In 2016, my son was a Senior at Cardinal-Ritter High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Their football team was picked to finish 5th in their conference before the season started. Stephen played middle linebacker his first three years, but in his Senior year, they switched him to defensive end (because… according to the coach), “they had no one else to play the position.” They started out 1-4, and the season looked bleak. After his first five games, my son had 13 tackles and no sacks – he had no one to teach him how to play D-End, but somewhere between game five and game six, he figured it out and had 14 solo tackles and 6 sacks in Game 6! And… the rest is history. The team “won out” and ended up with a 11-4 record and won the State Championship as he was MVP, All-City, All-Conference, and All-State. Somewhere after game 5, he put it all together and led the team to the promised land. He was the team wild man with his long hair flying all over the field. In the State Championship Game he led the team onto the field while waving the American Flag. They won 33-3!
I vividly remember 1988 and the magic that occurred that year for the Dodgers. Compare this team to the 1988 Dodgers and well, there is no comparison. Yes, they had Orel and a bunch of stuntmen. Kirk Gibson was injured, and all that was left was “want to,” desire, and smoke and mirrors. Tommy Lasorda was not the best tactician, but the players wanted to win for him… and they did!
The Dodgers have lost more days to the IL this year than any other team in MLB, yet here they are… in 2nd place in the NL West, just two games behind the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers have the third-best record in the NL, and yet Dodger fans are bitching and crying like last year and the year before that and the year before that, and blah, blah, blah. In the Andrew Friedman Era, this is something that I have heard every year. It really gets quite old, but many fans are under a delusional compulsion that they have “special” knowledge that somehow makes them uniquely qualified to run the Dodgers better than Andrew Friedman.
Most of this is not very well thought out, and baseball fans are anything but patient. However, patience is something that is sorely needed in baseball. Developing young players is anything but linear, and we also have no idea what players are going through personally. Some fans say that they are just “realists ” and are stating “the facts, and the facts are the Dodgers cannot win this year.” They evidently really believe that, but I call BS. The third-best record in the NL with the most days lost to the IL, some rookies and vets underperforming, and some of you have concluded that the Dodgers have no chance? Why even be a fan?
I try not to call people morons, but you brand yourself one with that kind of moronic thinking. The Dodgers are #2 in the NL in runs scored… just ten runs behind the Leading Atlanta Braves! The Dodger relievers, who were 29th in ERA a week ago, are now #26, and Daniel Hudson is back on the team after getting recalled. The Dodger starters are #17 in Team ERA. This is very uncharacteristic of the starters and the bullpen to be in this position, but help is on the way in the form of Jimmy Nelson in addition to Daniel Hudson. JP Feyereisen is making progress, as are Michael Grove and Ryan Pepiot (who has not pitched yet this year).
This team that “has no chance” has four players in the All-Star Game: Betts, Freeman, Martinez, and likely Smith, and probably a fifth who may be the starting pitcher: Clayton Kershaw!
Starting Pitching
It is my opinion that the Dodgers have plenty of pitching in the system and should stay away from Shane Bieber and his ilk. Bieber is a Certified TJ Candidate. His velocity has dropped over 3 MPH in the past 2-3 years, just like Gonsolin. The Brewers are not likely to drop out of the Central race… in fact, they may be buyers, so Corbin Burnes is a pipedream along with Willy Adames. It ain’t happening! If you want to trade for a starter this season, you are going to pay dearly because so many teams are in the playoff hunt, and rational people know that if you make it to the playoffs, anything is possible. On June 30th last year, the Phillies had a 40-37 record and yet, were an eyelash away from winning the World Series.
Noah Syndergaard will be back, and no one has a clue what to expect, but he certainly was a solid #5 last season. What you saw earlier may not be what you get when he returns. The news is not all good – it is the opinion of some (myself included) that Tony Gonsolin will need Tommy John sooner rather than later! He has made a conscious effort to reduce his speed, but I think TJ is inevitable. Clayton Kershaw has shoulder soreness but received an injection, and the Dodgers are hopeful he will not have to go to the IL. Urias is back today, and Kershaw, Sheehan, and Miller can hopefully hold it together until one more pitcher arrives, whether that be Pepiot, Stone, Grove, Frasso, and/or Syndergaard.
Fans have said, “Trade for Bobby Witt” who is OPS’ing .699, yet some want to send Miguel Vargas back to OKC, and he is OPS’ing .680. You have no vision. Fortunately, the Dodgers do. Some saw James Outman get seven hits in his first 13 ABs and jumped on his bandwagon. It is great to see James coming back after a horrid month. The Dodgers need him in CF. He solves a big lineup problem. Progress is not linear. Give it time and watch and learn!
The Dodgers do need a power RH bat in the outfield – CT3 solves part of that, and Jonny DeLuca COULD be the final piece of the puzzle (but he has not shown that yet). Give it time! David Peralta has become a solid piece, as has Jason Heyward. Andrew Friedman will not make the dope-fiend moves some of you are requesting… nor should he. It would be nice if Austin Barnes could hit his weight, but even with Barnes as the backup catcher, I think this team, constructed as it currently is, will lead the National League in Runs Scored! Write that down! Does anyone want to bet against it? Put your money where your mouth is!
Andrew Friedman is not going to gut the farm. Yes, I know that only a small percentage of prospects actually become good MLB Players, but the Dodgers’ farm system is deep… especially with right-handed pitchers. Friedman may make a move or two, but it will be from a point-of-strength… not a move borne from weakness or irrational fear. A lot has not gone according to plan this year, but here we are: The Dodgers have as good a chance as any team to make it to the World Series. In a month or so, we will find out about Dustin May. I am just guessing, but I put his chances of returning at 50-50… at best! Walker Buehler vows to be ready in September. He is allegedly up to 90 MPH. We shall see!
Yes, I love the Dodgers, and while this team is not perfect, it is pretty damn good, and the potential is there to be much better. There will be some bad news along the way and some good news that maybe was unexpected. That is the nature of the game, but the cream rises to the top. I am hopeful every day, but in the end, I could be disappointed. I was last year! However, I would rather be miserable for a day than be miserable all season! I enjoy the process, and the Dodgers’ prospects of winning are as good as anyone.
Greetings From Alaska
I spent several hours yesterday on Glaciers in Palmer, AK as we took a helicopter tour that was simply incredible. This is my first time to Alaska.
Optimism. Pessimism. Realism.
Why is it that you and some other posters always discredit other users because they do not agree with your assessment of this years Dodgers chances to win it all ?
