Right now, I trust Yimi Garcia, Pedro Baez, Scott Alexander and Company about as much as I trust a fox to guard the hen house. However, in baseball, many other sports and the stock market, it is best to see what can be, not what is. You don’t buy a stock hoping it will stay where it is. You don’t get a player who already has a high value unless you are willing to overpay. The Dodgers have been connected to several relievers who could be high leverage guys in our bullpen… and there is no question _____________ (you fill in the blank) would help us.
But, do they need to do that? The Dodgers have already gotten Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda and Rich Hill back from the DL. Their absences have stressed the bullpen tremendously and Striker Buehler will be back next week. Next comes Ryu and Urias in August. If Wood and Meada go to the bullpen, it automatically is dramatically better.
Consider this rotation:
- Kershaw
- Buehler
- Stripling
- Hill
- Ryu
Bullpen:
- Alexander
- Jensen
- Maeda
- Wood
- Fields
- Cingrani
- Chargois, Liberatore, Ferguson, Garcia, Goeddel, Hudson, Parades, Stewart, Venditte
Sure, the Dodgers could use a Blake Treinen, but at what cost… and do they really need him? He would be great at the right price…
What will it take?
Dodger News
- It was good to see Turner reach to the “push” on the tag at the plate last night and then have Yasmani shut their mouths right after that.
- I hope Kershaw can give the team 5 or 6 this afternoon.
Discussion (60)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Man, here’s a weird one for you: leading off and playing 1b tonight for AAA OKC: connor joe
1. Verdugo CF
2. Turner 3B
3. Machado SS
4. Bellinger 1B
5. Kemp LF
6. Taylor 2B
7. Grandal C
8. Puig RF
Go back and re-read. Did I say we did not need bullpen help? No!
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What’s the cost?
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Blake Treinen.
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Manny Machado.
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Here’s what it will take:
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Muncy
Pederson
Lux
Peters
Toles
Sheffield
Ferguson
Diaz
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Would you do it?
I think the dodgers’ front office view is so big picture that individual swings like today’s reversal hardly even move the needle (to mix metaphors). What’s most important to them is that buehler got back into game action. Its almost as if they didnt think this game’s outcome was the main consideration. Also, while having caleb Ferguson piggyback kershaw (which is what I would’ve done) sounds good now, it’s possible it would’ve ended badly as well. I agree that we have a need for steadier bridgework between starters and KJ but the very nature of our staff (ever revolving) means that we never have a set group until we are forced to via postseason deadlines. If it clear wsr are one if the best five NL teams. We could be the best right now (even after an abysmal start). Between now and October we will experiment, test, and look for new ways to get production. Occasional failures like today must be tolerated in order to locate the growth potential in our roster. Win games? That’s last year. This year we are searching for The Formula.
And the main reason the Dodgers lost this game was their struggling to hit WRISP. The Dodgers had ample opportunity to separate themselves from the Cubs early on.
Those who do not think that the Dodgers have a serious bullpen problem are not being realistic. I am generally in agreement with Mark much more than not, but with respect to the Dodgers bullpen, do not move along folks, there is something to see here. Walker Buehler had no business being in a MLB game without a rehab. Josh Fields is now on the DL. There are no relievers down in MiLB that can be relied upon to help the ML team. FAZ has tried the plan to get (or keep) that player before he becomes that player, but they have never developed…Baez, Garcia, Paredes, Liberatore. Cingrani is hurt, and now Fields. Stripling is in the rotation. Now it is time to go out and get the relievers who can help this year. You cannot have a starting rotation that cannot be relied upon to be able to go more than 5 innings and not have the bullpen to support it. Alexander, Chargois, Liberatore, Garcia, Goeddel, Hudson, Parades, Stewart, and Venditte are not Blake Treinen, Brad Hand, or Kyle Barraclough. There is no reason to believe that either Dennis Santana or Caleb Ferguson will be capable relievers in the post season. I like both of them…a lot. But I am not willing to rely on them for critical relief in a playoff environment
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Machado does not help a poor bullpen. The DBacks are not going away and I only see them getting closer to the team they were in April than the team they were in May. Goldschmidt is now hitting. Pollock is due back soon. Ray is back and pitched 6 innings of shutout ball and 86 pitches in his 1st game back after a longer delay than Kershaw. I also believe that they are the favorites to land Machado making them even more of a favorite to win the division. The DBacks are willing to address a problem with the lack of hitting from their SS/3B, but there does not seem to be any urgency about replacing Forsythe.
