My Beef With the Dodgers

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1. Agree. Call up Lux now. Joc experiment a failure unless we trade him elsewhere. Also defense better with Muncy at first instead of 2nd

2. We have to learn how to win at Coors and I think we can, starting today I hope.

3. Lux isn’t being called up until September. Hernandez will be back sooner than later and we haveNegron to spell Seager in the interim. This FO does move players up until they’ve established themselves both physically and psychologically.

   Pederson playing 1st allows 4 outfielders play when only3 positions are available. Are several players out of position, without a doubt. But as long as Bellinger is in right we have to live with it. In the meantime All for get to stay current If there lead dropped below 10 games I see the experiment ending. Otherwise for better or worse we have what we have until post season

4. We have to learn to win at Coors, and I think we will today, I hope.

5. Not a fan of Joc, but the FO is really screwing around with his career by playing him at 1st. Put him back in LF where he is comfortable or trade him to a team that will utilize his defense better. I feel sorry for the guy.

   1. How in the world is he or his, Snicker, career being screwed with?

      He is showing flexibility, the team showing how important his bat is.

   2. Rudy, I agree to a point. When the guy is so frustrated and distracted by playing a position that he has no business playing it is affecting his hitting. He’s then hits a hard ball at the first baseman and stops running when the ball is caught. Should he have kept running it out? Yes, but to make an example out of him after what they’re putting him through is a bit of BS in my book. His play at 1st is beyond brutal. It’s gotten to the point of embarrassment and I feel sorry for Joc. See Ron Washington in the Money Ball movie. “It’s incredibly hard”.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzDYgRc6eic

      On paper, not a bad idea. Give the kid a spring training to learn it and maybe it works out, but when it’s causing him to suck in the batter’s box , in the field and affect other player’s defense, it’s time to pull the plug.

6. Me too Rudy.

7. What’s up with all the circus music playing last night? I can’t get it out of my head.

   I’m with you Rudy, they’re really messing with Joc and everyone else on the team by keeping Joc at 1B. I couldn’t believe my eyes when Turner’s throw hit him in the glove and cam out. Then the grounder he deflected to Muncy. This isn’t working and there’s no reason to continue this experiment.

   Is today the day? I can’t believe how slow this deadline is.

8. Maybe I’m not paying enough attention to the Mets farm system, but I agree with Mark, I think the Dodgers could have offered a much better package for Stroman. Maybe they didn’t believe he’d make a difference and the focus is strictly on the bullpen. I expect the Dodgers to pick up multiple relievers. I don’t see Friedman tossing Lux or May into any deal. Maybe the Pirates are motivated to trade Vasquez because they not only like Ruiz, but need him since the system has a catching issue. We’ll all find out tomorrow. Then there is Joc and first base. That isn’t working.

   1. If you read what I posted yesterday, they may have. They Yankees did and it was reported and NL team not near Toronto did too. The Mets wanted better players from them than the Mets. Consider it a success tax or an inter division tax on the NYY.

9. I have supported the Joc experiment at 1B. And honestly, I don’t think it has done irreparable harm to Joc or the Dodgers. However, given that it’s apparently taking Joc longer to adjust to 1B than was probably expected, and that the experiment is not likely to help the Dodgers going forward this season, I am actually in favor of putting an end to it for the remainder of the season, since it’s one of the elements in the Dodgers’ breakdown in defense recently. Best at this stage, I think, for the Dodgers to return to what was working before the experiment, and start preparing this team for the post-season, especially since I think it will take some time for the Dodgers to re-acclimate themselves defensively.

   I tend to think that in spite of what AF said about the Lux, that it is possible that he might get the call before September. I don’t watch Lux play everyday like some people here, but I have seen enough highlights to convince me that he would be successful if called up. And I say that even though I don’t generally trust highlights to inform me about a player, since highlights only show a player at his best. But it seemed from what I’ve seen, that Lux has superior bat control. I can’t speak to his defense at 2B, but I trust that the Dodgers’ braintrust has a handle on that. And I simply trust Muncy at lot more at 1B than at 2B, although for the most part I don’t believe he has been atrocious at the latter position this season.

   And this is not criticism, but Mom, I imagine that you didn’t look up the Dodgers record at Coors this year. Prior to this series they were 5-2 at Coors. That included a sweep of a 3-game series in April, and a split of a 4-game series in June.

   I would definitely like for the Dodgers to latch on to a dominant arm for the bullpen, but honestly, I would be speaking from ignorance about who the Dodgers should give up in a deal. Even without seeing much of them, I tend to think that Lux and Dustin May are off limits, and maybe the same can be said of Ruiz. In the case of Ruiz, we do have Will Smith. However, as good as he has looked, Smith is no sure thing, and it wouldn’t hurt to keep both catchers, to give the Dodgers a superior duo going forward.

   1. You are correct Brooklyn. I did not look at the overall record of games at Coors, but just remembering what some of the pitchers went through there recently, like Ryu for example. Thank you for the stats. Appreciate it. I need all the help I can get. Criticism not taken.

10. I think you and I have been in lock-step for a long time on the conversion of some of the #4 and #5 ceiling rotation starters into relievers. We would have had Brock Stewart into the pen had not Bums convinced AF that Brock was a good starter. Caleb Ferguson seems to be getting more comfortable in the reliever role. While even his biggest fan outside of his family loved what he saw last night, I am not ready to say Caleb has turned the corner. He is on his way to being a good Andrew Miller type reliever (any high leverage any time – multiple innings if need be). From the year after he was drafted, I was for Sheffield being converted, and he was finally convinced late last year that his path to a career in MLB was as a reliever. I know we both have believed for some time that Dennis Santana should be converted. I am not yet willing to say that Tony Gonsolin cannot be a quality starter, I would not object if he was converted to a reliever, or if he is packaged in a trade for a difference maker. It is way too early to make any assessment of Michael Grove, but I would not object him moving into the bullpen.

    Dustin May and Josiah Gray are the top two starters in the organization, and are both #2 or #3 level starters. Maybe John Rooney and Edwin Uceta. Andre Jackson is 23 and in High A pitching well. He has two plus pitches (fastball/change) which screams reliever. I would give him another year to fully develop the curve or slider before I would convert him, but he is getting close to that age that he could become another Brock Stewart.

    Two of this year’s draft picks are getting to start, but I believe that they will end up as relievers…Ryan Pepiot and Jack Little. Logan Boyer, Mitchell Tyranski, Braydyn Fink and Jeff Belge are all relievers that I believe have a shot at ML. I am looking forward to seeing Jimmy Lewis pitch. And I am hopeful that Braydon Fisher can come back.

