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LA Dodger Talk

What to Believe

I am a fan of MLB Trade Rumors . I generally read them daily. For instance, if I go there today, I will read this: “The Braves have acquired infielder Cavan Biggio from the Giants, as noted by Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay…

By Mark Timmons5 min read10 comments

I am a fan of MLB Trade Rumors. I generally read them daily. For instance, if I go there today, I will read this:

“The Braves have acquired infielder Cavan Biggio from the Giants, as noted by Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, the Giants are receiving cash considerations in return for Biggio’s services. Biggio is on a minor league deal and as such was eligible to be traded despite the trade deadline having passed. As he was acquired after the calendar flipped to September, Biggio will not be eligible to participate in the postseason with the Braves.”

-Nick Deeds

MLBTR also has a premium feature whereby they give you some more inside stuff called “GM Tools” or something like that. It’s like $29 a year, and they send you e-mails with more (allegedly) “inside stuff.” I’ll let you know later if it’s worth it. However, I digress. What I wanted to discuss is, though, is what you should believe and not believe. We all saw Teoscar Hernandez get hit on the foot Friday night, and it looked bad! However, this is what MLBTR said yesterday:

More will be known about Hernandez’s status later today, yet since it seems like he’ll certainly be going on the IL, the question is now whether or not we’ll see Hernandez on the field again in 2024.  Beyond just the regular season, the Dodgers certainly hope to be playing deep into the playoffs, yet such an extended run would obviously be a lot more difficult if Hernandez isn’t available.  Winning the NL West is also not a foregone conclusion, as the Dodgers hold a four-game lead on the Padres and a 5.5-game lead on the Diamondbacks.”

— Mark Polishuk

Talk about jumping to conclusions! Mark Polishuk is a Gold Medalist in that sport! He went from Hernandez being hit on the foot to certainly going on the IL to “will he play for the Dodgers again… ever?” Believe half of what you see and none of what you read. The media gets it wrong as much as they get it right unless you are talking about the mainstream media in an election year and then you most certainly have to use discernment! The media has a job to do and it is not always about truth. I saw what happened to Teoscar and frankly, I had no opinion. I wrote this: “I suppose that Teoscar Hernandez will get X-Rays or a MRI today and we shall see what happens to him.” It turns out we will see him sooner than later!

Also, don’t believe the rumors about Tyler Glasnow:

Also, the Dodgers will decide in the next few days whether to bring back Tony Gonsolin this season as a reliever or wait until 2025. He might look pretty good out of the pen… Believe it or not! 😉

Last night’s game was a satisfying win, as the bottom of the order did some damage. Wrobleski has awesome stuff… if he could only control it. The Dodgers had three pitchers pitch last night who will probably not be on the playoff roster, namely: Grove, Wrobleski, and Honeywell. Honeywell has been a Godsend, but he won’t make it either.

Minor League Notes

I thought I would briefly cover three prospects that you may not know a lot about, but who should be on your radar. I’ll cover three more next week.

Alexander Albertus – Don’t believe this – He was traded! 😉

Alexander Christopher Albertus was born on 10/27/2004 in Oranjestad, Aruba. The SS/3B/2B is an RH Hitter, and the thrower is 6′ 1″ tall and weighs in at 176 pounds (that is soaking wet). According to Kyle Glaser, “Albertus hit .307/.469/.420 in the complex leagues after signing out of Aruba and is a frequent target of opposing teams in trade discussions. He has a good understanding of the strike zone, advanced contact skills for his age and is a smart, cerebral player who gets the most out of his ability. His future defensive home is in question, but his promising offensive skill set makes for a strong foundation.”

Emil Morales – #8 on Dodgers.com/#14 on BA

Morales is a 6′ 3″, 191-pound SS who was born on 09/22/2006 in Las Palmas De Gran Canaria, Spain. He consistently puts together strong at-bats, showcasing a mature offensive approach and excellent pitch recognition. He has thrived against live pitching, and his swing is advanced for his age. As he’s gained strength in his lower half, his power has been on the rise, with more growth expected in the coming years. Offensively focused, Morales plays shortstop but has the frame of a third baseman, with many scouts projecting a move to that position soon. Although he’s a below-average runner, he’s reliable on the balls he reaches at shortstop, with a solid-average arm. However, his defensive actions and mobility seem better suited for third base. In 152 ABs’ for DSL Mega, he put up a .342 BA/.478 OB% and .691 SLG while hitting 14 HR.