There have been years the Dodgers certainly had better chances than this season. MOF for the last 7-8 years they were my odds on favorits every year. But not this year. Whats wrong with that ?
IMHO there are about 5-6 teams I see with better shots to win it all than the Dodgers.
Braves (my clear cut favorit). Rangers. Yankees. Astros.Blue Jays. Phillies.
Still I root for my Dodgers every inning of every game.
So for your own sake please stop with calling fans names and belittling them only because they think there are other teams with better shots to win it all this season. There is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. nice pics. Enjoy your trip. Always wanted to go there but this dream probably will never come true for me.
dodgerram: One of the things I take issue with is your inconsistency with what you say. Awhile back you said the Dodgers were a slightly above a .500 team. Yet the day before you said that you predicted they would win 88-92 games, both numbers well above .500.
Within the last 2 days you said there were 10 teams that had a better chance to win the WS. Today it is 5-6 (and you named 6). Inconsistency in what one says leads to a lack of credibility.
Opinions are fine and I for one, respect you having an opinion that differs from mine. However, it would be great if you backed up your opinions with why you feel that way.
For example, you named the Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros, and Phillies as having a better chance to win it all. All these teams have worse records than us at the half way point. All have glaring holes in their rosters. Just tell us why you feel the way you do.
Finally, there is the age old argument about Doc. Please tell me exactly who you would replace him with that is available. Even go further and tell me who you would replace him with period. Once you do that, you will either get agreement or facts that dispute your opinion.
Well, here it is:
At the start of the season I said the Dodgers IMHO were a 88-92 win team.
That for me is well in the range of slightly above average. Give and take a couple games.
After the Giants series they more or less were still right around that mark. If you want to harp on what exactly is slightly above average so be it.
Yes, in one of my posts couple days ago I wrote that 10 other teams would have better shots at winning a title . Again IMHO. Today I come up with 6 specific teams. The 10 might have been exaggerated out of a gut feeling but the basic statement is there are quite a few teams I give better chances than the Dodgers.
Specifically: Braves from top to bottom are the better team . Offense and pitching.
The other teams I simply see as having more talent up and down the roster. On offense and defense. I think our approach on offense is not well suited for the playoffs. Too many guys with low averages, boom or but type of hitters. That does not play well in the postseason when facing top pitching. Karros eluded to that last night when he said the Dodgers have to do better vs the sb because in postseason games that often is the difference in a series.
Bullpen is a huge concern, too many key players who are inconsistent and not playing up to their level of prior years (Almonte, Gonzalez, Vesia, Ferguson).
I also do not like it that we do not have a clear cut closer who comes in and regularly shuts the door.
Injuries certainly play a role too. Dodgers have been hit hard , more than any other team in the league according to days lost.
Should May, Buehler and Treinen be able to come back in time, Julio return to his level of play it wold change my view .
If it would be only the record even the Marlins and Orioles would be right with us . But it is not.
Overall: This 2023 Dodgers team has less talent than in years before and I see teams with better talent on their respective rosters.
If posters think they have as good a chance as any team to win it all I am fine with it but I just do not agree.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh , forgot about Roberts.
After last season I wanted Bochy. Sadly he signed with the Rangers. I am sure if the Dodgers offered him a job he would have chosen us over the Rangers.
Now I say ride it out with Roberts . Lets see how he does without the benefit of the ultra talented and deep rosters of the last years.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK Bochy, a very good Manager. 26 years managing, .499 regular season record. .571 post season record. 4 pennants and 3 WS wins.
Roberts, 8 years managing, .627 regular season record, .556 post season record. 3 pennants and 1 WS win (could be argued 2 WS wins).
In Bochy’s 1st 8 years managing, he had a post season record 0f .412, 1 pennant and no WS wins.
Unfortunately, the facts do not support your opinion. And by the way, 88 wins would be 14 games over .500, hardly slightly above .500.
Beep beep boop boop
I posted some time ago about the underachievers. Based on past performance it was possible some or all could improve. Peralta has improved his BA 80 points. Rojas 40 points. Heyward 50 points. There is still a little room for improvement. There is still a lot of room for improvement with Muncy and Taylor. Losing Lux really hurt. This team can score runs.
Recent pitching makes me optimistic and help is on the way.
Nice pictures Mark. Alaska is awesome.
* Interesting explanation about Will’s triple ruling. You just assume that a fairball destined for a hop into the stands is a ground rule double. Not so in KC. It’s in play off the net. I’ve never seen that before.
* Karros accurately predicted that if we don’t improve defending the running game we will be exploited in Oct. Again, basic single bottom 6, with 2 outs, becomes a run with a stolen base. All 3 KC runs were aided, in some fashion, by a stolen base.
* So I’m thinking during the game, some fans are clamoring for a new shortstop along with a right handed power bat, a bullpen piece, and a starting pitcher. No problem.
As far as SS addition , who and how much? Rojas is hitting .235 and playing good defense which would be appreciated by many fan bases, CT3 plays good D and Mookie can play there more then adequately in all phases. I’m not sure of an urgency at SS.
As for the bullpen piece, Daniel Hudson looked great last night. He and Evan Phillips look like great back-end, high leverage guys to me.
* Tim Neverett, on a ball to Mookie, called a strike. said all the HPU had to do was follow the catchers mitt to see the ball was outside. So the ump isn’t watching the ball? He’s watching the catcher’s mitt? If the HPU watches the glove to determine ball or strike, he shouldn’t be.
* It’s hot as hell here and I got my yardwork done early. I had time to fiddle around with some Dodger stats just for yuks to see if stats back up stuff I’m seeing.
Theory One – Mookie is a lethal ambush hitter but not a typical lead-off hitter:
Mookie is batting .270, raising his average 10 points last night.
Mookie is indeed a good ambush hitter. His BA leading off a game is .314
He’s hitting .313 swinging at the first pitch on an AB
He’s hitting .326 when ahead in the count
As the AB progresses he doesn’t do as well hitting .212 with a full count.
While hitting .324 in the first inning, he drops to .185 in the 8th and .182 in the 9th inning.
Like the league, his average drops drastically behind in the count.
.208 with 2 strikes
So Mookie isn’t a prototypical lead-off hitter you expect to see a lot of pitches. He is better early in counts and early in games. Last night he was great anytime.
Theory Two – Muncy takes too many pitches.
Muncy is batting .189
.152 swinging at the first pitch. It doesn’t happen often, for good reason.
.153 leading off an inning
.157 behind in the count which he often is.
