My Coverage of the 2023 MLB Draft

So we’re looking for a closer. How about the NL all star who closed out the game tonight?

Mookie the MVP in sales too!

Per Twitter and Jorge Castillo:

A quote to remember from Shohei Ohtani for when he hits free agency: “Not just today, but watching guys overall, I feel like Mookie Betts really impresses me. He’s so versatile.”

Dodgers have the surplus of potential trade chips and if they want to utilize their wealth I believe it will happen with teams who approach Dodgers. So it may be subtle improvements for the 2nd half of the season and not costing the premium as some mentioned. Dodgers don’t need to replace players to win the division but likely feel the need to improve chances for the world title. Getting under the tax and resetting is undoubtably the goal for next season. At the time Kershaw departs Dodgers it’ll be for retirement. I don’t think he’s even tempted to play for Texas as he doesn’t like playing in humidity. The sign is in the sweat on his head. Sweat = stress.

Eric, you have to get over the paranoia that Mark and Bear are out to get you. It’s just not so. They’re out to get me!

With Ahmed Rosorio being a free agent at the end of this year from the Indians I think that’s who the dodgers go after in free agency and then move Lux back to second base. And then try to improve third base or left field as well in trades or free agency. Rosorio would certainly be an improvement at shortstop and then keep Rojas as the utility guy that plays all over the infield. Use Taylor Muncy and some rookies in minor leagues to make trades and add pitching this off season. If they can get Stroman and Gilotto and sign those two for next year with Buehler coming back and Miller and Sheehan and Gonsolin that’s six starters and I didn’t even mention Kershaw or Urias who both could walk. Any way that’s my opinion on what to do by next year and which pitchers they should get at trade deadline and they need another bat if they could get Rosario Naylor and Bieber that would be excellent but the guardians aren’t out of wild card chase. But, a trade like that. Means we will lose some high level talent to get three great players and that’s what winners do.

i am not a stat man. I simply get my enjoyment from what I see and feel. It’s great when stats back up what I see and feel but I’m always prepared to be wrong as often enough that is how things play out. I was high on Outman and stated thus. I saw his 1st at bat a plus backed up by recognition him showing he had all the tools for greatness but lacked the stats. I had spoken with boxers who were good enough to boxed in televised matches and one of them proudly stated “I box good on TV”‘ That was in the color I saw in Outman, his answering to the chance at showing what he had on stage. I’ve posted what I saw in him and hoped he could substantiate my judgements. I wasn’t at all familiar with Vargas’ play and as I’m not into stats and 1stly use my eyes only I had little view on Vargas. What I read it was clear more staff and professionals held Vargas above Outman but I didn’t take that as a challenge. Why should I? They both play for Dodgers at this point and I hope they both will for the future. Do I expect them to be superstars? Not at all as nice as it would be for either. From here I expect Vargas to be the better hitter and Outman to adjust and continue answering the call. The contest is against other teams. If anyone has negative feelings with this then dump it here right on me….I can take it!

Old Bear, I hope you enjoy the Indiana Jones movie. It was corny, far-fetched, 100% high energy, great persistent bad-guys, including a perfect stereotypical, wanna-be Hitler. It had chases in every possible vehicle and including time travel to Syracuse, not to meet Jimmy Brown, but to bump into Archimedes himself during the Second Punic War (where old Arch supposedly was killed by a Roman Soldier). Total improbable folly. And I loved it. What’s why I love the entire franchise starting with the very first one. If you go to pick this baby apart, forget about it. If you go for pure fun, you’ll love it too. I hope you enjoy it.

I am totally done with the Home Run Derby. I know what to expecting and it deteriorates every year for a number of reasons that has nothing to do with the power hitting ability of the participants.

I’m not there yet with the actual game, but I may be after tonight.

Thanks Watford dodger! That’s it

Been away for a few days being busy and caught up on reading here and Bear you still don’t get it. “congratulate myself on the Vargas call” as you said. It’s not congratulate myself, IT’S THE BAD MOUTHING ME i’ve recieved a lot here in the past for what I’ve said and being right a lot in the end. Not “a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile” like you said.

An excellent article on “The Athletic” about base stealing. Many Dodgers were mentioned as examples including Austin Barnes having the weakest arm in MLB.

https://theathletic.com/4679365/2023/07/11/what-makes-a-good-base-stealer/

Michael – hope you’re good

I think this is the article re Yelich & Co

https://dodgersway.com/posts/can-dodgers-use-christian-yelich-trade-to-get-what-they-really-want-01h4pc9wd5g8

Food for thought

On dodger rumors site. They were questioning Heyward and peralta s sustainability

That kid that Dodgers drafted, Jack Gelof, is he related to Oakland’s Zach Gelof?

