32 posts
There is no way to sugarcoat this, so I will just say it: “ Andrew Friedman failed the Dodgers by not having starters stacked at least twelve deep.” At the start of the season, the Dodgers had Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, and Noah Syndergaard…
Jim Bowden, you know, the former failed GM of the Reds who is now a talk show host on MLB and a writer for The Athletic, went on record with this about the trade that brought Amed Rosario to the Dodgers: “ The Dodgers trading righty Noah Syndergaard and his 7.16 ERA (at the time…
Who predicted the Rosario-Syndergaard trade? No one saw that coming! Of course, the Dodgers weren’t really looking to trade for Rosario, but somehow, they found a team that wanted Thor, and they took the bait. I would have never believed it. Over the winter, the Dodgers signed…
This is something new that I am going to try to stimulate conversation, but that only takes me a few minutes. Subject: Noah Syndergaard Ever since Noah (THOR) burst on the scene, he was a manacing physical specimen. He threw 200 MPH and was built like the Hulk. After he blew out…
Today, on Dodgers.com, Juan Toribio has a great piece on Noah Syndergaard, who sounds like he has had a fork stuck in him. Andrew Friedman has made a number of excellent acquisitions, but this is not one and you can’t win them all.I think AF is about to end the charade. Toribio…
I have a few minutes before I leave for my surgery, so I thought I would drop you a few notes. By the way, thank you for all the kind words and well wishes. Now, let’s do this! As Dodger fans, we spend many of our waking hours thinking about who to blame for the Dodger’s start…
As far as I am concerned, there are only Eleven things wrong with the Dodgers right about now: They can’t hit with runners on base; They can’t hit with the bases empty; The starting pitchers (other than the New Ace- Old Man Kershaw) are pitching from erratic to horrible; The…
This saying has a very deep metaphysical meaning which, over the years, many of the ancient mystics sought to understand and explain in terms that the common man could comprehend; however, the real meaning has been obfuscated until recently during the cultural revolution when I…
So, here we are back at .500 (7 – 7), and predictably people are losing their minds. They only have one mind (well, some have half of one, but that is something I will leave alone), so that is sad. Here is the stuff we hear after losses and fourteen games: “ Just like Grove…
I am going to say something that is absolutely true, and if you disagree with it, you are an idiot: Anyone who blames either of the 2-1 loses to the D-Bags on Dave Roberts is also an idiot! End of story. Dave Roberts is the manager – he does not hit or pitch. I don’t care what…
Random News From Around Dodgertown Noah Syndergaard says he feels good physically but that his delivery is still out of whack. It may take him a few starts before he finds his delivery and/or release point (if he ever does). But never fear, Gavin Stone will ride in on his white…
By design, Bobby Miller has not pitched in a Major League Spring Training Game, and I do not think he has played in any minor league or B-Games either, as he allegedly had a “sore shoulder” when he arrived at Spring Training. Allegedly, it is OK now, but the Dodgers are ramping…
If Trayce Thompson can produce the same kind of year he did last year, then I’m OK with him, but he can’t! A player has to get about 150-200 ABs before you can really make a determination as to how well they may perform. Small samplings mean very little because of the “luck…
After a week of games, we see things happening and note who is doing what! If you are forming an opinion about certain players… keep forming! There are four more weeks. Some guys are working on certain aspects of their games and others are trying to “show out” in order to make…
It’s time for some Sunday School, Boys, and Girls, and I have a few observations, including what the Dodgers need to do for a SS, CF’er, and a six-man rotation in 2023. It’s time for some Sunday School Education. JD Martinez : The fact that the Dodgers signed J..D. Martinez…
The criticism of Andrew Friedmans lack of off-season moves is being read in social media circles and blogs like there’s no tomorrow. Many fans are expressing their opinions without a clear understanding of the ramifications and penalties levied to teams that sign free agents. I…
We have hashed and re-hashed the state-of-the Dodger’s pitching for what seems like a hundred years when it has only been a few weeks. I have maintained that the Dodgers do not need another starter, as that starter blocks Pepiot, Stone, and Miller. However, when a player wants…
