Many fans are talking about 28-year-old (soon to be 29) Luke Raley and how well he is doing with the Rays. Yes, Luke is doing very well this year, OPS’ing .9047and playing LF, RF, and 1B. He played three years in college and six years in the Dodgers Farm System. Of course, you cannot keep all of the players due to Rule 5, so in an effort to at least get something in return for him, the Dodgers traded him to the Rays for Tanner Dodson, the 100 MPH flamethrower outfielder converted pitcher. Dodson is a “project” – already 26 years old, he is likely a year or two away from the bigs (if he can ever control his throws). He is 4-4 this season with a 2.96 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP, as he has pitched 24 innings, allowing 20 hits, 19 strikeouts, and 14 walks.
Tanner Dodson was the best they could get for Luke Raley. There are likely a lot of Luke Raley’s in the Dodgers’ Farm System. These are guys who do not get it immediately, and finally… after several years and maybe multiple teams, they put it all together. I am happy for Luke Raley, but he was just another LH bat, and they had to trade him or likely lose him. Tanner Dodson may also be of that same ilk, and he may become a high-leverage reliever at 28 or 29.
NOTES: Julio Urias and Daniel Hudson are both set to be activated at the end of June or the first couple of days of July. That should help the pitching staff immensely.
Down on the Farm
OKLAHOMA CITY
- Landon Knack did not fare well in his first AAA start – Let’s just say that his 10.13 ERA sums it all up.
- OTOH, Gus Varland, whom the Brewers sent back to LA under Rule 5, is flourishing in the bullpen with a 2.84 ERA. He’s not a high-leverage option but could be a multi-inning guy.
TULSA
- Diego Cartaya continues to struggle – he is still hitting .210. Puzzling – Is this the real Diego or just a blip?
- Jose Ramos hit his 13th HR and has 42 RBI with a .278 BA and .857 OPS. He is mostly playing CF.
Trainwreck
Right about now, that is what the Dodgers are. This story will unfold in time. This is a playoff team, no matter how you want to mock me. This, too… shall pass! Remember, a month ago, most of you wanted David Peralta gone. Not that he is the greatest player ever, but he is hitting .276 on the season and, in the last 15 games, is at .435. So make fun of me all you want. I will come back with a vengeance! It would be nice if Vargas starts hitting, and I believe he will. There is a lot of baseball to be played! Why am I so confident in Vargas? Dino Ebel sums it up, “Miguel Vargas is the hardest-working player on the team.” James Outman is also adjusting by cutting down on his swing and trading power for more hits. The power will come back… give it time. Vargas needs to sit a couple of games to clear his head. The good news is that his defense is very good.
“The roster is not very good!” “This is not a playoff team.” Yada, Yada, Yada! Every year I hear the S.O.S. about how the Dodgers won’t win (and when I say win, I mean to make the playoffs). Once you get there, it’s a crapshoot anyway. This team will make the playoffs, and I will rub your snotty little noses in it. 😉 Watch and learn. Nine years running, I have been right. This will make 10.
Discussion (66)
Disagree, not disagreeable
06/20/23 Los Angeles Dodgers sent RHP Phil Bickford on a rehab assignment to Oklahoma City Dodgers.
06/20/23 Los Angeles Dodgers sent RHP Jimmy Nelson on a rehab assignment to Oklahoma City Dodgers.
06/20/23 Los Angeles Dodgers sent RHP Daniel Hudson on a rehab assignment to Oklahoma City Dodgers.
Veteran outfielder David Dahl has signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers, according to Triple-A communications director Alex Freedman (Twitter link). He’s joining their top affiliate in Oklahoma City.
Just read the Andre Jackson, after yo-yoing between OKC and LA for quite a while, has been DFA’d.
Is it OK to call him a “trade chip” now? Certainly some team out there will offer a prospect for him.
It’s kind of sad. Jackson was understandably thrilled when he opened the season on the 26-man roster, and it looked like he might be the pen’s “long man.” But now he’s the odd man out. I hope he has a soft landing.
I was at tonight’s game with my 13-year-old son, a southpaw studying two favorites from afar. Quite a duel. Detmers outpitched Kershaw–had more Ks, gave up fewer hits–but baseball, like life, is not fair.
I don’t think we fans see all the camera angles. From what was shown on the big screen, I didn’t see how the replay could overturn the call at home. Didn’t look like enough evidence –but perhaps another angle was clear. And Dodgers also caught a break on Busch’s bad hop single.
True pleasure watching the hall of famer. Kershaw deserves all the accolades for everything he has done on and off the field. I hope we have not pissed him off and he finishes his career in Texas.
I am hopeful his yearly injury does not pop up, we need him desperately to take down innings, and end slides. If Julio comes back strong, Hudson regains his form, and we get three other pen pieces to perform well we can still win the division.
I agree with Mark this team is going to the playoffs and I am not sold on us being worse then the Giants, Dbacks or Padres.
Great performance by Clayton Kershaw! Another gutty outing especially in the 7th inning after two soft hits put runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs!
Clayton continues to be the best reason to watch the Dodgers. True hall of fame performance!
Good for Michael Busch. Sometimes a team needs a break like that.
