Editorial Comment – This post was written prior to the Blake Snell acquisition by the Padres.
The longer this offseason goes without much movement, the more likely AF is going to get involved. The number of teams that want to jettison payroll is growing and is undoubtedly going to pique the interest of teams like LAD. While it will stress out fans who continually want to see something happen to get excited about, IMO it serves AF to wait it out until the selling teams get more desperate as the start of ST draws closer…whenever that is.
It also behooves the Dodgers to wait until there is a definite decision on the universal DH. The latest news was that MLB offered both universal DH and expanded playoffs, but MLBPA turned it down. MLBPA is not going to help MLB get additional revenue until they know for sure if the players will get a 162 game salary. The owners are pushing back with a possible start date around Memorial Day, and MLBPA has told all players plan on reporting to camp by their scheduled reporting date. If they show up, it is possible that MLB will lock them out.
We know the teams lost revenues, and they still had significant non-player payroll and other operational expenditures that needed funding. Teams can cover these shortages either through owner capital calls or borrowing. Team owners that have outside business interests have a source for those additional revenues. How much revenue the Dodgers lost and where they funded that difference we will never know for sure.
But it is curious as to how some teams are acting this offseason towards FA. There are a bevy of teams that have been players in the FA sweepstakes in prior years, that may be stepping back a bit, and some others that are at a crossroads. The two teams that seem to be FA players are NY Mets and Toronto Blue Jays. Both seem primed for a top four FA. Both George Springer and DJLM are on the radar for both NYM and Toronto. But I still believe that DJLM will eventually sign with NYY. However, Toronto does have a reputation to “overbid” for FA just to knock out the competition. Name another team that would have offered $80MM over 4 years for Hyun-jin Ryu. Prior deals for AJ Burnett, BJ Ryan, and Jose Bautista show their willingness to spend where others did not want. They picked up high priced contracts in Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle as well.
New York Yankees
Cashman has been adamant that they will not exceed CBT. They currently have $35MM in payroll space. Are they going to spend for one key addition, and then piece the rest together? If you look at their roster realistically and open minded, DJLM is not the area where they need to spend. Their bullpen is loaded, but they do need starting pitching. But it does not have to be Ace-like. They have their Ace in Gerrit Cole and one not too far behind in Luis Severino. The longer ST is pushed back, the more likely that Severino will be able to hit the mound from the get-go. While he would not pitch on a team that I would be in control of, Domingo German has been reinstated and is considered a top of the rotation pitcher. Jordan Montgomery and youngster Deivi Garcia are currently in the rotation. Is it finally Clark Schmidt time? Do they go back to Masahiro Tanaka? Do they look for Corey Kluber on a one year make good contract? Do they try to find their next Tanaka in Sugano? NYY has multiple RHP knocking on the door with ETA of 2021 and 2022. Outside of Schmidt and Garcia, the Yankees have 6 additional RHP prospects in their top 15, about ready to emerge, so they do not NEED another top of the rotation. But they may WANT one. Not everyone can pitch in NY (ask Sonny Gray). I could see them making a trade for a mid-rotation type pitcher just in case the kids are not ready, and Montgomery may really be a better 6th man option.
NYY needs a SS not a 2B. NYY have the prospects that might be able to lure Lindor out of Cleveland. Or they could sign Andrelton Simmons for one year to be in a position next year for the big five. NYY’s offense is good enough to hide Simmons. But the greater problem is that Simmons cannot be counted on a full season, and who will back up Simmons. DJLM is still a very viable option, but that means that Gleyber Torres will be at SS where he is not considered a strong defensive option. Luke Voit, DJLM, Torres, and Gio Urshela is not a strong defensive infield. NYY’s pitchers would benefit greatly with someone like Lindor. Clint Frazier back in Cleveland with some higher rated pitching prospects should get the job done. Frankie Lindor belongs in a mega market like NY.
New York Mets
They have already signed a top position player in catcher James McCann and a top reliever in Trevor May. They are not the top catcher or top reliever on the FA market, but they are a significant improvement over what they had. It also sets them up to still be in the market for one if not two of the top four free agents. They are the favorite to land George Springer, and still may be able to land Trevor Bauer. If Cohen wants to make a big splash, he could sign both and still be under the CBT for 2010. The Mets become a serious contender in 2021 if that happens. Even with Cohen’s billions, with the uncertainty for 2021, I predict the Mets land one, but not both. I think it is more likely that NYM signs Springer and then Jake Odorizzi instead of Bauer. Or maybe Tomoyuki Sugano.
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto has been mentioned in almost all FA possibilities. The Blue Jays have one of the best young lineups in all of MLB. Bo Bichette has made his voice clear. He wants DJLM. With DJLM, their infield offense of Vlad Jr., DJLM, Bichette, and Cavan Biggio should be the best in MLB. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Tesocar Hernandez are two young OF’s to build around for a top OF as well. They need a LHH OF, and Joc could be a candidate. Although Joc is more mentioned as a Cardinals target and maybe the Angels. But he fits with the Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays have routinely looked for second tier starting pitching hoping to land a top of the heap SP. It worked out last year with Hyun-jin Ryu. They previously hit pay dirt with J.A. Happ in 2016. I look for them to sign one of the big four, and then supplement their starting rotation with one of James Paxton, Taijuan Walker, Garrett Richards, or someone similar. Jake Odorizzi is also a possibility.
I recognize that they have been tied to a potential Francisco Lindor trade, but I think they run with Bichette at SS until at least next winter when the big five SS hit the market. The Blue Jays can put themselves at the top of the AL East if they pick up DJLM and a second tier starting pitcher. Toronto also figures to be like LAD and wait to see how the market unfolds. If NYY re-signs DJLM, one other potential play could be George Springer for CF and JT for 3B, and still be in a position to sign a second tier SP. Like LAD, Toronto is a wild card.
