1. Dodgerpatch indicated that I was taking the criticism of Austin Barnes too personally. Not true. I would never take criticism alone personally. What I take personally is the name calling. A week ago I stated that Barnes had option(s) remaining and that he should be considered to be optioned to OKC, and bring up Will Smith to get better acclimated to the pitchers. When the name calling started, I started to defend Barnes more than I normally would have. Why is it so personal for me? Because no matter how many family members are told to stay away from these sites, too many family members hop on to see what people think of their son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin, or best friend. It may not be healthy, but it is realism. Earlier in the year, we learned that Alex Verdugo’s brother visited this site.
Nobody on this site other than me knows what it is like to be a father of a professional baseball player who has been ridiculed because of his play. Fans aren’t fickle? Well then explain to me how my son was given a standing ovation at Fenway and then 15 days later gets booed out of the stadium. Why? Because the ball slipped out of his hand on a rainy night on a throw to the plate, and a run scored on the error. I know that it’s baseball and it happens. I accept it, but I do not have to like it. So Patch, yes I do tend to take the name calling personal. Because it was personal to me.
Should Barnes go back to OKC. Yes. Not because he is a black hole, but because he has lost his confidence. I hope he finds his confidence in OKC, and gets traded to a team where he can get a new start. Maybe he can land in Detroit and start all over, and get a chance to work with the up and coming pitching stars like the M&M boys – (Casey Mize and Matt Manning), and Franklin Perez. Now I am done with any further commentary about Austin Barnes. It is time to turn the page and worry about the name on the front of the jersey rather than the name on the back of the jersey.
2. We are all so quick to take what a couple of OKC Dodgers are doing in the PCL and proclaim them to be future stars. I am not taking anything away from what Gavin Lux and DJ Peters (or Will Smith) are doing in AAA, but the results need to be placed in context. Going into Friday’s games, below are the offensive numbers for the PCL (AAA), International League (AAA), and Texas League (AA).
# of batters with a BA .300 or better:
Pacific Coast League – 30
International League – 12 (only 2 above .325)
Texas League – 4
# of batters with 20 or more HRs:
Pacific Coast League – 23
International League – 13
Texas League – 0
# of batters with a 1.000 or better OPS:
Pacific Coast League – 6
International League – 0
Texas League – 0
# of batters with a .900 or better OPS
Pacific Coast League – 31
International League – 15
Texas League – 0
While Gavin Lux and DJ Peters are off to tremendous AAA starts, one has to temper that with what the League is – a launching pad. Let’s also not forget the remarkable start of Dustin May. In 4 games started, Dustin has 21.1 IP, 2.53 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 0 HRs, 7 BB, and 18 K. With the offensive numbers indicated above, May has been fantastic. He will certainly get a look at the ML rotation next year.
3. I wanted to look at the impact of Gavin Lux and DJ Peters. Lux and Peters were promoted to OKC on June 27. In the 65 games, that Lux and Peters were Tulsa Drillers, the team was 42-33. They average 5.815 runs per game. Since the promotion, the Drillers’ record is 12-15, with the average number of runs per game at 3.222. It is clear that Lux and Peters were a positive force for the Drillers. Lux more so than Peters, but we can look at that in more detail at a later time.
What has been the impact of the duo with OKC? The OKC Dodgers’ record before Lux and Peters arrived was 31-46. In those 77 games, the Dodgers averages 4.532 runs per game. In the 26 games the Dodgers have played since the promotion, the team is 17-9, and is now averaging 7.923 runs per game. While baseball is a team game, it certainly looks clear to me that OKC is a different (better) team with Lux and Peters.
4. While Thor would be a good addition, if the Dodgers are going to spend prospect capital, then AF should spend it on a closer. Two years ago when his cutter was not only unhittable, it was also thrown for strikes. Unless he throws perfect innings, teams are going to run on him at will. If the team is going to be unemotional towards players, and only look at results, then Kenley has to be moved from closer. Again, if we are only concerned about how the player will perform in the WS, then there has to be strong consideration for a new closer. In the last 2 WS, Kenley has 2 saves, 3 blown saves, and one loss. Friday’s game is becoming to be more common than the lock down performances of 2 years ago.
