The Arms Race

Like Mark says, they really do not need that sixth starter right now, so the five should be Ohtani, Yoshu, Wrobo, Glasnow and Sheehan. Every day is one day closer to the return of Snell.

Use different pitchers for 7 innings and let Roki close.

Not saying they would, but several guys on the team are well enough acquainted with Julio and were with him when they won in 2020, which without his genuine outstanding work, they might not have.

Dodgertifosi, not a huge success, but an important part of the final product. He was forced into that role because he could not do the role of a starter. If the guy could pitch six quality innings every sixth day, that would be a huge success.

Yes to change of scenery… From the Texas League to the Florida Complex League. Although he did pitch a scoreless inning yesterday. And since he was a 1st round pick, why trade him? Both he and Bobby Miller should stay with LAD because after all they were first round picks by the Dodgers.. Bruns has two years before the Dodgers add him to the 40 man right before he becomes a MiLB free agent. Then he will have three more option years. Bobby Miller has two more option years before he needs to be added to the 26 man or be DFA.. It is possible that he will remain on the 60 day IL all year so the Dodgers do not have to waste an option year in 2026. H Sometimes first round picks just don’t work out. Ask Jordan Sheffield, Jerem Kendall, and Kody Hoese.

After this week, the Dodgers have 4 out of the next 5 Thursdays off, so a 6-man rotation is not needed. Maybe they let Dryer or Klein be an opener and bring Roki in in the 2nd or 3rd inning and let him roll…

While we continuously watch Sasaki struggle to even reach 5 innings, shouldn’t we consider what the guys playing behind him feel and see? It’s got to be discouraging when they watch him constantly throw noncompetitive inning after inning ! They gave him a 3 run lead yesterday . I really want him to succeed, but how can the team succeed when he can’t give them no more than 3-4 innings? Not very good innings at that! Heck, , Giolito sounds like a good plan to me!

The Dodgers’ clubhouse right now is like a finely tuned engine—quiet, efficient, and deadly. Dropping either guy back in is like tossing a handful of gravel into that engine: Maybe it still runs; or Maybe it starts making a noise you can’t ignore. Most players would go along with it professionally… But buy-in? That’s the currency that wins championships—and it wouldn’t come easy. It’s likely a risk they can’t/won’t take.

The one strike against Ward is that he is not a good defender. The Dodgers value that a lot. I think they believe that subs may not play enough to always hit well… but the Defense is always there.

Yep, and after that he gets El Bencho because a lefty is pitching today and his splits against LHP are not good. Teo and most likely Espinal at first. LA has owned Quintana though.

Exactly the point and both served extended suspensions. I doubt LA would ever bring Bauer back, but I could see Julio in a city like LA or SD, or even Miami with such large Latino populations.

Padres are .5 games back. LA starts playing more games against the West as they next go to SF. But they need to beat the bad teams. Losing 2 to the Rocks is embarrassing.

I have nothing to add that hasn’t been said about Roki. Right now he has 3 mediocre pitches because he can’t locate. Again, I see that has bullpen stuff in addition to the fact that he’s good for about 2 innings. Diaz is a great concern but thankfully Scott looks back. The highlite for me yesterday was Ryan Ward finally getting a chance and doing well. The pictures of his family was priceless. What a happy moment. This family looks like the salt-of-the-earth folks who have back this 28 year old forever and finally got their moment in the sun. What a beautiful and monumental day for them. I hope he does well and the Dodgers have a decision to make or he gets traded to a place where he can play. Personally, I’d rather see him on the Dodger bench to provide some power with the right match-ups instead go 5 utility guys or Kike .

Well put Bluto.

Urias convicted on a misdemeanor and Bauer never convicted of any crime. There are a lot of people out there in very high places that can’t say that. I wonder what the players might have to say about it.

If one believes in second chances, Julio Urias and Trevor Bauer are still out there.

