Watch Those Knee-Jerk Reactions

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1. The Yankees need a solid lefty bat and the Dodgers need a solid righty bat. Seems like good trade partners.

   I want Glyber Torres and always have. He would cost Muncy and I will throw in Pederson. Yes, other players from both sides would be involved. The Yankees probably would like to have a starter for instance.

   To get AC’s Bryan Patrick Reynolds from Pittsburgh it would cost the Dodgers Verdugo and I would do that.

2. Interesting column. But AJ Pollock will be in the outfield, somewhere, maybe center. The Dodgers need Pollock. Gotta like Matt Beaty. Great swing, great at bats. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Joc traded in the off-season, gives away too many at bats. The problem with Kiki is going outside the strike zone, loves to swing at sliders low and away. His value is power and the ability to play a lot of different positions. If the Dodgers don’t clean up the log jam in the outfield, they will take a step back next year. Not enough at bats for all those guys. Maybe, it’s just me, but I never looked at Bellinger as another Joc. Way too much talent, speed, defensive skills and he had always hit left handers in the minors. Not sure I would be so quick to trade Alex Verdugo, many scouts think he’s going to be a .300 hitter and develop more power. Hitting really well this year, great arm, can play any outfield position.

   1. A good topic for the upcoming Hot Stove League, but I believe there is are plausible scenarios where both Pederson and Pollock are traded before 2020 spring training. With Gavin Lux seemingly ready to become the regular second baseman, Max Muncy becomes the full time first baseman and backup third baseman, Bellinger in RF, and Verdugo in CF, with Beaty, Taylor, and Hernandez getting semi-regular at-bats in utility roles. The Dodgers might pursue Castellanos for regular LF, or pencil in DJ Peters for LF by mid 2020 season. I think the St. Louis Cardinals might be interested in Pollock for CF, reuniting him with Paul Goldschmidt; Indians and Royals could be interested in Pederson.

      1. I’m not sure how movable Pollock’s contract will be. It’s 4 years for $55 million dollars plus a 5th year at $10 million that has a buyout of $5 million . He is also to be paid $1.5 if traded. He has two ways that he can trigger an opt-out after 2021 based on PA’s from 2020-2021 or 2019-2021. It will take a much healthier AJ the next two seasons to trigger those opt-outs. They also have to pay him $5 million if he hits his opt-out. To help him stay healthier I would move him out of CF to LF. Plus his defense in CF is a noticeable dropoff from Verdugo and Bellinger. Let’s not forget that he was promised not to be platooned when signing with LA. So, the Joc/AJ or Beaty/AJ platoons won’t sit well if he’s healthy.

         1. Pollock’s AAV is only $12MM, less than what Ozuna is being paid this season (FA after the season), so Cards can easily absorb the salary. Depending on return, Dodgers could absorb some money. LH reliever Andrew Miller’s AAV is just slightly less than Pollocks, so that could be a trade, or RH reliever Carlos Martinez AAV is $10MM+. For all of the points you raised about Pollock I think the Dodgers will try to trade him. If not the Cards, there are many teams looking for OF help. I should include that I have never been a fan of Pollock, so I am definitely biased.

3. When M.T comes out with this post and similar ones, I often wonder if I’m one of the knee jerks!!?? Joc, never a great fan… Love his numbers which should (?) make him good trade material… Liking Kike, always have…Versatile and good around clubhouse… CT3, indifferent, inconsistency drives me crazy… Kenley, Kersh and Ryu, loving em… Always loved my Asian pitchers, its a mindset thing… Corey never worry about the kid… Dustin, patience, patience, patience…
   I’ll stick with A.J. for the next two years… Love to see Hill healthy enough to pitch in playoffs as a starter wedged in between the boyz..
   I’m patient the F.O. is handling the Lux situation well and we’ll see him in Sept…
   Our future is bright for sure…
   Am I knee jerk or??? I have lost no sleep lately…
   Dodger Mom, I’ve wanted to say for a long time, you make this blog better and keep on keeping on…
   P.S. College football is coming soon thank God…

4. Peterj you made my day. Thank you. My day starts with reading this blog and I really enjoy hearing what you and the other fans have to say even if I do not agree with all of you. I have my favorites too but have always strongly rooted for the young minor players making their journey up to the big leagues. I especially appreciate Mark, AC, DC, 2D2, and many others for their write-ups. Ps hockey coming up soon too.

5. Bum, if you traded for Torres then you would block Lutz. Other than Joc I don’t see any other off season trades for Dodgers

   1. I did not mention Torres as a trade target, and I don’t think Yankees will trade him. And the Dodgers do not need him. I think there will be several players leaving the Dodgers after this season. It will not surprise me to see Barnes traded if Martin will return for backup catcher money. I think the team may trade Maeda (Angels? Mariners?). And, I will not be shocked if the Dodgers trade Urias for the right return (Felipe Vazquez?). And, as I wrote above, I think Pollock could be traded.

