Me Julio Down By The Schoolyard

After yesterday’s game, the Dodger’s record sits at 7-5 this Spring… not that it means absolutely anything. So far a few things have caught my eye, other than the fact that Joc Pederson looks totally lost:

• Cody Bellinger, Austin Barnes, Kike Hernandez and Daniel Castro (who?) look locked and loaded.
• Ross Stripling and Rich Hill are being stretched out.
• There are way too many arms for the bullpen… thus the news about Josh Fields, who isn’t exactly “Chopped Liver.” In three seasons with the Dodgers he was 8-2 with a 2.61 ERA. When he gave up a run it was often on the long ball. He had 16 big flies hit against him in that time, but his 2.61 ERA plays up in just about any bullpen… except the Dodgers. He might garner a low level prospect! He will also be 34 before the end of this season…
• It’s been over two years since Yimi Garcia had his TJ surgery. I think he is ready to be a lights-out reliever.
• Floro and Chargois are on the bubble and even if they are good, could be caught in a numbers crunch!
• MLB. RADIO was talking this AM about Craig Kimbrel signing a 1-year $25 Million deal with the Dodgers. That’s a total rumor and does not originate with the Dodgers. I doubt he would do it… or that the Dodgers would do it, but you never know.
• I listened to Ross Stripling yesterday who is now embracing his role as a spot-starter and long reliever. He actually sees how valuable he can be. This is a concept Alex Wood could not (or would not) grasp. Chicken Strip said this: “I think you just kind of get used to the ambiguity. It used to probably really bother me to come in and not really know necessarily what kind of role you’re even battling for. I get built up, but do I even really have a chance to be a starter? Now, I know where my value is — the ability to be like the Kiké of the pitching staff.”
• For this decade, Russ Martin was ranked as the #3 Best Catcher in Baseball by MLB.
• Carlos Rincon just missed being a Dodgers Top 30 prospects. He sits at #31. This could be a make-or-break year for him. He’s a big RH Power hitter who has hit 43 HR the past two years. Like Peters, he is strikeout machine, but he bears watching.
• I do not see how the Dodgers can keep Julio Urias off the team at the start of the season. He is the talk of Dodger Camp. He was once a kid when he first showed his immense talent. Now a man, in the best shape of his life and throwing harder than ever at 98 MPH, he has no business in the minor leagues. The Dodgers need him to help win games… like right now. He has Ace-Stuff. As a rookie, in 2016, he was very, very good, now he borders on great. This is a guy who will likely win a Cy Young at some point. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
• If Clayton is healthy (and it looks like he is trending that way), Buehler, Urias and Kershaw could make a devastating trio at the top of the rotation.
• Dave Dombrowski of the Red Sox, when asked if his team went backward after losing Joe Kelly and likely Craig Kimbrel said that it 9is a young team and that they could (through growth) be better than last year. The Dodgers also have some young players who could experience some of the same incremental growth. I’m talking about Seager, Bellinger, Barnes, Taylor, Kike, Buehler and Verdugo.

Photo Credit: Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers