The Best is Yet to Come
2018 has been a season full of challenges and in no small part, the challenges were created initially by the decision the Dodgers made (and still denied by them) to not exceed the Luxury Tax Threshold ( LTT ). Many fans don t agree with the decision, but on every level, except my RFL ( Rabid Fan Level ), I agree with it. I actually thought they would get below it in 2017, but it
2018 has been a season full of challenges and in no small part, the challenges were created initially by the decision the Dodgers made (and still denied by them) to not exceed the Luxury Tax Threshold (“LTT”). Many fans don’t agree with the decision, but on every level, except my RFL (“Rabid Fan Level”), I agree with it. I actually thought they would get below it in 2017, but it happened a year later than I expected. And… here we are. The Dodgers righted the ship after early struggles and even injuries to the pitching staff didn’t slow them down… until Kenley Jansen went on the DL.
Since that happened, the Dodgers’ bullpen has been saddled with three straight losses and and everyone is losing their minds because FAZ should have saw this coming and signed certain other unnamed relievers. Some say that FAZ “doesn’t value relievers,” which is preposterous. They valued Kenley Jansen and opened the vault for him. They just won’t overpay a reliever knowing full well that many are tremendously inconsistent. There may be an inverse correlation between what relievers are paid and their actual value. Some of the best bullpens in recent times have been built without large expenditures.
The Dodgers bullpen has not been good and it is now overexposed without Kenley Jansen, but they have had their moments. All we know is that Jansen will be out until at least next Monday, when he will be re-examined by a cardiologist. The pennant could be lost in that period, but I doubt it – help is on the way, in the form of Alex Wood, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Julio Urias. Wood and Ryu will be back this week, and by Wednesday, the bullpen will look vastly different. I have been saying that this team is built for the playoffs and I still believe that – I also know that they have to get there first!
Losing Kenley Jansen was a shock and maybe the only player the Dodgers could not replace, but I saw something the past two days with John Axford that gave me pause. He’s worth watching and I was surprised to see him almost hit triple digits… with a lot of movement. He has closers experience and maybe Honeycutt helped him find a few MPH and movement. I am not predicting Axford will be the closer, but after a horrid first game, he has literally been Light’s Out and Eye-Popping! Stranger things have happened.
At any rate, Kenta Maeda and Ross Stripling are headed to the bullpen as Wood and Ryu move back into the rotation. There will likely be some bumps in the road as they get their mojo back. Moving Maeda and Stripling will immediately help, but this will be a process. Machado and Kemp have been ice cold. That will change, just like Pederson, Bellinger and Muncy heated up. Kenley will likely be back and so will Julio Urias. This is a team built for the Post-Season.
Starters:
- Kershaw
- Buehler
- Hill
- Ryu
Bullpen:
- Ferguson
- Urias
- Axford
- Floro
- Alexander
- Wood
- Maeda
- Stripling
- Jansen
The Dodgers may or may not carry 13 pitchers in the Post-Season, but Baez, Vinditte, Chargois, Fileds, Cingrani, Rosscup, Liberatore and others likely won’t be a part of it.
My prediction is that the Dodgers will hang on and win the division in Sepetember – they could even be a few games behind by then, but Machado, Dozier, Kemp, Turner, Puig, Bellinger and Company will get it together. It might be a bumpy ride – hide all sharp objects and stay out of high buildings. The sky is not falling and it will be OK. By the playoffs, the bullpen will be a Dodger strength.
By the way, there are two chances the Dodgers will DFA Matt Kemp: None and Never! The guy is in a slump, but his OPS is still .808 and he is hitting .283 with 17 HR and 66 RBI. Two on the NL’s best hitters went through even worse slumps. Matt Carpenter and Paul Goldschmidt were even worse for a lot longer… until they figured it out. I am sure that IF he were injured the Dodgers would give him a rest. If not, he will be fine.
I do know this: Dozier and Machado and Turner and Puig and Bellinger should only sit if they are tired. Forget the matchups. The good ones figure it out! Right about now, the key word is Don’t Panic!
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Discussion (91)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Also, for what it is worth:
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It would not hurt the Dodgers to DFA some players on the 40-Man and call up Manny soon:
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Venditte (he never pitches in the majors)
Segedin (agree)
Rosscup (just sayin’)
Liberatore (what?)
