Rivalries? and Mookie and the Five Faces of LAD
Yes, I am thrilled that we have baseball again. And I am just as sure that the Dodgers are going to win this year. I am not much of a gambler, but I dropped a few dollars on the Dodgers winning the 2020 WS. But I have a tough time getting excited about beating a team like the Giants who have very little, if any, chance of making the playoffs.
Yes, I am thrilled that we have baseball again. And I am just as sure that the Dodgers are going to win this year. I am not much of a gambler, but I dropped a few dollars on the Dodgers winning the 2020 WS. But I have a tough time getting excited about beating a team like the Giants who have very little, if any, chance of making the playoffs. I think the Dodgers 30 member team remaining at the Alternate Site at THE University of Southern California could win a majority of games played against the ML SF Giants.
I recognize that AF and Doc are data driven, but they have a loooong way to go to match the apparent unquestioned reliance that Farhan and Gabe Kapler possess. It’s Game 1 and Kapler takes out Brandon Crawford because he cannot hit LHP? The team is already without Posey, Longoria, and Belt, and Brandon Crawford is not good enough to play nine? An OF consisting of Mike Yastrzemski, Alex Dickerson, Joe McCarthy, and Jaylin Davis? Outside of Yaz, I think the label of AAAA may be generous. Something tells me the Dodgers are far better off with AF and Doc than they would have been with Farhan and Gabe.
Dustin May had a memorable opening day start (maybe not his last), with the bullpen dominating in Game 1. No walks were allowed by Dodger pitchers. That was followed by a masterful professional start by Ross Stripling in Game 2. Strip went a strong 7 innings while allowing one run on a solo HR by rookie Jaylin Davis, four hits, seven K’s, and an impressive ZERO walks. His change is absolutely an out pitch, and has made Strip a legit SP. The string of zero walks was broken by newcomer Jake McGee, but he got out of the 8th unscathed. Dylan Floro closed out the ninth.
Offensively, Kike’ was electric on Thursday, while Max Muncy was the big hitter with two HRs on Friday. Friday also featured Seager with a 3-4 night with a double and walk. They have done most of the damage without the big bats of Mookie and Belli. For the Dodgers, even the outs were hard hit. 16 runs on 25 hits in the two games against the midgets. Gosh, they are a bad team.
I want to be clear, that I am ecstatic that the Dodgers extended Mookie Betts. 12 years $365MM, so be it. That is the going rate for a five – tool superstar potential HOF OF who also is a model citizen that fits like a glove the culture the Dodgers are encapsulating. I enjoy reading BoSox fans who were all giddy believing that they fleeced AF and got Verdugo, Downs, and Wong, and would undoubtedly re-sign Mookie for 2021-???, and now are saying how ripped off AF and the Dodgers got with overpaying for Mookie. Perhaps they did. How much? Something tells me Mark Walter and Co. can afford it. I was 100% for the trade, and I believed from the outset that AF was not going to trade for Mookie without having a legit plan of re-signing him. He knew what it was going to take, and he would not have traded Verdugo and Downs if he believed that they would be outbid for Mookie. No guarantees, but AF is good at playing the odds.
At his press conference, Mookie was asked what it is like to be the new face of the Dodgers. He smiled and said that he is not the face of the Dodgers, but if it is required of him, he would gladly accept the responsibility. Fortunately for the Dodgers and Mookie, the team has a plethora of faces, which brings us to a potential problem coming down the line. Mookie was going to be a FA after this year, but so are JT, Joc, Kike’, Baez, Treinen, and Wood. JT, Joc, Kike’, and Baez are longtime Dodgers and part of the corps. Wood was part of the 2017/2018 WS teams. FA following the 2021 season; Kershaw, KJ, CT3, and Corey. Belli and Urias become FA after 2023, and Buehler becomes a FA after 2024.
What impact will the Mookie contract have on these future FA? Of the 2020 group, I think the Dodgers offer JT because he is the heart and sole of the team. He is the new Chase Utley and should sign for two years for his age 36 and 37. He is no longer a plus defender. JT took less to stay with the Dodgers three years ago, and he knows this is his home. I think he will re-sign with LAD for a reasonable (fair) deal. Joc, Kike’, Baez, Wood, and Treinen will undoubtedly move on. The deep pitching and utility players in the system at a far less cost is where the Dodgers will land, IMO. Joc will move on because he does not want to platoon, and he does not think he needs to. The same with Kike’. With the universal DH, both Joc and Kike’ should get offers from AF, but no promises other than a continuous platoon.