.137 with 2 strikes – frequently after at least one taken strike
His most numerous at bats, by a mile (122) got to 0 & 1, he’s hitting .139 after he’s 0 and 1.
.254 ahead in the count. .259 ahead 2 & 1.
Like Mookie, his average drops like a rock in later innings; .071 in the 8th and .125 in the 9th.
While the entire league hits worse behind in counts, Max is especially shitty. Yet he continually takes strikes and hits behind in counts where every hitter struggles, especially Max.
* Interestingly damn near everybody preaches the importance of strike ONE. Many claiming it’s the “best pitch in baseball”. It might, but in my world, the most important pitch in baseball is 1 and 1. I’m more concerned that the pitcher throws 2 strike out of the first 3 pitches.
The difference in batting average between 2 and 1 and 1 and 2 is 150 points so 1 & 1 is critical. To me, it’s a green light special for a hitter as the pitchers doesn’t want to fall behind. Muncy is hitting .133 on 1 & 1. Mookie .167. Those are wasted opportunities. Muncy notoriously takes that strike so often I’m ready for a brain aneurysm.
Good win. And certainly interested in Urias’ return.
Phil, those stats are so granular on batting average related to pitch coun that I wonder how they compare to MLB average. Hard to get a context. (I bet Arraez is pretty good regardless of the count.)
The Dodgers don’t need to get a righthanded power bat to play SS. They already have Mookie, after all.
I’m intrigued by the theory that Mookie is more of an offensive force when he is in the middle infield. I haven’t seen this quantified lately, but it was true anecdotally early on–and now the sample isn’t so small. I’m not sure of an easy way to compute this–but the stats are out there somewhere.
One of the Dodger bloggers on YouTube suggested that maybe Mookie is just “more engaged” when he’s playing in the infield. It’s the old “change of scenery” fix, sort of.
Or maybe Mookie should play 2B instead of SS–though I think we still want Vargas to work through his struggles. So perhaps Vargas could try 3B a bit? Move into more of UT role? My sense is that Mookie’s a better defender than Vargas, and so a Rojas-Mookie middle infield is pretty strong. Starting Mookie at SS and moving him to RF or 2B later in the game makes a lot of sense to me. (Not that it’s important, but Mookie’s ability to play 3 positions should be recognize by MVP voters. Right now, however, Acuna has the inside track. Both Mookie and Freddie could be top 5.)
As I write this, Mookie just hit a double in the 7th and Freddie, alas, lined out. Score is 5-3, thanks to Julio’s troubled return.
Yes, I think AF will go after a front-line SP soon. Heck, Miller might be the second-best starter now. Giolito makes sense, but maybe AF would prefer a wily veteran like Stroman, who is something of a workhorse by today’s standards. Beiber just had a terrific start and I wouldn’t rule him out. With Chapman off the board, the market for RPs should be heating up soon. (At least Hudson, unlike Julio, had an encouraging return.)
Should the Dodgers get a good righthanded bat? I used to think so but now it seems like a lower priority. Who is out there that might move the needle?
Good article Mark.
Hope you are enjoying Alaska. We were there for 10 days recently and loved it! Although we did not get to experience a glacier helicopter ride, it sure looks awesome.
You make several good points about the Dodgers. Considering the level of injuries, especially to the pitchers, they are in a good position with the 3rd best record in NL. Even with the injuries, they are 10 games ahead of the Mets, Padres, and Cardinals who were projected playoff teams. The Dodgers have lost a whole starting rotation to injury already this year with Urias, May, Gonsolin, Pepiot, Syndergard, and Grove all being hurt. Thankfully, Kershaw has been great, while Miller and Sheehan have been very helpful in solidifying the starting rotation. Miller seems a little immature, and Keith Law spoke about his troubles performing well with runners on base. It seems that every team has the immediate green light to steal on him and he gets rattled. But his stuff is great, and he can learn to hold runners and handle adversity with experience. I would like to see the Dodgers keep a tighter leash on him in the 5th and 6th innings. Almost all of the runs against him have been in those innings. I understand that he needs to learn to work through those situations, but not against divisional opponents like the Giants.
Hudson looked good yesterday and he will be a huge benefit to the bullpen. With Phillips, Hudson, Ferguson, and Graterol, Dodgers have 4 solid backend choices in the bullpen and several other options who can hopefully step up like Almonte, Nelson, Gonzalez, and Brasier.
I could see adding a RH bat like McCutchen, maybe a SS, or a reliever, but for the most part the existing roster is talented enough to win the division. A possible big move would be adding a quality 3B like Chapman who is a FA next year or Arenado and moving Muncy to 2B. This would provide a RH bat with great defense at 3B.
Overall, the Dodgers are on pace to win 92 games and are still favored to win the division, so things could be a lot worse!
Alaska huh? I’m sure you’re using more mosquito repellant there than the rest of your entire life but it has to be more than worth it. Alaska is part of the many dreams that have fallen into the blackhole where dreams die for me. So enjoy and stay safe.
Mark –
Agree that the Dodger’s shot at a World Series title are as good an any team in baseball.
Agree that some opinions on LADT are “not well thought out.” But, it is a public forum and people often do not know what they are talking about in public forums. I saw this on a regular basis as a Mayor 30+ years ago. Personally, I prefer the old adage….”it is better to keep one’s mouth shut and appear to be stupid – than to speak up and remove all doubt!”
I am actually enjoying Dodger baseball more this year than last year watching the young talent show what they can do and see how they adjust to the challenges of MLB.
Keep up the good work on LADT!
I started paying attention to the Royals pitching in 2018 when they had 4 first round selections. They chose to use all 4 picks on college pitchers. Obviously, all highly regarded from quality college programs. The hope was polished, experienced pitchers to quickly make a solid starting rotation.
Brady Singer was a dude at Florida. He was projected as a possible #1 pick after his junior year. But sign-ability questions got in the way and he fell to the 18th pick overall, which was considered a steal. He debuted in 2020 as a starter and has since gone 23 and 27 with a 4.37 era.
Jackson Kowar, also from Florida, went in the 1st round too, at 33. He made his debut in 2021 as a starter and was moved to the bullpen after going 0 and 6 in 8 starts that year. In 3 years his ERA is 9.83.
Daniel Lynch was one pick later, at #34 in the 2018 draft out of Virginia. He remains a starter for the Royals who we will see tonight. He had his debut in 2021 and is 9 and 22 with a 5.11 ERA in 3 season.
