Mannymania Part II Almost!
Well, I ll be damned! I never thought it would happen and it hasn t actually happened, partially because the Baltimore Orioles medical staff is legendary for killing deals due to medical reports or actual physicals. It s possible it could still unravel remember Peter Angelos is the owner of one of the worst-run franchises in baseball. Hopefully it is finalized soon, so we can get on with it. When the Dodgers traded
Well, I’ll be damned! I never thought it would happen… and it hasn’t actually happened, partially because the Baltimore Orioles medical staff is legendary for killing deals due to medical reports or actual physicals. It’s possible it could still unravel… remember Peter Angelos is the owner of one of the worst-run franchises in baseball. Hopefully it is finalized soon, so we can get on with it.
When the Dodgers traded for Manny Ramirez back in the day, I said “I would rather lose without him, than win with him.” I felt that Manny Ramirez was not a person I wanted on the Dodgers. Oh, he certainly gave us some wonderful moments, but ultimately, his character determined his fate. Manny Machado carries none of that baggage… and Manny is now almost a Dodger. For how long? Maybe for the next 10 years, because I think the Dodgers will be players in trying to sign him long term. 10 years/$350 million seems about right.
Of course, some fans will say that is not part of FAZ’s M.O. Like I said a few days ago:
“It still seems like something FAZ would not do, but this is a new paradigm – FAZ has never been in this position. They have always had several “dead contracts” on the books. They were prepared to have “Dead Kemp” but he was resurrected! They ARE committed to staying under the salary cap and re-set the tax threshold, so that is an issue they have to work around.
I guess it is going to depend upon what they have to give up. The farm system is deep, and while there are only a few who have “star potential” (Verdugo, Ruiz, Diaz), there are many others who have an opportunity to evolve into star caliber players. Like every Front Office, FAZ has had their share of mistakes. Even the Cubs and Astros had their share of mistakes – it’s just easier to cover those mistakes when you have a bunch of high draft picks, year-over-year. FAZ has never had that luxury, so you really can’t use the same measure. The last two starters acquired by Theo (Quintana and Darvish) have not delivered like expected. Houston whiffed on their #1 draft pick two years in a row. Stuff happens.
Fans complain that FAZ won’t spend the money, but they HAVE spent the money. They have paid more in salary than any team in baseball the past 5 years! I am still very concerned about the “in fighting” and legal issues at Guggenheim. That has the potential to wreck this team.”
I am always reminded of Mannymania, Part I with this song:
Maybe it will be part of Mannymania Part II. Who wants to sit in Mannywood?
This is a game changer and the trickle down effect should be interesting. I think there will now be other trades. Puig, Toles, Pederson… even Chris Taylor could be on the move. The Dodgers need another lockdown reliever, Maeda and Wood could fill that role, but maybe they are violently opposed to it. After all, being a starter will get you many more dollars on the open market. If so, one or both may be moved.
I can tell you a few things that Manny Machado brings:
- He is a much better shortstop defensively that you may think. He is a great athlete and this is this first season back at SS in a long time. He will get better;
- His low strikeout, high contact rate and the fact that he is RH cannot be underestimated. This should help the Dodgers’s offensive struggles at times;
- His enthusiasm will be contagious. He plays with pure joy. Now, as part of a winning team, he should do even better.
I was not sure FAZ would trade enough prospects t get Manny, but evidently they did. The Rumors are the Dodgers are sending Yusneil Diaz and maybe 4 other players to the O’s. We have heard that Dustin May, Errol Robinson and others are involved, but this is not confirmed. Hopefully, the deal is finalized soon, but I do not trust the Orioles. This deal is really not done… YET! Did I mention that I do not trust the Orioles?
Dodger News
- Doc was determined to rest Kenley during the All-Star Game;
- Matt Kemp is like a little kid in a candy store. I never thought I’d call him a “clubhouse leader” but he is. What a story!
- New McDonalds Item: Smoked Chicken Strips… sorry Ross! I couldn’t resist… bad day!
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Discussion (116)
Disagree, not disagreeable
It is funny to read comments from Balt fans on MLB TradeRumors and defending the organization for not trading for damaged goods. This is from an organization that signed Yovani Gallardo. This year they signed Alex Cobb who has been injured most of his career, as has Andrew Cashner. This is from an organization that did not mind sending an injured Eric Bedard to the M’s for what was probably the best trade they ever made (at least in the Angelos era). One of the players they got back in the trade was Chris Tillman who is not the epitome of health. This is from an organization that is so knowledgeable that in the 24+ years that Angelos has owned the O’s they have won the division 2 times. They have been to the playoffs 5 times in those 24 years. From 1998 to 2011 they were under .500. This is from an organization that signed Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo to ridiculous contracts.
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My guess is that the O’s wanted a player that the Dodgers did not want to include, and now that it has been leaked about Manny going to the Dodgers (and all of the ASG hype) they figured they could make an end around for that player figuring FAZ would fold. If the physicals are for a pitcher on the DL (Dennis Santana?), what do they expect? What pitcher does not have some type of strain somewhere? Not every pitcher is Max Scherzer. Do you pass on a position player because of a hammy?
