Rants & Raves – What Did You Expect?

Big Jake Eder fan?

Starting to become one.

I remember that day. It was a good day. And Roger was one of the good guys. That other guy? Meh. I guess he’s not as worse as he usta was. Kim and Freeland work well together. Hope they keep it up til they both get sent down. Do you think Teo and Tucker would do at AAA what Tibbs is doing at AAA? Yeah, probably. Eder: 2 innings? No Ks? And he’s in the driveway? Go home and get some sleep. We’ll need to see a lot more of that before considering a call up.

Kim has looked good. Wonder if we’ll see him in CF.

I think you may have been a little rough on Ferris and a little over effusive with Eder. Eder has been a MLB pitcher, Ferris just turned 22 and is in AAA for the first time. Ferris gave up a 325 foot 2-run HR . Eder got a lot of swing on 4-seamers up out of the strike zone to get pop ups. Neither pitcher pitched impressively, but neither pitched poorly. Last year Ferris was much better in the 2nd half. His ERA was 2.25 in his last 12 starts, 64.1 IP. His problem has been too many BB. Only 1 in 3.1 IP. For me that is encouraging.

Kim and Freeland did work well together.

Kim’s arrival may have sparked Freeland a bit. Competition cures or kills. Freeland and Kim at the bottom worked well yesterday with Ohtani driving in Kim with a double. Both of them had two hits, including a double each. If their hitting continues the Dodgers can give Mookie a good rehab period and not rush it.

To belabor a point…. This 2026 edition of the Dodgers is so strong and so deep that it’s hard to imagine plausible trades that could improve them. (Today Yamamoto would have had a no-hitter going if Tucker hadn’t misjudged that “double.”) That said, Sandy Alcantara appears to be back from surgery in Cy Young form. And Miami might be more motivated to deal him than Detroit is to deal Skubal. (I don’t consider Skenes a plausible target–not yet, anyway.) Kim and Freeland are both looking good so far, but with Edman under a long-term contract, and Kike expected back for one last hurrah, they could become trade pieces. The Dodgers certainly don’t need Alcantara or Skubal. But they could make an attractive offer consisting of three or four guys who might otherwise be playing in Oklahoma.

Jackson Ferris 3.1IP 3H 2R 2ER 1BB 2K 1HR 5.40ERA Not good or bad for the first time at AAA Oklahoma City. I’m a believer in him.

“Dodgers minor league outfielder James Tibbs III ran roughshod over the Pacific Coast League in his first nine games in Triple-A, and on Monday was named Pacific Coast League player of the week. In six games against Las Vegas, Tibbs had 10 hits in 25 at-bats with five home runs, a double, four walks, nine runs scored, and five runs bated in (yes, all five home runs were solo shots), hitting .400/.483/1.040. The highlight for Tibbs came Saturday night, when he hit three home runs, just the 14th such game for Oklahoma City in its current Bricktown Era, dating back to 1998”.

What’s wrong with Max Muncy,13K in 34AB? He is swinging at pitches out of the strike zone which is not like him.

In perusing team stats this morning it isn’t surprising to see the Dodgers leading in several offensive categories, including runs, home runs, slugging and OPS. I can see that continuing for most of the season. What I found a bit surprising is the pitching is ranked 9th in ERA, 11th in ERA+, and way down the list in SO9. They are also 4th in WHIP, probably my favorite pitching stat, but I found that a bit strange because they are 11th in BB9 and 6th in H9. Hard to predict pitching for this team but it certainly looked to me they were deep in arms. Wrobleski and Sheehan might be weak links in this rotation as after two appearances they each begin the year with negative WAR’s. It’s of course too early to anticipate what mid season numbers might look like but I could see the team looking around for pitching help. Alcantara would be a logical target, but Miami could contend this year. It’s hard not to want, and almost expect, the team to make a run at the ‘27 FA Skubal. If made available there will be several teams in that hunt. I read an early article in SI that suggested San Diego was his likely landing spot. Yes, it’s way too early to know anything about mid season moves, but clearly I’m already thinking about them.

The Dodgers’ team ERA reflects the struggles of four pitchers: Sheehan – 8.00 ERA Sasaki – 7.00 ERA Caspatius – 6.75 ERA Henriquez – 6.75 ERA And some bum named Rojas has a 9.00 ERA. 😉 I see at least two of these pitchers getting fixed. I am not confident about Henriquez and Sasaki.

I was being deliberately hyperbolic! 😉 Throughout…

Hard to disagree here

Hurt seems likely for Henriquez at some point.

Actually, Jackson Ferris looked very good in the first three innings, during which he allowed only 1 hit with 2 Ks and 1 BB. In the 4th, he gave up a single, and Bride hit a 325 ft. HR. This is why I dislike the PCL. Even in OKC, the ball flies out of small parks. Ferris will be just fine, I think.

Hurt’s looked good except for too many walks.

I don’t think so… The Dodgers best play patrols it! 😉

Muncy is a streak hitter. Once he gets in sync, he carries the team for 3 weeks.

Some Wednesday morning thoughts. (1). Is there any other pitcher in baseball you would rather watch than Yamamoto? He’s at the top of my list! (2). Is any other player in baseball playing with the confidence that Andy Pages has right now? Both on defense and offense? (3). Is Dalton Rushing about to “bust “ wide open sitting on the bench after that monster night? Lucky to be a Dodger! Unlucky to backup Will Smith! (4). Is Kyle Tucker the most laid back Dodger since Shawn Green? Look for 28 and 90 from him this season! (5). Is Alex Vesia getting better ? I think so! (6). Is Freeland getting ready to really start hitting? Looks like it to me! (7). Is Kim really trade bait? I’m beginning to think not! Kid can play some defense! Hitting against left handed pitchers might be his only weakness. (8). Is Freddie ever going to to give Dalton a chance to play first? May take a court order to get him to take a day off! (9). Is Ohtani really a HUMAN? (10). Is Blake Trienan really fixed? Time will tell. Notice there’s not any negative questions above. Things are going VERY WELL for the Dodgers! They can out pitch anyone. They can out slug anyone. They can outthink anyone. Things can change over the course of a season. Injuries. Slumps. Attitudes. But trust in Dave Roberts to make sure that everyone is on board. It’s a long season. Everybody has a role. Everybody has to row together. The boat has to keep moving in the right direction. I agree with others. This might be the best Dodger team we’ve seen!

“The Pirates have announced that they’ve signed Konnor Griffin to a nine-year extension. The news was first reported by Jon Heyman of The New York Post this morning. The deal runs through the 2034 season, and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports that the deal is worth $140MM. Heyman adds that the deal includes incentives that could take the deal up to $150MM for the Excel client, while Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that there are no options or deferred money in the deal. Sherman adds that the deal’s incentives are based on MVP voting for the 2026-31 seasons. ESPN’s Buster Olney first reported that the sides were working on a deal in the range of nine years and $140MM last week, and now the deal is done”.

Early Game today 3:07PM ET

Love all this. Well done. Rushing is a great development and hopefully we see him appear as a PH or spot starter at 1B. Pages is having a breakout year. I’ve followed him from the beginning and his defensive improvements are borderline shocking. He’s nearing gold glove territory. Ohtani is too good. I called my son downstairs to watch his single off the wall. Ho hum. I like Tucker. Super-talented dude. Snell-like in demeanor.

Well, that clinches it. Konnor Griffin will officially be a bust… because everything the Pirates do is usually wrong!