Busch made some nice picks at third also
The awaited Dodgers reign of terror has begun. Mark these words.
Phillips’ slider was extra-crispy tonight. Un-hittable.
Whew! !!!!!!
Cant wait to see if the Dodgers can bring Otani home. He’s great to watch.
Busch somehow turned the baseball into a rubber ball with that crazy hop. Weird.
Mookie 3Ks so far and foul out this game
Justin Turner red hot lately
Kershaw, what a warrior
Maybe he can inspire our offense
I said a long time ago that Andre Jackson is nothing more than a trade chip (and got crap for saying it). It turns out he’s worse than that being DFA.
3 runs in the last 25 innings this $hit is hurting my head
Just a painful learning curve for our rookies! So far, wasting a beauty by Kersh
Detmers has way too good of stuff to have the era that he has. Outside of Trout and Ohtani that is a very weak Angel lineup. Can’t believe Ohtani would want to stay in Anaheim.
I was in an area today and my car radio could only pickup the bay area stations. The Giant fans and sports radio host actually think the Giants are the third best team in baseball this year. How that happen. I know yasekrimski and Crawford and Pederson they went over there lineup and bullpen and were like dodgers nope were better then Rockies were better Diamondbacks we are better then them and the Padres we see we can play with them this year and not scared. They looked at the west division and go oh yea were third best team in majors. Um there’s a team in Tampa pretty good Orioles came in and sweeped the Giants at home then Brewers at pretty good I just can’t stand bay area sports talks it’s all Giants world series niners Superbowl and warriors oh yeah they will be back um don’t they play in the same league as Denver it’s like they forget that there’s other teams to talk about. Wait they never talked about the Sharks today. See when they win there terrible the next day drives me nuts.
I hope I wake up tomorrow seeing a victory but can I be honest here…I would be shocked if we do. But hope is a powerful force.
Vargas slightly opening his batting stance.
My son will be at the game tonight. I couldn’t go. I have to be up at 4:30 am tomorrow.
Let’s hope this is where they start turning it around.
Amidst the losing and injuries(?), AF lets 4 rookies audition for more playing time. This is fun!
DODGERS SELECT RYAN BRASIER
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Ryan Brasier and optioned left-handed pitcher Bryan Hudson to Triple-A. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated right-handed pitcher Andre Jackson for assignment.
Brasier, 35, joins the Dodgers after signing a minor league contract on June 4. He made two appearances with the Oklahoma City Dodgers, tossing three scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Prior to joining the Dodgers, he made 20 appearances with the Boston Red Sox, going 1-0 with a 7.29 ERA (17 ER/21.0 IP) and 18 strikeouts. He has been in the Major Leagues parts of seven seasons with Los Angeles-AL (2013) and Boston (2018-23) and he is combined 7-8 with a 4.45 ERA (108 ER/218.1 IP) and 218 strikeouts in 229 games. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the sixth round of the 2007 First Year Player Draft out of Weatherford College.
Hudson, 26, made his Major League debut on Saturday night, allowing three runs on four hits in 2.0 innings against the San Francisco Giants. He is 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA (7 ER/29.0 IP) and 51 strikeouts in 25 games for Oklahoma City this season. He is a combined 36-27 with a 4.24 ERA (229 ER/486.0 IP) and 419 strikeouts in 175 career minor league games (72 starts). He was drafted by the Cubs in the third round of the 2015 First Year Player Draft out of Alton High School (IL).
Andre Jackson DFA’d.
Four rookies in the lineup!
Fingers crossed….
10:07 PM ET
Dodgers (39-33)
Angels (41-33)
SP Clayton Kershaw L
8-4 2.95 ERA
SP Reid Detmers L
1-5 4.48 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
DH J. Martinez R
2B M. Vargas R
LF Jonny DeLuca R
CF James Outman L
SS Miguel Rojas R
3B M. Busch L
Clear-day
0%
70° Wind 7 mph Out
Change of subject…..
Anybody besides me get excited to see Giants comeback win over the Pads last night? I know many here see Giants as #1 enemy, but not me. Pads easily win that honor for me in the West. They have players I like to root against much more….Machado, Soto, Tatis. There really isn’t a Giant player that gets me excited in a bad way.
I was surprised SD didn’t roll out Hader in the 9th inning up 4-2. I know he pitched the day before, but he only threw 12 pitches. I was looking to see if he is injured or some other excuse, but couldn’t find one.
And to see Arizona kill Brewers 9-1 in Milwaukee …..could they really be for real? Hmmm
Houston Mitchell has a great Newsletter today:
On May 19, the Dodgers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-0. Tony Gonsolin pitched five innings of one-hit ball. Four relievers combined to hold the Cardinals to one hit over the final four innings. It appeared the Dodgers were on their way to another 100-victory season. They were 29-17 and increased their NL West lead to a season-high 3 1/2 games.
Here are the NL West standings since that game:
Arizona, 19-9
San Francisco, 19-9
San Diego, 15-12
Dodgers, 10-16
Colorado, 10-20
Overall, the Dodgers are now in third place in the NL West, 4 1/2 games behind Arizona and a game behind the Giants. They are on pace to win 88 games. If the season had ended Monday, they would have made the playoffs as the final wild-card team, but are only one game ahead of Philadelphia for that “honor.”