Philadelphia Phillies
John Middleton is an owner with very limited resources outside of the Philadelphia Phillies. Most pundits have their sources advise that the Phillies are going to limit their 2021 payroll to $150MM. They are already at a projected $142MM, thus making JT Realmuto a longshot. Dombrowski probably had “promises” that he will have money to spend, but it may not be in 2021. I think Dombrowski got the go-ahead to see if they could sign JTR and still be able to patchwork the roster. The Phillies need a SS to replace Gregorius, another OF, starting pitching, and most of all relief pitching. Jean Segura could step in for Gregorius for this year. They could do worse. But realistically the Phillies have two utility players, Segura and Scott Kingery, to lock down SS/2B. That would be comparable to Kike’/CT3.
As of this publication, the Phillies have no more than 5 projectable starting pitchers. With Zach Eflin as the #3, and Vince Velasquez as #4, the Phillies have significant starting pitching holes, and need Spencer Howard to produce now. Last year, their bullpen was a mess. They need a major upgrade. Does Middleton bite the bullet and try to fix his problems with this year’s FA crop, or does he try to minimize his losses in 2021, and reconnoiter for next year?
Chicago Cubs
The Cubbies have been FA players in the past, and in a big way. They have done well (Jon Lester), not so well (Jason Heyward), and a lot in between. Their farm system has produced quite a bit in the last several years, but after several trades, it has thinned out considerably.
The Cubs are at a crossroads. To save some payroll, they did non-tender Kyle Schwarber, and have Kris Bryant, Javy Baez, and Anthony Rizzo all set to become FA after the 2021 season and Willson Contreras after 2022. Jed Hoyer has stated that he wants to keep the payroll as low as possible for 2021. They are currently $67MM below the CBT. Their projected $143MM payroll is at their stated maximum which is why they are looking to move Kris Bryant and his projected $20MM arbitration salary. Why they may be looking to move Yu Darvish, I do not see that as a real consideration. I think they would trade him if they could get a sizeable return. But they are not going to get an Ace with a three year $59MM ($63MM AAV) contract anywhere else. One has to wonder if Darvish is truly back or was 2020 a mirage? Too many questions to be players in the big FA market. They do need to replace Jon Lester, Tyler Chatwood, and Jose Quintana. They do have Adbert Alzolay for one of those spots. I think they kick the tires in the Taijuan Walker price range. But they are not in the top tier FA market.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves have signed a couple of questionable starting pitchers, but they may get the last laugh on the League. Charlie Morton has been held back from pitching too deep into the lineup for the last couple of years, and as he gets older, the chances for him going deep will be difficult. He seems a bit overpaid at $15MM, but maybe not. Will he be a 2 WAR pitcher? Drew Smyly? He will be pitching as a 32 year old in 2021 and earning $11MM. He has not been decent since 2015. Even then he only had 12 starts and 66.2 IP. Last year, Smyly started five games and pitch 26.1 IP in a very good pitchers park. What will he do in Atlanta? They are counting on at least a 1.5 WAR. Maybe Atlanta picked right, but I am not convinced that $26MM couldn’t have been spent better. They still need to replace Marcell Ozuna, Nick Markakis, Tyler Flowers, Darren O’Day, Shane Greene, and Mark Melancon. Can they refill the bullpen internally? Many pundits believe they are still in the market for Ozuna, even as a RF. Currently, the Braves OF is Acuna Jr., Abraham Almonte, Ender Inciarte, and Christian Pache. They do have a top OF prospect in Drew Waters just about ready. The future OF is Waters, Pache, and Acuna Jr. But what happens in 2021? Some have Michael Brantley as a potential Ozuna replacement.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have had CBT payrolls of $165MM and $151MM. They were making strides in letting everyone know they were on the verge of contending. They signed two $16MM AAV free agents after 2019: Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas. They still have Joey Votto on the payroll for three more years at $22.5MM each year. They made the playoffs last year, but like the other teams, they lost significant payroll, including local revenue sharing funding. New President of Baseball Operations, Nick Krall, has said that he wants to significantly reduce payroll.
In 2021, they are going to lose 2020 NL CY winner, Trevor Bauer. Freddy Galvis may not be an ideal SS, but he is a FA as well. They traded Raisel Iglesias to LAA for Noe Ramirez to save approximately $7MM to $8MM. They non-tendered late inning reliever Archie Bradley, and backup catcher Curt Casali. Votto, Castellanos, and Moustakas are not really tradeable. With the players leaving the Reds still have a current estimated payroll of $124MM.
Thus the names of Sonny Gray and Eugenio Suarez have come up in trade talks so the Reds can get closer to their more comfortable payroll level of $100MM to $110MM (their range from 2016-2018). Trading Luis Castillo (at an estimated $4.0MM) makes no sense except as a tag on to an unmovable contract, so I do not buy into that one.
Los Angeles Angels
The Angels have serious starting pitching needs, and even with Raisel Iglesias, significant relief pitching needs. The LAA bullpen was considered one of the very worst in MLB in 2020. They also need a new SS and could use another OF just in case Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh are not ready, and/or Justin Upton’s skills continue to diminish. They like their catching duo, but are not convinced that Max Stassi can be an everyday catcher.
