Are the Dodgers Doomed?
NOTE: We are running two blogs today. This one and the MiLB Blog by Jeff.
The six losses in a row were embarrassing, but last night's game was more than embarrassing. It was humiliating! The Dodgers were 11-0 against Merrill Kelley, who allowed nearly six runs a game against them. Last night, he held them to one run. Then the Dodgers got two runs off Taylor Clarke, who makes $1.5 million, and Brandyn Garcia, who makes the MLM minimum. After Roki Sasaki pitched a solid game, giving up just 2 runs in 6 innings, Edguardo Henriquez (MLB Minimum guy too) shut down the D-Backs in the 7th inning... with the Dodgers clinging to a 3-2 lead.
In the 8th inning, Tanner Scott ($16 million) needed 24 pitches to retire the side with bases loaded. Then, Edwin Diaz (best known for cockfighting and his 11.00 ERA) and his $14 million salary came in and promptly gave up a 2-run home run to win the game for Kevin Ginkel ($2.7 million). For one, I am ashamed to be a Dodger fan. The Dodgers were beaten like rented mules! Seven losses in a row is pathetic.
I liked what Andrew Friedman did in Tampa Bay... he did more with less. When he came to LA, he started out doing the same thing, but over the last few years, the Dodgers have become "pigs" and pigs get slaughtered. Andrew Friedman is now doing less with more! Here is how the Dodgers rank against every other team in baseball with the Luxury Tax included:
The Dodgers' payroll and Luxury Tax are more than double what the D-Backs happen to be. Maybe you would enjoy watching the Lions and the Christians in ancient times in an arena, but I'm not into that. The Dodgers are pigs and pigs get slaughtered. Let's look at what they are paying certain players:
Mookie Betts .233 BA/.682 OPS - $30.4 Million
Kyle Tucker .244 BA/.719 OPS - $57.1 Million
Teoscar Hernandez .252 BA/.727 OPS - $19.9 Million
Blake Snell - 0-1/12.00 ERA on IL - $31.3 Million
Tyler Glasnow - 3 Wins, on IL - $27.3 Million
Edwin Diaz - 1-1/11.00 ERA - $21.1 Million
You have to be a certified moron to pay that amount of money to the above-listed players and get such awful production. I hate it! That's more than the annual payrolls of 16 teams! This is why we likely are not going to see a lot of baseball next year. This has to change. Even if the Dodgers were winning, I'd be embarrassed! But the fact that we are losing is also embarrassing, and it proves we are stupid. Come on, man!
Discussion (91)
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Mark, you are preaching to the choir! AF deserves credit for developing first class baseball operation. But, whether it's him or the ownership, the past 2-3 years they have become lazy in the respect with the amount of money they carelessly throw at free agents.
I felt it started with the signing of Tyler Glasnow after they traded for him. To give him the years and money he got with the injury history he had was questionable. He had elbow surgery while in Tampa and was recovered with his arm feeling healthy for the first time in years. It's all good now! Well, his arm was good, but the rest of his body continually broke down. What a damn surprise. Tyler had injuries with '23 with oblique, cramping and back along with his elbow issues. So, it wasn't just with his arm. The past two seasons it's been back problems. I can see AF trading for Tyler and having him pitch for a season before making the commitment he did. I trusted the Dodgers on their assessment of his health.
Then last year it was Snell who was signed out of nowhere to an another crazy contract for a five inning pitcher with a horrible injury history. No surprise that Snell only pitches a couple of months for a mere $31M per. This is when I felt that the Dodgers were willing to throw outrageous amounts money at free agents just because they could.
This year they took their free agents signings to the absurd with giving Diaz $60M over three years. Of course, now that he was a Dodger pitcher, so he soon had elbow surgery. Since he has returned he has looked like shit.
Adding to the ill advised contracts was the signing of Kyle Tucker. Why? Hell, the Cubs didn't want to sign him at any price. But, not the Dodgers! AF felt that he deserved $60M for four years. That's $60M per year for four years. When this happened I was deciding if I wanted to follow this team anymore after doing so for 65 years. That's Ohtani and Soto territory. Besides his disappointing underperformance there's his semi comatose vibe.
