Dodgers Go Big and acquire lhsp tarik skubal

Okay, I was partially wrong.  I did say that it would depend on who Detroit insisted on in return for LHSP Tarik Skubal, but I never thought that AF/BG would do it again.  There is no way Milwaukee, Cubs, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay let the Dodgers trade for Skubal and only include RHP River Ryan (MLB Pipeline #7), OF Zyhir Hope (MLB Pipeline #5), and RHP Brady Smith (MLB Pipeline #17).  The rumors were that Detroit was going to wait until after the weekend series with the A’s and make a decision on Monday AM.  Detroit is only 2.5 games out of the WC, and this was the best they could do?  Good for the Dodgers.

In addition to three top 17 LAD Prospects, two of the prospects were Top 100.  Hope was #25, and Ryan was #68.  For Baseball America, Ryan was not rated, and Hope was #55.  Yes, losing River Ryan hurts, but with Gavin Stone due back by next year, he was replaceable.  Hope could turn into an All Star, but the Dodgers believe that JDP, Quintero, and Sirota are better OF prospects.  Charles Davalan is not far behind.  James Tibbs III?  He has made at least 1 top 100 list.  Zach Ehrhard and Kendall George are good OF prospects in their own right and would be better showcased on most other teams.

The Dodgers still have Sheehan, JDP, Sirota, Quintero, Zazueta, Davalan, and for now Kendall George. 

The Dodgers also still have LHSP Eric Lauer, MLB OF Alex Call, and MiLB OF/1B Ryan Ward.  They can use these assets and others to try and rebalance the prospects for the affiliates.

Blake Snell should be back in the rotation after one more rehab start.  Tyler Glasnow could be starting his rehab by late next week and could be back in the rotation by the end of August.  The Dodgers insist Shohei Ohtani will pitch again this year. 

Playoff rotation could be:  Yamamoto, Skubal, Ohtani, Snell.  Glasnow, Wrobleski, Sasaki, and Sheehan would move to the bullpen with Díaz, Scott, Phillips, Vesia, Dreyer, and Henriquez (or Halvorsen).

Could the Dodgers look to add a lockdown reliever like Weaver or Holmes?  Could they overwhelm Toronto for Louis Varland?  Or other effective if not lock down RP, NYM Brooks Raley or Huascar Brazoban or Toronto Tyler Rogers?

Can they look to make a trade for a near MLB ready top 50 SS?  How about a top 100 catching prospect?

If Skubal is the only trade, it was another AF steal. 

What I find very comical is the number of fans who are now complaining that this is the last straw, and that there MUST be a lockout next year.  These fans are off the wall pissed off.  As if any of their teams could not put together a package to beat what LAD offered.   How is it that Milwaukee couldn’t put together a better package or did they choose not to? 

All of these teams have more draft picks, pick higher, and have more bonus $$$, and yet they cannot put together a MiLB system better than the Dodgers.  Most of these teams over the last few years have outspent LAD with their IFA picks.  Milwaukee especially has signed some special IFA. 

Tampa Bay couldn’t put together a better package?  Or did they choose not to?

The Cubs have said that their top OF/1B Josiah Hartshorn was untouchable, and yet he was #60 prospect.  The Dodgers traded their #25 OF prospect (Hope), AND # 60 RHP prospect.  So the Dodgers should be castigated because they are willing to make such a trade and the other teams were not?

And there are those who were laughing at the prospect ranking of Ryan.  I guess they know more than those who make a living as talent evaluators and the Detroit Tigers management. 

The Dodgers are not done.  There is still more than 30 hours until the deadline comes to an end.

OKC Comets 6 – Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) 5 

LHSP Jackson Ferris has now had back-to-back positive starts. In the 2nd after getting the 1st two outs, he gave up 2 singles, with the lead runner moving to 3rd on a fielding error on the play.  A third single brought in the run (unearned). 

In the 3rd inning, with one out 3 consecutive BB to C Chuckie Robinson, 3B Alex Freeland, and CF Alek Thomas.  DH Zach Ehrhard singled to score Robinson, and LF Ryan Ward hit a SF to score Freeland. 

In the 4th, RF Jack Suwinski doubled (25), moved to 3rd on a WP, and scored on a single from SS Noah Miller. 

In the 5th, Freeland walked and moved to 2nd on a sac bunt by Thomas.  Freeland stole 3rd and scored on Ehrhard’s 2nd RBI single.  Ward hit a 2-run HR to extend the lead to 6-1.

