Bits and Bites

The off-season has definitely gotten slow. The transactions have come to a sudden halt during the Christmas season. The Dodgers have even been extremely slow in signing minor league free agents.  Other teams have made moves that appear to have strengthened them but not the Dodgers.

 

Well folks, it is time to look up some of those patience quotes. Some feel the Dodgers got snookered by the Reds. On the basis of one trade that brought the Dodgers two good prospects and a fair chunk of change that may keep them out of luxury tax territory, the Reds did seem to get the better deal for the 2019 season. However, Friedman did exactly what he wanted to do in the deal and found a team, with which to do it.

 

But, have patience, Andrew Friedman knows something about the art of the deal. He doesn’t play all of his cards at the same time or in the same way each year, or even show his cards. He must be an astute poker player displaying annoying patience and never changing his expression. He absolutely will not be rushed into a deal or make one simply to make one. Sometimes the best deal is one that is not made. I like Mark’s domino analogy. Stay patient, there are still dominoes to fall. I have a feeling we might be surprised, and the package or packages may well be totally unexpected. Then we can go back and reassess the deal with the Reds.

 

Personally, I am not a great Bryce Harper fan. I can’t really cite a whole lot of reasons, but I have a feeling he is over-rated and the contract he would be seeking is close to insane. Stanton even with his 211 strikeouts in 2018 might be a better choice than Harper but there is that strangulation hold put on by his contract. Money does matter no matter how much you have.

 

I really don’t have an idea what will transpire. That is, whether DJLM, Pollack, Castellanos, Realmuto, Lowrie, Kluber, etc. will become Dodgers so have been looking a bit at other things. Simple things.

 

AC mentioned the other day that we often tend to overvalue prospects. I plead guilty in the first degree and often overvalue players who are no longer considered prospects.

 

Rocky Gale:

 

We are searching for a catcher all over the place while the catcher market gets smaller and smaller. I have not given up on Austin Barnes. It seems we often give up on one of our own who has a down year but are ready to jump aboard when a player on another team has a first good year. Barnes needs more play time to get into a rhythm. Also, why does a player like Rocky Gale not get a shot?  I suppose he might if Barnes is traded and Realmuto acquired. Realmuto is something of a Gary Carter look alike.

 

Gale has had a good minor league career and some experience with Dave Roberts when he was in the Padres farm system.

“Rocky has had a tremendous year down there. Very good receiver, works well with the pitchers, I knew him over there in San Diego,” manager Dave Roberts said today.”

Gale is considered to be a cerebral catcher with a strong throwing arm and a knack for managing pitchers. He has a minor league career fielding percentage of .992 and has thrown out 36 per cent of would be base stealers.

 

Dino Ebel:

 

Dino Ebel, as announced some time ago, is returning to the Dodgers as a third base coach to replace Chris Woodward who was hired as the Rangers manager. Ebel played six years in the Dodgers minor league system beginning in 1988 and managed on the Dodgers farm before moving to the Angels in 2005. He has 12 years MLB experience with the Angels including as a third base coach.

 

There was one item that caught my attention while reading about him. He likes players to be aggressive on the base paths which is something that could benefit the Dodgers. That is music to my ears.

 

Another one of his characteristics may well be music to Dodger fans ears at Dodger Stadium. Ebel is known to whistle [loudly]at his players to get them into the right defensive positioning.

 

As a sidelight, Ebel and Vladimir Guerrero were close friends with the Angels. That would be the same Guerrero that the Dodgers did not sign because he was thought to run the bases poorly.

 

“Vladimir is one of the greatest, nicest human beings I’ve ever met … a guy who came to the park everyday with a smile on his face, every day, competing and wanting to win,” Ebel said in an interview with The Canadian Press earlier this year.

 

“This guy was born to be in the Hall of Fame in my eyes, there’s no   doubt about it.”

 

It was that familiarity that led to Guerrero asking Ebel to join him for the Home Run Derby in 2007 at AT&T Park in San Francisco — a contest that the free-swinging Guerrero won with Ebel throwing the pitches.

 

Four Right-Handers to Watch in 2019:

 

• Morgan Cooper (24) – very slow to recover from TJ surgery

Yet to make first professional ball pitch

• Michael Grove (22) – TJ surgery

Will debut in 2019

• Amaury Telemaco Jr (20) – non-drafted free agent in 2017

Will debut in 2019

• Guillermo Zuniga (20) – signed in December, 2017 when Braves were forced to give up international prospects

Last 10 starts 1.78 ERA, 35.1 IP, 42 K, 11 BB

Hernandez:

No not Kike. There were three Hernandez pitchers with the Arizona League Dodgers in 2018.

• RHP Jose (20) – 2.96 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 27.1 IP, 38 K, 14 BB
• LHP Antonio (19) – 1.09 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 24.2 IP, 26 K, 8 BB
• RHP Ricardo (20) – 1.83 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 19.2 IP, 17 K, 8 BB

 

They are not brothers and at times pitched to 20-year-old catcher Marco Hernandez who later moved to Ogden and hit well with the Raptors.