I heard yesterday on national radio the person said mlb gets the all star festivities right but the NBA gets the regular season right. How in the hell can anyone believe that crap? What they call defense in the nba is a joke.! You won’t find better defense in sports than Major League Baseball.! The officiating in pro basketball so resembles WWF wrestling! I know we complain about plate umpires but have you seen nba officials? They do have remarkable athletes in pro basketball, but so does mlb, and mlb players play on both sides offense and defense. Giolita is available, please don’t let Texas or Cincinnati snap him up! Yelich to the dodgers is flying around, not sure that’s a fit but it’s out there. Would also include either burns or adames. Not me wanting this , but it’s out there

Looks like Chris Taylor will be ready to rejoin the team on Friday in New York. He hit a homer in his last game at Rancho. MLBTR is reporting that the White Sox seem to be amenable to listening to offers for everyone except Robert, Vaughn, Jimenez, and Cease. There was also a blurb on one of the internet news lines that if the Angels keep losing, they might pivot and actually trade Ohtani. But most feel Moreno would not send him to the Dodgers even for the short term.

All-Star game tonight. I won’t be watching. I watched last year because it was at Dodger Stadium. But the so-called Midsummer Classic has lost its luster to me. I am instead going to see the new Indiana Jones movie. I know it has gotten some lousy reviews, which means, I will love it. Never read what the reviewers say. I prefer to see for myself. I watched a very interesting movie last night on Max. It was called Red. No, not the one with Bruce Willis about the retired CIA agent, but this one starred Brian Cox, who incidentally was in Red with Willis as the former Russian KGB agent. It is about a guy whose dog is killed just for kicks by a sadistic teenager and witnessed by his two friends. The dogs name is Red. My dog’s name was Red. All he wants is justice for his murdered dog. But he ends up paying a high price for trying. Tom Sizemore plays the kids dad.

Mookie Betts hit 11 HR – in the HR Derby – not nearly enough, but a lot better than Yasiel Puig, who laid an egg!

I have been thinking about this for a month, and then it was brought up today. Miguel Vargas’ father was a “quasi-hitting coach” for him and the Dodgers wanted him to pull the ball more. What effect, if any, could that have had?

As a hitter, I regard Vargas as a “Corey-Seager Type Hitter.” We haven’t seen Miguel Vargas in MLB yet!

Yankees have hired Sean Casey as their new hitting coach. Interesting choice. At least we know he could hit MLB pitching.

Dodgers #36 pick – Kendall George 5’10” 165 deluxe speed. Maybe the Dodgers are planning on going in a new direction with a speed emphasis.

At 1st look, this looks like an odd pick for round 1, 36.

You can’t steal 1st but this kid has some bat to ball skills and may grow into some power, but maybe not. Would that be an bad thing. Granted it seems odd to pick this kid, who’s best rating was 65 best prospect by MLB. It’s thought that he may take less then the 2.36 million slot value to free up money for the 9 other picks. They must have a # in mind. Sounds like he wants to sign but at a much lower #, why. He can go to Arkansas in the best conference in the nation and grow up.

At first this was a head scratcher. I would think a big college pitcher with flaws but a big upside would be the plan. Or a kid like Gelof they got next.

Thinking about it a super fast kid with contact skills who is 5’10”, 165 at 18 doesn’t sound that much different from Latin kids who signs at 16.5 and 17 at that size and grow into their game. Maybe the Dodgers see that kind of upside with this kid. It will be interesting what he may sign for. It appears we think this kid wants to be Dodger more than a Razorback.

I was not impressed with the 1st pick, but am willing to wait and see. After all, the LAD brass knows a lot more about him than any of us. His batting stats are pretty impressive. and his work ethic sounds pretty solid. Pick #2 looks pretty good. Hope Kendall George turns out better than Jeren Kendall.

I went to two AAA games over the weekend at Victory Field and the ABS was excellent. There were several challenges and in every case, the call was overturned. .. in a matter of 5 seconds or less. I was impressed! The games really moved quickly!

Doesn’t matter how fast you are if you’re only going between the dugout and home plate. Do we really need another Jake Vogel? Looks like a wasted pick to me.

