I think every Dodger fan wants Teoscar Hernandez back. As we have talked about ad nauseum, there are market forces that could de-rail that. Then, it is time to punt and move to Plan B, which very well could be Luis Robert, Jr. He has All-Star potential and a M.A.S.H. unit injury history… but he’s just 27-years-old. If the Dodgers don’t sign Teoscar Hernandez in the next few days, I think they will move on to Robert, Jr.
The ChiSox have already gotten a top catching prospect (Teel) via trade, so Rushing is off the table. Emil Morales and Zyhir Hope, along with Kendall George, or even James Outman could get the job done. Don’t forget, I was pushing for Robert, Jr. this time last year, but 2024 was a terrible season for him. I guess we need to understand that playing for a team that loses 120 games must be demoralizing!
Since the Dodgers have Tommy Edman to play CF, maybe it would be more efficient on Robert, Jr. to play LF. Maybe that would help him avoid some of the injury problems he has had in the past. Luis is a Big Dude at 6′ 2″ and 230 pounds. He is definitely not in the “sevelte” category. Maybe CF is too much stress for a body like that! His contract is not guaranteed. He is owed $15 Million in 2025, but there are $2 Million Dollar Buyouts in 2025 and 2026, if he bombs out. Otherwise, he gets paid $20 Million in 2026 and 2027.
Would the Dodgers be better with Teoscar for 3 years at $75 Million or Robert, Jr. at 3 years and $55 Million? Think about it! Last year was a disaster for him, but he has a career .790 OPS and RVS and company could help him become an even stronger offensive force. In 2023, he hit 36 Doubles and 38 HR with an OPS of .857. His OB% was just .315 and he strikes out a lot, but he has won a Gold Glove, so he would be a defensive upgrade in LF.
I am re-warming up to Robert, Jr. and the fact that he is 6 years younger than Teoscar is noteworthy. Maybe this is the move we are waiting for. Let’s look at the lineup:
- Ohtani DH (L)
- Betts SS (R)
- Freeman 1B (L)
- Robert, Jr. LF (R)
- Muncy 3B (L)
- Smith C (R)
- Lux 2B (L)
- Conforto/Pages RF (L-R)
- Edman CF (B)
Nice Balance – a lot of swing and miss at #4 and #5, but a lot of power too!
David Bote was a nice pickup in case of injury. I’m sure he has an “opt-out” in June or July. He can play 2B and 3B as well as 1B and SS in a pinch. He’s better at 2B than 3B.
I have a feeling that Andrew Friedman has a trick or two up his sleeve in an effort to get Roki Sasaki!
Discussion (20)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I’d be shocked if they gave up on Crow-Armstrong after less than 400 MLB at bats.
His lifetime minor league batting line is .296./.368/.515/.883. We know full well that sometimes guys don’t carry good minor league stats to the majors, but he’s only 22 and doesn’t cost anything in salary. He’s good enough defensively that he moved Belli out of CF. He isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
He has played very little LF, but I am sure he could learn…
I’m OK with him for two years.
But, if I were the Cubs, I would trade Pete Crow-Armstrong to someone who wants a great defensive CF’er who can’t hit and do this:
LF – Happ
CF – Bellinger
RF – Tucker
DH- Suzuki
If he doesn’t like it, he can sign somewhere else in two years.
Add in Busch, and Swanson and you have some pretty good offense. They need a 3B!
Suzuki hit DH nearly as much as he played the field last year.
Remember the other injury prone outfielder we had ( AJ Pollack)? I used to call him glassman. He broke every time he touched the wall. He worked out alright. If Luis Roberts Jr becomes a Dodger, the Dodger training staff will whip him into shape plus they will play him in LF not CF. 2023 was a very strong year for him and I can see him getting back into those kind of numbers. I prefer Teo for two years plus an option but I’m sure he’s going to get higher offers elsewhere. I can hear the same people that want him at all costs now complaining about him in being a liabilty on defense in a few years. I have trust in Dodger management but I’m hoping to resolve this soon.
“The Dodgers and right-hander Matt Sauer have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The Paragon Sports International client also receives an invite to major league spring training.
Sauer, 26 in January, got to make his major league debut in 2024. The Royals used the second pick of the Rule 5 draft to grab him from the Yankees a year ago. He held a roster spot for a while but allowed 14 earned runs in 16 1/3 innings, leading to a 7.71 earned run average. He gave out 11 walks while only recording nine strikeouts. The Royals returned him to the Yankees before the end of May.
The Yanks then sent him to Triple-A, a level he had never pitched at before, but he struggled there as well. He allowed 15 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings, so the Yanks sent him down to Double-A. He finished the season there on a high note, throwing 24 innings over 17 relief appearances with a 2.63 ERA, 22.3% strikeout rate, 3.2% walk rate and 46.4% ground ball rate”.
maybe ole Juan is more like machado and tatis than everyone thought! Steve Cohen just bought himself a 15 year old contract which will end up being a disaster!! if the mets don’t win at least 3 championships in the next few seasons he will regret this deal forever! Not disputing his ability to hit a baseball, disputing his long term value. Ohtani’s contract ? the endorsements , merchandise,the international market, no comparison! …. Anyone know exactly what Teo is asking for in a new deal? I’ve heard no deferrals is one condition. …. so mookie asked for the shortstop job. why would lux be shopped then? is it possible mookie moves back to 2nd if Freeland gets a shot at short? Maybe they want to give Gavin one more shot at the job. A full season healthy to prove he’s the guy. But there’s still the question whether he can hit lefties. Are they intrigued by Bote? A future platoon? …. I agree with you Mark, Conforto is not the everyday left fielder. i’m just wondering who will be!
