Hurry Up and Wait!

In case you have forgotten, here are the three starting pitchers rumored to be on the Dodger’s radar:

Yu Darvish

Last 14 Days: 7.36 ERA/1.148 WHIP
Last 28 Days: 7.20 ERA/1.467 WHIP
This year: 4.01 ERA/1.168 WHIP

Sonny Gray

Last 14 Days: 0.98 ERA/1.036 WHIP
Last 28 Days: 1.39 ERA/0.835 WHIP
This year: 3.43 ERA/1.175 WHIP

Justin Verlander
Last 14 Days: 3.26 ERA/1.034 WHIP
Last 28 Days: 4.60 ERA/1.432 WHIP
This year: 4.50 ERA/1.444 WHIP

When I look at the ages, innings and current records, I cannot see the Dodgers trading for Darvish or Verlander. Then there is Lance Lynn (a local boy who played right down the road from me – literally about 5 miles away).  Lynn would cost the least in terms of prospects, but he is coming off Tommy John Surgery and already has 120 innings.  How many will he be able to pitch?  Here’s his recent splits:

Last 14 Days: 0.98 ERA/0.927 WHIP
Last 28 Days: 1.17 ERA/0.913 WHIP
This year: 3.21 ERA/1.102 WHIP

Of the pitchers mentioned above, I would take Lance Lynn over Sonny Gray… if I thought he could pitch 200 innings.  Maybe he does a 15 day DL stint in August?  In 11 of his 21 starts, he has pitched 6 or more innings.  He’s a bulldog – that’s for sure.  I am not sure what the Cardinals would want, but like everyone else, they would ask for Buehler… and not get him!  Alvarez, Diaz and Farmer?  Not sure that would be what they want…

So, we just hurry up and wait.  I do know this:  If the Dodgers were to trade for another starter, they could be in a position to trade Maeda, McCarthy or Ryu – maybe even two of them.  It could be a 3-way deal – you never know with this bunch…

On one hand, we have the best record in baseball and and team chemistry is unbelievable.  On the other hand, this is the best team the Dodgers have had in 30 years.  Any trade made could impact the team adversely and getting a big name pitcher at the trade deadline is seldom the recipe for success.  So…. we wait!