Don't Hold Your Breath!
There are just five days until July 30th at 6 PM, which is the MLB Trade Deadline. Remember also that there is no “Waiver Deadline” this year. The trade deadline is the final opportunity to make a trade. For weeks, most Dodger fans have been playing GM and putting together all…
There are just five days until July 30th at 6 PM, which is the MLB Trade Deadline. Remember also that there is no “Waiver Deadline” this year. The trade deadline is the final opportunity to make a trade. For weeks, most Dodger fans have been playing GM and putting together all kinds of trades… most of which were of the “dope-fiend” variety. Since the All-Star Break, we have seen some bats start to wake up, namely Kike, and Gavin Lux, as well as Austin Barnes. However, Chris Taylor and Miguel Rojas just went on the IL, and Rojas’ “forearm tightness” has to be considered possibly “career-ending.” Miggy Ro is 35 and would be an unlikely candidate to have Tommy John Surgery at that age. If it is the UCL, then I would expect to see Miggy settle into a role with the Dodgers. That is going to happen.. whether it is next year or later.
I can see the Dodgers adding another infielder and maybe a CF like Bellinger, who will not cost much in prospect collateral. Still, I do not see them paying for another starter, especially after Clayton Kershaw showed that even the rust after missing the first half of the season does not dull his promise. Clayton will be fine. Walker Buehler will be back soon, and Bobby Miller will, too. River Ryan and Justin Wrobleski have shown they are ready. If we have learned anything this season, it is that you have better hoard young arms because, as of today, the Dodgers have the following pitchers out with Tommy John Surgery:
- Tony Gonsolin
- Dustin May
- Kyle Hurt
- Nick Frasso
- Emmet Sheehan
Possibly only May and Gonsolin will be back next year. Hurt, Frasso, and Sheehan could be back late in the 2025 season or 2026. To be successful in these high velocities, high spin rates killing of arms, you have to “buy them cheap and stack them deep!” Next season, Shohei Ohtani may be back on the mound and the rotation will have these options:
- Ohtani
- Yamamoto
- Glasnow
- May
- Gonsolin
- Miller
- Stone
- Knack
- Wrobleski
- Ryan
- Maybe Buehler
- Maybe Kershaw
Next year, some of those pitchers will have Tommy John and on-and-on it goes. I do not see an end to this for the immediate future. You can also add in some of the following pitchers who may “graduate out of the Farm System” in the next year or two:
- Jackson Ferris
- Ben Casparius
- Peyton Martin
- Maddux Bruns
- Hyun-Seok Jang
… and of course, there are Hurt, Frasso, and Sheehan, who should be back in 2026. Welcome to the “new way of pitching.” You don’t have to like it, but maximum effort, high spin rate, and blowing out arms are now the norm. Deal with it. Friedman is, and I do not think he will give up the requisite arms needed to acquire Crochet, Flaherty, or Skubal.
Miguel Vargas is better than Randy Arozarena! Kike, Barnsie, and Lux are looking better. James Outman is back and will be facing RHP only. Pages should only face LHP. I have to hope and pray that Max Muncy comes back in September and that Mookie will be back in two or three weeks. Sometimes, you just have to get lucky and have someone like Nick Amed play out of his mind. By all accounts, Cavan Biggio is working his ass off and is respected by his teammates. Results are not also immediate, but I guarantee that Friedman and Company know a hell of a lot more than us.
I am warming to the idea of Rich Hill. He could empty the tank the last two months of the season. He would make an impact on the youngsters as well. The Dodgers can sign bats over the winter, but I think it is imperative to keep the arms. They could trade for Shubal or Crochet only to see them undergo the knife as well.
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Discussion (75)
Disagree, not disagreeable
If Clayton is a playoff starter, the Dodgers are not winning unless he’s #4. I also think our playoff stay will be short unless we secure a top tier starter and an experienced playoff bat. I don’t see Moto coming back which means we don’t have a solid #2. Instead we have a collection of Buehler, Miller, Kershaw, Stone who are all #3 playoff pitchers meaning they are likely to give up 4 runs over 6 innings if we’re lucky. Without an experienced bat, Robert’s will Platoon again which does not work.. last years platoon of Taylor, Kike, Peralta, Outman and J-Hey batted .125. The Dodgers don’t have the balls to play the best playoff players— lasted Taylor and Kike hit well in the PO’s but got limited at bats. All this to say, let’s get solid OF we can play every game.
Teo in CF? Surely you jest!
It’s hard for me to focus on this game…
Praying for Freddie Freeman’s son!
Baseball is not life…
Buehler got knocked around at AAA. 4 runs, 8 hits in 4 innings. 75 pitches.
Let’s be honest, these rookies of ours ( Vargas, Pages, Outman) may be good or even all-stars in the future, but I cannot see them contributing to a Championship in a meaningful way. They have their moments but it’s clear they’re treading water. They look overmatched against half decent pitchers and will disappear in the playoffs. Bellinger, Seager, et al had the it factor, not these guys.
Walkers stuff and control was not great tonight. A bunch of hard hit balls over 100mph and he only touched 95 -2 or 3 x’s. Mostly sat around 93/94.
Hope he can figure it out in the next
2-3 weeks.
Stone and probably Glasnow (again) will need a break.
Stone sooner rather then later.
On the positive note Lefty Jackson Ferris pitched another gem for High A Great Lakes
Only 20 yrs old.
7 innings pitched
5 hits
1 run
2 BB
7 K
For the month of July
IP : 26
SO : 31
BB: 7
ERA: 1.04
Whip: 0.73
After Justin W our top lefty starter prospect.