Happy New Year!

Baltimore. They needed pitching and picked up position players. They have two excellent prospect catchers and might let one of them go or their current guy to make room. Give Smitty some time off.

On the topic of the day if we trade with Boston don’t get screwed like the one that brought Adrian Gonzalez.

I’d pass on Bellinger. His out field defense is just so/so at this point in his career; Pages is much better. Freeman has him blocked at 1st base; and, he doesn’t hit enough to be an all star 1st baseman-where you really need to rake.

Good thoughts

The race was tight in the West all season as the Dodgers only won it by 3 games. Check the final standings.

Remember we had 27 blown saves last year,but this year we will have a run away record to win the West and possibly the best record with the addition of Edwin Diaz ,Graterol back this year and Scott in a setup role.We won the World Series without having the best overall record with a 7-1 record on the road in the playoffs. Also if the bullpen didn’t blow the last game against the Blue Jays at Dodger Stadium on a Sunday ,we would have had the best overall record. You have to plan to be healthy when it really counts and to be injury free on the pitching side especially and hopefully on the position side for the October tournament. Trust AF and BG, they know more than all of us here combined and will come up with the best roster possible in October. That is the pledge they made to Ohtoni when he deferred his contract.

That’s a lot of starters, including a lot of “openers.” But part of the reason was that the Dodgers decided to “slow-play” Glasnow, Snell and Shohei as they were coming back from injuries. It was a roster management decision. If the Dodgers had been in a tight race, these three probably would have taken the mound weeks before they did. The Dodgers knew they’d be in the postseason and they prepared accordingly. It all worked out, of course. But the slow-play strategy also enabled the Blue Jays to obtain the best record and home-field advantage….so it almost didn’t work out!

Last season was the only season Bader has been better. Edman is better in OPS and OPS+ over his career… plus he is younger and more versatile. I cannot see AF signing a guy and paying for what was a career year, Likely never to be repeated.

Any second-rate franchise that needs pitching help. Perhaps Knack could be packaged with a second-tier prospect to get a decent prospect back. I’d be looking for a catcher.

Dodgers Digest (I think) had a good dive on Casparius that suggests that his internal numbers are nearly as good as Sheehan’s–and he’d be a great fit for a team that needs a starter. On the Dodgers, Casparius is now another righty in the bullpen. The arrival of Edwin Diaz and the returns from injury of River Ryan, Gavin Stone and Graterol means that guys like Casparius, Henriquez and Will “World Series hero” Klein could become trade fodder, along with usual suspects Knack and Bobby Miller.

Mark says Edman is better than Bader. Not lately. Bader has been much better. The Phils dealt for Bader at the deadline, and he finished strong, with an .824 OPS and .305 BA in 50 games. For the full season, Bader hit to a .796 OPS with 17 HRs. Meanwhile, Edman had trouble staying on the field due to injuries and produced a . 656 OPS in 346 ABs. (Kim, in his too-limited role as a rookie, had a .699 OPS in 161 ABs.) Frankly, the Dodgers should have nabbed Bader last season as a full-time CF to put Conforto on the bench. Alex Call was a consolation prize. The sticking point now may be that Bader is reportedly is seeking the security of at least a 3-year deal, while the Dodgers want flexibility to accommodate their rising prospects. Tucker, Belli, Bader–all remain viable FA options for the outfield. If none work out, AF could turn to the trade market. Or maybe the Dodgers could do nothing more… and they’d still be the favorites to win it all.

Not lately. Bader has been much better. The Phils dealt for Bader at the deadline, and he finished strong, with an .824 OPS and .305 BA in 50 games. For the full season, Bader hit to a .796 OPS with 17 HRs. Meanwhile, Edman had trouble staying on the field due to injuries and produced a . 656 OPS in 346 ABs. (Kim, in his too-limited role as a rookie, had a .699 OPS in 161 ABs.) Frankly, the Dodgers should have nabbed Bader last season as a full-time CF to put Conforto on the bench. Alex Call was a consolation prize. The sticking point now may be that Bader is reportedly is seeking the security of at least a 3-year deal, while the Dodgers want flexibility to accommodate their rising prospects. Tucker, Belli, Bader–all remain viable FA options for the outfield. If none work out, AF could turn to the trade market. Or maybe the Dodgers could do nothing more… and they’d still be the favorites to win it all.