5. Mitchell White may be about to take a big drop in the Dodger prospect list. Another bad night in AAA. His ERA is now at a sparkling 7.35. His numbers are 52.2 IP, 12 HR allowed, 23 walks, 53 strikeouts, and a .318 Batting Average Against. He is looking like a younger Brock Stewart than a can’t miss prospect. And yet another two hit night for Gavin Lux and another HR for DJ Peters.
AC’S MINOR LEAGUE LOWDOWN
OKC Dodgers 10 – Memphis Redbirds 13 (Cardinals)
The Dodgers jumped out to a 3-1 and 6-3 leads, but Mitchell White had a horrific outing: 4.0 IP, 12 hits, 11 runs (all earned), 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts. His ERA is now up to 7.35. He allowed the first 6 batters to reach base to begin the 4th. He left 2 runners on after 4 had scored, and Shea Spitzbarth came in and allowed both inherited runners to score, plus one of his own. Stetson Allie allowed another run and Zac Rosscup and recently promoted (today) Victor Gonzalez restored order. Gavin Lux had another two-hit night, his fifth consecutive game with two hits. Zach Reks also had a two-hit night including his 16 HR, while DJ Peters and Shane Peterson each hit their 10th.
Tulsa Drillers 1 – Frisco RoughRiders 5 (Texas)
Tulsa had another bullpen game as reliever Logan Salow started with 1.2 IP. Parker Curry followed and allowed all five runs on 8 hits in 5.1 IP. Jordan Sheffield pitched a clean 9th. The Drillers scattered 5 singles with Zach McKinstry getting two of them.
RC Quakes 7 – Stockton Ports 0 (A’s)
The Quakes pitched the third shutout for the night. Michael Grove pitched his second consecutive 3.0 innings of shutout ball. However he did allow 5 hits and a walk in his 3.0 innings. Dylan Floro pitched a scoreless inning in a rehab assignment. Guillermo Zuniga, Max Gamboa, and Melvin Jimenez finished the shutout. Jeren Kendall with 2 hits and 4 RBIs, including his 12th HR and Hunter Feduccia and his 2 hits were the offensive leaders.
Great Lakes Loons 1 – Dayton Dragons 0 (Reds)
The Loons and Dragons went 9 scoreless innings. Leonel Valera started on 2nd to begin the 10th and moved to 3rd on a ground out, and scored on a Kody Hoese sac fly. Stephen Kolek (6.2 IP) and Aaron Ochsenbein (2.1 IP) were brilliant for 9.0, and James Bruihl closed it out in the 10th for a shutout victory and his 2nd save. The Loons had 7 hits with Dan Robinson had 3, and Chris Roller hit his 12th double.
Ogden Raptors 9 – Orem Owlz 5 (LAA)
In the first game of the 2nd half, the Raptors started as they finished the 1st half, with a win. The first half winners won in convincing style with a 31-7 record, which tied with the best half record in a half in the Pioneer League. The last and only other team were the Orem Owlz 10 years ago. Down 1-0, the Raptors rolled off 6 runs, with the Owlz scoring 3 in the 5th to get close. The Raptors then scored three additional runs to close out the scoring. Brandon Lewis and Andrew Shaps led the offense with 3 hits each. Lewis hit his 6th HR. Ryan Ward had 2 hits, while Zac Ching hit his 2nd HR. Alfredo Tavarez started and allowed 4 runs in his 4.2 IP. Jeff Belge pitched a hitless 1.1 IP with 3 K’s. Nick Robertson allowed the 5th run, and Corey Merrill finished the final 2.0 innings to secure the victory.
AZL Dodgers Lasorda 1 – AZL Rangers 4
Israiky Berroa allowed 1 run in his 5.0 IP, while Adolfo Ramirez went the next 4.0 scoreless innings. The two teams entered extra innings all tied up at 1-1. Franklin De La Paz yielded 3 runs in the 10th and the Rangers blanked the Lasordas in the 10th. Wladimir Chalo had 2 of the 4 Lasordas hits.
