I have read over the last several days many proposals for who the Dodgers should target at the deadline. And the season is 11 days old. Sorry, it is ridiculous to think that the Dodgers’ players on the roster right now will be the same 26 players in September and October. There will be injuries and players moved up and down because of a lack of production, but the core group, Betts, Freeman, Muncy, Taylor, Smith, and Barnes, are going nowhere. The supporting cast might change. Outman and Vargas are going to have a longer leash than, say, Heyward. But even Peralta and Thompson have some leeway.
In their two losses to Arizona the opening week, the offense scored two runs, and the pitching allowed four. Ok, that is on the offense. In their three losses last week to the D-Backs, the offense scored seventeen runs, and the pitchers allowed twenty-nine. Obviously, the offense was not the problem. Two players in the first 11 games have won games with their individual performances. Trayce Thompson with his 3 homers and 8 RBI night, and Max Muncy with his 2 homers and 7 RBI night last night.
Betts has been solid, with two homers and an average just below .300. Freeman has been spectacular, hitting well over .400, but he only has 2 RBIs. Smith leads the team with 11. Four players have 9, Muncy, Outman, Thompson, and Martinez. Five players have three homers. So the offense, except for Taylor, Peralta, Barnes, and Vargas, is getting contributions up and down the lineup. Rojas, because of a hand injury, has only played in 5 games. Barnes has yet to get a hit, and Vargas has also been slowed by being hit in the hand.
In the Arizona series, it is more than obvious that the pitching failed the team. Chase Field is a house of horrors for Kershaw. He has lost 12 games to the Diamondbacks in his career. 11 of them have come at Chase Field. Even though he has a winning record at Coors, his ERA there is almost 5. Syndergaard was leaving most of his pitches right over the middle of the plate. He gave up six. But the pen gave up six more in a game where the offense put up eight runs. They led that game 4-0 at one point. Grove gave up 9 of the 11 scored on Sunday. They were never in that game.
But in the minds of many fans, the Dodgers need to get (A.) a regular left fielder instead of using a platoon of Peralta and Taylor, which at this point, they are not doing since Rojas is down and Taylor is playing SS. They want Outman in CF every day. Betts has been playing second a lot because Vargas is not 100%. (B.) They want a full-time SS with a better bat than Rojas or Taylor. (C.) They want a better third baseman than Muncy since he has made some very routine plays look very difficult. And Max has had trouble making contact.
So, when do they swing a deal, and who do they trade for? Big question. Herein lies the rub. Players who might not be available now might be available when the deadline comes on August first, which by the way, is a day earlier than it was last year. One thing I am pretty sure of, no, I do not have inside information, but it just makes sense to me that they are not going to add significant salary at the deadline. This means, Christian, “I am over the Hill,” Yelich, is not going to be a Dodger. Yelich is owed close to 180 million over the next six years. If he was the player he was in 2019 instead of the shell he is now, he might have been worth the investment. Do you think Bellinger was a bust for 18 mil? Yelich is making 26 million per year through 2028. Not even close to being worth that kind of money, and AF is not going to waste that kind of cash on him.
Many would like to see them get Bryan Reynolds. Now, if he does not sign a contract extension, he could be had, but the price will be very high. And do not expect them to trade Oneal Cruz. A. He is injured and out for at least nine weeks, and B, he is their other star material player. Reynolds, by the way, is off to a very hot start.
Willy Adames has been suggested as a SS they might target. News flash, Rojas is signed through next season and has an option for 2025. Now, he might be there to back up Lux when he returns next season, but I question whether they would seriously consider trading for a SS who is making 8 million and is arbitration-eligible next season. Fans may question whether Lux is a SS or not, but I believe management has enough faith in him to let him win or lose the job next year.
We also have to consider what their plans are for next offseason when they have a significant amount of salary coming off of the books. Will they make a run at Ohtani? Will they go all in to re-sign Urias? Do they trust Buehler to be back and be Walker Buehler? Will they give Kersh another one-year deal if he wants it. All of those questions and some more will dictate what they do at the deadline.
