Here s Johnny!
The next few hours are going to be crazier than Jack Nicholson in The Shining and none of us have any clue what will go down. Yesterday, I said that I doubted that Andrew Friedman will trade any of the Top 10 prospects, to which AC said he was OK with #10 (Mitchell White). I d agree with that. Other than DJ Peters (#13), I would trade any other prospects after
The next few hours are going to be crazier than Jack Nicholson in The Shining and none of us have any clue what will go down. Yesterday, I said that I doubted that Andrew Friedman will trade any of the Top 10 prospects, to which AC said he was OK with #10 (Mitchell White). I’d agree with that. Other than DJ Peters (#13), I would trade any other prospects after #9.
Will Smith was doing well at AAA, but remember, he is about 3 years older than Keibert Ruiz, whose upside is massive. At 21 years-old he has amassed more walks than strikeouts this year. How often do you see 21 year-olds do that? The last one I could find was 21 year-old Tony Gwynn who had 28 strikeouts and 28 BB at A and AA, not ever AAA. I called Alex Verdugo Tony Gwynn-esque and you can see how well he has done (forget his current slump – it happens to everyone). Kaybear has elite bat-to-ball skills. I would not trade him or any of the TOP NINE, and I do not think Friedman will either.
Many were quick to trade Ruiz and Gonsolin, but you also saw Tony’s potential last night at Coors Field. He has great command of his fastball and slider and while he has a curve, he doesn’t control it as well. He also has a change, but in the bullpen, all he needs is that fastball and slider. He can be elite THIS YEAR in the pen. I could also see Dustin May in the bullpen THIS YEAR. He has excellent control at age 21 and only needs to use two pitches.
If Friedman swings a deal for a Daniel Hudson or Shane Greene or Amir Garrett, for lessor prospects, then I am fine. There is no guarantee that a Felipe Vasquez will get us a Championship. I have said it all year and will continue to say it.
I still think something strange will happen to, like Joc traded and Castellanos and Greene coming to the Dodgers…. Who knows?
By the way, Negron and White played a nice role last night. Can Ryu handle Coors? No, not the beer… the Stadium!
More from Dodger Talk
Dodgers Food Trailer
I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with Chef Mike, who runs the Dodgers Food Trailer for the Great Lakes Loons. They are there for every home and road regular season and playoff game. They prepare three meals a day for approximately 50 people (players and coaches). Since games end late most evenings, they do not prepare breakfast. Many of their hotels have a complimentary breakfast anyway. However,…
Meet LAD 2026 Draft Picks 1-12
3 picks were High School players (2 SS and 1 OF). There was a college OF, college catcher, college SS, and 10 college pitchers. Of all the talk for a need for a catcher, the only catcher the Dodgers selected was Luke Bard, son of LAD bullpen coach Josh Bard. Bard was a 4th year senior from Houston Christian University. He is not a prospect, so the Dodgers are still…
Interview with Paul Beachy – Team Bus Driver For The Great Lakes Loons (LA Dodgers Minor League Team)
It’s been a few days since I did this interview. We have evidently been working my son-in-law (the video guy) like a rented mule at US Water Systems. However, I am taking him to London with me in a few days, so maybe Watford will buy him a pint as a tip, but he’s a dang Red Sox fan, so there is that! I thought that it would be interesting…
Thanks for Your Service: Chris Taylor
I was going to do this post when Chris announced he was retiring, then he changed his mind, but since the chances of him ever playing for the Dodgers again are slim and non-existent, I will go ahead with this post. He unretired, went on the IL, then decided to call it quits on May 24th. Taylor was born in Virginia Beach VA on August 29th, 1990. He attended Great…
Discussion (258)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I’m with you Jorge
We have a bright future.
There’s no right answer here.
Let’s play the cards
I know it’s not a popular opinion but I’m actually glad we didn’t trade Lux, Ruiz, or May. I’ve seen them play live several times and I believe they will all be difference makers at the MLB level. AF has had several opportunities to trade Bellinger, Buehler, Urias, Seager & Verdugo and I’m glad he didn’t because they are a big part of the reason we are the best team in baseball. It’s pretty hard to argue with success.