AZL Dodgers Mota 6 – AZL Mariners 0
The Motas scored 2 runs each in the 1st, 4th, and 7th, while three Mota pitchers (Aldry Acosta, Jeisson Cabrera, and Huei-Sheng Lin) pitched a shutout. Luis Yanel Diaz had 3 hits including 2 triples (8), while Kevin Aponte also had 3 hits and a triple (1). Diego Cartaya had another 2 hit night including a double (8).
Discussion (148)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I am still on the record for getting a SP before the deadline. It makes sense in so many ways to go after a top tier SP like Syndergaard, or a 2nd tier SP like Mike Minor. Injuries are often the kiss of death for teams. We have been spared up until recently, and then Hill, Taylor, Kike, and now Stripling. We need that depth at SP to go deep into the playoffs, and possibly all the way to Champs. Not having 4 SP’s who are super solid, weakens our chances for ultimate victory. By adding someone like Syndergaard, it allows the peripheral starters like Maeda, Strip, and Urias, possibly Hill if he is not 100%, to move into the BP to take care of any holes there. Our BP is weak as it stands. This solidifies the BP as well as the SP and can take care of us for some years to come. Big picture, folks!
Kudos to the FO on bringing up Smith now! What was a no-brainer to many of us, caused anguish in the minds of those who think too much. Now, the problem at catcher is for next season. Currently, with Martin mentoring Smith and providing a solid defensive backup, we cannot use Ruiz as Smith’s backup. This applies also to next season. Barnes should not or will not be Smith’s backup. This means signing a vet catcher who would agree to be in the mentoring role. I see little choice for the Dodgers in keeping Ruiz. It may be a bit of a gamble to let him go, but he will be instrumental to bringing back a necessary piece to the Dodger puzzle. AF is a wily negotiator and even if we give a little too much to get the pitching help we need, and we do need it, it is worth it. This is a dynasty team. Believe it!
“So the Dodgers will soon need someone to back up Corey Seager and Max Muncy in the middle of the infield with Hernandez soon to join Chris Taylor on the shelf. Roberts said that relief will not come in the form of the organization’s No. 1 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, second baseman/shortstop Gavin Lux. Lux owns a 1.476 OPS and has hit eight home runs with Oklahoma City this season.”
“I would say not,” he said. “As with most teams with young players that need at-bats to come here, to not play consistently doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.”
The above comes from this article on the Dodgers website:
https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/news/ross-stripling-biceps-injury
Sounds like Lux is NOT about to be called up.
I believe the manager at OKC. If Lux gets called up it will probably be after the trade deadline. I expect that the earliest we see Lux is when the Dodgers return home from the upcoming series in Colorado. And I can’t wait until that series is over, because that’s our last trip into that chamber of horrors.
And that is that. Time for Will Smith to get a gatorade bath.
Lux isn’t in the starting lineup tonight. The managers says it was a scheduled day off.
And who needs a bullpen when you’ve got Will Smith!
Quick bring up May and Lux ASAP so we don’t lose another game this year and sweep the playoffs 11-0!
Could Will be this years CT3, Bellinger or Muncy?
Kelly totally deserved that home run. I was glad to see it.
The last Dodger rookie to have this many RBI’s was James Loney… that bodes well for Smith.
Going from Joe Ross to Steven Strasburg tomorrow though.
Remember Wally Pipp?
Just can’t trust those PCL stats! 🙂
Is this the greatest day of his life or what! Right now we could trade Smith straight up for anyone on the market!
We can include Barnes in the trade to Pitt.
Bumsrap called it. Will Smith is Smith & Wesson!
Have a day Will Smith
Good grief. Same some of this for tomorrow Will!
Rosenthal reports the Dodgers may pursue Stroman if the reliever market becomes prohibitive.
Theoretically, move a starter too the pen.
I wonder if we could put a package together for Vasquez around Ruiz and not Lux and May with more quantity over quality. Too bad Gonzo, White and Santana have bombed this year. It limits our trading power
What’s up with Verdugo? It’s been going on for a while, but that’s 3 strikeouts today for player who prior to recently was extremely difficult to K. If the Dodgers are considering a trade of Joc, then it’s essential that Verdugo, RVS and company get this thing figured out.