I include the Angels in this discussion because they have often times been very involved in FA. They have been players at the highest level of FA and then spent unreasonable dollars for questionable talent; especially pitching talent. What will they do this year? Some have them as a potential landing spot for Trevor Bauer, but Bauer insists he wants to sign with a contender, and the Angels do not appear to be legit contenders for the Championship. Although they may be able to compete in a weak AL West division, and then who knows? With too many holes on the ML roster, and a weak farm system to help out, even with Trevor Bauer, the Angels are not a likely contender. However, who knows what Arte Moreno may do? He is one of the most unpredictable owners in MLB.
Cleveland Indians
It is widely anticipated that the Indians will be trading uber SS Francisco Lindor. The Indians still consider themselves contenders in the AL Central because of their pitching. Somehow, some way, they continue to pump out excellent pitching. Will they also consider trading Carlos Carrasco to further drop their expected payroll? How much further do they want to decrease their projected payroll? They are currently projected at $81MM.
Overall
There are still too many questions as to what teams will be facing in 2021 with respect to attendance. When will the season start? How many games will MLB play in 2021? Will MLBPA agree to accept prorated salaries? Will there be a universal DH that is bound to confound the Nelson Cruz and Marcell Ozuna market. I think the market stays a little frigid until Ha-Seong Kim and Tomoyuki Sugano sign. Both need to sign by January 7 before their posting date runs out. Teams may be waiting to see where those two land. That could open the doors for the other SS and other SP.
AF could wait until teams become desperate for a position player trade/steal (Kris Bryant or Nolan Arenado or Suarez) or pitching (Blake Snell, Sonny Gray, Luis Castillo) to open up. Or do the Dodgers stay with what many believe AF wants to do, and stay under CBT for this year in anticipation as to what may happen after the next CBA is negotiated. AF knows he has a team elite enough to get to the post season, and then plays it out without the pressure of continually coming up short. I still think that AF signs JT. Knowing that KJ and Joe Kelly come off the books after 2021, does he bite the bullet for Liam Hendriks? I doubt that he goes for Hendriks, but I do think that lefties Brad Hand and Kirby Yates and righty Trevor Rosenthal are being considered. I think AF believes in the positive return of Corey Knebel, and the continual development of Brusdar Graterol and Victor Gonzalez. If the Dodgers stay with a 5 man rotation, Tony Gonsolin becomes a top candidate for the high leverage Andrew Miller type role. I think he excels in that role. But the addition of a proven closer really tightens the grip for the bullpen.
Discussion (98)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Padres have done a tremendous job improving their rotation not only for 2021 but the next 2-3 years.
A 4 men playoff rotation of Snell, Darvish, Gore and Lamet is second to none but the Dodgers with Buehler, CK, Price and Urias.
With May and Gonsolin the Dodgers maybe a little deeper than the Padres which is an advantage in case of injuries but in the playoffs I don´t know who has the stronger starting pitching.
Lineups are excellent on both teams and both pens need some help.
IMHO at this moment it is a toss up between those two teams for the West and the NL pennant with the Braves slightly behind both the Dodgers and Padres.
To keep the edge the Dodgers should take a good look at Trevor Bauer. If he indeed only wants to sign a 1 year contract with a true contender he would be a perfect match for AF and the Dodgers.
With some heavy contracts expiring after 2021 and 2022 this would also not compromise the Dodgers budget mid or long term.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!
Something just came to mind. The Padres gave up relatively little in both trades. None of their top 10 guys. They did give up some talent, but no one who was close to contributing to their push to take over the NL west. But say the Dodgers had made offers for both of those guys. I do not think they ask for our second tier players. They would want Gray, Ruiz, Lux, White. Players like that. And the one MLB player who went to the Cubs in the Darvish deal, well LA would have had to give up some one similar. Darvish and Snell are replacing Clevinger and Lamet, who they are not sure when he will be ready. I think AF already knows who he will target, but we will not know until after the new year. Closer it gets to February, the more we will know.
I must say that I am impressed with what the Padres have done. I would find it hard to image that AF will sit still. I’m sure he won’t panic, but I am waiting for his counter-moves. You can’t sit still when our greatest competition may be in our own division.
Ha-Seong Kim agreed to a four year $25MM deal with the Pads. $6.25MM AAV. Below expected costs. It would appear that the reported multiple 5 year offers were either not there or very insignificant.
The latest trade cost the Padres a good mid-rotation pitcher who often times gave the Dodgers fits as both a Brewer and Padre (27 year old Zach Davies), #11 SDP Prospect Reginald Preciado (SS), #13 SDP Prospect Owen Caissie (OF), #15 SDP Prospect Ismael Mena (#15), #16 SDP Prospect Yeison Santana (SS). Neither of the SS were ever going to play for SDP. The OF were too far away to know how they projected.
The Padres have done a terrific job in upgrading their team without losing their top prospects.
#1 Pitching Prospect (#3 overall) – MacKenzie Gore
#5 SS (#21 overall) – CJ Abrams
#3 Catcher (#46 overall) – Luis Campusano
#74 Overall – OF Robert Hassell
They also have another higher rated OF other than Hassell over the two OF that were traded (Hudson Head #9). The Padres have lost a lot of quantity but not much quality (Luis Patino and Taylor Trammell). With the MiLB constriction coming, players were going to be weeded out anyway. All of the middle infielders they moved were all blocked and would have been wasted in the Padres organization. They also still retain three top pitching prospects other than Gore: Adrian Morejon, Michael Baez, and Ryan Weathers.
Also do not discount the value of Victor Caratini who is a valuable reserve catcher, and is Darvish’s personal catcher. This gives Campusano more time to develop.