Austin “Freaking” Barnes: You can’t stop him – you can only hope to contain him.
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Clayton Kershaw thinks he is a “Freaking Gazelle.”
People have posted a lot of interesting facts and stats the last few days re. our variety of struggles. All are true. All are disconcerting. All are quite opposite of how we were playing last year (aside from that crazy 17 of 18 losses stretch).
Here is another fact: if we hold on and win today, we’re tied for first. I”m not trying to sound like an ass. Just pointing out that we’re lucky that there’s no great team in the NL this season. So let’s use that to our advantage. Be 1 game better than AZ the rest of the way and we get to win the division again and get to the dance. We have plenty of time to wake up from this funk and be ready for October.
Last season, 104 wins and a SI cover asking “Best Team Ever?” didn’t cut it. So maybe we do it a different way. The Giants won 92, 94, and 88 (wild card) during their 3 titles. If they can win it, so can we.
Now let’s finish this game off today
Only the Dodgers need to pinch hit for their cleanup hitter.
We’re looking at vintage Kersh… Puping the fist like Tiger this weekend…hBum not too shabby either… It doesn’t get any better than this…
Taylor and Machado look lost out there. Turner looks great at the plate and in the field.
CT3 1-4 with 3 K’s. Sit him down and use Verdugo. Leads the NL in K’s.
Muncy is not better than billinger in fist. Why muncy in fist?
Ouch
Nice job Doc! The pitch count looses another game.
BP exposed again. FO didn’t get what they needed most at the deadline and Doc is brain dead. Takes Alexander out in Colorado once Alexander gives up a double, but leaves him in tonight and he implodes. He has no idea what hand to play and this shit show is full on now!
Shit can the entire pen
Good night Mrs. Calabash wherever you are!!!
Daniel
EXCELLENT QUESTION you raised above!!
Roberts deserves the reception he’s getting.
Has an entire bullpen ever been designated for assignment in one night?
First and Third, two outs and two strikes on the batter and you hit him. Horrible, horrible pitching.
Mark–Love the blog but please don’t come up with some BS sunshine. This team in all phases with the exception of SP is an unmitigated mess. RISP is non-existent, BP sucks, defense not so good and the big trade deadline acquisition Machado has been average at best, certainly not superstar.
Something’s gotta change with the roster for this team to get to the playoffs. Like a setup man for Jansen or a 2nd closer for him when he’s on the DL. At this stage where is that to be had?
You know what guys, and I respect the hell out of Mark, AC, and DC, etc, but we got us a big problem. Kershaw lays on his sword, 110 pitches, and the bullpen coughs it up again. This is a team morale blow, because Kershaw pitched his ass off for his team. This one may start some rumblings in the clubhouse. We can post our opinions all we want, but the reality is that we are exposed in a big way right now with a bullpen that didn’t get addressed at the deadline, and don’t think for a moment that the other teams aren’t smelling blood in the water.
Alexander isn’t the answer in the 9th either. After giving up baserunner after baserunner. Roberts leaves him out there. There wasn’t even anyone warming up.
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8 hits 3 walks, 2 runs – one on Kershaw’s pop-up and one on Turner’s solo HR. Offense stinks.
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Kershaw was great but needed to go 9 for the Dodgers to win tonight.
Dodgers in 3rd. 3 – 7 in last 10.
Kershaw would have finished what he started.
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Alexander is no closer, he is a nice ground ball pitcher who struggles with control.
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The defensive switches were ill advised in the 9th inning.
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The team is in a funk and no other teams feel sorry for them.
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Bobby is right, there is still time but the leadership from Doc is lacking right now.
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I can’t keep watching games blown in the 9th, I will have to check the final score and condense the pain.
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It’s time for a Lasorda like come to Jesus meeting for the entire team with locked doors.
In other important news Dodgers cut Erisbel Arruebarrena.
Axford fraftued fibula, to dL. Dozier abnormal ekg and more tests being done. Are we in the twilight zone?
The worst part of the first and third walk was that Alexander got ahead of Slater 0-2, and just kept on coming inside, pitch after pitch. There were a couple of pitches earlier in the count when he nearly hit Slater. I kept on hoping that Alexander would mix it up a bit, and go for the outside corner (either up or down), because Slater had to be looking inside. And I’m not just talking about the 3-2 pitch. He could have done it on any number of his pitches after he got ahead 0-2.