Yesterday, Dave wrote this: “Last year you posted your stats predictions for the season. As it turned out they were pretty accurate. So looking forward to that again. But I think we need to wait until end of Spring training for that.” So, I am going to do it a little differently this year. I am going to it now, and I might revise my predictions at the end of…
Pinkie Problems The first casualty of Spring Training occurred a few days ago when Miguel Vargas took a bad hop to his right pinky finger, which caused a hairline fracture. Since he is a RH hitter, his right hand is not his bottom hand, and he would likely play if it were the playoffs or an important game, but he will likely miss a couple of weeks. He thinks he…
The Dodgers’ hopes to win a World Series in 2023 hinge on a lot of things, including JD Martinez’s resurgence, J-Heys and David Peralta’s ability to come back, the pitching staff’s health, the ability of rookies to seize the day, and whether Freeman, Smith, Muncy & Betts can have All-Star Caliber years. However, nothing is more vital to the Dodgers’ hopes than Gavin Lux and his ability to play SS….
You are not going to hear this said out loud and I am not going to reveal my sources (so you can take this for whatever you think it is worth), but there is growing sentiment within the Dodgers organization that Diego Cartaya might need to change positions. This is especially true if Will Smith can be locked up long term. The Dodgers have a plethora of Catchers and while…
Clayton Kershaw – He can still pitch with the best of them, but only about 70% of the season. If the Dodgers can manage his health so that he is healthy for the playoffs, then he can pitch another year. $20 Million for 126 IP with a 2.28 ERA and a 0.942 WHIP, then I will take it all day long. That’s ACE 1A Status! OH, and a 3.8 WAR…
If you are going to Spring Training, one of the best things is to go as far into the complex as they let you. I have not been there for a few years, but when I went regularly, I had Press Passes and was able to get everywhere, even the clubhouse, which I rarely did because these guys go there for some peace, and I am not the guy trying…
I should have thought of this before, but Andrew Friedman can’t go trading a number of Prospects for Bryan Reynolds without first seeing how Gavin Lux handles SS and, to a lesser degree… how Miguel Vargas handles 2B. If Lux and Vargas settle in as a solid Keystone Combination up the middle, then if James Outman has not been the second-coming, the Dodgers can afford to go out and get…
It appears that Andrew Friedman wasn’t not just posturing as I thought when he said he wasn’t worried about the CBT. After adding journeyman outfielder, David Peralta yesterday and another $6 or $7 Million onto the payroll, it’s clear Friedman is not concerned with re-setting the CBT. It’s not the last time I was wrong. I am, however, always looking for the rest of the story or for the other…
We are going to do a Class Participation on this. There is a plethora of statistics by which we define players. With Pitchers, fans traditionally have used win and loses, saves, ERA, SO, BB, and WHIP, but there is also BABIP, DICE, ERA+, and CERA. There are also a vast number of others. With hitters, it has traditionally been BA, SLG, OPS, OPS+, wRC+, and WAR… to name but a…
There is no denying that Justin Turner was the Dodgers’ Main Clubhouse Leader during his tenure with the team. Of course, Mookie Betts and Clayton Kershaw were also there and are leaders, and what I am about to write is in no way meant to be demeaning to JT, who will always have a special place in Dodger lore. However, maybe Andrew Friedman and the Dodger Brass felt it was…