Dodgers Becoming a Juggernaut
Like the imaginary creation of Marvel Studios, some believe the Dodgers are putting together a roster that would be considered unstoppable by most pundits and experts, in other words, a baseball juggernaut. The Yankees teams that won four consecutive World Series from 36-39, and…
Like the imaginary creation of Marvel Studios, some believe the Dodgers are putting together a roster that would be considered unstoppable by most pundits and experts, in other words, a baseball juggernaut.
The Yankees teams that won four consecutive World Series from 36-39, and the Yankees team that won five straight from 49-53 were also considered unbeatable. LA is shooting for its third. Last accomplished by another tough Yankees team, 98-2000.
In this era though, winning three in a row is a lot harder considering the number of series needed for the feat to be accomplished. Let’s be serious for a moment. After cruising through the first three series last year, the Dodgers were severely tested against the Blue Jays, who were two outs away from winning the whole thing.
The Jays also had a couple of spectacular defensive plays keep them from walking the series off in back-to-back games. Rojas’s play at the plate, the DP pulled off at the end of game six by Kike and Rojas, and Pages great catch in game 7.
LA gets a game tying homer from the least expected player to do so, Rojas, and the game winner from Smith. Otherwise, we are talking about another post-season gut-wrenching loss. And don’t forget the marathon 18 inning win in game 3, putting LA up 2-1 before they would lose 2 straight at home and head to Toronto down 3-2.
So, what do they do? Well, they sure did not stand pat and rest on their laurels. They added one of the best closers in the game and then went out and signed the player considered the top offensive player available to close a huge hole in the offense. Just getting Diaz and Tucker improves the team dramatically and opens several options to how they will align the roster come March when the season opens.
Signing Tucker might be the death nell for a player like Ward to ever make the team. It also probably sends Siani to AAA. Unless they were to move Hernandez, now unlikely since it seems they would rather move him into left, where he played well in 2024. The outfield would be LF, Teo, CF, Pages, and Tucker in right. That makes Call the 4th outfielder.
With players like Edman and Kim who can also play the outfield, usually CF, the need for Ward or Siani is just not there. There has also been chatter that the Dodgers are ACTIVELY pursuing starter, Freddy Peralta of the Brewers. Adding Peralta to an already loaded starting pitcher group seems a bit like over kill.
But you’re starting five would be Yamamoto, Ohtani, Snell, Glasnow and Peralta. With talent like Sasaki, Sheehan, Ryan and Stone backing them up. That sort of leaves guys like Knack and Miller twisting in the wind, and Frasso and Nastrini destined for another year at AAA. There will be injuries and the possibility of that depth getting tested. But like they have the last several seasons, LA plans for the post season, and limits its pitchers as much as they can.
Peralta will not be without some cost, most certainly a young arm or two, and possible a major league ready position player. Just who that might be is anyone’s guess. We should know soon whether it will happen or not. The Tucker deal is not official yet and they need an open roster spot for that. If they do trade for Peralta, they will most likely include at least one player on the 40-man.
Are the Dodgers truly a juggernaut? By the literal definition of the word, I think not. If you listen to the fans of other teams, they are.
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Discussion (101)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Indiana is supposed to have an excellent music school.
Indiana University is a great school. Period. Indiana University is most famous for its top-ranked programs in Business (Kelley School), Music (Jacobs School), and Informatics (Luddy School). We live about 35 minutes North of IU.
Breaking News: White Sox to trade Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets for Luisangel Acuna and minor league RHP, Truman Pauley per Jeff Passan of ESPN.
The Mets need Robert Jr. to deliver. Certainly worth the gamble after losing out on Tucker. I’m warming to the idea of Peralta. Think Glasnow without the injuries.
01/20/26 Los Angeles Dodgers sent 3B Ryan Fitzgerald outright to Oklahoma City Comets.
He’ll be on the IL before you know it. The Mets are a terrible run franchise with no culture and a good chance to miss the playoffs again.
I asked Google AI what a Juggernaut was. Here was the reply: “A juggernaut is a massive, unstoppable force or entity that overwhelms obstacles, like a powerful corporation (e.g., Google or Apple) becoming an “industry juggernaut,” a dominant sports team (e.g., a championship basketball team), or a huge, unstoppable truck (literally a “juggernaut lorry”). It signifies overwhelming power, often with a slightly negative connotation of being uncontrolled, originating from stories of giant chariots in India where devotees sacrificed themselves. “ The Dodgers are a juggernaut!
Yes they are!
Ryan Fitzgerald has two minor league options remaining.
So Andrew Jones and Carlos Beltran are Hall of Famers and Maurey Wills is not? Something is very wrong with this process.
Has anyone heard when the Kyle Tucker news conference is?
Maury was one of a kind and changed the game, but his career OPS is .661 and his OPS+ is 88. 100 is an average player, so he was 12% below average. Andruw Jones Career OPS was .824 and his OPS+ was 111. Carlos Beltran’s career OPS was .837, and his OPS+ was 119. I can’t make a case for Maury being in the HOF. Bill Mazeroski is a close comp, and I never thought he should have been a Hall of Famer!
Maybe today. This week for sure!