Eriq Swan – #22 on BA

Eqiq is an RHP who was born on 10/31/2001 in Marietta, GA, and is 6′ 6″ and 240 pounds. His calling card is a 102 MPH Fastball that has little life. Also, he has very little control. So, there is that! Still, MLB values guys who can pitch in triple digits. He has a long way to go.

X-CITES

To all the morons who the CT3:

Discussion (10)

Disagree, not disagreeable

Be civil — moderation is real. Links may need a moment of review.

  1. dodgerdadSeptember 9, 2024

    whew david! respect your opinion, but she is soooo annoying! don’t hate her, just don’t want to hear her! Nelson? puke ! listened to neverett and monday on the way home from my grandson’s baseball tournament. i thoroughly enjoyed them both. baseball talk , no silly crap. just my opinion! p.s. my brother’s name is David, so you are probably a great guy!

  2. M. NorrisSeptember 8, 2024

    Nice win, Flaherty saved the pen. Ohtani’s homer was impressive. But I loved Max going the other way to homer off of a lefty. Taylor made up for his strikeout with a run scoring hit. We are getting hit by a thunderstorm here in Colorado. Lightning struck really close to my building. Startled me!! But at least it did not knock out the electricity. SF dropped SD, 7-6, Dodgers lead up to six over the Padres who only have 17 games left to the Dodgers 19. LA finishes the season with a 30-16 mark against the AL this year.

  3. DavidSeptember 8, 2024

    I think too many guys are members of the ‘He Man woman haters club’ (You can look up the reference) But anyway I like Mendoza. I don’t think she talks too much and is very knowledgeable

  4. Mark TimmonsSeptember 8, 2024

    Sheehan had surgery on May 15 and it s not clear if he had Full Blown TJ or the Internal Brace Procedure. We could see hm by the AllStar Break.

  5. DanoSeptember 8, 2024

    Let me throw something at the wall.

    Playoff Rotation

    1. Flaherty

    2. Yamamoto

    3. Knack

    4. Glasnow

    Give Flaherty two starts.

    Yamamoto starts the NLCS

    Glasnow gets extra rest

    But if your down 0-2 Glasgow then Knack.

    Unless Striker, Miller, or Kershaw ? Steps up before Oct.

    Book em

  6. Andrew Vincent ForteSeptember 8, 2024

    09/08/24 Los Angeles Dodgers designated RHP Michael Petersen for assignment.

    09/08/24 Los Angeles Dodgers selected the contract of LHP Nick Ramirez from Oklahoma City Baseball Club.

    09/08/24 Los Angeles Dodgers optioned LHP Justin Wrobleski to Oklahoma City Baseball Club.

  7. Andrew Vincent ForteSeptember 8, 2024

    4:10 PM ET

    Guardians (81-61)

    Dodgers (85-57)

    SP Tanner Bibee R

    11-6 3.56 ERA

    SP Jack Flaherty R

    11-6 3.01 ERA

    Confirmed Lineup

    DH S. Ohtani L

    RF Mookie Betts R

    1B F. Freeman L

    3B Max Muncy L

    C Will Smith R

    SS Tommy Edman S

    2B Gavin Lux L

    LF Andy Pages R

    CF K. Kiermaier L

    101° Wind 5 mph Out

  8. Mark TimmonsSeptember 8, 2024

    The rotation next year could include these 10 pitchers:

    Ohtani

    Glasnow

    Yamamoto

    Gonsolin

    May

    Kershaw

    Stone

    Knack

    Wrobleski

    Miller

    … and then Buehler and Flaherty are the Free Agents.

    River Ryan and Emmet Sheehan will likely miss all of 2025.

  9. Brian PerkinsSeptember 8, 2024

    There is no need to force Gonsolin onto the staff. We have enough arms. Set sights on breaking camp as a member of the 2025 rotation. That alone would be a huge win.

  10. Brian PerkinsSeptember 8, 2024

    Albertus was traded.

    (You can delete this afterwards if you want, Mark)

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