When Joc Pederson was in AA, I predicted that he would be “no more than a 4th or 5th outfielder.” In some ways, I was right. Joc was, is, and always will be a platoon player. That is unless he suddenly figures out how to hit lefthanders. In other ways, I was wrong in that Joc has surpassed anything that I anticipated for him.
Up until today, when James Outman became the only player in Dodgers franchise history to debut with a HR, 3 Hits, 3 RBI, and 2 Runs, I felt the same about Outman.
That was before James stepped into a phone booth and put on his Superman Cape. Of course, one game does not a career make, but what a start! James Outman is no overnight sensation – this has been years in the making. James was drafted in 2018 and hit .264 at Ogden. In 2019, he hit .226 at Great Lakes as they overhauled his swing, but then he missed the entire COVID-19 2020 Season. In 2021, between Tulsa and Great Lakes, he hit.266 and flashed some power with 18 HR. However, the makeover of his swing continued into this season as he started at Tulsa and ended up at OKC before debuting with the Dodgers yesterday.
James Outman can play all three outfield positions and has a good arm, but his bat has caught up to his speed and skills. I still think he is a #4 or #5 outfielder-type, but that’s pretty dang good. He could be the guy the Dodgers have been looking for since Joc left. Of course, as I said, one game really tells us nothing. If we were judging Trayce Thompson on his first game back, he might not be here.
Welcome to the Show, James Outman – You made it! Boy, did you! Tonight, James will be back in the lineup, as Doc stacks the lineup with lefties against Sindley Whiplash. James is a very smart, coachable, and driven young man and has taken to MLB like a fish to water. Here he talks about the whole experience:
It’s August 1st and the Clock is ticking until tomorrow’s trade deadline, but James Outman is a great example of maybe trading a player BEFORE he develops. Sometimes the guy you trade is better than the guy you get. And… sometimes, the best trades are the ones you don’t make.
Future Dodgers Down on the Farm
- OKC won 5-4
- Ryan Pepiot went seven innings and allowed five hits and 2 ER as he extended his record to 8-0 (2.27 ERA).
- Carson Fulmer got the save after walking three and striking out 2 in the 8th. His walks are keeping him down.
- Dellin Betances was the “opener,” and in 1 inning giving up two hits and 2 ER.
- Miguel Vargas played LF again and was 1-3 with a BB..
- Tulsa beat Arkansas 16-3
- Gavin Stone came into the game in the second inning and pitched 5.1 innings, allowing 4 hits and 0 ER on 4 BB and 5 K’s (ERA 1.40)
- Andy Pages hit a 2-run HR – Giving up on him rightaboutnow would be a mistake.
- Great Lakes beat the Nuts 4-1
- Diego Cartaya was taken out of the game after just one AB. I did not look too hard but I could not find out why.
- Rancho Cucamonga lost 7-3
- Nothing extraordinary to report – Carry on!
Rants & Raves
- Boy, are we spoiled! The Best Record in baseball, and fans are willing to gut the farm for Soto or Ohtani.
- The Catman did not have his best stuff yesterday (It’s Coors), but he did OK and got his 12th win.
- The bullpen did their job 100% for the final four innings… Almonte, Vesia, Bickford, and even Kimbrel got the job done.
- I continue to hold out hope for Max Muncy. Hitting starts with confidence, and his has waned. Maybe James Outman can share some of his rightaboutnow.
- TRADE DEADLINE: Tick Tock – The Tick is Clocking!
- One final thing… NEVER FORGET!
Discussion (43)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I LOVE JAMES OUTMAN!
There, I said it…..please don’t trade him, please.
I keep telling you….we don’t need Soto. We are fine in the OF as long as you can stand Cody.
We just need Tre Turner signed ASAP….pay the man, please. Don’t pay Soto, pay Turner….please.
Jessica knows her baseball, and I agree with Fallito, she works real good with Joe and Tim.
