We keep hearing rumors that the Dodgers are engaged in talks with the White Sox for a package of Garrett Crochet, Luis Robert, Jr., and Michael Kopech. While all of those players would l;ook nice in Dodger Blue and while I believe the Dodgers would be interested in all three, let me remind you that the Dodgers usually play their cards close to the vest. Things are quiet and then WHAM, they sign Ohtani or Yamamoto or Teo or trade for Mookie… and no one saw it coming!
When you hear these kinds of rumors involving the Dodgers, it generally means that, yes, the Dodgers have kicked the tires on these players, but the White Sox are leaking this information with the intent of driving up the cost. I am not saying that the trade with the White Sox won’t happen (and I would love it if it did, although I question how much Croichet will help this year), I am saying that most generally, the Dodger Trades are kept under wraps. So, that causes me to be somewhat suspicious. It tends to remind me of this Fleetwood Mac song:
Additionally, as early as June 25th of June, the White Sox announced that they were intent on lightening his workload. “We’re going to start dwindling his workload down a little bit, and we’ll manage that correctly,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “But it’s not something we’re going to put out and say, ‘Here’s what we’re doing,’ because nothing in this game is black and white.” If the Dodgers trade for him, they will have to do the same, including pitching him out of the bullpen. Kopech is a rehabilitation project for Mark Prior and Company… they have been successful with guys like that.
Over the next 30 days, it is very likely that the Dodgers will get Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, Brusdar Graterol, Walker Buehler, Max Muncy, Yoshi Yamamoto, Michael Grove, Ryan Brasier… and maybe Bobby Miller back! With their current lead and the situation in the NL West, as these players slowly matriculate back to the Show, the question becomes, “Do the Dodgers really need to gut the farm system to pick up Crochet, Robert, Jr., and Kopech?” I cannot imagine a trade such as that where the White Sox would not demand DePaula and Rushing, along with Wriobleski and Ferris. I would not do that deal.
Michael Norris nailed it yesterday:
These Dodger fans EXPECT TOO MUCH. And they have no patience. You put all the injured guys back on this roster, gets rid of Biggio and probably Kike, and this team would most likely have a 20-game lead. They really miss Mookie and the miss Max’s power. Only need then at the deadline would be a corner outfielder or a centerfielder. Wouldn’t need two starters.
— The Bear
Yes, most fans have no patience and continually fail to understand that “PROGRESS IS NOT LINEAR!” Many of you have lost faith in Lux, Outman, Vargas, and Pages. Lux is coming back from a horrific injury. Next year may be different. Miguel is learning a new position after playing the infield his whole career. As he demonstrated, he does have a very good arm for LF. In another year, his defense will have improved, too. Gurriel looked horrible in LF when he first switched, but he adapted. Outman still has a lot of promise. He just has to work on some things as well. Andy Pages arrived a year early and was slated to play all year at AAA.
It is not unusual for young players to do well at times, plateau, possibly regress, and even have to go back to the minors for a time, only to return and, in a couple of years, become an All-Star. I would not give up on Lux, Outman, Vargas, and Pages! I would give up on Biggio. Anthony Volpe of the Yankees is their SS of the future and is hitting .248 with a .672 OPS after hitting .209 with a .666 OPS last year. We know that progress is not linear… sometimes you just have to ride it out and with the dominance of pitching the past couple of years, you are going to see more and more players struggle. Some will adjust, but some won’t. I just suggest that you just don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!
Miguel Vargas has exceptional strike zone judgment. Does he need to go back to OKC? Maybe… maybe not. I do think Outman and Lux need to, but there is no one to replace them yet. Lux, Outman, Vargas, and Pages could be traded or sent to OKC, or they could even be on this team in October. We just have to wait and watch and not rush to judgment. I have no opinion on how this all shakes out except for the fact that the Dodgers are still one of the best teams in baseball, and when they get healthier, they will be a force to be reckoned with. I just don’t think they have to gut the farm…
When you absolutely, positively need a big hit, who would you rather have in the batters box? I know who:
X-CITES
We Get Shadrack on August 11th
He is growing and we shall bring him home then.
