Now That the trade deadline is behind us...
The Dodgers must have figured that getting Tarik Skubal put them in the WS. Many fans felt so. The Dodgers optioned Emmet Sheehan and certainly knew that was coming yesterday.
With Sheehan being optioned, the Dodgers are down to 5 SP of their 6-man rotation: Justin Wrobleski, Tarik Skubal, Eric Lauer, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki. Justin Wrobleski is looking more like the guy who has reached his limit in early August. He has pitched 118 innings so far in 2026, after 118.1 in all of 2025 (both MLB and MiLB) and 132.0 IP in all of 2024 (both MLB and MiLB). How much does he have left?
Wrobleski is the first Dodger ever to give up 4 HR in back-to-back games. How much better of a choice is he over Sheehan right now?
It would appear that the Dodgers are simply counting on the return to health from Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani. There is nobody else. Since the 2-way player is just a DH now, the team only has 13 pitchers available. The bullpen is a hot mess. And yet AF/BG chose not to address the bullpen. Instead, they chose to trade for LHP, Kris Bubic, who has been injured most of the year because of a left shoulder injury. The Dodgers have not been all that forthright with injury claims this year, so why should we be comfortable with the Dodgers saying they expect him back? Shoulder injuries are difficult to come back from. Ask Hyun-jin Ryu Julio Urías and Gavin Stone. I know, Bubic will be different.
Which LAD reliever does anyone have confidence in? Edwin Díaz, Jack Dreyer, Edgardo Henriquez, Jonathan Hernández, Kyle Hurt, Evan Phillips, Tanner Scott, and Alex Vesia. And yet Seth Halvorsen sits in OKC.
But no worries, the Dodgers now have 4 backup catchers, and have retained 65 of their 66 OF prospects. They did trade Jack Suwinski, but they still have Alex Call, Ryan Ward, Alek Thomas, and Ryan Fitzgerald. Will they bring up JDP to replace Suwinski? Will they bring up Charles Davalan to replace JDP in AA? If that happens, who might replace Davalan in Great Lakes?
How is this team going to get younger? Just how old is Mookie looking? Kiké? Miggy Ro? Will Max and Freddie continue to defy thier age, or will they too slow down? Will Tucker ever get hot? How will Smith come back? How hurt is Dalton Rushing? Should Wrobo be optioned to minimize his IP over the next several weeks?
The base running is absolutely atrocious, and it has cost multiple runs.
The team is not functioning like the best team in MLB right now, but as I said yesterday, they were not playing good baseball at the same time frame last year. Will it turn around like it did last year?
I choose to be an optimist. While I think the questions are fair, I choose not to dwell on the negatives. I believe that all three injured SP will come back and be productive. Yes, including Tyler Glasnow. I believe that Wrobo will get enough rest and re-find himself and become a major relief factor in the playoffs. I believe that Sheehan will find something in OKC that will turn his season around. I do not know if Doc will trust him in the playoffs, but I do think he will make a compelling argument. I believe that Halvorsen will make his way to LAD and prove to be another successful reclamation project.
While others have put too much emphasis on getting the best overall record and having home field advantage throughout, I remember last year. They were a WC team and did not have home field advantage in any of the NLDS, NLCS, and WS. Maybe it will take them a month to work it all out and get all of their players back healthy, but once everyone is back, the holes should be filled. Worry about getting the team healthy and ready for the playoffs. If they do, the talent will take over, like the last two years.
Regardless, the next several weeks are going to be inundated with frustrations. It is going to be a wild ride, so I am going to sit back and enjoy it. But I will also feel compelled to ask the questions.
Discussion (5)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I agree with Lionel - it’s the Bats that are the concern. I think the Phillies signing of Arraez is a shrewd bit of business, and I concur with Jeff on the Relief Core. I’d have added another top end Reliever. Where does Lauer fit in? Not sure his stuff plays outta the Pen. The Bubic signing is a head scratcher. It reminds me of Danny Duffy ( I think that was his name) from the Tigers a few years back. I said before the season started that we’d trade for a top end starter at some point but I never envisioned it being Skubal!! There was too much speculation and still is, in the Dodgers Rotation. I also said that Tucker would be in the conversation for NL MVP so there is that!! Presumably we got both Ben R and Hunter F just in case both Will and Dalton don’t make it. Lots of time left to step on the gas.
Just to introduce myself. My name is mickeyw. And I've a dodger fan since the 1977 world series. Guess no one has ever became a fan of a team that had just lost a world series. That's me!
"How is this team going to get younger?" is an interesting question.
I've noticed something about the dodgers during this incredible thirteen year run: The Dodgers offense seems to disappear at Dodger stadium during playoff games and world series. Anyone notice this? This is their major achilles tendon. Remember last years WS? Even they won ws, while at home the Dodgers offense took a nosedive. If they are to threepeat they must solve this problem.