Interesting read on the final portion of the Soto contract negotiations and how it came down to Soto asking for a suite for his family at Yankee Stadium.
https://flip.it/bb8F_C
I like it. Suzuki had a great year, but the Cubs are dealing from a position of strength. The Sox not so much. Roberts value is as low as it’s going to be. 3 years younger and 3 years of control. He could be had for a song and a dance. Suzuki will cost the whole gymnasium. I would love either one. But find me a 2nd baseman before trading Lux.
Book em
Hi Bluto…..how’s the hangover? At least when I drank too much I just told everybody I loved them.
Getting Robert Jr. would be buying low. Suzuki OPS 848 in 24 would be buying high. Mark’s comment was sarcasm, duh. Not moronic. And I think you have reverse splits on having good takes.
Book em
“Freddie Freeman was responsible for one of the most memorable moments in Los Angeles Dodgers postseason history when he hit a walk-off grand slam against the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.
The ball landed in the right-field pavilion and was retrieved by 10-year-old Zachary Ruderman, who attended the game with his parents. It was up for bidding from Dec. 4-14 through SCP Auctions in Southern California and sold for an impressive $1.56 million”.
Among all of the Dodgers’ contracts, Taylor’s is probably the toughest to trade. So I don’t see him factoring into a deal for Belli or Suzuki.
FWIW, I’d prefer Suzuki to Belli. In ’24, he hit to an .848 OPS, including an OBP above .360. Belli, meanwhile, had an OPS of .751 with an OBP of .325. Belli does bring a lot more defensive value–which I expect will benefit the Yankees.
Taylor still has UT value to the Dodgers, but he just hasn’t performed up the 4-year, $60 million deal he signed in ’22. The Dodgers would probably have to eat most of the $13 million owed for ’25. Unless Taylor has an amazing season, the club won’t exercise the option it has for ’26.
Lux, in contrast, should be an attractive trade chip. Spotrac estimates his ’25 contract at $2.7 million, and he’s under team control through ’26. At 27, he’s seven years younger than Taylor. Still some upside in his game.
If you ran the Cubs, which player would you want?
Could a deal be built around Lux and Suzuki? Perhaps. (The Cubs are talking about dealing Hoerner and could plug Lux into 2B.) How about Lux + a choice of Outman or Pages….or maybe a pitching prospect.
Right now Mookie’s desire to play SS and not 2B in ’25 may be the only thing keeping him on the Dodgers. Mookie seems very likely to shift to 2B within a couple of seasons, possibly this one. The Dodgers reportedly tried to deal Lux to the Brewers for Devin Williams. He is certainly being shopped around.
There’s as much of a chance of the Dodgers trading for Robert Jr. as there was for a signing of Soto.
Zero point zero.
The Dodgers know what they are doing, I trust them. https://dodgerstailgate.com/dodgers-brewers-lux-williams-rumors/2024/12/15/
Wow Mark. Damn good article. I would trigger that deal in a heartbeat! Everyone here knows I was pumping up Bo and Luis well before the trade deadline. The reason being is that AF
Is epic at buying low and selling high. The White Sox might want to reestablish value but Andrew will school them with one less year of control will hurt the Soxs. Luis will have to have a monster year to recoup trade value so checkmate Andrew. As for Bichette, that ship has sailed. He has one year of control left after a down year. The Dodgers are loaded whether we get Robert Jr. or not.
Book em
I prefer Bellinger at CF and in two years, when he leaves, Z. Hope should be ready to take over the position.
CT3 must be included in the negotiation with the Cubs. The Dodgers will have to sign Kiké (.274 avg with glasses) for him and Edman to be the UT players.
LF Conforto, CF Bellinger, RF Pagés, all three can hit 20HR and 75 RBI. Time will tell if a platoon is needed, if so, then: Conforto/Kiké and Pagés/Edman.
LF Kiké, CF Belli, RF Pagés vs L and LF Conforto, CF Edman, RF Belli vs R
Plan B doesn’t have to be Robert Jr.
It could also be Suzuki from the Cubs. With their trade for Tucker, he’s now left being a DH and he supposedly doesn’t like that.
Great piece. I hear what you’re saying on Robert Jr. Perfect three year window with team-friendly opt-outs. Also agree Bote can be useful. And that pitching staff looks monster, maybe Gonsolin traded mid-year.
I plea for patience. The Dodgers lineup is deep with or without Roberts. I saw on another site that a site called “trade simulators” had the Dodgers Bobby Miller and Roberts as a straight up trade. The roster we have now is good enough to win the World Series, if we can improve it, go for it. As I’ve suggested in the past, when dealing in a position of strength one can afford to be patience.
Whoever posted the playoff pitching staff that they hope for in the playoffs and didn’t include Kershaw should be kicked (not real hard) in the shins.
I agree with your take today. Teo signs with us in the next few days or we need to move on to Roberts. Roberts has a lot of Power and is a much better defender.
I read where the Dodgers wants Teo to defer money and he refuses. If we can get Roberts without giving up much of the Farm,, I’m in. How long does AF and BG wait on Teo?