The Case for Freeland and Tibbs III
The Dodgers’ roster right now looks a little less like a youth movement and a little more like a high school reunion where everyone keeps saying, “Wow… has it really been 15 years?” For the record, I don’t dislike Alex Call or Santiago Espinal. Not at all. Both are perfectly…
The Dodgers’ roster right now looks a little less like a youth movement and a little more like a high school reunion where everyone keeps saying, “Wow… has it really been 15 years?”
For the record, I don’t dislike Alex Call or Santiago Espinal. Not at all. Both are perfectly respectable utility players. The baseball equivalent of a Swiss Army knife. Not flashy, but handy when you need to open a can of beans in the ninth inning. Solid. Dependable. Veteran.
And by “veteran,” I mean both are turning 32 this year.
Which fits right in with the Dodgers’ current demographic strategy: assemble the 2016 All-Star Game alumni association. The team’s average age is 31.5, making them the oldest roster in baseball. At this rate, the clubhouse coffee machine is going to be upgraded to a full espresso bar, and someone’s going to start handing out ibuprofen with the lineup cards.
Meanwhile:
- Kiké Hernández will be 35
- Tommy “Tommy Tanks” Edman will be 31
So when the Dodgers have a chance to move Call and Espinal for a couple of prospects, it’s not exactly cruel roster management. It’s more like opening a window and letting some oxygen into the room.
More importantly, it clears the runway for:
- James Tibbs III (23)
- Alex Freeland (24)
You know… people whose birth certificates don’t list “dial-up internet era.”
Now, someone will immediately point out that Espinal is hitting about 500 points higher than Freeland right now, and yes, that’s true. Statistically speaking, that is a rather noticeable gap.
But Freeland has basically made a career of struggling for a minute and then leveling up like a video game character. Every stop. Same story.
Meanwhile, Espinal is a career .240 hitter. That’s not Mount Everest. That’s more like a small hill behind a Walgreens.
And let’s be honest. When Kiké and Tommy Tanks return, Espinal is probably getting roster-yeeted into the baseball abyss anyway.
So why wait?
Let the kids play.
Give Freeland the at-bats, see what happens, and if nothing else, the Dodgers might finally lower their average team age enough that the clubhouse trainer can cancel the “stretching for men over 30” yoga class.
Trade Alex Call and Santiago Espinal for Prospects – Do it today, Andrew… while their value is high. FYI: I am not convinced that Freeland is going to hit any better than Espinol, but he is young and has to have a runway to find out.
The Dodgers are Focusing Less on the Longball
The Long Ball has been few and far between this Spring – this is true. Will it continue? That is the million-dollar question. Many hitters are simply trying to get their timing down, stay healthy, and avoid pulling a hamstring chasing a 450-foot bomb in Arizona. If you’ve been watching closely, you might actually like this development. A lineup that can score without waiting for the homer becomes terrifying in October, when good pitching tends to suppress power.
The only question in my mind is “Is this by design?” Have RVS and Aaron Bates changed their approach? It used to be: “Walk, double, walk… and then someone launches a baseball into low-earth orbit.” Maybe that is changing… we shall see.
X-CITES
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Discussion (52)
Disagree, not disagreeable
He can help at 3B too.
Haha
There are only two scenarios in which Sirota could play in LA this year: 1. He has a year like last year where he is hotter than blazes; AND 2. Andy Pages gets injured. Both have to happen.
Nice. Senzel is a little bit of a forgotten man. Been playing some 2b too.
Kendall George is fast. He is not a good hitter. He is not a good Centerfielder. His arm is do-do.
Leo DeVries was the centerpiece in the trade for Mason Miller.
Alex Call is quietly having a nice camp, as is Nick Senzel. Along with Santiago Espinal, there are teams that could request their talent. Espinal’s BA dropped .125 points today. I notice that Ryan Ward runs in the same place too much. Josue DePaula has worked on his footwork and defense, and is visibly faster and better defensively than last year.
I think a few cuts are coming.
