Bye Bye A-Gon?

So far this season, Adrian Gonzalez is hitting .250 with Zero home runs and 9 RBI.  His OB% is .337 but his OPS is .653.  This is likely the main reason the Dodgers  hitting is not up to where it should be, because as Vin Scully said “Adrian Gonzalez is the Dodgers’ Butter and Egg Man.” Right about now, the butter is melted and the eggs are scrambled. Other players are slumping as well:  Grandal, Pederson, Hernandez, Puig, but after last night I will leave Andrew Toles off that list.

Here’s the difference with Adrian Gonzalez:  He hits 4th most often and to have a player with little power, no HR and a weak bat hit 4th affects the offense greatly.  Add in the fact that he is slower than me with Bartolo Colon on my back and you have a double whammy.  The Dodgers should have easily had 6 runs last night, but he was thrown out by 15 feet at the plate.  Old man Utley would have been in standing up.  Adrian can still pick it and throw it, but his range is very limited.  He now has trouble getting off the bag for errant throws.

Many of you are going to jump all over me for saying this, but I think Adrian Gonzalez time with the Dodgers is coming to an end and I can’t see a happy ending.  Dave Roberts and the Front Office, and all the players for that matter have the utmost respect for Adrian.  He is a leader and a genuine good guy, but his time is up.  He has been in decline since he arrived in LA, compared to the player he used to be.  He dropped to 18 HR and 90 RBI last year and did I mention that he clogs the bases?

Dave Roberts blames the decline on his elbow and while that may be true, it’s part of that dreaded aging process.  You get hurt easier, it lasts longer and heals slower.  It’s that dreaded decline.  Now, if you have read this blog in the past, you might say “Well, you have never liked Adrian from the day THE TRADE happened.” 

Don’t confuse my dislike of THE TRADE that brought Carl Crawfish and Adrian Gonzalez to LA with dislike for Adrian. I respect him immensely, but this is a cruel business.  It’s all about production.  I said then that the Dodgers would rue the day it happened.  Crawfish was never really productive as a Dodger,  mostly due to injury and was released last year.  The Dodgers had to take Crawfish to get A-Gon, so effectively, the Dodgers are paying Gonzalez $43 million this year (add Crawfish’s salary to his).  That’s a lot for a player so unproductive in such an important spot in the batting order.

It is my opinion that the Dodgers cannot win with Adrian in the lineup and if he’s not in the lineup, he can’t be on the team.  He only plays 1B and if he pinch hit, he cannot run.  It’s a sad end to a great man’s run in LA.  FAZ is going to have to do something very unpopular – unload A-Gon.  I think they will have to release him as there are likely no trade partners. Some team will pick him up for the MLB minimum, unlike Crawfish who is home eating bon-bons… waiting for a call that will never come.

It also sends a message to the rest of the team:  “If they release A-Gon, they will release me too.”  Harsh?  Yes it is!  I hate writing this, but unless Adrian has a miraculous recovery his decline is very evident.  Cody Bellinger needs to move to 1B where he will be even better than A-Gon due to his range and length.  Cody is like Corey – he will adapt and thrive.  He laid down a bunt like it was nothing to beat the shift last night.  A-Gon can’t do that because he is too slow.

Adrian’s decline is going to force the Dodgers to trade for Ryan Braun.  The Dodgers know they need a cleanup hitter who kills lefties and Braun is the best I know.  The question is:  what does it cost?  It will be expensive!  But, it also is the difference between winning and losing.  I would hate to be FAZ right about now.  If they move A-Gon, they might have to change their addresses.  This will be ugly.  Shoot, I’ll probably be crucified for writing this…  Of all the gall!

One final word:  I hope I have to eat crow for writing this.  I really hope A-Gon turns it around.

Rants and Raves

• Philly was 11-9 before last night’s game and was 8-2 in their last 10 games, before you say “Yeah, but it’s only the Phillies!”
• Well, Maeda certainly turned it around.  That was excellent to see!  You can see his confidence returning.
• 7.0, 6.0, 7.0, 6.0, 5.2, 7.0 – Over the past 6 games Dodger starters have averaged almost 6.2 innings per start.  It might even improve. Now people can quit running around with their hair on fire bemoaning the lack of pitching deeper into games.
• Mitch White was beat like a rented mule last night at Lancaster- 2.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R (5 ER), 1 BB, 4 K – he did not give up a HR, but was dinged to death.  Stuff happens.  Here’s what we don’t know:  Sometimes they are experimenting with a new grip or some such thing. Don’t put much stock in this stuff.
• Will Smith continues to carry a big stick in RC – He hit his 4th HR and now is at .327.  I see Tulsa in his future.  DJ Peters was 3-5 (.307)
• Andrew Sopko went 5 innings and allowed 1 run with 0 BB and 6 K’s in a loss for Tulsa.
• Dickson was 1-3 with a double and 2 RBI as he awaits the call.
• Trayce Thompson has a .023 BA.  YIKES!