Is it Down To Teoscar and Robert, Jr.?

This article has 51 Comments

1. I read where the Dodgers wants Teo to defer money and he refuses. If we can get Roberts without giving up much of the Farm,, I’m in. How long does AF and BG wait on Teo?

   1. I would say the time is near…

2. I agree with your take today. Teo signs with us in the next few days or we need to move on to Roberts. Roberts has a lot of Power and is a much better defender.

3. I plea for patience. The Dodgers lineup is deep with or without Roberts. I saw on another site that a site called “trade simulators” had the Dodgers Bobby Miller and Roberts as a straight up trade. The roster we have now is good enough to win the World Series, if we can improve it, go for it. As I’ve suggested in the past, when dealing in a position of strength one can afford to be patience.

   Whoever posted the playoff pitching staff that they hope for in the playoffs and didn’t include Kershaw should be kicked (not real hard) in the shins.

   1. I would do that trade.

      Whenever I draw up a lineup of what we have now, a #4-hitting RH bopper is missing.

   2. A lot of people forget Kershaw,I don’t get it.I hate that.The greatest Dodger in my time and it’s like no respect.

   3. Those “trade simulators” are fun but often seem divorced from reality.
      Right now, Luis Robert is biggest talent on the White Sox. In ’23, he was one of the best players in the game, and seemed poised for bigger success. But injuries have been a problem, and the ’24 season damaged his value.
      The White Sox management will expect return that reflects Robert’s ’23 performance, not his lost ’24. The Dodgers could deliver that.

      1. Somebody said Outman was worth ~14 points. Not realistic. Casparius probably has more real value.

         Small-minded replies not welcome.

4. Great piece. I hear what you’re saying on Robert Jr. Perfect three year window with team-friendly opt-outs. Also agree Bote can be useful. And that pitching staff looks monster, maybe Gonsolin traded mid-year.

5. Plan B doesn’t have to be Robert Jr.
   It could also be Suzuki from the Cubs. With their trade for Tucker, he’s now left being a DH and he supposedly doesn’t like that.

   1. The Suzuki option should be explored. Cubs want to trade Belli, but he’s overpriced and seems a better fit for the Yanks.
      Interesting idea to use Robert in LF. Has he added some weight? When I first saw him, he reminded me immediately of Puig–big, strong, fast, athletic. His defense in CF has won a lot of praise but perhaps a move would be good.

      1. Suzuki’s a good fit here.

6. I prefer Bellinger at CF and in two years, when he leaves, Z. Hope should be ready to take over the position.
   CT3 must be included in the negotiation with the Cubs. The Dodgers will have to sign Kiké (.274 avg with glasses) for him and Edman to be the UT players.
   LF Conforto, CF Bellinger, RF Pagés, all three can hit 20HR and 75 RBI. Time will tell if a platoon is needed, if so, then: Conforto/Kiké and Pagés/Edman.
   LF Kiké, CF Belli, RF Pagés vs L and LF Conforto, CF Edman, RF Belli vs R

   1. Cubs could actually use CT3 since Hoerner won’t be available to start the season.
      Taylor could play 2B for them until Hoerner returns and then be a utility guy.
      His first couple of months were so incredibly horrendous that the rest of his season went unnoticed.
      He hit .252 from June-Sept and .314 from Aug-Sept.
      Maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to get rid of him, but since the Cubs really don’t need Suzuki now, especially since he doesn’t want to DH, they should see if AF would give them CT3 and Knack for Suzuki. Might be a win for both sides.

      1. Sorry, sub the name Bellinger for Suzuki in my above comment, although it might work for either of them.

7. Wow Mark. Damn good article. I would trigger that deal in a heartbeat! Everyone here knows I was pumping up Bo and Luis well before the trade deadline. The reason being is that AF
   Is epic at buying low and selling high. The White Sox might want to reestablish value but Andrew will school them with one less year of control will hurt the Soxs. Luis will have to have a monster year to recoup trade value so checkmate Andrew. As for Bichette, that ship has sailed. He has one year of control left after a down year. The Dodgers are loaded whether we get Robert Jr. or not.
   Book em

8. The Dodgers know what they are doing, I trust them. https://dodgerstailgate.com/dodgers-brewers-lux-williams-rumors/2024/12/15/

9. There’s as much of a chance of the Dodgers trading for Robert Jr. as there was for a signing of Soto.

   Zero point zero.

   1. Really? Zero point zero?

      As long as we’re quoting odds, I’d say somewhere between 10-20%, but certainly above zero.

      1. Zero.

         AF has never traded for a player like him, and won’t start with him specifically.

         1. Define “a player like him”.

            1. A “pretty good” player.

               It’s stars, under-valued or reclamation assets.

               Betts, Glasnow, Taylor, Muncy, Hope, Jackson Ferris, Feyeresen. These are just some, but they clearly define the type of trades the team makes.

