The Dodgers were ranked #14 in Organizational Ratings in 2014. In 2015, Andrew Friedman was hired and they climbed to #3 and in 2016 they were #1. Now, they are rated #4 by BA. Of course, the FAZ-O-PHOBES will try and say that Colletti’s Front Office was largely responsible and that Friedman did not deserve the credit and then they say “Look, they traded away 4 pitchers and are now #4. Friedman is an idiot!” In the interest of keeping you from being branded a dummy if you believe that, I would like to point out a few things:
- 22 of the Top 30 Dodgers Prospects were acquired by Friedman;
- The Dodgers had more rookies come to the majors in 2016 than any other team;
- When a farm system is loaded, you are forced to trade some prospects for players who can help now: Hill and Forsythe. Four PROSPECTS netted the Dodgers those two players;
- When the Cubs graduated all of their players in 2016, they went from the #1 Organization to #20;
- When the Dodgers graduated all of their players in 2016, they dropped from #1 to #4 EVEN AFTER TRADING AWAY FOUR TOP PROSPECTS;
- The Dodgers currently have 10 or 11 starters, what do you want – 14 or 15?
- At some point you have to move some arms and BTW, we will see what they all become, won’t we?
- Will the Dodgers keep signing old, injury-prone pitchers? If it makes sense, hell yes! However, most of those were just bridges to the youngsters. My 8 year-old granddaughter gets the concept, but some 60 and 70 year-old Dodger fans can’t grasp it!
Some people ask if the Dodgers will ever spend big money of free agents. I must respectfully say that is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. Why wouldn’t they? They have the deepest pockets and they have the largest payroll. Two of their top highest paid players are making over $60 million (Ethier and Gonzo) and last year they accounted for less than 2.0 WAR. So, when that $60 mil drops off the books, they can invest it in real producing assets instead of two “over-the-hill” players and I do not mean to be disrespectful to Andre or Adrian but both are on the decline.
Yesterday, one of you sent me some quotes from another website and asked what I thought. I won’t publish the quotes, but thanks for thinking about me anyway. It’s the thought that counts! I probably know who wrote each one. So predictable and so myopic. When I read it, it sounded like the Dodgers went 62-100 last year and are picked for the cellar again this year and their farm system is ranked 30th. Circular fiction. It makes me feel sad that people are so miserable, but I have moved on and don’t look back. I wish them all nothing but the best.
Rants & Raves
- Richard Justice of MLB.com is effusive in his praise of the Dodgers. He’s also one of my favorite MLB writers.. not just because he wrote good things about the Dodgers.
- Cary Osborne of Dodger Insider wrote about Brandon McCarthy’s progress. It really good!
- Dodgers 1B Ike Davis has left camp to join Team Israel for the WBC. Rob Segedin will leave to join the Italian team on Sunday, while Enrique Hernandez (Puerto Rico), Sergio Romo (Mexico), Alex Verdugo (Mexico) and Adrian Gonzalez (Mexico) all will leave next Monday.
- Kazmir will likely start Wednesday. Ryu is close too!
ESPN INSIDER picks Julio Urias as a Breakout Player for 2017:
The Dodgers have been very careful with Urias, limiting him to just over 120 innings last season in the minor and major leagues combined. This year, they are expected to increase his innings to the 150-160 range without a definitive cap and keep an open mind for the postseason, as they did last year. Urias got off to a slow start in 2016, going 1-2 with a 4.95 ERA in his first eight starts. However, he put it all together in the second half and ended up 4-0 with a 1.99 ERA in his last 10 appearances (seven starts). Urias’ mid-90s fastball has great movement, and he throws his slider, curveball and changeup almost as often, with the ability to add and subtract velocity on all of them. He has one of the best pickoff moves in baseball and is a tremendous fielding pitcher with really quick feet, hands and wrists. He should be the one pitching Game 2 of the playoffs after Clayton Kershaw come October.
It is Still Early
On the way home tonight, I was listening to MLB. Radio and Mark Melancon was on. Other than the fact he is a Giant, he seems like a remarkable human being. He was talking about how all pitchers are different – some just want to work on one thing. Others are just trying to develop a pitch or establish a pitch. He warned not to read too much into anything good… or bad early in Spring Training. He’s 100% right. Most guys can’t do what Kershaw can do. Just because Josh Fields has a 108.00 ERA does not mean a thing this early.
Discussion (25)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Just saw on MLB Gameday that O’Koyea Dickson hit a home run with a man aboard. Brought a smile to my face. Atta boy O’Koyea!