Trades are rarely made this time of the year with front-line players involved. Most teams want to see where they are by the end of July. By then, we should have a much better idea of who is going to be selling and who is going to be buying. Last year, the Dodgers were 13-7 in April. After losing 2 of 3 to the Rockies, they ripped off seven straight wins. They won 9 of their next 11 and 12 of their next 14. They then had a six-game winning streak to start May. I think it would be wise to see where they are, come the end of May before making any assessments of what the team might need.
Right now, I think they need a surefire 5th starter. I do not trust Grove all that much. I think Syndergaard just had a very bad game. He is a pro, and he is where he wants to be with the kind of coaching he feels he needs.
Trades will happen. But I would not seriously think they will involve a true impact player like when they got Trea and Max. It will be for pitching or a bench piece that can contribute on a higher level. Do not expect someone like Taylor to be moved. If someone wanted Thompson or Peralta, or even Heyward, maybe that deal would be made. But I seriously doubt any of them will be traded. They just would not bring much except maybe a low-level prospect in return.
Now the next question is which teams are going to be sellers. Well, the usual bottom feeders are the first options. A’s, Royals, Marlins, Pirates, Reds, Tigers, Rockies, Nats, and teams who feel they are out of the race. Then you need to figure out which player on those teams is available. So let us take a peek at those teams and see who might be an upgrade.
Pirates: The most obvious answer is Bryan Reynolds. At last glance, the Pirates were working to secure a contract extension with Reynolds. The Pirates are also off to a great start. They are 7-4 after beating Houston today. If they are hanging around at the deadline, I doubt they will trade anyone. Two other players intrigue me, KeBryan Hayes and Oneal Cruz. But the chances they trade either are pretty slim. Bednar for the bullpen would be a nice addition.
Royals: KC is a mess. Basically, there is no player on this team who would be an upgrade over any of the Dodger position players save maybe Matt Duffy. Duffy is a vet with a lot of experience, a decent bat and a ton of versatility. He could easily replace Chris Taylor, who it seems forgot how to hit. Aroldis Chapman has pitched well so far and would probably not cost much. Scott Barlow is another interesting bullpen arm.
Detroit: Another team that is at this point, a total disaster. Matt Vierling, their right fielder is off to a decent start. He is about the only player on the team who could possibly help the Dodgers. Jason Foley is the only Tigers pitcher with an ERA under 3.
A’s: the A’s are 2-9. They are in last place for a reason. They can’t hit, pitch, or field. Well, they can, but not very well. The only position player I would even consider is outfielder Ramon Laureano. Zack Jackson and Jeurys Familia are the two best bullpen arms.
Marlins: Luis Arraez is a hitter, pure and simple. He is playing second base for the Fish. He is also hitting over .500. Yuli Gurriel and Garret Cooper, both first basemen are the only other players on the team hitting over .250. Jesus Luzardo has been their best starter so far, with Alcantara right behind. It would take a huge package to get any of those guys.
Nats: The player on the Nationals that I would like to see in Dodger blue, is McKenzie Gore. He seems to be finding himself with the Nationals. Carl Edwards, another veteran reliever who is figuring it out and is now their closer. Hunter Harvey, a young reliever who has been nails so far. Victor Robles and Lane Thomas have been their best offensive players so far. Both are outfielders with little pop.
Rockies: The Rockies as usual, are getting some offense up and down the lineup. Kris Bryant has seemingly returned to form. Blackmon as well has seemed to regain his mojo. A couple of younger players, Montero 3B, Trejo 3B, are both well above .300. The Dodgers rarely trade with interdivision rivals. But it has been done. Bryant could help in left field, but his contract is not something the team would take on. Blackmon is in his walk year, but the team has three left-handed hitting outfielders now. I doubt the Rockies would part with either of their young third basemen. A trade with them does not seem to be in the cards.