On Friday, they pulled Emmet Sheehan, making his first major league start, after six no-hit innings while leading 4-0. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the bullpen blew it, and the Dodgers lost 7-5 in 11 innings.
On Saturday, Bobby Miller returned to earth as they lost to the Giants, 15-0, at home, the Dodgers’ worst home shutout loss in, let me check my notes … history.
On Sunday, Gonsolin just didn’t have it, giving up all seven runs in a 7-3 loss, meaning the Dodgers were outscored 29-8 in the three games. To the Giants of all teams.
How did we get here?
Until this weekend, the offense has been chugging along, third in the majors at 5.44 runs per game. Despite a relatively low overall batting average, the Dodgers lead the majors in walks and are third in home runs. But with the pitching as bad as it has been, they can’t afford to go into any extended slumps. They have four guys on offense that you could argue deserve to start the All-Star game — Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez. So, though there are games where the offense has failed to come through, you can’t pin this skid on the hitters.
The problem has been pitching. The Dodgers have one of the worst pitching staffs in the majors. Among the 30 teams (we’ll list the leader, where all the NL West teams rank, and the worst team. all numbers through Sunday):
Overall ERA
1. Houston, 3.33
4. San Diego, 3.75
8. San Francisco, 3.85
21. Arizona, 4.46
25. Dodgers, 4.66
29. Colorado, 5.45
30. Oakland, 6.05
Rotation ERA
1. Tampa Bay, 3.11
6. San Francisco, 3.92
11. San Diego, 4.11
16. Dodgers, 4.38
22. Arizona, 4.72
29. Colorado, 6.29
30. Oakland, 6.47
Bullpen ERA
1. New York Yankees, 2.96
3. San Diego, 3.21
11. San Francisco, 3.77
17. Arizona 4.10
25. Colorado, 4.54
29. Dodgers, 5.04
30. Oakland, 5.58
So, though the Dodgers rotation hasn’t been as good as usual, it doesn’t have the lion’s share of the responsibility for the slump. That belongs to the bullpen, which has been horrible. It has gotten to the point where the only two relievers I don’t get nervous about are Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol (unless they hit the ball back to him).
And this is how the Dodgers’ empire has crumbled. Every season Andrew Friedman would bring in arms coming off injury or subpar years, and every season those pitchers would perform miracles. And then the Dodgers usually would discard those guys after the season, and they would soon be out of baseball. Remember Joe Blanton? Brandon Morrow? Jake McGee? Blake Treinen (currently on the IL with the Dodgers)? Corey Knebel? Chris Martin? Craig Kimbrel? OK, just kidding on that last one. There are more who could be named, but we’ll stop there.
Every year in this newsletter I would start the season by saying this strategy was going to backfire. And in 2021 I stopped, because after five to six years of success, I figured the Dodgers had a magic formula. The magic has run out this season.
Before this season they brought in Tayler Scott, who was just designated for assignment. Shelby Miller, who has done well but not dominant (18 walks in 30 innings). Wander Suero, who had an 8.10 ERA in four games. Jordan Yamamoto, who retired during spring training. Matt Andriese, who is still in the minors as a starter. Dylan Covey, released after one game and now with Philadelphia. Tyler Cyr, on the 60-day IL. Rubby de la Rosa, who was released in April. Alex Reyes, who they hoped would be healthy for the second half of the season after having shoulder surgery. Unfortunately he has to have another surgery on the same shoulder and won’t pitch this season. Maybe he can compare notes with Danny Duffy. William Cuevas, who has a 6.14 ERA in the minors. J.P. Feyereisen, another guy coming off surgery they hope can contribute in the second half of the season.
None of these guys has turned into the dominant reliever the Dodgers usually get in these situations. Only Miller has been useful.
So, the Dodgers have had to rely on the same cast of characters as last season. And for whatever reason, they have been horrible. Let’s look at last season’s numbers vs. this season:
Evan Phillips
2023: 2.28 ERA, .158 opp. batting average
2022: 1.14 ERA, .155
Brusdar Graterol
2023: 2.40 ERA, .288
2022: 3.26 ERA, .215
Yency Almonte
2023: 6.30 ERA, .259
2022: 1.02 ERA, .150
Phil Bickford
2023: 7.33 ERA, .278
2022: 4.72 ERA, .233
Alex Vesia
2023: 8.00 ERA, .395
2022: 2.15 ERA, .187
Andre Jackson
2023: 6.62 ERA, .289
2022: 1.86 ERA, .243
Justin Bruihl
2023: 4.41 ERA, .286
2022: 3.80 ERA, .253
Caleb Ferguson
2023: 3.46 ERA, .240
2022: 1.82 ERA, .187
What are the odds that every pitcher would get worse in both categories? The lone exception is Graterol, who is better in ERA but much worse in opponent batting average, so his better ERA is a bit of a mirage.
So the Dodger empire was built on a foundation of sand, and all the rain during the winter has washed it all away.
