Checkers or Chess?

December 1, 2020

as we sit in our easy chairs, Andrew Friedman is in the “Catbirds Seat” knowing that he doesn’t have to make one solitary move and knowing that other GM”s will make some moves of the “dope-fiend” variety. So we wait.

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The Marketing of Players

November 29, 2020

This is the time of year when we hear that teams will be listening on potential trades for Player A.  However, most of the time those proclamations are simply rhetorical.  The Brewers have said they are willing to listen to offers for Josh Hader.  The Rays will be listening on offers for Blake Snell.  The Reds will be listening on offers for Sonny Gray.  The Cubs are listening on offers…

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5 Out of 4 People Struggle With Math

November 28, 2020

There is still a lot of chatter that the Dodgers want Nolan Arenado, Francisco Lindor, or Trevor Bauer. I am of the opinion that at the start of the 2021 season, none of those players will be with the Dodgers. If the Dodgers were to trade for Lindor or Arenado, they would have to trade some pretty good prospects (actually… really, really good prospects) in order to get either one….

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Los Angeles Dodgers and 3B

November 27, 2020

One thing I have learned is that AF is tight lipped more than anyone in MLB, and so are his co-working baseball personnel.  So for someone like Jim Bowden to intimate that he has spoken with Dodgers personnel who have advised him that AF has been engaged in talks with Rockies GM, Jeff Bridich, about Nolan Arenado, I have my doubts. He did not stop there.  He said that Nolan…

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Jumping to Conclusions

November 24, 2020

So, as Andrew Friedman moves into his sixth year as President of Baseball Operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers many of you expect him to change his methods and do something drastically different… like trade for (pick one): Aaron Judge Nolan Arenado Mike Trout Glyber Torres Francisco Lindor Or…maybe you expect him to sign that Top Free Agent like (pick one): Liam Hendriks Trevor Bauer Marcell Ozuna DJ LeMahieu Nelson…

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What Drives a Free Agent

November 24, 2020

A little less than a year before the birth of our son Andrew, Harry Chapin put the finishing touches to a song that emanated from a poem penned by his wife.  The song was Cat’s in the Cradle.  As I did not grow from a happy childhood, the song did not initially appeal to me.  But as my career was taking off, and Andy was about two, the song began…

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First, Foremost and Always: It is Still a Business

November 20, 2020

Wednesday the Dodgers announced “layoffs across the organization.” Right about now, I do not know who has been laid off. I would be surprised if this included anyone in player development and the baseball ops side of things… but you never know. Allegedly, the Dodgers have lost over $100 Million in 2020. If you are on the side of labor, you might say that is way overinflated and if you…

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Who Will Play 2B

November 19, 2020

AF has gone on record indicating what he will be prioritizing: “Adding a reliever or two is something that we’re going to keep an eye on and kind of sift through. Really for us, it’s about identifying the talent in a vacuum but also then trying to get as many diversified looks as you can in the pen. This year, we really liked our pen and our pen was a…

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How Do You Like Me Now?

November 18, 2020

In October of 2014, the ownership of the Dodgers decided to go in a new direction and named Andrew Friedman President of Baseball Operations. GM Ned Colletti was moved to another position in the organization and Friedman brought in Farhan Zaidi as the new GM. At the time, the only thing I knew about Friedman was that he had been running the Tampa Bay Rays. I knew they had gotten…

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AC’s Musings

November 13, 2020

We need to end this myth that Mookie cannot hit LHP.  Over his career, against LHP, Betts is slashing .297/.379/.509/.888.  Mookie’s career against RHP – .302/.372/.526/.897.  Those seem like even splits to me.  Over his career, Mookie has faced RHP 76% of the time.  I think it is more likely that Betts was unfamiliar with NL LH pitchers, and after a year on a new team and a new league,…

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