Who do you believe?

Posted By on July 30, 2023

Nobody!

John Mozeliak, the GM of the St. Louis Cardinals, now says that the Cards are not trading Nolan Arenado… and maybe they aren’t. However, don’t believe anything any MLB baseball executive tells you. PERIOD! Nolan has five years and $144MM remaining on his contract and could likely have beaten that deal if he opted out of his contract… but he did not! Arenado and the Cardinals seem to have a good relationship, and he seems happy there.

What about him allegedly waiving his no-trade clause? The report on the talks with the Dodgers indicated he was willing to accept a deal only to the Dodgers, having always wanted to play for them as a Southern California native. But Arenado told reporters last night that he had not been approached about his clause. Who do you believe?

John Mozeliak is no greenhorn. He wants to make the Cardinals better. In order to do that, if he trades Arenado, he needs to make sure he gets a substantial return. Evidently, he does not like what the Dodgers offered, so the simple thing is to say, “We are not trading Aernado.” If the Dodgers want him bad enough, they will pony up. If not, then he is not on the market. Right about now, you can believe no one. In fact, don’t even believe this, but the teams are still talking! Just to be clear, I am not saying that the deal is happening; I am just saying that they are talking. It’s also possible the Dodgers will trade for Montgomery or Flaherty, but that could be last minute.

This and That

  • The Dodgers were two-hit last night, but those two hits were Big Flies by Mad Max! Max Muncy should only play against RHP! Sorry, Max!
  • Who wants to send Emmet Sheehan back to AAA now? Emmet was the “Flavor-of-the-Week to send back to OKC, but that all changed!
  • The Phillies and Cardinals are allegedly discussing a Paul Goldschmidt deal. That makes too much sense!
  • Miguel Vargas and Michael Busch were both 2-5 last night. They could still play a big role in this team’s quest for a title this year!
  • Gavin Stone threw four innings, allowing two hits and 2 runs.
  • Ken Giles is starting to strike out hitters. He struck out 3 in his inning last night. He also allowed two hits and 1 one run, but it is progress!
  • Diego Cartaya hit his 13th HR – a 2-run Blast!
  • River Ryan – 4 shutout innings with 6 K’s.
  • Thayron Liranzo may soon pass Diego as the Dodgers’ #1 catching prospect. At RC, here are his stats: 236 AB/16 HR/45 RBI/.263 BA/.389 OB%/.923 OPS.

A couple more days of rumors, and then it’s over!

This article has 193 Comments

  1. No on Arenado if the Cards insist on Bobby Miller as is rumored. Bobby has ace stuff and already has proven he can get major league hitters out consistently.
    You just do not trade a potential ace pitcher with a 102 mph heater plus 4 other quality secondary pitches for a 32 year old 3b . Especially when your offense already is top 5.

    Yes on Verlander. If you trade for another starter it should be someone who has the potential and resumee to make a big differnence. Montgomery, Flaherty do not fit that criteria.
    Scherzer only cost the Rangers their Nr. 5 prospect in addition to the salary (and the Mets will absorb some of it) so Verlander should cost in t hat range too. Stone or Pepiot would fall in that prospect list looking at our top 30.

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

  2. Please God, give Will the strength to catch today! 2 nice swings by Max last night. Still campaigning for Arenado though, defensively no comparison! Good luck to Phil Bickford, nice guy. He probably does a better job last night than Ferguson! Great to have Senor Joe back! Too bad we don’t play aaassstros. Again. Punky Brewster, err Bregman could use a shot in the ribs! Hope it’s just me , but Heyward looks lost at the plate last few at bats. Maybe if not Arenado then The Thomas kid for the outfield. All this platooning drives me crazy! Need to win today!

  3. I posted this earlier today but comments closed immediately after. I think it is a must read…lol.

    I will make sure my voice is heard here loud and clearly.

    I DO NOT WANT TO UNLOAD PITCHING PROSPECTS FOR NOLEN ARANADO.

    I’m content with Marvelous Max. 27 HRs and 70 RBIs compares pretty nicely with 22 HRs and 77 RBIs. I know Arenado has a higher BA and OPS, but I’m telling you again…PITCHING WINS PLAYOFF GAMES. We have enough bats, including Max’s.

    Don’t give up promising pitchers when most of your regular starters are damaged goods- Clayton, Walker, Dustin, Tony.

    SAY NO TO AREN-ADO!

      1. So do you envision a 9-man starting rotation in the future?
        Or maybe a 12-man bullpen?
        Dodgers have a surplus of pitching prospects.
        If you can significantly upgrade an everyday position, why wouldn’t you?

  4. With the Mets in full sell-mode, Verlander will be moved by this Tuesday. The only question is who gets him.

  5. If you’re a betting man, with Barnes in the lineup and his Little League bat and Little League throwing,arm, what’s the outcome in today’s game? Good guy or not, it’s time for AF to make a move for a backup catcher internally or outside the organization.

    1. I can see Barnes being Clayton’s personal catcher, but that’s all. I don’t understand how anyone thinks we can’t do better…especially when Clayton is gone for two months or thereabouts.

  7. I’m over Nolan Arenado.

    The difference maker for the Dodgers would be Justin Verlander, if he’s actually available. I think he would be, the Mets seem to be moving in a different direction. Just trying to buy a championship is a difficult pursuit.

    Interesting analysis yesterday on MLB TV and MLB radio on Shohei Ohtani and free agency. Everybody will want him, most can’t afford him. It’s not just money, it’s the access to young players and only teams with a good farm system need to try.

    If a team doesn’t have young affordable talent most wouldn’t be able to put together a championship team around Ohtani. That, of course, eliminates a lot of teams. Want and desire are one thing, reality another. Everybody seems to agree, Ohtani wants to win. That’s why the Dodgers make the most sense.

    They really didn’t do much this past winter, but lo and behold, they are again leading the NL West. They are very active trying to acquire additional pitching and role players. In order to make a run this fall. They also have a nice blend of vets and young players (James Outman, Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan, Michael Grove) making key contributions.

    Not to mention the Dodgers have quite a bit of money coming off the books.

    There is a debate about why the Angels didn’t move Ohtani this summer, but as Artie Moreno and Angels pointed out, he means another $20 million in revenue to the club between now and the end of the season. Not just a great two-way player, but one who generates a big return to the organization.

    Honestly, I’m not sure how a Verlander deal would play out, maybe the Mets would cover a portion of the salary as they did for the Rangers in the Scherzer deal, probably would depend on the prospect return. But the Dodgers did pursue him last winter, thought they had a deal until the Mets jumped in with a boatload of bucks and another year.

    One more thing, everyone needs to take a deep breath regarding LA prospects, it takes time to develop into a major league player. Remember, even Mike Trout was a .220 hitter his first time up.

    Yes, Sheehan had a misstep of two, but he was lights out last night against a very formidable Cincy line-up. He’s got talent. I’m not moving him in a trade.