Ferris hit the proverbial wall in the 6th.  He gave up a 1 out single, and after the 2nd out, he ran into trouble.  Back-to-back BB to load the bases, and then a 2 run single.  RHRP Paul Gervase relieved Ferris and got the final out. 

Gervase served up a 2-run HR in the 7th inning.  RHRP Carlos Duran pitched a clean 8th inning. 

RHRP Seth Halvorsen entered the 9th for the save opportunity. Three batters later, the game was over with the final two outs via K.  12 pitches (9 strikes).  8 of the 12 pitches were > 100 MPH. 

·      Alex Freeland – 1-1, 3 BB, 2 runs, triple (3)

·      Zach Ehrhard – 2-4, 1 run, 2 RBI

·      Ryan Ward – 1-3, 1 run, 3 RBI, SF, HR (13)

·      Jack Suwinski – 1-4, 1 run, double (25) 

Box Score 

NW Arkansas Naturals (KC) 8 – Tulsa Drillers 7 

I turned on the Tulsa game on MLB.TV and learned that both Kendall George and Zyhir Hope, who were in the original lineup, were scratched.  No explanation.  hhhmmm 

Oh well, I can watch RHSP Christian Zazueta.  I picked the wrong night to focus on him. 

Zazueta was hit hard in the first inning but could have got out of the inning unscathed if not for a SS Elijah Hainline throwing error…or maybe it was the inability for 1B Jake Gelof to pick it. 

In the bottom of the first, with one out, LF Josue De Paula slugged a HR (18).  One out later, playing for Hope, RF Chris Newell hit his 18th HR, and Tulsa had a short lived 2-1 lead.  

Zazueta gave up a 2-run HR in the 2nd inning.  In the 3rd inning, he gave up another 2-run HR, and 2 other runs scored on a double, HBP, RBI single, double steal, and a balk.  

Zazueta’s night was over, and it was a forgettable night…3.0 IP, 7 runs (all earned), 8 hits, and 5 K.  His pitches caught way too much of the plate. 

LHRP Evan Shaw gave up a double and a pair of singles for a run in the 5th. 

JDP hit his 2nd HR of the night in the 8th (19). 

Tulsa made a game of it in the 9th.  Hainline led off with a BB and 3B Taylor Young singled.  After 2 fly outs, CF Kole Myers hit a 3-run HR (3).  JDP was HBP, and DH Mike Sirota walked.  Newell singled to score JDP and move Sirota to 3rd.  Unfortunately, 1B Jake Gelof struck out to end the game. 

The two replacements for George and Hope, Myers and Newell, went 5-8 with 2 HRs. 

·      Kole Myers – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (3)

·      Josue De Paula – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3 runs, 2 RBI, 2 HR (19)

·      Chris Newell – 3-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (18) 

Box Score 

Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego) 7 – Great Lakes Loons 0 – Game Suspended

LHSP Sterling Patick, was another SP who got hit hard and gave up a bunch of runs in the first couple of innings.  Patick gave up a 2-run HR in the 1st inning.  He also gave up a single, WP, RBI single, SB, BB, and a 2-run double.  In all he gave up 5 runs on 3 singles, 1 double, 1 BB, and 1 HR. 

Patick gave up a pair of solo HRs in the 2nd. 

Then the rain came. 

Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado) 15 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 4

RHP Will Gagnon started his 3rd game, and he went 4.0 IP.  He allowed a 1st inning HR and then walked 4 in the 3rd inning.  He retired the side in order in the 4th and was finished for the night.  2 runs, 2 hits, 4 BB, and 7 K.  The 4 walks in one inning were ugly, but otherwise Gagnon had a respectable start. 

Then it seems we saw what is becoming a nightly occurrence.  BAD RELIEF PITCHING.  Gagnon allows 2 in 4.0 innings, then 5 relievers allowed 13 runs in 5.0 innings. 

For Ontario in the 2nd inning, SS Joendry Vargas singled and scored ahead of 3B Oswaldo Osorio and his 6th HR. 

In the 4th, C Connor O’Neal doubled (10) and moved to 3rd on Osorio’s single.  O’Neal scored on a single by DH Javier Herrera. 

In the 9th, Osorio hit his 2nd HR (7) of the game.  

·      Connor O’Neal – 2-4, 1 run, double (10)

·      Oswaldo Osorio – 3-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, 2 HR (7) 

Box Score