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!
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Discussion (258)
Disagree, not disagreeable
It would not surprise me to see Joc and Stripling traded today or this winter. Both need a reset. Stripling is a starter and will help another club. Joc needs a reset and Doc criticism did not help. He is not a first baseman. He belongs in the outfield.
I am with you guys that Mitchell White can be traded. Keep DJ Peters.
Gosolin and Sadler looked good last night. They had good command of the strike zone. Giving up a few runs at Coors Field is not a knock on any pitcher. Our bull pen is well rested for today’s game. I would certainly keep Gosolin and Sadler and let them pitch themselves on or off the team. Garcia and others have had all year to prove themselves and have not proven to be good.
I will agree that Ruiz could be something really great and a player that could haunt us for years if traded. On the other hand if the Dodgers need Vasquez for the next 4 years then obviously we have to give quality to get quality. Tough decision for Friedman.
For some reason I am anxious to add Ian Kennedy to the bullpen. Jansen, Baez, Maeda, Kennedy would be a good core four. Hill is on his way. Ferguson may still make a big contribution this year.
A rotation of Kershaw, Ryu, Buehler, Urias, Gonsolin to get the Dodgers to the postseason could be fun to witness. It would also be fun if May got a few starts to delay Urias entry into the rotation.
Maybe Kennedy could be substituted for Floro, Garcia, Chargois if Kennedy’s host team eats some of his salary.
We all now Joc got off to a hot start and has cooled. But this is Verdugo’s line for July: 208 .262 .351 .613
I say no Ryu cannot. He relies on pinpoint control of breaking stuff which sometime impossible up there. Same problem with Bueler not getting any break on curveball
Ruiz could be great. He could be good. Maybe he just becomes a really solid catcher for 15 years, which is still awesome.
Felipe Vazquez is great now. In fact, he might be the best late inning option in baseball. And he’s cheap. And he’s young. And he’s controllable for 4 years. And he fills a much bigger need on the 2019 Dodgers, who need to win the World Series or it’s a failure of a year, than Keibert Ruiz.
In my mind, it’s a no brainer. Elite talent will cost you. Elite talent that’s elite MLB talent NOW vs. elite talent that may become elite MLB talent in 2022 is more important to the 2019 Dodgers.
Sorry Keibert, I wish you well, but you might need to be sacrificed for a World Series title. As Kobe said “ship his ass out!” Bring us a ring AF!!
Gonsolin just pitched his way out of getting traded. Just one game, I’m not ready to call him the solution to our crappy bullpen. We still need a closer and a lefty and Abreu, unless Casty wants to play 1B.
A agree that we’ll probably see a trade that no one expected. I’ve been saying that for some time now. Unfortunately, White and Negron fit that description.
Very sad to be a Rockies pitcher. Last year Freeland was the Ace, the year before that Gray was. Then Gray sucked, now he’s the Ace again and Freeland sucks. Hopefully they continue this trend.
Today should be a busy day now that some big names have been traded, there should be some more.
The Giants lost last night and they’re one game over 500. Farhan’s got to be pretty pissed off right now because he know that his team has no chance to compete in the post-season and now he’s being handcuffed trying to restock the cupboard.
Still think there is a chance that a player or two in the top 10 get traded, but can’t see Ruiz getting moved unless it’s for Vasquez. Gonsolin looked really good last night. Not sure we should even pursue Vasquez if there is no clear indication that the Pirates would actually move him. By now Friedman pretty much should know where the Dodgers stand. Greene and a good lefty, maybe a Garrett, who throws a pretty mean left hook, would be fine. Not sure the Reds really want to part with him. But there a couple of other lefties out there who would fit. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Joc move, probably would be best for him. Just doesn’t have a position. The rise of Matt Beatty may play into that too.
Yeah, we have 2 catchers, 3 starting pitchers, and 3 middle infielders in our top 10. We need one of those SPs to join Urias in the rotation next year and Lux at 2B. So 5 guys in our top 10 are expendable. Maybe you say May and Gonsolin are both keepers last night because Gonsolin can help out in the pen. That still makes White, Busch, Downs, Gray and Ruiz expendable.
Let’s make a deal!
I suspect by the close of the trading deadline the Dodgers will have acquired one of Greene, Iglesias, Kela or Vasquez. I would also not be surprised to see Joc included in a deal as well. I wonder if we’ll see a blockbuster involving Syndergard or Bumgarner.
I just hope we can get better without having to give up Ruiz, May, Peters, Lux or Gonsolin, but to get Vasquez one of the five may have to go.
Amir Garrett is one crazy dude. Did anyone see him charge into that group of Reds without any thought for his own safety? He is the answer for anyone who throws pitches at Turner. This guy will have your back come hell or high water. Puig is a choir boy next to him. A lost boy.
Great deal Cleveland got in spite of Puig.
Again, no reason to wait till next year to bring Gonsolin, May, and Lux into eye of the storm. We got needs, they got the goods. Prove me wrong. Strap ’em on, FO and let’s get this party started.
Rancho’s Andre Jackson, potential trade chip, has 103.2 IP of 2.95 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 123 K l. His repertoire showcases a FB that touches 98 and put away CB and
Developing change.
Another potential name for today from RC is SP Gerardo Carrillo, Dodgers #23 prospect, headlines his arsenal with a 92-96 FB that touches 98. He is also working up a CB, SL, and CH.
What Bobby said.