Ok, I will give my opinion of Jessica Mendoza. I think she, as a color commentator do a very good job. Today her partner is TNeverrett, not Joe Davis and the result is the same; they mesh very well and are amusing and entertaining. Like you must already know, I live in Puerto Rico and west coast games are really taxing. When there are either OrelH or EricK, I usually go sleep for 1 or 2 innings. They become many times…. boring.
She has been severely criticized as not being knowledgeable of the game and unfair by the way. Tonite in the broadcast , they present her resume and she won 2 Olympic medals.
Like I said, I like her and this is my opinion.
OK I think I’m sold on Almonte.
Two more RHB faced today. He’s probably getting close to being good against RHB according to stats. Already dominant against LHB.
Now they won’t even pitch to the kid! Walk him to face Mookie and I don’t blame them! Tonight was a typical Max Muncy night. BB, K and HR!
Maybe the Soto we are pursuing is Gregory Soto!
I’m sorry but Will Smith is the best hitting catcher in the game. This is why it doesn’t impress me when someone is called an all star.
The Athletic says the Dodgers are in on Soto and Miami’s Pablo Lopez.
Heyman mentions Ian Happ too.
James Ouchman!!
James Hitman!
4 Things:
one: The St. Louis Cardinals are finalizing a deal to acquire left-hander Jose Quintana from the Pittsburgh Pirates, sources tell Passan.
Quite the bowler, I hear.
two: Tarik Skubal left tonight’s game with left arm fatigue, according to Tigers announcement.
three: Mann is fifth position player from Tulsa’s opening day roster to be promoted to OKC so far this year, joining Michael Busch, James Outman, Jacob Amaya, and Hunter Feduccia
four: That Riley deal is really good for the Braves.
Mike Rodriguez | Univision
@mikedeportes
·
2h
Source: #Dodgers are close to acquiring Juan Soto from the #Nationals they are talking intensely.
Padres and Cardinals still on the talk.
Mike Rodriguez is: MLB Insider, Broadcaster & Analysts for the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox in Spanish, Reporter for Univision Deportes #MLB #Univision
9:45 PM ET
Dodgers (68-33)
Giants (51-51)
SP Andrew Heaney L
1-0 .47 ERA 19.1IP 27K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
DH Jake Lamb L
2B Gavin Lux L
3B Max Muncy L
CF C. Bellinger L
LF James Outman L
Clear-day
2% Rain
66° Wind 8 mph Out
We don’t need Soto- spend your money on signing TRE TURNER instead.
I like our team as is and don’t forget, we have a bunch of arms returning soon. I’m not precluding “small trades” to tweak our roster, but let’s not spend money and empty our farm on Soto that forces us out of Turner. Besides, I don’t think Soto is the missing link. There is none…..
Believe none of what you hear and less than half of what you see.
Soto and Bell in Nats lineup tonight.
Not sure how credible this guy is, but probably a little better than Ben Dover.
https://twitter.com/FinookMLB/status/1554211327681236992?s=20&t=5u89bM60FRlBP3-zwZrrFQ
Is Mike Rodriquez to be trusted? He says we’re close on Soto!
Not a bad reporter, Mike Rodriguez from Univision, says:
According to a Source the Dodgers are close to acquiring Juan Soto from the #Nationals they are talking intensely.
Padres and Cardinals still on the talk.
Montas to the Yankees and Mancini to Houston.
None of the trades announced today should directly effect a Soto deal. But as more solid names come off the block, that may put more pressure on teams to go harder on Soto.
Padres gave up a lot for 1 1/2 years of Hader. If they do end up with Soto, they will be 100% all in. Gutted minor league system.
Montas and Trivino to the Yanks
Trey Mancini to the Astros.
Wow I didn’t think Hader was on the market, considering where the Brewers are in the standings. That’s why he wasn’t on my list of relievers that I would like the Dodgers to get. He’s another Kimbrel, dominate throughout his career, but is not himself this year. With that said, I still would have liked the Dodgers to get him depending on the cost.