6. Mark, can’t help but think many of your posts are knee jerk reactions to knee jerk reactions. There are legitimate reasons why posters go negative on certain players. Barnes is a good example of many of us knee jerking for a couple of years! And, guess what? We were right!! Barnes doesn’t even deserve to be the backup of Will Smith. He can’t throw base stealers out, and neither can Martin. That is a fact.

   Another fact is Corey Seager has been awful at SS. We give him a pass because he is back from a severe injury. Maybe he is not 100%. He’s got way too many errors and he doesn’t look like he is improving there. I like Corey a lot but he is actually replaceable. The RBI machines that are not replaceable are Belli, Muncy, and JT. I’m not advocating getting rid of Corey so let’s put that to rest.

   The rest of the Dodgers are the sum of its parts. Many contributors and we need that. Verdugo is a rookie and having a great year. Joc is Joc. Pollock is somewhat of a disappointment but he’s got something to add. I won’t go into the peripheral players like Beaty, but Beaty has a problem hitting LHP. This is why he can’t be platooned in the OF with Joc.

   I also think that Negron is a lot more valuable than many may think. He’s helped stabilize the defense while CT3 and Kike have been on the IL. He’s a real hustler and he can even hit. I’m not ready to call it quits on him.

   May needs more time to season. Seems obvious to me. Urias is serving his 20 game suspension and we will not see him till the end of September! Maeda is fading and he is the only reason we are seeing May late in the season. I’m really hoping for Hill but methinks he’s not going to make it. The FO will figure it out somehow.

   1. Urias will be done with his suspension September 2. Talk (conflicting I grant you) that he is being stretched out for possible SP consideration when he returns. Possible switch with Maeda as he transitions to BP for playoffs?

7. My knees are jerking this morning 🙂

   Great article on the hitting coach RVS and his work with the young hitters. Really a good read:

   https://theathletic.com/1149645/2019/08/20/35-under-35-dodgers-swing-whisperer-robert-van-scoyoc-draws-power-out-of-young-hitters/

   DBMom – – I wholeheartedly agree with PeterJ – – you make this a better place. As does PeterJ and so many others!

   1. This offseason, other teams are going to come hard after RVS, Brown and Bates.

      1. I don’t recall anyone going after Brown and Bates. Many were skeptical of RVS since he was a guy who hadn’t played the game.

         1. Considering the offensive success of Dodgers hitters this season I think you will see teams pursing the assistants. Hard for a team to lure RVS away unless it is for a promotion (unlikely), or the Dodgers allow him to interview for other positions (also unlikely). It will be interesting how many assistants, front office personnel, and / or minor league coaches Zaidi may pursue for the Giants.

8. Thanks 2D2. Right back at you.

   1. Another knee jerk reaction…

9. A happy team in pics.
   https://giphy.com/gifs/mlb-smiling-joc-pederson-VCsxXlFxhJwYtvbRnI

   1. Very cool.

10. DBMom, I’m also a fan. It seems like you appeared just as MJ left us. Great timing.

    Joc Pederson – Bye, bye Joc. He served his purpose, but the team will be more complete without his all or nothing, can’t hit lefties bat. He’ll be traded this off-season.

    Kike Hernandez – He doesn’t do it for me. Yes, he makes a great play from time to time. Yes, he’s got some pop. But, he’l like a less entertaining version of Puig Lite. Might be useful to hand onto for another year as a utility guy. His inconsistency keeps him from being anything other than a utility guy.

    Chris Taylor – A better option than Kike as a utility guy, mainly because he’s better in the outfield IMO. I see him as a little more consistent than Kike with less mental errors. He simply K’s too much to be anything more than a utility guy. I hate seeing him and Kike in the lineup at the same time. Also, hits same side pitching better than Kike and is less of a goofball.

    Kenley Jansen – WTF happened to this guy? It might be a blessing in disguise that he’s having a down year in his option year. With a normal Spring, he might be back on top next year. He’s no longer automatic, but gets the job done better than most. He’s our best option as closer.

    Dustin May – One bad outing out of the pen does not change my mind about him. His stuff is wicked. He deserves more pen time to see if he can adjust and be a shut down guy for the post-season.

    Clayton Kershaw – He’s reinventing himself. It’s a thing of beauty to watch. The reason people feel he isn’t an ace is because of his own high bar that he set from being so dominant.

    Corey Seager – He’s had a very divided year. Every time he starts to get going, he has a setback. Hopefully, he gets it back for the post-season. Has at least another year to prove he can’t handle SS. He goes in the hole at third better than most and still has a cannon.

    Hyun-jin Ryu – Best year of his career. What can you say about him? He’s our David Wells. I hope they resign him, he has a lot left in the tank.

    When the Dodgers got Negron most fans laughed. How do you like him now? I’m still laughing and I’m wondering what’s to like about him? A couple of Coors homers? A bad dive and faceplant? Sorry, but he’s older and less talented than Kike and CT3, a DFA waiting to happen.