    The Dodgers, ranked second, some say first in farm system rankings, have a considerable talent pool to pull from. Look no further than the AA pitchers. Other scouts are raving about those guys.

    I think both Miguel Vargas and Michael Busch will make big contributions next year, that is if they give Busch a chance.

    Yes it probably makes some sense for the Cards to make some deals, certainly Montgomery and Flaherty. Maybe even their first baseman, they need young pitchers. He’s older than Arenado.

    But you still have to face your fan base and the Cardinal fans may not be so understanding if you unload Arenado.

    1. Great points Buff. One reason I was not overly upset about them DFAing Bruihl and Leonard. Leonard has potential but was not having a really great year at AA and they have a lot of middle infielders in the pipeline. Jorbit Vivas for one. Fan reaction had Moreno okayed trading Ohtani would have been 100% negative. I know several Angel fans and none of them would have been happy. Cardinals are supposedly discussing a Goldschmidt trade which makes some sense since he has one year left on his deal after this year, and he will be 36 next year. But if he is traded, do not expect Cardinal fans to be happy about it. He is not having a typical Goldschmidt season, but he still is very productive. The Dodgers need to get at least one more starting pitcher. Who that might be, I have no clue. I do not see the need for another RH hitting outfielder as some so, but that’s just me. A backup catcher with more bat to ball skills though, absolutely.

    2. If they trade Goldschmidt that opens the door for Muncy to play first base for the cards and Taylor could play any where like he does for the Dodgers that would send Arenado to the Dodgers with either Montgomery or Flarethy. Meaning the dodgers would have to give up muncy Taylor Busch pepiot and stone six for two players Muncy gets back at first base. Taylor can play any where and Busch could play third base now and they have Gorman and edman as the middle infielders and move Taylor to Leftfield platoon just like he does for the dodgers that’s what I see. They do that then they won’t get Verlander. If they decide okay let’s get Verlander and send Pepiot and Stone to the Mets they still need a right handed bat with Cahda Pham Rooker Borrow Diaz Gurchick Bellinger Tosco Hernandez Happ. So it’s either Arenado and Montgomery or Flarethy if not that then Verlander, a right handed bat, and maybe Barlow or Hader for the bullpen.

  8. Nail biter last night but they came through. Joe Kelly 1, Dodger ram 0. Hope the new guys keep it up. Of course, it was a typical Kelly outing. Wild pitch, walk, and then the strikeout to end the inning. Fans went bonkers when Joe came in the game. No matter how unpredictable he can be, he is at least entertaining. Dodgers win and they contained the Reds running game. Acuna stole #50 for the Braves last night. JT drove in 2 for the Red Sox in the top of the 9th to tie the game, then Jansen gave up the game winning homer to JD Davis. How many times did we see that show? Betts might be held out of today’s game also to give the ankle two more days of rest. Freddie’s ofer ended his streak of consecutive games on base. Which is weird because he scored ahead of Muncy’s first homer. He was on base because of his FC grounder. Phillips is the Dodger closer, end of discussion. Orel Hershiser inducted into the Legends of Dodger baseball and that got more chatter in the booth than the players on the field did. And it had Orel chattering like a magpie. Enough already. Congrats before the game, and then concentrate on the action.

        1. I am fine with Phillpps too
          But just imagine our pen with Bednar:
          Bednar, Phillipps, Graterol, Ferguson for the high leverage situations late in a game. Basically you can shorten a game to 5 innings from your starter. That is a winning formula , especially in the playoffs.
          with Bednar n board you have the ability to use Phillipps in his preferred role as the fire extinguisher whenever the game situation calls for it and then still have Bednar to close.

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

    2. Well, couple of months ago some of the older users (e.g. almost everybody, lol) in this blog stated they wanted to celebrate another WS title for the Dodgers in their lifetime with the years dwindling down.
      Two guys to give the Dodgers an excellent shot as early as this season : Verlander and Bednar.
      So I will give the squeeze a try even if Mark thinks otherwise:

      Pepiot for Verlander. The Scherzer deal set the market price for Verlander, who is even 2 years senior to Max.
      Stone, Hurt, Yeiner Fernandez , Vivas for Bednar. That is a nice 4-1 haul for the Pirates with our Nr. 4,11,13 and 25 ranked prospects going the other way.

      You get a top closer who is controllable for three more years.
      And you get an ace pitcher for two attempts at a WS title.

      Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!

      1. Who has ever game up anything close to that for a closer?

        I’ll tell you who: AJ Preller – the Biggest Dumbass GM in the game (and it was close).

        I do not believe Friedman is that big of a dumbass.

        1. The Dodgers once gave up Konerko and Dennis Reyes for Jeff Shaw. Back then Konerko and Reyes were our Nr. 1 and Nr. 2 prospects.

          And hey, if the Pirates ask for less that much better. 🙂

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

  10. I’m one who thought Emmit needed to go back down. Shoot me! I’m also one who thought Doc should have let him pitch another inning! Shoot me again! I still laugh when Doc comes out of the dugout, like his tail feathers are on fire! Loves to make pitching changes! He’s done a good job this season! I see Lane Thomas is listed as a “Player to watch “ at the deadline. If not Nolan, why not ? We’ve done deals with nationals before! Who’s on the bump today? It matters , especially with Barnes behind the plate. Reds could run wild today. Bring on Verlander! There I said it!

    1. Well OldBear48, if only trades that get the team to the WS are good trades then most of all trades are bad trades. Point made.
      And additionally according to your standards that makes the Jeff Shaw trade a super bad trade.

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

      1. They weren’t close to being a contender. Made a lot of sense at the time. You can twist it anyway you like. We differ in our opinions of certain trades. Hader helped the Padres a lot, but was he worth what they gave up? Probably, since Glasser is the only player the Brewers received who is still on the roster. Rogers was a free agent at the end of 22. Lamet was taken on waivers in August of 22 by the Rockies. Ruiz was part of the three-team trade that sent Sean Murphy to the Braves and landed Contreras for the Brewers. Hader has been nails this season, and he saved four in the playoffs. But SD still has not been the powerhouse everyone predicted them to be. Dodgers doing pretty well lately with the pen that they have. Counter point. Yep, we could do this all day, you giving your reasons and me mine.

  11. OKC’s winning streak ended in Reno last night. Stone went 4 innings, struck out 3 walked 3 gave up 2 hits and 2 earned runs. Rooney got the loss giving up 2 in his lone inning of work. They got 3 unearned off of Varland in his inning. Vargas, Busch, Mann and Ward all had 2 hits. Ward hit his 4th homer.

    1. Speaking of minorleagues:
      dePaula now hitting .286 with two more hits.
      Also at RC Wilman Diaz now hitting .350 after going 2-4 though he made two errors at 3b. Amazing how this kid turned his season around after being promoted from the ALC to RC. The promotion was a surprise since he did not much hitting in Arizona.
      Cartaya hit his 13th HR ending an 1-20 slump. Kid will be a beast though he is having a tough season so far. But as Mark says progress not always is linear. See some Konerko in Cartaya. Same position at catcher with a powerful bat.Hopefully the Dodgers do not make the same mistake as with Konerko back then when they traded him away prematurely along with Dennis Reyes for Shaw.