Shadrack – 6 Weeks Old
I have a fenced backyard that is approx 70′ wide by 450′ long and I just bought four signs to mount to the four corners of the fence:
Discussion (37)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Kenley looked fat
An MRI on Saturday revealed Bichette’s right calf strain to be moderate, and he’ll miss multiple weeks due to the injury, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
“Bichette strained his calf Friday for the second time this month and was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier Saturday. Further testing revealed the injury will require a multi-week absence, keeping the star shortstop sidelined into August. In his stead, Leo Jimenez should handle most of the shortstop work, though Addison Barger and Ernie Clement could mix in at the position”.
Correcting a previous report, Kershaw (shoulder) will start Thursday’s game against the Giants, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.
“Manager Dave Roberts accidentally stated Kershaw would start Wednesday and Tyler Glasnow (back) would start Thursday, prompting the Dodgers to issue a correction. Kershaw has yet to make his 2024 debut after enduring a pair of setbacks in his recovery from an offseason shoulder surgery. Still, he’s made two rehab starts in July, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts across seven innings. He got up to 67 pitches in his last rehab appearance, so it’s expected he’ll be on some sort of pitch count”
A lot of positives in this 11-inning win….
Kike was clutch. Lux had his first multi- extra base hit game since 2021. Great throw by Teo. Greater catch by Outman. And Smith finished it off….
Nice outing for Wrobleski too.
Playoff atmosphere, many clutch performances, character-building win for the good guys.
Despite his recent struggles, Pages with the HUGE RBI double in the 10th that kick-started the game-saving rally to tie the game
ok kiki! i will shut up! for now
maybe honeywell is a keeper. he sure looks better than Ramirez!! his stuff looks good!
you mean to tell me gavin lux couldn’t have struck out on 3 pitches!! i’m sorry , Roberts does some dumb sh—t! a homer, a double, and Kiki swings and misses 3 straight! send kiki packing so doc ain’t tempted!
Mike Trout will begin his minor league re-hab this week. Bo Bichette will be out multiple weeks with his calf strain. What a catch by Outman.
James Outman just made the play of the game!
teo? sign him ! he wants to be there! What a catch James!!
Solid Idea!
I have been watching Bobby Miller at OKC and he is certainly progressing.
So far: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB,. 2 K, No Runs. 96-97 on his fastball.
sorry Mark, i agree with you on most things, but this guy needs to get gone!
hug his ass as he leaves! enough is enough! Doc ! come on!! overthinking! let the guy finish the inning! ridiculous!
Let the kid pitch instead of going to the script.
Looks like someone could use a hug.
For the life of me I just don’t see what Doc (Dodgers) see in Yohan Ramirez. He’s played for 7 different MLB clubs. There has to be someone at AAA who is better than Ramirez . He’s a freaking waste of a roster spot.
is it just me, or does joe davis have that scary clown smile?? ooooh!
2beers? sounds more like 2 dozen!! lol
Trout, Rengifo, Ward and Estevez for (fill in the players : prospects as required).
Angels get out from the Ttout money and that is good because Art must know they can’t compete without a tear down and total retool, and he’s owed a lot of money.
They also get something for Renfigo, who is only on a one year deal.
Ward can play either corner outfield position or 3B if required. and has 2 years of control left.
Estevez is a quality late inning reliever who is also a FA after this season.
Yeah I know? I know, Arte ain’t gonna wanna trade with us, but if the deal is sweet enough then why not? The fans are already pissed that Shohei is wearing Dodger Blue so whether hell.
We get two outfielders, a 3B to replace Max who I don’t think is gonna make it back this year, and an Elite late inning reliever.
Trout is our CF and DH going forward,, and Ward fills a corner outfield position (an area of weakness) for the next 2 seasons).
If yiu really wanna make it a blockbuster then try snd get Tyler Anderson too.
Yeah it’s Saturday night and I’ve had a couple of beers, but you gotta think outside the box sometimes!!
Teo Hernandez stated, “I don’t want to,” he said of returning to free agency. “If I got the chance to stay here for two, three years I would like to stay. I like everything that this team, this organization, they do. For me, I’d feel really good if they come to me and offer me an extension.”
I would definitely sign him for two or three years. Where would we be without him this year? Plus at this moment our outfield next year is horrific to say the least.
The Blue Jays placed Bichette on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a right calf strain, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
“Bichette didn’t land on the injured list after straining his calf July 10, but after suffering the same injury just nine days later, he’ll now hit the IL in order to properly recover”.