“Tommy Edman’s recovery from right ankle debridement surgery is progressing well, and he is expected to be ready for the start of spring training, although he could potentially start the season on the Injured List depending on how carefully the Dodgers manage his return. Latest Status Surgery Details: Edman underwent a debridement procedure on his problematic right ankle in November 2025 after dealing with the injury for the better part of two seasons. The surgery was described as going smoothly. Recovery Timeline: As of early December 2025, Edman was in a boot, expecting to start moving around Christmas time. General manager Brandon Gomes expressed optimism that the recovery would not affect a “meaningful part” of the season. However, some recent reports and commentators have cast doubt on his readiness for Opening Day, suggesting a cautious approach to his return is more likely. Opening Day: While the original expectation was that he would be ready for spring training and not impact his Opening Day availability, a firm timeline isn’t set, and starting the season on the IL remains a possibility. The Dodgers intend to allow his ankle to fully heal before rushing him back to full speed”.
I assume it will be carried on the MLB NETWORK.
Mark, going back to Wills, you know I have great respect for your baseball knowledge, but I must disagree. Stats don’t tell the whole story. Not only did he change the game, he was one half of 3 championships. We had great pitching on one side of the ball. On the other side, Maury Wills manufactured just enough runs to win. I will admit Andrew Jones had some great years, and his defense is undeniable, but Beltran? Bonds and Clemons have to be scratching their heads. I would vote for neither, but did they cheat the game any more than Beltran? and “for Pete’s sake”, Rose bet in HIS team. Against the rules for sure, but did he cheat the game? Sorry, just a bit frustrated. 2017 still stings.
According to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico, Ohtani joined Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Stephen Curry as the only athletes to make $100 million in endorsements in a single year: Before Ohtani, endorsement earnings for MLB players peaked around $10 million for Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki. Ohtani’s $100 million in estimated endorsement earnings is a threshold reached by only three athletes ever in Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Stephen Curry, who each did it one time. It is believed that Ohtani has at least 20 brand partners, including New Balance, Fanatics, Beats by Dre, Ito En and Panasonic. The four-time MVP added a half-dozen companies to his endorsement portfolio in 2025 alone, including Epic Games, which saw him become the first active MLB player added to popular video game “Fortnite.”
In other news, Andy Pages will not represent Team Cuba in the World Baseball Classic, a notable blow to the team’s chances in the tournament. However, he is focusing on improving for the upcoming season, an exciting development for Los Angeles “I have a lot of things to improve, and I need to prepare for a long season,” Pages said. “I have to focus on what’s most important.”
Voters are getting younger. I watched some of the analysts on MLB.TV discuss the voting last night. A couple of things derailed Beltran from getting elected sooner. One was the cheating scandal with the Astros that he was a huge part of his last season with the Mets. Another was a domestic violence charge that happened after he retired. But his numbers and his career WAR, 70.0, certainly are hall worthy. Based on just his numbers in Atlanta, Jones also had a strong case. He has warts for sure, and he was one of the worst free agent signings the Dodgers ever made. But 10 straight Gold Gloves, 5 all-star selections, voters now look at periods of time. Was he the best CF of his era? Obviously, he was. For all his speed, Wills was just an average SS. He did win an MVP and brought the stolen base back to the game, but his overall stats are just not good enough. The ERA Committee has already rejected him twice. Posey is on the ballot next year. Is he a Hall of Famer? His career numbers do not jump out at you, but Brian Kenny and the analysts on the show last night believe both he and Jon Lester will both be first ballot guys.
Dodgers expected to introduce and make Tucker’s signing official very soon. Bichette and Suarez signings becoming official today.
And has been pretty much flawless the last two World Series runs.
Just saw the news conference on Bo Bichette on the MLB NETWORK which lasted a whole 10 minutes. Bo speaking doesn’t appear to be a Rhodes Scholar.
HOF Bottom of the ladder (lowest WAR) 1 Tommy McCarthy ~14 2 Jesse Haines ~26 3 High Pockets Kelly ~27 4 Chick Hafey ~28 5 Ross Youngs ~29 6 Lloyd Waner ~29 7 George Kelly ~31 8 Jim Bottomley ~32 9 Bill Mazeroski ~36 10 Rube Marquard ~37 I would argue that all of those players do not belong… but they are there. Maury Wills had a career WAR of 39.7. So, if you compre him to them, well maybe… but they were all from the “Dead Ball ERA.” Compare that to these players: Player Career WAR HOF Status Babe Ruth ~183 Inducted Walter Johnson ~165 Inducted Cy Young ~163 Inducted Willie Mays ~156 Inducted Ty Cobb ~151 Inducted Hank Aaron ~143 Inducted Honus Wagner ~131 Inducted Eddie Collins ~124 Inducted Tris Speaker ~134 Inducted Cal Ripken Jr. ~95 Inducted
The Yankees and Cody Bellinger are going to reunite on a new deal, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Boras Corporation client gets a five-year deal worth $162.5MM, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. There are no deferrals, per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. Bellinger can opt out after the second and third season, per Passan, who adds that there’s a $20MM signing bonus and full no-trade clause. The opt-outs will be pushed by a year if the 2027 season is wiped out by a lockout, per Nightengale. The Yanks currently have a 40-man vacancy and won’t need to make a corresponding move unless they fill that spot before this agreement becomes official.
ASs predicted: 01/21/26 Los Angeles Dodgers designated CF Michael Siani for assignment.