    Next year? The only reason Lux hasn’t been called up is because he’s left handed.

    1B – Muncy – Still might be trade bait. He’s just not very good defensively.

    2B – Lux – I can’t believe how all the shows are talking about him already. People are throwing around Perennial All-Star, Team Captain and HOFer already. Wow! Get him on the team already!

    SS – Seager (back in the MVP Race after a full season of healing) I agree wholeheartedly with this statement. In a bad year he’s leading one of the best offensive teams in doubles.

    3B – Turner (he might only start 115-120 games) – I hope he gets the Chase Utley treatment and stays put on short deals until the wheels fall off.

    CF – Not sure is that guy from Idiocracy. Our CF is AJ. Pollock is going to be a full-time center fielder for us at least through next year. I’m not sure of your distaste for him, he’s still not healthy and he’s producing better than most since coming off the elbow injury. He’s gonna have a revamped off-season and he’s gonna put in two quality years in 2020, and 2021 then we’ll trade his expiring contract to some pretender.

    LF – Verdugo – Not really a CF, not enough power for a corner. He might hit 300, but isn’t. He might hit 20HR, but isn’t. He’s a nice piece and does other things to add value. Still could be traded for the right RH bat.

    RF – Bellinger – MVP with the ability to provide a Gold Glove in RF or 1B. Extremely valuable, a cornerstone guy. Lock him up!

    C- Smith – Johnny Bench. A Godsend. Best defensive catcher in baseball. I’m all in on this guy. Ruiz is gonna have to be V-Mart and Pudge wrapped together to surpass this guy.

    1. I see it similarly.

       I see Joc and Keekay as on the bubble this winter for possible trades due to their contracts. IIRC, both are entering last year of arbitration. Also both have potential replacements within the system.

       Also, Stripling may also be on the trade bubble this winter. He is a starter who pitches mostly out of the BP. With the Dodger depth he will likely always be our 6 or 7th pitcher. Suspect his status will be dependent on whether Hill or Ryu resign this winter. Ross has been a good pitcher for us but he might be better served with a change of scenery where he can be a rotation regular.

       1. There’s some interesting RH Bats in this year’s free agent crop including Casty, Ozuna, Abreu and the motherload – Rendon. With the positional flexibility we have, any of them can claim a lineup spot and help balance our lineup.

          Turner – R
          Seager – L
          Belli – L
          Smith – R
          Pollock – R
          Lux – L

          This is a very balanced core to build around. Add one of those righties and keep one of the other lefties and we have a nice balanced lineup. As good as Muncy is, I would love to have one of the righty free agents. Rendon, Casty (if Mark’s right about him), Ozuna or Abreu in that order. If you can get Casty to commit to 1B, you can keep Verdugo if you choose to sign Casty, Rendon or Abreu. If you pick up Ozuna, or keep Casty in the OF you can keep Muncy at 1B.

    2. Thank you 59. Interesting comments. Very detailed analysis. Lots of different ways to go. I mentioned in an earlier comment that I root heavily for the minor players to earn their way to the big club. But once they are brought up to stay, I still continue to pull for them: players like Cody, Clark, Seager, Verdugo, and yes, even Joc. Hope I did not forget anyone. Thanks everyone for keeping me updated on the minor league players.

11. Yes, fans are often quick to get upset at players on their favorite team whom they feel are underperforming. I have not deeply studied the fanbases of other franchises, but from what I have seen, Dodgers fans are more optimistic, more accepting of their players, then those of say, New York, or Boston,. Some of the players in those cities have been booed out of town over the years. Dodgers fans mostly hope for improvement, or put up with what they have. Baez is still here, so is Kenley, and so are Joc and Hernandez. The Dodgers rarely trade anyone now, unless it is minor leaguers, or for a salary dump. They never trade up. So unless some minor leaguer is brought up, or until our player reaches arbitration eligibility, they mostly stay. I don’t like this willingness to put up with questionable performances by some players, but that is how the Dodgers handle things, apparently because the main alternative is to take on more salary. They would be willing to bring up someone and substitute him in, of course, but then we have that learning curve and low early expectations thing, again.

    We are either going to win the championship this year, or we are not. If we do not, then the team put together was insufficient for that goal, assuming this is indeed the goal of ownership. Of course it is hard to win one, but one team does every year. if we don’t, then the sum total of what we had, was not enough. Yes, injuries play a part, but the Yankees have had plenty this year. And I will say again, that no one expects an all-star at every position. But is Pederson the best we can do; are he and Hernandez and oft-injured Pollock, and Taylor, and the surprising Verdugo, sufficient for a championship winning outfield? We’ve got just one star outfielder on the roster, the rest are essentially platoon players. I’ve already written a lot about the relief staff, so I will not do it again;; but I don’t think that overall, it is an impressive group. Very fortunately, Smith seems more than ready; because if he were not, or if he regresses to a lower mean, then the Dodgers were not prepared enough behind the plate going into this season, counting on Barnes and Martin.