There is no doubt that this is Andrew Friedman’s team, but the organization still has some lingering fingerprints of Logan White. Billy Gasparino is a very well thought of Amateur Scouting Director, but I am a Logan White fan, and the Padres will benefit from his expertise.
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I hope Jharel Cotton has a great career with the A’s, but he was not going to with the Dodgers. In the eyes of the baseball people, he was already passed by with Stewart and Stripling and quite possibly Oaks. De Jong and Sborz were also making up ground. Grant Holmes was already regressing in the eyes of the baseball people, including MLB.com. For 2016, he played as a 20 year old, and was rated #68 in MLB.com’s top 100 prospects. For 2017, he will be a 21 year old, and is rated #85. Holmes dropped 17 spots in what should be the prime of his prospect status. Careers for top prospects should not get stalled in High A. .
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At the same time as Holmes was regressing, Yadier Alveraz rose 43 spots from #92 to #49, and Walker Buehler was included at #93 with only 5 professional IP. Of course I am biased, but I think this time next year, both Alveraz and Buehler could be top 20 overall MLB, and with Bellinger in top 5 if not #1. Holmes will need to pitch well to stay in the top 100, and he may. I hope he does.
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I am not sure that the Dodgers were convinced that Frankie Montas would stay healthy enough to be a big contributor. If he is healthy, he should be in the A’s bullpen this year. Rich Hill is the legit #2 that LAD needed both in 2016 and 2017 (less so for 2018/19). It is irrelevant how many games he pitched for LA in 2016, because the primary reason for the trade for was Hill to be there in October (and he was). If Kershaw pulls through in Game 6, maybe Rich Hill is a hero in Game 7. We will never know, but he was right where FAZ thought he would be when they made the trade. Sometimes the players need to be held accountable; including Clayton Kershaw (who would be the first to agree).
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As good as JDL might become, the Dodgers project to be a much better team in 2017 and 2018 with Logan Forsythe. Buehler and Alveraz will more than make up for the loss of JDL.
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As far as spending on FA, I look at it a little differently. I think FAZ will spend big to retain their players as they did with Jansen/Turner/Hill, and as they did offer an overpay for Greinke. I think it is more likely that FAZ will try to tie up their core youngsters with long term contracts. I think they will overpay for a Kershaw extension. He should be a Dodger for life. I think it is less likely that they will pursue Bryce Harper/Johnny Cueto/David Price/Josh Donaldson types, but I do think it is possible that they would pursue Manny Machado but not at $300M (as some have projected). Do what it takes to make trades (or sign) for positions of need, but push for them at the minor league level; like Ian Happ. As much as we look at MLB as a game, it is a business, and parameters do need to be recognized.
You know we live in some unusual and crazy economic times in baseball, when relatively successful Joe Blanton signs a $4 million dollar contract; mostly unsuccessful Jesse Chavez gets $5.75 million; mostly unsuccessful J.P. Howell gets $3.0 million; and Brett Anderson gets $3.5 million. Meanwhile we sign Romo for $3 million.
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Oh no, what will we do without Joey Pancakes? He had a great season, but I will bet that he regresses back closer to the pitcher he had been. One that gives up a lot of HR’s. The guy is 36 years old. The front-office got a bargain out of him last year, but was does it tell you when the guy couldn’t even get a contract from anyone in baseball not just the Dodgers. He wound up with $4 million and $3 million of it is deferred.
Urias vs the Rockies today. The first couple of innings should be interesting. It looks like the Rockies have the regulars in the starting lineup.
The Rockies must have some secret sauce in developing hitters. Guys just keep coming up and hitting in the big leagues right away. I like that they can beat the giants. To split the season series with them is a good result.
“Some people ask if the Dodgers will ever spend big money of free agents. ” – While I agree with the sentiment of this Mark, you were a bit guilty this off-season of saying the Dodgers weren’t going to spend to retain our free-agents.
I would have liked to see Blanton signed to that contract, he would have come in handy. No sweat, One thing we know is that FAZ knows how to put together a bullpen.
Joe Blanton ain’t coming back, no more, no more, no more…
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http://dodgerblue.com/mlb-rumors-former-dodgers-reliever-joe-blanton-agrees-contract-nationals/2017/02/28/
Yeah it’s Friedman’s team now. A check review of the 40 man roster shows about 25 guys being acquired by FAZ, that’s 60%, or 30% per year turnover. Is that about normal turnover for a MLB team?
At some point most arguments are settled with scoreboard. FAZ’ evaluation is no exception. Meanwhile, we get to watch what seems like will be a very entertaining team.