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
i really like miller
We are so fortunate that Ohtoni is now a Dodger for the next eight years. Even if Father Time catches up with him as it does to all of us, his signing will go down as the greatest in Dodger history.His ability and performance on the field is second to none, the enormous revenues he brings to the Dodger’s bottom line and let’s not forget the quality of the players he recruits in free agency that want to come play for the Dodgers,Yamamota.Sasaki.Tucker, and Diaz to name a few. Can’t wait for the 2027 season to get underway with a 3 peat in focus..We are Blessed!
Homers are great, but hits and walks are what make the runs go round and across the plate. ST has shown us that this team has some solid, disciplined guys at the plate. The more important fact is that there is a lot of trade-caliber value when needed when the deadline comes. The problem is keeping the ones who can actually be replacements for the aging players on the roster. I don’t see any stars in this group, a couple that will have good careers, but none that will replace them. There’s still time, but the growth of these few needs to come faster because the aged grow older faster than youth can mature. This team shouldn’t have any issues bringing up guys to fill the holes during the season, whether positional or pitching. The Dodgers are looking in the best shape they’ve been in in a while.
Bobby Miller?
I think he is talking about Noah Miller.
I think three position players have a shot at being real stars: 1. DePaula 2. Quintero 3. Sirota Of course, one… or none may make it.
Old friend, Miguel Vargas is leading the White Sox with 22 ABs, and he’s hitting .409 with a 1.071 OPS. He had a nice season last year, and I look for a breakout year for him this year. He is their 3B. BTW, James Outman is hitting .333 with a 1.076 OPS, but striking out at 45%.
I hope he is.
Morales looks pretty good too
In time maybe, but would you be comfortable bringing either of these three up during the season to not make the loss of whomever they’re replacing noteworthy? I don’t. There are others before these three that still need progress. They’re low on the totem pole of who’s up next.
8:05 PM ET Rockies (43-119) Dodgers (93-69) SP Zach Agnos R 0-0 .00 ERA SP Landon Knack R 0-0 .00 ERA Confirmed Lineup 2B Miguel Rojas R 1B F. Freeman L SS Mookie Betts R LF T. Hernandez R 3B Max Muncy L CF Andy Pages R DH S. Espinal R RF Alex Call R C E. Alfonzo S 77° Wind 6 mph R-L
I think it’s very possible we see Sirota and/or DePaula this year.
DePaula looks like he could hit right now. That bat is special.
Pretty close to playable
Starting to feel like Espinal is going to get his share of starts to begin the year. I could see him platooning with Kim or sharing infield spot start duty with Rojas.
Maybe he just likes Miller Light and didn’t realize this was a baseball blog.
I think AF dances with the ones that brung him. Kiki has a slot because he is loved and respected regardless of what his bat does. So do the other vets and Doc is on the same page with AF and management in regards to trusting his vets. These guys have two shiny rings and replacing them with rookies is only going to happen if we are in danger if not making the playoffs which probably won’t happen. In the meantime, the replacements wait for an injury and that’s the business of baseball.
There are some very talented understudies on Broadway.
I am all set in the cockpit: E-mail on the Left LADT on the Right Gameday on the laptop Game on the 65″ TV on the wall
Life is good. The Dodgers are on….
It was interesting to hear the Dodger announcers say that there were at least 15 scouts from other teams in the stands tonight. They know the Dodgers have a roster logjam…
I know it’s spring, but Treinen doesn’t inspire confidence that he’s not in the same place he was last year…. Can’t throw a strike until he has to, and then it’s a batting practice FB over the heart of the plate.
UFC & WBC
Knack trade incoming
Treinen has lost velo and is trying to make it up with spin… but he can’t control it. He is not long for this team. However, thank you for your service, Blake!
Amen to that. Plenty of arms in the pool to replace him. Another Spring Surprise – Erdhard, as advertised, a speedy STRONG OF defender converting that speed into doubles. He is had an offensive spring equal to Tibbs and Pages (Go Andy!) and will probably continue to make noise in OKC. What’s amazing is that Tibbs and Erdhard have gained so much confidence and skills since they got under the Dodgers training wing.