You can be the biggest Dodger fan in the world and still recognize that the Padres have significantly upgraded their team without hurting their future. Did they catch the Dodgers? That’s why they play the games. Is AF going to counter? Who knows? AF knows that you can only concern yourself in how you can improve your team. You need to ignore what other teams have done. No panic knee-jerk reactions. Getting to the WS three out of the last four years tells me, he knows how to build a championship caliber team.
The Cubs will receive righty Zach Davies, shortstops Reginald Preciado and Yeison Santana, and outfielders Owen Caissie and Ismael Mena in return.
Darvish trade finished. Zack Davies and 4 kids going to the Cubs. Caratini and Darvish headed to the Pads.
The Athletic compares Dodgers with Padres position by position.
https://theathletic.com/2288817/2020/12/28/padres-add-blake-snell-ha-seong-kim-are-they-better-than-dodgers/?access_token=584626
Bottom line. The Padres are now good enough to beat us in a post season series. We will have to play our best to beat them! Nothing wrong with a great rivalry and some competition
This was shared on a Covid survivor group :
HOW TO FIGHT COVID AT HOME
No one ever talks about how to fight Covid at home. I came down with Covid in November. I went to the hospital, running a fever of 103, a rapid heart beat, and other common symptoms that come with Covid. While I was there they treated me for the high fever, dehydration and pneumonia.
The doctor sent me home to fight Covid with two prescriptions – Azithromycin 250mg & Dexamethason 6mg. When the nurse came in to discharge me, I asked her, “What can I do to help fight this at home?” She said, “Sleep on your stomach at all times with Covid. If you can’t sleep on your stomach because of heath issues sleep on your side. Do not lay on your back no matter what because it smashes your lungs and that will allow fluid to set in.
Set your clock every two hours while sleeping on your stomach, then get out of bed and walk for 15-30 min, no matter how tired or weak that you are. Also move your arms around frequently, it helps to open your lungs. Breathe in thru your nose, and out thru your mouth. This will help build up your lungs, plus help get rid of the Pneumonia or other fluid you may have.
When sitting in a recliner, sit up straight – do not lay back in the recliner, again this will smash your lungs. While watching TV – get up and walk during every commercial.
Eat at least 1 – 2 eggs a day, plus bananas, avocado and asparagus.These are good for Potassium. Drink Pedialyte, Gatorade Zero, Powerade Zero & Water with Electrolytes to prevent you from becoming dehydrated. Do not drink anything cold – have it at room temperature or warm it up.
Water with lemon, and little honey, peppermint tea, apple cider are good suggestions for getting in fluids. No milk products, or pork. Vitamin’s D3, C, B, Zinc, Probiotic One-Day are good ideas. Tylenol for fever. Mucinex, or Mucinex DM for drainage, plus helps the cough. Pepcid helps for cramps in your legs. One baby aspirin everyday can help prevent getting a blood clot, which can occur from low activity. ”
Drink a smoothie of blueberries, strawberries, bananas, honey, tea and a spoon or two of peanut butter.
We always hear of how Covid takes lives, but there isn’t a lot of information out there regarding how to fight Covid. I hope this helps you or someone you know, just as it has helped me.
It looks like Campusano will not be part of the deal, but Caratini will. Most expect a deal in the next couple of hours. Cubs want some MLB talent back. Preferably a pitcher. Hot stove getting hotter. Also a blurb that the Dodgers have all of a sudden thrown their hat in the Bauer sweepstakes ring. Not sure how true this is, but it is being reported by MLB baseball news.
What if the Jays sign Turner?
Dodgers might lose Kershaw for the 2022 season while Padres get Clevenger back.
Seager might not be back for the 2022 season.
Dodgers will be without a player that steps up during the post season.
Just saying.
Ken Gurnick retired today as the Dodger beat writer. He has been there for many years. Have to wish him well in his new endeavors. Chris Rose leaves Intentional Talk. I do not know who they will get as a new partner for Millar. I watched Rose’s final appearance on MLB.TV. They did a great interview with JT who was on the road in an RV with his family. As for the Padres, I cannot control who they go get in trade or as a free agent. If they manage to get Darvish too, well so be it. But AF has not even begun to do what ever he has in mind. He has started signing the depth guys like he always does. And although the Pads are making these moves, they are not as deep in talent as LA. But they will be a force to be respected. As for Kim, well my take on all players coming from either Korea or Japan has always been wait and see. There have been few offensive players from Korea who have thrived in the majors. Kim might be the first, but no one really knows what he is going to bring to the table. He has talent or they would not have went after him. But he could also flop. Ichiro was the one guy who out of the gate was a great player. Matsui was pretty good too. I think all of the Dodger brain trust is analyzing the moves the Pads have made. But I doubt we will see any kind of knee jerk reaction by AF. As for Snell, my own opinion is that he is over rated. Yes, he was shutting the Dodgers down until he was pulled. His career stats are not all that impressive. He is a strikeout pitcher, that much is for sure. But in 3 of his 5 seasons in the majors, he has had a losing record. He is 12 games over .500 in his career simply because of his Cy Young season in 2018. He has given up double digit home runs every year of his career except his first. He is 2-3 in the post season. As for Darvish, he finally has a decent season after 3 straight mediocre seasons and I am supposed to shake in my boots because SD has these two guys? Career wise, Darvish is the better pitcher. But he is only 2 games over .500 in the NL> His best work was in Texas. And he also has a losing record in the playoffs. 2-5. No, the Pads have improved some. But not enough in my mind where I am going to wonder if the Dodgers can beat them. Old friend Charlie Culberson signed with the Rangers.