Kris Bubic was the Royals 4th, first round pick at #40, out of Stanford. He is currently on the 60 day IL. He had his debut in 2020 and is 10 & 28 with a career 4.85 ERA.
I know it’s early in their careers and progress isn’t linear, I’m told. There’s still time.
But so far all 4 experience college stud pitchers, all drafted in the 1st round, have been underwhelming. You really can’t miss on a 1st round pick. It appears the Royals missed 4 times in the same draft.
Their pitchers have losing records because the don’t win much but you have to wonder about their player research and development when 4 college studs have failed to produce as expected.
Great post, Phil. I enjoy this site very much. The only thing I do not like is the lack of respect if one happens to have a different take on another person’s viewpoint. We all love the game and many of us, myself included, have followed and/or played the game for many years I have been following the game since 1953. I have had many loud discussions with many of my friends for MANY years dealing with the Dodgers and baseball in general. And, we are still friends after c!ose to 70 years! We have respect for one another’s viewpoints. I’ll get off my soapbox now! One more thing that I have a problem with and it needs to stop: Spectrum Sports Net keeps running this clip that shows Kirk Gibson’s memorable HR in the 1988 series, then it goes to Vin Scully calling the Harvey Kuenn strikeout to seal Sandy’s perfect game in 1965. The film clip they use during Vinny’s call is the final out of the seventh game of the 1965 World Series, NOT the perfect game. Sounds trite, however, let’s get it right, Dodgers. Happy July 4th. To my brother and sister veterans, welcome home.
There was no video shot that night, just still photos. SO they use the video from the series. Back then not everything was taped as you well know. A September game against the woeful Cubs. Hardly the stuff one would be glued to the TV for. By the way Mark, you missed Martinez on the All-Star roster. Smith should be # 4 with Kersh and possibly Phillips joining them.
Thank you Mickey. You will never see me disrespect any posters here. I may take a satirical shot now and then. It’s just my nature. Personally, I never take personal shots or resort to name calling. I too learn a lot here from many different folks. I do disagree with stuff at times but I will state my opinion, hopefully with facts to support my points, and move on. I try to present my opinions based from a players standpoint and from a manager’s point of view. I try to explain fundamentals and nuances of the game as I see them. I’m not a GM and don’t get too involved in personnel issues and trades.
I don’t get into pissing contests and try to respect the thoughts and opinions of others. I think other long time posters here would agree. Please keep posting your thoughts.
By the way MickeyD, I always enjoy your fries.
LOL!! BTW, Karros is spot on. The Royals are running wild tonight. Dodgers have allowed 104 SB’s , the most in MLB. 104, same as Maury in 1962. Pitchers have to take most of the blame; however, two throws to first rule hurts.
Hi Phil, on the contrary all your posts are excellent, please keep writing here, many of us admire you.
Thanks Jose. I appreciate your comment.
Mark. amazing photos. Always wanted to go to Alaska and do some fishing. Alas, just like Hawaii, never been in my budget. I am sometime this year or next, going to go to Kansas City to see the Negro League Museum. Since I will obviously not get the chance to go to Cooperstown, this is the next best option. At exactly the half-way point in the season, the Dodgers are two games back. Not a bad place to be. They are scoring a lot of runs, but they need to shore up the defense some. And as for holding runners on base, they are the worst in the league. Arizona looks to be for real. But they still might slip a bit. Their strength is in their young pitching staff. Some of their younger players are doing very well too. Carroll was injured the other day and is day to day with a shoulder problem. How much it affects him remains to be seen. They called up Lewis yesterday. He was the Mariners prospect that they finally gave up on. As for the Dodgers, some of the help is going to come from within, like Mark stated. But I do think a couple of minor trades will be made at the deadline. They have plenty of prospect capital and AF will deal for what he thinks the team needs at the deadline. I don’t think they need a SS. Mookie and Rojas are doing fine there. The only thing Adames leads Rojas in is HR’s and RBI”s. His BA is now .199. More Muncy like than anything else.
Remember all of the guys pulling for the Dodgers to re-sign Tyler Anderson? He is 4-2 with a 5.53 ERA. His K ratio is less than 2-1. Heaney is doing a little better in Texas, 5-5 4.38 with a K ratio over 2-1. And many have called for them to re-acquire Kike. Kike is hitting .229 with 6 homers. He has played most of his games, 53, as the Red Sox SS, He has 14 errors. Rojas has 4. Adames 7. Kike, since his first season in Boston when he hit .250 with 20 long balls has been more mediocre than good. I ‘ll stick with Rojas and Betts.
I say the dodgers go after Arenado from the Cardinals and Flarethy get two player this year then sign them long term it might cost you Muncy or Taylor and pitching but look at what the dodgers could have for the next four years in Betts Smith Freeman Arenado oh yeah would do that and aig free agent outfielder and a backup catcher in off season an dodgers will be right in the hunt next year. I like Muncy but it might be time to trade him to get a good player and some pitching for the playoffs but we still need a second baseman that can hit because Vargas is terrible hitting. Maybe go after Shoop from the tigers he is a second baseman and has 22 homers this year for the Tigers that would be an upgrade at second and third base at deadline.
A. Arenado is already under a long-term contract, and I think has a full no-trade clause. Although he would probably waive it to come home. He is signed through 2027. He actually has fewer homers, 16 than Muncy. But his defense is far superior. What you might find puzzling is that they both have the same number of errors, 7. As for Flaherty, he is 4-5 with an ERA just under 5. His K ratio is not very good. Not even 2-1. Now comes the part where you have to understand that A. Who and how much do you give up for those two guys, and B., are you comfortable taking on Arenado’s almost 100 million remaining salary. Why trade for Flaherty when he is a free agent after the season? Vargas is a rookie. They have placed a lot of faith in his ability to develop as a hitter. They are not going to shoot what ever confidence the kid has in his own abilities by trading for a guy like Shoop, who by the way has zero homers and 4 RBI’s not 22 homers. No one on the Tigers has more than 11. I think you got your antenna crossed. And excuse me, but pray tell me why the Cardinals would want either Taylor or Muncy???? Taylor is barely hitting over .200, has a sore knee and 2 years left at 15 mil a year. Muncy is under the Mendoza line for the second year in a row, and can’t even hit his weight. His OBP is ok because he walks a lot. It would take a huge prospect package to just get Arenado.
Bradley,
Shoop has 4 HR this year on planet earth. Are you referring to another planet?
To get Aernado it would take Busch, Vargas, and a couple of more top prospects. Not happening on this planet… maybe the one you are visiting.