There has been a lot of speculation about FA the Dodgers may want to re-sign or sign. We have no idea what the CBT will be, or what the penalties will be if a team exceeds that limit with the upcoming CBA. Currently the taxes can reach a maximum 50% for all salaries above the…
There has been a lot of chatter about the cool reception the current group of FA’s are receiving. DJLM got $90MM, but he is going to be spreading that over 6 years for a team favorable AAV. George Springer turned a small bidding war between the two teams that figured to spend (Mets and Jays) into a Toronto overspend of 5 years $150MM. That was about $25MM more than the
Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, Carlos Carrasco, and the BIG MARKET name, Francisco Lindor. These four have a chance to be top tier in 2021, with Lindor in the elite class. And they have all changed teams this offseason. The first two names have moved the Padres into a top three NL and top four MLB team, while the second two names have moved the NYM to a significant NL East
Except for one bad pitch, the Dodgers have been outstanding on this current road trip. They are currently 5-1 on the trip, with three to go in SD. I am not sure that home and away mean that much in 2020, except do like the last AB for a potential comeback. But there certainly is no fan reaction to build momentum upon. The team is currently 7-3, and on pace
Game 1 is in the books. Behind the solid pitching of Clayton Kershaw and a trio of relievers, the Dodgers shutout the Giants, and the Dodger batters crushed Johnny Cueto 15-0. LAD fell short of their 8 home runs hit in last year’s opener, but they did manage 6, including a grand slam by Joc Pederson. Corey Seager, Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger (2), and Will Smith all hit 4-baggers. Besides
I cannot see the Dodgers signing Josh Donaldson. He reportedly has two pending four year deals (Twins and Washington). But the Braves have right of last refusal (meaning that is where he wants to play), but they are going to need to guarantee that 4th year, which they are contemplating right now. There is no reason for the Dodgers to continue to chase their tails here. JT is a quality
I drove down to LA this weekend to visit a very close family friend and sharing in his surprise 75th birthday. At the hotel, I turned on the TV only to see SportsNet LA and watched Access Dodgers. I do miss LA for Dodger TV and Dodger Talk Radio. One comment I heard from Pedro Moura was that the Dodgers are not flashy and have a ton of depth but
Editorial Note – This was written before the massive Russell Martin deal went down, and I did not want to consider this post to be like Kemp, Puig, Wood, and Farmer and just dump it. The written word is a strange thing. One reader will read comments one way and another reader another way, and yet the writer had a totally different reason for the comment. The most recent
Okay, I am done arguing with people on this or any other baseball site about corporate finance, which happens to be a subject I am very well-versed in. But that is different than knowledge of the Dodgers balance sheet of which I have none. So, let’s move on. I am writing this in an El Dorado Hills Starbucks at about 1:30 PM. So this may not be current by
There has been no big player transactions and it is a holiday weekend, so pickings for material are pretty slim. However, as long as the Dodgers are mentioned in some big-name transactions, I will continue to think that something could happen. At the very least it allows for a lot of conjecture and good writing material. We all have our favorite Dodgers who we do not want to see moved
Yesterday Mark made a good argument as to why the Dodgers might want to stand pat. Today I would like to make an argument as to why the Dodgers should consider another move or two. I understand the thought that with how the Dodgers are built right now they can compete and win the NL West. I understand why many believe the team should stay as is and let the team
The Dodgers are at somewhat of a crossroads at the break. They are in 1st place in the NL West and are 3.5 games behind the Cubs for supremacy in the NL. They are 1.0 game behind the Brewers, .5 game behind the Phillies, and are virtually tied with the Braves in the very tight NL race. There are 11 teams within 5.5 games of the Wild Card. The AL
Editorial Note I wrote this before the Buehler injury. The 2018 Amateur Draft is now over. All that is left is the signing of the draft picks. The Dodgers did not select a high school player in Round 11 indicating to me that they expect the top 10 to be close to the bonus pool + 5%. There will be some savings with picks #9 and #10 as
