MLBTradeRumors.com is baseball dope for baseball dope fiends! Oh, they have some good stuff ( I read there too), and maybe if you like to do mental gymnastics, you can spend hours a day thinking about it. I don’t, and if I ever did, I wouldn’t. Why? Well, it’s pretty simple: We don’t have a clue and don’t know a damn thing! That’s why! I am seventy years old and understand that this is the twilight of my life. At best, I may have thirty years left, maybe twenty… maybe ten… maybe less… who knows? The one thing I have going for me is that only the good die young. I just know that all the commenters who used to post here (before I ran them off) proposed literally hundreds of trades before the trade deadline. Well, if you include Bradley, there were thousands, none of which ever came true.
I don’t know about you, but to me, that is the ultimate in stupidity or mental illness: Posting about stuff that has no connection to reality! It’s no wonder the morons who all left dislike me so much – they must really dislike themselves and project that upon me. OK, fine. Do I care? No! Andrew Friedman acquired Jack Flaherty, Tommy Edman, Michael Kopech, and Kevin Kiermaier at the trade deadline. Edman and Kopech will be with the team another year, while Flaherty is a free agent. Kiermaier will allegedly retire and may not even be on the playoff roster. Edman, Kopech, and Flaherty have been stellar acquisitions that cost the Dodgers very little in player collateral.
Some fans have wondered why the Dodgers traded James Paxton. Are you serious? Even Ray Charles saw that James Paxton was pitching on borrowed time. James Paxton has pitched 11 innings since he was traded and has a 4.09 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. Where would he have been slotted with the Dodgers? Andrew Friedman saw that he was not needed and still healthy and got the Red Sox to send the Dodgers Moises Boliver, a 17-year-old, 6′ RH SS for Paxton, who happens to be on the 60-day IL and is out for the season. That was a great move! A salary dump for a prospect.
When asked by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier for a brief assessment of Bolivar, one evaluator “praised his high contact rate and ability to hit the ball with authority.” SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting, Ian Cundall, added that Bolivar is aggressive at the plate but has “solid contact skills” and “rarely whiffs on pitches in the zone.” This is a case of trading something you did not need anymore for something that may turn into something down the road. What’s not to like?
Common sense is not so common these days, and it gnaws at me that I allowed morons control of this site for too long. For that, I am sorry! Truly sorry! The Dodgers just took three out of four games from the D-Backs and have the best record in baseball. After the Dodgers lost Saturday, the morons were calling for Dave Roberts to be replaced and some even suggested that Andrew Friedman should be let go (Of course, they did not realize that if AF goes, Shohei can follow him). Then, there is the constant “Get rid of the hamstrung contract of CT3;” “Get rid of “Kike;” “Clayton is toast;” “Joe Kelly sucks;” “AF has to sign Teo now;” and one an on… Some are so paranoid that they think I am commenting under a fake name at another board. That is really funny!
Look, I do not know what the future holds. You play the games to find out, but in baseball there is always that “luck factor.” Three batters can hit the baseball right on the screws at 111 MPH and make outs. Then, the other team can hit three balls that don’t total 111 MPH and score three runs. There is no sport more random than baseball because of it. In basketball, if a superstar is missing… KEEP SHOOTING… it always evens out. No so much in baseball. The randomness of it is what makes it so wonderful and maddening. But, this place has become a Ghost Town because I will no longer tolerate moronic drivel… and I like it! I know a lot of the readers do not comment, but you could drop me a comment telling me where you are from and how you follow the Boys in Blue. I’d love to hear from you.
Here’s where The Athletic’s staff places the Dodgers in this weeks POWER POLL:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
— Grant Brisbee
Record: 83-55
Last Power Ranking: 1
Biggest September priority: Get their rotation in order
The Dodgers are winning in the regular season, which has never been a problem for them. But they don’t care about the regular season. They care about winning the World Series, which they haven’t done in a full season since “The Simpsons” debuted. And to reach that elusive goal, they’ll need to figure out what their postseason rotation will look like.
Difficulty: Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are all currently on the IL. Yamamoto is making rehab starts, but Glasnow’s status is very much uncertain and Kershaw just went on the IL with a toe injury. They still have Jack Flaherty and Gavin Stone, but a lot more certainty is needed.
What About Next Year?