Of the 2021 group, Corey Seager and Clayton Kershaw will very much be offered. Kershaw will no longer be earning $31MM per year, but what will it take to keep him for age 34-35-36. No matter how Mookie plays, Clayton Kershaw will still be the face of the Dodgers, but CK wants to retire a Dodger as much as LAD wants him to retire as a Dodger. Both parties will be reasonable.
The future will be decided by what happens with Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler, and possibly Julio Urias, the other faces of LAD. The five faces of LAD. What makes this a problem is that Corey, Belli, and Urias are all represented by Scott Boras. Buehler is not currently represented by an agent, but I am also positive that Boras is lurking. Belli and Urias become FAs for 2024, while Buehler follows a year later. Corey becomes an immediate concern as he is under team control for one more year. Seager becomes a FA the same year as Frankie Lindor and Carlos Correa, so he will have some competition for SS FA.
The Dodgers have plenty of depth in MiLB, but they do not have anyone who can replace Seager, Belli, Buehler, or probably Urias. So extending those four will go a long way to determine how long this dominant play will continue. Getting JT and CK to continue to sign with LA will become a priority, but will not be nearly as critical as getting the other four faces of LAD.
Miscellaneous items –
The White Sox have DFAd former 1st round pick and former Walker Buehler Vanderbilt teammate, Carson Fulmer. Any team can claim Fulmer, but if he goes unclaimed until LAD can decide, is this something that AF might entertain? Even if he is claimed and the White Sox pull him back, I am guessing that the Dodgers could offer a lottery pick. Fullmer was considered the Ace of that Vandy team. Fullmer, who is still 26, was selected 16 spots ahead of Buehler. Fullmer has never been healthy and has zero chance of succeeding with the ChiSox. He intrigues me. The problem I have is I have no idea who AF would have to designate to acquire a very high risk and potentially high reward pitcher.
The ban on high fives??? There sure seems to be a lot of high fives in the LAD dugout. Catchers also seem to forget about not throwing the ball around after a K.
I hate the new 16 game playoff format. Anything can happen in a short three game series. Even with the top seeds having all three games at home, is there really a home field advantage without fans? This is a recipe for a disaster for a number eight seed knocking a number one seed by getting hot at the right time for three games.
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Discussion (87)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I agree that 3 games is not a measuring stick. We know will smith is better at catcher so play him. It may be important for his confidence to know he is number 1. You cannot play a 60 game season the way you do a 162 season you need to get it right now. Mookie has said he wants to leadoff. We just signed him to an exorbitant contract only to say you are not good enough to leadoff. Wake up Roberts lead him off. Muncy is a great player hit him where he has runners on base. He is not a base stealer. Cmon this should not be this hard. I just think May should start. He has dominant stuff and I would start him over stripling or wood. Put your best team out there daily. As for the giants we gave them the game. If we are going to be a great team you don’t giveaway games. I agree our bullpen used correctly could be a strength.
Badger,
Ruiz struggled most of last year at Tulsa as they re-tooled his swing. Since he has such elite bat-to-ball control and quick heads, I am not sure that re-tooling will work. He looked better at OKC at the end of the year, but it was a small sampling.
I am still high on him and what little I have seen of him this year, shows he has a very quick bat. I think he will get a shot this season if Barnes or Smith gets nicked up or falters.
Arenado can also opt out after the 2021 season, at age 30. Would he walk away from $164M at that age to try to win, and would he interest LA?
McGee’s 4-seamer was 94-96 consistently. He could end up being a big piece of the pen.
Treinen was also 94-96 with great movement.
Joe Kelly was throwing a lot of off-speed stuff, and only busted one fastball at 98 MPH. If he can pitch “backwards” like that he’s unhittable.
Let’s not lose our minds after one loss. Seager and Muncy both have their timing and confidence. JT is close. Cody and Mookie are struggling. However, after 3 games the Dodgers are hitting .318 as a team and OPS’ing .991. They lead the majors with 21 Runs and yet we want to switch up everything? Bench players? It’s 1 loss and there will be more. Alex Wood was clearly out of sync. Early this spring, he was hitting 93 or 94 with his fastball. He never hit 91 yesterday. His control was way off too, so he is either just out of sync (his delivery is prone to that) or he is canceling an injury (he is prone to that too). He needs a couple more starts to determine what is up. By then, Clayton will be back and maybe Dustin May takes Wood’s spot, but not yet!
Will Smith and Austin Barnes are both hitting .333. What’s the problem with playing either one? If the Dodgers win today, they will be on track to win 45 games. You are going to lose a third of your games. You just are! You can say the Giants are a minor league team but they would annihilate any AAA team. This is MLB and there is a big jump to this level. Yes, they are a bad MLB team and sometimes teams tend to play down to their competition. The Dodgers killed them the first two games. I hear that they missed some opportunities – YOU ALWAYS MISS OPPORTUNITIES! That’s why players can hit .300, but not .600.