Its a lot more fun to be a part of a team that is contending every year than one that occasionally makes a good showing. We’ve had the horses to win the race – they just didn’t perform. None of today’s trades are game changers. I still think we win it all this year.
What’s up with all of you? Everyone is talking as if the other teams have just won the world series this year and Dodgers have just lost it, why don’t we wait 2 more months and see what happens …
Lux starting at 2B tonight for OKC. Barnes catching after his 0-5 with 3 K’s the other night DHing.
The Braves today designated LHP Luiz Gohara for assignment. Could be an interesting target.
I don’t know how much he will hit, but Negron is definitely a defensive upgrade. In addition to the DP to end the game, Negron made a nice play earlier in the game.
I haven’t thought this through, but I’m wondering if there will be room on the team for Negron after Kike’ and CT3 return.
AC-I do not think Chargois, Floro and Garcia will be in the bull pen come play off time. I do not think there is much difference between the four Dodgers starters and the four Astro starters. In fact, I will take the Dodger starters. Just my opinion.
Our pen is fine. What me worry?
Forget Will the Thrill. Who is this Kris Negron guy?
Bluto, maybe I was right after all; this Negron guy is a stud!
Who was the Bum raggin’ on Verdugo? His brother reads here. He’s going to get you sucka!
I hereby borrow a moniker (long-gone) from someone else. He is now Will “The Thrill” Smith!
At least we didn’t trade Will Smith!
PRESS RELEASES:
DODGERS ACQUIRE IF JEDD GYORKO
LHP TONY CINGRANI & RHP JEFFRY ABREU TRADED TO ST. LOUIS
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that they have acquired infielder Jedd Gyorko, international cap space and cash considerations from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for left-handed pitcher Tony Cingrani and right-handed pitcher Jeffry Abreu.
Gyorko, 30, appeared in 38 games for the Cardinals, batting .198 (11-for-56) with two homers and seven RBI. He has spent parts of seven Major League seasons with the San Diego Padres and Cardinals, compiling a .246 (625-for-2540) batting average with 112 homers and 351 RBI. In his career, he is a .271 (185-for-683) hitter with 32 homers and 85 RBI against left-handed pitchers while amassing 80 round trippers against right-handers. The infielder was originally drafted in the second round by the San Diego Padres of the 2010 First Year Player Draft out of West Virginia University.
Cingrani, 29, was acquired at the trade deadline from the Cincinnati Reds on July 31, 2017 and went 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA (18 ER/42.0 IP) and 64 strikeouts in 52 games for Los Angeles. Cingrani has been in the Major Leagues for seven seasons, recording a 12-22 record with a 4.01 ERA (149 ER/334.2 IP) and 366 strikeouts in 216 appearances. The lefty underwent successful left shoulder surgery on June 5 and will miss the remainder of the 2019 season.
Abreu, 19, is 2-0 with a 4.66 ERA (10 ER/19.1 IP) and 24 strikeouts in six games (two starts) for the Arizona League Dodgers. The Dominican Republic native is in his second season with the organization and is a combined 2-2 with a 4.30 ERA (21 ER/44.0 IP) and 42 strikeouts.
DODGERS ACQUIRE LHP ADAM KOLAREK
OF NICO HULSIZER TRADED TO TAMPA BAY
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that they have acquired left-handed pitcher Adam Kolarek from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor league outfielder Niko Hulsizer.
Kolarek, 30, has appeared in 54 games for the Rays, recording a 5-4 record with a 3.95 ERA (19 ER/43.1 IP) and 36 strikeouts. In parts of three Major League seasons, he is a combined 6-3 with a 4.19 ERA (40 ER/86.0 IP) and 59 strikeouts, while limiting left-handed batters to a .209 (29-for-139) batting average. The southpaw was originally drafted by the New York Mets in 11th round of the 2010 First Year Player Draft out of the University of Maryland.
Hulsizer, 22, has split the season between Single-A Great Lakes and High-A Rancho Cucamonga, batting a combined .265 (78-for-294) with 20 homers and 67 RBI. He is in his second season with the organization, compiling 29 homers and 99 RBI in 131 minor league games. The Morehead State product was drafted in the 18th round of the 2018 First Year Player Draft by Los Angeles.