There’s no easy fix. It’s easy to say “get a closer and assign roles to everyone.” But that’s not why every reliever is worse this season. And this poor play has increased the burden on Dave Roberts to make the right call out of the bullpen each game, which has never been his strong suit. It’s easy to say in retrospect that he should have let Sheehan pitch one more inning Saturday, but that still would have left two innings for this woeful bullpen to cover. Yes, I would have left him in. Roberts can’t bring in Phillips and Graterol every game. He has to trot out one of the other guys occasionally, then sit back in the dugout and hope for the best. This is basically the same bullpen that was the best in the majors last season.
Those calling for the firing of Roberts and Friedman are living in Fantasyland. It’s not happening. Roberts isn’t a good postseason manager, but he has the best regular-season winning percentage of any manager in history. Friedman builds a roster that makes the playoffs every year. They aren’t going anywhere right now.
The Dodgers could trade for a reliever, but would that really help? That might give them three reliable relievers, when they need five or six. Do you really want to raid the depth in the minors for a reliever? With the expanded playoffs, more teams have a chance to make the postseason, meaning fewer teams that want to trade a reliable reliever. And if they do want to trade one, they are going to demand a high price from L.A. Joe Kelly‘s name has been banded about. He has a 4.57 ERA with the White Sox. I’m pretty sure he won’t solve the problems. Kenley Jansen? He has a 5.25 ERA since May 12, giving up 11 hits and nine walks in 12 innings.
Colleague Jack Harris, our Dodgers beat writer, covered similar territory in a fine story Monday. He asked Friedman and pitching coach Mark Prior what can be done. Their answers”
“We still have faith in a lot of these guys, their ability to get outs,” Prior said.
Added Friedman: “I’m confident that as we go guy by guy, that there’s very compelling upside stories, that when we look back a month from now it will be very different.”
The one thing that would be nice to see? Some emotion. There isn’t any on this team. There hasn’t been for years. Doing “make way for the train” arm pump after every hit is not showing emotion. How about getting mad occasionally when a call doesn’t go your way? How about showing the fans that you care about winning just as much as they do?
The reason people loved Yasiel Puig, even with all the baggage, was because he wore his emotions on his sleeve. You don’t need, or really want, 26 guys like that, but one or two would be nice. Right now it seems the Dodgers are a bunch of librarians. Let’s keep the noise down everyone, people are trying to read. It’s like watching a simulation of a team play. You feel good when they win, but your heart really isn’t in it. Most Dodger fans grew up with Tommy Lasorda getting thrown out of games a couple of times a year. Reggie Smith challenging an opposing player to a fight under the stands. The bullpen charging into the stands when a fan stole the cap off of a player’s head. Not that those are all wonderful things, but at least you knew they cared. I’m sure this team does care. Show it. Right now it’s “Excuse me, Mr. Umpire, sorry to bother, but I believe that last pitch may have been a strike. Of course, you have the better view, so I may be wrong.”
Now, some of you out there have already cashed in your chips for this season. It’s certainly not unsalvageable yet. It seems unlikely every reliever will turn things around, but you have to figure one or two will. The offense is good enough to carry the team if it can get just average help from the pitching. The Dodgers are still in postseason position. So, no, not throwing in the towel.
But if things don’t get fixed soon, we’ll know that light at the end of the tunnel isn’t the postseason, but a train headed this way.
One more thing to check before we go. What was the Dodgers’ record after 72 games since their postseason streak began in 2013?
2013: 30-42 (90-72 final record)
2014: 38-34 (94-68)
2015: 39-33 (92-70)
2016: 39-33 (91-71)
2017: 46-26 (104-58)
2018: 38-34 (92-71)
2019: 48-24 (106-56)
2020: COVID shortened season
2021: 44-28 (106-56)
2022: 45-27 (111-51)
2023: 39-33 (?)
OK, so if Vargas “always struggled” when he moved to the next level, then why was he moved to the majors during the stretch run? Why was he on the playoff roster after hitting so poorly? For all his vaunted bat-to-ball skills, Doc didn’t ask him to pinch hit for Belli in a key situation. He called on Barnes–and it was the right move!
Seems that you’ve just made an excellent argument for why AF should have traded for a proven major leaguer. The Padres did just that, getting Brandon Drury in a career-year for prospects. Did AF try to get Drury? Was he simply outbid? I don’t know. But I do know he decided to trust the unproven rookie–while Drury helped the Pads end the season of a 111-win team. (And Drury is now playing well for the Angels.)
Several teams made moves that helped them down the stretch. The Dodgers got Chris Martin for McKinstry–but the Gallo-for-Beeter deal didn’t work out. Meanwhile, the Pads, Phils and Yankees all upgraded their rosters. In addition to the Drury, the Pads added Josh Hader. The Phils added Brandon Marsh and Syndergaard, who was a lot better last year than this one. The Yankees added Harrison Bader. But the mastermind of the 111-win team ended up with a remarkably weak bench.
“Dodgers have signed outfielder David Dahl to a minor league contract. He has joined OKC and is in tonight’s lineup.
Was with Padres/Triple-A El Paso this season until he was DFA 2 weeks ago.
Career .271/.317/.463 hitter over 331 games in the Majors.”
