NOTE: Jeff knew what I was going to lead off with today! 😉
Yes, I know it is early, but the best thing I saw all game yesterday… and I saw a lot of good things, was Michael Grove’s pitching! I wish there was a radar gun, but his stuff looked great. He has an arsenal of pitches and showed an excellent feel. I have always thought he would be a great “high-leverage” bullpen arm, but he has been slow to return to form after Tommy John Surgery. This is a new season and he looks to be back to his pre-TJ form. Time will tell… but he could be in the equation for the Dodgers’ bullpen.
Jeff Dominique said that I think Michael Grove is a Cy Young Candidate… that is only a slight exaggeration. I see Michael Grove in the bullpen, so it’s doubtful that he will win a Cy Young, but I do see him as a high-leverage pitcher in the bullpen. Again, this is just one game, but I have high hopes for Grove. I see him as a possible closer.
Game One Highlights & Lowlights
- Zach McKinstry – Zach did nothing to dispel rumors that he will be the LH Utilityman. He looked solid with his bat and in the field. His great approach and compact swing will play out well for the Dodgers this year. Doc Roberts simply says that Zach is “a baseball player.” That’s a big compliment!
- Edwin Rios – He looks stronger and quicker and had a great hit. Again, it’s too early to tell, but I really like Rios. His AB to HR Ratio is the best in the history of baseball… albeit a small sampling.
- Garrett Cleavinger – He looked solid and was denied an opportunity to get out of an inning by Mike Busch’s misplay of a double-play ball. Busch has too little experience at 2B right now. Cleavinger does nibble around the zone a lot and that gets him in trouble. Again, it’s early. My expectation is that he will pitch in relief at OKC.
- Matt Davidson – He is a longshot to make the team, but his hit tool is really good. His chief competition is Sheldon Neuse and since Davidson can only pay 1B or 3B, Sheldon has a leg up, but Davidson can also pitch. He has pitched in six games in his career! Beleieve it or not, the Dodgers are considering that. In 6 IP, he has a 2.84 ERA. If he makes te roster, the Dodgers could theoretically carry one less pitcher.
- Sheldon Neuse – “Noisy” flashed his glove, but we have to see more. I do think he will make the team…. just my opinion.
- Others – Uceta, Santana, and especially, Andre Jackson looked OK, but other than Jackson, there was nothing memorable. Jackson has some really filthy stuff, and looked to be in the high 90″s.
- Mike Kickham is a feel good story and an example of perseverance, but if he makes the roster, disaster has struck!
- It seems to me that the best case scenario is that Gavin Lux seizes the 2B job. That would mean there are 10 “locks” for a roster spot: All the starters plus Taylor and Barnes. That leaves three spots. Rios, Davidson, McKinstry, and Noisy will be battling for those spots. However, if Davidson makes it, and argument could be made that you onu have to carry 12 pitcher, so all four could make the team. Lot’s of ground to cover, however!
There wasn’t a lot to get excited about in Game One, but the Dodgers are still undefeated! The Rockies come to Camelback today as Trevor Bauer starts.
Discussion (26)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Never noticed Matt Davidson until yesterday. He is a longshot, but his career numbers are really intriguing.
He’s played in the majors for 10 years with 4 teams–but always short stints, never more than 25 games. He basically compiled a half-season of work in those 10 years–about but it’s been productive: 354 ABs with a .280 BA , 23 HR, an .880 OPS, more than 60 RBIs. All-Star numbers! Too many Ks with 102, but a decent OB% at . 346.
Then you add the bonus that he can pitch a bit.
Probably won’t stick with Dodgers, but I hope he finds a real home and real chance.
Wow, I just looked closely at the minor league stats of some of our position players that are battling for a roster spot. We are deep and I mean deep when it comes to our offense. An infielder goes down with an injury, no problem we have McKinstry, Neuse, Beaty to fill in. An outfielder goes down with an injury, no problem we have Peters, Reks, Raley. A catcher goes down with an injury, no problem we have Ruiz.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want injuries, but we are deep.
Okay, let’s face it, we have so much talent it’s insane!
Very happy and impressed with the offensive success of Smith, Lux, Beatty, and especially Peters. He looks like a very good fielder and made a nice catch in CF. Is there any chance he makes the OD roster? Hope so. Heck I was impressed with the whole team today. Pitching was good also. CatMan was nasty.
You’re right Bear. Rockies look like AAA team. Gonna be a long year in Colorado! May be cheaper to fly to Denver and watch Dodgers play there than buying a ticket at Dodger Stadium!
Colorado looks bad, and I mean bad. I watched Arenado’s debut with the Cardinals yesterday. He struck out, but the fans gave him a standing O’. Lux has 2 hits, Raley and Ravelo hit doubles as did Andy Burns.
DJ Peters just hit one out. He’s 1 fo 1 with 2 RBI and 2 walks in his first 3 ABs of Spring. I hope he keeps it up.
Hello! Love that KJ!!!!!!!
Bauer’s breaking ball looked sharp in the second inning wow
It will be interesting to see makeup of final Dodger roster and how many pitchers we will carry. With all the concern about innings this year I would think at least 13 pitchers and maybe 14 if all our position starters are healthy. If Rios can play LF as well as third he’d get a lot more ab’s.
Nice to see a game yesterday. Never having seen Grove before, I was impressed. I was also impressed that the Dodger D turned 2 double plays in the first 3 innings, and had a strike em out throw em out DP in the first. Amaya air mailed a throw to first. I also thought that the home plate umpire, Ted Barrett, was squeezing Cleavinger some. He made a couple of pitches that were right there and did not get the call.
‘ D-Train’ is in the house ! nice pickup by Doyers.
The Dodgers have hired Dontrelle Willis as a special assistant in the player development department. Willis made the announcement himself via Twitter, joking “Special assistant sounds dope even tho i don’t know what it means.” A veteran of nine MLB seasons, the D-Train is best remembered for his time with the Marlins from 2003-07, a stint that included NL Rookie Of The Year honors in 2003, a second-place finish NL Cy Young voting in 2005, two All-Star appearances, and a World Series ring with the Marlins’ 2003 championship team.
Grove looked good yesterday. Noticed he had a somewhat strange delivery. When starting his delivery he moved his left foot and then appeared to lift his right foot off the rubber and then placed it back down. He wasn’t in the stretch but wouldn’t that be a balk move with runners on?
Grove has been basically a starter his whole career and I do think he will start in the minors until he proves he cant. He is still only 24 and only pitched in A ball. He did show 2 types of breaking balls in his 1-2-3 inning.
Beaty will probably make the opening day roster because of familiarity and a lack of an MLB track record from Neuse, but I think Neuse will supplant him at some point soon. Give him some innings at 1rst base or left field and AAA and bring him up when some needs to go on the IL.
I think Neuse has a higher offensive and defensive ceiling than Beaty as a right handed bat. That, and fans get to call him “Noisy,” which is a great nickname.
Mark, I agree with your comments. It is early, but Grove looked good. We have so many good players. McKinstry is such a good story. A33 round draft choice. I think our starting pitching and bull pen may be the best we had in a long time. I do not know who will be in the bull pen, but the competition is going to be fierce.
Your list of bench candidates doesn’t include Beatty. I’m guessing that was an oversight, but I would agree that the arrival of McKinstry, Neuse and perhaps even Davidson makes him especially vulnerable. I’d rather see Beatty get traded than get sent down. I imagine he would too.
It feels good knowing that Dodger fringe guys like Kyle Farmer and Charlie Culberson have gone to play key roles after trades.