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

      1. Konerko was blocked by Eric Karros at first base, and was not considered a very good catcher, which was his original position. He was traded, as many young players are, for a need. The Dodgers did not have a closer and Shaw fit the bill. He pitched four years in LA and recorded 129 saves. It was not a mistake, and no one can predict how a player will progress. Up to that time, Konerko was very good in the minors. He had not shown that ability in the majors up to that point. He had 7 homers, and a .217 average in 75 games. A calculated risk for a needed pitcher. Yes, he went on to become one of the best in the AL> but nobody could have predicted that. Konerko never played a single game as a catcher in the majors. He hit over 400 homers, but he was dropped from the HOF ballot after his first year when he got 2.5% of the vote. I consider trading Pedro Martinez as a much worse trade.

        1. Many experts and fans back then were totally against that trade. Me included.
          And in retroperspective the trade did not accomblish what the Dodgers had in mind. Getting them to the playoffs let alone win a WS title. Shaw had 129 saves , yes. But he also had a number of blown saves too if I recall it correctly.
          In defense of the trade it has to be mentioned that the Reds did not hold on to Konerko too. They soon after traded him to the CWS where he flourished. And Reyes never was more than a great prospect turned into a mediocre starter/bullpen piece who did not last long.

          But if you were happy with the Shaw trade you should be all up in arms for my proposed Bednar trade too.
          I stick to my evaluation that Bednar and Verlander would make the Dodgers that much stronger , a valiant contender and a good shot to win it all even against the powerhouse Braves , Rays, Rangers.
          You need overpowering good pitching to shut down those lineups.
          Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!

          1. Different day and age. Different playoff system. You do not gut your system for a closer. Bednar is a very good closer, but with his service time he is going to cost an arm and a leg. When they traded for Shaw on July 4th, they were 12.5 games back. Chances of catching the leaders were pretty slim. He was traded for because they needed him. Yeah, he had some blown saves, what closer doesn’t. But he played for a much worse Dodger team than the one that takes the field today. You can look up and down history and find a trade you did not like that did not make a difference. Konerko helped the Sox to one championship. Shaw never got the chance because the Dodgers as a team sucked most of the four years he was there. He did his job. How many other relievers in Dodger history saved as many games over a 3 1/2-year stretch? He pitched in 235 games in a 3.5-year stretch. Jansen comes close. But only Gagne has more saves in that same stretch of time. Verlander and Bednar might make the Dodgers better, and then again, they might both flame out. It has happened after trades before. Happened with Scherzer. Again at what cost?

          1. At the time, it was not a stupid move. Karros was in the middle of his most productive seasons. Piazza had just been traded. They had no spot for him as a catcher. It is easy to come back all these years later and say what a lousy trade, extending that guy was stupid. Same could be said for when they extended Andre Ethier. At the time, it was a prudent move.

        3. I agree. Shaw did well, and it was a good trade.
          But it was especially a great trade for Konerko, though.
          He became a star in Chicago. Fans loved him. With no DH and Karros ahead of him (rightly or wrongly), Konerko didn’t have a good opportunity in LA
          Maybe the same thing can happen for Busch or Cartaya or Vargas….
          Right now we have some folks here eager to hang on to prospects even though it would take injuries to two key players to get them an opportunity with the big club.

          1. Doubt he would have hit 400 bombs as a Dodger even if he spent his entire career in LA. Homers at Dodger Stadium just have never come that easy. No Dodger has more than Snider at 389. No LA Dodger has more than Karros’s 270. No Dodger has ever hit 50 at any time.

  12. How does Busch make a difference this year for the Dodgers? What position does he play? Trade the poor kid and give him a chance somewhere else. He and Mann and one of our young arms would make a nice package. Still say you have to roll the dice on Verlander if you want to win this year. And Mike Trout hit .220 in a hundred AB’s in 2011 and then he became a superstar next year. The true test for Vargas will be in 2024.

    1. Next year, the Dodgers have an option for Max Muncy.

      Next year JDM will be a FA.

      What happens with one or Both will dictate where Busch plays. It’s possible he is the starting 3B next year, and Max is the DH, or JDM stays, or they split DH duties, or maybe JDM walks, and Will and Max split DH, and they have a LH catcher.

      Kike, Ramirez, Muncy, and JDM, Peralta, and Heyward could all walk next year.

      1. Busch, unlike Vargas, hasn’t gotten the proverbial runway to prove himself.
        His best position, it seems, would be DH or 1B. If Max stays, then Max plays 3B. He’s clearly superior to Busch–or else Busch would be out there right now, wouldn’t we?
        Your projection assumes that Ohtani will not be the new DH. If the Dodgers fail to Shohei the money, my guess is that the Dodgers will give JDM a nice raise. If JDM seeks greener pastures, I would expect a rotation at DH, with Smith getting a lot more reps at DH. (With Cartaya and Rushing not ready, the Dodgers may need to do something about Barnes.)
        Perhaps the easiest way for Busch to get out of OKC and into the LA lineup is for something bad to happen to Freddie. But even then, there’s no guarantee.
        Max is probably better at 1B too, and Rosario/Kike/Taylor can play 3B. And the Dodger brass, it seems, still has more faith in Vargas than Busch, right?
        Maybe the Dodgers can package Busch with pitchers for Montgomery and a bat…

  13. What would happen if Barnes hit 4-4 today? It would be the worst time to start producing with the bat because I think management would be forced to give it another chance!

    1. Barnes is who he is. I do not think he has ever had four hits in a game his entire career. If he suddenly got hot it would benefit the entire team. But he is already under contract for next season.

    2. Hopefully that would happen Jorge, there would be a good chance of winning a game on Sunday, (I don’t remember when the last one was).
      Thus, Bamsy would regain his self-confidence and if we check, the statistics Will has not been very productive with the bat.

    1. Angels will miss the playoffs and Ohtani will leave and Mike Trout will be a year older and still wait for a playoff appearance. . Hopefully his destination will be Dodger Stadium.

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

    1. Do not expect more than 4-5 solid innings from Grove. History shows that is about his limit .
      Will be interesting to see who the long guy is now that Bickford has been DFAed.

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

  16. Someone mentioned their playoff hope of 5 innings from starters then using 4 relievers, one inning each. I think that plan has failed in the past, as one or more of those guys gets used up and blows some close games in late innings. It would be great if we could get 6 or 7 from the starter. But that not happening much this year

    1. That someone was me, David.
      Sure it would be better if our starter could give us 6-7 solid innings but the season so far has proven that is not what this team is. I do not see how all of a sudden this can be turned around in the next 2-3 months. So you better prepare to have a lights out bullpen.
      And in recent history that strategy has worked well for some teams who advanced deep into the postseason, some even winning it all.