Contenders who turn into pretenders will probably add some squads to the list. But that big block buster deal bringing a franchise changing player seems to me to not be part of the plan. Of course injuries, or a total lack of production at any one vital position could totally alter the plans of the front office. Sit back and enjoy the ride and the anticipation.
The thing is: THE DODGERS HAVE OPTIONS!
Tampa Bay is proving what I have always said: “Money doesn’t buy championships.”
Tampa Bays Paytroll is under $75 Million. That is near the bottom of all MLB teams.
The Dodgers have close to 30 players who should be ready in 2023-2025. Not all will make it (this we know), but the contracts to Peralta, Heyward, Thompson, Rojas, et al are short and necessary to act as a bridge to the youngest. When you criticize them you brand yourself as a novice!
Fans want to win now, but are too big of Dumbasses to understand how to build a sustainable team through the farm system. Tampa Bay has stayed true to Andrew Friedman’s Plan. The Dodgers have not, and they do not want a down year, so he will be forced to trade some minor-league collateral for a player like Reynolds or Adames (if he becomes available).
We can only hope that CT3 and/or Rojas make that unnecessary!
The offense is not the problem. The Dodgers are #2 in Runs, OB%, OPS, and HR behind the Rays. By the way, the Rays are OPS’ing .945 – that’s sustainable, Right? đ
The problem has been the pitching, and I am not the least bit worried about the pitching!
Mark –
I agree with your assessment of the AF’s strategy moving forward. If fact, you make sense to me on the vast majority of positions you take on LADT.
I second some of the comments yeaterday regarding how we readers/posters on LADT owe you our “thanks” for keeping the site relevant, informative and entertaining. I consider my time on LADOT well spent each day I come to site.
Please keep up the good work! This oldtimer really appreciates it….
With all those low average of our hitters it is surprising we are Nr. 2 in runs and all those other categories.
Problem is only we are so streaky. 10 runs one day , shutout the next.
Need to stabilize the offense a little more and we should be okay. I am not worried about the pitching too.
At least not yet.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How soon can we trade for a third baseman?
I don’t know if you have been paying attention, but we have one and his defense is improving daily.
And so is his hitting….
Great road series W last night!! Onto the Cubbie Bears…..
And CT3 got robbed of a double yesterday…..hopefully he is coming around.
CT3 is not coming around. Think back has he ever come around? To many strike outs.
Yes he has see 2021….he is a good ball player. He’ll get it worked out…
Mark, TIC. First word tongue last word cheek.
Is this the Dali Lama?
O no
Hell, put Pages in LF.
Pages is at AA. That is the highest level he has played at. He is doing well there so far, but he is so not ready for MLB pitching on an everyday basis yet. Oh yeah, Thompson is hitting over ,.300 and has 4 homers.
Which Dodger is ready on an everyday basis against MLB pitching? Seems to me they’re sadly too much every other day ready. But that’ll soon change. Knock on wood.
From a pure position standpoint LF and SS are the obvious positions for an upgrade at the moment.
Since we did not stay under the luxury tax anyway the decision not to go after one of the 4 top ss in free agency is a little puzzle though no one knew that Lux would go down for the season in ST.
But we will find out soon enough if the Dodgers are willing to trade for a big bat come the deadline.
Maybe they become sellers and get a haul for Julio if they think they can not resign him.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Julio will be a Dodger for life….
Thats what we all hope for. But with Boras you never know.
Just an interesting thought should the Dodgers somehow fall out of contention by the deadline or think they have no realistic shot at the title this year. Unlikely, just a thougth.
Julio could bring at least two top blue chip prospects in return.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We got prospects, not going to happen.
There is no way in hell they fall out of contention.
I agree, they will stay in contention. If they trade Urias it will be based on what he and Boras want to do and on whether Miller, Stone, Gonsolin, May eliminate the need to spend on Urias.
Bear, KC does have another player that all teams would want. It would take a boatload to get him.
Money talks. Yankees and Padres!
