Dodgers Take it to the Max

“The results haven’t been there consistently, I’m aware of that. But I do think that stuff under the hood has shown better for me. … I’m going to continue to give him runway. I certainly still expect quality at-bats, but right now, I’m gonna ride with Max. … It’s gonna be that way until it’s not.”

— Dave Roberts

This is the typical psycho babble that the front office comes up with and expects Roberts to sell this crap to the press. The first sentence states the obvious. The second goes off to the twilight zone. Give him runway?? Its the longest runway in the history of the world. Max is just passing through Kansas City and liftoff is yet to be determined. He expects quality ABs which he is not getting yet he is going to “ride ” with Max until it’s not. WTF does this mean? How does the front office come up with this stuff? And, more importantly, does the FO actually think the press and public is believing this nonsense?

Max has a solid three year track record with the Dodgers. It was way above anything the team could have expected. It’s amazing that he has fallen so far in such a short period of time. When he is not taking center cut fastballs for strikes he is swinging right through them. Even his highly regarded strike zone recognition isn’t there.

It, also, seems like he is getting more than his share of bad calls at the plate. Many times when he does hit the ball hard it’s right at someone or caught on the warning track. It seems to be snowballing for Max. That’s what concerns me with continuing to play him everyday. How much can a player take before he snaps or basically gives up? That’s why I think he needs several days off to rest and reset his mind. It has to be crushing for him. So, does the team wait for the end of the runway (wherever that may be) or the plane to blow up? To DFA him is ridiculous and an overreaction for me. Give an IL stop a go. If he continues to struggle on his return I think he should be left off the playoff roster and consider a possible move in the offseason. Bottom line it’s a sad situation for everyone to watch.

Carry on.

Alight, heading into our last game at Coors field this year and our best pitcher in the first half is on the hill. Somehow not a lot of confidence for Tony even though we don’t need any pitching at the deadline? Seems like contrary positions.

Outman is expected to start today in RF. I sure hope that means Mookie is going to get a day off by DH’ing in this game.

Talk about home-field advantage. The Dodgers are so scared about the Coors injury effect, they play JT for one game and sit him for the next three.

Doc says they’re sticking with Max, expect to see him on the IL soon.

KPizzle says I’m asinine for sticking with Kimbrel. I think it’s asinine to say nothing during six straight appearances with no runs, then having a meltdown when he gives up 2 runs while still picking up the save.

I’ll admit, the Craig Kimbrel that we’re seeing right now is not optimal. He’s struggling. But, I believe in his body of work and I’m hoping he get on a hot streak like he has his entire career. When I look around the league, I don’t see a lot of better options. The top three guys on the saves leaderboard all have ERA’s north of 3.52. Edwin Diaz checks in at no. 4 with a 1.51 ERA, I remember when his ERA was north of 5 just a couple of years ago. Bednar has been worse than Kimbrel in June and July.

So, Kpizzle who exactly are you going to get to replace Kimbrel? Then, what are you going to do with him after you replace him?

“Complaining about a problem without posing a solution is called whining.”― Teddy Roosevelt

I wonder what Kpizzle thinks about Josh Hader who has a 1-4 record and a 4.24 ERA. Should the Brewers get rid of him?

David Bednar now has less saves are more blown saves than Kimbrel. Is he still the flavor of the month?

This is a weird year for closers. If you don’t believe me, Daniel Bard is one of the best in the league and he pitches for Colorado. He had a 5.21 ERA last year with 8 blown saves! Now, he’s looking at a contract extension.

I’m going to be really surprised if the Dodgers gut their system for Soto or Ohtani.

My thoughts on Chris Martin are; that he has a live arm, he throws strikes, he racks up K’s, he’s a ground ball machine and he’s had a lot of success in the post-season. These things outweigh the “according to stats” that Eric is laser-focused on. During the broadcast, they we saying that Chris Martin is a victim of bad luck and that the Dodgers infield will make him a much better pitcher. AF is playing 3D chess and Eric is playing with a single Jax, an eraser, and old lucky lager bottle cap with a puzzle that he can’t figure out.

If you believe what Doc says, Tommy Kahnle’s a complete bust. You win some, you lose some. When you have the resources that the Dodgers have, you can afford to make some high-risk investments. Some work out and others don’t. AF understands the baseball season is very long. Sometimes, you just need a couple of guys to be effective for just a portion of the season to take pressure off of those that will be leaned on in more important games. Since Doc gives Kahnle a 50/50 chance at returning, I would think that Kahnle will probably be lights out for us in September and October.

This team doesn’t have any holes. In fact, a roster crunch is coming. Outman is going to have a tryout today in order to get included in a trade package for someone, probably on nobody’s list of wants. Let’s hope he has a great day.