Hopefully this is just a short-lived anomaly.
Kershaw wants to continue and not put this win into the hands of the bullpen. Athletics already have a steller pen and they add a piece. Maybe they figured they had enough good arms already and wanted some balance?
After walking two in a row, Smith initiates a meeting with Kersh on the mound. I’m really impressed by his maturity and make up. Trying to not gush too much.
I must say, to come up and do this in his first game back is impressive. The situation of Barnes optioned and not injured puts and little added pressure. Add a little more pressure by catching a HOF Legend. He delivered. Can’t wait to see Lux next. Speaking of…
Doc was asked what they’re gonna do if Kike goes on the DL. Doc wasn’t sure yet because they have to consider not just the 25 man roster, but also the 40. Translation, we’re trying to complete a trade before calling up Lux.
Having a catcher that can hit is a very good asset to have. Now can you imaging the Dodgers having 2 catchers that can hit. That’s why I don’t want the Dodgers to trade Ruiz.
Who is this kid!!!!!!!! Making Ruiz expendable!
I wonder if our Will Smith can pitch?
Bobby,
Smith double. You called it Bobby.
Nice post AC! I wonder what we would feel like if fans would speak of us at our workplace in the same manner they speak of sports figures. I can’t imagine I would take to kindly to individuals sitting in the courtroom yelling at me that I suck, etc. I can hear it now, “Come on 2D2, did you really let that question slip by you with our objecting?” “Seriously, are you passing that off as a closing argument?” “Sit him down and bring a first year law student in here to show him how it’s done.” We can apply that any number of situations. “Come on Mark, you call that good water?” I don’t think anyone of us would like that in our workplace, or in our home for that matter. I can hear it now, “2D2, are you serious, is that the best you can do for the wife, she’s told you for years now what makes her happy!” Sitting on the sidelines and complaining is the easiest thing in the world to do. Getting down and dirty and performing. now that’s quite a different story. With that said, some of the back and forth here has been entertaining to read. I’m also aware that for most of us sports is entertainment and, therefore, we have the right to grumble now and again. I do it all the time in comfort of my recliner.
Smith is right. June 23
Piazza! Good one.
Previous to Smith’s home run today, which Dodger catcher was the last to hit one?
No nerves for that rookie.
Let’s not get too excited. Will Smith cannot keep up this pace. Can he? 🙂
Will “Freaking” Smith. You can’t stop him. You can only hope to contain him.
Organically or not the Will Smith era has arrived.
Welcome back Will Smith!
This will be the stupidest thing I’m going to read this day!
Mets Interested In Marcus Stroman, “Exploring” Noah Syndergaard Deal With Padres
By Ty Bradley | July 27, 2019 at 2:56pm CDT
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/07/mets-interested-in-marcus-stroman-exploring-noah-syndergaard-to-padres-deal.html#comments
The Athletics have acquired lefty reliever Jake Diekman from the Royals for minor league right-hander Ismael Aquino and outfielder Dairon Blanco, the teams announced Saturday. Neither are on their top 30 list.
I’m guessing he wasn’t that high on Friedman’s list.
Just for fun I thought I’d share why I’m not an Angels fan. I live in Huntington Beach and Anaheim Stadium, or whatever they call it these days, takes about half as long to get to as Dodgers stadium so it makes sense that most people are Angles fans around here.
I went on two errands today wearing by usual various Dodgers graphic tee and cap. First to 7-11 where the guy that’s usually there, greeted me with his usual “How’s it going” and I replied with my usual “Still in first place”. He proceeded to remind me that his team swept us. “Well at least you have that” was my response.
Off to the barber, same story. After my haircut I hear “Our guys just swept your guys”. I laughed and said “Then you lose two to the Orioles, too bad you don’t play the Dodgers every day”.
It’s not that I hate the Angels, but their fans are the worst and possibly the least knowledgeable of all.