Keith Law’s take on the first day of the draft for the Dodgers (from The Athletic)::

“• The Dodgers’ picks mystified me, and I say that knowing full well that they have been one of the best drafting teams in baseball for a long time. I’m fine with Jake Gelof in the second round, but there’s more risk to him than is typical for a college bat because he has such an issue with high fastballs. To take him after taking a high school hitter with no power (Kendall George) with their first pick makes for a strange Day 1 combo.”

I generally don’t pay attention to the MLB draft. I’ve seen so many 1st round picks (even top 5 picks) come up to the CA league and be largely unimpressive. Many never amount to anything.

As an example, Mickey Moniak (1st overall by the Phillies) completely busted. He’s in his 4th season getting ABs in the majors and has only now seemed to reach anything close to his potential. And that was only after the Phillies tossed him in as a side chip in the Syndergaard trade with the Angels.

I saw Joey Bart play down in the CA league after the Giants took him with the 2nd overall pick. I wasn’t terribly impressed. He hit “ok”. But not for a 2nd overall pick. He now looks like a light hitting backup catcher after a couple years in MLB.

300 ABs in high A or higher is when I start to pay attention.

On the flip side, one of the more impressive players I saw in the CA league in 2018 was Jared Walsh. He was the 38th round pick by the Angels. I remember he once went 5 for 5 against the Quakes with 3 doubles and a home run. He had a month where he destroyed high A and was in AA before you could blink. He was an AS in his first full season with the Angels after leading AAA in home runs. Injuries have derailed his last two seasons. But from 38th round to MLB All Star tells you how much of this is a crap shoot.

Draft was fun to watch. Watched it until Dodger #36 pick , Kendall George. He’s a base stealer. Wonder if he will go to Arkansas or sign with Dodgers. Being a baseball fan, the draft is interesting. However, the NBA and MLB drafts are no where near the spectacle that is the NFL Draft!

Hopefully, Vargas will come back like Lux did when he was sent down.

Go Dodgers!! Win the West. Hoping Kershaw has a great second half. We may be seeing the end of Clayton’s great career with the Dodgers. Maybe a Texas Ranger next year?? Great human being and great pitcher and competitor.

Vargas needs this reset. Hindsight being 20/20, the Dodgers should have started him down in AAA after the injury to his hand. I believe their logic was they had basically told him he would be their everyday second baseman. He worked his tail off in the off-season to improve at the position. They didn’t want to discourage him by sending him back down. So they let him play through the injury. Even when that meant he took ABs for a couple weeks without being able to swing. That was just to give him reps at 2b during ST. It’s obvious that he never found his rhythm at the plate. It was a difficult situation. You don’t want to take away his confidence by sending him down when he worked so hard to be ready to play 2b. But also took the risk that he really didn’t have a normal ST to get his bat up to speed against MLB pitching. Which in turn, likely hurt his confidence at the plate. Bit of a catch 22. A reset, without the pressure, is what is needed. A month in AAA could turn his season around.

Both Michael Busch and Devin Mann have earned a shot. Both have an OPS around .1000. Neither have anything more to prove in the PCL. The Dodgers need to move one of them at the deadline. A showcase of a couple weeks in the majors for one or both might be good timing.

Interesting article about ABS based balls and strikes,

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/strike-baseball-robots-rule-book-101303234.html

We thought we had our 3b of the future when we drafted Hoese. He is still in AA and not doing exceptionally well there.

That OF we picked is lighning fast but most draft pundits had him go 2-3 round lower. We will see.

Sending down Vargas was inevitable the way he looked at the dish. No confidence at all, looking at strikes, swinging at balls.

Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok mark, bush is raking! Is he coming to play 2nd or is he part of a package going after say giolita? Sooner or later he has to play in the show! Dodgers may have their 3rd baseman of the future with kid from uva. I’m through complaining about Barnes! Ain’t no use! He and his .100 and his .100 average are here for remainder of this year and possibly next year as I’ve said before, I believe he ends up coaching in dodger organization. And I believe he’ll be a manager someday. Any body know when Kershaw pitches again? My son and grandson and I are in Baltimore next week and hoping my grandson gets to see him pitch! Hope Friedman adds a bat and a starter, enjoy the all star game!

I have never really gotten into the draft, maybe because so many of the first and second round picks never see the light of day in the majors. Remember, Rick Monday was the first ever draft pick. Before that, you rarely heard about prospects or signees until they hit AAA. There was less coverage. Now they cover all of the drafts with the NFL’s being by a large margin the most popular. It used to be all about scouts beating the bushes and finding hidden gems. That is one reason I love the Clint Eastwood movie, Trouble With the Curve. Tells it like it used to be. And also remember, Piazza was a 62nd round pick and then only as a favor to Lasorda.