    1. Stewart never bounced back from his first time on the IL and he never developed that third pitch. Kershaw wasn’t Kershaw until he came up with the slider as his third pitch. I w a s w r o n g about Stewart.

       1. Bums it was all said in jest.

          1. I read it that way. I thought it was funny. You are right though, I have been a supporter of Stewart and was hoping he would do well with the Dodgers. I liked Schultz as well. I like converted shortstops.

11. I also feel sorry for Joc. However, he brings some of this on himself by not being able to hit left handers. I am against platooning. Always have and always will be. Find eight players who can hit both left and right hand pitching. Put them out there and let them play every day.

    I have been advocating developing relief pitchers in the minors like you develop position players and starting pitchers. Stewart should of been told after 2-3 years in the minors that his best chance to the majors is as a relief pitcher. If he balks, trade him. I can guarantee that if I was told I could maybe make it to the majors as a relief pitcher, I would be a relief pitcher the next day. They are only trying to help him. Look at Jansen and Baez. Both position players and now relief pitchers.

    1. I with you regarding platoons. I hate them, but Joc is an exception to the rule. With that said, I would trade him in a heartbeat for Jose Abreu. Joc’s gone after next year, worst case scenario, anyways. Joc for Abreu was a rumor over the off-season. What’s the holdup?

       I’ve seen Lux pay a few times and he always looks like the most athletic guy on the field. He is one possible solution to buttoning up the defense. However, I find a lot of risk asking three rookies to produce in a post-season roster. On top of that, it would put yet another lefty in a lefty heavy lineup, but this is inevitable as early as next year.

       Another option to shore up the defense is to put Belli back at 1B. Not a bad option to have a GG caliber 1B next to Muncy. Just tell him “Don’t dive for anything”. Verdugo goes to RF and takes his Golden Glove and Arm with him. Joc goes back to left field where he’s more than adequate, then they can deal him in the offseason.

       Lux is a keeper and shouldn’t be traded under any circumstance. He’s a middle infielder with a ceiling similar to Corey Seager without the injury history. That said, Seager was awesome as a 21 year old September callup, but wilted in the playoffs. That isn’t to say the same thing will happen to Lux, but Corey had 105 games at AAA compared to Lux’ 23. On the other hand, Lux’s numbers are staggering even when compared to Corey. More reasons not to trade him.

       1. Joc to the White Sox was rumored. I never heard Abreu mentioned anywhere in the media.

12. I believe every game is important so stop with the experiment at 1B with Joc. Something that has not been brought up is Home Field Advanhttage throughout the playo AND World Series.
    Right now we are nip and tuck with NYY and Astros for best record in the majors. So where would you have our team play the majority of WS games. Houston, Yankee Stadium or LA?
    That’s why every game we play is important to WIN.

    1. This is a good point. If there is a game 7 in the WS, do you want Ryu pitching in Dodger Stadium or Yankee stadium? That’s reason enough to limit the tinkering and experimenting.

       1. If there’s a game 7 in the WS and it goes into extra innings, do you want to know all the potential ways you can get an .850 OPS bat into the lineup? That’s reason enough to keep experimenting.

13. The end of my first paragraph above should read “Best at this stage, I think, IS for the Dodgers…. Left out the word “is”.

    Also, I’m impressed with Lux’s family baseball background, and his dedication to the game.

    https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-draft-pick-gavin-lux-20160611-snap-story.html

14. Mom,

    You don’t need anywhere near the help that I do. 🙂

15. Isn’t it a lot easier to convert a pitcher from starting to relieving than the other way around?

    I suspect that the Dodgers have a lot of pitchers begin their careers as starters simply to get them enough innings to develop secondary pitches. Maybe they wait too long to make the conversion, but that’s another question.

    1. Starter to reliever. You almost never see it the other way.

16. No use in making any plans for the remainder of the season until Thursday. We won’t know what or who we have to work with until the dust settles………..if there is any dust to settle. I think there will be but we just have to wait and see.
    That said, I am done with Joc at first base and if he isn’t traded he needs to go back to the outfield. The team cannot play it’s best defense without Cody at first. There is not a more talented defensive first baseman in the league, never mind the team.

17. If the Dodgers do not trade any of their top prospects, they will not meaningfully improve this year’s club, and they likely will fall short of the title again, because the bullpen is average at best, and the starting staff is showing holes. So then we can look forward to next year, and try again. And again.

    I know that I’ve said this before. I think that Friedman is to a large extent constrained by the ownership’s agenda, which was to have gotten payroll substantially down, keep it there; do not pick up any high-end long-term contracts. They want a team full of mostly cost-controlled players, and that means keeping virtually all of the young players, and picking up odds and ends who perhaps have some upside potential. I think that this is not conducive to winning more than perhaps one very occasional title, but I also think that the ownership doesn’t care that much, as long as the teams have good years, and attendance is strong. I would like to be wrong about this, but I think the evidence supports it. So when it comes to trade deadlines, we are always passing on anyone who requires giving up top prospects, and/or is in the middle of a longer-term contract. I think that is largely why we passed on Stroman, and will pass on Vazquez.

    We all like upcoming prospects. But they are just prospects. Other clubs more readily trade them. Other clubs go after big free agents in the offseason. We do not, so that means that the only way we can have big-time stars is to hope that the prospects turn into them. In our case, we’ve got Bellinger and Buehler, but then a team mostly full of lesser but versatile players. The limits of this show up. To me, the key aspect is that Friedman behaves as if his hands are tied to some extent. I don’t think Cashman’s or Dombrowski’s, or Epstein’s are, beyond the obvious, that there are some monetary limits. So I am never exactly sure what Friedman’s philosophy is, but I think that the Dodgers are more apt to hold on to players, so as to avoid having to pay for different ones. Yesterday, we saw a very comprehensive list of all the players we have picked up at the trade deadline during the Friedman years, and there wasn’t one high-end reliever in the group. Mostly, you get what you pay for, even if you are astute at occasionally finding diamonds in the rough. Keep all the prospects, and we’ll likely lose another year of our championship window. One would think that the fan base would eventually get tired of prospects rather than stars.

18. If everyone is done with JOC at first then we have four outfielders for 3 spots. Who sits? No way ZPollock only plays against lefties and platoons with JOC. Best for the team is to move Belli back to first and have Verdugo play rf. And if no one wants to trade any of our top prospect talent for a reliever then stop complaining about our bullpen!

19. If Cody goes to 1B, then Muncy either moves to 2B permanently, or plays only when there is a DH. That weakens 2nd base defensively, and also leaves no room for Lux this season.

    I like Cody at 1B a lot, but that move has consequences elsewhere. And while Verdugo can easily replace Cody in RF, do we really want Muncy to be our full-time second baseman?

    1. I would get Puig back for Right field cannon of an arm and put Cody back at 1b or CF . I know you guys dont like the idea but Puig has been clutch in playoffs and still has great arm and defense. Pollock has been horrible in CF is fat and cannot get to balls anymore. Move him to LF as platoon . The Guy cant get to any balls now at CF . I would really get Diaz and Lugo , Baur and Garret . That would give team awesome bullpen. Forget Vasquez it wont happen. Trade Strippling, Joc, Rios, Maybe Beaty, Ferguson, even Ruiz maybe.

       1. Puig has not changed, he remains an immature, petulant player with a low baseball IQ who only cares about looking good to the fans; a waste of God given talent. He was a distraction in the clubhouse before, and returning would blow this team apart.

          1. Puig was my favorite player, and I echo SoCalBum statements because I can see that the TEAM is better without him. Puig cost us in game 1 of the WS last year with his wild throw and poor positioning. He’s not a team guy. He’s a distraction and needs to grow the F up.

             1. Yet more productive than Pollock.

20. I think I’ve been on the record for many years now in favor of trading top prospects for ELITE players who can help us win a title that year. Since 2016, I’ve wanted a Sale, a Hamels, a Hand, etc.

    I’d never trade Seager, Buehler, Urias (and now Lux/Ruiz/May) type of prospect for a #4 starter, or a middle reliever. But for an impact guy? I’d consider it.

    HOWEVER, even though I might overpay a bit, I’d never overpay a lot. Overpaying now may get us a title, but it may not. But what it does do is put every other team in MLB on notice that the Dodgers are a desperate group, and that you can make a trade with them and they will always overpay. No team will strike a fair deal with us again, because our reputation will be that of a poor, desperate negotiator.

    I want Vazquez as much as anyone, and I’d include Ruiz in a deal to get him. But I won’t give up Lux. And if we give up Lux, plus others, it will haunt us going forward in any future deal we try to make (not because we don’t have Lux anymore, but because other teams will always demand the moon from us in any future deal).

    Be strong Andrew. If you can’t get the Rolls Royce, go get a few Audi and Mercedes for much cheaper. Just don’t settle for the 1999 Toyota Corolla again.

21. Trade Joc for Bauer !! Trade for Jose Iglesias and Amir Garrett for Strippling and prospect ! Get Edwin Diaz and Seth Lugo for prospects not named Lux, May, Peters. Get Castellanos , Abreu , or Puig for RHB. (Team does not really need but would be nice ), I know Puig wont happen but would be nice to have the wild horse back hitting a bomb in playoffs , Wont happen.. Maybe get Rojas from Miami for Infield if Iglesias cannot be had. But that is my wishlist.

    1. what about Matt Kemp?

       1. Duke Snider?

       2. Puig !!!!!! I would bring Back Puig he would rake it for 2 months

          1. And be late to games and throw past cutoffs to let base-runners jog into scoring position. No thanks.

22. Let me introduce a novel idea to you all about Joc Pederson. He lives and dies with the long ball but only against RHP. Joc does not have a single HR against a SLHP this season. He is batting .219 on the road. To sum this up, he is a player that cannot play everyday against most of the competition. This in itself, is causing the complications of platooning and trying to find a position for him just to hit a HR. Joc hardly hits anything else but HR’s but he’s good at drawing BB’s. Power is his game and I believe that this is one of the weaknesses that hurts our team because he is not a complete player and gums up the works to try to get a complete player who can play an OF position or1B or 2B, and hit both RHP and LHP. He is a perennial slumper who can barely get 100 hits a season! This is god-awful for a starter. What is the attraction to a player like this in the big picture? He causes us to use replacements for him and we rely on other slumpers like Kike to fill the gap. It ain’t working.

    I hearby call for his head by the deadline. It’s official. Until Joc and Kike are sent packing, we will not win a WS. We need solid positional players who can hit and defend their positions. Joc and Kike are not them. Pollock needs to prove he belongs. So far, the odds are against him. The Dodgers are not where they are because of Pollock. Even Puig is a better contributor but I’m happy they traded him. The FO is a super-conservative group and i don’t believe that super-conservative FO’s who can’t field a complete team can win a WS. If they don’t win it this year, what will be the excuses that the fans will come up with? Look at the excuses of 2017-18. Have they changed?

    1. Joc was a pretty good post-season performer until the Brewers and Red Sox stacked lefties against him and completely neutralized him. This is a big problem. I really like Joc, and I like Kike much less. But, Kike has a knack for coming up big off the bench and he plays every position well. There’s value in that. But, under no circumstances should he be a starter.

       With that said, I can live with a Joc/Kike platoon in LF. But, I would much rather have Abreu. I’m on the fence about discarding Joc in favor of Lux and throwing him into the fire.

       Damn, let’s make a deal already. This deadline sucks and is making everyone crazy.

    2. What should the Dodgers have done in 2017?…18? Did not the FO go out and get perhaps the biggest impact player available at the deadline in Yu Darvish? What exactly is there about that year to make excuses for? The team won 104 games and went to the World Series. They lost because Kenley had uncharacteristic lapses, Kershaw had perhaps characteristic lapses, and Darvish, who was the key deadline get who was supposed to get them over the mountain, completely imploded in the biggest game of his life. How do you pin the blame on the “super-conservative” FO?

       I included those question marks, not for rhetorical effect, but because they’re actual questions. So, Mr Armchair FO, what did the FO do wrong in 2017? I want to read your response.

       Joc has a wRC+ of 118. That puts him right above some scrub named Marcel Ozuna and some losers named Bryce Harper, Javier Baez and Nolan Arrenado and Paul Goldschmidt. I hardly think a public decapitation is in order. Reserve that for Austin Barnes 😉

       Pollock is 177 plate appearances into a 4 year deal. I don’t think he’s going anywhere.

       1. Dodgerpatch, the FO keeps putting bandaids on their biggest needs. And, they also keep making the same mistakes over and over. It’s not that they aren’t trying. The platooning has to go. The 2017 meltdown (losing streak) was indicative of their inability to solve this problem of Joc/Kike and the 2B/LF dilemma that has been with us for some years. The engine needs to be tuned. No loose screws. This engine can only go so far and we have seen that limitation, so far. It’s not just one area that need minding, there are a few. They keep hoping that these same players that exhibit systemic problems are going to change. Joc has exhibited little change and Kike, while trying his darndest, cannot nail down a position or keep his bat active for a full season. I don’t dislike either one, but they are limited and the FO doesn’t adress this directly. They try patience, different defensive moves, and seem unwilling to consider trading them. Somehow, we are stuck with them. They are not devoid of talent, they are devoid of consistency and batting skills aside from the long ball. This team seems to think that the long ball will decide everything. No real leadoff hitter and still struggling with RISPect. You want a WS as I do, but I don’t think it’s going to happen with this lineup. Joc and Kike are not tantamount to winning. Neither is Pollock as was proved during his absence. The FO has a poor record for outside acquisitions, IMO. With the exception of Muncy, who has been a difference maker, no other acquisition has stood out, and yet he is a horrible defender. Hill, a very talented pitcher, cannot stay healthy. So, the engine needs to be continually tuned. You don’t just put in some used parts, but parts that are built to last, complete players. I don’t believe this FO is willing to do that. But, they seem much better at digging into the farm and coming up with exceptional talent. That is 100% okay with me, but they must take more chances. They took it with Beaty and he has proved an excellent PH. They use him sparingly. Smith was also a chance and it looks like it is paying off.

          The BP which everyone thinks is the main problem is being addressed much too slowly. I don’t advocate this FO looking outside for the help. They seem jinxed in this area and don’t make good decisions. But, having added Sadler, and now Gonsolin, show more willingness to take a chance. Gonsolin looked good today and you can see the energy pouring out of him. Forget Vazquez. They will pay too much and why give up top talent for the future. Let them use the farm more freely and give these guys a chance to show what they’ve got in the big leagues. Flip or fly. Top talent doesn’t go away when you move someone into the 25 man roster. Take a chance with Lux. The guy may be able to solve the long term 2B problem we’ve had for too long. Bring up May and give him a chance to start. Maeda is through and so is Stripling. They are backups at best. Put them in the BP or trade them. If they don’t pull out all the stops now, they may fall short of the goal again. They have to try it or risk trading their prospects .

23. I write here rarely basically because I don’t have the knowledge most of you have. However, the issue for me is, is it possible that if we hand some more prospects to get the right pieces, we will win now? That is, regardless of waiting another 30 or 31 years more without being champions, will you hand the prospects to get the players you need right now? Because until now, it seems to me, taking care of our prospects has not made us win the world series. What does it matter to become a team like the current Giants if we can win the WS now? Does it really matter? I don’t think so. Bring the right guys now. The beef is there.

24. Just a thought but, how do you get a Home Run off a left hand pitcher if you seldom if ever, bat against them?

    1. The same you hit a 2 run home run leading off an inning.

    2. lol – If Bums asked the same question, MT would hit him over the head with a shovel and bury him with it.

       This has been posed my times. Mostly when Joc was on an ungodly tear at the beginning of the season. MT has firmly stated that Joc has proven that he can’t hit lefties. Just as Puig has proven that he can’t hit lefties. But, this year Puig can hit lefties and Mark easily rewrites his memories so you can’t say he was wrong.

       But, I love Mark for his irrationality as much as I do for his writing style.

       1. Puig is hitting lefties just as well as righties this year.

          1. Yeah, that’s my point when I said “But, this year Puig can hit lefties”

             1. Sorry, I missed it initially. My bad

       2. Do not beat me over the head, 59, but my question still stands.

       3. Not true! I would bury him first and then hit him with a shovel.

    3. DBMOM – I believed that about Bellinger last year. He didn’t have, in my opinion, the opportunities to face enough lefties to make the adjustments necessary. The FO made it’s mind that he couldn’t hit lefties, so he didn’t. Maybe it took the off season but now that seems to be resolved. I don’t feel (or see) the same from Joc. He looks lost against lefties and strikes out 35% of the time with zero homers. And I personally don’t have enough time and patience left for him to learn to play first base AND learn to hit right handed pitching. Why the fuss over this guy?

25. The current players are the ones that put the Dodgers in command of their Division. They need to add a co-closer. Madea could be that person and Hill might pitch 4 innings of relief several times in the post season several times.

    A post season rotation of Kershaw, Ryu, Buehler, and Urias is very strong.

    I totally would put Bellinger at first and think the injury thing there is total BS.

    If one of the current players that are getting the bulk of the playing time is traded or benched, it will take wisdom and great analysis to decide which one goes. July has been unkind to a number of hitters. Verdugo had a great first half and has yet to have a strong second half and is trending down. Muncy is still a strong trade asset. Joc has stopped hitting home runs. Bellinger showed us how great, HOF great, he can be and he has showed how bad he can be.

    I think we would be surprised and amazed at all the discussions Friedman has had with his FO. They have no doubt considered trades that would totally shock us.

    1. Bums how dare you say that Bellinger should be at 1B and Urias in the rotation!!! That is blasphemy on this site and is fighting words!!!!!!

       Like I said there’s some very easy solutions to the defensive problems. Both internally and externally. Same can be said with the bullpen. I’m all for getting some second tier guys like Colome and Greene. Even one freaking arm would do wonders. But, the fact of the matter is no closers have been traded so far, so there’s no need to panic. I’m still setting my sights high. Two arms, one lefty minimum. Right Handed bat. White is not what I had in mind, but I guess you can check off that box. I hope we aren’t considering a White/Beaty platoon at 1B.

       1. IIRC, the arguments from Urias not being in the rotation this year have been primarily based on his innings limit due to recent surgery. He has limited innings in his shoulder this year and let’s not waste them early in the year. Pitch him out of the pen in the early part of the year and then come August, September and post season move him to the rotation has been the apparent plan. With early injuries to the starters, he has already started some games but the Dodgers stated plan has been to limit his early innings.

          As to Bellinger at 1B, I concur the injury thing is BS. I am still scratching my head at the Joc 1B trial. Think it will end this week but not sure which permutation of infield will results.

          1. Urias joining the rotation can work if Gonsolin, Sadler, and Maeda can sustain the BP. I would love to see May moved into the rotation along with Urias and then let them decide later on who stays and who returns to the BP. If Urias is only capable of pitching 3 innings as a starter, this is not an ideal situation. I’m unconvinced by these tactics the FO uses.

26. AC, DC, 2D2 who are the rule 5 eligible players after this season? I ask because these are the type of players that are included in deals to add quantity and some quality. We’ve already seen Scrubb who fits the description get moved.

    1. I have brought those names up, and I will find them again.

    2. This is always a tricky one for me. Keibert Ruiz, Tony Gonsolin, Dennis Santana, Kyle Garlick and Edwin Rios are already on the 40-man roster. AC is much more up on this than I am. I certainly stand to be corrected.

       I believe Mitchell White, Christian Santana, Victor Gonzalez, Marshall Kasowski, Jordan Sheffield and DJ Peters are Rule-5 eligible and might draw some interest in a package.