    Ownership and front office put this entire team together. It obviously is a fine club, it is going to win 100 games or more. But if it falls short of the title once again, then it is the insufficiency of somebody. It’s a high bar, but isn’t it supposed to be, for the Dodgers? It is hard for fans to essentially say, “Well, we missed winning the title again, but it is no one’s fault, really; the players all did pretty well; the management is great; no one should be criticized; let’s all look forward to next season.” Of course some fans are going to be frustrated , and want some changes to be made. whether they ever are, or not.

    1. The above post is based on the premise that the best comprised team, or most talented team, or team with fewest holes wins the WS every year.

       This is a decidedly false premise. It fails to account for luck, injuries, opportunity and other variances.

       When the Giants rode the back of Madison B to win the WS it was not the result of the insufficency of anybody but luck and a player getting onto a hot streak.

       Perhaps the above post is setting the stage for a knee-jerk reaction?

       1. Luck and injuries are always potential factors, but the best teams win more often than not, even in baseball. Get into the playoffs, gain a home field advantage or two, and you should win some titles. Thinking that not doing so is just bad luck, is a convenient excuse, particularly over time. There have been players who probably would have meant a title or more for the Dodgers, and they failed or disdained to get them, making their task that much harder. We will see how it turns out this time. I would ideally prefer to have the Astros’ or Yankees’ roster going into this year’s playoffs, but I could certainly be wrong about that.

          1. 100% agree.

             The best way to win is to get there with the greatest frequency and best teams over an extended period of time.

12. So far, so good with Santana’s move to the pen. He’s already on the 40. I would expect him to put his hat into the ring for a post-season spot in the pen if it keeps working out.

13. This team is good enough to win a WS. It’s up to the players to perform and make that happen! To that point I think the key is Seager. He needs to regain his all star form with power and form a big three with Turner and Belli. Those three guys have to be hitting for us to win a WS! Our offense needs to show up this time!

    1. I think it’s the pitching. But I’m prolly way behind the times.

14. I still don’t know why some of you guys want to change our position players/offense (before the additions of Gyorko, Negron, White) in the off season. I can give you a bunch of different stats that will tell you that we have the best offense in the National League.

    What has been our weakness this season? If you say the bullpen you are right. How about the Dodgers fix that in the off season. I don’t know about any of you but I don’t want to part with too many of our assets, so how about zeroing in on our one and only weakness (the bullpen) and fix it in the off season.

    Free agents, at least the good ones, for the most part get long term high priced contracts. It’s a gamble when you commit to those kind of contracts, you never know if a long term injury will happen or the player suddenly becomes a bust. That’s why in my opinion you only commit to those kind of contracts when you absolutely need to fill a hole on your team.

    We don’t have a hole in our offense, and with the addition of Lux next year we certainly will not have a hole in our offense. How about fixing our only hole, the bullpen.

    Free agent Will Smith the pitcher? I would do it.
    Aaron Bummer of the White Sox, left handed reliever with closer like stats in a trade? Depends on what we have to give up in that trade.
    Again fix the hole we have, the bullpen.

    1. Our OPS against LHP is 13th in the league.
       Mark says our pen is top 10. Top 7 ERA, Top 3 BAA, Top 4 OPS
       How about fixing our only hole, Right Handed Hitters.
       A couple of days ago, you said we should get starting pitching, never have enough starting pitching.
       Again fix the hole we have, Right Handed Hitters.
       As you can see, we have a lot of great young lefty bats. From the right side, we have 3 guys that don’t play every day.
       How about we fix the one hole we have, Right Handed Hitters.
       Last year’s free agent class had 2 right handed hitters in the top 10. Machado and Pollock. This year Ozuna, Casty, Abreu and Rendon are free agents and ALL OF THEM have a higher OPS than Machado and Pollock.
       Again, we should get one of them and fix the one hole we have, Right Handed Hitters.
       Since all of them are free Agents, and 3 of them are under 30, we should sign one of them because it only costs money and it fixes the one hole we have, Right Handed Hitters.
       Then we can trade other assets for relievers.

       I would also sign Will Smith, but since he’s pretty much the only reliable closer on the market, I would trade Joc and either Muncy or Verdugo for another high-end reliever. After signing one of those right handed bats to fix the one hole we have, Right Handed Hitters.

       It isn’t annoying at all to say the same thing over and over again in the same post for some kind of effect…

       PS Pollock is not a platoon player.

       1. The Dodgers have been to back to back WS. If those two experiences have shows us brainless fans anything, it’s what the Dodger’s ONE HOLE is:
          Not winning the World Series.

          Last year the team OPS’d under .600 for the final series.
          We should hire two of the best Voodoo practitioners from New Orleans and re-engage with that Russian mystic Shumpf person from the McCourt era.
          This would be a big step to fixing the team’s biggest liability: Not Winning the World Series.

