At first blush, those are three things that are not the same… and as you suspect, they are not. Let’s talk about them one at a time. However, before I go there, let’s discuss what team is the best-run franchise in baseball, courtesy of Ken Rosenthal. You already know the answer. Even the morons who blast Roberts and Friedman know better…
Shohei Ohtani
While he is a great player, he will never be mentioned in the same breath as Ruth, Williams, Aaron, and Mantle due to his longevity. Going into his age 30 season, he has 171 Home Runs and a .922 OPS. A-Rod had 451 HR by age 30, Griffey had 438, etc. There are about 40 more players who had more home runs by age 30. Yes, he only has five full seasons (because of the partial COVID season) in MLB, and while he is a freak in that he has both pitched and hit, a rational-thinking person has to realize that there is a very substantial possibility that he will not pitch at a high level again. We don’t know – the same as we don’t know if Walker Buehler will come back… and Buehler was two years younger when he had his second UCL surgery.
All we know is that Ohtani had his best offensive season (by far) in 2023. We know that he was the sole star on a really bad team (most of the season), and we know that when he could not hit anymore due to his oblique strain, he cleaned out his locker and left the team. General manager Perry Minasian finally told reporters an MRI had revealed an issue with Ohtani’s oblique on September 11th, and “Ohtani apparently decided to clear out his locker because he is focusing on getting a procedure done on his elbow.” That procedure was done on October 1st. That’s all I’ll say about it! Draw your own conclusions… there are plenty of opinions on the internet about it. On the other hand, you will be loathe to get any of his former teammates to say anything bad about him.
Lorenzo Sciarrino
I am not against Ohtani, but I do not believe it is intelligent to sign him for $50+ MM a year with a ten-year commitment. Now, if they could sign him for a hitter contract for eight years and $320 MM with opt-outs if he wants to pitch, then I am fine with that. Make it happen, but I am not down with breaking the bank to sign Shohei! Of course, some uninformed fans point to the fact that the Dodgers recently named Lorenzo Sciarrino to the position of Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships. In his role, Sciarrino will head the Dodgers’ global sponsorship department, supervising and engineering franchise partnerships with businesses domestically and internationally.
Sciarrino’s new position marks his return to the Dodgers, where he spent 12 years, culminating in his role as VP of Corporate Partnerships. During his tenure, he helped architect a refined go-to-market partnership sales strategy that resulted in historic revenue growth for the organization.
“Lorenzo is a highly regarded leader in his field,” said Lon Rosen, Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Los Angeles Dodgers. “He has an incredible grasp of the complex sports ecosystem that features worldwide sponsorship at its center and dynamic business opportunities in its orbit. We are thrilled to welcome him back to the Dodgers and can’t wait to see what he brings back to the organization.”
So, of course, some fans believe that this proves the Dodgers are going after Ohtani! It very well may prove the opposite. I do not believe that signing Ohtani is in any way connected to the Dodgers bringing Lorenzo Sciarrino back to LA. It is more likely that he is there to help develop these global partnerships regardless of whether they sign Ohtani.
As a matter of fact, if you look at the Dodgers Front-office global partnerships, you will find this:
- Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships: Lorenzo Sciarrino
- Vice President, Global Partnerships: Jeanne Vetter
- Senior Director, Global Partnership Administration & Services: Jenny Oh
- Senior Director, Global Partnerships: RJ Mata
- Senior Director, Marketing Solutions: Matt Grable
- Director, Global Partnership Services: Kristen Jareck
- Director, Global Partnership Services: Kali Hengsteler
- Director, Global Partnership Services: Karen Luciano
- Director, Global Partnerships: Sander Rodman
- Manager, Global Partnerships: Matthew Walker
- Manager, Global Partnerships: Tiffany Lam
- Manager, Marketing Solutions: Matthew Diaz
- Coordinator, Global Partnerships: Dominique Iezza
- Coordinator, Marketing Solutions: Nala Osorio
BTW, Andrew Friedman has nothing to do with this. He is on the baseball side. The Dodgers are about 5000 steps ahead of any of us on this. If Shohei becomes a Dodger, I will root like hell for him – I just do not see it happening based on what he will command financially and based upon what the Morons by the Bay will offer! However, never fear – the Dodgers will be in on some other Asian Players. such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Many MLB people believe he has the ability to be a #1 Starter.
“Yamamoto in Japan over seven seasons, a 1.72 ERA. A 0.915 WHIP, averages more than a strikeout per inning, 6.2 hits per nine innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 4.56 strikeouts for every walk.
–Former Mets GM, Steve Phillips
“He is a strike-throwing machine. He is a strikeout, swing-and-miss pitcher, he is a workhorse. He is at times unhittable. He’s never given up double digit home runs in a single season.”