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

    2. No, this is false.

      In the playoffs you basically get two trips through the order and that’s it. I believe the average start is fewer than 5 innings.

  18. Someone brought this up earlier this past week, and now that the Verlander rumors are hot, it should be mentioned again.

    Verlander will earn $43mil next year, and then some type of option for $35mil in 2025. Even if NYM paid a chunk of that, will that preclude us from giving a few bucks to Ohtani?

    Also, does that for sure prohibit us from resigning Urias as well? Would the Verlander money be better spent on another, younger, free agent pitcher next year?

    1. Verlander has a vesting option for 25. If he pitches 140 innings in 24 it becomes a player option. Dodgers have a ton of expiring contracts and could cover both pretty easily. Whether they want to or not, is the main question.

  19. I’m no GM. Four top prospects for a closer is an overpay. Our bullpen has been lights out for an extended period of time. I still believe if the Dodgers get knocked out of the playoffs (I hope it doesn’t happen), will because someone will throw three left handed pitchers at us. It seems like LH pitchers can be AAAA minor leaguers and we make them look like Cy Young. I hope I’m proven wrong. The four prospects for the Pittsburgh reliever is a gross overplay in my opinion. Be gentle on my thoughts, I reintegrate I’m not a GM.

    1. I agree it probably is an overpay. But consider that he is controllable for three more years. He and Phillipps would be a lethal 1-2 punch out of our pen.
      Also consider that Stone is a little damage goods after his underperformance in his first stint with us.
      Two of the other proposed players are still in AA ball and one is in A ball.

      Overall a slight overpay but with our deep farm system we could afford it.

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

      1. Unless we have proof that Bednar is the new Mariano Rivera, I would resist an overpay for an RP.
        The Dodgers, in particular, have gotten great work from RPs who came very cheaply, such as Phillips and Brasier. Being economical about certain positions can enable strategic splurging on everyday players and frontline aces. The Dodgers smartly splurged on Mookie and Freddie–and both have delivered. I hope they splurge with an extension for Will Smith.
        In contrast, AF avoided splurging JD Martinez, and Max Muncy delivers a good bang for the bucks. The Cubs are paying Heyward’s salary–he fell into the Dodgers’ laps. AF loves the fact that Kershaw now is content with a year-to-year deal, not seeking longterm commitments. The prospect pipeline that produced Outman, Miller, Sheehan, Grove, etc also keep the payroll in check.
        I was in favor of splurging on Arenado, but I think that’s a moot point now.
        And I’m in favor of splurging on Ohtani.

  20. Orel was on a roll last night. First, he was obviously moved and excited about all the festivities in his honor, as well he should be. So was Joe Davis and it was obvious how close they are as Joe was brought to happy tears. Very cool.
    He also gave the best pitching clinic I’ve heard in awhile about Emmet Sheehan’s inability to command his breaking ball.
    It was interesting last night to watch Emmet Sheehan pitch. He has such a nice fastball with tons of life that is a swing and miss pitch when he can keep it out of the middle of the plate, especially the arm side runner that jams up a RHB. It’s easy to see how that pitch rocketed him to the Big Leagues. But he couldn’t land any secondary pitch in the zone. Nearly all of his breaking balls were non-competitive, as was his change, which is his best secondary pitch. He actually threw one behind a LHB. He finally got a chase with one just off the plate in the 5th. He had to live with the fastball and he did a great job with it. But there are things that don’t last; dogs that chase cars, 10 footers for pars and pitching in the big leagues as a starter with no secondary pitch. He got away with it yesterday because the fastball was so good.
    Joe had a great story about a coach at Nevada watching Emmet throw long-toss from a different are slot than when he pitched off the mound. He was 20 and shitty so necessity was the mother of invention. They changed his arm slot and he became a Dude.
    Arm slots are interesting. My theory was to change an arm slot only as a last resort, as it was for Emmet. I think that when a caveman left his den and chucked a rock at some prey, that’s his natural arm slot. Same with pitchers.
    Orel provided a great pitching analysis of what Sheehan’s problem is with his breaking ball inconsistency. The same slot that produces such movement on the fastball causes timing issues and tugging with the breaking balls. His loose wrist and fingers means he doesn’t set his wrist early and keep it that way. It means about 2 great breakers out of 10 and 8 anywhere. It was so insightful of what Emmet needs to improve on going forward. Sometime Orel can provide fantastic information and last night was one of them.
    Both teams forgot how to hit last night. Thank goodness for Max.
    Orel also explained how difficult it can be for a reliever to sit in the dugout and then come back out for a 2nd inning as Evan Phillips had to do. I have a quick solution; let Graterol finish the 8th. Another example of a computer predicting a needed pitching change, for no visible reason.
    You may noticed I didn’t make one comment about players and the trade deadline. I have “transaction fatigue” and will be happy when all the speculation is over and we can get back to baseball on the field.

    1. I am glad you enjoyed their banter, I did not. I think that besides the info Orel offered, which last night was pretty decent, there was way too much back slapping going on. He got inducted before some other very deserving career Dodgers up to and including Snider, Erskine, Furillo, Tommy Davis and about 12 others I could include. Dodger legends is a joke until at least Jim Gilliam gets in there. They have ignored their Brooklyn roots for way too long. Newk and Gil the only two Brooklyn Dodgers in the Legends. What about Pee Wee? Campy? Wheat? Vance? It is a simple marketing ploy to give away a bobblehead.

      1. Isn´t the Dodgers legends thing an addition to the ring of honor and the retired numbers thing ? A slightly lower level of honour.
        Plus: a bobblehead give away could also be done for non living , Brooklyn players.

        I think Orel is deserving of this honour.

        2. Deserving maybe. But Gilliam was dissed in 2018 when they replaced his bobble with Manny Machado. They are two separate things. Ring of honor except for Gilliam and Fernando, is for retired numbers and Hall of Famers. Fernando has had several bobbleheads. The players who have never had a bobblehead and probably should, Erskine, Campy, who’s only bobblehead is from the night he was honored at the coliseum with Reese pushing him in a wheelchair. He is on a statue with Robinson and Newcombe. Erskine threw 2 no-hitters for the Dodgers and along with Newcombe, he was one of their best pitchers. Only arm problems later in his career shortened his career. Vance was the all-time wins leader until Big D finally passed him. I could go on and on. I think they give a lot of players more attention than they do to the roots guys.

        3. Absolutely.
          My all-time LA rotation: Koufax, Drysdale, Fernando, Orel, Kershaw. (Sutton may be in the Hall, but he’s a long reliever/spot starter here.)

          1. Strong rotation. I throw Pedro Martinez in there over Fernando. Just because he was dominant when he was right. Also had a no hitter and is the only Dodger pitcher besides Sandy to strike out 18 in a game.

    2. Good stuff about arm slot & such.

      T. Bauer uses the ‘4app’ tool to sort out his command issues regularly. That you can quickly punch up in slo-mo the rotation in each throw is pretty cool.