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The Dodgers have no problem signing players with injury concerns. Sometimes they work out (Walker Buehler/Caleb Ferguson), sometimes they do not (Brandon Beachy). I am very hopeful that Jesen Therrien comes through next year. It could be argued that Maeda was a health risk. He is certainly better than any of the current O’s pitchers. Their two best pitchers Gausman (112.1 IP, 4.33 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 97K), and Bundy (103.1 IP, 4.35 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 113 K) are not at the level of Maeda (86.2 IP, 3.12 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 108 K).
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2 of the 4 top O’s pitching prospects are Hunter Harvey and Brenan Hanifee. I do not remember the last time Harvey was ever healthy. And Hanifee had a bad back when he was drafted. And yet maybe they will eventually work out. Sometimes you have to take a chance, or you end up on the bottom of the division far more often than you contend.
Latest update is that the “concern” is over one of the secondary pieces not Diaz.
From OKC’s Twitter feed:
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Let’s get this out of the way:
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No Alex Verdugo in OKC lineup tonight, but I’m told he’s not involved in possible Machado trade. He played both games of yesterday’s doubleheader.
Sounds like this will be resolved soon. A lesser prospect might have to be swapped out. Diaz is centerpiece with anywhere from 2-4 more players headed east. Have to think it will be finished in time for fridays games. Machado better mash. Mashado?
The Dodgers and Orioles had a deal. If there is a snag, and it’s not legit, the Dodgers will likely file a complaint with the Commissioner. That would be extraordinary, but Baltimore is run by a scum bag and that scum runs down on everyone.
Believe me… if this deal falls through, it will be a blessing.
Steve Phillips was just on am570. He basically said 1 or more of our prospects didn’t pass Baltimore’s ridiculous medical tests, and they’ll either get re tested or perhaps a new prospect or 2 get thrown in. Also mentioned how Balit is a pain in the butt to deal with in general.
He said Manny will get dealt, but does this mean Balt re opens the door for others to jump in
Who loses the most at bats when machado joins us?
I’m not so sure that the Dodgers should pull the offer for a player who could be a big difference maker for them. However, since this is part of a persistent pattern established over the years be the Orioles, then it is perhaps a matter that has to looked into by MLB. The Orioles need to pay a price for this pattern of behavior, and the Dodgers need not be penalized by losing the player.
Steve Phillips now tweeting that the Orioles don’t like something in one of the physicals/medicals and the trade has hit a snag. Seems to fit the Orioles M.O.
Midseason Top 50 by Baseball Pospectus: we have 4 guys (including Diaz who won’t be our guy in a few hours).
Open on www.baseballprospectus.comhttps://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/article/41327/2018-prospects-the-midseason-top-50/Biggest beneficiary of Diaz being traded is DJ Peter’s. A future outfield spot is his for the taking. I love his makeup. Easy to root for. Wears 31.
Dustin May scheduled to start for the Quakes tonight.
Kiley McDaniel is back at fangraphs and chatting:
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Nick: Is the gap between Keibert Ruiz and Will Smith closing?
Kiley McDaniel: I’d say they’re around the same
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Tacos: Is Diaz a good get for Baltimore?
Kiley McDaniel: Seems like about what they should’ve hoped for: a near-ready, fringe top 100 hitter with a solid 2nd piece (45 FV I’d guess) and a lottery ticket 3rd piece (40 FV with upside). There has been higher prices paid for rentals, but not amazingly higher.
I’ve been reading the rumors, Orioles board, and different sites. Diaz has posted a thank you to the Dodgers on his Instagram account and mentions that he’s looking forward to starting his future with the Orioles. Other rumors have 5 prospects going to the Orioles because the Dodgers have 22 guys next year who are rule-5 eligible. AC, do you have that list? Also, they are awaiting clearance on medicals of one of the Dodgers pitchers. Could that be Santana? Seems like Alvarez is going in this deal to me.
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It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out. Count me as a guy who doesn’t love seeing Muncy at 1st Base. I’d rather see him at 2nd and filling in for JT at 3rd if he continues to hit. I’d rather see an outfield of Kemp, Toles, Puig with CT3 and Kike being super-utility guys and defensive substitutes. Toles is just a better ball player than Joc and brings more to the lineup.
So I was at the dentist and thinking about baseball. It will never happen but I was dreaming on a rotation of buehler, urias. Stripling, Ferguson. & santana. We can afford to lose Diaz. Hoping we keep may.
Interesting comment by Andrew Friedman in an interview with David Vassegh:
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On if the Dodgers will be active at the Trade Deadline
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“I think so. Our mindset is to be aggressive. I think when you look around our roster, we’ve got a pretty high floor everywhere. There’s not this acute need at such and such position. We have a lot of different ways we can improve the team. We’ve got a really deep farm system, which in part is to help supplement the major league team, and used to supplement in another way by trading them to a different organization for players that fit us. We do have the prospect capital to be at the table in different conversations. We’re definitely going to be there and we’re going to do everything we can to help this team. We believe this is a championship caliber team. We will do what we can to help supplement it. We’ve got some time here to work through it.”
