It s ALMOST Time!

I wrote that sentence, and I appreciate the discussion of this “meta issue” in baseball. How do you best build to win a title? I would say, have a corps of young talent from your own system, and then supplement with key veteran pieces from the outside, via free agency or trade. But of course this is all abstract, and the actual concrete details can always be debated.

I appreciate that the Dodgers have built a strong minor league system. I agree with you that trying to win a title through mostly outside acquisitions either fails, or briefly succeeds, but depletes the roster. But we do see how a timely and even somewhat risky or pricey acquisition such as Verlander in 2017 and Greinke this year, can get you over the top. As I’ve noted, the Yankees have also added a number of outside pieces . With regard to Stanton, this could have been a mistake, but the price was actually pretty low, and he did hit 50 HRs last year, and might well bounce back to hit hundreds more. And somehow even with him being out for the whole season, and with all the other early injuries they’ve had, the Yankees still have a very powerful team, probably second only to the Astros. The Dodgers are probably third, with the Braves, which have a very aggressive GM, and who have added a number of players, perhaps fourth. I don’t follow the Twins at all, and they are the below the radar team which obviously is pretty strong, though I doubt that they will win the AL. The Cardinals have rebuilt, and look to be very good going forward.

Obviously, to win the title, you need to either be the best team, or somehow catch fire in the playoffs to beat those which have more overall talent. If the Dodgers can do this their way, it would be gratifying. But my opinion is that each year there are one or two teams which take the risks that the Dodgers refuse to take, and who win the tittle, while the Dodgers are always looking to next year, counting their profits, and and piling up cost-controlled prospects.

Interestingly, I think that the Guggenheim Group pulled a bait and switch on Dodgers fans. When they took over, they wanted to immediately restore the declining fan base, and also to get that multibillion dollar TV deal. So they spent big from the outset. They gave Kemp and Ethier contracts which were too big and too long. Kasten told the other teams that we were willing to buy up long-term contracts from them. They let Colletti make the deal which saddled the Dodgers will the bloated contracts of Gonzalez and Crawford. They traded for Ramirez. They picked up Greinke. Kasten said that people didn’t understand what the long term plan was, and that they would see. And sure enough, once they got the TV deal, they stopped doing that. They never again signed a major free agent to a long-term expensive deal. They let Greinke go via the opt-out clause which Kasten, who says he will never give anyone a no-trade clause, somehow allows. They passed on Scherzer, Sale, Stanton, Cole, Harper. They did not go after Goldschmidt, whom I wanted to try for. Passed on Britton, LeMahieu, did not even give Keuchel a look. I’m not saying that all of these would have been feasible additions, but maybe a few of them? Actually, the extension they gave Kershaw might have been better used, but of course there was fan loyalty and sentimentality involved.

No organization does whatever a given fan or the entire fanbase wants. It is just my opinion that the Dodgers, which make a lot of money, are not as committed to building the strongest team to win it all, the way that the Astros and Yankees are. And then you always have to contend with an organization like the Red Sox or maybe now the Braves, which will take a big plunge to try to win it all in a given year. Now, they may fall back after that, but that doesn’t necessarily help the Dodgers, because it just makes it harder for us to win that year, and next year it might be someone else stepping up. Finally, I do think that the Astros and Yankees are the best teams this season, they have built the best rosters. We would only have to play one of them, but if the goal is actually to win the title, one better team is all that it takes to prevent you.

I’m in your camp Mark with regard to wanting a team that’s very competitive every year and taking my chances with a WS victory. That said, we may be in the minority as I think a most fans would give up any future success to finally win the Grand Prize. That feeling is wonderful for the year you win, but if you descend into the depths after you win, those years with crummy teams to root for are absolute hell.

The Dodgers are built for regular season competitiveness. And Friedman built them that way on purpose. The Dodgers have some pretty exceptional young players that need to learn, or be taught, to take the team on their shoulders and do the heavy lifting in the PS. To win in the PS everything needs to come together. Pitching, defense and scoring runs. Only the players can do this. They need to step up to the next level of elite MLB performers. Will they? Only time will tell. It’s the old crappy saying again. We Shall See. WSS for short.

Flip the switch? Pardon me while I LOL. Not that I’m not hoping (praying even?) that they can do that. History says nyet.

I’m ready for beast mode and I am ready for Larry Sherry and Chuck Essegian. Maeda and Beaty could be the 2019 versions of Larry and Chuck.

To do or not do free agent Rendon this off season could tell us more about Friedman and his philosophy on free agents. It’s not that he won’t go after Rendon but whether he can get him for the right number of years. The Dodgers still need a strong righty bat and not one that switch hits.

I’m liking Ferguson and Maeda in the bullpen for the playoffs. Kelly too if he has legs. They could be the stars of the playoff bullpen.