       Zach Reks and Dustin May are one year away from Rule-5 eligibility. Gavin Lux is not in a sustained conversation in any event although he is one year away from eligibility in Rule 5. Edwin Uceta has one year to go as does Omar Estevez.

       I would like to see Reks and Gonzalez get a chance to play somewhere as they are backed up in the Dodgers system. The same with Rios.

       It might be that with his resurgence, DJ Peters may be seen a trade asset now. I expect other teams are looking for one big name such as Ruiz and 2/3/4 good prospects at the lower levels. It might be a Manny Machado scenario. It depends on whether the trading team is looking at competing in 2020 or building.

       1. Thank You and sorry if this was a repeat topic guys. Victor Gonzalez seems to be figuring out at the right time and has had a couple of promotions. Actually, I should probably say he got healthy at the right time. He caught my eye a few years back and had seemed to disappear.

          1. First time Rule 5 eligible at Rancho or above:
             Errol Robinson. DJ Peters, Mitchell White, Zach McKinstry, Carlos Rincon, Cody Thomas, Jordan Sheffield, Parker Curry, Brayan Morales.

             Marshall Kasowski will be Rule 5 in 2020, and Cristian Santana was not protected last year and was not picked up.

             DJ, Sheffield, and White should be the top 3 protected. Santana was not protected last year, so I do not know what the thinking will be this year. I know prospects are only prospects, but the organization does not have any RH bat with the skill set of DJ Peters. If he is traded, then the organization has to find a way of finding that RH OF bat. Hoese could be the next power bat, but there is no other power hitting OF.

27. Everyone seems to think Maeda would make a great reliever. I know he’s had some great games out of the pen but do the stats really back that up? It seems to me that he is inconsistent out of the bullpen just as he is inconsistent as a starter. Given a binary choice, maybe putting him in the bullpen is the right way to go, but maybe the better answer is to include him in a trade for a Syndergaard, Diaz or Vazquez. His contract is very affordable to whomever would get him.
    Please, one of you stat geeks, let me know if I’m just imagining that Maeda isn’t as great out of the pen as everyone seems to think he is. I very much hope to be proven wrong.

    1. 2017 NLDS: 2 games, 2ip, 4k no runs no hits no walks
       2017 NLCS: 3 games, 3ip, 3k, no runs no hits no walks
       2017 World Series: 4 games, 5.2ip, 5 hits, 1 run (on a home run), 2 bb, 3k
       2018 NLDS: 1 game, 1 ip, 2hits, 1k, 0 runs no walks
       2018 NLCS: 4 games, 2.2ip, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2bb, 3k
       2018 World Series: 3 games, 3ip, 4 hits, 3 bb, 6k, 1 run

       I didn’t see anywhere if he allowed any inherited runners to score, but I from what I recall, he only came in to begin an inning anyway?

       1. Thanks for the research Bobby. His work in the 2017 playoffs was really great and that’s where the “Maeda is a great reliever” story was generated, but if you look at 2018, his whip is about 2.25, and his ERA is about 4.35. Granted a very small sample size but definitely not nearly as good as 2017.

          What about non-playoff pen appearances? I think those have been inconsistent also. It seems to me that this probably proves my point. Maeda is an excellent reliever……………………………………………….sometimes.

          1. Knowing nothing, I would like to believe that if Maeda used his fastball more in relief he would be a good reliever. It feels like that when he uses his fastball more when he starts instead of nibbling he pitches a solid 5 innings. Throw hard for one or two innings in relief and mix in his great slider and maybe he repeats that 2017 postseason.

28. I’m doing my best to not express my real feelings about Joe at first base in hope that I won’t need to and he gets traded and this experiment will come to an end. He is being a good soldier and trying to play 1st but I can’t imagine he is having any fun there. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to see, from the start, that Joc isn’t cut out for the infield. Amount other skills, he doesn’t have the feet for it. Just like Muncy last night on the ball he booted. His feet never got him in the right position to make the play. Young infielders, early on, learn footwork to get in position to field balls (and throw). It’s obvious Joc never got that. And he NEVER WILL. A-Gon was a perfect example. No foot speed or drop-dead athleticism but he knew how to use his feet and play great defense. Joc doesn’t have the skill set for the position.
    For the life of me, I can’t understand all the to-do and bother caused by trying to keep this bat in the lineup while trashing the defense and all the many problems caused by that. The guy can only play against right hand pitching (only 33 AB’s versus lefties with 12 K’s) and while he’s hit 23 homers he’s hitting .236. I guess the 23 homers cancel out all the other problems this experiment has caused. Big lead or not, this is painful to watch and not the direction this team should be taking. Does anybody actually think that “showcasing” Joc at 1st, with his righty only .236 is going to entice anybody to trade for him as an infielder? Please, trade his a** or sent him back to the OF and platoon him. This experiment didn’t work.

    1. …”I’m doing my best to not express my real feelings about Joe at first base “… Based on the feelings you did express, I can’t imagine what you spared us from.

       1. You will hear them after the deadline if he’s still at first base. I haven’t scratched the surface. and sorry for the “E” and not “C”. thanks for pointing that out. You probably didn’t know who I meant.

29. I like Vazquez, but not at the cost of Lux or May. If I am AF those two are off the table. If the Pirates cannot accept that then move on. Two years ago, The Dodgers were in on Darvish, and then an hour before the deadline, talks stopped. I do not know what the hang-up was, but it was clear that Texas was asking for a player AF was not willing to trade. Then a minute before the deadline Daniels blinked and Darvish was a Dodger. This is different to a degree in that Pittsburgh does not have to trade Vazquez. But the Dodgers do not have to overpay either. There are other ways to improve the bullpen.

    In addition, say AF gets Vazquez at a reasonable overpay. Then what. It is easy for us fans to say that Jansen (or Vazquez) now have to accept a lesser role. Jansen has already made it clear that he is the closer. How would he accept being a setup guy? Or how would Vazquez accept it? The Dodgers have been very careful to building a cohesive clubhouse absent of a lot of turmoil. Would there be a potential rift and sides taken if a Jansen or Vazquez choice. Secondarily, I am not as enamored with KJ since the 2017 WS, but it isn’t that he is a bad closer. He has only blown 4 saves all year. Jansen has 5th most saves with 4 blown. Chapman has 1 more save and 1 more blown save. Doolittle, Diaz, and Osuna all have 4 blown saves.

    Post All Star: This is important to me as I care about how they are pitching this year, not next year or the year after. By that time, hopefully the LAD bullpen will be chock full of home-grown relievers. Hopefully how they are pitching now will carry forward into the post season.

