It's Not the Drop-Dead Line
With a little over a week until the August 1st trade deadline, I do not believe that the Dodgers’ fortunes hinge upon getting a quality starter or two. I believe that the Dodgers’ fortunes turn upon what happens with their own pitchers. Of course, it would be nice to get another…
With a little over a week until the August 1st trade deadline, I do not believe that the Dodgers’ fortunes hinge upon getting a quality starter or two. I believe that the Dodgers’ fortunes turn upon what happens with their own pitchers. Of course, it would be nice to get another RH bat, but that is not essential. In fact, it is possible that the RH bat could already be in the Dodger’s system, namely Miguel Vargas or Jonny DeLuca. Either player could be just what the Doctor ordered down the stretch!
Many of you assume that because you trade for someone, they are going to help you. If you truly look at hitters that might be available, do you really have confidence that Dylan Carlson, Tyler O’Neill, Randall Grichuk, Kris Bryant are going to deliver the juice that makes the squeeze worthwhile? Lane Thomas looks to be the best of the bunch, but he has never performed in Hollywood in the past. Sometimes, the bright lights are too much for some players.
I am not saying that Andrew Friedman will not trade for a hitter. Shoot, Nolan Aernado is possible… if you want a huge overpay, but I do not see the Dodgers trading for a RH hitter that will be a huge difference maker. I also do not see a big difference maker in pitchers who are available. Giolitio is the best, but he has warts and is not the Prince the Dodgers might need. The rest of the bunch, except for Blake Snell (whom the Padres will not send to the Dodgers), are Frogs. I am not into kissing frogs! The Dodgers have the player collateral to trade, but should they?
I think the Dodgers Championship hopes hang on the following:
- Whether one of Miguel Vargas or Jonny DeLuca can be the RH bat the Dodgers desperately need;
- Whether Julio Urias can return to his form of previous years;
- Whether Tony Gonsolin can flash the form he did last year;
- Whether Thor can return and pitch like a #5;
- Whether Clayton Kershaw can return healthy and pitch like he did all season;
- Whether Bobby Miller can continue his growth and pitch like we know he can;
- Whether the bullpen can continue pitch as they have since June 20th – THE #1 BULLPEN IN BASEBALL!
- Whether one of Michael Grove or Gavin Stone can step up;
- Whether a couple of Shelby Miller, Jimmy Nelson, JP Feyereisen, Daniel Hudson, Blake Treinen, Walker Buehler, and Ryan Pepiot can return from the 60-day IL;
At their best, a rotation of Urias, Kershaw, Gonsolin, Miller, and Thor is potentially devastating. Not everything above needs to happen, but some of it does. There comes a point where you have to have confidence in and dance with the one who brought ya’!
JUST SAY NO TO DOPE-FIEND MOVES!
I believe that Andrew Friedman will make a move or two, but I also think it is something that none of us see coming. Who saw Mookie Betts? Friedman says that the Dodgers will be aggressive – do you actually believe that… or is he just driving up the cost of these players? Maybe a little of both! It’s posturing, that’s for sure!
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Discussion (106)
Disagree, not disagreeable
The only must to me is a RH OF. With Peralta, Outman, Heyward starting most games we need a dependable guy to start, pinch-hit, etc.
Yes starting pitching scary. And we can’t count on scoring all those runs in playoffs.
Spending prospects on a player who will be a free agent for a 3 month rental doesn’t seem like a good idea. Spending prospects to get Arenado would have a tremendous impact on the team and I believe that Andrew is trying to work it out. If it happens it won’t be until right before the deadline when the Cardinals decide they have gotten the best deal possible.
Nolan would stabilize and improve the infield and give us the right handed bat we need.
Go Andrew!
Our starting pitching is in shambles right now with way too many ifs in your analysis. In fact they’re all ifs! We need help and I believe AF will deliver. And you can’t really believe there’s any hope having Syndegaard pitch any more, unless it’s in Tulsa.
Noah Syndegaard was worse than bad (I’d think a 7+ ERA is worse than bad, but maybe others saw some promise in that).
Now, because we like to believe he might be better, therefore he will be better? This isn’t 2022, where we had the best record in baseball at the end of July with like a 10+ game lead on everybody. We’re only 4 games up on 2 teams and we can’t be giving starts away the last 2 months of the year because Syndegaard was good 8 years ago and we hope he’ll be good this year.
I’d rather go get someone who’s 1) better than Syndegaard, and 2) isn’t one of 3 straight rookies in our rotation.
Plus, if we do get to October, what do we have? 1) Kershaw, who’s ERA is double in the postseason than regular season, 2) Urias, who’s been a post season stud for us in the past but has had his worst year of his career to date, 3) Gonsolin, who hasn’t been great in October and hasn’t been great in 2 months, and then 3 rookies, Syndegaard and his 7 ERA???
We need someone who can pitch in October, on the road, in SF, or Cincy, or Atl, and not scare the hell out of us. Not all of our right handed starters in AAA and AA will be top of the rotation guys. 1-2 of them can be dealt for someone who will help this year.
Reds have put johnathan India on the trade market. Not a bad idea
Noah as a #5 would be ideal.
the only two RH bats that would be a sure fire upgrade (or at least as close as it gets) and who might be available are Robert from the White Sox and Arenado. In both cases it will have to be a overpay. How much of an overpay ?
That might be the million dollar question. Both guys are signed for couple more years and might be worth such an overpay if it has to be.
Pepiot, Stone, Pages, Busch, ? Would that be enough ?
Vargas batting average at OKC is sinking like the Titanic after a hot start. I have not much confidence he will be the answer.
DeLuca on the other hand is showing some signs he could be .
On the starting pitching side I agree with Mark. The answer probably are within what we already have.
I´d be okay with CK, JU; TG and BM as the 4 starters in the postseason. If Buehler would be good to go or Thor returning to his old ways (very unlikely IMHO) that would be a bonus.
I hope we get 1-2 high leverage bullpen arms . In the past we have seen that a overpowering bullpen will go a long way in the postseason. Especially when your starters are questionable to give you a quality start.
The Springsteen concert yesterday in Munchs Olympic Stadium was a blast (literally) . The Boss was at his very best. 3 hours of entertainment at the highest level, great weather. My personal highlight; The River . When he played the intro you could hear a pencil drop and then 70.000 voices singing along. What immortal lines from that song:
Is a dream a lie that don´t come true or is it something worse ?
Now those memories come back to haunt me, they haunt me like a curse.
Made me remember a love I had in the summer of 83 when I was 18 years old (exactly 40 years ago). I was so in love with a girl from our school and everything started out great but all of a sudden the girl did not return my calls and did not want to see me. I never asked her why and when we accidentally met a few times after we did not talk to each other again.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!
Mark,
That’s a lot of wishful thinking in your 9 bullet points. Obviously based on unknowns. I would add to it -Which Max Muncy will we see and can our age 30+ roster of hitters avoid the injury bug in second half.
“The market is still developing, as there are a number of teams still on the fence, but we expect that to crystallize more in the next week,” said Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations. “We will be aggressive in our efforts to add to this roster, and there are different obvious and potentially creative ways to do so.”
We always say we don’t know what AF is thinking or going to do. So now you have it!!
So continue opining your preferred trades. ‘Stand pat’ seems NOT to be his preferred choice.