Well the first domino fell on Thursday when Atlanta signed LHRP Will Smith for 3 years and $40MM. It is a little less than Craig Kimbrel $$$, but not much. The Braves are in a position to sign multiple FA and still be well south of the CBT threshold. I expect them to make a run at MadBum and Yasmani Grandal, and maybe Josh Donaldson. Some prognosticators have suggested with…
No doubt many of the readers on LADT are familiar with what might be coming down the pipe for minor league baseball for the 2021 season. However, it does make for a quick post and might be new to some readers. It certainly has some broad implications which may or may not be an improvement over the current minor league system. The Professional Baseball Agreement (PBA) between MLB and minor…
LADT readers know by now that I have followed left-hander Logan Salow since he was acquired from Oakland on April 25, 2018 in a trade that sent Wilmer Font to the Athletics. All that is needed now for Salow is to keep the plate from moving. That is a big one but 2020 might be the year that happens. I have also been a keen follower of right-hander Marshall Kasowski…
Each offseason, MiLB.com goes position by position across each system and honors the players — regardless of age or prospect status — who had the best seasons in their organization. This is the list from MiLB – posted November 11 – with a brief review by Dodgers Director of Player Development Will Rhymes. Catcher — Connor Wong, Rancho Cucamonga (71 games), Tulsa (40 games): After a spotty April, Wong finished…
Stealing signs is part of the fabric of baseball and will continue to be. When the runner on 2B rubs his nose, it means a curveball is coming. You are never going to stop that… nor should you. However, external sign-stealing or electronic sign-stealing are an entirely different matter and it appears, and it is looking more-and-more like the Houston Astros are dirty rotten scoundrels. The Athletic broke an article…
Enjoying a Veterans Day weekend in Atascadero, CA celebrating my youngest grand daughter’s first birthday. Frankly, my thoughts are filled with her and not so much Dodger baseball. Trade proposals have been flying around this blog with renewed fervor over the past few weeks. I admit those discussions have a certain excitement to them, much like anticipating that new toy you want for Christmas, all the while knowing that most…
My late father was a vet, having served in the South Pacific during WWII. During Vietnam (1972), my draft lottery number was 167. They stopped at 164. I always wondered what my life would have been like had they went a few slots further. We can’t say enough to thank you veterans for your service and especially the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice. Let’s Talk Dodger Baseball!
So the past few days we have seen all sorts of made-up, fantasy league baseball trades…. most of which have no basis in reality. Bluto may have had the best idea: CWS getsJoc Pederson (from Dodgers)George Valera (from Indians)Civale (from Indians) CLEVE gets:Seager (from Dodgers)Maeda (from Dodgers)Kopech (from CWS)James Beard (from CWS) LAD gets:Lindor (from Indians)Kluber (from Indians)Bummer (from CWS)Konor Pilkington (from CWS)Rocchio (from Indians) That was creative in getting…
Andrew Friedman is known for finding gems in the garbage pile. Witness Max Muncy, Chris Taylor, Brandon Morrow, and others. But he is not the only one. In 2018, the St. Louis Cardinals signed Miles Mikolas, whom the year before was 14-8 with a 2.25 ERA in the Japanese League. He had gone to Japan after failing as an MLB pitcher. The Cardinals signed him to a 2-year $15.5 Million…
Many loyal Dodger fans believe the Dodgers ownership group is cheap and not interested in winning, and only interested in counting profits. Never mind that the Dodgers have spent more on player personnel contracts over the last five years than any other team. They have also spent lavishly on player development and re-focusing on their MiLB programs. I think we can all agree that the contract costs were not all…