And Now On To 2019

I attended yesterday’s “last game”. I strongly feel Clayton should play out his deal, his mission here is not complete. If he opts out, then so be it. A major colon cleanesing in our organizations future! Yasmani, thank you for your service (no QO – he may take it). Manny, Madsen, Dozier, Ryu bye bye (maybe Ryu with the right deal). The bullpen needs a rework and spend what it takes! We reset the luxury tax.

How do the Red Sox find all these young guys who can hit? Hire their scouting and hitting coaches? Nathan Evo (come home), is Kelly available? We needs guys who throw strikes! (Alexander pay attention).

We have a good core. Get up off the canvas and let’s spend and choose wisely! Hope springs eternal!

The Dodgers should have won in 2017, Boston was a far better team this year.

A lot of talk on D. Roberts – I don’t care for his lineups and BP use, but he is not going anywhere. That said, what he must change is his different lineup every night, it was beyond insane.

In addition Freidman & Zadi must adjust their philosophy of the HR or nothing – it’s painful to watch and easily exposed with good pitching. SABR Metrics is here to stay, but these two are extreme in their application of the tools. That must change also or we are going to be saying the same things next year.

Players:

We need a catcher; the brick and the no hit/ no arm guys are not working.

We need another SP – a real one like DeGrom

We need a 2nd baseman, and not a utility 2nd baseman

We need BP help; dumpster diving gets you someone’s junk, sometimes you find treasure in the bin, but that cannot be true of all you reclaim there.

We need to off-load the gozillion outfielders – it will help DR by not giving him an option to play everybody which also doesn’t work real well.

Corey Seaver is a huge question mark – will he be healthy?

We need to resign Freeze, he can hit.

I can go back and forth on CK, but he no longer is elite. When he is the #1 SP your other starters are not good enough.

As disgusted as I am with how the season ended, it’s possible we overachieved this year, which takes away the sting a little bit. Regardless of how I feel, the off-season is upon us and we’ll be seeing baseball moves being made within days.

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I think a major philosophical question that the front office will have to answer is, “Should we change what we’ve been doing thus far or are we on the correct path?” I’m almost certain that the answer will be to stay the course–a course which resulted in back-to-back pennants btw–but with renewed opportunism created by a more stable financial situation .

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So did we have the talent needed to win it all this year? Maybe. If managed a different way could we have won it all? Possibly. I really think this team had some deep flaws and persevered in spite of them. When push came to shove we were exposed though. I think that now we have the depth part down, we need to focus on the strength next. We need to identify our strengths and add to them so that they become insurmountable for the opponent.

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Obviously our weaknesses were inconsistent offense, lack of clutch hitting, bullpen, and lack of a regular lineup. There are ways to fix that. We need to add a top-notch catcher so we don’t go through a third year of seeing this most important position on the field thrown into flux during the most stressful days of the season. We also need find more regularity in our relievers, possibly involving training guys at the beginning of the year for the role they will be asked to play in October. And we have to find a way to fit Verdugo into the lineup, as he can help with offensive consistency and strikeout management.

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Kershaw is a question mark. Whether we can afford a large contract to a free agent is a question mark. I supposed Roberts contract is a question mark (although I don’t see it being one). The number of arbitration eligible players and potential free agents is a question mark. Our platoon fixation itself is a question mark. On this last part, a system is a system regardless of the outcome. If we abandon a system when our backs are against the wall, what does it say about our conviction about that system in general.

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Finally, positioning. We are blessed with some supremely talented players who can change positions at a moment’s notice and lose much in the transition. I think this is a strength. However, these moves do impact other players and we need to be aware it is asking a lot of a manager to keep everyone fresh and ready to come in at any time and in virtually any situation. Same goes for the rotation and bullpen. Expecting starters to pitch as relievers come the playoffs looks good when it works but it looks bad when it doesn’t. Same with over-reliance on players acquired in deadline deals.