In the previous post, Bluto asked my assessment about Brock Stewart. From what I observed from his time in LA this year is that his fastball has lost more than a little velo. He is not even close right now. In looking at Fangraphs, his fastball has lost average velo from 94.1 (2016) to 93.7 (2017) to 91.6 (2018), which bears out what I saw. That is a big drop. When he first came up he was throwing in the upper 90’s. I think he tops out at 93-94 right now.
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He has also been trying to throw more changes the last couple of years and not for the better. It is a much more flat pitch than his slider. He should never try to throw that pitch for a strike. He gets hit hard when he misses.
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I do not know what is causing the velo drop. It could be an injury. He had shoulder tendinitis last year, maybe it is just persisting. Maybe he is simply losing focus, which definitely puts him in the reliever role. But overall, he did not convert to pitching until his Jr. year in college. Converted pitchers that late have a really tough time developing three pitches. Some have a problem developing two (right Petey?). Stewart so much wants to be a starting pitcher that he may be trying too hard to get that changeup to be a quality pitch. He threw very hard in the minors and got on the fast track, but did not have the time to really develop the other pitches.
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If he is not injured, I think he should go back to building up the arm strength for the upper 90’s fastball and use the slider as his offspeed pitch, and focus on 1-2 innings. Just as he did the other night, the first three innings were outstanding, and then there was the 4th. He did bounce back for a quality 5th and 6th. His pitch repertoire and his focus really point him to being a reliever. But his heart is on starting..
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I will make an effort to watch the next time he starts for OKC.
Just seems unlike FAZ and Guggs. Unless they know they’re gonna sign him to a longer contract, how is using prospects for a 2 or 3 month rental smart player and money management? And if it guarantees anything I don’t know what. Well, I might as well accept and settle in to the deal cuz it’s happening. I think of a line up with both Seager and Machado and that does make me smile. So, as in all the deals the Dodgers make, we’ll see what happens.
Grilled/smoked Wahoo beats both!!!
With this happening it’s really a great thing Utley is still around. From what I’ve seen I guess makes a little fear of Machado getting a little too much of a taste of himself. With his calibre of play it’s more than a given him getting praise from all directions. Utley’s influence is something every player could benefit from. That’s gonna be missed when Chase is no longer with the team. Dodgers getting Manny Machado is big,big news! Almost unbelievable! I bet Vegas is adjusting the odds as moments pass.
I think the Dodgers have some trades up their sleeves that they are being coy about. They are bound and determined to stay under the salary cap this year. So, somebody is going to be moved. I would love to have them get de Grom but, I don’t see how. de Grom would take pressure off Kershaw and give the Dodgers that killer 1-2 punch in the rotation.
Man Mark, you brought back some memories with Paper Planes there!! Why not add “Don’t stop believin’ while you’re at it and let’s go back to 2008!
Can’t wait until this is official. I”ll see you all July 30 for Manny’s first game at home
I know I said that I wanted Manny for the middle of that lineup. But admittedly, I never thought that FAZ would pull the trigger. I know that it is not yet a done deal, but it will not be squashed because of FAZ. They did their job…Part 1. Now we need to see the full transaction, and to see what else is up FAZ’s sleeve. It is now up to the players. Maybe Belli, CT3, and others not named Kemp and Muncy can relax a little now.
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Interestingly, both Dustin May and Dean Kremer are scheduled to pitch tonight for Rancho and Tulsa respectively. Kremer is due to face off against Chase De Jong.
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While all the MannyDrama was going on:
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Pedro Baez made a rehab appearance and pitched 1 inning for OKC. No baserunners and 1 K. 14 pitches and 9 strikes. I understand he was able to complete the inning in under 30 minutes.
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Mitchell White’s start did not go as well as his last one. 4.2 IP, 4 runs, 8 hits, 2 walks, 5 Ks, and 1 HR.
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Will Smith hit his 18th HR (a 3 run shot), to put Tulsa up by 1 going into the 9th. However, Dylan Baker blew his 4th save and was rewarded with his 5th loss. Save opportunities should now begin to go to Zach Pop.
Wow! I still can’t believe this is happening. 5 prospects going back and one as high on the lists as Diaz makes me think a reliever is coming back in the same same deal. I don’t think that Joc or Puigy is going away any time soon. It makes more sense to deal one or both in the off season instead of sending them to a team they may have to play games against in the post-season run. Both of them have been hitting well as of late and are deeply ingrained in the clubhouse. If the Dodgers were ready to roll out Verdugo, he would have been called up instead of Toles. Toles is the outfielder that is most likely to be traded. Toles and Pederson are pretty redundant just like Diaz and Verdugo. The Dodgers did a great job trading from depth. I bet a catcher not named Ruiz is included in this deal, but I don’t think it’s Smith. Smith seems further along, having a big year and looks like he’s on schedule to replace Yasmani. Looking for a Smith promotion to AAA soon.