Since the Dodgers are winning, and it’s hard to find things to bitch about (but the morons still do) a lot of fans are talking about what the team will look like next year. Here’s my quick take:
Andrew Friedman could look at signing Juan Soto, that might be the best move. Of course, I also doubted that he would sign Shohei Ohtani… so there is that! If the Dodgers could sign Teoscar to a 2 or 3 year deal, then that could happen. It has been rumored for a long time that AF wants Willy Adames. I like him too, but I think it is more likely that they resign Miguel Rojas for a year at $5 Million and then over the season, integrate Alex Freeland into the rotation.
Look at the lineups if they were to sign Soto:
Against RHP:
- Ohtani DH
- Betts RF
- Soto LF
- Freeman 1B
- Smith C
- Muncy 3B
- Lux 2B
- Outman CF
- Freeland/Rojas SS
Against LHP:
- Ohtani DH
- Betts 2B
- Soto RF
- Freeman 1B
- Smith C
- Pages LF
- Edman CF
- Taylor 3B
- Freeland/Rojas
Rotation:
Glasnow, Yamamoto, Stone, Knack, Wrobleski, Miller, Gonsolin, May, Ohtani
Just conjecture. It’s fun to think about for a minute… now back to Dodger baseball!
Gawd that was a perfect plunking. That’s exactly how it’s done.
Calabasas ca.
love the new style site without the idiots
Stay out of the valley.
Zero chance the Dodgers sign Soto
You forgot to add Ohtani in the rotation for next year too.
You are correct. I will add him!
NC watch just about every Dodgers game.
Have been to to 5 WS games since 2017. LA, Boston and Texas….
2020 World Series was outstanding.
Why not us in 24!!!
Why not? 😉
Just need a couple guys to get white hot and carry us.
A rested Mookie?
A playoff bound Ohtani for the first time?
A ready to go Glasnow?
A fresh Yamamoto?
We have to win it
Like your lineup. I do think it’s Rushing’s time. As I suggested yesterday, I give Teo an qualified offer is he agrees great if he doesn’t we get a draft choice. I believe Rushing will be in left perhaps platooning with Pages, I don’t know Rushings splits. If I were king for a day I’d also have him catch once a week and have Barnes catch once a week and start having Smith play occasionally at third or perhaps left field.
I like ghost towns. On my fridge….common sense is not common. And a card. On the outside is a little girl with her eyes rolled up. On the inside it says I’m surrounded by idiots. Go Blue.
Book em
Sioux Falls, SD. I’ve followed this site for years and posted off and on. I don’t miss the posters that only seemed happy when things went bad.
I am a frequent reader and a very infrequent poster.
I also like ghost towns
It seems like a powerful lineup, but it doesn’t have too many left-handers? And if I recall correctly, that was a problem not long ago, when they had a lot of left-handed hitters.
Of course, with the exception of Lux and possibly Muncy, the other lefties can hit any pitcher regardless of which side they throw from.
On another note, I read on one of many baseball sites that it appears Glassnow could almost certainly miss the rest of the season.
Hi Mark. Chad from Montana. I grew up an hour outside of LA and the Dodger Stadium before transplanting my family to Montana. I follow The Boys in Blue on MLB radio and listen to almost every game. I have been reading the site every day since 2017. Thank you for your labor of love in this site. Carry on and Go Blue.
I have read this site everyday for years. I love the site. But I haven’t enjoyed people being snarky or talking as though they know more than the Dodger brass. The arrogant know-it- alls who belittle everyone who doesn’t agree with them. The funny thing is none of those people ever played an inning of MLBaseball and still they think they are all knowing when it comes to what the Dodgers should do or will do. The Dodgers have been blessed with great personnel running the organization from the coaches on the field to Andrew Friedman. The whiners and the complainers take all the fun out of the joy of watching Dodger baseball. Thanks for all that you do to keep this site up and running.
Was in AZ over the weekend and attended the one game the LAD lost. It was an absolute laugher. Betts, Freeman and Teo were pulled after the one big inning by the DBacks. Got a chance to see Kike throw from the mound (highlight of the game). That was my first time in Chase Field and it wasn’t a great experience from a Dodger fan perspective, but being in a closed dome venue for the first time was a unique baseball experience.
The opinions from AZ fans varied. From the prototypical hate from the homers, to the respect from the more knowledgeable fan base.
While some fans like to complain for essentially the LAD not fielding all stars at every position, it’s important to note that no team will ever field a perfect team, as MLB CBT is structured to discourage teams like the LAD from “buying” championships; however, as Mark alluded, the the biggest challenge is overcoming the randomness of the game, which makes it extremely difficult to predict. The best execs can do is plan and hope all moving parts execute their projected roles.