      I would assume everyone’s using these ?

      Fraction of an inch could be diff between HOF career and journeyman’s life. Pitching is crazy hard to master!

  21. Saturday scores
    Reno 8, Oklahoma City 3
    Tulsa 4, Springfield 3
    Dayton 5, Great Lakes 2
    Rancho Cucamonga 5, San Jose 3

    Sunday scores
    10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (TBD) vs. Dayton (Carson Rudd)
    11:05 a.m.: Tulsa (Kyle Hurt) vs. Springfield (Logan Gragg)
    1:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Landon Knack) at Reno (Peter Solomon)
    5 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Jared Karros) vs. San Jose (Manuel Mercedes)

  22. Cubs tell teams Belli not available in trade talks.
    Driving up the price ?!

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

    1. Doubtful They are within 3.5 games of the lead in the central and 3 out of the wild card. They might even buy someone. Dodgers supposedly have an interest in Bradley Singer of the Royals.

  23. Give me Orell any day over smiling Jess! She never stops! admittedly Orel talks a lot too, but she just blabbers on and on about anything and everything! Nice enough , but too much . Heard Washington GM on the front office earlier saying Lane Thomas is not untouchable. If not Nolan? I haven’t seen starting lineup but I assume short bat Barnes is catching. Oh well , I hope he gets a couple of knocks. He ain’t going nowhere

    1. I don’t know which laugh is worse Jessica Mendoza or VP Kamala Harris, Both annoying!!!

  24. Orel talks too much. Jessica is the worst. But Orel overkills a lot. I would rather have Nomar as the analyst any day. Thomas would be a nice addition. He is at this point in time a lefty killer.

    1. Old Bear, any chance the Dodgers trade Urías or Gonsolin? i read a rumor
      To me, on the one hand, it doesn’t make sense because we’re trying to get starting pitching, but in the case of Urías, if they’re not going to sign him long-term, it makes sense to get some long-term talent to come up empty-handed if he gets to free agency. I know perfectly well that nowadays he is not very well appreciated, but perhaps he will be the pitching version of what Bellinger is now in hitting. What do you think?

      1. Chances of that are pretty slim. Urias the way he has been pitching, and being a rental would generate some interest, but the return would not be as high as it would have say last season. Same with Gonsolin except he has some controllable time left.

    2. I think most all of our “color-men” over talk. In fact most do, regardless of network. John Smoltz has gotten so full of himself, he can’t shut up. Orel certainly does. But I liked his content last night, if not his quantity. His comments on Emmet were very insightful, if you are interested in pitching mechanics. If not, it was just more Orel babble.
      I think the day was a special one day to celebrate Orel as a Dodger. I can give him some room for a day. The fact that it carried over from pre-game into the booth, and regular broadcast, is fine with me. He obviously felt it was a big honor, whether it was deserved or not. He was feeling “froggy”. Good for him.

      1. I got that, but he beat it to death over about 3 innings. Orel is who he is. Some like him, others not so much. You poll ten fans you will get ten different answers.

  25. I like nomar too. I also like Karros I’ll take any of the three over Mendoza! I don’t even like listening to Joe when they’re together! Want to hear something awful? Listen to the asaassstros broadcast crew! God i miss Vin!

    1. Eric at least keeps the chatter to a minimum. He tries hard to make comments that are insightful. Nomar is one of those guys who just adds solid info. I like D-Trains humor, he sometimes gets a little weird, but that is ok. I would hate having J-Hair as an analyst. Gonzo is fine on the pre and post game shows, so is Loney. But to me, the Dodgers have analyst overload. Too many voices. I also was one of the few who could not stand Ross Porter. I like Steiner simply because he is far from perfect. His mistakes are always timely.

      1. I used to laugh at Ross. He would come up with stupidest stats.

        “The Phillies lead the league in players who wear contact lenses.” He actually said that.

  26. Good news, no Barnes in today’s lineup. Max back in the 4 hole, Smitty in at # 3. Hernandez replaces Taylor at second, otherwise lineup is the same. Mookie sitting again. 5 lefties in the lineup.

  27. 4:10 PM ET

    Reds (57-49)
    Dodgers (59-44)

    SPGraham Ashcraft R
    5-7 5.64 ERA
    SP Michael Grove R
    2-2 6.19 ERA

    Confirmed Lineup
    LF D. Peralta L
    1B F. Freeman L
    C Will Smith R
    3B Max Muncy L
    DH J. Martinez R
    CF James Outman L
    RF J. Heyward L
    2B E. Hernandez R
    SS Miguel Rojas R

    89° Wind 10 mph Out

    THE BEST PART OF TODAY”S LINEUP NO BARNES

    1. No Barnes is good.
      But Outman should bat leadoff. The case is a few posts below.

    1. You missed this Bear:

      The Cubs outrighted Edwin Ríos, who was already with Triple-A Iowa, opening a spot on their 40-man roster.

  29. Love this:

    Dodgers game notes list pitching probables for the next series against the A’s

    Tuesday: TBD vs. TBD
    Wednesday: TBD vs. TBD
    Thursday: TBD vs. TBD

    N.B. Dave Roberts did say Saturday that Julio Urías, Lance Lynn, and Tony Gonsolin would start against Oakland, in some order….

    1. The schedule for the week has already appeared on ESPN and Oakland sends a line of three lefties, Waldichuk VS. Urias, Wednesday Harris VS.Gonsolin and Thursday Sears VS. B Miller.

      1. Changed, Lynn will start on Tuesday, Gonsolin on Wednesday and Urias Thursday. Urias has a split nail on his pitching and has been moved back.

  30. We did it Bear! We got Will in the lineup! Now Michael Grove , pitch your ass off! At least 5.2 or six! Singer has pitched extremely well against the Dodgers, not sure about every body else

  31. Today’s lineup–at least the one I’ve seen–has Mookie resting again and Peralta batting leadoff.
    The lineup is always subject to change, so can someone tell Roberts to put Outman up first?
    He’s on a roll–and mostly because of improved plate discipline.
    Over the last 30 days, Outman has a on-base percentage of .438, which is slightly better that Freddie and Mookie. He’s batted .308, and has walked 14 times against 21 Ks. His OPS is .915 over July. (Sustained over a full season, these would be all-star stats.)
    Meanwhile, Peralta has an OBP in July of .324 –more than 100 points below Outman. His BA is over .290–good!–but Outman’s is better. Also, Outman’s splits are much better.
    Finally, Outman leads the Dodgers in stolen bases at 14, including 4 in the last month, with once caught stealing. He should be getting more PAs than Peralta. With Mookie resting, Outman clearly seems the best leadoff option.

    On another matter: Correct me if I’m wrong, but the Dodgers have a few days to deal the DFA guys Bickford, Bruhil and Eddys Leonard. So they could be sweeteners in a deal for Montgomery or Flaherty, or maybe Tommy Pham or Brent Rooker.