No Shoop has no homers and 4 runs batted in. Ya read the wrong column there Mark. Plus he is only hitting .200. Shoop did hit 22 bombs. In 2021.
Do it then Busch an vargas for Arenado and keep Muncy and he plays second base. Schoop I don’t watch to many tigers games I saw a blurb that said he had 22 homers this year so teams might look to trade for home since he signed a one year contact with the tigers just trying to get better at second base and oh yeah Arenado would waive trade clause to come back home I even saw that cardinals are shopping Goldsmith guess who rumors are to get him Giants or Padres Astros. So the Cardinals are selling why not give them pepiot Busch and Vargas. Would make are offense way better.
Bradley, there still is the question of whether they want to pick up that 100 million in money still on his contract. Muncy is not the same player. He has 18 homers and some ribbies, but not much else. You see rumors, nothing else. It would take more than just two players to get Arenado. Sorry . And it would not be just Busch and Vargas. They would want some young arms. Rumors are not facts.
Brad, can you imagine if someone made you recommendations that are based on hearsay?
Better follow the intelligent recommendation of Tom 1946 “it is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to speak and clear up all doubt”, said this with great respect and without the intention of offending.
22 HR ???
He has 0 HR this year
I said that in my rebuttal of his trade idea.
Just was going off stats bear that they posted he has 22 homers and could be traded at deadline and that’s what was on bleacher report and why I said it of Schoop.
You want stats, go to baseball reference. That is where the stats are. His 22 homers came in 21. It is right there for all to see. He has none this year and is hitting .200. Shoop is shit.
In reality there no longer is two leagues. The race for the pennant is watered down and has less meaning as does the World Series. Being the best team doesn’t get you the championship, one third of it is talent, one third is luck and the other third is timing. MLB has evened the playing field to give all teams a shot at a ring. The team hurt most by this design is the Yanks so the design isn’t completely flawed. But taking it to a point of wild cards allows losers to win it all. In 2021 season Dodgers were the wildcard. Even though Dodgers had the 2nd best record in baseball I don’t feel we had the right to be there as the Giants had already eliminated us and then we eliminated them. So the two best teams in baseball didn’t do so swell in 2021. Thusly for me it’s now all a ‘race for the division’. The regular season has to mean something. But then again maybe it doesn’t. Okay, I’ll be quiet now.
Pretty much nailed that on the head there Quas. But baseball had to find a way to keep the also rans interested. Now there are at least 4 teams with no shot. The A’s, Royals, Rockies and DC, those fading fast are the Cardinals, Mets, Padres, Cubs, White Sox, and Detroit. Even last year, the best team in the league lost. Houston was a superior team to the Phillies, but the Phils put a scare in them. Wild card teams have a chance and several have won titles since it all began. What has not happened yet is that a team with a losing record winning the world series. But, it is conceivable that could happen in the future. Cleveland, Boston and Seattle, all with losing records are still within striking distance of the wild card. But you still have to win to have the chance to play in the playoffs. Having more teams involved keeps interest high, Back when, only two teams could make it. So in city’s where their team was eliminated early, no need to keep going to the ball park. Attendance suffered.
Max Muncy has always been a favorite of mine. He can hit some bombs and he plays hard. But let’s face it, since he was injured in the last game of the 21 season, he has not been the same player. He has played 200 games since then. His BA is an accumulative .192, His OPS over that time, .745. His OPS + 103. His defense at third has been somewhat shaky. He will make a great play and then boot an easy one. But amazingly he has the same number of errors right now as Arenado. But at this point in time, Max needs to turn his season around. He is on a pace to strike out 144 times. About the same as last year. The most he had for his career, 149, he walked 90 times so his OPS was .889. He is simply not the same guy at this point in time. He takes too many pitches. He is swinging at pitches he used to let go by. He has not really hit a lot of balls hard. It might be time to cut ties with the popular Max.
Agree. Time to move on from Max next year.
If you notice to max has been out and we’ll the dodgers are winning without him so why not use him as trade bait. Heard rumor to Sherzer to the Rangers will waive his no trade clause so why not Arenado waive his and come home. Look at the lineup if you add him and the pitches he would get compared to the Cardinals lineup give me a break Muncy and Arenado be the same Arenado is a clubhouse leader ever see him take batting practice he hits them out of dodgers stadium . He is a ball player.
You are dreaming and sorrily pissing in the wind. Max’s trade value is way down. Arenado is not going to be traded for the kinds of packages you are suggesting. If he were to come to LA, Muncy would not even be in the deal. You would need at least 4 prospects to get the Cardinals even interested. And at least two of them would have to be top prospects, and at least one would be a top pitching prospect. Do you know what Arenado’s career BA is at Dodger Stadium? .238. Batting practice is exactly that. BP> Not a game situation. Would he improve the Dodger offense? Yes. He is a ballplayer. And a good one. But he would not come as cheaply as you choose to think. By the way, the Dodgers record in June was 12-12. That is marking time, not winning. Scherzer is making 40 mil plus. If Texas is dumb enough to trade for him, more power to them. He ain’t coming back to LA. And don’t believe all the rumors.
I wasn’t saying to get a Scherzer I was saying teams that want to win make deals and get players they just don’t keep what they have so I guess the Rangers are better then Dodgers since they just got Chapman for two minor leagues to be there closer what did I say about guys that you need for the playoffs why not Grienke with the dodgers lineup his record would be better then with the royals lineup and give you a fifth starter veteran down the stretch or bullpen help in the playoffs plus he likes pitching out west you don’t think he would have a grudge to prove against the Diamondbacks I think so would rather like that then two rookies in a playoff stretch better watch out or Giants will get him an dthen watch giants and d-backs will be in playoffs and dodgers well they will finish third and wonder why didn’t we get Grienke you know Farhan of the Giants loves to get exdodgers.
Excuse me Bradley, but just because they get an over the hill relief pitcher who hasn’t even thrown 30 innings yet, does not mean they are better than the Dodgers. They did not get him to be their closer, their closer is Will Smith, who has 15 saves already. Chapman has 2. You believe the Dodgers do not want to win, and you could not be further from the truth. Of course they want to win. But in order for trades to happen, both teams have to want what the other has to offer. Your problem in proposing these trades is at this point in time with about a month left before the deadline, no one knows who is and who is not going to be available. Rumors are not facts. No team has posted a list of who they are willing to get rid of. All of that is coming from baseball writers who cover either the teams or baseball in general. Not one of those rumors is fact. And excuse me, at this point no one wants Greinke. His stats are dismal. He absolutely sucks. He might be a little better as a Dodger, but he is no where near the pitcher he was. He gives up way too many homers. Quit dreaming, get some facts to back up your picks and then you might gain some credibility. Right now you are just looking nuts,
Bear – I agree with your comments regarding parting ways with Muncy by 2024. He is not the same guy as he was due to injury or aging or whatever. He’s increasingly frustrated and it shows. I think he and Arenado having the same number of errors is due to the fact that Nolan gets to about twice as many balls giving more opportunity for errors. Max is pretty stationary laterally, comparatively and can never get to slow rollers like a more athletic infielder. Max is adequate there if he hits. And he’s not.