âMoney doesnât buy championships.â
You keep saying that. Looking at the World Series champions this century I think itâs clear most of them have healthy payrolls. Money doesnât guarantee championships may be true, but trying to win one without money looks quite difficult.
Were the Dodgers trying to stay under the cap? Will they get under the cap by seasonâs end? If not, why didnât they just get Bogaerts and leave Lux at second? In my view the reset question remains unanswered.
SF doesnât look like a contender to me. Their fans apparently donât think so either.
I believe trades will be made. Trying to figure out what those trades will look like has never been possible with Friedman. I expect to stay close until July, but I wonât be surprised if the Dodgers arenât leading the Division at that time. I wonât be surprised if they are either. By then I expect the Padres and Dodgers will separate themselves from the others.
AZ could stick around, but with so many team now getting into the playoffs, teams are less reluctant to trade.
So guys like Stone, Miller, Pepiot, Gonsolin, Pages and even Buehler will be a big boost…..
For every team that tried to “buy a championship” there are multiple teams who failed.
There are different thresholds of being “over the cap.” Right now, the Dodgers are in the lowest penalty area.
I know they say they don’t have to get under it, but it makes sense to do so and re-set it.
I know better than to predict what AF will do, but I do know he is thinking about that. The Dodgers have a lot of prospects who are near-ready. I think it will be fun to watch it play out.
Bogaerts can hit, but can he field? Not a lot of range, but he is sure-handed. I think Friedman thought Lux was better. I didn’t!
Tampa Bay is averaging 7.7 Runs a game and giving up 2.2. That is sustainable! đ
V-Gon with another good outing at OKC. He is ready when needed.
Bryan Hudson (4.26 ERA) got torched.
Busch at .333.
Jahmai Jones is reverting back to his Angels days.
Nick Frasso goes today for the Drillers.
Last night, DeLuca was 2-4 (.353), Pages was 1-2 (.375).
Landon Knack went 4 IP, allowing 4 H and 1 R.
It appears that John Rooney ios being converted into a reliever.
When I say I have question marks I donât mean go out and get a replacement right now. Thatâs stupid we need to find out whatâs going on and it will take another couple months or whatever.
Belliâs return on Friday. Hope he gets a nice ovation. And heâs trending up. .238 after yesterdayâs 2-3. Maybe CT3 should ask for a trade to Chicago
Daily Rant:
Whereâs the 15 sec clock on MLB replays?!
Agree. Hire more Video Crew – Get on it, Manfred!
What does Trayce Thompson need to do to get a little respect around here. Second half OPS of .947 in 22 and this year .1405! I keep hearing itâs unsustainable snd yet these ate the numbers. And he plays a very good outfield.
Just keep on doing it!
Only one of his home runs has been against a LHP. So heâs doing the same thing as last year. But thatâs fine Iâd rather have him than Hayward and Peralta and they do the same thing only hit against RHP. I think either Hayward or Peralta needs to go and in place someone who hits LHP good. Not right now though we need to find out which one is better.
It’s Dave Roberts trying to mix and match lineups. Trayce has been playing against LHP, I don’t think DR realizes that last year Trayce had reverse splits as he hit RHP better than LHP.
I donât think DR realizes that last year Trayce had reverse splits as he hit RHP better than LHP.
Surely you jest.
What you don’t realize is that Trayce ] worked on that over the winter and now feels that he is much better at hitting LHP, but we shall see.
It’s not the amount of money you spend, it’s how wisely you spend the money you have.
Really the only time in recent memory that the top spender in MLB won the WS was the Dodgers in 2020.
A successful organization is more than the sum of it’s high payroll players. There are things such as organizational culture, a good farm system for renewing talent that is inexpensive, a good coaching and developmental system for maximizing talent – building a sustainable system.
Tampa Bay has not had a losing season since 2017. They may not always have the firepower to win the division against the likes of the Yankees or Sox, but they are perhaps the best at developing talent – letting that talent go when the cost is prohibitive – and developing more talent. They are near the bottom in terms of payroll.