I am truly excited about our young arms. The best part, and a lot of fans forget is how Doc put our young guys in the playoffs under pressure. That cannot be duplicated any other way. … than true exposure. Gonzalez came in and pitched well.. As did Graterol. May and Gonsolin had some ups and downs. Urias earned his wings. This teaches maturity and experience. Buehler is coming into his own.. Kolarek looks like a keeper and is still young. I’m not disappointed in Floro. Jansen, Kershaw and Kelly have seen their best days. Price can’t really be counted on. Knebel is a good gamble. Alexander
and Nelson might contribute some. I would feel better about a Brad Hand signing. We have 3 of the top 25 best rated future catchers in baseball…by and far the most important position in the game. Third base is definitely a concern. If we can’t resign JT, my preference would be to move Muncy over there. Use Rios at first.. or move Cody back to 1B. If Ruiz is ready at C., Will Smith has played some 3B. I still think Beaty can hit. He did everywhere in the minors. We have Busch and Hoese as legitimate future major leaguers. If AJ gets injured again that’s a big worry. He finally earned his paycheck. Mookie is among the best 3 players in the MLB. Back to Rios and DJ Peters..they both have horrendous strikeout rates… not good. Lux was rated one the best prospects in baseball until the end of last year. Seager is back to looking like a future hall of famer.. Without naming every player on the team, we are still the envy of every other team in baseball. 9 straight division champions..3 outta 4 WS appearances. I’m totally excited about the next few years… We are STILL the team to beat. We have less holes of any team in baseball. AF has done a fantastic job of setting us up for years and years of competitive playing. Without blowing up our finances. It’s pretty difficult to predict the future of some of some of young arms like Gray, White, Ucenta…etc since they didn’t play last year. We just can’t throw away the farm for Snell. Arenado or Lindor..and our budget for a couple good years… Maybe then being unable to sign Cody. Corey or Walker.. Lots of great comments from everyone in this thread. Go Blue for the rest of the 2020’s…
Time to remind everyone that the Padres “won” at the trade deadline in August 2020. Didn’t get them to the finish line. The Padres “won” the off-season hot-stove in 2019-2020. Didn’t get them over the finish line. The Padres also “won” the off-season hot-stove in 2014. Didn’t get them over the finish line. Mind you, I like Blake Snell a lot, and he will help. I don’t know enough about Ha-Seong Kim to render an opinion of how much he will help in 2021. If they acquire Darvish, that too will make them a stronger team on paper than they were last year. But as we know, things happen, and these trades may not work out as planned. Certainly, the Padres get an A for effort.
Then again, the Dodgers aren’t done yet. Who knows, maybe AF pulls off trades for DeGrom and Lindor, signs Bauer and Lemahieu and what say you then? Before you start on me, I know that none of what I just said will happen.
I want to apologize, I didn’t use the right words, I didn’t mean to offend anyone, I’m sorry. But I think that no matter what others HAVE TO DO TO TRY TO BE AT THE DODGERS LEVEL, they are the best team, we don’t need to worry about anyone, they all care about beating LA, and in fact they do. So they can have the top 25 players on the roster, that whole team can go to ASG and still our team is the best, we are the team to beat! Again I offer an apology to all of you, I have always tried to be respectful (to this day) good night.
I have often criticized the Dodgers ownership, and to a lesser extent the front office, which takes orders from the owners, for not being very proactive in trying to bring a title to Los Angeles, declining to go big, when a guy who could win the title was out there. Well, they finally stepped up with Betts, although they were rather lucky that Boston did not handle it well; and we got our title. It was not easy, we almost lost to the Braves, but there were a lot of clutch plays made, and we pulled out that series, and then won a hard-fought series against Tampa. So the Dodgers are probably impervious to effective criticism, they won their title. Likely, the biggest reason that they obtained Betts, was that they were getting a lot of criticism not only from LA fans, but the general baseball punditry. But now, will they revert to their typical ways? So far, it seems so, though it is not surprising.
I”m not saying that they should have gotten Snell, or Bauer, or this or that other player. A case can always be made against obtaining a particular player, even if it is just about money. I do recall that after Cash took Snell out in the sixth game, many Dodgers fans and sports talk hosts were laughing at Cash, saying that he had done the Dodgers a great favor, that Snell was unhittable in that game,, and mostly so in the other game he pitched. But now that he goes to the Padres, I hear that he is not really that good, it is not a big deal that SD has him and we do not.
I have said before that all it takes to beat the Dodgers approach in a given season, is one or two franchises which for that year or two, go all out, and spend big with money and young talent, to land proven stars. And even if these teams overpay, and it hurts them three years later, someone else can step up to do the same thing. It only takes one all-out bidder to outbid you, and it can be a different one each time. There is an arrogance to Preller, he is determined to make the Padres better than the Dodgers. Anthopoolous of Atlanta may not be as arrogant, but he is also willing to go big. We haven’t even seen Steve Cohen at work yet. If the Dodgers ownership will go back to mostly making “bargain buys,” trying to find some player coming off one or two poor seasons who might bounce back, we are going to have trouble beating out those franchises which will step into the bidding for every major name out there.
There is not much sense in complaining, because the Dodgers’ owners do what they do, though one of them saying, ” We will be looking to save money any way we can,” is not too encouraging to the fans who were hoping that we might actually go on a title run. And wanting to win two or three titles in a row is not “being pigs”; the Yankees have done that multiple times, not even that long ago. It always comes down to the playoffs; and do we have a pitching staff which is as good as Atlanta’s and San Diego’s upgraded ones for a short series? Maybe, but we will need Price, coming off a bad season and then an inactive season; we will need Gonsolin, whom Jeff accurately described as looking overmatched in the playoffs. We will need Kershaw to have one more very good and healthy season. And we still have done nothing to upgrade a bullpen which has no legitimate closer.