Add the resigning of Teoscar this last offseason and the Dodgers have a nice trifecta of WTF signings. We have to watch him swing unconsciously at pitches three feet out of the strike zone for dozens of at bats before we get a HR or a productive hit. Awesome!
Many express "well, it's not my money". I tend to disagree. Where does the money come from that each team gets? From the fans. Yes, you and me. From attending a game, parking, buying food, souvenirs, etc. Watching the game on cable or streaming that advertisers pay for in order to reach fans of the Dodgers. Same with the on field advertising. The bottom line is that all the money comes from fans or because of fans of Dodger baseball. And my opinion the Dodger organization has not been a good steward of our money in the last few years.
Carry on.
The dumbest conversations arise when the team plays poorly.
Too late to deal with those inflated contracts so let's
Fire Roberts!!
satire warning
I think it is healthy to vent and rant. Does it mean that anyone who doesvent, does not believe the team can win, or that they are just frustrated. Right now the team looks old, slow, and tired? They just do. Many assume that they will break out of it and go to the whip when it matters. Maybe, maybe not. Does that mean that we can expect Mookie, Teo, and Tucker to become consistent producers? Can we expect Will Smith to come back playing at his elite level? Are Díaz, Scott, Vesia, and Phillips all just going through a phase, but will turn it around at the right time? Is Kiké just going to go through the motions until the playoffs? Will his playoffs more mirror 2025 or 2021 (with Boston)?
Many here just expect the Dodgers to turn it on for the playoffs. I do expect the pitching to get better when Snell and Glasnow make it back, but I am not nearly as optimistic with the bats. While many do not think Snell and Glasnow will make it back, they are sure that Teo, Tucker, and Mookie will become worthy of their paychecks.
I would expect more from Shohei, but not from Pages. When it mattered most, he disappeared. Max had a terrific start to the season. But in his last 15 games, Max is slashing .176/.250/.431/.681 with 22 K in 56 PA, a 39.3% K rate. It looks like his once fantastic plate discipline has been taken over by a Teoscar clone. Does he turn it back around, or is father time catching him in that race now?
Everyone points to the full season batting metrics. In the beginning of the season when legs were fresh and body strong, they were hitting a ton. But as the season grinds, the trends show a different picture. Since July 1, the team has played 30 games and are 13-17.
• BA .251 (12th in MLB), OBP .314 (18th in MLB), SLG .395 (19th in MLB), OPS .709 (20th in MLB) • Runs – 126 (21st in MLB) • HR – 32 (23rd in MLB) • wRC+ - 94 (20th in MLB)
Pitching since July 1:
• Runs Against – 150 (8th most in MLB) • ERA – 4.66 (24th in MLB) • FIP – 4.87 (28th in MLB) • SIERA – 3.92 (19th in MLB)
• Run differential – (-24)
Their defense is good, but it too is regressing.
They now look like a WC team, and if the playoffs were today, they would face the Snakes or Cubs. If they got through them, I doubt they can go 7-1 against the Phillies and Brewers as they did last season.
I know they did it the last 2 years. But they did not the three previous years. They lost to the Braves in the NLCS 4-2, the Padres in the NLDS 3-1, and Arizona 3-0.
What this team needs to do is look in the mirror and not look for anyone else to step up and take over. They need to do it individually and collectively. If that means hitting behind a runner to get the runner to third with less than 2 outs, that is what they must do. Then not hit a pop up or K. Quit hitting into DP where they lead all of MLB. They do not like to bunt because it is giving up an out. Better one out with runners moved up than 2 outs.
BTW I do believe the Dodgers are more than capable of turning it around, and I like their pitching for the playoffs, but it is far from a sure thing. And I have no problem questioning the current results.
I’m taking your post as tongue in cheek, Mark. Yes, the Dodgers have an outlandish payroll. Yes, they are monumentally underperforming. Yes, it’s early August. Yes, they will win the division by ten games and have the 2nd best record in the league.
No, it’s not the end of the world.
Wow. Every year the same old song and dance. I'm talking about y'all not the Dodgers. Do you want a championship or win 162 in the regular season. If rose colored glasses win championships, I'll keep them on. It's August for crying out loud, pun intended. I enjoy a bottle of whine every now and then but..... You're entitled to your opinion as am I. I've got a rope to help you climb back up that cliff you just jumped off. Seriously, enjoy the ride. It's a great time to be a Dodger fan. 20 games over .500...7.5 game lead. Book em
Been awhile since we got a W. Wasn't pretty but a win is a win. The DBacks had traffic on all night, they had 15 LOB and were 2-16 WRISP and only scored 1 run.