Off season they need a shortstop that can hit. Move Lux back to second base platoon Vargas and Muncy at third if they don’t trade Muncy and get a Leftfielder free agent and probable two legit starters to go with buehler May and Gosling that’s next year’s forecast can’t go with Vargas at second base Lux hitting an fielding way better at second base.
One thing many of you are missing is that the Dodgers are still in a great position going forward.
Maybe this will prove to be a down year, time will tell, but with large sums coming off the books., allowing AF to flex his financial muscle next Off Season, added to the important MLB experience that these current Rookies are getting (and the Top Brass getting a look at what they’re got), with further depth to dig into if Trades are required to bolster things further – I think we are probably the envy of most GMs out there!
My Post from a couple of weeks back posing the question of a possible sell off at the TD doesn’t look so far fetched now.
Urias, Kershaw, JDM and Muncy would bring back a haul that would only further strengthen our position.
To reiterate – I’m really enjoying watching the youngsters play and grow, and we are about where I thought we would be.
The D’Backs are not a surprise – they were very good the second half of last season and have a youth and hunger about them, and have embraced the new rules as well as anyone. This season was always going to be more challenging. The injuries to May and Urias and obviously Lux have really derailed things.
However there is the potential to me that this could really be an opportunity to set ourselves for the next period of dominance. Some shrewd moves by AF now could really pay long term rewards.
One thing that is really dumb is saying “____________player was not ready.” Let me give you an example. Some have said that Miguel Vargas was not ready. That is simply an uninformed opinion. As Miguel moved from A to A to AA to AAA, he always struggled for a while as he went up each level (as many players do). He has struggled longer here in the Show, but if you send him back to AAA, is he going to learn to hit MLB pitching? No – you only learn that in MLB. Sometimes guys go down, but it delays their development.
To be the best, you have to play with the best. I became a “World Class” Ping-Pong player by playing players who routinely beat the crap out of me… until they didn’t. Some players (Luke Raley) need years to adjust, but generally, progress from one level to the next takes some time. I expect Vargas to keep progressing and to a lessor extent, Outman.
Outman has some major holes in his swing that he is trying to fix. Vargas is fundamentally sound, but may be lacking confidence. Both can improve THIS year and if the do, the offense will be dramatically better than last year. Right now. Betts, Freeman, Muncy, Smith, Martinez, and Peralta range from very solid to superstar level.
The pitching is the problem and some of it will fix itself. May will be back or he won’t. Urias will be back and he has a lot of reasons to be great. Nelson may be back, Feyereisen should be, Hudson will be. Maybe Buehler and Pepiot or maybe a trade.
A lot of people seem to think our minor league talent isn’t as deep as advertised. I don’t agree. Sure, the rookies that we’ve utilized to plug holes in the roster have been inconsistent. But rookies are almost always inconsistent. Sure, you can find examples of players who came up and found instant success. But that’s is actually rare. Most were generational level talents. Many of the best players in the game today struggled for their first 200-500 ABs before they found consistency. Many top prospects get those ABs and it became obvious that they weren’t going to stick in the show. That’s the process. As Mark has said 1000 times, progress isn’t linear. And the only way to know what you got is to let kids get playing time and see how they perform. Some simply don’t have the ability. Others can’t handle the pressure and spotlight. There is no easy answer. You make a plan, and see how it works out. If it doesn’t, make adjustments and give other young guys a shot.
Again, we can complain about Outmans strikeouts or that Vargas hasn’t been able to get hot for any significant number of ABs in a row. But the FACT is we are scoring more runs per game than we did last year! We are actually scorning more runs per game so far this year than we did in 2021 and 2022! And that is after losing Seager and Trea Turner. Our offense isn’t the problem. So just stop with all that.
Our problem is our beat up rotation and complete train wreck of a bullpen. Our bullpen has most of the same arms that were one of the best pens in baseball last year. Don’t tell me anybody saw that coming. This is why spending big money on relievers is so risky. Josh Hader had been light out this year. 18 saves and an ERA of 1.2. But let’s not forget after he was traded to the Padres last year he had an ERA over 7.00! Reliefs pitchers are notoriously inconsistent. Lights out for half the season, dog s**t the second. Likewise, our guys with ERAs that are hovering around low earth orbit right now, could become lock down machines with almost a blink of an eye. That’s the human factor.
The Mets have a payroll that is over $200m more than the Dodgers. They’re 4 games under .500 and 13 games out off first. Their team ERA is almost exactly the same as the Dodgers. But we aren’t paying Scherzer and Verlander $85M!
The Dodgers need to fix the bullpen. And get our starters (who aren’t out for the season or named Syndergaard) healthy and back on the field. I don’t know what the answer is in the bullpen. It’s very strange how so many of our best arms from 2022 are completely garbage in 2023. There is something going on. That said, for some years now Mark Prior had been the best pitching coach in baseball. If anybody can figure it out, it will be him. But we do need to figure it out. And make some moves at the deadline.
And yes, the modern playoff structure is a crapshoot. Having the best talent isn’t a guarantee of anything. And spending dope fiend level money is no guarantee either. Ask the Mets and Rays.