Just my opinion, but I see Outman as another Chris Taylor and possibly a little bit better and possibly a little bit worse. Just depending. A 3rd outfielder on a team with 2 better outfielders. At worse a 4th outfielder. But again I could be wrong. it’s just my opinion.
Hader has a 1-4 record and 2 blown saves. He has also given up 7 homers and has an ERA above 4.
It looks like a clearing 40 roster spot. I like super young dominican players.
DODGERS ACQUIRE GERMAN TAPIA
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers acquire minor league outfielder German Tapia from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for left-handed pitcher Garrett Cleavinger.
Tapia, 18, has appeared in 26 games for the Dominican Summer League Rays, batting .329 (24-for-73) with three doubles, two homers and 11 RBI. He has spent two summers with the DSL Rays, slashing a combined .249/.385.320 with two homers and 25 RBI. He was originally signed as an international free agent by the Rays on March 19, 2021.
Cleavinger, 28, was 0-1 with a 10.38 ERA (5 ER/4.1 IP) and seven strikeouts in four games for the Dodgers this season. In two seasons for Los Angeles, he was a combined 2-5 with a 4.70 ERA (12 ER/23.0 IP) and 29 strikeouts in 27 appearances. He was acquired by the Dodgers on December 29, 2020, in a three-team trade from the Philadelphia Phillies.
Padres traded their closer, Rogers and Lamet for Hader along with two prospects. Cleavinger deal opens a roster spot. Angels say they are no longer interested in trading Ohtani. I would bet the fan backlash about a trade has been brutal. Roberts said that Outman would be in the starting lineup tonight. DC said that if the packages do not fit their demands, Soto will be kept.
Cleavinger trade opens up a spot on the 40 man. With guys expected back from the il needed a spot open. Maybe Jackson gets traded for the same reason as well.
Cleavinger to the Rays for German Tapia.
Garrett Cleavinger to TB for German Tapia
Some indication the Dodgers are moving from lurking to pouncing in the Juan Soto sweepstakes.
Apparently no prospect is off limits, although I’m guessing Diego Cartaya wouldn’t be traded to Washington. Mid season prospects ratings favor the Dodgers. If they do this, I hope they retain Miquel Vargas and Gavin Stone.
Maybe the Josh Hader trade is an indication of something or not. Not sure they have the trade capital of the Dodgers if LA goes all in …
Padres have just traded for Hader.
No word on what’s going back to the Brewers but that’s going to cost them at least one very good prospect. Maybe that means they aren’t getting Soto.
* If my memory serves, didn’t Outman get a lot of playing time last spring training? It seems like the Dodgers really wanted to give him a look, I was surprised he went to AA to start the season.
So cool to see his folks and his fiancée crying with joy. It’s so cool to made the show and even happier to see him homer. It’s fun to witness a young man achieve a life-long dream right before your eyes.
* The mask flip that almost decapatated the home plate umpire was a classic. I’ve never seen that one before.
* Kimbrel just pitches behind in counts too much. He seems to get ahead with strike one, then nibbles too much. The “biggest pitch” in a sequence is 1 and 1. Major League batters hit 150 points higher if they get to 2&1 versus 1&2. Kimbrel continues to throw a noncompetitive ball 2 in that count.
* You’d think the weight alone of Almonte’s gold chains would limit him to one inning.
* Jess made a great point about the “ yes, yes, no” approach to hitting (and umpiring as well). It sounds like semantics but it’s really a mind set for hitters. Some guys are taking until the pitch is a strike. This less aggressive approach is “No, No…Yes”. I like guys ready to hack. They’re swing until it’s a ball. They may expand at times but they are ready to swing the bat. Umpires do the same thing. Umpires I like behind the dish look to call strikes. It’s a strike until it’s a ball. not the other way around.