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The team is now 3.5 back of Arizona. They are at the beginning (Game 7) of a 23 game stretch in 24 days before the All Star break. You think the bullpen is spent now, wait until the All Star break. It is a shame with how well the offense has picked up that the Dodgers do not seem to be motivated to help the two true weaknesses on the 25 man…2B and relief pitching.
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That is my vent for the day. Maybe now I can sit down and read a good book instead of worrying about a game.
I believe that Kershaw was close to the pitch limit that was set for him before the game, so removing him when they did was part of the plan. I don’t know what was wrong with Buehler today, but for whatever reason there was too much reliance on his fastball, especially for a pitcher who possesses high quality breaking stuff.
Doc is costing us games. He continually remove starters long before they should be removed. I usually do not criticize managers. However, Doc is losing games for us.
So Kershaw looked great and then the bullpen really worked out great… didn’t it?
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Buehler looked like Farris and Goeddel pitched like Roger.
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Memo to Bullpen: 7 Run Innings Should be Avoided.
I thought the idea was to pitch Ferguson so instead not just pitch a guy but give them the game. Buehler should have taken the day off. Over and out
Gonna play Forsythe no matter what.
Anybody want Adam Jones? With Seager out, we lost our CF as Taylor has shifted to SS. If Machado is too high, use some parts to land a stud cf who would free up joc to spell Kemp and Puig. Muncy could still see time at 2b and 3b. I personally wouldn’t mind not seeing bellinger in cf. Muncy will be one hell of a world series DH.
Thank god for day baseball
“Old Friend” Brandon McCarthy to DL.
Knee Tendinitis.
Was always gonna happen.
I would like to watch a 5 to 7 player core of Lakers for 10 years. That can happen because of all the early draft picks the Lakers have collected.
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I don’t want the Lakers to trade away that core.
bullpen arms are comedy. Some years they just figure it out, and become great bp arms. Next year they suck. So rare to find a consistent, great bp arm. Pedro Baez will probably figure things out when he gets traded to Tampa or Oakland.
It wasn’t long ago that the nationals got rid of Treinen to improve their bullpen. I find it ironic that he is now the hot relief pitcher to be acquired. I concede his performance warrants that. It would certainly be interesting to see Treinen come back to bite the nationals.
Count me in on the side that believes the Dodgers absolutely need a lockdown late inning reliever like Blake Treinen.
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How can you say no to a 30 year old 6′ 5″ 225 pound pitcher who throws a 97.0 MPH sinker and a good complimentary slider. He has pitched in 31 games this year with 38.2 IP, and has compiled 19 saves and 2 blown saves (last being 04/18), a 0.93 ERA, 0.879 WHIP, 1.78 FIP, and 47 K in those 38.2 IP. The A’s are 27-4 in his games pitched. I thought he should have been on the Dodgers radar last year when he was with the Nats.
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Compare that with Kenley – 36 games and 38.0 IP, 21 saves and 2 blown saves (last one 04/17), a 2.37 ERA, 0.921 WHIP, 3.23 FIP, and 37 K. The Dodgers are 27-9 in games Kenley has pitched.
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How great would it be to have a bridge to Kenley who is having a better year than Kenley in late inning situations? Treinen is not a rental with 2 more years of team control. Just like everything else, the question will be what is the cost? Admittedly, I have no idea how these valuations are determined. I do not know if the A’s are looking for AAA players or AA/A+. FAZ will only include players that they can easily replace with others. I do not know how the A’s would value these level of players. All that being said, I will revise yesterday’s proposal to include Edwin Rios, Jeren Kendall, and one of Yadier Alvarez or Josh Sborz. If it takes a switch of Yusniel Diaz for Kendall, I would still think that would work.
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I would also think an additional high leverage reliever with multi year team control like Kyle Barraclough would be a huge plus.
I wanted 3 of 4 in this series. Kersh has a chance to get us that series win. Amazingly, after our horrid start, and combined with a just average National League, we have the 5th best record in the NL, just 3 back of the best record overall. Let’s keep this up!
Dodgers are plannning to use a 6 man rotation for awhile. Longer term our bullpen will be strengthened but for now expect more of the same as far as relievers.