I’m not a fan of 3 outcome guys. And his saving stat is OPS, which I think favors power over guys who can hit for average.
More on that tomorrow.
I’d sure like to see a couple of our veterans under the Uecker line got going or get gone.
Watch and learn!
Max just came in as pinch-hitter and singled. He advanced on a single by Peralta and scored on a single by Outman.
So hooray for Max!
Yeah, Max is frustrating and it does look like he added 10 pounds around the middle. He was slumping before he became hurt–but he was absolutely crushing early in the season, carrying the offense along with Outman. That’s why he has 18 HRs and an OPS of .783, which is really pretty good but overshadowed by his all-star teammates. Still, he’s on pace for yet another 35 HR season, assuming he gets his mojo back.
And why wouldn’t he? He was struggling much worse last season–but after the all-star break he hit to a .791 OPS with 12 HRs. Sort of meh, you say? His OPS down the stretch was better than both Will Smith and Trea Turner.
So instead of thinking Max is washed up, why not accept the notion that he is streaky? The Dodgers put their faith in him last season and it paid off.
Should the Dodgers “move on” from Max? Well, maybe. Matt Chapman will be a free agent. Max could probably get a pretty decent return in a trade.
Agree!
7:15 PM ET
Dodgers (46-35)
Royals (23-59)
SP Julio Urias L
5-4 4.39 ERA
SP Daniel Lynch L
1-3 3.96 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
DH J. Martinez R
2B M. Vargas R
SS Miguel Rojas R
LF Jonny DeLuca RHo
CF James Outman L
3B Y. Hernandez S
Rain
54% Rain
81° Wind 11 mph L-R
Max sits as he well should.
Maybe he and his 30% bodyfat are tired after playing yesterday.
Perhaps he can have a healthy Huel meal replacement shake instead of tacos and pizza today.
Max needs regular trips to the salad bar and shed much needed weight to help enhance his performance at bat and at third base. I guess about 20 pounds.
Friday scores
Oklahoma City 11, Sugar Land 2
Tulsa 7, Amarillo 6
Great Lakes 4, Lansing 3
Lansing7, Great Lakes 5
Rancho Cucamonga 8, Visalia 6
Saturday schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Hyun-il Choi) vs. Lansing (Jacob Watters)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Landon Knack) at Sugar Land (Brandon Bielak)
5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Braydon Fisher) at Amarillo (Jamison Hill)
6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Payton Martin) vs. Visalia (Jose Cabrera)
Team Dodger Bautista won again today in the DSL and are now 20-0
So, let’s review our starting pitchers pool while we have a chance….
1. Clayton…just had an injection, feeling sore, up in age, and a history of missing time. Doesn’t look promising….we re only half way into the season.
2. Gonsolin….this is not the TG we all came to know and love. If this guy makes it to the playoffs, don’t expect much.
3. Urias….this one is the most confusing because I don’t know where he is at this season. Has been inconsistent, and injured. 5-4 with a 4.39 ERA says it all. As of this minute, why would I feel good about him in the playoffs?
4. Thor….what reason do I have to be optimistic? I like him better when in street clothes. Why would he come back and be any different?
5. The Kids: Sheehan and Miller…..jury is still out. Sheehan looks to be stronger mentally, while Miller looks stronger physically. Not sure how they hold up under playoff pressure. Hopeful, but Unknown.
6. The Other Kids: Grove, Stone….I don’t see how these two should be a starter…maybe out of the bullpen for one inning is better.
7. Other? May, Pepiot, other?…..no comment because I don’t know what is going on to comment on. I don’t expect May to be back and have no idea about Pepiot.
Bottom line: pitching wins short series….based on this analysis, I don’t see us having much of a chance to win in the playoffs (especially beat the Braves or Phillies, not sure about Dbacks) UNLESS miraculously Kershaw, Gonsolin, Urias, and Pepiot are 100% healthy and ready to go.
The Dodgers have the trade collateral to get Aernado, but it would hurt:
The Cards would have to take Muncy in the deal.
Beyond that, it would take at least 5 of the TOP 15 Prospects. Who that might be, depends upon who the Cards value.
My guess is Cartaya, Busch or Vargas, Miller, Pepiot, and Rushing.
That’s a lot!
I’d be willing to bet if StL listened to offers for Arrenado, they would not get 5 of the top 15 prospects from anybody, unless they paid the entirety of Arrenado’s contract.
I agree with Bradley (not about Jonathan Schoop, who was a great fantasy player for me back in 2017) but about getting Arrenado. The longer the Cards suck, the better chance we have of having the opportunity of getting an impact 3b.
Of course, that would make the middle of our lineup righty Smith, righty JD, and righty Arrenado. But whatever.
I disagree Bobby simply because of his contract. St. Louis would have to eat a huge chunk for the Dodgers to even consider it.
If Cardinals trade Goldschmidt aren’t they going to need a first baseman and well Muncy plays first right so they get Busch Vargas pepiot and say grove and cataya and dodgers get Arenodo and a starting pitcher from them because there some and selling player and Muncy then can play first base because well dodgers have an every day first baseman Freeman. That’s if Cardinals trade Goldschmidt and one rumor is Padres or Giants. Who is cardinals best outfieldeer and say Arenado we would take that and then trade the players I mentioned seems like a fair deal Arenado comes home defense gets better and offense and cardinals rebuild a new infield with muncy Vargas DeLong and Busch. Winner winner chicken dinner.
Muncy has no value to the Cardinals. They might give a bag of balls for the guy. And Arenado is not even on the market, so quit dreaming. And it is DeJong, not DeLong. They already have a second baseman in Edman, they have Brian Gorman, who they like a lot, and both of whom are outhitting Vargas, Busch and Muncy. And they have Brendan Donovan. You are throwing crap on a wall and hoping it sticks.
