon Heyman.

    1. Undetermined injury, not a trade.

       1. Makes sense. Ok medical report…Kersh threw 3 inning sim game and felt good. Seager is playing in games in AZ and might be back by the weekend. Alexander’s shoulder not responding to treatment. No word on when he will be available. Mookie Betts was said to have felt better than he has in a couple of weeks. Can be activated on the 7th. Seager could be back by the weekend with AZ.

          1. Betts DL stint was backdated to July 22…he will be eligible to return on Sunday August 1. If that happens I would be surprised since it seems our key players are missing much more time than we are led to believe…Corey Seager can you hear me….still anxiously waiting for your return someday????

       2. Just reported on MLBTR that Turner tested positive for Covid-19 and was pulled from the game.

          1. WWWWWWTTTTTTTTFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!

             Can this season become any more of a shit show?

          2. Well, at least that won’t keep us from trading for him.

          3. Sorry about the over-reaction. I thought you were talking about Justin until I saw STBs comment. 😉

             You scared the crap out of me!

             1. Anybody that tests positive should get our attention. The fact he’s on the Nats should give us pause.

             2. Sorry……..I should have specified which Turner.

          4. How the fuck is there any MLB player who hasn’t gotten the vaccine?

             Stupid dingbats.

             1. Maybe he was? But only 45.2% of America is fully vaccinated. I think your description of those who haven’t been is accurate.

28. I’m not giving up on Lux. He really struggled his first year in minors then took off. I’m ready to give him a shot in 22 either at second or short if we don’t resign Seager. If he ever plays again for us!

29. Jeff. The Pirates beat writer for the Athletic said that the Dodgers were working on a deal for Chad Kuhl. Make any sense to you? He also said they were close to trading Rodriguez to the Blue Jays.

    1. That is AF bargain hunting. Kuhl is a 28 year old RHSP who is a RH version of Tyler Anderson. He is not an innings eater. He has surpassed 85.0 IP once in his career (157.1 in 2017). He has a career 4.36 ERA and a career WHIP of 1.41. He is equally mediocre against RH bats and LH bats. If AF cannot find a difference maker, then pass on making a deal.

       1. Thanks. Nothing is etched in stone as they say. There is just so much BS floating around out there.

30. Well, calling it a night. Going to go in and watch the game. Stay safe guys.

31. There has been a lot of talk and wishful thinking about getting Max Scherzer. I really won’t believe it until it happens. It’s been said that he wants to go to the west coast to play and yet only 3 teams were mentioned. What about the other 3 teams on the west coast?
    Today is his 37th birthday and even though he is a future HOF how many years does he have left. Yes, I know there was a few who pitched into their 40’s but how many of them were successful and threw hard like MS does. Yes, I would be happy if we got him but I would also temper my joy with the expectation of something happening because of his age. Just my opinion.

    1. No thanks….I agree, don’t unload good prospects for a 37 year old.

32. I have posted something like this before…. but again.
    Justin T has been our most valuable player so far this year, but something happens to him when he gets behind in the count. According to MLB.com, he has had two strikes on him 189 times this year and has struck out 102 times on those occasions. You would think there is something he could do to begin putting the ball in play when he gets two strikes on him.
    Oh, now you have to add one more strikeout to that total.

    1. But then, it is hard to strike out with less than 2 strikes;)

       1. Yes, but the count can be 0-2, 1-2, 2-2 or 3-2. The point is they are almost sure strikeouts when they get two strikes on them. The just don’t seem to cut down on their swing to make contact and put the ball in play. Nothing good happens for your team if they strikeout.

    2. This is why I’m still coming up with craziness via the MLB Trade Value simulator.

       I’d love Kris Bryant (even though he’s regressing badly!)

       Ready for some craziness??!?!?!!?!?

       Pirates Get:
       Caleb Ferguson LHRP
       AJ Pollock OF
       Keibert Ruiz C

       Cubs Get
       JT Brubaker SP
       Johnny Nogowski 1B

       Dodgers Get
       K. Bryant 3B
       C. Kimbrel RHRP
       R. Rodriguez RHRP
       Miguel Yajure RHP

       Dodgers don’t even need to clear a new 40 man spot (I don’t think Yajure is there yet!)

       BWA HA HA HA HA

       1. The Cubs okay with that return for Bryant and Kimbrel? The Pirates return is “The Good, The Old and The Injured”. The Dodgers haul is quite impressive. Hell, I’ll even give the Cubs Yajure so it doesn’t sting so much for them. You couldn’t squeeze a SP in the same deal?

          1. Don’t hate me!
             It’s the only way I could get to validation!

33. I also noticed Bellinger has had two strikes on him 93 times and struck out 47. Striking out about 50% of the time in that situation seems awfully high to me. BTW, Lux is 136 and 74. Hitting with two strikes is an art these three don’t have it.

    1. Three true outcomes Campy, three true outcomes.\

       Curse it and the shift

34. Butt ugly uniforms

    “The Mercury News declared they “look like a bottle of Glacier Freeze Gatorade,” a lifelong season ticket-holder at SFGate writes that they’re “unfortunately hideous” and “uninteresting, uninspiring and underwhelming all at once.” The Chronicle rages the new uniforms “violate the sanctity of baseball itself.”

    No gray area there.

