Hello Tony… Goodbye Gavin!
Tony Gonsolin looks to be back. His fastball was generally in the 92 to 94 MPH range, but occasionally he hit 95 MPH and even touched 96 MPH. At this stage of the season, I would slot Tony ahead of Dustin May, and May has also shown nice progress. Next week, the Dodgers get…
Tony Gonsolin looks to be back. His fastball was generally in the 92 to 94 MPH range, but occasionally he hit 95 MPH and even touched 96 MPH. At this stage of the season, I would slot Tony ahead of Dustin May, and May has also shown nice progress. Next week, the Dodgers get Kershaw back and Emmet Sheehan could very well be a rotation option soon. Roki Sasaki may have to go to OKC to learn how to pitch. The Dodgers will need some pitchers to eat some innings until Snell and Glasnow make it back… IF they make it back! Right now, Ben Casparius is 4th on the team in innings pitched, and Jack Dreyer and Tanner Scott are 5th and 6th. That needs to change. Landon Kanck and Matt Sauer will hopefully fill the void. We’ve got a week until Clayton returns, and I think he will surprise many of you with his effectiveness.
Still Pining for Gavin Lux… Don’t! Here’s why…
The Los Angeles Dodgers traded Gavin Lux to the Cincinnati Reds in January 2025 for several strategic reasons. But there was an unspoken reason: the Dodgers felt misled by him. How did he mislead the team? Well, in Spring Training of 2023… actually before that (over the Winter), Gavin had begged the Dodgers to let him go back to the “position I feel at home with.” It wasn’t so much that Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers felt he was a shortstop; it was his insistence that he could play there. The plan was for Mookie to go to 2B, but then, about two weeks before the end of Spring Training, Gavin lost confidence in his ability to play there. Thus, Mookie had to slide over to SS without any preparation. Gavin then blew out his knee and was finished for the season.
Gavin came back in 2024 and platooned at 2B (let’s face it: he is a platoon player, as he struggles against LHP). He hit .251 in 2024 with an OPS of .703. This season (mostly playing LF for the Reds), he is also platooning, hitting .282 with a .766 OPS. He’s a nice player, but just like Andrew Friedman did when he traded Michael Busch for Hope and Ferris, he traded Gavin Lux, a player who was not essential for a potential CF star. Mike Sirota is lean, athletic, strong, and has an intriguing collection of tools. He has plus bat speed and excellent bat-to-ball skills from the right side of the plate. Sirota entered the 2024 season as one of the top prospects in the draft class from a mid-major college program, with a chance to be a top 10 overall pick. The Dodgers wanted to draft him, but the Reds took him before they had the chance. Simply put: the Dodgers really, really wanted Sirota, and we are starting to see why: As I write this, in 99 at-bats, Mike Sirota is hitting .354 with a .443 OB% and 1.130 OPS and has 7 HRs.
Where would Gavin Lux play for the Dodgers? He is an average to below-average 2B defensively. The Dodgers signed Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim to a three-year contract. Kim’s defensive versatility and offensive potential made him a strong candidate for middle infield positions, creating direct competition for Lux. He is also more versatile, being able to play just about anywhere. This acquisition signaled the Dodgers’ intent to restructure their infield, making Lux’s role less certain. With Tommy Edman, or MiggyRo, or CT3, or Kike, or Kim at 2B, the Dodgers thought that Lux was a good choice to trade for Sirota, who profiles as a very good centerfielder. He also has a great arm to go with his speed.
After missing the entire 2023 season due to an ACL injury, Lux returned in 2024 but posted a modest .703 OPS over 139 games. The Dodgers may have assessed that Lux had reached his performance ceiling within their system, prompting them to explore other options. Despite his recent challenges, Lux retained value as a young, controllable infielder with postseason experience. By trading him to the Reds, the Dodgers acquired outfield prospect Mike Sirota and a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick, assets that could benefit their long-term plans. Andrew Friedman is about six steps of us all.
The trade gave the Dodgers greater flexibility to adjust their roster and pursue other strategic objectives. It also opened opportunities for other players within their organization to step into more prominent roles. In summary, the Dodgers’ decision to trade Gavin Lux was influenced by roster dynamics, performance evaluations, and strategic planning for the future. I don’t find it any more curious than trading Michael Busch. The Dodgers did not need Busch, and they certainly do not need Lux.
Sirota is due to move up to Great Lakes very soon. The last week of June, the Loons play six games in Ft. Wayne at one of the most beautiful venues in the minor leagues, Parkview Field. I plan to be there to see Hope, DePaula, and Sirota. That could be the Dodgers’ outfield in 2027. It doesn’t hurt that my daughter lives in Ft. Wayne…
X-CITES
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Discussion (70)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Sirota’s first line at Great Lakes in an early game today playing LF:
3AB 3H 1R 1BB 12B 1CS in the Loons 3-1 win.
For all those who want Pete Rose in the HOF
In a letter to Jeffrey M. Lenkov, the attorney for Mr. Rose, Commissioner Manfred wrote, “In my view, a determination must be made regarding how the phrase ‘permanently ineligible’ should be interpreted in light of the purposes and policies behind Rule 21, which are to: (1) protect the game from individuals who pose a risk to the integrity of the sport by prohibiting the participation of such individuals; and (2) create a deterrent effect that reduces the likelihood of future violations by others. In my view, once an individual has passed away, the purposes of Rule 21 have been served. Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game. Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve. Therefore, I have concluded that permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual, and Mr. Rose will be removed from the permanently ineligible list.”
10:10 PM ET
Athletics (21-20)
Dodgers (27-14)
SP Jeffrey Springs L
4-3 4.81 ERA
SP Landon Knack R
2-0 4.61 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
SS Mookie Betts R
C Will Smith R
1B F. Freeman L
RF Andy Pages R
3B E. Hernandez R
LF M. Conforto L
2B Miguel Rojas R
CF Chris Taylor R
64° Wind 13 mph Out
Just announced that Sasaki is experiencing arm soreness. Hasn’t yet been decided if he’ll go to the IL.
Also announced that Kershaw will be Saturday’s starter against the Angels.
Sasaki to the IL. Just announced!
That’s the bad news.
The badder news is that J.P. Feyereisen was activated.
God help us!
It never ceases to amaze me how our pitchers continually get hurt.It is freaking ridiculous.I thought the last 2 or 3 years what are we going to do with all these starting pitchers.Crap it’s like we are cursed.
I never want to see JP or Garcia ever pitch wearing a Dodger uniform again