In terms of Juan Soto, I believe the LAD will be in play. A young player like Soto not only provides immediate value but also stabilizes LA’s longterm posture on multiple fronts. Fact is, Muncy and Freeman are heading into the twilight years of their respective careers. In addition, like Ohtani, Soto presents marketing opportunities that are more valuable to some teams than others. From a pure talent perspective, I believe there is a chance Juan Soto ends up being the biggest talent of our generation if he can stay healthy. At 25 years old, we must concede that his best years are theoretically ahead of him.
Hope everyone had a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!
Thanks for keeping this place sane Mark
I’m curious, what do people there say about the heat?
More than 100 consecutive days over degrees.
Hey Chad. I too follow the Dodgers on radio. I can do whatever I want and listen at the same time. But I sure miss
”ITS TIME FOR DODGER BASEBALL”
Thank you Vinnie for all the wonderful years. Eloquently painting a picture for me to see.
Book em
I too like the new look.
A lot fewer posts and I have always favored quality or quantity.
I for one do not miss the drivel and inane comments that we were subjected too.
A much better more relaxed read nowadays.
I grew up in SoCal (Thousand Oaks) and moved to NorCal after an initial stint in the military and finished college.
To show how shallow I am – I enjoy listening to the Giants lose almost as much as I listen/watch the Dodgers!
The lineup is crazy deep with Lux, Edman and Rojas and now Smith showing signs of life.
Pitching is the issue – really hoping that Glasnow and Yamamoto make it back.
As Always – thanks for your passion, time & effort for this site.
It literally is the first thing I read online everyday.
Soto will be verrry expensive, perhaps second to Ohtani in all of baseball.
Around this time last year, while many if not most fans were predicting that the Dodgers would sign Ohtani, some bloggers and posters argued that would be folly–that he would be too expensive and AF would be spread the $$ among three or four free agents. (Feel free to step forward if this was your opinion.)
The no-to-Ohtani argument was shortened to “NOtani.”
But now some people are saying “GOATani”–and the prospects of 50 HRs and 50 steals are actually pretty good. (And he hasn’t even thrown a pitch yet!)
Anyway, I get the impression that Soto enjoys being a Yankee and playing in a stadium that plays to his strengths. The prospect of a bidding war between the Yanks and Mets might drive the price so high that AF would bow out early.
Why? Simply because Soto, while a terrific offensive player, is neither a GOAT or a unicorn. Unlike Ohtani and Yamamoto, Soto isn’t going to do much to build the Dodgers’ global brand. (The Dodgers are already big in Latin America and of course that’s not where the money is.)
The fact that the Dodgers made such a humungous splash last winter could be a reason for some smaller splashes this winter, like maybe signing Ha-Seong Kim as the new, improved Kike. And Flaherty is certainly making a good argument for a deal.
But seriously, the Dodgers could do absolutely nothing and still be among the top teams in the game.
Fortunately, doing nothing is not the Dodgers’ style.
It’s a little early to think about next season when this season is so interesting.
The Dodgers are as good as anyone IF they have starting pitchers. Despite their best efforts, they don’t really. A post-season rotation of Flaherty, Stone, Buehler, and Miller would be a disaster. A post-season rotation of Glasnow, Yamamoto, Flaherty, and Kershaw could be dominant. This post-season will likely turn on the health of their starters.
Dont sell Stone short.
I think he can be really really good in the postseason.
My concern is that Sone could be gassed come playoff time.
regarding fans saying the dodgers have an all star at every position. Catcher-home grown. 1st -free agent (bargain). 2nd- home grown. ss -pretty much a waiver wire acquisition. 3rd- Oakland scrap heap.(no insult intended). left -free agent ( bargain). center – trade (bargain). right- trade. pitchers – Glasnow/ trade. Yamamoto/ free agent. Stone/ home grown. Miller-buehler- may- kershaw-knack-justin w all home grown. Flaherty/ trade/ ( bargain). Gonsolin/ trade. Ryan/ trade. bullpen. kopech, brasier,vesia, phillips, hudson, banda, trienan. all quality and not expensive! so there’s your dodgers! a hell of a lot of quality, and not too many free agents!