One thing about Max is time is on his side or at least my memory has that feeling. Many times Max was the hero in come from behind games. Being clutch at a certain moment has a lasting effect and only needs to be refreshed periodically or so for me. Maybe I hold on to my heroes longer than deserved sometimes yields great rewards. I’ve stood up for CK when many posters here showed their true fickle selves and I’m certain Kenley would of come in handy in 22. I want to be the fan that a player takes note of…….”when Quasi Speaks………..listens”. I’m a rumor in my own time.
As a fan are you in the battle with the team? In 88 the fans were when Gibson made the sweetest walk off in history. Play it again and just listen to the fans. They were in the battle too. They were a factor. Yeah play it again and thank you Mark for rehaving it there. Oh, and shed a tear for Vin. I can’t not.
Just curious Quas, did you read my earlier post today about Max and his hitting stats? Clutch?
He’s had those moments and as I stated maybe I hold them longer than deserved. But yes, Max had come through many times. He’s made a mark.
Quas – Is that a yes or a no?
it is a yes. I usually read all posts.
And I’d like to add that your posts I look at as very meaningful that you know what you’re talking about.
Maybe doc should bat Muncy 2nd. He’s going to keep him near the top of the lineup anyway. Mookie s probably going to lead off with a bomb, so muncy does draw a lot of walk’s which puts someone on base in front of Freddie. Just a thought. Would love arenado, just not giving Miller up in the deal
Mark Timmons “everyone who disagrees with me is a moron”, etc. etc. etc. Rinse and repeat.
The weather looks sucky.
They are in a rain delay, so yep, it is bad.
As bad as Muncy has been he’s exactly the kind of guy who can get hot in October and carry a team. A lot of role players have carried the day in October. Though must admit I thought Max was gonna have o monster year this year. Been tough to watch.
To the contributors; thank you for the many excellent observations and insights today. Phil Jones; you’re fantastic. Bear; your respect and humanism is deeply appreciated. Many other brilliant baseball minds write here. Great reading!! Curiously, all brought on by Mark’s insulting article “Your Reality Sucks.” Nice title. Punches us in face.
Mark: Why do you continue to treat your readers and participants as fools and call us names? I realize that you imagine yourself as an Ann Colter or Tucker Carlson style authoritarian and provocateur but your pompous invectives seem out of place…almost Trumpian. A great pen name for you might be Tucker Timmons.
However, the pictures of Alaska are wonderful. Soothing. Quiet and serene. It has me thinking that you might be less of a “carry a big stick” bully by using a visual medium and setting down the quill. Or in your case, setting down you’re mace.
You speak of “reality,” using the ‘88 championship as an example. Yet we all remember Bob Costas incredulity that that line up was even in a World Series. “Weakest ever” statement comes to mind? That year was a miracle; an anomaly; an outlier. And as Dodger fans we’ve had that miracle. Do you really expect another? Sure you do. I do too.
As I’ve mentioned before, your articles tend to be same each week, almost as if you’re writing from Dodger Talking Points. You take FriedmanSpeak, (half-truths), RobertsSpeak (deception and avoidance), a mysterious insider’s throw away thoughts and add the word imbecile two or three times and create TimmonsSpeak. You’ve probably written that article more than the Stones have played “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” in sixty years of concerts. Get fresh.
More of getting fresh. Cliches. You are the master of cliches and you don’t seem to be able to express yourself without them. Goofy ones, too. Like today when you say: ”Write that down!” or “Put your money where your mouth is.” Junior High dares. Feeble, embarrassing…we’re all Dodger lovers and you come off acting like a Good Fella toughie. Yes. I expect more from your writing than threats and rants and capital letters. Also statistics, while useful at times, are mathematical cliches. Or crutches. You can be heavy on them at times.
Your optimism . Some might consider it childish. Others might feel it fits the Fake News moniker. My barber said you remind him of a Dodger version of Baghdad Bill. Personally I think Baghdad Bill was more humorous than yourself, and…more lyrical. Of course his “Reality” really did “Suck.” As the creator of LADT I was hoping you’d be a little more neutral, mature, sophisticated and objective; your expansive baseball knowledge should serve for more than cheerleading and spreading indoctrinating nostalgia. Interesting dichotomy; you love the Dodgers (especially the authority figures) but seem to hate Dodger fans (the plebeians?). There’s a hierarchy at work here. Perhaps that’s what you’re paid to do.
My favorite Timmons insight. Bob Melvin will be the first manager to be fired. I know it probably came from your “insider” but you said it early. Good show. Your theories about Ferguson requesting the closer’s role (and Doc buying in) and Prior’s patterns of sequencing were interesting but lacked enough details to be be anything more gossip. But thought provoking all the same.
Last thought. Somehow you’ve put together the most interesting Dodger site in spite of yourself. Should I say….good job?
This blog reminds me of the Star Trek Original Series Episode, “The Apple”. Timmons is Vaal and the posters here are the feeders of Vaal..
If you can do better then start up your own site. And do it day after day. It’s easy to be a complainer.
Feeder of Vaal..
Cassidy –
Great retort to a newby complainer…..”Tell it like it is”……Howard Cosell would be proud!
Have you ever heard the acronym, TDS? You know what it stands for?
How is it that a former President with bad hair can live so easily rent free in your head that you immediately make a connection between him and a salty baseball blog article?
Here’s maybe a lower cost trade for a reliever …. what about Scott Barlow? He’s a FA in 25, already 30, the Royals are in rebuild mode, they have a lousy farm. He’s peripherals are better than his ERA. Throws really hard. High K rate.
Give them Sheehan.
Not a chance in hell. They had Barlow and never brought him up.
Oh, and BTW, it was Baghdad Bob, not Bill.
https://youtu.be/ll0FaAusBWQ
Barlow was drafted by the Dodgers … so? Does that disqualify him from consideration in a trade if he’s now an established major leaguer?
I’ve bever met a barber that didn’t think he wasn’t an insider. Talk about a gossip forum = barbershop
I could see going for Arenado, if our pitching was in order.
1. Julio was solid like in the past
2. May was healthy and pitching strong
3. Pepiot wasn’t hurt and was pitching like a four or five
4. Syndergaard….. see 3 above
5. Bullpen was pitching more like last year
Seems to me we’re scoring a lot of runs. Pitching seems to be our need, but I don’t see a lot of answers at the trade deadline.
Exactly and Mark is not far off on what it would take to land Arenado. I believe they would want two stud minor league pitchers as any part of the deal since Flaherty is a free agent after the season.
It’s like a festival of poor opinions and wild conjecture today.