Dodgers are having a very tough stretch. We did early in the season also. Then went on a huge run. I’m sure we will do that again. And probably have a couple rough stretches again this season. That’s baseball. But we have the talent, on the MLB roster and the minors. Things just need to come together. Hopefully before we drop many more games out of first.
So what is our collective LADT winning percentage? Who had the Phillies winning NL last year?
Professional sports bettors rarely sustain a long-term winning percentage higher than 55 percent, and it’s often as low as 53 or 54 percent. If someone tells you they win 70 percent of their picks (at 11-to-win-10), you are talking to either a liar or a bad record-keeper.
For all our moaning and groaning, Vegas still has us as 2nd and/or 3rd to win WS. And Mookie is 3rd in MVP race. Just sayin. We know nothing, Vegas knows something.
I think AF was looking for a chance to sneak in a rebuilding year and made the decision once Lux went down in addition to Buehler (and health concerns for May and Gonsolin). AF is giving the rookies a runway this year to see what needs to be done for next year. One of the commenters mentioned a new young rotation next year and that could come from the tryouts this year. I hope for the best but will just watch we see if any of our young players help us get ready for next year. I do hate to waste a season of aging stars like Mookie and Freddie. I know this sounds pessimistic, but we had 10 great years in a row, and I think we will come back next year.
The Athletic surveyed 96 players and asked them who they thought Ohtani would sign with.
Results:
Dodgers – 57%
Angels – 11%
Padres – 7%
Mets – 7%
Yankees – 6%
Unless they asked Ohtani’s best friend on the Angels, this survey probably isn’t any more accurate than if Mark ran a survey here and asked us.
Glass half full—-Plenty of games left to play.
Glass half empty—We have overtaken (undertaken?) SF. SD is next
Having 12 teams now doesn’t make it a crapshoot it just makes it tougher and takes more talent along with other championship intangibles. To call it luck like a roulette wheel in Vegas takes all the purpose out of it. To pretend it’s a crapshoot is a excuse for losing and that’s delusional
I may get stoned for saying this but does anybody think our minor league talent might be overrated a bit? Maybe we think and want these guys to be better than they are or will become.
It seems like daily here guys are talking about this and that player in the minors, and as far as I can see, Outman had one good month and has dropped considerably….Vargas had one good month and has dropped considerably…..Miller is the only pitcher who has succeeded but let’s wait a bit to see if the league gets data on him to expose his weaknesses and tendencies. He got bombed his last outing and I’m curious to see if he can rebound. Grove and Stone look less than mediocre and no one has risen to take over in the bullpen. Of course we brought up May and Gonsolin, but those guys are always injured, so I can’t feel good about that.
And is Outman the only OF we’ve had brought in the past 5 years? How could we not have a bevy of those guys? It seems every year we have to fill our OF with 30+ guys from other teams. Lastly, it seems we have 3 guys who will be sure a thing playing catcher…Cartaya was the big name last year, but he’s dropped off the face of the planet too. Anybody ever a sure thing down there?
Okay, let me have it.
AF has said that the Dodgers will most likely be targeting pitching at the deadline.
Ohtani currently leads the Angels in
Batting Average (.300)
Home Runs (24)
RBI (58)
Stolen Bases (10)
Runs (49)
OBP (.384)
SLG (.632)
Hits (83)
Innings Pitched (82)
ERA (3.29)
Wins (6)
SO (105)
WHIP (1.05)
Opponents Batting Average (.178)
I say watch the Orioles play. They make the game fun to watch and never out of a game. And hey they have a good lineup and a bullpen and in the ninth they have a closer that comes in and closes the game. And they built there team my bringing up guys threw there minor leagues and getting high draft picks to. That’s what turns a team around drafting right player. How the dodgers don’t have a stud shortstop in the minor leagues is embarrassing when they lost seager that next year they should have drafted the shortstop of the future. He would have been here now but they didn’t. Do that. And we get what we get bad baseball playing. We look like a fourth place team now.
If anyone wants to watch a highlight, check out the one of Elly de la Cruz beating out a ground ball to 1b.
The ground ball was like 100mph off the bat, the 1b dove, stopped it, and ran to 1b….. and de la Cruz beat it. INSANE!!
Culberson was DFA’D because Murphy might need to go on the IL. He has a hammy issue. Chomp is going to be d’Arnaud’s backup while Murphy is down. Culberson had not played since the 18th of May.
A LOT more on Raley, the subsequent changes he has made and the opportunity he was provided:
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/fueled-by-adjustments-and-opportunity-luke-raley-is-raking-with-the-rays/
NOhtani
Good for Luke Raley.
The Dodgers believe the answers to the starting rotation are in the system.
But it’s up to the bullpen to become more forcused and pitch better. Yes, Daniel Hudson should help, but it looks like that will be the focus of Andrew Friedman at the deadline. That could change if the relievers turn it around. But that’s a big IF.
Hopefully, James Outman continues to improve his swing. Not so sure about Vargas. Eventually I think he’ll be good, but honestly I thought he’d be better. But even Mike Trout had a tough first season.
I would have to agree with those saying giving a big contract to Julio Urias might be a mistake. I’d probably move on. Just hasn’t pitched all that well lately.
Maybe the Dodgers need to take a page out of the Atlanta Braves playbook and sign some of their young players to extended contracts. Will Smith would be a case in point. Why wait?