Perspective! No matter how you slice it, this item is damn good! Patience Grasshoppers! Julio needs to show out tonight!
Therealten, I agree with all six statements.
1. Put mookie at leadoff and leave him there. That is where he is most comfortable. We are wasting muncy at leadoff.
2. Put may in the rotation and leave him there. He will struggle at times but no more than the rest.
3. Start will smith . He supposedly is your primary catcher then catch him!
4. Roberts the great motivator did not motivate Saturday. Did not come to play this was a mental breakdown as well as a fundamental breakdown.
5. In a 60 game season you don’t have the luxury of throwaway games
6. When Gonsolin is ready he has to pitch.
Well, so much for winning all 60! When Mookie and Belli get going, it will be a different story. I hope this was a wake up call for the team. It’s not going to be an easy ride, even against teams like the Giants. You need to show up.
Alex Wood will rebound and be ok. But why settle for that. Everyone can see how electric May’s stuff is. The Giants got 7 hits but they were flares, squibs and a bunt primarily.
~
There’s only 60 games and damn near the entire league gets into the playoffs. Let the kid pitch and develop. I feel that way about Gonsolin too. He’s better than Floro, Santana, Alexander, and McGee.
Austin Barnes can’t hit MLB pitching:
2015:. 207/.361/.276/.637
2016: .156/.270/.188/.458
2017: .289/.408/.486/.895
2018: .205/.329/.290/.619
2019: .203/.293/.340/.633
Barnes is a guy who will hit .205 but catch a good game. He’s a plus framer but not a good thrower – he has a career caught stealing of 27%.
I gave up on him after last season. He’s fine as a backup but shouldn’t be starting 40% of the time – he’s started 2 of the 1st 3 games.
For all of you guys bitching about Barnes. He and Smith are both hitting .333. Bellinger and Betts are both under the Mendoza line. And between the 2 of them they have more RBI’s than those 2 combined, and only one less hit. And also the only HR. So cool your jets. Rios got his first AB today, and Beaty has not played yet. Wood took total responsibility for his bad outing.
Somehow until the end of the game, the Dodgers just did not look energetic. Poor baserunning did not help and lack of hitting except for a few was not there either. And, what is it with so many players getting hit by pitchers? I, the optimist, say tomorrow is another day and Wood will do better next game. I hope so.
Barnes and Wood wish they could but they just no good!
Didn’t show up ready to play today. I gave up on Barnes last year. Smith should play as much as possible. Bring Barnes in if we get a big lead.
That sucked.
After 3 games:
1. Can’t win them all
2. We are 2-1 with Betts and Bellinger pretty much absent.
3. Barnes and Wood……. give it your own punchline…….
Several observations after 2 1/2 games:
1 – May has the stuff but not the refinement – 7 H in 4 innings shouldn’t happen with his stuff. Maybe not ready for prime time. Stripling looked great – Wood did not. Wood has no fast ball and his slider/change up combo didn’t fool the Giants’ AAAA hitters. When Kershaw comes back I’m not sure that Wood belongs in the rotation.
2 – Santana doesn’t have a clue where it’s going. Treinen – holy smokes! Great sinker. Kelly – nothing but curve balls? Baez, Kolaraek looked good.
3 – Why play Matt Barnes?
4 – The Dodgers’ strategy in game 3 – nothing but change ups and breaking balls – why?
5 – Turner, Seaager, Kike, Joc, Muncy putting good wood on the ball Some of the Dodgers’ hitters are just a little behind – but they’re almost there. It should be awesome.
6 – Remember – they’re playing the Giants – the OKC Dodgers might be better. I’m a bit nervous about the pitching but the offense should be there.
7 – Poor hitting RISP again. They left 24 on base in the first 2 games and would have left a lot of runners on base if they hadn’t been thrown out on the basepaths 4 times today.
K K Kelly. Get ready for a MONSTER comeback.
we look like the overpaid minor league team today (so far )
Wood did not have a fast ball today. Not long for the starting rotation unless he finds his 92-94 MPH fastball. Terrible base running in the 4th.
Gonna miss David Price.
Well this is how you lose to a minor league team. Walk crappy hitters and run the bases like 8 year olds.
Wow that was some horrible baserunning in that inning.
Alex Wood lools awful so far. 2nd inning 2 walks and a wild pitch. Gave up a homer in the 3rd. Can’t establish with his fastball. 60 pitches after 3 innings. When are they going to take him out?
This is no where near the Alex Wood of 17 when his fastball was in the 92-94 range. He is not long for the starting rotation. Not gonna keep May out for very long
Same ole Wood