Is Trayce for real? If he is, he’ll solve a lot of problems. The Dodgers see something in Muncy, or since Doc says they’re sticking with him, should we expect a big lefty bat in the Outman trade?

Possible post-season bullpen

Kimbrel

Treinen

Phillips

Almonte

Martin

Vesia

V-Gone

Heaney

Buehler

Rotation

Kershaw

May

Urias

Gonsolin

Look, The team is going with Max until they don ‘t. Would you expect management to say. ‘ We are giving him one more week then he is benched’?? Its like when a player is traded to a team for one year and they ask him ‘ Do you want to play here again next year? Do they ever say. No, I am just playing out this year, I don’t like this team , and will want to sign somewhere else next year. So they could trade Max tomorrow, and say we had this opportunity to help the team …..BLah blah, blah. As for everyone likes him . They all liked AJ Ellis too. Right now he is what we used to call a good field-no hit guy. But really he is just an ‘ok field guy’. So we could trade for Joc and use him as a lefty DH. And use Taylor or anyone else to play 2nd or 3rd, and I am sure they could bat at least .160 against righties.

AF is a terrific GM/President and has done little to piss me off as a fan, but he and ownership have to question the acquisition of Tommy Kahnle now that it has been reported he most likely won’t pitch again this year. Coming off TJ surgery, AF signed him to a 2-year $4.75 million contract only to see him pitch in 4 games for the Dodgers.

Not a bad gig if you can get it……….Nearly $5 million to not pitch. Injuries are risky and while hoping to get a major league reliever on the cheap, even if he only pitched this year, it seems AF whiffed on this one.

In the good news department Danny Duffy is continuing to rehab and just might make it back this year and the Dodgers are hopeful V-gone will pitch this year. Dustin May back soon, Treinen perhaps just after him and Walker is a wildcard.

Enough of the sentimentality with Max. MLB is a results based business. You play well and produce you continue to get penciled in the line-up and if you don’t you get relegated to the bench and someone else gets a chance. Time for Vargas. The Dodgers sent both Joc and Puig to AAA during their long offensive droughts and while Max can’t be optioned to the minor leagues he can sit for a spell and see if someone else can fill the “black hole” that he currently occupies in the batting order. BA .162, .310 OBP, .615 OPS, with a SLG. of .259 over his last 7 games w/ 0 HR’s, 1 RBI, 2 BB’s and 10 K’s.

We don’t need Soto or Ohtoni if it’s gone to gut the farm. Both will be stupid moves .Let the Padres make that stupid move for Soto. The last time Andrew outbid the Padres on Trevor Bauer how did they work out? Sign Trea Turner and bench or somehow IL Max Muncy.

Interesting report in The Athletic about the teams that could get Soto and the players in exchange….

Padres, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Mariners & Cardinals

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Trade: Soto and C Keibert Ruiz to Dodgers for C Diego Cartaya, INF Gavin Lux, RHP Bobby Miller and OF Andy Pages

The Nationals got the wrong catching prospect at the 2021 trade deadline when they acquired Ruiz instead of Cartaya in the deal for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. However, they right that wrong in this proposed deal, which would send Ruiz back to the Dodgers with Soto, and move Cartaya, the Dodgers’ best prospect, to Washington. Likened during the Futures Game by National League manager Mike Scioscia to a combination of Buster Posey and Salvador Perez, Cartaya must be the headliner in a Dodgers deal for Soto. He’s by far their best position-player prospect, and with Will Smith on the big-league roster, he’s expendable.

The Nationals would also have to get Miller, the Dodgers’ top pitching prospect, who throws 100 mph and has 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings this season. Miller, 23, is 5-4 with a 4.36 ERA in 76 1/3 innings at Double A . His command still needs work but he has great upside. Meanwhile, Lux would immediately become the Nationals’ everyday shortstop and their long-term answer at the position. Pages would give them a corner outfield bat with 30-home run potential. The Nationals might insist on another infield prospect, such as Michael Busch or Miguel Vargas, but expanding this deal to include one of them would mean taking out the Ruiz/Cartaya portion, and I think that would be a mistake for Washington.

My gut feeling: Dodgers are gonna make a huge move for either Ohtani or Soto.

Padres allegedly made a big offer for Soto (read it somewhere on ESPN this morning), something like Abrams, Gore plus 4 more of their top prospects.#

I really hope AF does not outbid the Padres because it would then cost Miller, Cartaya, Page, Vargas plus two more kids.

Much is said that Soto is a generational player and he might be that though IMHO he is too young to call him that.#

And remember the Giants: They never won anything with Bonds in his prime. They started winning 3 WS only after they kept their home grown talent and brought them along to the big league club. Posey, Linceum, Bumgarner, Crawford etc.etc.

Even a generational player will do you no good when the nucleus of the team is not good and deep enough.

Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1