    1. Yes, seven days to trade the player or put him on irrevocable waivers, so the timing with regard to the deadline is perfect.

      I also read today (although I haven’t been able to confirm it) that within those 7 days, the team can also pull the player back and return him to the 40-man roster. Of course, if the roster is full, that would necessitate dfa someone else. Does anyone know if that’s true?

      1. Thx for the info.
        I find myself hoping for Montgomery, but expecting Flaherty.
        Still hoping for Lane Thomas, but expecting Pham.

  32. So we traded for Rosario, he goes 2 for 4 with a double and RBI, plays solid SS and sits for 2 games in a row?????

    1. Looks to me like Roberts will spend a few games trying to sort through the options–and perhaps the egos–with the new and (I think) improved roster.
      With all the platoon and defense options, the bench players are likely to come into the game as pitchers get changed.

    2. Glaze,

      It’s called a “Platoon.”

      He murders LHP (.304) and is average vs RHP (.253).

      1. Yes, Mark. I get that, but Rojas is not better against RHP and why not not see what we have.

        1. Your point on offensive production has merit glaze, but Rosario’s terrible defense must also be factored in to determining his playing time.

      2. Oh Wise One Who Likes To Talk Down to Posters, I have a question:
        Is Rojas hitting RHP better than Rosario?
        Hmm. Let’s check….
        The answer appears to be, “Nope.”
        Just .231, with a crappy .282 OBP.
        So Rosario is the better hitter, regardless, while Rojas is regarded as the better fielder.
        So should Rosario become the full-time starter at SS?
        Perhaps. Or perhaps he should platoon with Max at 3B. And perhaps Taylor and Kike need to be factored into the options.
        Perhaps Rojas is best used as a defensive replacement to protect the lead.
        In Doc we trust.

  33. DODGERS PRESS RELEASE

    DODGERS ACTIVATE LANCE LYNN

    LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers have activated right-handed pitcher Lance Lynn and optioned right-handed pitcher Tyson Miller.

    Lynn, 36, was acquired on Friday from the Chicago White Sox. He has made 21 appearances for the White Sox and he is 6-9 with a 6.47 ERA (86 ER/119.2 IP) and 144 strikeouts this season. He had a banner season in his first season with Chicago, going 11-6 with a 2.69 ERA (47 ER/157.0 IP) and 176 strikeouts in 28 starts for the White Sox, earning his second All-Star bid and finishing third for the American League Cy Young. His other All-Star nod was in his first full season in 2012, going 18-7 with a 3.78 ERA (74 ER/176.0 IP) and 180 strikeouts. He has been in the Major Leagues parts of 12 seasons with St. Louis (2011-17), Minnesota (2018), New York-AL (2018), Texas (2019-20) and Chicago-AL (2021-23) and he is a combined 129-93 with a 3.71 ERA (753 ER/1825.0 IP) and 1859 strikeouts. He was originally drafted in the first round (39th overall) of 2008 First Year Player Draft out of the University of Mississippi by the St. Louis Cardinals.

    Miller, 28, appeared in one game for the Dodgers, allowing two runs in 2.0 innings. On the season, he is 0-0 with a 6.35 ERA (8 ER/11.1 IP) and eight strikeouts in eight games between Milwaukee and Los Angeles. In parts of three season with Chicago (2020), Texas (2022), Milwaukee (2023) and Los Angeles (2023), he is combined 1-2 with a 8.00 ERA (24 ER/27.0 IP) and 16 strikeouts. He was acquired by the Dodgers on July 12.

  34. Roberts loves platooning! He was a platoon player himself. If Rosario hits .300 against lefties and .250 against righties leave him alone! Is Barnes injured? Is he out because of a possible trade? (Haha) maybe he’s retiring! Braves look very “series” right now. But we did take 2 of 3 from them. We just need pitching to shape up and a right handed bat! ( not a reclamation project)

  35. Joe stated something last night that surprised me a little. This season’s offense is the third best in Dodger history. Only the 52 boys of summer and the 1930 team better. 52 team featured a batting champ in Carl Furillo, and the 1930 squad had Babe Herman hitting .393. And he did not win the batting title. Bill Terry of the Giants hit .401.

    1. “Third best in Dodger history”….
      Interesting. But by what measure?
      Is that total runs scored? Runs per game?
      Not run differential, I assume, since that factors in pitching and defense
      Are we talking OPS or what?

  37. Nice to hear from you Mark! Thought the prisoners had been left unsupervised!

  40. I just read that the Dodgers are about to drop another bomb, that they are very close to acquiring Flaherty and Montgomery, not Arenado. I guess these are just rumors.

    1. Rumors are good!
      I hope they didn’t give up Sheehan to get Montgomery and Flaherty. I wonder if bats are included. Tommy Edman would be a good veteran UT get.

  41. Offense can look unstoppable at times, and totally inept others! I wonder if Cody would ever consider coming back. He seems happy , healthy, and doesn’t worry about platoons! Still wish he was here. One of the best defensive outfielders (1st basemen) I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching! No Yankees, no Giants, no Padres Cody! Ever!

  42. Ok. I’m gonna try this again. They should send Grove down right after this start. Well, it worked for Sheehan!

  43. I hate seeing visiting teams come out of the gate like blockbusters.

    I’m glad Sheehan didn’t allow this to happen like Grove did. Oh well…..maybe Grove can pitch like Don Drysdale for the remainder of the game.

    1. Yeah, we are throwing so many “kids” out there…..we are bound to have some stinkers, like today. One thing I feel confident saying this…..this wouldn’t be happening if we had Buehler, May, or Kershaw pitching.

    1. Might as well let him stay all 9 innings and rest our bullpen. Lol

      It would be interesting to see how many runs he would let in too. I can see the headlines tomorrow…..Dodgers lose 21-5. Grove pitches a complete game throwing 214 pitches.

  49. Not watching the game….
    But why was JDM replaced by Taylor?
    At this time of year, I wonder if it could be a trade/

    1. Hamstring tighened up on him. Wanted to take his at bat but Roberts decided against.

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

    3. With a day off tomorrow, no need to push the envelope. Same reason they let Mookie sit another day. The trade for Hicks cost Mitch White his roster spot with the Jays, he was DFA’d. Braves trade Hearn for Nicky Lopez a utility infielder. I turned the game off after the first inning.

    1. Grove is pitching batting practice
      No movement. The harder he throws, the straighter the pitch

  53. Please. Get that poor young man out. Have respect for the fans who paid a ticket to see the major leagues. His no ready for MLB, right now. Poor fans paid a Lot of bucks to see that

  54. After watching Grove implode, ..Lance Lynn better come as advertised and be a great innings eater.

  55. A lot has been said about Doc but when you start three rookies for the better part of 6-7 weeks (as I recall), have CK on the IL for a month, a Julio Urias whose ERA is doubled what it was last year you really have to tip your cap to him for having the dodgers in first place through 103 games played.