               They don’t trade for “good” players, and NEVER, EVER trade at market highs.

            2. You think there is a roadmap, when there is none.

               I am not advocating for or saying they will trade for Robert, Jr. but the Dodgers have had talks with the ChiSox, so even Ray Charles could see the odd are smoewhat more than 0.0%

            3. Case in point, going after Suzuki now that his value is depressed and the Cubs basically have to move him is about 1,000,000,000,000,000x more in line with Friedman’s history than overpaying for an often-injured, over-valued Luis Robert Jr.

            4. Of course there is a roadmap! You think the Front Office is making this up as they go?

               Changing course depending on who is available?

               Of course not. The roadmap is super clear. Go hard after stars, otherwise develop everyday players and take chances on undervalued assets.

               It’s the same roadmap for the past odd decade.

         2. Yeah, they never traded a player with:

            1. A “Jr.” after his name;
            2. 3 years of control;
            3. Coming off a bad year;
            4. First name “Luis”;
            5. Being 27 years old;
            6. Having hit 36 doubles, 38 HR and Stealing 20 bases two years before; and
            7. Being on a team that lost 120 games.

            Yep, he’s never done that!

            1. This was a moronic reply.

            2. Simply following your lead. 0.0%

10. Among all of the Dodgers’ contracts, Taylor’s is probably the toughest to trade. So I don’t see him factoring into a deal for Belli or Suzuki.
    FWIW, I’d prefer Suzuki to Belli. In ’24, he hit to an .848 OPS, including an OBP above .360. Belli, meanwhile, had an OPS of .751 with an OBP of .325. Belli does bring a lot more defensive value–which I expect will benefit the Yankees.
    Taylor still has UT value to the Dodgers, but he just hasn’t performed up the 4-year, $60 million deal he signed in ’22. The Dodgers would probably have to eat most of the $13 million owed for ’25. Unless Taylor has an amazing season, the club won’t exercise the option it has for ’26.
    Lux, in contrast, should be an attractive trade chip. Spotrac estimates his ’25 contract at $2.7 million, and he’s under team control through ’26. At 27, he’s seven years younger than Taylor. Still some upside in his game.
    If you ran the Cubs, which player would you want?
    Could a deal be built around Lux and Suzuki? Perhaps. (The Cubs are talking about dealing Hoerner and could plug Lux into 2B.) How about Lux + a choice of Outman or Pages….or maybe a pitching prospect.
    Right now Mookie’s desire to play SS and not 2B in ’25 may be the only thing keeping him on the Dodgers. Mookie seems very likely to shift to 2B within a couple of seasons, possibly this one. The Dodgers reportedly tried to deal Lux to the Brewers for Devin Williams. He is certainly being shopped around.

    1. I don’t think I’d include Pages in a deal for Suzuki.
       We only have Conforto signed for this year and Suzuki would only be for two years.
       No way of knowing if Hope or DePaula will be ready in the next couple of years.
       If AF really would move Lux in a deal for Suzuki, I’d rather include Outman or Knack than Pages, although I have no idea if that would interest the Cubs since a number of other clubs would probably like to get Suzuki as well.

11. “Freddie Freeman was responsible for one of the most memorable moments in Los Angeles Dodgers postseason history when he hit a walk-off grand slam against the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.

    The ball landed in the right-field pavilion and was retrieved by 10-year-old Zachary Ruderman, who attended the game with his parents. It was up for bidding from Dec. 4-14 through SCP Auctions in Southern California and sold for an impressive $1.56 million”.

    1. 1.56 Million, put that in a Trust fund for the Kid…..

       Id say no to Luis Robert just too much swing and miss, but I trust the Dodgers Brass,,,,

12. Hi Bluto…..how’s the hangover? At least when I drank too much I just told everybody I loved them.
    Getting Robert Jr. would be buying low. Suzuki OPS 848 in 24 would be buying high. Mark’s comment was sarcasm, duh. Not moronic. And I think you have reverse splits on having good takes.
    Book em

    1. I don’t think buying low, and getting something undervalued are the same. Cost and value are not synonymous.

13. I like it. Suzuki had a great year, but the Cubs are dealing from a position of strength. The Sox not so much. Roberts value is as low as it’s going to be. 3 years younger and 3 years of control. He could be had for a song and a dance. Suzuki will cost the whole gymnasium. I would love either one. But find me a 2nd baseman before trading Lux.
    Book em

    1. Um, count hour many starting caliber OFs the Cubs have, then count how many OF positions are in a daily lineup

    2. I am fine with Lux at 2B.

14. Interesting read on the final portion of the Soto contract negotiations and how it came down to Soto asking for a suite for his family at Yankee Stadium.