They have three very good starting pitchers, and the new guy they just rolled out, Taj Bradley, looks to be another stud.
They locked up Wander Franco for the bulk of his career at an AAV of 16 million, which, right now, looks to be an absolute steal. (CT3 almost gets paid that much).
Anthopoulos has locked up a good portion of the core of the Braves team for the foreseeable future at team friendly deals.
Meanwhile, we’ll watch and wait to see how the all-in experiments in San Diego and New York (and maybe Texas) play out.
Peralta isn’t doing much. He’s 35 and has been declining for the past few years. The Dodgers gambled that having him just focus on the righty masher role he might have a little left in the tank. The Dodgers will give him plenty of time because he’s a vet (more than they did Outman last year), but ultimately Trayce, with his weird reverse spits, I think should get the majority of the reps in left with CT3 focusing on SS.
…”Itâs not the amount of money you spend, itâs how wisely you spend the money you have.” So, size doesn’t matter?
Rojas looks fragile.
So far, he has been. He doesn’t just look fragile… he is!
I suggested CT3 should play SS in the offseason. Maybe Rojas is better suited as a sub.
Now, if CT3 can get his mojo back.
2021: 20 HR – 73 RBI – .254 BA – .344 OB% – .782 OPS
2017 – 21 HR – 72 RBI – .288 BA – .354 OB% – .850 OPS
He has also had good years in 20-18 and 2020. Hopefully, he can get back to something close.
Iâm with you Mark about Taylor being the starting shortstop. I just hope he starts hitting.
On another subject we need to find out whoâs better between Hayward and Peralta because I think we need someone who hits left-handed pitching good.
*The Freddie’s 15 pitch at bat was awesome. What a battle. Just a quiet superstar day in and day out.
Sure nice to see Max finding himself.
* Nice comeback win sparked by Freddieâs AB. Team kept battling after a poor start.
* I watch a lot of baseball. Not just the Dodgers. I have never seen so many pitches in the dirt end up at the backstop. Will Smith included. When are they going to get the catchers off that knee so they can shift out and block pitches? The technique makes catchers lazy and forces backhand picks instead of blocking the ball. I hate it.
* I watched the Brewers – D-Backs game in the afternoon, before the Dodger game. I saw the worst HPU umpire Iâve seen in MLB in Gabe Morales. Heâs been around for 9 years and he just doesnât get better. He had a shotgun spray pattern on balls and strikes, just missing pitches. Heâs horrible in addition to being a cocky prick. Manny Gonzales had a game yesterday with 19 misses on balls and strikes. Everyday I see more reason for ABS. It canât come soon enough for me.
* Nice to see each of the Giants 5 pitchers give up an earned run.
* I wonder if Rogersâ glove was retrieved from the garbage can that should have contained those dreadful City Connect Unis?
* Always nice to win the night before a day off.
Can Manfred and the players union agree to use ABS this year or has that already been ruled out in the current labor agreement? I don’t remember so many really bad calls from previous seasons.
Dropping the knee is the new philosophy at catcher. My son is catching in HS and he tried to explain it to me. I donât get it. Getting an occasional strike from framing a low pitch (which Iâm told is the primary purpose) isnât worth a pass ball or blocking a wild pitch.
Thankfully my sons coaches wonât even entertain letting him catch with a knee down and runners on. But that seems to be the new âglobalâ philosophy now.
Umpire last night was more inconsistent with his strike zone. Makes games very frustrating to watch. Prayers out to Kyle farmer who was hit in the face by a Giolito pitch yesterday and will need surgery.
Yup Bear, Alex Tosi had a tough night behind the dish. He’s usually better than that. He called 12 strikes on actual balls, mostly north and south. I hate to harp on the umpiring but it has not been good.