Too early to judge Diego Cartaya.
No question, the LSU pitcher has great stuff.
I really like Ohtani, but will the Dodgers be willing to go in big? They basically didn’t do that with Bryce Harper then turned around and went all in on Mookie Betts. So who knows? But if this season turns out bad, look for a big signing. They will need to create a diversion and a big signing or trade will do that. Just a thought.
Okay, I’m not ready to toss Tony Gonsolin over the rail. He has pretty good stuff and I believe he can adjust. Pitchers can go up, then down and back up during a season.
It’s still June. If it stays like this through July, and the Dodgers are 10 or 12 games back, then you can panic.
All is well until it isn’t.
The Dodgers continue to assert that Ginsolin is not hurt:
https://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/tony_gonsolin_trying_to_be_too_fine_led_to_poor_execution_against_giants/s1_17075_38933122
Got some nosebleed seats for Tuesday’s Dodgers-Angels game in Anaheim.
Rooting for the Dodgers, but also hoping Ohtani launches another HR or two.
How good is Ohtani?
Most of us may know that, at this moment, he is leading the majors in HRs at 24 and OPS at 1.016.
He is also leading all pitchers in batting average against, at .178, and 4th in Ks with 105 in 82 innings.
David Freese. HUH?
I think they should have declined his decline and voted him in anyway. It has nothing to do with what he thinks.
I wouldn’t be so quick to assume that Julio Urias and Daniel Hudson will “help the pitching staff immensely” upon their return. They won’t help “immensely” unless Urias pitches like last year (instead of like he’s done so far this year), ..and unless Hudson actually returns to previous form after not pitching for an entire calendar year. And these best-case-scenario’s are far from sure bets.
It’s less than half a year with Raley. Let’s at least wait until the end of the year before we declare him a big fish that got away
Perhaps the Dodgers brass just never saw the true upside of Luke Raley. If they had, they would have put him on the 40-man roster. Oh well. It’s true that the Dodgers were at risk of losing him in the Rule 5 draft, so a trade was in order.
On the other hand, AF & Associates had decided that Eddys Leonard and Jorbit Vivas should be on the 40-man roster ahead of Raley. I wonder what the internal discussion was like. Why Leonard and not Raley? It was surprising to me when those two per put on the 40-man, but we assume that AF knows what he is doing.
But was that the right call? These guys are young, unproven and unlikely to reach the majors until 2024, if then. The Dodgers have been thin at SS, but Leonard’s name rarely comes up. More of a UT option. I’m not sure a Billy Beane (or whomever) would have chosen them over a more proven player like Noda.
OF course it’s easy to criticize in hindsight, and I didn’t question the Raley-Dodson trade at the time. The Dodgers have had success on pitching talent, after all. (Beatty for River Ryan comes to mind–but we now know that Raley is much better than Beatty.) But in an alternative universe, Raley is on the Dodgers roster instead of Peralta. Credit to the Rays for making the smart move that has helped them become the winningest team in MLB. (Maybe they’ll reach 111 wins!)
Final note: About a month ago I noticed a common theme in discussions on LADT. Some of us would criticize decisions by AF or Roberts–I often criticized the OF surplus– and others would say, in effect, “Hey whiners, the Dodgers are in first place! Hey, we’ve got the best record in the league!”
That was then. Now our lads have fallen into 3rd place, behind the D’backs and Giants. The potent, underachieving Padres lurk below.
Injuries have taken a toll on the Dodgers, but injuries really don’t explain why the bullpen is in tatters. And it’s not clear if the cavalry is coming. Max and Urias should return, but how good will they be? The Dodgers can tap more unproven talent in the minors–or AF can make some bold moves in the trade market, which is something he avoided last season (losing out to the Pads on Drury and Hader, for example) and during the winter break.
Lots of here and there commenting/coverage of umpiring on this blog.
This is a great and informative look at how the NBA handled poor officiating, and had been institutionalized in that league:
https://open.substack.com/pub/matthewyglesias/p/how-nba-twitter-fixed-basketballs-065?r=bg1q&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
* Some of the folks posting on this site remind me of a few parents I encountered as a high school coach. We didn’t have many but when we were having a tough season and out of the championship hunt, some parents just wanted to quit. They saw no value in continuing to play.
* College baseball has never been better. The portal and NIL have kept players in college that previously would have signed. In the past guys who threw 90 were seldom in college. Now the game is loaded with high velocity pitchers. Brand name college programs draw big crowds and have great facilities and coaching. It’s a big time environment and nothing like playing in front of 500 people in Poe Dunk USA. Many programs have high tech hitting and pitching labs labs that are far better than anything in MiLB. Top player now spend less time before making the show.
* The College WS has been great. I did see the best college pitcher I’ve maybe ever see. LSU’s Paul Skenes, 6’6”, 235 is MLB ready right now. 4 pitch guy. 100 mph all day, snappy slider at 88, great change at 90 with fade.
Before the game, Kris Peterson, who I respect, said he “could start tomorrow the Yankees – Boston game”. I thought, yeah, right. That is pure bull. Then I watched the kid go out and just dominate a very good Tennessee team. It was like the 13 year old, 6’ little league pitcher blow away the little kids.