* I loved the team run in the 6th. After Lamb’s nice double, Lux pulled a ground ball to get him over and Muncy’s sac fly knocked him in. Good signs of doing the right things to score extra runs.
* Doc may be on to something with the “pick where you want to play idea” started by Mookie. We can afford to do this because we have such a big lead, of course. We can call it “Fun-Day, Sun-Day”. Weekly the players get to choose where they want to play that day. Mookie gets first pick and will choose 2nd. Lamb looks like he could catch and Urias at first. Bellinger could take a shot as a left-handed shortstop. And Doc can enjoy moving shit around which seems to suit his often obsessive-compulsive nature.
That would explain yesterday’s “Fun-Day, Sun-Day” line up. You take your all-star right fielder and put him at 2nd to save his legs for 6 innings. (I wasn’t aware that infielders have so much of a less stressful time on their feet then the outfielders, so I learned that) So the “should be”, everyday, 2nd baseman can move to left where he’s less comfortable and put young Outman in right, despite the fact he can play any outfield position.
Color me crazy, but I was wondering why Doc/Wizard, just didn’t start Betts in right, Lux and 2nd and Outman in left. But that’s no fun.
JJ Cooper, EIC at Baseball America, has a wonderful thread depicting how great and productive the Dodgers’ players development system is. Summarized below:
As we all await further Juan Soto news, I think it may sometimes be over-looked just how the Dodgers ability to be world-class in scouting and player development pairs with their financial advantages as well.
The Dodgers have not picked in the top 15 in the MLB Draft since 2008 (Ethan Martin, pick 15). Clayton Kershaw was the pick the last time the Dodgers selected in the top 10. The purpose of the current draft system (2012-present) is to ensure that teams who don’t pick high have financial disadvantages as well. Pick lower in the draft, have less money to spend.
The Dodgers haven’t been perfect in drafting, but time after time, they have found stars in the back of the first round: Corey Seager (18th pick, 2012), Walker Buehler (24th pick, 2015), Will Smith (32nd pick, 2016). And since then they’ve picked Gavin Lux/Michael Busch/Bobby Miller, all of whom are quite valuable in trade talks. They’ve also developed Gavin Stone/Alex Verdugo/Ryan Pepiot/Dustin May/Tony Gonsolin with later round picks.
And they also develop international signees (Diego Cartaya/Keibert Ruiz/Miguel Vargas, etc.). Put it all together and the Dodgers have continually had the prospects to be involved in any deadline deal they want to consider.
So when Manny Machado hit the market, they acquire him as a rental, at a very modest cost in prospects. Mookie Betts? Again acquired at a very modest prospect cost. Scherzer/Turner? They traded Ruiz/Josiah Gray. Both are good, but the Dodgers had other options at those spots.
Juan Soto’s available? The Dodgers are a team that can be interested, even though they just swung the blockbuster deal at last year’s trade deadline. They have turned prospect development into a truly renewable resource, which is why they are such a juggernaut.
Now, the other component (massive financial advantages) is also incredibly important, as that’s why the Dodgers can add Betts+Trea Turner+Freddie Freeman and still be in on Soto. But most teams would have run out of prospects for these trades a couple of years ago
I don’t mean this to gloss over how much the Dodgers can spend. That’s a key component of this, but what L.A. has done to combine massive spending + exceptional scouting/player development helps explain why they perpetually succeed.
Here’s Baseball America’s Dodgers Top 30 Prospects list which we recently updated. After a decade of winning the NL West almost every year, they still have a loaded farm system:
https://t.co/VVEpDzwqoL
Aside from Pages, Outman and possibly Vargas in the OF, I think a lot of people overlook Jose Ramos. Fangraphs ranks him #7 on the Dodger prospect list.
I’d be very pleased if we could add JDM by tomorrow evening.
What’s the betting Doc sits Outman tonight?