Just saw message on my phone that the A’s acquired Jake Diekman. Unless the Dodgers do a deal with the A’s, that takes Diekman off the Dodgers’ potential acquisition list.
In skimming the various baseball blogs out there I realize that there are a huge amount of potential relievers out there who might be getable if AF decides he won’t pay the price for guys like Vazquez or Yates.
Mike Petriello mentions three lefties whom I don’t think we’ve discussed before:
1) Paul Fry (Orioles) – has a line of .123/.286/.228 against left handed hitters this year
2) Adam Kolarek (Rays) – 65.6% ground ball rate and a line of .179/.236/.209
3) Aaron Bummer (CWS) – 68.5% ground ball rate and has only given up 2 extra base hits to lefties all year
Then a couple of righties whom we have discussed:
1) Chris Martin (Tex) – 31 strike outs since he last walked a batter (end of April)
2) Scott Oberg (Colo) – 1.62 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
Long story short there are guys out there whom we probably haven’t paid a lot of attention to and would cost less than our top 4 guys and would still be controllable for a while.
Btw, Leclerc has been pitching really well lately
Diekman traded to the A’s
Meanwhile in the Great Lakes, the team’s 20 year old prospect Leonel Valera has a .310/.356/.429 slash line in his last 10 games.
I understand that the PCL strongly favors offense, and that in general
offensive stats from that league have to be viewed with a large degree of suspicion. However, I was under the impression that OKC, where the Dodgers play half their games, is not a typical PCL launching pad like Las Vegas and Albuquerque. Is there any validity to that view?
AC…..good writeup. Brought back memories. Remember sitting in the stands and hearing parents shouting and bad mouthing players that made errors or did not hit. Hearing that reminded me how the parents of the players they were shouting about felt. Also walking on the field to a game and passing a little league practice and the coach chewing out a player for an error, mental or physical. The players know they may have played badly and did not need the parents and/or coaches yelling at them. Made me aware of how cruel it can be for anyone, parent, relative or friend having a player in the game. I know these are grown boys and this is the major leagues, but patience and kindness is also appreciated. So thank you for the viewpoint from a parent’s point of view.
DODGERS RECALL RHP JAIME SCHULTZ
RHP ROSS STRIPLING PLACED ON IL
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that they have recalled right-handed pitcher Jaime Schultz from Triple-A Oklahoma City and placed right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling on the 10-day injured list with right biceps tendinitis, retroactive to July 25.
Schultz, 28, returns for his second stint with the Major League squad. In three games with the Dodgers, he tossed three scoreless frames with two walks and three strikeouts. In 36 games with Oklahoma City this season, he posted a 1-2 record with a 5.66 ERA (22 ER/35.0 IP) and 53 strikeouts. Since June 1, the righty has posted a 1-0 record with a 3.72 ERA (8 ER/19.1 IP) and 30 strikeouts.
Stripling, 29, left the game in bottom of the fifth inning on Wednesday night. The Texas A&M product has appeared in 26 games (12 starts) for the Dodgers this year, recording a 4-4 mark with a 3.64 ERA (31 ER/76.2 IP) and 76 strikeouts. In four seasons with the Dodgers, he is 20-24 with a 3.55 ERA (147 ER/373.0 IP) and 360 strikeouts.
Did you guys see the lineup today.
Verdugo
Turner
Pollock
Bellinger
Muncy
Seager
Smith
Peterson 1B
Kershaw
Bluto, you will have to wait until after the trade deadline to have any indication about our chances to win a WS. If we don’t pick up a quality closer type bullpen piece and the Yankees or Astros picked up a Syndegard type starter or Atlanta picked Vasquez then our odds are greatly reduced!
I know they were asking Atlanta for 2 of their top 5 prospects both top 100 guys so yes I think we’d have to include Lux or May with Ruiz to get their attention and I wouldn’t do that. Relievers are to fickle. Just look at Diaz from last year to this year!
