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Rants & Raves

Last night, the family was in for dinner, and my oldest son, who lives in Brooklyn (he has been here for 5 weeks helping his grandmother transition to a Senior Care Facility), is heading home today, so we had a goodbye dinner and stayed up late. Today is one of those days where…

By Mark Timmons2 min readJump to 91 comments

Last night, the family was in for dinner, and my oldest son, who lives in Brooklyn (he has been here for 5 weeks helping his grandmother transition to a Senior Care Facility), is heading home today, so we had a goodbye dinner and stayed up late. Today is one of those days where I have to be in the office early and have meetings and/or appointments at 9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM, and 4 PM, and then I have a dinner engagement at 7 PM – Busy Day! It’s not like that every day, but today is one of them, so I will likely not have much Dodger time today. So, here’s a few things to consider:

  • Glasnow could be an Ace – a Real Ace, and Margot is attached to him because TB wants to dump his salary. I do not see TB adding Arozerena. Pepiot and DeLuca would not be a lot to pay for a potential Cy Young Award Winner – on the other hand – it would be a lot to pay for a pitcher on the IL and a backup outfielder. I say no!
  • Ohtani’s Opt-Out Clause is certainly a testament to Mark Walter as an owner and Andrew Friedman as head of baseball operations. WOW! The details are all HERE. Never in the history of the game… I guess you will have to stop bashing Friedman unless you want to dump Ohtani too.
  • Clayton Kershaw says he is doing really well – I think he will be back with the Dodgers by August! He wants to be part of this!
  • Daniel Hudson is far from a sure thing with all of his knee problems, but he is certainly worth a 2-million-dollar minor-league deal.
  • Giolito? Who knows?
  • Burnes? Adames? Cease? Yamamoto? So we wait….
  • Could it be that Yamamoto is all the Dodgers need? Yamamoto, Miller, Kershaw, Pepiot, Sheehan, Buehler, Stone, et al…
  • David Vassagh in an interview yesterday that the “Dodgers aren’t worried about having Buehler in April or May – they want to be sure he is ready in October and they expect him to be.”

Have a great day! This could be the day…

Discussion (91)

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  1. porpoiseboyDecember 14, 2023

    Like to see some stats to back up all that verbosity. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen.

  2. MichaelDecember 14, 2023

    We’ll Mark you call it a crapshoot like that’s all it is. If there’s only a element of crapshoot like there always has been since the beginning of sports. Maybe crapshoot is the wrong word. Which is hardest finishing better than all the teams in one league then playing WS, finishing better than teams in own division playing a LCS and WS, finishing better in multi weakened divisions or getting a wildcard and playing multiple series’s in playoffs to win it all? It’s really hard no matter which way got it done. So for anyone to discredit any teams championship run by calling it a crapshoot including the 20 dodgers is as plain lame as it gets. The talent from top to bottom with the intangibles it takes to win it all means much more than the crapshoot elements involved and baseball isn’t played on paper

  3. JohnDecember 14, 2023

    If I was in a position to change the Dodgers roster, I wouldn’t trade any of our young right handed pitchers for another right handed pitcher. The Dodgers need to get some left handed starters. Blake Snell shouldn’t be considered. This brings up the question of what left handed starter is available. The Dodgers should look to move one or more of their potential young right handed starters for potential young left handed starters. The Dodgers roster as is, will be expected to win the NL West. The Dodgers can move some of the young right handed starters for more experienced right handed pitchers at the trade deadline if the Dodgers determine that will make them better in the playoffs.

    I may be willing to move one of the young right handed pitchers for a solid right handed hittting outfielder. The worry I have for our beloved Dodgers is how left handed hitting heavy the roster is as it stands today. I don’t think the Dodgers should make the trade from the stand point of weakness (this off season), until they see what Deluca, Pages or Vargas have to offer if given a chance to play.

  4. SandyAmorosDecember 14, 2023

    Blind Joe right on target on Roberts

  5. MichaelDecember 14, 2023

    But it doesn’t matter if doc is stupid or not only matters how lucky can get in the crapshoot

  6. Mark TimmonsDecember 14, 2023

    … and yet he has the best winning percentage of any MLB Manager EVER in the history of the modern game.