But again, they won their title after 31 seasons of falling short, so what is their motivation to do it again? Hopefully it is competitive pride and a striving for historical greatness. But that is being hopeful about it. I had always believed that if the Dodgers of the past eight seasons had really wanted to win a title earlier, they could have done so. I do find it frustrating that in most offseasons, it is other teams which make the big acquisitions, while the Dodgers mostly shop for “smart and relatively cheap buys.” Jimmy Nelson and Alex Wood come to mind. I would like to have gotten Snell, giving us the best pitching staff in baseball. Could we not have outbid the Padres at their price? Did we feel that we had enough top pitching, or that it would have been piggish to have tried to get more, even if our chief NL rivals get it instead?
Of course we shouldn’t be talking about the Padres. We swept them in the playoffs.
And they aren’t going to let that happen again.
We could be facing a Padres team in October with a rotation of Snell, Davish, Gore, Davies and Lamet. That is a freaking monster rotation.
I’ve seen MacKenzie Gore pitch. He will have an impact next year. If the Padres are lucky, he could come out of the gates with gusto. He has the best stuff I’ve seen close up with my own eye holes since Walker Buehler, ‘
I’ve seen Luis Campusano play. The kid can hit. And can catch and throw. Rumor is that he could be included in a Davish trade. In which the Padres are rumored to be getting Willson Contreras. He can hit too. Really good like. Either with Campusano or Contreras. That’s a big improvement at catcher.
Adding Snell makes them better. Potentially adding Davish, Contreras and curating the young arm of Gore to be MLB ready could make them MUCH better.
This would be an apt response to getting swept by the Dodgers. Dodgers would still be a better team. But they would not be a team that we could roll directly over in the playoffs.
I’m sure AD is analyzing every detail and knows he also has to make improvements. The Dodgers are still the best team in baseball. But the Padres are preparing to put up a real fight in 2021.
AD needs to make some moves. Nothing stupid. But the Padres made a big position raise. He needs to make a bet as well.
The Padres are on the verge of finalizing the Yu Darvish trade. They have apparently come to terms with who they are giving up. Big couple of days for the Pads.
Calm down Jorge. What’s wrong with respecting your competition?
Since you posted your first tirade they’ve signed a very good Korean player and it looks as though they are getting close to getting the guy who was second in the Cy Young voting last year.
They are a good team, whether you like it or not. Are they better than the Dodgers? Let’s wait to see what moves Friedman has up his sleeve. And after that, no matter what any of us thinks, it’s going to be settled on the field.
And you are telling us that if we think the Padres are very good we don’t belong here, right after you say you don’t want to offend us. Well my friend, I’m offended. When Mark or Jeff tell me I don’t belong here that’s when I’ll leave. It’s not up to you to decide.
With all due respect, with no intention of offending anyone..
What a shame it makes me see so many morons worried about SD, that shows how much confidence they have in the Dodgers.
A single pitcher WILL MAKE NO DIFFERENCE !!
If you are so amazed by them, then you don’t belong here …
Look, I want the DH, but I don’t want an expanded playoff system.
The addition of Blake Snell certainly makes the Padres a better team. Legitimate ace. Is he just a five inning pitcher? Probably not, but that’s how the Rays used him.
Not all that impressed with the return for Tampa Bay. Deal doesn’t make sense. Looks like they just unloaded him. Must be hard to watch for TB fans.
Padres are definitely improving, but the Dodgers are still the better team. Lots of deals to be made in January. Multiple pathways for improving the roster.
Good write-up, Jeff.
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You mean Clive Cussler’s hero? Do not know him as a poster though. Sorry.
Anybody here remember a poster who went by the handle Dirk Pitt?
The Padres are going to be very good!! Like any team injuries can play a role. If the pads do not have any significant injuries they are top level. The Dodgers are typically better prepared than any other team to weather injuries. But if the dodgers lose turner and do not replace him and then lose seager to free agency they will be sliding. Hopefully, Af has a plan to combat those losses. Also kershaw one more year. In a full season I believe the dodgers could use another starter unless jimmy Nelson can help.
It has been confirmed that Kim is a Padre… allegedly!
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/12/padres-sign-ha-seong-kim.html
AJ Preller and the Padres are clearly going for it THIS year. Let’s revisit what they have done since last August. They have traded away the following top prospects:
Taylor Trammel 2019 #2 – OF
Owen Miller 2019 #9 – SS/2B
Hudson Potts 2019 #10 – 3B
Gabriel Arias 2019 #13 – SS
Joey Cantillo 2019 #15 – LHP
Edward Olivares 2019 #16 – OF
Jeisson Rosario 2019 #19 – OF
Luis Patino 2020 #3 – RHP
Cole Wilcox 2020 #7 – RHP
Blake Hunt 2020 #14 – Catcher
The rankings are as of after the 2019 season and after the 2020 season.
In addition to the prospects, they have also traded away three ML players who all figure to get considerable play time.
Cal Quantrill – LHP – Age 26
Ty France – Utility infielder – Age 26 – .305/.368/.468/.836 (Seattle and SD)
Francisco Mejia – Catcher – Age 25
In return, the Padres have received:
Austin Nola – Catcher – Age 31
Mike Clevinger – RHP – Age 30 (Out until age 31 and final year of arbitration)
Blake Snell – LHP – Age 28
Of the prospects, only Luis Patino figured to be a quality roster addition in 2021. While Patino figures to be solid and may reach his #2 in the rotation starter, he will not be at the Blake Snell level for the next three years of Snell’s contract. Cole Wilcox may turn out to be a mid-rotation starter as well, but not this year, and undoubtedly not next year.