    Ian Kennedy 9 for 9 in saves
    Carlos Martinez 7 for 7
    Edwin Diaz 4 for 4
    Mychal Givens 3 for 3
    Kenley Jansen 2 for 3
    Will Smith 3 for 5
    Aroldis Chapman 2 for 4
    Kimbrel 5 for 6

    Carlos Martinez is doing it with smoke and mirrors has his post all star ERA is 6.48 with a WHIP of 2.04 and BAA .333.

    Ian Kennedy has taken to relief very well, but his salary is out of line, and thus far KC says they are not willing to pay down his salary. Shane Greene has pitched well but has blown the only save opportunity he has had (not his fault he can’t get save opportunities with the worst team in baseball). But the most impressive pitcher post All Star, is Seth Lugo – 9.0 IP, no rune, 1 hit, no walks, 13K. That is where I start looking. Another former starter who is taking to relief very well and who has been particularly good post All Star is Michael Lorenzen (Reds). As has Aaron Bummer and Alex Colome’. Besides Givens, LH Paul Fry is quietly having a good year.

    Seth Lugo/Michael Lorenzen/Aaron Bummer/ Alex Colome’/ Mychal Givens/Shane Greene/Edwin Diaz…Every one of those guys would improve the LAD bullpen and none would cost any of the top 5 prospects. I would even include Kennedy in the process. Start with Seth Lugo and work down. I am quite certain that AF knows every one of these guys and has either inquired or passed depending on his scouts’ observation. And knows a lot of others. AF knows the big weakness on this team is the bullpen, and he will address it without any dope-fiend moves.

    1. The cost for Lorenzen would probably be somewhat reasonable and he’d very likely be our best right handed hitting pinch hitter as the roster is currently constructed. Multi-purpose players, The Friedman Blueprint.

    2. Lugo is someone that I’ve kept an eye on. He’s been outstanding. I don’t expect the White Sox to deal Bummer. Oberg would be a nice piece too.

       1. Bummer would need to be an overpay. The ChiSox are much more likely to move Colome’ which would be a nice fallback. I don’t see Colorado trading with the Dodgers. I do think Oberg would be a huge improvement.

    3. I agree, May and Lux are keepers.

       I would like to add Ian Kennedy, Diaz, Vasquez. Not sure Syndergard would squeeze Kershaw, Ryu, Buehler, or Urias out of the 4 man playoff rotation.

       A playoff bullpen of Jansen, Vasquez, Baez, Kennedy, Maeda, Diaz, Hill, would be a good one.

    4. AC, All those in your last paragraph would help the BP. I can’t help but think Diaz can be had easily and with 57 saves last season, that is the most impressive stat I’ve seen. AF seems to love reclamation projects and this one may pay off and leave us with our important prospects intact.

30. I think we should trade Ruiz. After all, what value is there in a (barely) 21 year-old switch-hitting catcher already in AAA who has more walks than strikeouts? Those guys grow on trees!

    1. Welcome to enlightenment.

31. Don’t tell me the reliever market isn’t heating up. Blake Parker to the Phillies, Adalberto Mejia to the Cardinals, and David Phelps to the Cubs. That is some significant bullpen movement.

32. Even though I live in NY, I don’t have time to watch both the Dodgers and the Mets. Consequently I don’t watch the Mets, except when they play the Dodgers. When I kept hearing Seth Lugo I conjured up some 30 something wily veteran without much in the way of stuff. Then I checked out Lugo’s stats and it brought back to me when he first came up with the Mets a few years ago, when I remember hearing very nice stuff about him from Met fans.

    I now have a completely different perspective on him, and it occurs to me that he might be more than a useful piece in the pen. I’m not endorsing him as the guy I prefer to acquire, but if the Dodgers make an offer, who am I to object. And if Uriah’s remains in the pen, maybe our pen gets significantly deeper with the addition of Lugo or his like.

    And Mark isn’t wrong. Players like Ruiz don’t grow on trees. If we can keep him, and hold onto our farm system depth, it could bode well for the Dodgers going forward, including this upcoming post-season.

    That said , what the Dodgers do in the next 24 hours could change my thinking completely.

33. Mistakes are inevitable when I post from my iPhone. That “Uriah’s” guy that I talked about remaining in the pen, was, in fact, Julio Urias.

    1. I have the same problem with my cell phone especially after I dropped it. It actually texts, deletes, and does other things on it’s own at times. You have to give to get. No one wants to deal Ruiz. However, he most likely won’t be a factor in LA until 2021 season. That can be looked upon as a positive or negative. The Dodgers have Cartaya, Feduccia, and they just signed another top catcher on the international market this year. They would be dealing from a depth position. If he’s as good as projected then the Dodgers should be able to build a package around just him and not include Lux or May. I think 90% of us on this board say Lux and May are off the table. Some want to include Gray, Gonsolin, and Peters on that list. AF has done a good job keeping the right pieces. I fully trust him to do so again. On High Heat this morning they discussed whether or not the Dodgers should be pushing more for Vasquez. I found it interesting that they added Gray’s name. They showed a list of the Dodgers top 5 and had him on there. Not just the so-called Big 4. Any Pirates scouts watching Tulsa last night?

34. For those of you who wonder, Cody got platooned last year because he hit .225 against LHP.

    Joc took it to another level – he hit .170!

    I can do better than that!

35. Eric Karros on trading prospects…

    “If I’m in that clubhouse, I’m saying ‘I don’t care, go get whoever’. I don’t care about minor league guys, or prospects. I played in an era in the mid-90s where we made a Pedro Martinez trade in 1993. For the next five years, we kept every prospect we had. We didn’t want to make the same mistake. Reality is, not everybody is going to pan out, and most of the guys didn’t pan out. We could’ve gotten a boatload for some of them at the time. Do I feel like it guarantees me a World Series? There are no guarantees, but it sure strengthens things. As a player, I’m ready to make the trade because I want to win now.”

    1. I agree with Karros. No one likes giving up a prospect who turns out to be a star, but that is the risk. Other teams are not stupid, you cannot manage to trade junk prospects to get good players. If you win titles by occasionally getting valuable pieces at the deadline, what does it matter if one or two or the prospects you give up become stars? And most of them don’t.

       A few years ago, when Joc Pederson was just about our most touted prospect, next to Seager, Boston apparently offered expensive soon to be free agent Jon Lester straight-up for Pederson. We didn’t do it, Lester went to St. Louis, and helped beat us in the playoffs., then later helped beat us again with Chicago. The next year, Pederson got off to that terrific start, and some were praising the Dodgers for holding on to him. Three years later, he is a .240 hitter with little trade value. That can also happen when you hold onto prospects. If the Dodgers truly believe that Lux and May have superstar potential, then by all means keep them. If not, then take the risk, if the right offer presents itself. Another name we all remember is Zach Lee, who at one time was the #1 pitcher in our system. We held onto him long enough that he wasn’t worth much, and he never panned out. Keep your absolute top prospects, but don’t make a fetish out of refusing to trade the others. And at some point, unless you have the best farm system in the world, you need to cash in a few of these high-end prospects for star talent players whom struggling teams are willing to trade for the future prospects. At least you do if your goal is to win titles.