          Last year there was a lack of communication between Rich Hill and Dave Roberts at key moments.
          To fix this, I propose we ensure that the managers communicates well with ALL players. This will go a very long way to fixing the team’s biggest hole.
          What is that hole? Not winning the World Series.

          In 2017 the team got to Game 7 and lost.
          I propose the team WIN that final game. That would be the easiest solution to the problem of:
          Not winning the World Series.

          This is all obviously a joke, but no team is perfect.
          There is no way to ensure the team will win the World Series. You cannot have all-stars and answers at every position and for every matchup. There are roster limitations, salary limitations. There are two sides to every trade. There are injuries and hot spells.

          Have smart people who make more great decisions than mediocre ones.

          That’s all you can do, IMHO.

       2. Wrong I said you never have enough good pitching. Not starting pitching.

          Wrong our OPS in the National League is essentially tied with the Padres for 6th best.
          Padres .786
          Dodgers .785
          And this includes the Rockies with a better OPS playing in that extremely hitter friendly stadium.

          P.S. Pollock is prone to injuries.

          1. That should say our OPS vs left handed pitching in the National League is essentially tied with the Padres for 6th best.

             1. 13th in MLB, 6th in the NL. It’s still worse than our bullpen rankings. So, you’re wrong.

                PS Injury prone and platoon player are not one in the same.

       3. 59inarow

          You said “13th in MLB, 6th in the NL. It’s still worse than our bullpen rankings. So, you’re wrong.”

          How many times do we face left handed pitching vs how many times do we use our bullpen. Your comebacks to me are pretty weak.

          You said “PS Injury prone and platoon player are not one in the same.”

          Well maybe if someone is injury prone they shouldn’t be an everyday player, maybe that will keep him from always being injured. So if Pollock should not start everyday then look at his stats this year and determine when he should sit and that is against right handed pitching.
          Again your comebacks to me are pretty weak.

          1. “How many times do we face left handed pitching vs how many times do we use our bullpen.” 32% of the time vs 35% of the time. (About the same)

             Well maybe if someone is injury prone they shouldn’t be an everyday player, maybe that will keep him from always being injured. Meanwhile Kike, a platoon player is coming off the DL today. (Perfect timing)

             Your comebacks are really weak and not pretty at all.

             Platoon players are guys like Kike and Joc that have shown over years that they have trouble hitting same side pitching. AJ does NOT fall into that category no matter how many times you suggest it.

             1. You said we use our bullpen 35% of the time then our starting pitchers must go the distance (9 innings) 65% of the time.

                I don’t know where you are coming up with this BS but it is very rare starting pitchers go the distance.

                Bottom line we use our bullpen way more often than we face left handed pitching. That’s a fact.

                And there are internal solutions to improve our chances against left handed pitching that I have not talked about because I’ll get hammered by the likes of you and others. So I’ll keep quiet about that.

             2. I coming up with this “BS” from espn.com. I posted facts. You’re assuming I didn’t because your wrong / stupid. If our starters went 9 65% of the time, then 35% of our games would be entirely bullpen games. You obviously don’t understand math, so just quit while you’re behind.

             3. You know what I was talking about. Dodgers use their bullpen almost every game and they don’t face left handed pitching almost every game.

15. 2020
    LF Bryan Reynolds
    SS Seager
    1B Turner
    RF Bellinger
    3B Glyber Torres
    2B Lux
    C Smith and Barnes
    CF Pollock

    Add the righty bat of Torres and keep Pollock and I am more than happy with the righty bat stats Reynolds puts up when he is not hitting as a lefty. How did I get Reynolds? I traded Verdugo and Downs for him. How did I get Torres? I traded Muncy and Gonsolin for him.

    1. Can someone let me know when Bumsrap is expected back on the planet Earth?

       1. No booked return date. One-way ticket.

       2. I think the Dodgers should buy Greenland.

          1. It’s melting

    2. No Mitch Hanniger? His balls should be healed up next year.

       I’d rather have Rendon than Torres.

    3. What happened to your boy, Bums, Joc?

16. MT, you are not going to build up your following be taking your followers to task and finger wagging. Most days I read the comments and keep my own thoughts to myself.

    I do thank the Big Blue Dodger in the Sky that no one on this blog actually makes any decisions re: the team itself.

    1. Well, that’s not gonna’ change so if that bothers you, then you know what to do:

       1. Don’t say dumb stuff; or

       2. Don’t read what I write.

       1. lol – It’s your site Mark. Do what you want. I don’t see a bunch of ads, so you obviously aren’t doing it for the money.

17. Bluto: “The above post is based on the premise that the best comprised team, or most talented team, or team with fewest holes wins the WS every year.
    This is a decidedly false premise. It fails to account for luck, injuries, opportunity and other variances.”