He is only 5′ 10″ tall, but then again… so was Pedro Martinez. Additionally, the Dodgers are also looking at Shōta Imanaga, the Lefty who started against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic gold medal game. To me, it would be a marketing coup to get both Yamamoto and Imanaga to say nothing about helping the rotation. Yamamoto will likely command an 8-year/$230 Million Dollar Deal, and Imanaga will be in the neighborhood of a $100 Million/4 year deal since he is five years older.
Also, the Dodgers have already signed Hyun-suk Jang, the RH Pheonem from Korea, and then there is Jung Hoo Lee, who is considered an upgrade in CF. Lee will likely command a 5-year $100 Million deal as well), so the dollars to spend will be limited. I am not saying Shohei Ohtani will not be a Dodger, but it will not be at a ridiculous price, and it will have to make sense. JD Martinez is still available, and he wants to come back to the Dodgers.
Gavin Lux
I like Gavin’s bat, legs (although we shall have to see if he can maintain his speed after surgery), and glove. What scares me is his arm. It’s no secret that he has had the yips in the past, and he doesn’t have a cannon of an arm anyway. It’s strong but not noteworthy. I have no problem with Gavin at 2B, but I do not believe that he can play SS. You might say that Andrew Friedman believes Gavin is a SS, but maybe he is just trying to “sell” that idea. Until he actually starts at SS, I do not believe AF believes that, either. That is my opinion. I see Gavin Lux as a 20 HR/.290 hitter. If he plays 2B, I am down with that, although you have seen his throws from 2B be wildly unpredictable as well.
I honestly think Gavin should hit higher in the lineup, if he maintains his speed. In a perfect world, I’d like to see this:
- Betts SS (this will never happen)
- Lux 2B
- Ohtani DH
- Freeman 1B
- Smith C
- Muncy 3B
- Lee CF
- Heyward/Deluca RF
- Busch/Vargas/Outman LF (pick a pair and trade one)
- Yamamoto
- Miller
- Imanaga
- Pepiot
- Ryu
- Buehler
I like two lefties and with Buehler, Ryu, the youngsters, and the Japanese players who are used to pitching every six days, it makes sense to use a six-man rotation to protect the arms. That’s my story and I stand by it… with my really cool Dodger shirt on:
Discussion (27)
Disagree, not disagreeable
R.I.P. Jimmy Erskine!
https://www.heraldbulletin.com/news/erskine-family-jimmy-taught-us-unconditional-love/article_d1768c8c-8e0c-11ee-99be-9f1df0ed11cb.html
f—k bregman! never a dodger!
Would you trade Max Muncy, Vargas or Busch, and Vivas for Alex Bregman?
One year rental.
Maeda, DeJong and Gray signings are official now. Winter meetings open on Monday. Yankees apparently dropping out of the Ohtani sweepstakes.
I know the fireworks usually happen during or right after winter meetings. Was hoping with few signings yesterday we would see more action today . Patience.
kinda like it mark, but sure a lot of swing and miss 6-9. i just don’t believe busch and vargas both are on the opening day roster. unless AF signs someone like giolita, he has to make a move for someone such as Cease or Burnes. although either of the 2 japanese pitch make sense. the 40 man roster is full! so someone has to go if they sign a free agent. barnes?
A long term 500+ mil contract for a 31 year old player just does not sound like an AF move. If that were to happen then there’s a lot more in play here then just baseball. I also love Heyward signing, but not a big believer in DeLuca.
Very happy that Heyward is coming back.
I think this means we’ll continue to see Mookie shuttle between 2B and RF. It’s kind of nice to have two Gold Glovers taking turns in RF.
If the decision is made to make Mookie a full-time infielder–how about SS?–,then perhaps Taylor or DeLuca would platoon with Heyward in RF.
Based on the current roster, LF could be a platoon of Busch and DeLuca/Taylor/Vargas.
But one of these guys–perhaps a couple–seem certain to be dealt.
On Jason Heyward:
The Athletic has a good piece on his re-signing:
https://theathletic.com/5093751/2023/11/27/dodgers-jason-heyward-free-agent-return/?campaign=5888993&source=dailyemail
In it, Andrew Friedman says this:
“He’s gonna help the Dodgers organization a lot longer than he’s gonna play here,”
Interesting.
Fabian Ardaya tweeted:
“A reunion made a ton of sense throughout, particularly as the Dodgers sought to add a corner outfielder this winter. Folks around the club raved about Heyward’s impact on and off the field, and this paves the way for Mookie Betts to continue being a second baseman against RHP.”
That said, X is full of IDIOT DODGER fans devaluing Jason – even blaming the playoff losses on him. Yes, he is a great clubhouse presence and leader, but LH Gold Glove Caliber Outfielders who OPS .811 do not grow in trees. Pay $9 Million for 2.2 WAR is a bargain!
Some idiots were even commenting that signing Heyward will cost the Dodgers Ohtani!
I had no idea Ohtani did that well in 2004!