    Having said that, AF has to see the Dodgers do not have enough SP to make a deep run into the post season. Kids just lack the consistent put away stuff (sans Bobby Miller) experience and repeatable pitch execution to be consistently effective down the stretch and into a pressure packed post season. He has to get some additional SP. Who will it be?

  56. Austin Barnes comes through!
    Not sure why he was put in for Smith and Taylor for JDM, unless Roberts has decided to give up on this game.
    Or perhaps something else is afoot….
    I could see the Dodgers dealing JDM for a third catcher if it’s a good one. Getting some insurance for Smith would be helpful, and the Dodgers can mix and match at DH with Smith, Muncy, Rosario….

    2. JDM is probably the best DH in the NL, if not all of baseball. He is not going anywhere for a third string catcher. He was pulled from the line-up because of a balky hamstring.

      1. Depends on the return. Always depends on the return..
        Any time someone is abruptly pulled from a lineup at this time of year it makes me wonder.
        Meanwhile, let’s alk about a team that is gutting their farm system…
        The Angels have one of the weakest systems in baseball, but they desperately want to get a Wild Card berth in hopes of hanging on to Ohtani. They traded two top prospects for Giolito and now some more prospects to get two solid veterans in Cron and Grichuk. (Grichuk was probably on the Dodgers radar for a lefty-mashing outfielder.)
        A few people here suggested that the Dodgers would have to “gut” the farm system to get Arenado. Um, no–not even close. Dodger system is ranked No. 2, with 8 prospects in the Top 100 by one ranking. (If all systems were equal, the teams would have about 3.2 prospects in the top 100.) The Dodgers could lose four of their Top 100 prospects and still have one of the best systems.
        So what should the Dodgers give up for Verlander?
        How would that pencil out?

    4. Parece que renuncia a todos los partidos del domingo. Me deja de muy mal humor. Da la impresion que entrega los partidos dominicales, estoy muy encabronado.

  57. The only thing I know to be true about the Arenado trade is that it’s a possibility until it isn’t. And the isn’t part doesn’t happen until Tuesday.

  60. “Left hamstring tightness” for JDM.
    Well, OK.
    Still think the Dodgers need to shore up the catching position. Promoting Feduccia would be a start. With Barnes struggling so badly, Smith is probably the toughest player to replace in the current lineup…
    Oh, an “elbow contusion” for Smith.
    Come on up, Hunter!

    1. so why not give Outman a shot if Mookie is out? Even if Peralta comes thru, do you really want a 35 year old guy running the bases? Outman can steal and go from first to third on a hit from Freddie without pulling something

      1. Yeah, I think Roberts really whiffed on that.
        Outman is hot now. He’s the only guy on the roster that can bring some speed and youthful energy. You want him to get the extra AB.
        Hope Mookie is back soon. But if not, give Outman a chance.
        In this crappy game, he did provide the Dodgers only real highlight by robbing Votto of that HR.

    1. Yep! Unless the pitchers already here do better, AF can’t do anything to fix this. And too much platooning & shuffling of positions needed to make this line-up “work.”

  66. Really bad pitching performance by Grove. Of the 18 outs in six innings he worked, ten were by a strikeout yet he allowed eight earned runs.

    I do like what AF and Gomes have done so far with the acquisitions of Lynn, Kelly, Hernandez and Rosario, but it does seem we are a bit heavy in the Swiss Army Knife type player with Rojas, CT3, Rosario and Hernandez. Would still like to see a true everyday OF who can hit both RHP and LHP and I’m very concerned we still don’t have enough SP. Was somewhat hoping for Montgomery from the Cardinals but he was acquired by the Blue Jays today.

    I’m assuming any future trades will be with an emphasis on SP and RP (Verlander and Barlow) and I don’t think Arenado is going to happen. Team needs Mookie in the line-up to be competitive offensively. The three outcome offense of Muncy and CT3 is frustrating as hell. Will one of them be traded by Tuesday?

      1. Two years 30 million left on his deal. Not an easy sell to any other team unless LA pays some of that cash. Mets are paying 35 million of Scherzer’s money since he exercised his option for next season. Rangers only on the hook for 22 mil.

        1. Not an easy sell is an understatement. AF lost his gamble on Taylor, and now the Dodgers are in a pickle on how to move him.

          1. Deals with that much money to a utility player rarely work out. Taylor had value to the team and they determined that he was worth 15 mil a year. In retrospect, not a good deal since Taylor was injured a lot last season and has yet to return to the level pre-signing.

    2. How was it even relevant in last game?

      Grove is young, he’ll get better. He struck out 10. The stuff is there, he just needs experience.

  69. Montgomery-Stratton to the Rangers. Texas adds two starting pitchers and a reliever that Bochy is familiar with from when he was a Padre. Giants-Red Sox tied into the 10th. JT hit a go-ahead 2 run homer in the 8th. Giants came back to tie the game. OKC in another slugfest with Reno. 14-11 in the 10th inning. Giles now pitching for the Dodgers. Busch has 2 homers on a 3-6 day. Vargas and Ward also homered. Vargas also 3-6. Ward, Vargas, Busch and Dahl all have driven in 3. Reno just tied the game on a three-run homer by Bliss off of Giles. Giles ERA now sits at 19.80. Giants win, now only 2 back of LA.

  70. Dahl just hit his second homer of the game to put OKC on top 16-14 in the top of the 11th inning. Ward stole third base just prior to the homer. Yonny Hernandez on to pitch. Looks like OKC ran out of arms. Knack had a decent start, one run over four innings. He threw 79 pitches, walked four and had 5 K’s. Yonny gets the save! Gave up a run on a sac fly. Giles gets the win despite blowing the save. OKC wins 16-15. Busch and Vargas both now hitting .317.

  71. Verlander might still get traded, but Houston, who has been in contact with the Mets, want the Mets to pay a significant portion of his salary. And they are a little concerned about his vesting option for 25 should he hit 140 innings next season.

    1. Mookie, seven games. Freemans on base streak was snapped in last night’s game at 27. Freeman right back in the saddle with 2 hits today to raise his BA to .329. Peralta, Heyward and Smith have all cooled down as has Mookie somewhat. Muncy is still under the Mendoza line. His OPS is over .800. Olsen hit two homers for the Braves today to lift his league leading number to 35.

  73. Today, both Vargas and Busch were 3-6 with 3 RBI each. Busch had 2 HR and Vargas had 1.

    On the year:

    Busch – .318 BA/1.028 OPS – 18 HR/66 RBI
    Vargas – .317 BA/1.005 OPS – 4 HR/12 RBI

    1. Busch’s second homer traveled somewhere between 460-473 feet, depending on who you listen to.
      He needs to be here Tuesday. Put that bat somewhere in the lineup and let him have at it. Of course he may be in a different organization by Tuesday.

      Just read that the Guardians would consider trading their great reliever, Emmanuel Clase in the right deal. Don’t know what that deal might be, but I’d sure inquire.

