As the Dodgers prepare to play the Padres in Slam Diego this weekend, it occurred to me that maybe there is a team sitting on a bad contract that the Dodgers might target to get rid of Chris Taylor. I have not had time to consider who that might be, but I’ll bet there is a longer, bigger, bad contract that the Dodgers might take a flyer on. Have fun!…
Chris Taylor has always been a big hit-or-miss guy with the bat, but he has selflessly played all over the field and has done a very credible job at it. Need a SS? He can play there. 2B? No problem, 3B? Of course! Anywhere in the outfield? All three spots! Yes, he strikes out a lot… a whole lot, but he is reported to be a very good teammate. In…
For all the flack that Yamamoto has taken, here he is with a 3-1 record with a 2.01 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Not bad for a guy who is just starting to pitch up to his capability. Knack went back to OKC so that the Dodgers could have a couple of fresh arms in the bullpen, and both Feyeriesen and Varland did their jobs last night. JP i not a…
Well, as much as I like Gavin Stone (and I like him a lot), I confess that I mostly saw him as a high-leverage bullpen piece… until yesterday. 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. OK, yes, he was a bit lucky, but he went seven innings and allowed one earned run ! WOW! JUST WOW! In my defense, I have never seen Gavin Stone throw a…
Of course, that is a generalization that is not always true, but it is true enough of the time that I am concerned. Last night, the Dodgers scored 11 runs on 20 hits. Betts and Smith had 4 hits each, while Ohtani and Pages had 3 each. Muncy and Lux had two each. It was quite an offensive explosion, but I question why. Why is it frequently feast or famine?…
James Outman got a couple of hits, including a 3-run HR last night. As huge as Tyler Glasnows’ night was (7 IP/14 K’s/3 H/0 BB), the Dodgers needed James to get resurrected, and he is certainly trending in the right direction. This bodes well for the team, and now, if only someone could perform CPR on CT3! If he doesn’t wake up soon, they will have to give him “last…
I took a lot of flack last season because of James Outman. Much of it came from Eric, who disappeared this year when the going got tough for James. Eric evidently can dish it out, but he can’t take it! I sometimes think he loves James Outman more than the Dodgers. He also seems to hate Miguel Vargas, but many of you do because you hate it when I am…
If Mookie Betts hits .520 this year, the Dodgers will have no worries. Actually, the TOP SIX of the Dodgers batting order are delivering at a rate that is scary. It’s the BOTTOM THREE that are also scary: Now, I did not make those numbers up, so don’t be hating on me. It is a concern, but it is early and there will be no knee-jerk reactions. I expected a…
I am just going to jump right into this one: In 2023, the best Caught Stealing Rate by Catchers was +9. That means that the best catcher was good for +9 Runs Over League Average. Will Smith was -1 Run Below Average and Austin Barnes was -4 Runs Below League Average. If Austin Barnes is one of the worst throwing catchers in MLB, then Will Smith is right there with…
Is that even possible? It’s never been done. Seven players on one team with at least thirty home runs? That’s not possible… is it? The Dodgers had four players with 30 HR once, but the 2019 Twins and the 2023 Braves are the only clubs in history to have five players reach the 30-homer mark. The Dodgers could obliterate it this year as they have seven (count ’em 7) players…