General questions (with my silly answers) for the others here. Please feel free to add more:
1. What are the percentage chances the Dodgers win the World Series?
2. What impact would acquiring a top-end closer (say, as a hypothetical, Vazquez) have on that percentage?
3. What impact would acquiring a medium-end closer (say, as a hypothetical, Diekman) have on that percentage
4. True or False, the best way to increase the chances of winning a World Series is to get there as many times as you can?
MY ANSWERS:
1. About 40%
2. 5%, tops.
3. 2-3%
4. True
I’m just curious on what it would take to get Vazquez? I believe he has three or four more years of control. With Kenley having an opt out next year and declining skills, this is an area of great concern. Would Ruiz, Joc, Gonsolin and Beaty get it done? It is becoming very clear what is needed to win a championship. Which parts are we willing to sacrifice? I would love to hear from some on what they think it would take.
I was watching the game last night, and had the sound off, as I sometimes do. Ninth inning, and Jansen gets two quick outs. Then he gives up an opposite field single to Turner with two strikes. I expect Turner to steal second, because it is common in that spot, to avoid the force play, and with no one holding the runner on. So as I watch the pitches to the next batter, I see the yellow baserunner icon has moved to second, as I expected. Then I look away for a moment, and I see that the icon has moved to third, and there is a shot of Turner laughing. I think, why would he steal third base? Well, maybe no one was there, and he figured, might as well. Seemed strange, though.
Then after the game, I read that Jansen intentionally balked, so to get him off second base. This is the second time he has done that this year. He is so worried about the runner stealing signs, that he cannot stand to have him on second base? This is not a good psychological place to be for a relief pitcher. Then he hits the next batter. Then that runner steals second, so he’s got someone else on second base, but he can’t purposely balk, because that lets in a run. So he walks the next batter. Now bases loaded, still someone on second base. He’s can’t intentionally balk to get him to third. He walks the next batter, throwing ball four a foot over the catcher’s head. Still bases loaded, can’t balk on purpose. Finally gets the last out, after at least one gift strike. Now, I have never heard of a pitcher intentionally balking, until Jansen. And as much we admire his courageousness in dealing with a difficult medical issue, and his determination, this is not good, independent of how he is pitching. Every time he has a runner on second base, he is going to balk him to third? Or only if he has a run cushion? This is definitely not where your closer’s head should be. Pitch the ball, get the batters out, stop obsessing about whether someone might steal the signs. You are going to have to pitch to batters when there are runners on second base, unless you are capable of pitching a clean inning, which apparently you are not at this stage. Other closers, Vazquez, Will Smith, Yates, Chapman, others, often pitch a clean ninth inning with a one-run lead. It is how championships are won. We haven’t had that capacity for two years, and we need it. Five days to try to get it.
AC, you brought up the inflated AAA stats, so a few questions for you:
1) Even though DJ Peters has some amazing stats so far in AAA, the biggest surprise is that his strikeouts seem to be lower. What did he change? Or is it just more confidence now that he’s having more success?
2) How good can Dustin May be if he’s dominating in an inflated offensive league??? Sounds like AAA is like playing all games in Coors Field, so it really says a lot about May
3) Perhaps we should throw Jeren Kendall into OKC as well?? joke
4) So in the minors, when the game gets to extra innings, a runner is place on 2nd base to start an inning. Does anyone know how the stats work in the minors when it comes to extra innings? Who chooses which runner goes to 2b to start the inning? Is it the hitter who’s supposed to lead off that inning? If a runner is on 2nd with nobody out, and the first hitter sacrifices him to 3rd, and the 2nd hitter grounds out, scoring the runner from 3rd, does that run count against the pitcher? Just curious
I have been a Smith supporter and I have always liked Barnes over Grandal. Catcher value has to start with defense and go from there. I liked Barnes and Smith’s speed. For me, Barnes kept swinging hard, too hard. Others have changed their stance, their swing, how much they choke up on the bat, but Barnes always seemed to keep everything the same regardless of the results.
I would like to see Barnes backing up Smith sooner than later but after Barnes has a chance to work on things on the driving range.