    1. They remind me of a 50-50 orange popsicle. Some people call them Creamsicle’s. But we always called them 50-50 bars 50% orange popsicle 50% vanilla in the middle

    2. There’s no words to adequately describe the horror.

       1. Maybe we’d better be quiet until we see what ours look like.
          Palm trees? Waves? Movie reel? Traffic jam?

          1. You’re absolutely correct. Hard to imagine they could do worse though.

35. Luke raley my gosh can they give Mark a uniform?

    1. Luke Raley, there is no words to adequately describe the horror

36. I’m in Vegas.

    Jeff is in charge and DC, 2D2 and a Grizzly Bear are his bodyguards.

    Jeff has my proxy to have anyone committed to the psyche ward.

    1. That would reduce the post count to around 50.

       1. Ha

37. The Pirates/Phillies trade involving Tyler Anderson fell through and Seattle stepped in. Apparently Pittsburgh was concerned about the medicals on one of the prospects, and Philly did not want to make a counter. No word yet as to who Seattle will be trading. Anderson has 103.1 IP with a 4.35 ERA/4.42 Siera and a 1.200 WHIP.

    I am stepping off my high horse when it comes to Seattle. I love the City but I have no positive or negative feelings towards the team at all. I have no idea why I got so exasperated with the Graveman trade. I think I have a ton of empathy for a fan base that has not been in a playoff in 20 years, and they went backwards while the two teams they are chasing improved. I have already declared that I am not much of a Tyler Anderson advocate. But maybe he will thrive in Seattle. I will let their fans rant. I know I would if Anderson was traded to LAD.

38. McKinstry cost them a run. He’s in an awful slump,

39. I’m not sure it’s a slump. I’ve never been overly impressed by McKinstry. Has always seemed to me that he hits the fastball well, but has a problem hitting breaking balls.

    1. Mckinstry is fast becoming my least favorite Dodger

40. The moronic plays and self destruction this year has been amazing. Yes Neuse should have stretched last week but Taylor should have never thrown there.

    McKinstry swinging at ball four at a pitch that was a ball out of his hand.

    Treinen going from 0-2 on Posey to walking two batters. Hey, Cody the out at second was just as good as third. Freaking stupid.

41. This team, as it is currently constructed, does not deserve to be in first place.

42. The magic is missing for the 21 Dodgers!

43. I can’t put any blame on Bellinger. If he makes makes a good throw the runner is likely out. Who’s to say he wouldn’t have thrown the ball away at 2nd base? It was a physical error, not mental. The main culprit in this loss was the Dodgers’ inability to put runs on the board, plain and simple.

    The Dodgers are missing Seager, missing Mookie, and unless he begins to find himself they’re also missing Bellinger’s bat. Name me any team in baseball that could lose that kind of fire power and not be adversely affected?

    1. Routine play at 2nd. Just unnecessary. Muncy doesn’t cut in front of him if he goes to 2nd.

44. I know DR loves his players but not pinch hitting for Bellinger in the 9th inning with a lefty on the mound and AP in the dugout was felony stupid.

45. Poor defense this year plus the inability to avoid SBs has led to roughly 8-10 losses, that number of losses is what I remember, I also remember three more losses by plays that Seager couldn’t make.

46. The so-called depth proclamation of the Dodgers as the deepest roster has been greatly exaggerated.

    Raley, DJ Peters, Neuse, McKinney, McKinstry, Beaty, have all been underwhelming. This roster does have serious flaws and lacks speed, fundamental baseball acumen (often-not always) and cannot seem to create any offense sans a HR.

    Several years ago the Dodgers fired Sue Falsone after a rash of injuries and might need to rethink that same fate with Rampe and Porterfield (I believe that’s the name of the sports science director) because a non-surgical hand fracture should not take 11 weeks to recover from.

    Can’t win it every year and I’m not tossing in the towel on a division crown just yet, but the uninspired malaise has infected this entire team. While I want to give TB the benefit of the doubt here’s a big FU for being a weirdo who’s into kinky sex and whose actions have let a team down. Can’t wait until he gets jettisoned off the roster.

47. Headline: DODGERS MISSING MAGIC- – Monumentally Mediocre in Loss to Giants

48. In games with a very close score, the thread will always be broken by the thinnest and will be exhibited, this year the weakness of the team is the defense, not only the errors, but also the plays that they do not make and that should be made.

49. Another very winnable game pissed away. Oh but not to worry there are (fill in the blank of an ever diminishing number) of games left to play!

    1. Dodgers have 60 games left, Giants have 62. Padres have 59. Dodgers 3 games back, but they are 4 back in the lost column. They are 1-10 in extra innings, and 13-18 in one run games. If they want to win the division, they are going to have to turn that totally around.

50. Blaming Bellinger is pure BS. Not his fault Trienen lost the strike zone and walked the first two hitters. No need for the throw at all if Trienen does his job. They get runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, and then the dreaded contact play is put on, but the only player on this team that scores on that play is Betts. Raley sure as hell wasn’t going to. He was out from me to you. Games like this are hard to watch. Wasted performance by Urias and an anemic offense is what cost them the game. Not Bellinger’s error. Normally steady Turner pops one to short right, rally over. But the worst, the absolute worst was McKinstry’s at bat that inning. He swung at a pitch a snake could not hit. Just an awful at bat. Well, in my book, the next two games are must win games, and AF not only needs a starter and BP help, he needs someone who can drive in runs. And do not look now, but the Giants are talking to the Cubs about Bryant. I do not want to see AF have to do a punch, counter punch type of deadline.

    1. Bellinger botched a big play.
       It’s a team loss, sure, but Bellinger certainly earns his share of the blame.
       But of all the relievers on the championship 2020 team, is anybody having a better season than Jake McGee?

       1. Nope. Yeah Belli gets some blame, but it was not all his fault.

51. US is leading the medal count in Tokyo. Whoopee!

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