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I admit I’m a bit torn. I like the prospects and home-grown players and think we have enough here to compete. However, I’m very interested in spending some cash and adding a franchise-level talent. I think the organization owes to the fans to spend some dough this off-season. Trading prospects for stars seems like a losing proposition over the long haul. After finishing in second-place for two years in a row, I’d be willing to take a small step backward if it improved our long-term outlook. I wouldn’t have said this a couple years ago but I’d be willing to win one even if it takes five years to do so. There are a lot of talented teams out there and we apparently aren’t quite at their level. Let’s do whatever it takes to get there. The time for being nice is over.

btw, for people who dislike dave roberts, isn’t it possible that he’ll get better as a manager and learn from his mistakes? that seems at least as plausible as another guy coming in and immediately taking us all the way. when i think of all the relationships he’s made with this core group i don’t see any universe in which roberts doesn’t return.

`I wouldn’t go as far as saying I’m disgusted but I am a bit disappointed. After we lost the first two in Boston I had my doubts. I knew then we would have to sweep at home to have a chance. We did make it to the WS again so to me it’s not a total loss. Afterall there were 28 other teams and millions upon millions of their fans who before last night would trade places with us in a New York minute.

I’m reading a lot of comments about how a lot of our roster for next year is more or less set. For example, we have depth in the rotation whether Kershaw returns or not. Similarly, we could field a starting lineup (with the possible exception of catcher) out of guys we have right now.

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So, who are are some darkhorse candidates to make an impact next year, kind of like ferguson & muncy did this year & taylor did the year before? Here are a couple candidates:

1. Connor Joe–could be a RH utility spark plug ala Keekay. Not sure if his bat will translate to the majors but there’s only one way to find out. Nice pedigree and next spring will definitely see him get a long look.

2. Tony Gonsolin–many think he needs to remain a starter due to his multi-pitch arsenal; I think he has huge potential as a lock-down reliever.

3. Will Smith–could be moved up quickly as needs warrant. I think he needs another year but we do have a need at the position and if the defense is ready, who knows.

4. Gavin Lux–mid-year seems the earliest we’ll see him and even then that would a rush. The position of 2b is his for the taking long-term so might as well lock in on it as soon as next year.

5. Sheffield/Alvarez/Sierra–oh where oh where have our elite RH power bullpen arms gone? We need at least one more. It seems we ran out this year and had to rely on Madson WAY too much.

It seems to me that our lineup next year is really up in the air. We don’t have a catcher or 2nd baseman. Our SS will hopefully return to previous level, but we don’t know. Who plays 1st? CB? Freese? Max? (Was this year for Max like last year for Turner?) Who will be in left? Will Puig be traded or will he be our regular RF? CF– it seems like Cody is most likely, but will he correct his Sophomore Slump. And LF Verdugo or ? or ?

I would say the only position that is set is 3B. Close behind is SS (I expect CS to return at full strength) and I think Puig will be in RF, but who knows? SP– CK is a ? So is Ryu. I like Hill and Beuhler any Urias, but who else will be added?

BP, we do have some good arms, but the big question is, what will Jansen bring next yeat?

It just seem like there is so much up in the air.

Someone ( no names will be mentioned…Rudy Bird) wanted me to post this:

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Congrats to the Dodgers on another World Series appearance!

Despite the fact that the Dodgers got under the luxury tax threshold is no reason for them to begin spending wildly. Whatever they do, I’m sure that they will factor that in over the next several years they’re going to have to begin paying some of their younger players. Seager, Bellinger, Buehler, and others will not come cheap.

I like many here, knew Roberts would keep his job, but I didn’t think it would be much longer, then a couple years.

But Friedman has already told a LA Times writer, that they are working on a long term contract for Roberts.

Friedman also said the Dodgers were a great team, and it was to bad they picked this week, to have a big week.

I don’t know if we should put a lot in Friedman’s words right after losing the World Series, but that is probably more wishful thinking, on my part.

Also Mad Dog on High Heat on the MLB Channel talked to the Dodger beat writer for the Orange County Register, and he said this front office was probably to arrogant to re-examine how this team was built, and why they are not performing as well in the post season, like they are, in the regular season.

He said they still think they are doing everything right, and maybe that is why Friedman is saying this team, just had a bad week.