I’m sure the Dodgers know exactly what Ohtani is worth financially to the organization apart from his baseball value. If they pull the trigger it will have all been evaluated from every perspective. Both the Dodger mega contracts have worked out so far. In fact Freeman is an absolute steal!
Got some movies I really wanted to see. I bought The Catcher was a Spy. Paul Rudd played Berg. Had Jeff Daniels, Mark Strong, Connie Neilson, Tom Wilkinson, Guy Pearce and Paul Giamatti in the cast. Also got Audie Murphy’s bio-pic, To Hell and Back on blu-ray. Got a great movie with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, Tough Guys, and American Underdog. The story of Kurt Warner.
The Problem is that we are playing checkers…
You can bet that Freeman was all over them bringing back his friend Jason. But now in order to do anything else, they need roster space. Trades seem to be the only route to that now. I wonder if they are second guessing tendering contracts to Almonte, and Yarbrough.
The article from the Dodgers website says Heyward helps solitify RF allowing Betts to play more 2B.
Are they really going to move Betts back and forth from 2B to RF. Isn’t DeLuca the perfect fit to platoon with Heyward.
Either way I think this is bad news for Busch and Vargas because I don’t think the Dodgers are going to platoon either one of them at 2B nor RF nor stick them in LF.
Muncy signed a new contract and I read an article that Martinez would like to return to the Dodgers and there is the Ohtani talk too. So it seems like Muncy stays at 3B and the Dodgers currently have 3 guys that can play SS, Lux, Rojas, Taylor and all of them can play 2B too.
To me, it seems like the Dodgers will be shopping for a DH (either Ohtani or Martinez) and another outfielder and probably trading BOTH Busch and Vargas for pitching. Maybe I’m wrong.
I have noticed that only the best managers leave the starting pitcher in to give up 4 HRs in one inning in the game that knocks the team out of the playoffs.
I had no idea the Dodgers had a global partnership program in place. I’ve always felt that Ohtani’s value has to expand beyond the LAD regional market, as the Dodgers have already done an excellent job at maximizing regional dollars; e.g. cable contract, high attendance, etc.
Interesting stuff. Thanks for the insight!
Dodgers in agreement with Jason Hayward for a 1 year $9MM deal.
Shota Imanaga officially posted and can begin negotiating with teams tomorrow.
Dodgers interested in reliever Robert Stephenson per MLBTR….who he?????????
This is why you don’t usually succeed when signing pitchers to long term contracts:
https://theathletic.com/5072690/2023/11/27/buyers-remorse-mlbs-10-worst-contracts/
Would Busch, Outman, Cartaya, Stone and Knack get Robert and Cease?
I would think they would ask for Rushing over Cartaya… and I would do that or even substitute Vargas for Busch if they prefer him.
Seems to me that because of the 40 man roster, the Dodgers are committed to some type of trade before signing free agents. Would Busch, Outman, Cartaya, Stone and Knack get Robert and Cease? Then sign Ohtani and Yamamoto. Hey, it’s not my money!
Mark, my reverse osmosis system needs maintenance. Do you make house calls?
Interesting stuff Mark as always. Gray is signing a three-year deal with St. Louis for 75 million. Imanaga was posted today. I would not sign Ryu. His age and the fact that he has pitched exactly 17 games in the last two years. He cannot stay on the field. The financial part of baseball is way over my head. I am trying to figure out how to survive on SSA. Lux might not be a SS. But for right now he is the starting SS of the Los Angeles Dodgers. I really dislike the fact that they are starting the season early in Korea.
I tend to agree with Rosenthal on Ohtani.
Although the Dodgers need Ohtani to make a statement to their fan base, it’s a lot of money and you might be able to spend it more wisely and get better bang for the buck.
There is no doubt that signing Ohtani will bring a surge in advertising, sponsorship and merchandising revenue to the signing team, the question is how much — $20 million, $50 million, or as high as $100 million annually. No idea, but various stories have reflected those kind of numbers.
Andrew Friedman has suggested an organization shift in terms of how the team may view free agents. Partly it may be driven by ownership. We’ll see.
Yamamoto is a future ace and the Dodgers need pitching. Plus he’s young and LA might be willing to invest in a long term and sizable contract. Apparently, the Dodgers have spent some time following Imanaga so he’s no doubt on a wish list. They like him, according to sources.
I still believe the Dodgers will make a major trade for a pitcher. I don’t believe it will be Burnes, more likely Cease.
All that being said, no signing or trade will have as much impact on the fan base than signing Ohtani.
But after the hoopla and back slapping ends, you will have to live with the contract and the impact it has for years.
Uh, Ohtani is already talked about in the same breath as Babe Ruth. Can’t put that genie back in the bottle.
Btw, Sonny Gray signing with the Cards is the canary in the coal mine for fiscal insanity this offseason. Some have predicted 4y/$100m so take your over/under. [I’m under]