The Definition of Insanity

We all know what it is.

Is Dave Roberts insane for running Tanner Scott out there (over and over) again only to get the same results? Not yet! The Dodgers could really use the Tanner Scott they thought they signed. I think he gets another week or ten days to work out his problems before they pull the plug. Is he tipping pitches, or has the league just figured out he has only two pitches and he is almost always “in the zone?” I think it’s all of the above. The Dodgers hope they can figure it out, but if the race gets much closer, the experiment has to be stopped. With 14 games to go, that could be soon.

Blake Treinen is trying to right his ship as well. His pitches have so much movement that it is largely a product of how he is developing his “feel” for pitching. Hopefully, he can re-establish his “feel.” While I am talking about this, I want to articulate what I think happened to the Dodgers in this past offseason. In 2020, Andrew Friedman, after winning the World Series, said, “Let’s be pigs.” However, he only started “stacking” the team in 2024 and 2025.

While we may never know, I think the front office gave Andrew Carte Blanche and even encouraged him to spend, especially after 2023 and 2024. I can see AF signing Kirby Yates for one year, but I do not see him signing Tanner Scott for $72 million for four years. I can see AF signing Conforto for $5 or $6 million, but not $17 million. I think he was encouraged by the front office to do that, and he violated his own personal standards. Conforto will likely be on the playoff roster, although he is currently hitting .193 with a .628 OPS and an OPS+ of 77 (100 is average).

It was suggested that James Outman would have been a better solution. That is hilarious! Outman is hitting .157 with an OPS of .582 and an OPS+ of 59. He has struck out 46 times in 102 ABs (45%). On no planet ever does Outman make more sense than Conforto, who has struck out 110 times in 384 ABs (29%). Conforto was a bad deal, and Outman would have been even worse. Both players are great guys… both will be out of baseball next year! It’s an unforgiving game.

Conforto will likely be on the bench in the playoffs with Teoscar in LF, Edman in CF, and Pages in RF. Pages and Edman are exceptional at their respective positions, while Teoscar is below average. Kike or Call will likely be Teos’ caddy!

Rants & Raves

• Walker Buehler is still trying to develop back into a power pitcher, but he typically only reaches 93-94 mph on his fastball. Sometimes he gets lucky, but his 5+ ERA tells the tale. He needs to reinvent himself, ala Clayton Kershaw, but that is not his mentality.
• The Dodgers’ propensity to either have everyone hit or no one hit is becoming alarming. This will have to be addressed in the off-season. Everything has a shelf life… including hitting coaches.
• Baseball America lists a new Dodger pitcher that should be worth watching: Brooks Auger, RHP, Dodgers: “Every season, the Dodgers pluck a player from relative obscurity from the draft and then watch as that player becomes a standout the following season. While I’m not sure Auger has quite reached standout status yet, the 2024 sixth-round pick flashed interesting traits in his professional debut. Primarily a reliever at Mississippi State, Auger took to starting in 2025, making 17 starts spanning 91.1 innings. Despite a 5.12 ERA and below-average swing-and-miss rates, Auger has my attention. He generates four distinct pitch shapes in his four-seam fastball, slider, cutter, and changeup. The fastball and cutter are his bread and butter, and the stuff is good enough to project better days ahead.” Watch this guy!
• Ben Rortvedt has to be in the discussion for a roster spot, if only for his handling of the staff.