It’s so hard to evaluate players who have just come up from the minors. I can’t say that I know what Gonsolin or Sadler, or certainly any of the ones who have not yet come up, would do in a career. I do know that Dodgers ans are apt to overreact on the positive side to a very new player. Maybe fans of all clubs do that, but I know it has happened here for decades. Somebody comes up, pitches well for a game or two, or gets a few hits, and people are thrilled. We cannot trade them! Mostly, we do not, and mostly these players either fizzle out, or regress to a more ordinary level. How many relief pitchers have we tried in the last three seasons or so, who ended up becoming almost useless? Put another way, which relievers have we brought up in that period who became valuable additions? I could say none, or maybe Baez, if we stretch it. Which starters have recently come up from our minors to star here? Buehler, that’s it. So maybe we are overrating our minor league pitching talent?
At this point, I am about ready to shrug and say, just keep all the prospects, see how it turns out. The Dodgers seem so risk-averse, or maybe it is spending-averse, that why urge them to go against their grain? I would love to get Vazquez, but as usual, they seem to be finding reasons not to do it, because maybe they would trade away someone who will turn out to be good! So shuffle around with some more minor league trades, hope that none of our main rivals obtain any really good players, and see what happens in the playoffs. And if we lose again, at least we will have all the prospects to look forward to? Now, the way I see it, we do not need two starting catchers, so pick the best one, and trade the other one. As to Gavin Lux, I will defer to the experts on talent, but I hope he has the makings of a perennial All-Star, for us to absolutely refuse to consider him in a trade. I would take an experienced and star reliever for a few years, over a second baseman, unless the latter were an almost can’t-miss player, who could hit at least .290 with power, and field very well. Anything less, well, you can obtain that in the free agent market, unless of course you are averse to looking there.
Prediction: Vazquez to Dodgers for Ruiz and Gray, but look for this trade to expand to include additional pieces going each way.
Lot’s of good stuff on MLB.com right now. Thor is off the block. They’re really high on Lux. “if you watch him play, the way he looks and the way he moves you can tell he’s going to be a star for the next 10 years, no way you trade him for a bullpen piece.”
Coming up, Gammons says help to the Dodgers pen is on the way.
I would take Amir Garrett as well. If he’s suspended 10 games, who cares. If we can play Joc at 1b because of our huge lead, we can let Garrett rest his arm for a week or 2.
I really do not think Vazquez is coming. I think putting two closers in the bull pen is not going to work. Jansen will be pissed off and players will choose sides. We may get someone less than Vazquez and that will be fine with me.
I am not worried about Verdugo. He has hit some pretty good balls right at people. He is a rookie, and Joc is not. Joc throughout his history has been hot and cold. To often after the all star game he cools off.
Rosenthal says Vazquez in play.
Gammons says Lux will be the captain some day, he’s not going anywhere.
Dodgers are focused on Vazquez.
Cey, Russell, Lopes, Garvey to Hoase, Seager, Lux, Bellinger
Peters will join that infield in the outfield.
Smith and one of the 4 other awesome catching prospects joins that team at catcher.
Just need two outfielders to round out that future team and I am not sure Verdugo is one of them. And, no, Joc isn’t either.
How much does the fact that Dodgers currently have a good young catcher in Smith and the 17 year old Diego Cartaya in their future pipeline, influence their decision on whether or not to include Ruiz in a deal?
I’d do Ruiz and Gray and some other pieces for Vazquez in a heartbeat. It’s never gonna be more favorable for Dodgers to get to WS than this year and he gives us a great chance to finish the job against Astros or Yanks!
DODGERS ACTIVATE RHP DYLAN FLORO
RHP TONY GONSOLIN OPTIONED TO TRIPLE-A OKLAHOMA CITY
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that they have activated right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro from the 10-day injured list and optioned right-handed pitcher Tony Gonsolin to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Floro, 28, returns from the injured list after missing 10 games with neck inflammation. The former Cal State Fullerton Titan is 4-3 with a 4.11 ERA (16 ER/35.0 IP) and 30 strikeouts in 37 games this season. The righty made one rehab appearance with High-A Rancho Cucamonga, tossing 1.0 inning with two hits and one strikeout on Friday night. In 66 games since joining the Dodgers, Floro is 7-4 with a 3.02 ERA (21 ER/62.2 IP) and 61 strikeouts.
Gonsolin, 25, has appeared in two games in two stints for the Dodgers, recording his first career save last night after tossing 4.0 innings of one-run baseball with three strikeouts against the Colorado Rockies. He has accumulated 8.0 innings, allowing seven runs (five earned) with six strikeouts for the Dodgers. With Triple-A Oklahoma City, he has made 12 starts, posting a 1-4 record with a 4.95 ERA (20 ER/36.1 IP) and 41 strikeouts.
As long as Verdugo is around, the Dodgers have a ready made replacement for Bellinger in RF. And they have multiple candidates (both minor and major league) for LF.
I actually don’t agree that RF is more important than 1B. I have always considered 1B to be the anchor of the infield. A gold glove caliber first baseman is an invaluable asset. Yes, you can always find someone to plug in at 1B, but as we’ve seen with Joc, that’s not always a no brainer. Muncy is at the very least, adequate at 1B. But there are things that Belly can do that Muncy could never dream of doing.
Don’t care what anyone says about Belli in right our overall team defense is best when he’s at first and Verdugo in center!
3 more hours, when’s the $hit gonna start flying?
“If the Dodgers win the division for the 7th straight time and lose the WS again, Great, they’re the Buffalo Bills! – Harold Reynolds.