       1. William, I will go one further. If the FO believe in May and Lux, bring them up now! We have nothing to lose by doing this and we may gain something very special. Most of us believe these are can’t miss prospects if we call them untouchable. It is not a sin to bring up a player before they check every box. They can always be sent back down if it doesn’t work out. Time to play Poker!

36. Morosi says:

    Felipe Vazquez and Shane Greene are two names that the Dodgers have been linked to frequently over the past few weeks and it remains possible that the club acquires not just one, but both.

    Vazquez remains one of the best left-handed relievers in baseball and is not a free agent until 2024 with team-friendly options for 2022 and 2023. Greene is having a career year and is not a free agent until 2021, so he would be in the back-end of the Dodgers’ pen next year as well.

37. DODGERS RECALL RHP TONY GONSOLIN
    RHP JOSH SBORZ OPTIONED TO TRIPLE-A OKLAHOMA CITY

    LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that they have recalled right-handed pitcher Tony Gonsolin and optioned right-handed pitcher Josh Sborz to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

    Gonsolin, 25, rejoins the team for the second time this season. In his only previous action, the right-hander made his Major League debut in a start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 26. He pitched 4.0 innings, allowing six hits, six runs (four earned) with three strikeouts in a losing effort. With Triple-A Oklahoma City, he has made 12 starts, posting a 1-4 record with a 4.95 ERA (20 ER/36.1 IP) and 41 strikeouts.

    Sborz, 25, has appeared in two games in two stints with the Dodgers, allowing six runs on six hits in 3.0 innings of work. On the season, he is 3-3 with a 4.54 ERA (19 ER/37.2 IP) and 51 strikeouts in 34 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City, including a 2-0 mark with a 2.61 ERA (3 ER/10.1 IP) and 14 strikeouts in his last 10 games

38. I interrupted my usual boycott of sports talk radio to listen to 570, and David Vasseigh, whom I do not like very much, but who is close enough to the Dodgers to likely be right about things like trades. He said that there is no way that the Dodgers are going to give up Lux, May, or Smith. He says they might be willing to give up Ruiz. He further said that he doubts that we get Vazquez, we might get Shane Green or Iglesias. We might get a starting pitcher, with the idea being to move a starter or two to the bullpen. Maybe Syndergaard or Bauer. He is pretty sure that AF will do something tomorrow.

    I don’t think that Stripling to the bullpen gets us much, he is not reliable there. Urias more so., but he is not a closer, at this stage. Vasseigh said something about Urias maybe being a good setup man for Jansen. My thought is that we need a new ace closer, if we want to win the title. Alternatively, two people who have decent closer ability, to combine with Jansen in late-inning situations, and maybe that would not upset him too much.

    1. If Jansen becomes upset by the team improving itself with a new closer, then too bad for him. He can opt out after the season and go elsewhere.

       1. But that does help for this year, which is what we are concentrating on.

39. Then Morosi is more willing than most here to give up some valuable prospects for the bullpen and a WS!

    1. His opinion has the exact same value (none) as those of the people commenting here.

40. Just FYI:
    ESPN will be on 2-4:30PM EST to give the latest updates on the trade front tomorrow.

41. Do you think this would be a good lineup?
    CF Pollock
    SS Seager
    3B Turner
    RF Bellinger
    1B Abreu
    2B Muncy
    C Smith
    LF Verdugo
    P Ryu, Buehler, Kershaw, Thor
    Go get Abreu, Thor and McGee from Colorado.
    It doesn’t matter if Dodgers gets Vazquez or Yates or Giles or whatever, as long as Jensen is still closer …. Why not try Urias or hill as a closer? I don’t think it will make it worse!

    1. I know! Abreu is the perfect fit, the missing link!!!

42. Negron and White in the same lineup tonight against a lefty…

    Pollock
    Seager
    JT
    Belli
    White
    Verdugo
    Negron
    Martin
    Urias

43. I read today from one of the talking heads that the Dodgers would only consider Lux if it were a 1 for 1 trade with Pittsburgh. As much as I want Vasquez, I’m not doing that deal either.

44. Everyone talks about the problem being the bullpen, but is the offense really enough to beat teams like Houston, Boston, New York? Or are we always going to wait for the ninth inning up for 1 run? Then Jensen will come and we all know how this story will end!

45. Seems to be a real shit show in Pittsburgh these days. They’ve been playing like crap(2-15) since the break. Today they suspended their bullpen coach for two games. Kela was recently suspended for two games and Lyles was dealt back to Milwaukee.

46. LA Thinking Men who supposedly broke the Dozier trade and Machado trade last year tweeted out that the Dodgers submitted and offer to the Pirates this morning that was Ruiz and 2 other prospects. They also said that the Dodgers are in the lead to get Greene from Detroit, but Detroit is holding out hoping for a better offer before the deadline.

    1. Sounds like a very reasonable Plan A. Diaz is probably plan B. Kennedy is probably plan F with a bunch of secondary lefty options mixed in between plan B and F.

47. The Pedersen 1B experiment was not fair to him or the infield or the team or the fans. Roberts has a stubborn streak but he should have reaiized after 5 games that Joc is not built to play First. Too short to handle the high throws and not mobile enough for throws in the dirt – two types of throws that Turner often makes. Its gotten into Joc’s head after coming off an All Star Homer high where the Yankees (who are lacking in power hitting lefties and have an abundance of relievers) might have been interested, but after Doc told the world that Pederson was dogging running to first, teams that were interested are surely less interested. Really dumb Doc, Pedersen does not dog it, he’s not himself because you are embarrassing him at 1B. So was announcing the wheels are coming off of Jansen. What purpose does that serve come playoff time?

    1. Yeah, if I were one of the pitchers I would be getting frustrated with it all. It’s certainly not Joc’s fault. Square peg in a round hole. I think calling him out for not running out a ball that was already in the 1st baseman’s glove was just piling on unnecessarily.

48. Taylor White looks like Max Muncy is up there trying to switch hit!

49. I hereby nickname Tyler White “Pilsbury” for obvious reasons.

    

    1. If he can hit like Sandoval, ‘tubby’ is fine with me.

50. I have read some really abusive and ignorant stuff said by some really abusive and ignorant Dodger fans about Negron. TAKE THAT!