Hafta disagree, Think the so-called depth is real, but not as impactful

as the PR paints it. Lotta deep mediocre…..

If they were all that loaded, how come Axford, Madson, Freese, Dosier,

late season? How come big trade for not-so-big dividends in Machado ?

(in MT’s favorite hindsight, whouldya rather have – Manny or Steve

Pearce?)

Another tell was your dynamic #3 in last game lineup. Kookoo for

Kike’-Puffs:-(….

That’s meant to disagree (unusually) with Dion…:-)

what do we think about adding adam jones as a CF and character guy?

or kurt suzuki as an experienced catcher?

i’ve seen these names multiple times in free agent articles . . .

Due to my extreme lack of social skills, misanthropy, latent agoraphobia, and love for this baseball team… I have seen over 300 games over the last two season. Doc makes so many head scratching moves (and/or lack of moves) throughout the year that it can drive me a little crazy. However… when October rolls around he tends to reach Peak Doc.

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Peak Doc is truly something to behold… and as will be told by countless Astros and Red Sox fans to their grandkids for many years to come… a thing of absolute beauty.

He’s simply working on another level… I’m picturing Neo right now at the end the first Matrix. He seems to become one with baseball itself and can make moves that mere mortals like us blog posters… won’t be able to truly comprehend for decades. His decision making skills under pressure will (in my opinion) be taught to everyone from hostage negotiators and air traffic controllers to retail employees that are forced to work on Black Friday.

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Some of you might remember Peak Doc from such games as Games 2 & 5 in the 2017 World Series… or more recently, Games 2 & 4 of the 2018 World Series.

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There are times during the game when everyone is screaming at their tv’s to take a pitcher out of the game because the other team’s hitters looks like our catcher just told them which pitch is about to be thrown… and Doc will look out at the mound with a quizzical look… similar to that of a dog that just farted. We as fans will be yelling something like… What the hell is he thinking!? or… Is he high or something, why won’t he take this guy out of the game already!!? But old Doc is working at whole other level. The look that you see, is a look of monk like concentration… he’s clearly thinking 5-10 steps ahead.

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And much like a monk… Dave is thinking at a much deeper level than us fans. As fans, we tend to get caught up in superficial things like playing the hottest hitters, using our best pitchers, and winning world series games. And to be honest… I am personally ashamed of myself for such base instincts and trivial pursuits.

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Peak Doc looks over the baseball diamond like a benevolent God like figure… he understands (even if we can’t) the things that truly matter. Such as… making sure that every player gets to play in a playoff game, never allowing a left handed hitter to face a left handed pitcher (and vice versa) if it can be avoided, and giving a player 2,3,4, and sometimes even 10 chances to succeed… even when (especially when) everyone else has given up hope on that player. (e.g. Kike Hernandez)

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Because he knows that at the end of the day… it’s not whether you win or lose… it’s whether you’re able to get the most talented team (on paper) in the National League to buy into the Zaidi / Friedman Sabermetrics School of Statistical Algorithmic Analyses of Baseball Science & Philosophy.

Val 9000 I am still not over the Series loss and vowed not to post until I am but I had to chime in and give credit for an exceptional post full of thought, perspective and sadly lots of truths.

From Bleacher Report:

Colleague says Clayton has family pressure to put his kids (kindergarten!) into Dallas schools. He feels he’s leaving. Anyone else hear that?

If Kershaw doesn’t opt out, then that’s fine with me. He’s shown signs of decline, but I also think that he has already begun the process of re-inventing himself. However, if he decides to test the waters, I’m all right with that too. In the latter case, if I were the Dodgers I would not bid on him in that instance, and use the opportunity to re-allocate the money saved to multiple other players. I actually hope that he opts out, and the Dodgers simply focus elsewhere. We haven’t gone all the way with him, so maybe the Dodgers would be better off not having him around soaking up valuable resources that could be better utilized without him. If the opt-out decision is coming this week, then we should have some answers relatively soon.

I agree with Brooklyn, MJ, and Jeff on Kershaw. If he opts out, we let him go. Use the money on other resources. Offer him a QO so we get a draft pick