So now that we know who we’re going to October with, please correct me if I”m wrong:
Gavin Lux is way too good to trade for Felipe Vazquez, but not so good where he can’t be on the big league club and playing every day at 2b over Kristopher Negron. That tells me this Negron dude must be a stud!
Brock Stewart was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays. Rocky Gale was also dealt to TB for some pine tar.
Difference in philosophy. Astros give up Seth Beer (#3 ), J. B. Bukauskas (#4), and Corbin Martin (#5) for 2+ years for Greinke. Greinke now takes the spot of Brad Peacock in the Astros top 4 SP. Braves give up 21-year-old LHP Joey Wentz (#7 prospect) already in AA, for Shane Greene. And get Mark Melancon for RHP Tristan Beck (#17 prospect) and Dan Winkler RHRP. Dodgers give up Niko Hulsizer for Loogy Adam Kolarek. Dodgers are going with the philosophy that just get to the playoffs and hope everything goes right. Astros (and Braves) are going with “If not now, when?” Verlander/Cole/Greinke/Miley. Only Miley with a 3.05 ERA has an ERA north of 3.00. Their bullpen is better, and their offense is better. But the Dodgers will still be relevant in 2021. May not be good enough to win it all, but they will be relevant. They will eventually have to DFA a bunch of guys that will never play for LAD but had to have as “just in case”. They will also have 23 utility players because they love that versatility and depth. Gyorko and Kolarek. I feel better now. Even the Giants got better.
Verdugo loves Coors Field. Except on defense.
LA Thinking Men should close their twitter account.
Uh, sorry guys, we got it wrong. I blame them for everything.
Everyone can look on the bright side and spin this however they want, but this is a complete failure. All we can do is hope…
Kenley gets his mojo back
Kelly turns into Kelly from last year’s World Series
Baez can finally handle setup duties (pitching in the 7th today)
Ferguson is better than last year
Maeda is the 2017 version vs the 2018 version
Gonsolin and May are shut down guys out of the pen down the stretch run
All that can happen!?!?
Then everything will be fine. **sigh**
None of us know what other teams were asking for. I think the asking price for Vazquez was high. No one else bit either. Grienke and his high salary was never coming back. The pitching of Gosolin, Urias and Sadler last night made this a little easier to accept. We have 4 good starters in Kershaw, Ryu, Beuhler, and Urias. I think Hill, Maeda, and Stripling will go to the pen. We have internal options.
Very disappointing to me. But I do realize that the ownership, and by extension the front office of the Dodgers, is not that of the Astros, Cubs, Braves, even Yankees, though they did nothing, either. These teams want to win titles. The Dodgers want to be good, and make the playoffs, and make lots and lots of money.
I’m not saying that I really wanted Greinke, but I know that some Dodgers writers did. There was no way the Dodgers were going to pick up that contract, but the Astros did. Anthropolous picked up two pretty decent bullpen pieces for the Braves; we picked up none, unless you count Kolerko. Why didn’t we? Probably because we have a distinct propensity not to pick up any longer-term deals, nor to give up top prospects. The top franchises are willing to do that, to win now. We are not. We are looking to win at some point in the future, or maybe not even then, as long as we sell out the stadium.
As of this morning, the Dodgers were the favorites to win the title, mostly because the AL is tougher to get through. Tomorrow, the Astros will be the favorites to win their second title in three years. The Dodgers have little chance to get past them in the World Series, and I think that the Yankees are also better than we are, even with their starting pitching problems. And I would not at all be surprised if the Braves beat us in the playoffs, or even the Cubs. All we had to do to be the clear favorite was to pick up Vazquez, and we did not do it, because we valued the prospects more. Why was there no backup plan? Other teams wanted too many prospects? The player in question was more than a rental? I guess that the bottom line is that a few franchises are determined to give themselves every reasonable chance to win a title, and we are not. If we do not win the title once again, there will be a reason for it, as there usually is. We are what we are, under this ownership.
Did not get a decent bullpen arm. FO Terribly understimates the bullpen !! Kenley has been terrible and there is no true setup man on the team.
Joc is an all star quality hitter (vs. righties.)
We just picked up an all star quality pitcher (Kolarek vs. lefties)
We kept our best prospects. Not a bad day.