A couple of years ago I defended Mattingly by saying he was better at winning wars than battles and I noted that he stopped getting so angry at umpires and stopped arguing so much. Last year I defended Roberts when too many were calling for his head. Likewise, I have defended Pederson for the last 4 years because while he disappointed us, he was never as bad as too many described in here. I also backed up MJ many times during the time this site went black and most here were on a site that allowed politics crapola on it.
More times than not instead of blasting a player I instead offer them up in trades to get me past their failings but most of those trade scenarios were in the dull off-season. Sometimes I offered trades to counter Mark’s trades that I didn’t agree with.
I don’t see Lux being brought up unless there. Is an emergency. There was an article about Trayvon Robinson a few weeks ago. He stated that after the Dodgers traded him to Seattle he was brought up right away. He felt things were moving to fast and didn’t feel ready. If there is one thing this front office doesn’t do is rush players.
No room for name calling for sure, but an objective analysis and comment about what the Dodgers should and shouldn’t do from a passionate fan base perspective is fun and entertaining. It’s not meant for the “truth of the matter” but instead it’s just an opinion, a hunch, or a belief . Perhaps some of us get too emotional and others a bit too entrenched in trying to prove they are more knowledgeable than others. As MT says we can agree to disagree but we don’t have to be disagreeable.
Without name calling or putting a label on anyone it is apparent KJ is not the pitcher he once was and the FO needs to acquire quality. I’m OK with anyone not named May or Lux to get this done. I’m a bit worried our vaunted depth is getting a bit thin. Is Hernandez OK? If he has to go on the IL with CT3 and Freese I’m concerned this may force a lot of playing time without rest for Muncy, JT, Belli, Joc and Seager and will result in some poor defense, extended innings etc.
Boy how has baseball changed? First inning, bases loaded and a 3-0 count to AJ after Sanchez already walked a few and I think threw 7 straight balls. He gets a green light and hits a small comebacker to the pitcher. Yes, it was a strike and yes he should have sent the pitch into the stands, but in my 50+ years of watching and playing baseball I would think he would have taken at least one strike. Sanchez then goes on to pitch masterfully and get 22 in a row out. Boy has baseball changed!
AC, not all of us are so quick to take what a couple of OKC Dodgers are doing in the PCL and proclaim them to be future stars,I think there are many who post on this site that know a great deal about major league baseball and how talented these 750 players are, only the less knowledgeable or the ones that have no idea of the special skills it takes to play the game at this level are the ones who revert to name calling and the disrespect they show for the players. Jansen is fast becoming my number one concern.
When is Dave Roberts going to figure out that Pollock needs to be platooned with Joc in the outfield.
Pollock vs righties .198/.261/.368/.628
That’s worse than Austin Barnes overall numbers.
It seems like most of us (myself included) who were sure we didn’t want to include Gonsolin in any trade earlier in the season are now ready to do so. The reason? He’s having a very mediocre year at OKC. Unfortunately other teams look at box scores and have scouts out there. His trade value has dramatically decreased as has White’s.
If we don’t want to trade May and/or Gray (and I’m one of those who doesn’t), most of our better pitching trade chips are in the lower minors. That may not get us Vazquez and based on last night, we desperately need him.
Whomever we get a reliever from might be very happy to have us include Sheffield going back. He’s having a very nice year, he’s now officially a reliever and, of course, very controllable. I expect he probably won’t be with the organization by August 1st. I also expect Peters and Downs to be with other teams by Thursday.
MLB pipeline updated their rankings:
10. Lux
35. May
36. Ruiz
57. Smith
Dodgers specific list: Josiah Gray up to 5th, Mann jumps in at 18, Hoese debuts at 8th, Busch at 10th, J Lewis at 20, Pepiot at 21, new int’l singing Luis R at 25
I sincerely hope Austin Barnes recaptures his confidence in OKC. He’s a quality catcher and, at one time, he hit well. I have rooted for his success since he was drafted by the Marlins. I’m always partial to hometown players, and with AB being a Riverside boy, I naturally followed him. I was aware of him in HS, at Arizona State and afterwards.
I don’t know how much it is related, but I have also noticed that several of the Dodgers, Joc, Kike and AB started on their slumps after they had gotten married or had their 1st child. It’s a simple solution, but maybe they just weren’t getting as much sleep. Just a thought.