Saturday schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Carlos Duran) at Northwest Arkansas (Andrew Hoffman)
4:05 p.m.: Great Lakes (Jackson Ferris) at Lansing (Mitch Myers)
5:15 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Bobby Miller) at Round Rock (Gerson Garabito)
6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Luke Fox) vs. Lake Elsinore (Miguel Mendez)
Bobby Miller will start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday night in Round Rock, Texas, in his first game in 11 days.
Miller was optioned on July 10, one day after the worst start in his career, allowing nine runs in four innings against the Phillies. That raised his ERA to 8.07 on the season, including 19 runs allowed in 17⅓ innings in four starts since returning from missing 10 weeks with right shoulder inflammation.
Miller first went to Camelback Ranch after getting optioned before joining Oklahoma City this weekend.
“From what I hear, the body is moving great. Mentally, he feels in a really good spot. There’s no pitch limit, relative to what he’s done up to this point,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday at Dodger Stadium. “I expect the velocity to tick up, and the command to be better, and I expect a better performance.”
7:15 PM ET
Red Sox (53-43)
Dodgers (57-41)
SP Brayan Bello R
10-5 5.32 ERA
SP Justin Wrobleski L
0-1 6.30 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
C Will Smith R
1B F. Freeman L
LF T. Hernandez R
RF Andy Pages R
SS Miguel Rojas R
2B Gavin Lux L
CF James Outman L
3B Chris Taylor R
85° Wind 9 mph Ou
I have thought all along that AF would trade for Arozarena and Eflin. With all the noise around Crochet and Robert Jr they might actually be who AF is after. It’s not what he normally does but I think this might be the all in move for the next three years. I’m also beginning to believe Yamamoto is not coming back this year that’s part of the reason for Crochet. I have no information about this I just have a gut feeling.
Randy Arozarena has two home runs against the Yankees today. AF, go get him. He has playoff experience.
Arozorena, Brandon Lowe, Eflin , reliever from Ray’s. For Outman Lux Miller Cartaya Knack Dodgers. Trade helps the outfield for the Dodgers and Brandon Lowe can play anywhere and he hits pretty good. A team needs a spark plug player in the playoffs. I think Brandon Lowe could be that spark for the Dodgers. I think they trade with the Ray’s because the Tigers and the Whitesox are asking for alot. I couldn’t remember the reliever that the Ray’s have. But the Dodgers could use a reliever and closer do they go after the closer in Anaheim since he will be a free agent?
Couldn’t watch the game last night but looking at the boxscore I see Hudson got the save. After Phillips’ bad outing in Detroit, is Hudson our new closer?
A lot of talk for an outfielder Okay the dodgers trade for Roberts jr. for center field You have Hernandez in right field Do you stash Ohtani in left field are The dodgers okay with this outfield i think Paredes at third will work out find,as for a pitcher Flaherty might be a Reliable option.
Freddie is money, fun watching his professionalism consistency.
Hard to get excited about Kershaw coming back. I think his usefulness is an inning-eater over the course of the regular season. If he’s healthy come playoffs, I worry the Dodgers feel obligated to give him a start.
The Dodgers are eerily silent on Yamamoto. Is his really injured or was this mid-season departure pre-planned? If he has a serious injury it might go down as one of the worst signings in history. Regardless, without Yamamoto, the Dodgers lack the 2 starters needed to win in October. I believe you need 2 “aces” that go 6-7 innings and give up 2-runs or less. Then you need 2 more starters (Miller, Buehler, Stone?) that can match-up against the other team’s #3-4 pitchers and keep you in a higher scoring game.
I am not yet convinced Miller and Buehler have the non-fastball arsenal and control to succeed in a high-stakes playoff game. Their blow-it-by-you mentality is barely works in the regular season. I like Gavin’s composure and pitch mix, just a lot of innings for him.
Like Sbuffalo said above, Yamamoto is key.