      He’s 25 years old, controlled through 2026 with team options for 2027 and 2028.

  74. Let’s go Dodgers misses out on Montgomery for two minor league guys who I never heard of really you telling me the dodgers didn’t have better players then those two guys the Rangers gave up. Must be Flarethy and Arenodo hmm would think cardinals would have wanted better unless they go after Verlander and mark Cahda thinking that his power off the bench and he can play third base and the outfield or dh. Or dodgers could look at Rodriguez from Detroit and think okay prospects but tigers don’t have any hitters that the dodgers would want. And now Bellinger staying with the cubs.

    2. It was a five-player deal Bradley. Texas got Montgomery and Stratton and the Cardinals got John King, 28-year-old lefty reliever who has spent parts of time with the Rangers since his 2020 debut. He is a groundball specialist with an impressive 61.7% ground ball rate. The players most important to the Cardinals are Roby and Saggese. Roby is ranked as the #11th prospect and Saggese as their 14th. They help fill a need in re-stocking the Cardinals farm system. You may not have heard of them, but Baseball America and the Cardinals have. As to who the Dodgers might have offered, well, if you go by how they are ranked, it would be Vivas and Yiener Fernandez a C/2B prospect. Not what the Cardinals wanted. Saggase is a multi-positional player, who can play every infield position except first base. He is also having a solid year at AA hitting .314 with 15 homers in the Texas League. Roby is currently on the 7-day IL at AA. Having the better players does not always mean the team wants those particular guys. Sorry, Mark Canha is not a power hitter this year. He is four years removed from his high water mark of 26 and only has 6 so far this year. The price for Verlander, if the Mets decide to trade him is going to be a lot higher than what they got for Scherzer. So far, the only player listed in the Scherzer deal is Acuna’s brother. Mets paying 35 million of his salary. Rangers on the hook for the other 22 mil. And he exercised his 24 option. Rodriguez remains a possibility for the Dodgers as does Flaherty. But the options are shrinking. They have made inquiries about Singer of the Royals.

      1. Why should the cost for Verlander be “a lot more” than for Scherzer ?
        Salaries are almost equal with the total financial obligation to Verlander even higher than to Scherzer. Verlander is older than Max , numbers this season about equal.
        Sorry, that does not make a lot of sense unless you are playing devils adcocate here.

        That package for Montgomery and Stratton by the Rangers proves again that you do not have to offer that much to get veteran players. At least not as much as some would think when discussing Dodger prospects.

        I stick to my strategy to get VErlander and the Pitt closer (or maybe the Guardians) . That would increase the Dodgers chanves for a WS title dramaticlally. And that is all you can ask for at the deadline; Improving your chances for a title.
        Team does not need another inning eater or average bullpen piece. Team needs an ace starter and a shutdown reliever/closer.

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

        1. Why should the cost for Verlander be “a lot more” than for Scherzer ?

          It is really simple. Verlander has had his arm rebuilt. Scherzers is waiting to blow out!

    3. Did it ever occur to you that the Dodgers don’t want to give those players up?

  75. Angels just traded with the Rockies and got two right handed hitters, CJ Cron and Randal Grichuk. They just lost Ward to the IL with face fractures.

  76. Not always about the players the Dodgers might have who are considered better prospects. A lot of times, it comes down to who the team trading the veteran player covets the most. Hence, Montgomery and Stratton to the Rangers. I still expect at least one more starting pitcher picked up by the deadline. Two dark horse candidates would be Keller from the Pirates and Singer of the Royals.

  77. Since the Dodgers are off tomorrow, they finish the month at 13-10. Considering how bad the starting pitching was, 6.18 ERA, the worst since 1944 when they posted a 7.31 in July. That is not a bad month. Their lead in the NL West is down to 2 as the Giants beat the Red Sox in extra’s. Next opponent is the A’s who come in with the worst record in the majors. Lance Lynn will be the starting pitcher against the hapless A’s who have lost 77 games already. Lynn is 5-2 in his career against Oakland. He has not faced the A’s this year. He also in his career is better at home than on the road. We will also know prior to the game starting if the Dodgers have made any other deals or player moves. For fans hoping for a impactful front of the rotation type pitcher, the waiting is the worst part. Coming away empty handed would make it even worse. Plan for now is that Kershaw could return as soon as the series in Arizona following the four games with the Padres. Grove is a prime candidate to be sent back to AAA. There is no real solution at AAA. Andriese is their winningest pitcher with a 8-5 record, but his ERA is over 5. Montgomery has the most experience as a starter, but he is still building up his innings. He has a 2.86 ERA in 9 games, 34.2 innings pitched. No, improvement is going to have to come from Urias, Gonsolin, Miller and Sheehan until they figure out who is who. Urias is key. He needs to get a whole lot better than he has been. Buehler will not be used out of the pen when and if he does return per Dave Roberts. He will be used as an opener going at least a couple innings to begin with.

    1. Miller & Sheehan too raw and inexperienced to seriously consider either one playoff-caliber SP’s.
      No real prediction on when Buehler returns, or what his performance-level will be off TJ surgery.
      Gonso clearly not the same pitcher as last year, and he could have a health issue.
      Lynn ain’t good enough.

      So even assuming Urias can and does get his act together, Kersh stays healthy, and a bottom of the order is assembled among the present cast that can consistently score runs against playoff-caliber pitching, ..Friedman must still get at least 1 playoff-rotation SP for the Dodgers to realistically compete for a WS title. And time is running out.

  78. One last thing before I put this to bed. There are no guarantees or sure things out there on the trade market who will guarantee you a trip to the World Series. There are players who will help, and some who might not. If you look at the Dodgers major deadline deals in the past, none got them the prize. Oh, they went to the Series in 17 and 18 after huge deals bringing first, Darvish, and then Machado the following year. Both of those guys crashed and burned in the World Series. Getting Verlander, or Bednar, would make them a better team, but not necessarily improve their odds of winning or even getting to the Series or the playoffs. Baseball is a team game. It takes all 26 men on the roster and even more coming up from the minors to help a team win. The Dodgers, considering their roster makeup and the injuries they have suffered are in a position no one expected. They are leading the west albeit by a hair. But this was supposed to be San Diegos year. Anything can and usually will happen in baseball. It is simply out of the fans hands.

  79. So if they went for Jack Flarethy and Michael Lorezen and Barlow and didn’t add a right handed batter you think they would be contenders or behind the braves. Or if they add Verlander Pham and Flarethy they become leaders in the national league and jump over the Braves to get in the World Series. I think there going to look to add Verlander and a closer and keep the batter they have which we know how that goes 1 thru five in lineup tough but 6 thru 9 isnt a threat. I kind of think they use Taylor and minor leaguers to get a better right-handed hitter and a starter and closer. Tommorow rumors will be interesting is it Keller and Bednar from pirates and Tommy Pham from the Mets which is basically Peralta but he hits right handed
    this could be the guys?????

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