Yep, no way do you trade Lux, May or Smith right now for a closer because they all have a chance to help the Major League team down the stretch. For me, anyone else is up from grabs.
I was thinking about Thor and my initial thought was I would trade May in a package for him. Then I looked a little deeper into Thor’s stats and found that he’s performed worse than Maeda and Stripling. We are very spoiled indeed.
5 more days and everyone is getting stir crazy, or just plain crazy. I can’t wait for these next few days to be over.
Doc’s post game interview was telling last night. He did not look like a guy that just beat a playoff contender on the road to take game 1 of the series. The bullpen and the injuries are probably really getting to him.
Watching Joc on the field and on the bases, I felt melancholy knowing his remaining time with us is limited.
I fully trust that AF will get a piece, or two, or three before the deadline. Orel made a good point during the broadcast yesterday stating that there’s going to be a windfall coming and we might be well positioned to come away with multiple pieces. Not that there’s a lot of room to improve, but there’s going to be some guys available that no one has thought of.
My Wishlist Update
Closer Type – Incomplete
Lefty Reliever – Incomplete
Right Handed Bat – White? Not was I was hoping for
Smith Callup – Complete
So, what’s the real plan with Tyler White? Is he just a band aid until Freese is back, or is he something bigger? I love how he look like Muncy’s twin. Let’s hope he hits like him.
I can see a scenario where Lux plays 2B down the stretch. I’m wondering if they’re just waiting long enough to pause the clock so he doesn’t reach free agency a year early.
I still think the best overall alignment at this point is with Joc/Kike in LF and Belli at first. But, it sure was nice having Verdugo in LF for yesterday’s game.
I’m pulling for Barnes to get his bat together in the minors. I sill find him valuable as a backup catcher. Baseball is a funny game. Sometimes guys figure it out much later than others. There’s talent in there, something is getting in the way of a consistent bat.
I wouldn’t count Barnes out yet. He’s always hit at pretty much every level, including his first year in the Majors. Sometimes players lose confidence, the pressure and expectations overwhelm them and it becomes difficult to recover. I can see Barnes as the back-up catcher to Will Smith next year and he may thrive in that role. As to the PCL numbers, I’m not sure it matters. Alex Verdugo is hitting as well as he did in AAA, but with more power. Lux can flat out hit, Peters has unbelievable power and I wouldn’t be surprised to see May as one of the starters next year. All that being said, I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Ruiz included in a deal that gets the Dodgers what they want (Vasquez). Roberts was clearly unhappy with the way Jansen finished last night, two walks and a hit batter, all with two outs. It was like he lost focus. Maybe that creates more urgency to make this trade. But I wouldn’t include May or Lux in any deal. I think a package of Ruiz, Gonsolin, one or two lower level prospects gets the deal done.
Back in the Spring of 2010, when the Dodgers released Jason Repko, I wrote something to the effect of “It’s about time.” His father took me to task and told me that I had no idea how hard he worked and all the rehab he had to go through. I apologized and have not been so cavalier with condemning players. AC has a unique perspective in that he had a son play MLB and he knows how cruel fans can be. Jason Repko’s dad had a perspective few have. Alex’s Brother still posts here from time to time, but I won’t tell you who he is. He doesn’t post under his surname.
I have also learned that when players look their worst not to throw in the towel. They often figure it out on their own or with the help of coaches. I think Kenley is evolving and he does not have complete confidence… yet. I think he will get there, BUT the Dodgers do have to cover their bases. It’s not a sure thing that he will figure it out. Rivero, I mean Vasquez is the best closer out there and he will be expensive. The Pirates are going to ask for Ruiz and Lux. I think Lux, Ruiz, and Gonsolin would win the prise, and while I really don’t want to give up any of those prospects, I really would not include Lux… and I would not include Downs or Gray. Ruiz is going to be great, but I can do that. The Dodgers might include Barnes in the deal as well. NO WAY DO I TRADE MAY. He made great strides last year and has gotten even better this year. He’s for certain a #3… maybe a #2!