The Grass is Always Greener…

above the septic tank! Think about that one, if you will. Whenever Dodger pitchers are struggling, fans always want to trade for or sign some other pitchers because they think the grass is greener. The problem is that with most hard throwers, the arm is going to break down sooner than later. Do you want Ohtani? His arm is already broken… for the second time. Giolito? He had TJ in 2012 – he’s probably ready for another one. Aaron Nola had it in 2016. Lance Lynn has had it. By the way, if Kershaw resigns with the Dodgers, I would tend to think that Lance Lynn will walk, so at the end of the season, Andrew Friedman will likely try and “feel out” what Clayton wants to do in 2024. I have no prediction.

Jordon Montgomery also had TJ, and on and on… Most pitchers will have it. High velocity and high spin rates are hard on the UCL. I don’t know for sure that Julio Urias has a frayed UCL, but the signs are all there. This is one of the reasons that Andrew Friedman has resisted big, long-term contracts for pitchers. While I won’t say that the Dodgers will not sign a free-agent pitcher, I do believe that it will be rare that they tender a big contract to a guy like Lucas Giolittio or Shohei Ohtani. There are whispers that Jack Flaherty is a candidate as well. Blake Snell is interesting as he had it in 2020.

That said, he could sign Julio Urias, knowing full well that he needs TJ… at the right price and with opt-outs. However, with the obvious “bad blood” between AF and Borass, it is a long shot. Truth be told, years two to five after Tommy John are probably the best years to have a pitcher who has had the surgery. The Dodgers will get Walker Buehler back next year. Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin will sit out the 2024 season in its entirety. Bobby Miller has the potential to be a guy who can pitch a long time without TJ as he has a clean, low-effort delivery.

I simply do not see the Dodgers signing pitchers who may need a TJ or a second TJ. There are better ways to allocate resources. Maybe Julio has mechanical problems – those can certainly cause the drop in velocity, but I happen to believe that the Dodgers would quickly fix those. I hope that is the issue, but doubt it. Next year, the Dodgers will have Buehler, Miller, Grove, Stone, Pepiot, Frasso, Sheehan, and possibly others, but right about now, the Big Three looks like Kershaw, Miller, and Pepiot, followed by Lynn. The Dodgers are easing Clayton back in, but by playoff time, he will be able to pitch seven innings.

Was Lance Lynn’s last outing just a blip or a glimpse into the future?

Are Julio Urias’s struggles a pre-curser into his future?

At this stage of the season, I think the best thing that could happen is for the Braves to sweep the Dodgers. Yes… The best thing! I want the Braves to think they are unbeatable, and I want that chip on the Dodgers’ shoulder to be the size of Chavez Ravine! The best teams do not always win! Intelligent people know that. Sometimes, you build the biggest victories upon adversity! Lately, the Dodgers have never been the underdogs. They were in 1988! Thirty-five years later, they will like be the same. One door closes… another door opens.

The only thing that has changed since the Dodgers’ last win is the fan’s minds!

“The Loss is Roberts’ Fault!”

Don’t be absurd! How many games do you win when you only score two runs? The fault was the lack of hitting. If the Dodgers had hit, Doc would have never had to put Vesia in, and I think DR did a great managing job. Of course, some of you like to twist the facts to suit your worldview of Roberts.

Bullpens are Fickle

Yes, they are. Alex Vesia had a 2.25 ERA in 2021 and 2.15 ERA in 2022. Don’t automatically assume that he will be bad in 2024, but Doc has to play the roster he is given. The Dodgers bullpen is still the best in the game! Since June 20th, they are #1 and I predicted when the bullpen was 29th in baseball that they would finish in the Top 10. They are currently #8!

You Better Get Used to the Platoons

I know that many on this site do not like platoons. Why? “Because that’s not the way they used to do it!” Ha! In case you haven’t noticed, the mound used to be higher, no DH was used, there was no pitch clock, hardly anyone threw 100 MPH, yada, yada, yada! The Dodgers re at the forefront of platoons because they work. The Dodgers take marginalized players and put them in positions of strength where they can succeed.

• David Peralta can’t hit lefties;
• Kike Hernadez can’t hit righties
• Jason Heyward can’t hit lefties;
• Kolton Wong can’t hit lefties, and
• Amed Rosario can’t hit righties.

Actually, Max Muncy can’t hit lefties either, but it’s hard to platoon more than two or three positions. James Outman has reverse splits, and that is fine. In the past seven games, James is hitting .333 with a .414 OB%. I can see Miguel Vargas and Jonny DeLuca getting the call-up soon to provide more options. Vargas has been playing exclusively at 3B of late.

Will Smith is tired. He is worn down, and his offense is struggling. He likely needs a rest. Could we see Tucker Barnhart?