Great article in the Athletic on why bad teams don’t change GMs, when they are the ones assembling the “talent”. A couple of excerpts:
“For underachieving clubs, managers are always easy scapegoats. The Mariners already fired theirs. The Reds, Pirates and others might, too. But modern managers are glorified middle men, extensions of their front offices. A managerial change often is an act of deflection by the head of baseball operations, a bid to buy more time.”
“Another factor is the analytically based groupthink that pervades front offices. Fire your head of baseball operations, and who will you hire? Probably another executive whose decision-making is not all that dissimilar from the one you let go.”
“Cherington, like every head of baseball operations, can point to a handful of player-development successes as proof that better days lie ahead. Struggling teams always point to tomorrow. Some, like the Baltimore Orioles, eventually get to a better place. But too many others are running what amounts to a borderline con.
In most cases, the problem starts with ownership, not the head of baseball operations. Owners should be scrambling to find the next Anthopoulos, the next Dave Dombrowski, the next A.J. Preller. No one would accuse any of those executives of being afraid. But each also works for committed ownerships.
Financial commitment is one thing. Emotional commitment is another, and too many owners see no need to make that type of investment. Stability and continuity represent the easy way out, even when such noble concepts fail to produce results.
When financial success is attainable without on-field success, why rock the boat?”
BANG!
Nailed it!
Do the Dodgers want Teoscar or Soto? Can’t believe they would or could sign both. Are the Dodgers ready to let Andy Pages take over in LF or RF? Big question mark also. I think Rojas should be resigned for 1 year with club option for 2nd year. He’s been great this year. Are any of the catchers in the system convertible to 3B or LF?
Rojas has a club option for $5 Million in 2025. I suppose you could add another option for the same.
I have always thought Smith could play 3B. Rushing is already in LF.
Cartaya is still a work in progress.
Iam a old guy I use to go toEbbets field moved to calif in the late 70’s been going to this webb site first thing in the morning for many years. I love the way it is now I currently live in sun city in Indio
I think the Internet has given us all an exaggerated sense of competence!
You just nailed it Doug!
I had an exaggerated sense of competence long before the Internet.
Along that line of thinking, with regard to Soto, I would take the Yanks and Mets against the field no matter what the odds. He loves NY and there is no way one or the other of those teams (probably both) would let Andrew outbid them. They both need him more than we do, both on the field and for promotional purposes.
Very nice Dougly.
Noto Soto.
Book em
9:38 PM ET
Dodgers (83-55)
Angels (57-80)
SP Walker Buehler R
1-4 5.88 ERA
SP Reid Detmers L
3-6 6.14 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
LF T. Hernandez R
C Will Smith R
CF Tommy Edman S
3B Max Muncy L
SS Miguel Rojas R
2B Chris Taylor R
83° Wind 7 mph Out
Here’s something to ponder about Juan Soto:
https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1812923478817054898
Soto is bound for one of the two NY teams, the Mets or Yankees in 2025. BET IT! AF if semi-interested drives up the price for the eventual team that signs him.
All eyes on starting pitcher Yamamota and Graterol playing for Oklahoma City tonight 7:05 CDT.
Mark
I am a long time reader. I thoroughly enjoy your writing style and knowledge, as well as the commenters. But please, can we go just one day without attacking the “morons”? It is really taking away from this site. Let’s move past it. That horse is long dead and beaten to a pulp.
I get it. But they ruled this site for a time. I just want to make sure they never come back and think they are welcome here. 😉
Man Freddie had a this look about him in the box before that second homer that screamed nobody can stop me. Hope that’s contagious. That kinda of confidence with the talent we got will go far.
Mark–What’s your opinion of Edman?
I think Edman is exactly what the Dodgers need this year in CF and moving forward, he could take his game to another level with the Dodgers.
I like him a lot!
I agree about Edman I like him too . He’s a little old school he’s not the biggest player or the most athletic he just fights and scraps to be a good player. Junkyard dog, scrappy hustler what ever you want to call it he’s a player you like to see play.
Mookie!!! Hes got that 2020 look and feel to him….
I think he goes OFF in the postseason!
walker is close. bobby miller can also get closer tonight with a solid, not spectacular performance. Boy does that bullpen need some rest, but every single reliever was sharp last night. NO. WALKS! impressive ! …. 16 k’s by the offense! Detmer was impressive, but 16? Guessing a little too much effort in the D-backs series may have drained them a bit. Win’s a win, right? …. now finish the halos off tonight! … closrr and closer to that division title, and every win gets them closer to another 100 win season! it’s still alive!