Bear, Defensively, Erdhard, Pages and Tibbs would be a hell of an OF. Decent offense too. Could you live with that from the 8th inning with a lead?
Two rings–it’s kinda hard to complain
Either?
Yay for Tucker
“Dodgers utilityman Tommy Edman took light batting practice yesterday, per Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic. He could face higher velocity off a machine in a few days if he continues to progress, but he is still weeks away from being fully ramped up. Edman underwent surgery in November to address an ankle issue that plagued him all season. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed a couple of weeks ago that Edman would begin the year on the injured list. This news won’t move up his return, though in any case, the team wants Edman at full strength. He is entering the second year of his five-year, $74MM contract. He posted an 81 wRC+ in 97 games in 2025, showing a drop in power while also striking out slightly less than in 2024”. The 5 year contract with Edman will hopefully not turn out like Chris Taylor’s 5 year contract.
Jack Harris @ByJackHarris Dave Roberts said Blake Snell has been making progress in his throwing progression (which, for now, has still been limited to flat-ground sessions) But he acknowledged that, given the calendar, it’s gonna be “hard” for him to be ready for opening day
The Dodgers still have approximately 65 players remaining in Major League camp.
Sorry, I don’t see Sirota making any impact this season. He has had 2 at bats this spring and is 1-2. Siani hasn’t impressed either. Tibbs III and Erhard, that is a different story. I like De Paula, but he still needs some seasoning. He struck out with the tying runs on base just looking at three straight strikes. As for Treinen, they would not have won in 24 without his gutsy performance in game five, but he hasn’t been that guy for a while. I think the long ball will be a huge part of their game. They have six players who have hit 30 or more at one time in their careers.
4:05 PM ET Dodgers (93-69) Athletics (76-86) SP Justin Wrobleski L 0-0 .00 ERA SP Jacob Lopez L 0-0 .00 ERA Confirmed Lineup LF Alex Call R DH Kyle Tucker L CF Andy Pages R 3B S. Espinal R C D. Rushing L SS A. Freeland S 2B Nick Senzel R 1B Ryan Ward L RF Zach Ehrhard R 85° Wind 6 mph
Taipei/Korea was fun
The WBC is great fun. Kind of goofy…. but great fun. Loved seeing Trayce Thompson rob Will Smith. And there was a Jeter Downs sighting too. Some great games, including two decided by walk-off HRs. Tremendous passion from fans and players.
Ohtani
WBC Pool Standings (as of March 8, 2026) Pool Team W-L Status A Puerto Rico 2-0 Leading Pool Canada 1-0 In Contention Cuba 1-0 In Contention Panama 0-2 Near Elimination Colombia 0-2 Near Elimination B USA 2-0 Leading Pool Mexico 1-0 In Contention Italy 1-0 In Contention Great Britain 0-2 Near Elimination Brazil 0-2 Near Elimination C Japan 3-0 Clinched Quarterfinals Australia 2-1 In Contention Chinese Taipei 2-2 Pool Play Finished South Korea 1-2 In Contention Czechia 0-3 Eliminated D Venezuela 2-0 Leading Pool Dominican Rep. 1-0 In Contention Netherlands 1-1 In Contention Israel 0-1 In Contention Nicaragua 0-2 Near Elimination
The question will be is how many games will the front office allow him to blow,before they say ” enough is enough” and release him. Good guy or not, they released Taylor,Barnes and Heyward without any problem.
In what capacity,batting practice pitcher! There is NO way he makes the Opening Day 26 man roster. A career minor league pitcher with little trade value who has severely regressed over the years.
Over the past two years, Blake Treinen has gone from a true “Power Pitcher” with a 97-99 MPH fastball with movement to a 93-95 MPH nibbler who has to use a sweeper and/or lots of spin. I would not be surprised if he is released at some point. Good guy and teammate, but not the pitcher he once was.
Landon Knack has gone from “DFA” in some fans’ minds to “It’s a real possibility he makes the team“… or gets traded!