Last year, Andrew Friedman said he did not want to wait until the trade deadline and then overpay for players to improve the team. That is what he thought as he signed Michael Conforto, Kirby Yates, and Tanner Scott in the offseason, all of whom were major trainwrecks. He also re-signed Teoscar Hernandez, who had his worst season ever. Now, Teo has the opportunity to reset and come back with…
Got a gift from a friend, a book called, “The Baseball Hall of Shame.” There are some very amusing stories in it pertaining to major league baseball. Some involve some of the better players who ever played the game. And some involve guys you might never have heard of. So here are a few just for laughs. On April 6th, 1940, at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., President Franklin Roosevelt…
I read today on MLBTR that there have been some discussions about having an in-season baseball tournament. I see no need for this myself. Isn’t that what the post-season is all about? The best in baseball playing each other? Besides, they already have the WBC once every three years. Baseball does not need to become more like the NBA. There is talk of expansion to 32 teams, which I see…
I thought about breaking this down into two posts: The Starting Pitchers and the Relief Pitchers, but they are so intertwined that I did not think that was prudent. However, before I get into that, Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette are still unsigned – their markets simply have not developed as they hoped. Andrew Friedman is boxing out around the backboard. I know a little about rebounding: In High School,…
You Can’t Consider CF without Considering RF I don’t think we see what the final alignment of the outfield will be at this time. A move or “moves” have to be made: Tommy Edman will likely not be ready to start the season, but all hands point to his being ready in May. Andy Pages has improved incrementally on defense throughout the 2025 season and could play there in 2026….
Two straight. Can they make it three? That is the question that every single Dodger fan hopes ends with a hell yes. I sincerely hope they do, but I take a cautious approach to saying stuff like that out loud since I know it is not that easy to repeat, let alone make it back to the playoffs and the Series. On paper, LA has a very strong starting pitching…
2025 is History. 2026 is a Mystery. Today is a Gift – That’s why they call it the present. — Mike Ditka (but I am sure someone else much smarter said it first.) The Dodgers will be set for 2026 and another World Championship IF they just do this: Trade with the Red Sox for Jarren Duran! Why? Just Baseball wrote a great piece about him last month. Click on…
Barring injury, third base should be easy. Left field is more nuanced. Third Base This one is easy – write Max Muncy’s name on the lineup card. Well, that is, unless there is a tough LHP on the mound or he is injured. In his first five full seasons with the Dodgers, Max averaged 139 games a year. In his last two seasons, Max has averaged 87 games a year….
Today, we will focus our sights on 2B and SS. We will look at potential trades, free-agent signings, and minor-league prospects. Here we go… Second Base Perhaps there is no other position in which the Dodgers could upgrade through trade or free agency than 2B. Bo Bichette remains unsigned, but that is going to require a commitment of around (more or less) $200,000,000! I like Bo Bichette, but there is…
Starting today, I will preview a couple of positions a day as we approach 2026. I am going to focus on what could happen at the positions, possible trades, and possible prospects at those positions. Here we go. No surprises here. Catcher Players who could see time here: Darkhorse – Ben Rortvedt may not make the Reds roster, and the Dodgers could look to get him back. First Base Players…