Mark, are you (can you?) going Salmon fishing?
Yes awesome.
This a very weird start.
This looks like it may be a 3.5 hour long game with 10 pitchers used
sorry but two bad plays by Smith on defense
Sorry, I don’t agree Daniel. Outman should’ve called off Vargas on the first play. Witt is very fast and it was bang bang
And I have to agree with Karros that Perez made a great slide on the second one
Can’t blame Smith for the Posey rule. In the old day Smith would have been able to block the plate on both plays. Also the way New York has overturned clean outs at the plate the catcher can’t get anywhere near the baseline or the plate.
I am not giving up on this game.
And perhaps the site could just be changed into a discussion site. No repetitive articles. Just open it up for posters.
Welcome back Julio!
Julio looks like he didn’t miss the chowline in the last six weeks. ( 2nds ? )
The pitch clocks got to be a burden on him with that extra weight
At 66 pitches thru 3, ..and Julio looks done.
Stolen bases allowed is a big problem. it seems that the team has done nothing to stop it
It will be an October killer
It seems that they heard us
Hahaha
3-2 this week against 2 of the 3 worst teams in mlb. Not good.
Beautiful pics! I went on a cruise with my family years ago to Alaska. I didn’t do the helicopter ride to the glacier, but we did get close enough to one to see it … I think the term is “calving.” Incredible! It sounds like a thunderclap when a big ice cube breaks off. You can feel the cold all that ice gives off, even a couple of miles away.
I have a feeling a team is going to get Urias under market after this season. He’s not doing a whole lot to showcase his talents in his contract year, is he?
Nope in fact he looked pretty bad. But he has been bad his last several starts.
Hoping to get a boost from Julio. Alas s he looks like he did before he went on the DL
KC was awful lucky, but Julio didn’t look impressive at all.
One good takeaway , the bullpen was pretty solid
Bottom line, you cannot lose games like this. Julio did them no favors, but in his defense, only one ball was hit hard. But walking two and hitting a batter is not good. This is not vintage Julio. That guy is not here. Bullpen did a decent job, but giving up that sixth run was a killer. Pitchers suck at holding runners. I read on an earlier post something about Will Smith not being good on those tags at home. Give some credit to both runners. They had little chance getting Witt. But Perez made a textbook slide, going to the outside to avoid the tag. Offense had chances and did not get the job done. Freddie got one hit tonight. He left some men on base.
I am a Dodger Die hard. I like Roberts, yeah he’s made mistakes but who hasn’t? he’s better than many other managers just look at his record. Of course, there were many things he’s done that I’ve questioned and there were many where I said to myself, oh ok, I get it. Last year just about everyone blamed Roberts, hey! he’s not the one that got millions to hit a ball. The players screwed up, they didn’t do their job. Now many of the original players are gone, time to let some new blood take over. It’s a new beginning, let’s see what they can do.
Hit, SB, SB, GO or SF= RS
Just another note in defense of Max.
Although he is batting only .193, his on-base percentage is .325. So he gets on-base in nearly 1/3 of his plate appearances. This is lower than in previous years, but he is still seeing a lot of pitches and consistently picking up his walks.
That OBP may not seem high, but it is actually 5th best on the Dodgers, behind Freddie, Will, Mookie and Heyward. He gets on base more consistently than JDM, Peralta, Taylor, Outman or any other Dodger.
What can you do?
After that silly first inning full of weak contact hits, the team played pretty well.
Urias will need some time, but that first inning was almost one you laugh, shrug and move on from.
AI finally comes through in a field of import (joke), but this is a great read ($$$$)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/people-hire-phone-bots-to-torture-telemarketers-2dbb8457?mod=hp_featst_pos3
Dodgers now three back as D-Backs beat the Angels again. Infielder Jamai Jones opted out of his minor league deal with the Dodgers. Jones was hitting .292 at OKC but the Dodgers opted to go with Hernandez and Busch when they needed an infielder rather than open a roster spot for Jones. He should have no trouble finding a new home. He is 25 years old.
Well, another crappy team wiped our butts last night. And some of you guys honestly think we have a chance against the elite teams in baseball like Atlanta and I’m even putting Philadelphia in this sentence? Phillies starting pitching has greatly improved and their bullpen has been lights out led by our former closer, Craig Kimbrel.
I hate to bang this drum over and over, but PITCHING, PITCHING, PITCHING wins in September and October. Do you really think we have enough- both starting and bullpen? And I don’t believe we are done with the injuries yet.
I said it before the season: Dodgers will go as far as the pitching can take them. So far both the bullpen (due to too many underperforming players) and the starting rotation (due to too many injuries) have vastly underperformed.
Offense is producing runs in the regular season but the reliance on the 3 run HR again makes our offense vulnerable against the elite pitching in the playoffs. We have seen this in past seasons over and over again.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You and I are of one voice on this.
Of course, there is plenty of time to see change so i have my popcorn in hand and am watching to see how things pan out. Too bad some of these young guys weren’t doing better….we would be able to get more in return for them in a trade. But I doubt a guy like Vargas or Cartaya would even be able to get us more than a declining has been pitcher.
Although both players , Vargas and Cartaya, are having difficult seasons so far I still think they could fetch some high level talent in a potential trade.
I am still high on both and would not trade either one of them at this time.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I see your thinking, but we would have to trade someone attractive of potential value to get back someone who could benefit us in the playoffs…assuming we make it in.
So who would you be willing to trade? Vets? Minors?
By the way, I said Vargas because I believe Busch can be just as good if not better. I said Cartaya because it appears we have 3 other catcher prospects coming up.
@TM
Miller and Cartaya are my two untouchables. Anybody else among our top 10 prospects I would think about a trade.
My Nr. 1 priority would be a bona fide closer. Maybe the guy from Pittsburgh.
With him the pen would drastically improve with one move because it would give us 5 lockdown guys with him, Phillipps, Ferguson, Hudson, Graterol. You can shorten the game to 5 innings that way. Plus the guy is young and under control for a few more years.
What would the Pirates want and ask for ? Would Bush, Grove, Pepiot , Nastrini be enticing enough ? Maybe throw in a lower minor arm like Kopp or Karros.
Then I would see if May is able to return or Buehler reallly is ready for September return. If they both are or at least one of the two I think we would be fine in the rotation.
I do not see an ace , top of the rotation type of starter coming available.
Maybe expand that Pirates trade and bring back old friend Rich Hill to eat some innings.
Another RH bat with a high average and good OBP would be nice. Preferably a RF or ss.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!