    Is it Roberts’ Fault that the following occurred:

    1. His Ace, who has a career ERA of 2.46 in the Regular Season, has an ERA of more than 2 Runs Higher in the playoffs.

    2. That Superstar Hitter Mookie Betts has hit .143 and .00 in the last two playoffs.

    3. That Superstar Freddie Freeman hit .100 in his last playoff year.

    4. Closer Kenley Jansen had a 0-2 record and a 4.40 ERA in 3 World Series.

    The Giants never won a World Series with Bury Bonds (.245 BA in 208 PA in the playoffs), but they won three with a bunch of players who exceeded expectations in the playoffs. If the players don’t play up to their expectations, the manager looks like a dud, but when they play over their heads, he is a stud!

  7. DavidDecember 14, 2023

    When your two best hitters get 1 infield single TOTAL in three playoff games—-I don’t think you blame the manager for that

  8. sbuffaloDecember 14, 2023

    Yah, I don’t like trading Pepiot. I thought he would be part of the rotation this coming year. Threw very well last summer after his return.

    But no matter where you turn on the trade market, it’s going to cost to get a front line starter.

    Yamamoto, if the experts are right, may be part of the solution. Many analysts now believe he’ll end up with the Dodgers. We’ll see.

    Need to make a big trade. The Rays are a natural. Glasnow, who is from Santa Clarita, might be a pitcher the Dodgers can hang onto if he stays healthy.

    Most pundits think the Brewers will trade Burnes. Yelich is apparently on the market. Blue Jays interested?

    Sounds like they may be getting ready to move a few players.

  9. BoboDecember 14, 2023

    Blind Joe, that’s some fancy writing, but you should give Roberts a little more credit, after all he told the guys to go out there and suck in the last two playoff rounds. And they did. So you can’t blame Doc.

    The guys did what they were asked to do.

    Come on Joe !

  10. Andrew Vincent ForteDecember 14, 2023

    The Los Angeles Dodgers scheduled Shohei Ohtani’s introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium for 3 p.m. PT on Thursday afternoon. When taking into account time zone changes, Ohtani’s first appearance as a member of the Dodgers is taking place at 8 a.m. in Japan.

    Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is going to accompany Ohtani in the center field plaza. It’s going to be at least Ohtani’s third trip to Dodger Stadium in December.

    I believe the press conference will be carried on the MLB network.

  11. Mark TimmonsDecember 14, 2023

    Buehler is 29

    Ohtani is 29, will be 30 in June

    Kershaw will be 36 in March

    Gonsolin will be 30 in May

    May just turned 26

    Glasnow turned 30 in August

    Miller will be 25 in April

    Pepiot will be 27 in August

    But there is then Frasso, Stone, Hurt, Knack. Wrobleski, Bruns, Martin, et al, who are in their early 20s.

    It’s not quite as bad as you make it sound.

  12. kpDecember 14, 2023

    Here are our starting rotation options for the next two seasons. I would imagine AF and Dave will have a hard time sleeping:

    Buehler- 2 TJ’s, other injuries and in his 30’s

    Ohtani- 2 TJ’s and in his 30’s

    Kershaw- multiple injuries and in his 30’s

    Goslin- 1 TJ and other injuries and in his 30’s

    May- 1 TJ and multiple injuries and close to 30

    Glasnow- If we add him, another TJ with multiple injuries and in his 30’s

    Miller- young and healthy (how did he get in here?)

    Pepiot- young and healthy but gone for Glasnow

  13. Andrew Vincent ForteDecember 14, 2023

    Sign Yamamoto if possible, sign Giolito, and use the prospect capital at the deadline. Not a fan of the Glasnow trade. Also as you mentioned Kershaw at midseason is a possibility. Need to have quality staters in October, not particularly during the regular season. The Dodgers are the best at navigating pitching during the regular season. The only trade I would consider is for Burnes, Cease will cost too many prospects.

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