I was going to mention Kyle Farmer yesterday as he was playing SS regularly for the Twins. He wasn’t hitting much at .226 but was playing okay D. Getting hit in the face is awful. No broken jaw apparently. Surgery, stitches in his mouth. I was also going to mention I had seen Hanser Alberto playing some nice 3rd base for the White Sox. He went 0 for 4 to drop to .222 but was playing.
Wednesday scores
Sugar Land 7, Oklahoma City 3
Tulsa 8, Midland 5
Dayton 7, Great Lakes 3
Visalia 5, Rancho Cucamonga 4
Thursday schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Ronan Kopp) at Dayton (Javi Rivera)
5 p.m.: Tulsa (Nick Frasso) at Midland (Joey Estes)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Robbie Erlin) vs. Sugar Land (Austin Hansen)
6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Maddux Bruns) at Visalia (Wyatt Wendell)
13-0 Rays tie MLB modern era record to start season
Tampa Bayâs historic season-opening winning streak reached 13 games thanks to the Raysâ relentless lineup, which sent 11 batters to the plate during a seven-run rally in the fifth inning. They cruised the rest of the way to a 9-3 victory over Boston before a crowd of 21,175 at Tropicana Field.
We need Bradley to be our GM. He can make trades for players that are not available whenever he wants.
Hmmm the Dodgers need to get an outfielder like when they went a got Freddie from the Braves. So give me an outfielder that will be a free agent next season and go get him like they did getting Freddie. So look at teams like the Twins like the As like the Tigers. Who is a star for those teams and if they could help the Dodgers then go get him. For all those that said not to get Correa last off season but you all wish the Dodgers would have gotten him. For his bat and for his glove. It be better than Taylor Rojas and Lux. Here is a name I was thinking could the Dodgers get Javy Baez from the Tigers. He is not happy in Detroit. And do the Tigers have any good outfielders. They must have starting outfielders right! If you could trade Muncy Taylor Thompson to another team. Would that help the Dodgers or hurt them? Muncy needs to go to a team that needs a first baseman right? Letâs look at teams that could use Muncy at first base and maybe they will have some outfielders or shortstops. Phillies would love to have Muncy at first base. The Pirates could use him at first base. Maybe he goes back to the As. And we get Ramon. The As do have a pretty good shortstop remember him he played in WBC think his name was Diaz. But if you get rid of Muncy you better have a bat that compares to his in a trade. Thatâs the big question mark so bad defense but a good bat. Maybe the Bluejays if there out if it they have outfielders and third baseman Chapman. So there are possible teams to trade with you just have to wait and see which teams are out of it.
Lots of passion there Bradley. Just not very good info. Baez was taken out of the game today for not hustling twice in the same at bat. He stood there and watched his ball hit the wall, then he took off on a fly to center field that was caught. Manager took him down the steps and pulled his ass out of the game. Oh by the way, he is hitting .132. Thompson is hitting .316 with 4 homers and 11 RBI’s. Second in homers and 3rd on the team in RBI’s. Muncy has raised his average to .214 and has 5 homers and 13 RBI’s. Both totals lead the team. Why would the Dodgers even consider trading him? No body is going to trade for Taylor with the salary he makes. Get real. Correa? He is hitting .222. And no true Dodger fan wants that A-Hole on the team. Now they might trade for a SS come deadline time, especially if Taylor continues to suck. But it won’t be Correa and most likely it won’t be Adames. Milwaukee seriously believes they can contend. The Tigers do not have a single outfielder the Dodgers would want. Not one of them is hitting over .250.
As for the Jays, they also consider themselves contenders. Springer is under a long term deal. They just traded for Varsho last winter, and Kiermaier is their premier free agent signing. He is actually hitting quite well. But doubtful they trade any of them. Realistically, none of us will have a real handle on what this team has until they play around 50 games. These players get 100 plus at bats under their belt and then you have some idea of what they might do. If the Dodgers have issues, they will look internally first. You could see Busch, you could see Zimmer, who is hitting close to .300 at OKC. You could see Williams who is hitting well over .300 down there, No need to pull the trigger on a trade when you have options.