    So why does it matter if you are any good at all? It’s all chance after all. Talent doesn’t matter – the only thing that matters is getting hot at the right time and having “good luck”.

    Wholly falacious.

    This ignores the obvious – the better the team, the fewer the holes, the better chance that you give yourself to win.

    “Luck is the residue of design” – Branch Rickey.

    In light of this, what’s wrong with saying that you would prefer if the team use its resources to improve the bullpen?

    1. Dodgerrick,

       Because you cannot win anything without being good. And you can’t win just by being good.

       But first. Please don’t put words in my mouth and then call them fallacious. It’s insincere and makes you look silly. And learn to spell fallacious properly. 🙂

       It’s very, very, very important to be good.
       You have to be good to make it through the season with a strong enough record to make the playoffs.
       You have to be good, at a bare minimum, to win in the playoffs.
       You have to be good to get to the World Series.

       At all these steps you also have to be lucky (have chance, in YOUR words), healthy and good. Especially to win the World Series.

       If you want to think the only thing that matters is good luck, I suggest you stay far from Nevada.

       I like that Branch Rickey aphorism, I like Jerry Barber’s “… The harder I practice, the luckier I get.”

       Luck is important to both.

       1. Spelling, huh? That’s weak. I use words for a living – how many briefs have you filed with the Supreme Court? I think that I communicate effectively enough.

          And you missed the point. If being good allows you a chance to win, it stands to reason that you try to be as good as you can be instead of relying on chance to win. This business about getting to the post-season and then relying on luck drives me crazy. If you identify a weakness, you do what you can to improve on it, rather than relying on luck.

          So – the Dodgers’ bullpen weakness is well documented by this point. It appears that the Dodgers will be relying on chance to overcome it, rather than on improvements made at the trade deadline. (That is unless you think that Kolarek solves the problem.)

          1. Not sure what your profession has to do with anything, but that’s super cool that your career has reached such pinnacles.

             I’m going to try to go back to the core here, because I think w’re losing our way and because this is kinda melding into a discussion above where the poster Williams and I ended up resonating on frequency.

             You can trace my responses to this original point someone else made:

             >>>BEGIN PASTE
             We are either going to win the championship this year, or we are not. If we do not, then the team put together was insufficient for that goal, assuming this is indeed the goal of ownership. Of course it is hard to win one, but one team does every year. if we don’t, then the sum total of what we had, was not enough.
             >>>END PASTE

             I fundamentally disagree that you can quantify a team’s ability to win the World Series in such a way as William does above. I disagree completely that “enough” exists in terms of strengthening or improving a single season’s chances. Speaking of chances, and skipping ahead in time. I think William and i ended up agreeing that the best way to improve your chances (given luck, injuries, hot spells, hitting droughts) is to get there (the WS) as many times as you can.

             Obviously you increase your chances of “getting there” by improving at the deadline, but you don’t need to over-correct and go nutso (nutso!) to try and fill every hole and strengthen every mediocrity. You do what you can and don’t sacrifice the medium and long term for a leftie reliever who may play a decisive part in an inning or two.

             I think that’s correct and I know that’s what I think.

18. Negron has been IL’d with neck stiffness like I predicted. Beaty didn’t deserve a demotion and the Dodgers are adverse to going to a 12-man staff during the regular season. Kike, Taylor, and Floro up. Garlick and Sadler down.

    1. I’m surprised it wasn’t a straight DFA. If you take out his two Coors homers, he’s worse than Barnes. Those two homers are his only extra base hits THIS YEAR!!!! It seems to me he’s only holding a 40 man spot open until Hill/Alexander come off the 60. Yes, Alexander is still in the mix and is dealing with a nerve issue that may be related to diabetes.

       Now that Taylor and Kike are back, we can look forward to more platoons. Hurray!

       1. No reason to release insurance and a guy who can run with rosters expanding in less than two weeks. He’s played hard and deserves a chance to be around even if I largely agree with your analysis of Negron. Tyler White will go when Urias comes of the restricted list. I think Schultz will be removed from the 40-man when Hill comes off the IL.

19. DODGERS ACTIVATE TAYLOR, HERNÁNDEZ AND RECALL FLORO
    NEGRÓN PLACED ON IL, GARLICK AND SADLER OPTIONED

    LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that they have activated infielder/outfielder’s Chris Taylor and Kiké Hernandez from the 10-day injured list and recalled right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro from Triple-A Oklahoma City. To make room on the 25-man roster, Los Angeles placed Kristopher Negrón on the 10-day injured list with neck stiffness and optioned outfielder Kyle Garlick and right-handed pitcher Casey Sadler to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

    Taylor, 28, was placed on the injured list on July 15 with a left wrist fracture. The former Virginia Cavalier has played in 90 games for the Dodgers, batting .261 (68-for-261) with eight homers and 41 RBI. In his six Major League seasons, he has slashed .262/.331/.438 with 47 homers and 193 RBI in 505 games.

