Dope Fiend Moves??

Mark is often criticizing many of us who seem to propose what he believes to be dope fiend moves. Now granted, there are some very silly FA signings, and perhaps dope fiend is a proper description. But just because a change is recommended and one does not agree with it, does not automatically qualify the transaction as being dope fiend.

Per an Andy McCullough article in the Athletic, In December 2015, AF believed he had a 6 year $160MM deal tied down with Zack Greinke, only for the DBacks to go crazy with adding $46.5MM to make it a 6 year $206.5MM deal. I think that qualifies as a dope fiend FA signing. Whereas a Drew Pomeranz 4 year deal for $34MM may qualify as very curious and unnecessary, it certainly is not dope fiend.

I woke up Wednesday to the news that my beloved USC Trojans were going to stay with what they had in head coach Clay Helton. So while Mark may think some transactions are dope fiend, I believe that to do nothing is an even more apt descriptor for dope fiend. Yes, Clay Helton is a fine man. Parents love that he is guiding them at such a perilous age. But he is a horrible coach for USC. He exudes mediocrity and quality HS players are no longer interested in this once hallowed program. While I was at USC, Coach McKay often preached that winning the Pac 8 and going to the Rose Bowl were expected…not goals. Winning national championships were their goals. Now, winning the Pac XII South and getting to the Pac XII Championship is the goal. And yet, the President, AD, and Board of Trustees feel comfortable with the status quo and just being competitive and hoping the results turn out positively. Starting to sound a little too familiar???

How does the current state of affairs for my Trojans impact the upcoming LAD season? IMO, there is something wrong with the Dodgers. I am not smart enough to know what it is or how it can be fixed, but I do believe that to do nothing is absolutely the wrong dope fiend move. There is a missing component…bullpen?, second Ace?, RH bat?, maybe all three? DC’s article on Pee Wee Reese and his leadership, and re-watching Kirk Gibson’s 1988 Game 1 Walk Off HR (I can never get enough), reminds me that there is no real team leadership on the field. Quality players? Unquestionable!! But the guy who stands up and tells everyone to get on his back and he will carry them to the finish line is missing. Gibson only needed the one AB to be that guy. And the Bulldog wrapped it up.

Who is the Kirk Gibson? Who is the Orel Hershiser? So far, nobody on the current roster. Maybe someone steps up, or maybe it is time to go outside the organization and find that player/pitcher. IMO it is more of a risk to do nothing than it is to try and find that game changing difference maker. To do nothing because of fear that it is the wrong move is not one of leadership. No baseball fan disputes that relief pitching is a guess more than any other position. But even Ray Charles can see that doing nothing with the current Dodgers bullpen is a dope fiend move.

For 2019, Mark continued to advise that the bullpen at the end of the season would not be the same as it was in the beginning. He was right; however most of the changes were due to starting pitchers going to the pen rather than in bringing true relievers. Is there a reliever out there who could have made a difference? Perhaps, but we will never know because the team did not make the attempt to find that reliever. So I am okay with giving a chance to Dellin Betances, or Blake Treinen, or Kevin Gausman, or Brandon Morrow part 2. If they can make a trade for a Josh Hader, they have to honestly consider it. I would also like to see if Mark Prior can fine tune a flame throwing 6’5” RHRP, Tayron Guerrero. He hits 104. You cannot teach 104. But if they can also make a trade for relievers like Ken Giles, or Aaron Bummer, or Jose Leclerc, or Taylor Rogers (in my dreams), then they should pursue them as well. There are others out there that are better options than who the Dodgers currently have on their roster. It may cost a bit more, but wins usually do.

A second Ace could be solved with a FA signing of Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg. Zach Wheeler signed a Johnny Cueto like 5 year $118MM contract. At their best, Cueto is a better pitcher than Wheeler, but both contracts are out of line. Zach is no better than a #3. I do not consider Wheeler a co-Ace (a hard throwing #3 at best), so a nine figure contract for him seems out of touch considering the Dodgers current rotation and depth. Easy pass. Good for Philly.

The Dodgers did not win while Ryu was at his best, so how is he going to be a difference maker a year later and older?

Thus for me, the necessary improvement comes from signing Cole or Strasburg. What is that line in the sand contract mark? If Cole signs for less than $250MM, IMO it will be a fail if he is not signed by the Dodgers. If Strasburg signs for less than $210MM by someone other than LAD, that would also be a fail. Of course that all pre-supposes that Cole and Strasburg want to pitch in LA. Not necessarily true.

Offensively, it has been written ad nauseum that the Dodgers are too LH dominant. The OF is loaded in numbers, while Cody Bellinger is the only player whose name on the lineup sheet will be in pen. Alex Verdugo has the ability to play against all pitchers, and has the bat to ball skills to put up a good BA. But is his plate discipline good enough to push up those OBP numbers? Does he have enough pop to be a good bat as a corner OF? Is his defense sufficient to keep him in CF 150 games a year? Joc is a good LHH platoon corner OF, and unless AF can find an everyday RHH corner OF to replace Joc/AJ, or Joc/Kike’, or Joc/CT3, then the offense will be weakened. Unless Joc, Verdugo, or AJ are traded, it seems very unlikely that AF will sign or trade for an OF. There is no trade scenario for me that makes sense for one year of Mookie Betts.

From a FA position, 3B seems the most likely, with both Josh Donaldson and Anthony Rendon as possible considerations. Donaldson will cost less in both years and dollars, but is his power bat that preferable to move JT to 1B, and Muncy to 2B, and Gavin Lux to AAA? He is good defensively, but for how long? Rendon is a longer term solution, and has the overall ability to be a game changer. But his cost is going to reflect those skills. Is Rendon worth a $40MM AAV for five or six years?

Is Frankie Lindor a true option?

Some want AF to sign Rendon as their top priority. I am more than fine with Rendon at 3B for LA for the next 6 years. I would certainly welcome that. Some want AF to sign Cole or Strasburg as their top priority. IMO you do not pass on an Ace when you have the chance. Therefore, my preference is different than Watford’s…I would sign the Ace pitcher and look for the RH bat at the trade deadline to see how Lux performs at 2B through July. Who knows, maybe Verdugo is that missing spark. But if it appears likely that an Ace cannot be signed, I would not pass on Rendon. If the Dodgers did nothing but improve the bullpen and add Rendon, IMO it will be a successful winter. But I am greedy, and I want it all…an Ace, Rendon, and a bullpen upgrade.

AF has options to improve this team. Time will tell whether any FA signings or trades qualify as dope fiend. But my premise remains the same. The one true dope fiend move would be to stay status quo and do nothing except hope that the same players who could not bring home a championship before, can do so a year later. The team has the financial flexibility and the prospect collateral to go bold. Winter Meetings start in a few days, and maybe we will have a better picture of where the team may be headed after December 12. The Farmer trade was a true win for AF, but it did nothing to improve the 2019 roster except through attrition. To some that is enough. For me, it did not change the dynamics and bring in the game changer needed. The Dodgers have gone from 7th game WS, to 5th game WS, to losing in NLDS. They are going backwards. This year I hope some of the FA signings and/or trades will actually improve the 2020 roster. Even AF has said that the team needs to do something to shake things up. IMO, the true dope fiend move would be to do nothing.

GO BOLD!