    https://flip.it/bb8F_C

    1. How do you spell Prima Donna?

       1. S-O-T-O

15. maybe ole Juan is more like machado and tatis than everyone thought! Steve Cohen just bought himself a 15 year old contract which will end up being a disaster!! if the mets don’t win at least 3 championships in the next few seasons he will regret this deal forever! Not disputing his ability to hit a baseball, disputing his long term value. Ohtani’s contract ? the endorsements , merchandise,the international market, no comparison! …. Anyone know exactly what Teo is asking for in a new deal? I’ve heard no deferrals is one condition. …. so mookie asked for the shortstop job. why would lux be shopped then? is it possible mookie moves back to 2nd if Freeland gets a shot at short? Maybe they want to give Gavin one more shot at the job. A full season healthy to prove he’s the guy. But there’s still the question whether he can hit lefties. Are they intrigued by Bote? A future platoon? …. I agree with you Mark, Conforto is not the everyday left fielder. i’m just wondering who will be!

16. “The Dodgers and right-hander Matt Sauer have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The Paragon Sports International client also receives an invite to major league spring training.

    Sauer, 26 in January, got to make his major league debut in 2024. The Royals used the second pick of the Rule 5 draft to grab him from the Yankees a year ago. He held a roster spot for a while but allowed 14 earned runs in 16 1/3 innings, leading to a 7.71 earned run average. He gave out 11 walks while only recording nine strikeouts. The Royals returned him to the Yankees before the end of May.

    The Yanks then sent him to Triple-A, a level he had never pitched at before, but he struggled there as well. He allowed 15 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings, so the Yanks sent him down to Double-A. He finished the season there on a high note, throwing 24 innings over 17 relief appearances with a 2.63 ERA, 22.3% strikeout rate, 3.2% walk rate and 46.4% ground ball rate”.

    1. I’ll expect some great things from this guy! I know better than to question our random pickups every year!

       1. Here’s what Fangraphs said about him in 2023:

          Matt Sauer, RHP, from New York Yankees

          A high-profile high school pitcher and second rounder from the 2017 draft, Sauer has persevered through myriad injuries and mechanical tweaks during his six-year pro career. His 2023 got off to a delayed start, as the Yankees were cautious in bringing him back from surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow. When he returned, Sauer pitched pretty well at Double-A Somerset, amassing 68 innings in 14 appearances (all but one as a starter) while striking out 29.5% of opposing hitters and walking 10.5%. The Yankees then sent Sauer to the Arizona Fall League, where he mostly sat 93-95 mph and touched 96 from his now due-north arm slot. His most-used secondary pitch is a firm 84-87 mph slider with two-plane bite. Sauer commands this pitch better than his fastball and could stand to throw it more. There’s a tertiary curveball here, too, but in all likelihood, Sauer will shift to Kansas City’s bullpen and work heavily with the fastball/slider combo in a multi-inning relief role. If he sticks on the Royals roster, they can still increase Sauer’s innings load in a role like this and prime him to start in 2025. But it’s perhaps more likely that Sauer will just be a single-inning reliever in the long run. His fastball doesn’t have a ton of life and he needs every bit of velo he has for it to be effective. If he could sit 96-plus airing it out an inning at a time, it would probably give him the best chance of sticking on a big league staff for the long haul.

          1. He is another project… AF has several of them.

17. Remember the other injury prone outfielder we had ( AJ Pollack)? I used to call him glassman. He broke every time he touched the wall. He worked out alright. If Luis Roberts Jr becomes a Dodger, the Dodger training staff will whip him into shape plus they will play him in LF not CF. 2023 was a very strong year for him and I can see him getting back into those kind of numbers. I prefer Teo for two years plus an option but I’m sure he’s going to get higher offers elsewhere. I can hear the same people that want him at all costs now complaining about him in being a liabilty on defense in a few years. I have trust in Dodger management but I’m hoping to resolve this soon.

18. Suzuki hit DH nearly as much as he played the field last year.

    1. Yes, his fielding is an issue, but he has told the Cubs he doesn’t want to DH, which could drive down his value.

19. He has played very little LF, but I am sure he could learn…

    I’m OK with him for two years.

    But, if I were the Cubs, I would trade Pete Crow-Armstrong to someone who wants a great defensive CF’er who can’t hit and do this:

    LF – Happ
    CF – Bellinger
    RF – Tucker
    DH- Suzuki
    If he doesn’t like it, he can sign somewhere else in two years.

    Add in Busch, and Swanson and you have some pretty good offense. They need a 3B!

20. I’d be shocked if they gave up on Crow-Armstrong after less than 400 MLB at bats.

    His lifetime minor league batting line is .296./.368/.515/.883. We know full well that sometimes guys don’t carry good minor league stats to the majors, but he’s only 22 and doesn’t cost anything in salary. He’s good enough defensively that he moved Belli out of CF. He isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

    1. I think he has one problem: he can’t hit.

       But he is crazy-good on defense.

Comments are closed.