So, You Want Bryan Reynolds?

You know what? So do I! There are rumors that Bobby Miller, Ryan Pepiot, and Andy Pages are being discussed. If the Dodgers want Reynolds, that is what it would likely take.

For the record, I would make that trade. Here’s why:

Miller may be Nolan Ryan, or he could be a bust (he has the talent, but you never know).

Pepiot will not be Top Tier Starter, but he could be a nice #4 or #5. He might be a stud in the pen.

Pages is at least a year (maybe two) away and he could be very good… or not.

To get a player of Reynold’s stature is going to take Miller, Pepiot, and Pages.

Maybe Friedman is more of a believer in the trio the Dodgers would have to trade.

I would rather do Miller, Pepiot, and Busch… and for the record, on the record, I would do that!

Reynolds would play CF (even though he is not an Elite CFer, positioning may make him better – the Pirates don’t spend money on stuff like that).

Take a moment and look at this lineup:

1. Betts RF (R)
2. Reynolds CF (B)
3. Freeman 1B (L)
4. Martinez DH (R)
5. Muncy 2B (L)
6. Smith C (R)
7. Lux SS (L) – I threw up in my mouth, writing this – I cannot see Lux at SS
8. Vargas 3B (R)
9. LF: Heyward, Dugger (he would play CF if he made it), Thompson, Outman, Taylor

That lineup might score more runs than last year’s lineup.

That said, I do not see Friedman making that trade just now. Maybe he doesn’t have to make it, but if he does, I think it will be at the trade deadline. We still don’t have a resolution to the Trevor Bauer situation. Of course, a trade could happen at any time, but I simply do not see it now. The sites writing about it are just attention hounds who like to throw stuff up against the wall and see if it sticks. Most of it is simply “made up.”

Sometimes rumors are right – most times, they are wrong! Remember that! The Dodgers are building a new Eight-Story Building in Chavez Ravine to house all the rumors!

Diego Cartaya

For the third year in a row, he is the Dodgers’ #1 Prospect by Baseball America, and he will likely start the season at Tulsa. Still just 21, BA says this:

“A large physical masher at 6′ 3″ and 219 pounds, Cartaya has grown into plus – plus power and has become one of baseballs most promising young power hitters. He demolishes baseballs…and droves them over the wall, even when he mishits them. He also plays up to the competition, including when he homered off Blake Snell during a rehab start.”

BA is questioning whether he will remain at C.  He is very athletic, so he could easily play LF or 1B. The Dodgers will not rush him.  Look for him in 2024, but maybe Will Smith stays at C.  Here is the rest of the BA Top 10, which just came out:

2. Bobby Miller    3.  Miguel Vargas    4.  Michael Busch    5.  Ryan Pepiot    6. Gavin Stone   7.  Andy Pages

8.  Dalton Rushing   9. Nick Nastrini    10. James Outman

The most interesting part of what BA wrote is that they project all the Top 10 Prospects (except for #1) to make the Show sometime in 2023.

Houston Mitchell Poll on Trevor Bauer

Since it is a free Newsletter, I will publish it:

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and spring training is just around the corner. OK, around the corner and down the street a bit, but it’s definitely getting closer.

Last week, I asked you to vote in an unscientific poll as to whether the Dodgers should keep Trevor Bauer, or release him. And, after 19,193 votes, the results are in:

Keep him, 51.2%
Release him, 48.8%

Many people emailed with their thoughts on why they voted the way they did. Most of the people who voted “Keep him” fell into two distinct camps:

1. “He was found innocent in a court of law and should be allowed to play.” Well, Bauer wasn’t found innocent in a court of law. The district attorney’s office decided not to prosecute him, determining there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Bauer committed a crime. Plus, you aren’t found innocent in a court of law, you are found not guilty. Not guilty is a legal finding by the jury that the prosecution has not met its burden of proof.

It’s also important to note that the arbitrator found that Bauer did violate the league’s sexual assault and domestic abuse policy, which is a big reason his entire suspension wasn’t overturned, and left in place the longest suspension for this type of violation in MLB history. There also was more than just the San Diego woman making accusations, there were two other women. We don’t know what the arbitrator learned from witnesses who testified, because, as part of MLB’s policy, it can’t be released.

When Bauer’s attorneys asserted that the denial of the San Diego woman’s attempt to get a restraining order necessarily meant Bauer had not committed assault or battery, a federal court ruled the denial just meant Bauer was not a threat to harm the woman in the future. In November, U.S. District Judge James Selna ruled that “the state court proceedings did not necessarily decide that Bauer did not batter or sexually assault [her].”

So now the ball is in the Dodgers’ court. They have until Friday to activate him or release him. For those of you hoping for a trade, that seems extremely unlikely. Putting all the off the field issues aside and speaking from just a baseball sense, why give up anything for a guy who hasn’t pitched in 22 months? Especially when most reports say the Dodgers are going to release him? And he can’t be sent to the minors because he has enough service time to refuse the assignment.

What do the players think? None have commented publicly, but according to Bill Shaikin, “the front office has been told at least some players want Bauer back, people with knowledge of the situation but not authorized to speak publicly told The Times.”

The Dodgers owe him $22.5 million next season, which puts them right up against the payroll luxury tax threshold of $233 million. Which also means they probably won’t be adding any more players if they wish to remain below the threshold and reset their penalty for the 2024 season.

If you have questions on this you want answered, you should read Shaikin’s excellent Q&A on the subject by clicking here.

So, with all that said, we will go back to focusing on on-field issues with the Dodgers.