    Hernández, 27, was placed on the injured list on July 29 with a left-hand sprain. Prior to going on the injured list, the Puerto Rico native was slashing .400/.488/.629 with two homers and nine RBI and 1.116 OPS in the month of July. On the season, he has amassed 16 homers and 52 RBI with a .238 batting average in 98 games. He is in his fifth season with the club, batting a combined .241 (346-for-1622) with 62 homers and 181 RBI in 568 games for the Dodgers.

    Floro, 28, returns for his second stint with the club since being optioned on August 1. The former Cal State Fullerton Titan has appeared in 38 games for the Dodgers, going 4-3 with a 4.00 ERA (16 ER/36.0 IP) and 30 strikeouts. In 67 games since joining the Dodgers, Floro is 7-4 with a 2.97 ERA (21 ER/63.2 IP) and 61 strikeouts.

    Negrón, 33, was placed on the 10-day injured list with neck stiffness. In 15 games for the Dodgers, Negrón is batting .268 (11-for-41) with two homers and seven RBI. On the season, he has appeared in 25 games for the Mariners and Dodgers, hitting .250 (16-for-64) with two homers and eight RBI. He originally joined the Dodgers on July 28 from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for the minor league infielder Daniel Castro.

    Garlick, 27, was recalled last Tuesday and played in five games, hitting .364 (4-for-11) with two doubles, one homer and two RBI. On the season, he has appeared in 30 games for the Dodgers, batting .250 (12-for-48) with three homers and six RBI. In 69 games with Oklahoma City, he is batting .319 (76-for-238) with 20 homers and 51 RBI. The former Cal Poly alum was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 28th round of the 2015 first year player draft.

    Sadler, 29, is being recalled on Saturday and did not appear in a game. The Oklahoma native has appeared in nine games for the Dodgers, allowing one earned run over 12.1 innings (0.73 ERA) with eight strikeouts. In 18 Major League games this season, he has allowed five earned runs in 31.2 innings of work for a 1.42 ERA for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Dodgers.

    1. The offense is back almost. Need Freese back and ditch Gyorko. But I heard Freese won’t be back until rosters expand. Too bad.

       Puzzles me why Floro is back and Sadler is optioned again.

       1. I forgot about Verdugo. Need him back too. But I just heard he won’t be back until rosters expand.

20. I’ll bet Negron was very surprised to learn that he had a stiff neck. I woke up with a stiff neck this morning, called my doctor who told me take two aspirin and you’ll be fine on September 1st. 🙂
    Don’t know what they’re doing with Sadler. He pitched well enough when he was up the first time. Now they’re giving him the Brock Stewart treatment.

21. Buns, do you actually believe that the Yankees would trade the 22 year old Torres and his .282 BA, 29 HRs, etc. for Muncy and Gonsolin? If so, the Dodgers would do that deal in a heartbeat. Don’t hold your breath waiting for it to happen.

    1. You really think Friedman would jump at that deal without giving it a second thought? Granted Torres is a great player and he’s only 22, but Muncy’s WAR this year is not that much less than Torres for the last two years combined. Also, we have Seager and Lux so I guess you’d play Torres at third? Or trade Lux?
       I’m not necessarily saying the Dodgers wouldn’t make that deal but I don’t think it’s as one sided as you do. After all, Gonsolin is a future closer or minimum mid rotation starter.
       And just think of what Muncy would do to that right field porch in Yankee Stadium.

       1. A perfect example of why WAR cannot be trusted. Torres hits more and K’s less, but somehow Muncy is the better defender than a phenom that came up as a SS? Everyone on this site thinks Muncy can’t play 3rd, but his projected DRS at 3B would be 35 this year adding to his WAR.

    2. Muncy is in his prime years now and is just as controllable as Torres and has the same payroll cost. Torres will be a free agent when he reaches his prime. Yankees are righty loaded as much as the Dodgers are lefty loaded. The Yankees need lefty bats and rotation help.

       Also, whenever I feel too many here begin to say how great a Dodger player is, I offer them in a trade to see what happens. I don’t see anybody saying Muncy is too much to give up.

22. Well if Stadler stayed any longer he might have caught the stiff neck syndrome. I hear it’s very contagious!

23. Brandon Lewis and Jeff Belge have been promoted to Great Lakes from Ogden

    1. Happy for both Brandon Lewis and Jeff Belge.

24. The teams that have the best players always win the world series and sometimes lose (Yankees).
    Teams that have good players, but not so good, always lose the world series and sometimes win (dodgers).
     This is what the story says, but when Kasten arrived he said that the Dodgers would be the team of the 21st century and I believe in him, I think that the Dodgers will now be different from those of the past, they will continue with what has worked as is the development of players but now powered by signatures of important players in places they need, I think we are starting to see the Dodgers in the right direction.
     I think the Dodgers will see them every time with better players, we will see more high level players in the team in the future.
    The best is coming.