But what Preller has done is exactly what AF will not do. Trade 10 of your top 20 prospects? AJ Preller is a Dave Dombrowski clone. Time will tell whether Preller was wise or to be fired.
The Padres will also be signing SS/3B/2B, Ha-Seong Kim. That moves Jake Cronenworth to LF. They are also rumored to be deep in talks with Chicago for Yu Darvish. SD is not on Darvish’s no trade list, so they do not need his permission.
San Diego is going to be a top contender THIS year, not 2022. They have pitching, they have offense, and they have defense. They still need relievers, but I bet they find them.
Wow! Padres are all in for 2021 if they sign Darvish! Very impressive! Though they still need bullpen help! Gonna be a fun showdown next year!
Pads also supposed to be favorites to sign Kim. Kim, Snell and Darvish? Quite a haul.
Pads will have to be dealt with. Should be interesting.
I’m interested in all of the downtalking of Snell. He has a 4 pitch mix with as good a slider/curve combo as Kershaw and 97 on the fastball, plus a change. He has ace stuff – perhaps you didn’t see game 6 of the World Series?
Yes, he’s an injury risk and wasn’t allowed to pitch deeply into games last year as he was recovering from surgery and he’s only pitched 180 innings one time – but I’d want him on my staff. He improves SD for sure.
Darvish is another pitcher who hasn’t been consistent but has been brilliant at times and was last year for sure.
Do the Dodgers react and if so, how?
Wait a minute, Blake Snell to the Dodgers was on my Xmas wish list! I guess that Santa got it wrong. Or perhaps, as RC Dodger points out, the price in prospects was just too high for AF. I think this trade makes the Padres a better team. The question is, better than the Dodgers? I think that we win the division again this year, but as we know, dominant pitching can determine a series. We may very well face SD in the playoffs again this year. How will our pitching fare? It could depend on unpredictable factors like injuries. How will CK hold up next year? How will David Price pitch at his age with a full year layoff? Will our young guns continue to mature? In my view, we could use an extra, established starter, just in case.
Chicago sports talk and the Cubs beat writer about 30 min ago said he’s heard that despite getting Snell, the Padres are still interested in trading for Yu Darvish as well.
Snell signing makes for a very good rotation in 2022. But they still have holes in their bullpen and they need another big bat in that lineup to even come close to our everyday lineup. Now if they were to sign say Ozuna and a couple of late inning bullpen pieces then we have a legit competitor.
Jeff, my hats off to to you!!! It’s not just not the depth of your article but the timing so close to the Christmas… Keep on keeping on…
Ignoring Jorge’s post is easy… It’s baseless and shows a total lack of baseball savvy..
I don’t like the Gigantes and the Madres, but very methodically the Madres have built a young team to be reckoned with… I figured by 22, but now I don’t know… I’ll tell you one thing, tune in those 18 games if you get a chance… After all is said and done the Blue shall reign again…
Greed always seems to pop up in my chats with LAD fans…
The Blake Snell deal clearly makes the Padres strong competition for the division in 2021, and especially in 2022 when they have a potential rotation of Snell, Clevinger, Lamet, Gore, and Paddock. You have to assume that the Dodgers were engaged in trade talks with Rays also, even if just on a preliminary basis. It looks like the Padres gave up 4 valuable pieces to get Snell in Patino, Mejia, Hunt and Wilcox. In order for the Dodgers to make a similar offer to the Rays, my guess would be:
Dustin May
Keibert Ruiz
Diego Cartaya
Clayton Beeter
It’s possible the Rays would value Josiah Gray close to Patino, but some analysts currently rate Patino as a top 10 prospect in all of MLB compared to Gray around 60th. In any case, the price for Snell was pretty high as it should be for a 28 year old former Cy Young winner under contract for the next 3 years for $13 million per year. In the end, the Padres needed Snell more than the Dodgers, and while the gap has closed, the Dodgers are still are the favorite in 2021.
Question for the experts here, been reading that the dodgers are in on Hendricks, is that a good move, even if we have Graterol?
Now the Pads want to sign Bauer, that will be interesting.
I think it is amusing that a cy young winner a guy who held our team hitless for over 5 innings . A pitcher who is in his prime and is a lefty. A team in our division with World Series potential adds a pitcher that made our team look like junior high is no big deal. Well I hope you who feel that way are right. I see the Padres just signed one of the best pitchers in baseball on a cheap deal. The Padres have improved immensely on that move alone. A true number 1.
I watched a really strange movie last night called Motherless Brooklyn. It had some good actors in it. Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Willem DeFoe and Alec Baldwin. It centered around all the political drama and behind the scenes stuff in 1957 New York, including the attempt by O’Malley to get a stadium built in Brooklyn. One of the characters was based on the borough manager Robert Moses. Although they called him Moses Randolph. It was well written and acted but it took a while to get the plot.
Once again Jeff you have provided us with another quality article that’s worthy of the best the Athletic has to offer. The offseason will continue to be slow until the owners and union come to terms. I’d be happy with a Brad Hand signing and maybe Rosenthal. That could develop into the best BP in LA Dodger history. Let’s give it a try.
It amazes me how petty the owners can be at times. I don’t think many of the owners depend on the income they receive from the teams they own. I would think not many. So, why do they continue to squeeze the players at every turn and, therefore, contribute in alienating the fan base? The owners seem to want to put the players into a corner and try to make them the bad guys. Are there any adults in the room? The owners have gotten away for years on not allowing players to become free agents until they have six years in MLB. And, they added the little wrinkle of holding a player back for a MONTH which causes the player to lose a whole YEAR toward free agency. That alone has to be corrected.