I believe this team needs an outfielder. An everyday center fielder or an everyday left fielder. Now here’s my 2cents. Pages needs to play everyday. If not in LA, then somewhere. I don’t think he gets better being a bench player. Igf they trade for Robert jr. i would include Pages in the deal if they are going to platoon him. Vargas may,and i say may be a better hitter than pages. But, Pages is and will always be a better defender! i’m starting to believe they shouldn’t gut the farm for Crochet. Especially if he can not be counted on every 5th day as a starter. Skrubal? maybe. …. A crystal ball would sure be nice right now. Knowing which pitchers can be counted on down the stretch. …. so in conclusion, i would go after Robertjr. and Paredes and Efflin from Tampa bay. i’m not sure Max comes back healthy if at all!
I love that song. Great choice.
Okay, about Shohei Ohtani, I wrote several times that the Dodgers would be the team which signed the Japanese star and I thought there was a good possibility they would also sign Yamamoto. Most people didn’t buy that, of course. That’s just not Friedman.
We also heard that Friedman would never give a pitcher a long term one hundred million plus deal. People ignored the fact that the Dodgers offered Zack Greinke such a deal and also didn’t they go all out to sign another pitcher to what would have been a massive contract. Yes they did.
So, will they make a massive trade with the White Sox to pick up two or three players?Based on the past, I would say probably no. Friedman and the Dodgers tend to protect the farm. They are not the Padres or the Phillies.
There is a lot of smoke out there as the trade deadline nears. The Dodgers are always in the middle of conversations because they are the Dodgers. They have made big trades in the past and have been active at the trade deadline. But the trades never gut the farm system or involved four, five or six top prospects. They got Betts for a reasonable price, the same with Darvish, Turner and Scherzer.
The argument to say this is a different time and they may approach the deadline diffferently is fairly simple. They just spent a billion dollars to try to win a World Series, then two, three, four and five titles. You can’t ignore that.
So, although I don’t think they will make that deal with the White Sox, both Crochet and Robert are young. When you acquire young stars or potential stars you have to consider that all options are on the table.
As to Outman, Lux, Vargas and Pages, I like all four. I do think the Dodgers might trade Lux, but only because Mookie probably moves back to second when he returns and then where does Lux play? Outfield or third. Maybe even give him another shot at short next year. I think his bat will play up.
I always come back to Kershaw’s opinion about Vargas being a very good hitter. He has shown signs and yes not everything is not linear. But if you make a major trade or trades, teams will probably ask for one or two of those players as part of the return package. Wouldn’t you?
I think Bear makes a good point about the need for pitching and patience. I wouldn’t count on Buehler, but who knows. I think it’s unlikely the Dodgers extend him unless it’s a short term contract.
All of this, of course, may depend on pitchers coming off the IL. Yamamoto is a key for me. You can put Kershaw there as well.
But those are unknowns. Glasnow is the ace and Stone did fine last night. The deadline will be fun. What the Dodgers do may be determined by the cost in existing roster players and prospects.
But I do believe the Dodgers are feeling pressure. It will only build. You can win a hundred games or more, which is really cool, but they will always be remembered for how they play in the fall.
You can trade all the players you want, except Vargas!
He made a “error” last night… So what? Nobody mentions Pages, the problem was the lack of communication, and thanks to the BB to Vargas the rally started for a victory.
A lot of talk about how Vargas struggling after that injury. Yet no mention of any doubt about Mookie being able to hit this year. Heard that his hand is at 40% strength. When at 85% he will be able to begin taking swings
One last time —
Freddie, Freddie, Freddie, Freddie!!
IMHO it is not about patience but more of uncertainty. The Dodgers just dont know IF Clayton, Yamamoto, Striker, Miller really will make it back and if they do can they help ?
The Dodgers are in win now mode with the likes of Freddie, Mookie, Ohtani, Smith, Glasnow at the top of their careers. If the Dodgers don´t want to run the risk of a repeat of last season when they had to start Lynn in a playoff game they should (and IMHO will) go hard after Skubal or Crochet. My preference is Scubal but he will surely cost a huge junk of the farm even if they take on Baez contract (which I would if the price is indeed Skubal).
Not sayin they will get either Skubal (or if the Tigers even will make him available )or Crochet but I am pretty sure the Dodgers will make an all in effort.
dePaula hit his first high A ball HR yesterday, a monster shot to right center for 433 feet. IMHO he is the closest to untouchable in our system.
And Mark: What a cutie the puppie is! But a little bit early to take him from his mom with only 6 weeks ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!