25. Rich Hill is throwing a bullpen session on Thursday.

26. Pollock CF
    Muncy 3B
    Smith C
    Bellinger 1B
    Taylor LF
    Seager SS
    Hernandez 2B
    Pederson RF
    Kershaw P

    1. Ready, set, march….
       Right
       Left
       Right
       Left
       Right
       Left
       Right…

27. Feels like 3 months of spring training this year, March, April and August. Not that I’m complaining about an 18 1/2 game lead but with all the roster/line up shuffling it feels like March again. Again, no complaints, just an observation in the dog days of August.

    1. With Verdugo injured and Turner getting some rest, I admit that it could get a little weird. But, are we really that anxious to get CT3 and Taylor back in the same lineup? Geesh!

       Although, I totally support batting Joc 8th. Sure, I like all those leadoff solo shots. It just seems like there’s some damage to be done if you can get baserunners on in front of him.

28. I really think that Muncy is the most under the radar and unsexy guy in our lineup. We all get caught up in Bellinger, Seager, Verdugo, Smith, and all the other young pups, but tell you what, with the game on the line, needing that key at bat or hit, I’m taking Muncy or Turner anyday. Muncy is rapidly gaining on Turner with how he grinds his at bats. The past few weeks, I can’t believe how many times he came back from an 0-2 or 1-2 count, kept grinding, and either got a walk, a hit, or hit it out. This guy is going to be clutch come play-off time, he doesn’t shy away from the big moment.

29. Torres coming to LA is joke.

    It would take a lot more than Muncy, Pederson and Gonsolin.

    More like May, Lux, Buehler, and Gonsolin.

    1. What rodger said.

30. Agree with Mark, which is why I said above that the Dodgers would do the previously suggested deal in a heartbeat. I love Max Muncy, but Torres is a very young hitter who is already producing at a very high level. My best guess is that he may well get better in the coming years as he matures and gains further experience. Even though I don’t watch the Yankees, and therefore don’t have any firsthand knowledge of Torres, my best guess is that he has a higher ceiling than Muncy. And when Turner has to be replaced at 3B, it would be a lot easier for Seager to slide over if Torres was available to replace him at short. And there are other scenarios that I could envision.

    1. It might be easy to slide Seager to 3rd with Lux and Downs coming up. But, don’t talk about that or Mark will get you! Hell, the next “The Infield” could be Hoese, Lux, Downs and Vargas.

    2. Seager at 3B is more logical, but his accuracy as a thrower is in question, in my mind. He has also lost a step but that may be caution in the wake of his rehabilitation. I noticed he doesn’t steal bases anymore. Doubles seem to be his forte his whole career. The power has been shut off this season but I’m not ready to write him off. I would love to see him comeback to where he was and then progress. His defense has been weak this season. You can check his stats at SS to the rest of the league. Poor.

31. That fat home run derby 90 MPH not-very fastball right down the middle was un-acelike.

    1. How about the next strikeout?

       Watch that knee…

       1. The strikeout was ace-like, the homer wasn’t.

          1. So, you are going micro on every AB? You will always be right and a legend in your own (small) mind!

             Sorry, but I don’t suffer fools easily.

             It’s a shortcoming of mine.

32. 2demeter2:do you remember a curly haired skinny kid named Rodney.reading your post I had deja vu.in the late 50s I was at Artesia Park daily .i knew the downs boys well and rode in the back of jacks old black chev pu to many games.i too am of Dutch heritage and lived on the chicken ranch at Norwalk and 183rd.played in many pick up games at the school on that corner.no doubt we played a lot of 10 inch softball over the line together.your article brought back many great memories.thanks

    1. This is awesome!

    2. I lived at 183rd and Studebaker. I was known as Robbie back then. My last name is Schelling. I’m sure we must have met, but I don’t remember your name. Maybe we even rode in Jack’s pickup together. I went to Faye Ross and Gahr HS. I do remember your chicken ranch. I had several friends that lived in that area. When we left Dairy Valley, my parents moved to Perris, where they bought a chicken ranch. Miserable business.

33. If you think Seager is moving to 3B, well you are delusional.

    PERIOD!

    Watch and learn!

    1. Will Smith is the next Johnny Bench, or at least Bench-esque.

    2. I think Seager just needs a normal off-season and he’ll be back with the glove at SS. It’s just nice to know they have options if needed.

34. Will Smith? Some have loved him from when he was first drafted, but no one saw this coming. It’s still hard to comprehend because he never was that guy. He seems to be something otherworldly right about now… and it is awesome. I guess this is another RVS success story.

35. BTW, I think Seager will be back THIS year!

36. Hershiser just said luck is the residue of design. Does he read this blog, or just coincidence?

37. Now we’re starting to see what a healthy Pollock can do!

38. Seager from the last series against Arizona is moving his bat very well, I do not know how they can not see that, since then his swing is much better, the last 10 games his swing looks great, he is on the right track, he will surely finish very well.

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