So, now the new generation of GMs have concluded that they’re not going to pay a 30-31 year old a long term contract like they stupidly did in the past (yes, I’m looking at you Arte per Pujois). This approach is something I agree with. It never made sense to me to pay huge salaries for past performance. It took years and the use of analytics by younger GMs to figure out this wasn’t sound financially. Therefore, the younger player doesn’t get paid his true value because of the six year rule and most likely won’t get paid a long term contract once he reaches free agency because he is too old at the end of the contract. Rinse and repeat. It’s total BS on the owners part, but the players union leadership let it happen. I think that’s why the GMs are keeping starters to five innings or less is to keep from paying $25M+ for a highly probable risky investment. Same with the use of openers. No owner is going to pay a guy $25-$35M for a pitcher contributing 200 innings or less. Just another way to have more money drop to the bottom line for the owners.
Why is the FA system set up this way? I think most of the blame has to go to union leadership. The union initially had very strong and tough leadership lead by Marvin Miller. He was the main reason free agency became into being. Andy Messersmith was declared the first FA and ended up being signed by the Dodgers in 1976. It seems that the leadership for the players has not been good since the turn of the century. That’s why the owners have taken advantage of them recently. It’s hard for the fans to be sympathetic toward the players when their average salary is about $4M a year. Especially in today’s environment. But, the players ARE MLB and who the fans cheer for and spend an outrageous amount of money on to watch them perform. The owners could be replaced many times over with just as or more wealthy people than there are in place now.
Bottom line is that somehow the owners and players have to be reasonable and have vison on their wants and needs. Especially, when they are in a position to turn off fans to a sport that has a declining fanbase. From history, that’s probably not a realistic outcome for us fans. A fine line indeed.
The Padres got Blake Snell on the cheap for 3 more years. I’m glad to see them keep trying to improve, I was sick of competing with the D-Bags and Rockies for the previous stretch. I’m also glad to see their farm take a hit. It seems to be a very good haul for the Rays bringing back 2 very good to solid pitchers and a couple of catchers. Mejia was once a highly touted catching prospect and had a pretty good year as a 23 yo in 2019.
I think the Padres will be primed to compete in 2022 when Clevenger and Gore are ready to contribute to their rotation and will be good, but not good enough in 2021. Yates and Rosenthan are big bullpen pieces that need to be replaced and I’m not sure Wil Myers has another 950+ OPS year and I’m not sure Cronenworth is the real deal. Word is that their in on Kim, who can offset the loss of Profar.
I don’t think AF has really started yet. I feel that he knows the supply of players outweighs demand and he’s in a position to take advantage of this market. I’m not a huge Blake Snell fan. We’ll see how good he his as we’ll be facing him quite a bit in division.
Now being reported that Preller is hot on the trail of Kim, the 25 year old hot shot infielder from Korea. I have no idea where they would play him, but I’m sure Preller has that figured out.
There are a number of teams in on Kim so it’s definitely no sure thing that he goes to SD, but say what you will, Preller is always doing big deals and, in the long run, that’s good for baseball.
An under the Radar signing – and the different look AF mentioned for the BP.
Not sure there’s any downside to having a look…
https://dodgersway.com/2020/12/27/dodgers-sign-former-yankees-red-sox-side-arm-pitcher/?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&utm_source=FanSided+Daily&utm_medium=email
Say what you want but Padres much better today than they were yesterday. We’re fortunate Clevinger is out next year and Lamet may also be questionable. So far they look more like pigs than us! Time to respond AF!
Snell going to SD, another whiny jerk who arrives on a team full of clown idiots assholes … It gives me such a laugh to read the stupid comments of those poor idiot morons who feel like they are already better than LA, and talking shit about Dodgers…
That group of assholes sons of bitches are not pleasant to see, they are not a team to follow, they have to throw the ball straight to the head until they learn who their owners are and they learn to respect, first they have to make a name, be a winning team, before wanting to act like they’re really good…
Since it was not possible to do it against Houston, let it be against those idiots!!
I guess the owners are willing to cut their own throats. The fans are the ones who pay the price. We paid it last year, and it looks like it might happen again. I expect AF to make AF type moves. Improve the team where he can without breaking the bank for the second year in a row. That is why I think all the predictions that have Bauer and DJLM coming to the Dodgers are nuts. None of the players, save Turner, to me are vital parts of the machine. Treinen did bounce back, but he had some rough moments in the playoffs and got saved by a great catch by Mookie. Baez, well Pedro has not changed much except for the development of his change up, but he still is better off coming in to start an inning than relieving with runners on, and that to me is the biggest flaw in his game. Wood had a couple of good games. And he would be ok as a swingman. But not sure how he fits in with this team. McGee had a nice run, but they have younger options. Kike, well most fans love the guy, but his swing and miss approach has gotten old. He was 0-5 vs the Brewers and Padres, then he did good against Atlanta with 2 homers. He disappeared against the Rays in the series hitting .200. His heroics in the 2017 NLCS against the Cubs will not be forgotten, but he is replaceable. Pederson was outstanding in the 2 playoff series and the World Series after the wild card round and hit close to .400 with 2 homers and 8 ribbies. But his in season struggles, and the fact that he will probably get a contract for 9 mil or more a year, and with the Dodgers loaded with lefty hitters makes him expendable. Nelson is coming back, and I really want to see what he has in the tank. But a big time free agent, let’s put it this way, if AF does sign a big ticket player, I am of the belief it will be a relief pitcher. Snell cost the Padres a bunch. And for a guy 2 years removed from his best season, I think they got fleeced.\