Who would want him?

I think most people view Wrobo as a step below Sheehan so that probably wouldn’t get it done. With regard to Stone and Ryan, they may ultimately be just as good or even surpass Sheehan but both are coming off major injuries and I seriously doubt the Sox would take either of them before they saw how they’ve recovered (in other words, not during this off season).

Let’s trade Knack though. He’s buried.

Hope & Sheehan feels like a lot but it’s probably fair. Put Wrobleski or Ryan or Stone in Sheehan’s spot.

Hell no on Jazz

Don’t want Louis Robert Jr. or Jazz Chishom.

Louis Robert needs to remain in Chicago! LA doesn’t need another .210 bat in the lineup! His defense is solid, if any other team who needs an outfielder was sold on him being the “answer “ he would have already been traded. Seems they can’t give him away! Seen some rumors the Mets are interested in him. Go for it! Would the Dodgers really be interested in Jazz Chishom? Rumors persist. Would Miguel Rojas be on board? The Yankees are interested in signing. Bichette. Chishom’s numbers were very good, so why trade him? Clubhouse issues? Could be. Doesn’t seem to be a fit in LA! And as far as Sheehan to Boston. If it brings Duran back in return, do it! I agree, Gavin Stone is a potential # 2- 3 rotation guy. Not saying Emmit isn’t, but Stone may be very special!

The Los Angeles Dodgers used 17 different pitchers to start at least one game during the 2025 MLB regular season. 2025 Dodgers Starting Pitchers Overview The Dodgers relied on a combination of established stars and several depth pieces due to injuries and strategic flexibility throughout the season. The core rotation included a number of high-profile pitchers, while others filled in due to injury or specific game scenarios like “opener” strategies. The pitchers who made at least one start for the Dodgers in 2025 were: Yoshinobu Yamamoto Clayton Kershaw Tyler Glasnow Dustin May Shohei Ohtani Emmet Sheehan Blake Snell Roki Sasaki Tony Gonsolin Landon Knack Jack Dreyer Ben Casparius Lou Trivino Justin Wrobleski Anthony Banda Bobby Miller Matt Sauer This high number is consistent with recent Dodgers seasons; for example, they also used exactly 17 different starters in the three seasons prior to 2025. The team’s primary starters for the postseason were Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow. This is why you don’t trade away starting pitchers. The IL,the schedule and making sure we are injury free when the October tournament starts.

It’s hard to beat a team twice, but there is the “Curt Cignetti Factor.”

1. The Dodgers don’t have a replacement for Rushing, so I cannot see him being moved. 2. I am of the opinion that leopards do not change their spots: Robert, Jr. is no good, and Buxton is always injured. 3. I think a package of Hope and Sheehan gets Duran. 4. St. Louis wants too much for Donovan.

TRyan was very impressive before he got hurt–and now he’s added about 20-25 pounds of muscle. Among all of the “touchable” pitchers on the Dodgers, he’s the one I’d least like to trade. The arrival of Edwin Diaz as closer will make it easier to trade from the pitching depth.

Duran is much more proven than Sheehan. And with River Ryan and Gavin Stone as competition, Sheehan might not evenmake the six-man rotation. So why be stingy? I think it would take Sheehan + ??? to land Duran. Boston would be right to drive a hard bargain. Perhaps another pitcher, like Casparius or the young reliever Henriquez with his triple-digit heat. (He’s no longer as valuable with Edwin Diaz as the closer and Graterol coming back.) But maybe the Sox would ask for Sheehan + Rushing + Henriquez. If AF and Boston can’t come to terms, AF could pivot to Robert Jr. or Buxton. The White Sox and Twins may prove more amenable. (I still think Buxton would waive his no-trade rights to join the champs.) Or perhaps Tucker just agrees to a fat deal with the Dodgers and all of this speculation is moot. And then the Dodgers deal for Donovan….

Love this Happy 2026, Mark. We’re both going to crush it