Not going to speculate on what they might do or who gets traded. Mark, I saw a little piece that said Cartaya was hit on the hand the other day in a game and was day to day. That could be the reason. By 6 tomorrow night, all will be revealed. So wait for it. Nice game by the way for the rookie. And don’t be to hasty about getting rid of Bellinger. He has had some much better at bats lately and his first hit yesterday was to LF.
People were saying what a poor defender Outman was. Now he’s a good defender. I’ll take my chances with him and save the 20 mil
I know Bauer seems like a jerk but his punishment is over the top in comparison especially considering the consensual nature between the two. One game isn’t a career but Outman looks like a better option to me in CF next year over a 20 mil .200 hitter. Last time I brought this up pe
Go 49ers!!!!!!!
Are you kidding me??
Yahoo Sports
NFL suspends Deshaun Watson 6 games for personal conduct violations
Charles Robinson
Charles Robinson·NFL columnist
Mon, August 1, 2022 at 8:24 AM
The NFL suspended Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for six games on Monday for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
The decision was rendered in response to the NFL’s investigation of multiple women who filed civil lawsuits against Watson before he settled with 23 of them; one of those suits remains. The women, whom Watson hired for massages, accused the QB of sexual misconduct or sexual assault.
Watson will be eligible to return to the Browns in Week 7.
Both Pepiot and Stone followed an opener yesterday. Are the Dodgers getting them ready to work out of the bullpen for the stretch run ?
James Outman!Wow, what can you say! What a debut! Keep it up!
Muncy had good at bats yesterday. Hit the ball hard and worked a BB. If he could return to the MM of the last 3 years it would be huge for the Dodgers!
Belli also good at bats , 2 more hits.
Kimbrel can not put hitters away and that runs his pitch count up. Plus they make hard contact on him, even the outs are hit hard way too often.
When I saw Cartaya taken out after 1 AB I immdiately checked for a blockbuster trade. Might still happen and him taken out was in advance of it.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, some former Dodger players, turned analysts, mentioned that they thought, based on what they saw this spring, that James Outman could play at the MLB level. He’s certainly an athlete.
Definitely liked the new swing.
Then it was mentioned during the TV broadcast that some Dodger prospects, not ranked in the top 10, may be far more talented that other teams top four minor league prospects. That probably is true. Outman may be one. Jerry Hairston said after spring training that Outman was very impressive and would be up this summer.
It’s obvious his athleticism plays up.
Okay, two days left. Some predicting a wild finish.
I can’t see Ohtani getting traded even for a boatload of prospect. We’re talking Artie Moreno.
Supposedly the Soto sweepstakes are down to the Cardinals, Paldres and Dodgers. It would seem like the Padres are more motivated, but who knows? Cardinals seem to need pitching more.
One MLB analyst suggested a Dodger package of Bobby Miller, Michael Busch, Ryan Pepiot and Andy Pages would be a great haul for the Nationals or the Angels, noting the Dodgers farm system is the best in MLB.
Some definitely think the Dodgers have better prospects than other teams looking to land Soto.
One even suggested other teams top four would rank somewhere between 16 to 25 if they were in the LA system, the Dodgers system is simply that good. It’s becoming. a theme.
Only two more days and all the speculation ends.
A poll in the LA Times suggests that fans overwhelmingly don’t believe the Dodgers should pursue Soto, keep the farm intact.
Hey, I like Andy Pages, very good prospect.
Honestly I would be fine if the Dodgers passed on Soto. Not like we’re desperate.
In the meantime, the Padres are looking over their shoulders as they try to land the “generational” star.
I am not a connoisseur, but I liked Outman’s swing, I hope he has more opportunities and not just a couple of games, the same Thompson, I like him as a player, I always believed that the only thing he needed was more opportunities to play, and now he is doing it and I think very well, the same with Mckinstry, good luck to them
I still believe that there will be some trade, but not a bomb like previous years, some second level pitcher just to lighten the load on the starters and give a little rest
PADRES SUCK!