Heck of a play by Jack Dryer getting the double play that ended the game. You see pitchers butcher that play more times than not. Speaking of double plays I think I heard a stat that we lead the league in hitting to the most. Rally killers.
Congrats to the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers to end a 7 game losing streak. Hats off to the bullpen and to Jack Dwyer for his first save for '26. The Dodgers' sixty million dollar man, Kyle Tucker, came through with a HR to tie the game. I love watching Yamamoto pitch. A true professional. I'm interested in how many pitches he averaged in Japan pitching once a week. With the Dodgers three Japanese starters used to pitching once a week and the Dodgers trying to duplicate that with their six man rotation shouldn't the starters pitch count be higher?
HA! Diaz gets the 'Win'
08/07/26 Los Angeles Dodgers sent C Chuckie Robinson outright to Oklahoma City Comets.
The "let's-be-pigs" Dodgers are guilty of hubris? Say it ain't so! The Tucker contract is Exhibit A, but first l'll circle back to one of my familiar gripes. A common refrain in LADT posts concerns how Andrew Friedman is savvy guy who doesn't like to overpay when he's doing his deals. AF himself says he'd rather avoid midseason deals because the price is higher than deals made over the winter. And it's true he's made some smooth moves, like trading one marginal ML Dodger for two prospects, or turning a promising-but-block prospect like Michael Busch into Hope and Ferris. As has been noted, Skubal came to the Dodgers for "half of Busch" (meaning Hope) and Matt Beatty (meaning River Ryan) and a third-round pick. Smooth. Not an overpay. But where was the restraint when Tucker was offered that massive, record-breaking contract? It just doesn't compute. And did the Dodgers actually save $$ by signing Edwin Diaz and Tanner Scott to fat contracts in the winter as opposed to trading for top relievers in midseason? I have my doubts. The beauty about the midseason deals is that management should know precisely what the team needs for the home stretch and playoffs--as do the rivals. Why not pay a bit extra for that? The trade for Mookie and the subsequent long-term contract was brilliant. Mookie has been an important contributor to three WS titles. Somebody around here likes to remind us that he predicted that the Mookie contract may not age well. Bold! I'd be more impressed if anybody saw Mookie playing SS in their crystal ball. Before he joined the Dodgers, Shohei singled out Mookie as one the players he most admires in the game. Perhaps we can also agree that the old "Nohtani" camp on LADT has been proven wrong, wrong, wrong... I'll confess to my own misgivings about the Yamamoto deal. Could Yamamoto really be that good? It just seemed too gluttonous, too piggish--and that maybe a smaller deal for Shota Imanaga would be better. But all Yamamoto did was become the ace and WS MVP... were really a couple of deals I wish had never been done. When AF signed Conforto, I shrugged. But in time it became clear that Conforto contract blocked internal options like Outman and Ward. We'll never know how a little more faith in farm talent would have played out. Maybe poorly, maybe not. But a midseason deal could have provided a remedy. But could the Tucker contract be like the Conforto contract on steroids? Top dollar for mediocre performance--on both offense and defense. Are we going to see three more years like this? Will Tucker block the progress of Sirota, de Paula, Tibbs, Davalan and others? Mark has suggested that Tucker be platooned with Teo--and, based on their performances, it could come to that. Of course we are all hoping that Tucker turns it all around and lives up to that contract. But if he doesn't, should we blame Tucker? Or the guy who decided to sign the giant check?
The Dodgers have the Trump curse! That's what they get for going to the White House to see Trump and give him a WS ring and jersey! Everything that Trump touches goes to Shit!