* Before you mistrust me, watch the kid pitch.
* For all the Dodger fans incredulous over how poor our record is, remember what we are attempting to do in this transitional season especially given the injuries we’ve incurred. It is easy to run off the ship like rats, it’s important understand what’s happening in a rebuilding situation. We will have a much better picture at season’s end what we have and what we need. We can assesss the future for each player as we plan for future success.
For 2024, I drool over a starting rotation with Buehler, May, Miller, Pepiot and Sheehan. I don’t see us breaking the bank for Boras’ Urias and I hope CK returns. We him and need a LHSP. Everybody else can audtiion for the bullpen. I think Gonsulin would be better as a reliever. He’s a 5 inning guy but his splitter might be lethal one time through the order.
* Here’s my “flyer of the week” suggestion – use the money it would take to sigh Ohtani and use part of it to acquire the Skenes kid who will be a high draft pick, maybe the #1 pick by the Pirates. Probably in the 9 million range. While it’s illegal to pay cash, it is legal, once the kid is signed, to offer players/prosects in a trade for him. The rules are complicated but I think AF could put together an attractive package. Adding this kid to the 2024 staff I mentioned, looks like a starting staff that could be young and formidable for years. (without speculating injuries)
AF can then work on signing a roster to fill the needs that aren’t covered by our veterans and rookies from this season. That is our future, not trade deadline rentals or temporary band aids for overpriced quick fixes.
* It’s no fun being shitty but let AF and the staff play this thing play out.
I’m not calling in the dogs and pissing on the campfire with this team just yet. Getting some guys back from injuries and progress by the rookies is certainly possible. But any run we make to a wildcard spot would have to be done by our current roster and not trade deadline acquisitions.
I am not saying that Gonsolin is not injured, but he touched 93 MPH twice in his last inning. His fastball was mostly 90-92 MPH.
I think he has made a conscious decision to drop his velo from 94-95 to 92-93. I am more concerned about his stamina. I actually think he is better when he does not throw so hard.
I will have to see couple more starts…
Tony Gonsolin…….Crash…..Burn…..Thud!!!
RIP, Tony….you were great one time…..now is not that time….wait for my favorite line…”maybe next year”
Anyone think Kershaw and Miller (let’s see if he rebounds from this first beating he just took) can carry us to the Dance? Even Urias returning is no given….he has been iffy all season….I see no reason to think all of a sudden he will become beasty again….unless of course, he does. (I hope.)
Mookie Betts is allegedly going to compete in the All-Star HR Derby!
I would not be surprised if Gonsolin is the next pitcher to go to IL.
The drop in velo is staggering. Often a precursor to a major physical problem.
And Yes, this roster is not championship caliber. Was´n at the start of the season and even less after the injuries.
Stick a fork in them Bum´s and wait til next year.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pretty low class what the Braves did to Charlie Culberson yesterday.
You are right, another is Ryan Noda. He is with the A’s now, but he spent 2 years, 21-22 with the Dodgers. He was the player they got from the Jays when they traded Ross Stripling. His first year, he hit .250 with 29 bombs at Tulsa, then in 22 he was with OKC and hit .259 with 25 long balls. The A’s grabbed him when the Dodgers placed him on waivers in December. He is hitting .245 with 7 homers. His OPS is .818. He has a .397 OBP. Not bad. You take OKC’s present roster, and there are a few names there who have little chance of playing in LA. Right now, they have 6 outfielders on the roster, 2 of them, Dugger and Pages, are on the 7-day IL. One, Sam McWilliams, is on the restricted list. The other three are Ryan Ward, Bruce Avans and Kole Calhoun. Neither Ward nor Avans have much of a chance of being called up. Both are hitting in the .230’s. Calhoun meanwhile is trying to make it back to the majors. He has not hit all that well in the few games he has played.
Of the infielders, Brigman is doing quite well at AAA, hitting .368, but he is 28 and is not on the 40 man roster. Jones has been very hot of late and has raised his average to .313 with 9 homers. Hernandez is with the Dodgers right now in case Taylor has to be placed on the IL. Jones is 25, Mann is 26. Yurchak is 26 and has zero chance of being called up. Freeman is in his way. Neither catcher, Feduccia or Mazeika are hitting all that well. Feduccia is 26 Mazeika is 29. They also have Frietas who has been playing some first and DHing. He is 34.
Pitching is where the Dodgers have the most players who could be called up to help.
We all know about Stone, but he has been getting rocked since he was demoted. He needs to re-find his juju. Hudson is up and pitched in the 15-0 blowout. Andriese, although he has 217 games experience in the bigs has little chance of being called up. He is starting now. Erlin has 117 big league games under his belt, no shot at coming up. Mark mentioned Varland, and he is a possibility. I have seen Washington pitch a couple of times. I think he gets a look see next spring. Also intriguing is Burdi, who has yet to be scored on in 4 games. Interesting read in Yardbarker. They ranked the starting lineups of all 30 teams. The Rays were number one. And believe it or not, The Dodgers were number two.
Considering just making the playoffs a successful season and then calling them a crapshoot is a losing mentality from the start