A couple of things Duke, first, you have to remember when he came up, 3 days after they traded Piazza. Fox was the new owner. He came up because Bonilla, who they had just traded for went on the IL. Although he was pretty consistent his first couple of years, his OBP was around or under .300 the next 3 years, and his OPS was below .800. The Dodgers were openly shopping him in the winter of 03 because they thought he would get fat. He was allegedly about to be traded to the Yankees to replace Boone, but they got Rodriguez instead. In 2003, he hit just .240. 04 was his contract year, 04 was also the year the Dodgers were sold to McCourt. He had his career year in 04. Who had just taken over as GM, DePodesta. There was no way McCourt could match what Seattle offered. That is what the front office was thinking. Price was too high for a one-hit wonder in their eyes. Although Beltre had a long career, he never came close to matching the year he had in 04. Yes, he is a Hall of Famer, but you have to put the period in which he played into context. That ownership was never going to bring him back. As good as he was, he was an All-Star just 4 times, he won 5 gold gloves and 4 silver slugger awards. But he was top 10 in the MVP voting just twice in 21 seasons, 04-13. That is the historical facts.

The Seidler family bought the Padres for $800 million dollars in 2014. They’re now selling the team for $3.9 billion dollars. This in the 30th largest media market. During the next CBA negotiations, it will be interesting to see how the owners plead poverty.

Doubt that happens, they just signed the guy to a long-term deal. And they gave up a lot to get him.

No further comment needed for this one: https://nypost.com/2026/04/16/sports/dodgers-pitcher-gets-custom-glove-with-pokemon-card-implant/

From Posnanski: Anytime you hear a baseball owner cry poor — I mean ANYTIME — you should laugh and laugh like that scene in “Hudsucker Proxy.” The Padres are not in a big market. Heck, the NFL abandoned San Diego. But it looks like the team is still going to sell for the highest price in MLB history — $1.5 billion more than Steve Cohen paid for the NEW YORK METS just six years ago. Here’s what I think people miss: There are only so many ultra-rich people in the world, and they’re always looking for exclusive clubs to join and outrageously expensive things to buy. Owning a Major League Baseball team is one of the great privileges in the world. You get to compete against other bajillionaires. You get to be around a fantastic sport. You get some of the biggest celebrities on earth desperate to become your friend. You get cities to bow down to you, give you every tax break imaginable, and hand you a palace like Petco Park to play in. Plus, if you ever get tired of it, you can sell and double — triple — quadruple your money because there will ALWAYS be ultra-rich people eager to take your place. We treat sports owners like deities in this country, and it’s ridiculous. We hand them championship trophies first. We give them absurd amounts of praise for simply spending some tiny portion of their riches to compete. It’s nonsensical. The Padres are about to sell for $4 billion. None of us can conceive just how much money that is. But the next team surely will sell for more. And the team after that will sell for even more. And I get it. If I were a bajillionaire, I’d buy the Padres. Then I’d hire Justin Halpern to be my special assistant to something or other, and I’d throw baseball parties with all my favorite celebrity fans (Hi, Emma Stone!), and I’d insist they wear the old classic brown Padres uniforms a lot more often. It would be fun!

A team needs 3-4 good to great starters in the playoffs. To have our Japanese pitchers adjust to the American rotation way (whatever that is) seems silly. The Dodgers WILL make the playoffs and more than likely win the division. If the front office decides to give other starters some time during the long season a few starts off that’s their decision. If a pitcher gets blown up once or twice especially in Colorado, it happens. To trade for another starting pitcher right now is fine but not on a overpay. The Dodgers have Stone, River and perhaps Knack in their hip pocket. Looking at the whole picture the Dodgers are in a position that 29 other teams would love to be in.

No matter what Sasaki does from here on for the Dodgers his signing was a huge success. Helped to win the WS last year with his stellar performance in the postseason. Wthout him the Dodgers IMHO do not win it all in 2025.And all of that for a bargain . I still think and hope he will be a very successful starter some day. But if not, so be it.

Good point , yes . But Yamamoto held his velo when he came over. Other Japanese pitchers too.

Just like Bobby Miller. Miller might emerge as one of the biggest flameouts in Dodger history. He has not been the same pitcher, not even close to what he showed that first year. And it looks like it is all mental. His stuff was always pretty good.