I'm a little slow but I think your article is a little tongue and cheek. Right Mark? Please say right. Book em
Tough loss last night. I have been harping about how you win games. It’s a consequence of everyone doing their job. Each player sticks to the process, pick up teammates and control what you can control. If everybody does their job, you have a good chance at winning. * It’s easy to blame Diaz and he has certainly struggled. Closers are hard to pick up by teammates. When they fail, you go home. That’s why they need Rhino Skin and NO memories to have that job. * But this was again a team loss. We had plenty of opportunities to NOT be in that position for Diaz to poop the bed. * Not to kick a dead horse but we didn’t get anything done against Kelly for 5 innings, again falling behind 2 - zip. We had NO hits and 2 walks until the 6th. * I love Tommy Edman, especially his beautiful, contact RBI base hit in the 7th. But getting picked off 1st to start the 6th cost a potential run. * Follow his getting picked off Kelly gave up another single and 2 walks to load the bases. Time to make him pay, finally. Instead Freddie hits into a double play, scoring an unearned run, and Muncy strikes out to end the rally. A potential big inning gone. * Scott did a high wire escape in the 8th despite the dreaded walk after an intentional walk but he nutted up to keep the lead with a great, clutch, battle with Arenado. * Doc decided to stick with Scott versus Arenado. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Doc had decided to go with Hurt for the righty-righty matchup but he chose to stay with Scott, it worked. * Doc had to go to Diaz in the 9th. They signed Diaz and paid him handsomely for this exact spot. He’s made his career closing games. Last night he didn’t do his job * We all saw the ending. * I have been on teams that couldn’t buy a win. That’s when the slump-buster activities would come out and the superstitious players would do shit like reminiscent of the voodoo-practicing slugger Pedro Serrano (Dennis Haysbert) in Major League. * This veteran clubhouse needs to keep the faith that a positive run is just around the corner, if we * Play Better
Bulls get rich and bears get rich but pigs get slaughtered. Old Wall Street saw.
Am I the only one who thinks Carrol would have caught the home run that Eranado hit? It looked like Teo’s feet barely left the ground.
I like it MT....some emotion and frustration and no more "rose colored BS." We might put it together and win a 3-peat and we might not. Either way ownership needs to instruct AF to get younger and no more bat shit crazy contracts to broken down players. Snell, Tucker, Glasnow, Diaz, and the third year given to Teo come to mind as some wild ass contracts. It has to cause AF to question whether Freddie gets an extension.
Did we need Diaz, did we need Tucker, did it take a third year to secure Teo? Did we need Keekay? At this rate I would have loved to see what JDP, Sirota, Tibbs, Erhard, etc. could do. Notice how a young nimble, quick and athletic RF like Corbin jumped at the fence and took a HR away from Edman, while our RF lumbers and stumbles and looks wretched playing the field.
By the way could someone please get Ohtani a message that reminds him he has bad knee preventing him from pitching meaning he may lost a half step and to quit trying to stretch a long single into a double and quit trying to steal a base.
We will win the next two against the Snakes in the Desert.
I give full credit to last night's win to AVF and his prognosticating skills! Good job dude! And honestly, I wouldn't hate on Diaz for cockfighting. It's cultural. Totally legal here where we live. In Puerto Rico not so much, although the local government tells the feds to f off in regards to it. Here's where AI says about that. "However, local government officials and industry participants have openly defied the federal ban, creating a major conflict between territorial practice and federal law." "Local Defiance: Puerto Rico's legislature and governors have maintained that cockfighting is an integral cultural tradition dating back to the 16th century. Local leaders have passed measures to try and keep the industry operating locally, and local police largely do not enforce the federal ban." And rather looking at the glass half empty, which is " pigs get slaughtered", I prefer the saying " pigs become bacon, yum! Yum". Cheers!
The Dodgers are ranked 28th in MLB in stolen bases and ranked 30th in MLB in hitting into double plays. An infusion of speed on the future roster would sure help when the overall offense is struggling.
Remember I said Friday,the Dodgers take two out of three from the Snakes this weekend. Wrobo comes up Big today. Bet it!
Anyone know why Sheehan,was taken out of his start last night after one plus innings at AAA Oklahoma City?
Non Baseball Question If you pull out all your hair will it grow back?
Hey guys is it just me or does that Great Big Dodger in the sky, on Mark’s artwork, look an awful lot like Bear. 😀
Hallelujah. A win even though the offensive strategy in the 10th inning was odd. Why not have Edman bunt Tucker to 3B with one out? Diaz did look good after the back-to-back triples. We need some offense in the worst way.
Seriously, he put Diaz in again. I would trust Dreyer before Diaz right now. Moronic.
Yikes