51. Negron + Martin back to back. Who would have thunk it? I even waited until Urias finished his at bat, just in case he made it back to back to back.

52. It looked like a routine DP, but those have not been in abundance lately. Until Kike’ and CT3 get back, or Lux gets called up, it looks like Negron should help tighten up the Dodgers D. Welcome to the Dodgers Tyler White.

53. I have been watching Sadler and am starting to be impressed…

54. Trevor Bauer to Reds. Reds send Puig to Indians and Taylor Trammel (Reds #1 prospect – OF)to Padres, and Indians get Puig, LHP Logan Allen (Padres #7), and Franmil Reyes (Padres OF). I will be glad to see Reyes gone.

    1. yea but isn’t Trammel a stud too? I saw him in the Futures game

       1. Meanwhile Puig was still on the field in a brawl after another bean ball war between the Pirates and Reds. Garrett went after the Pirates dugout and threw a haymaker at Trevor Williams. Puig is then going after Crick all post trade. David Bell has been ejected earlier came out of the dugout to go after Hurdle. Bell was getting roughed up under the pile. Second brawl this year between these teams. Hurdle is a head hunter.

          1. Puig then ejected to a standing O from Reds fans.

       2. He was the Reds #1. The Reds refused to include Trammel for Realmuto last winter. He is 21 in AA (Southern League). He is having an off year at the plate. .236/.350/.338/.688. He grades out as average power, but never has been a power hitter. He is a speed first and bat to ball, but his BA continues to drop every year. He has an OPS of >.800 one year out of 4. That was .819 in the Midwest League in 2017.

          Franmil Reyes scares me much more, and the Dodgers will see him next year against Cleveland.

          The ball is squarely in Minnesota’s corner now. With Puig and Reyes, the Indians OF just got good.

       3. Yes he is.

    2. Puig, a lost boy. I will also be glad to see Reyes gone. Too bad he did not go to us.

55. RHRP Chris Martin to Braves. This could be a good pickup for them. One little hitch is that Martin had a stiff back a couple days back, and was not able to go yesterday.

56. I don’t get that trade at all!

    1. From whose point? The Reds are getting another potential Ace SP who will be there next year. Puig was a rental that was not going to help anymore this year. With Nick Senzel playing CF, Trammel became more of a luxury. Reds are going to need another OF next year, but Trammel is at least 1-2 years away anyway.

       The Indians just got a good OF with Puig and Reyes. Reyes has 27 HRs playing 1/2 his games at Petco. Reyes/Mercado/Puig is a much better OF than Bauers/Mercado/Martin. And now if Naquin is in the OF, Reyes can DH. Kluber should be back soon enough, and Logan Allen is ready to take off. The Indians free up a lot of salary next year with Bauer gone. This was a fantastic deal for Cleveland.

       For San Diego, they get a future CF who is #30 overall prospect and #8 OF. This also could free up the Pads for a Margot/Urias deal to the Mets for Thor. Even if they do not, Trammel is a tremendous prospect and Reyes was a luxury. They will miss Logan Allen, but they have enough pitching prospects to make that sting go away.

       Objectively, I see this as a win-win-win. Maybe the fans of the individual teams see it differently. I will have to read their comments.

57. I am also starting to like Stadler.

58. Amir Garret, who Dodgers had been reported to be interested in, was just involved in a huge brawl between Cin and PIt. He ran into a crowd and threw a punch, so expect several game suspension!

    1. Garrett was forced into the game without much time to warm up. He gave up a 3 run shot. The Pirates were jawing at him. He went after Trevor Williams who was in the dugout but had been ejected earlier. Garrett threw down his glove on the mound and went and took on the Pirates dugout. The ump now has a huge strike zone trying to get the 9th over.

59. Maybe the Dodgers just got their two bullpen pieces: Sadler and Gonsolin.

    Tell me your eyeballs say otherwise!

    1. Impressive! Goodbye to Garcia, Chargois and Floro!

    2. Gonsolin is looking real good. Much more comfortable and confident than last time out. He looks like he is throwing effortlessly and is mid-90’s with movement and a good off-speed. The off-speed slider he threw to Arenado to K him, was fantastic. What an ego boost.

       Before you can call the Sadler/Gonsolin big bullpen adds, we still need to see what they can do in high leverage/late inning situations. Sadler did let the 1 inherited runner score. But after that in a non-high-leverage he was excellent.

       1. And the last pitch to Dahl was pretty special as well. Tony had a good game. Has to be a huge confidence booster.

    3. The crucial bullpen piece they need is a closer. Jansen threw 28 pitches, put two runners on base, held on. Was then held out a couple of days. Then threw 35 pitches, put four runners on base, barely saved the game. Has been held out three days after that. Middle relief guys are helpful, but we need a closer, and we do even have a reliable set-up man. Too many ifs to expect it all to just work out without doing something now, though I suppose that there is some percentage chance that we get away with it.

60. Who was that guy who said Gonsolin might pitch well in Coors?

    1. There were a couple of us.

    2. I was hoping they might bump Gonsolin to tomorrow and spare Ryu the shellacking he always gets at Coors field.

61. Screw the trade deadline.

    NO TOP 10 PROSPECTS TRADED!

    1. NO WS TITLE!

    2. I have no problem of moving #10.

62. I was impressed that Gonzo threw so many off speed stuff. Urias can take note. He relied way too much on his fastball!

    1. I was listening to the Rockies announcers. They were saying, that Urias had no command of his breaking ball or off-speed. He had to rely on his fastball. It might be interesting to hear if anything is said by Doc about how he pitched.

63. My eyeballs like what I’ve see of Gonsolin for the most part, but the 9th inning raises some doubts. However, he threw an impressive change to get the last out. All in all, a very nice outing.

    Sadler on the order hand does not inspire confidence. He’d need to do a lot more to win me over.

64. Lux got tossed by the ump tonight after he K’d for the 3rd time.

65. Still need some BP additions but if we don’t acquire anyone (or don’t get multiple pieces) Gonsolin might be a nice addition. He’s got a nice strong FB that will get hitters out in high leverage situations and he seems to have good control.

66. Remember, it is Group B that needs to be fixed, it is Gonsolin, Sadler for Yimmi and Floro, it can still be May and Shefield for Strilping and Chargois.

    1. That’s quite a lot to expect from minor league players. Shefield seems to be struggling a little bit more the last month.

67. Diaz had 2 BB, 2WP, HBP, and blew the save tonight

    1. Maybe his price will drop. 🙂

    2. But he was really good last year.

       Doesn’t Gonsolin have 4 plus pitches and it is only control and command that is keeping him a question mark?

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