These are now Friedman s Dodgers
It s hard to say if the Dodgers would have been making the moves they are and saying the things they are if Farhan Zaidi was still General Manager, but my opinion is that they would not. I think Andrew Friedman has decided not to fill the GM s position because he wants to make sure he gets his way which makes perfect sense to me. I think Andrew gave Farhan a
It’s hard to say if the Dodgers would have been making the moves they are and saying the things they are if Farhan Zaidi was still General Manager, but my opinion is that they would not. I think Andrew Friedman has decided not to fill the GM’s position because he wants to make sure he gets “his way” which makes perfect sense to me. I think Andrew gave Farhan a lot of latitude and he was really the GM, but now he wants to make some changes that are necessary in light of two World Series flameouts. Friedman has decided to change the following:
- Hiring Robert Van Scoyoc (RVS) as (what?) Hitting Coach, Brant Brown as “Hitting Strategist” and Aaron Bates as Assistant Hitting Coach in an “Effort to Pursue a Dynamic Hitting Environment.” Andrew wants to cut down on the strikeouts and have the players hit out of the shift more. Zaidi be damned!
- Signing a “setup man for $25 million/3 years? Well, at least Kelly can’t beat the Dodgers again. He has always had the “”stuff” and maybe at 30, he’s getting the control… finally. He could be a great bullpen piece. Hopefully, he can find the consistency that has been missing from his game.
- Friedman is wanting to cut down the platoons (maybe just one or two) to get guys more consistent playing time. The platoons were a Zaidi thing… and Roberts bought in. I think part of the holdup in Roberts deal was that Friedman wanted to make sure they were on the same page.
- The Dodgers are still in on Realmuto and Wood, Puig, Kemp and others are in play. There are a lot of moving parts, so I can’t speculate what will happen. I really can’t see Tucket Barnhart in Blue. He’s part of the reason the Reds pitching is so bad. Homer Bailey? Maybe. He might thrive in the pen if he changes his mindset! I would say he’s a “poor man’s Brandon Morrow” but with his salary, he is a Rich Man’s Brandon Morrow.
- Then today, we read in The Athletic that the Dodgers will beat the shift in 2019 by bunting and hitting the opposite way more. I TOLD YOU THIS WEEKS AGO! Friedman is going to make sure this team cuts down it’s strikeouts:
At this week’s Winter Meetings here inside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, manager Dave Roberts issued an edict: His players will bunt against the shift more often in 2019, starting in spring training.
“It should be important enough to get on base to be able to manipulate the bat and hit the ball the other way or to lay a bunt down,” Roberts said. “As far as offensively, philosophically, for us this year, we’re going to get better at that.”
There are lots of moving parts here and deals being bantered back and forth. It could gtake shape this afternoon as the dominos fall. The cover photo of Blue Dominos is for Hawkeye. They are starting to fall and they might end up falling on Bryce Harper if Friedman can perform some magic in reducing payroll. I am relatively certain that they will exceed the LTT this year if Harper is involved. I am not a big fan of Harper, but he could be a big plus the first half of the contract (and a boat anchor the next half).
The Rule 5 Draft is today. The Dodgers will likely lose some players. Maybe Christain Santana, Drew Jackson, Stetson Allie and another own or two … When the Farm is loaded with talent, you are bound to lose some. I can confidently say this: The 2019 Dodgers will be vastly different than the team that lost back-to-back World Series.
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Discussion (73)
Disagree, not disagreeable
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I think Bellinger will thrive with the new hitting philosophy.
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If the Dodgers trade Hill, Wood, Kemp. and Puig and get a net savings of $45M, the odds are going up on Harper being a Dodger.
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If Harper is signed, Verdugo plus X could add Kluber.
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Still would a righty bat.
All week (offseason) long all I read is forget about Kluber and Harper. The Dodgers need relievers, a catcher, and a 2B. Then they go out and sign Joe Kelly for 3 years $25MM ($8.33 AAV). A reasonable price for a guy who can throw 100. And the reaction has been mostly negative, and not because of Hanley.
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Some are complaining that they didn’t wait and sign Zach Britton for 3 years $25MM. Like that is going to happen. Those same people would have complained that they waited too long to sign a reliever believing Andrew could sign Britton for 3 years $25MM, and now all of the quality relievers are gone.
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Some are complaining that he got 3 years, pointing to only Colorado offering 3-year contracts for relievers last year. That could be because none were worthy. This year (based on last year), it is projected that relievers expected to get 3 or more years: Craig Kimbrel, Andrew Miller, Zach Britton, David Robertson, Jeurys Familia, Adam Ottavino, and Joe Kelly. Familia signed for 3 years $30MM with the Mets, a team he did not want to leave. BVW brought him home.
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David Robertson has no intention of coming out west. He was brilliant in being noticed interviewing with the Dodgers, a deep pocket team needing a late inning reliever. His negotiations with those east coast teams probably amped up a bit. Unfortunately for David, LAD removed themselves as a viable alternative.
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Some say the Dodgers should sign Adam Ottavino (another east coast guy). Yet most of those people never heard of Ottavino before last year. He will sign for more than 3 years $25MM.
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Cleveland is not convinced that Andrew Miller’s (yet another east coast guy) injuries are behind him. However, they may look to re-sign Cody Allen hoping for a bounce back year, which is where he wants to go.
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Then there is Craig Kimbrel. Kimbrel is looking for 6 years $100MM+. I understand that is just posturing, but you can bet his eyes are set on 5 years $90MM. This tops Chapman for most $$$, and Wade Davis for AAV. That is what he is looking for.
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Joe Kelly is not Jose Leclerc, but who is. 3 years $25MM is not too much for a FA late inning reliever if he works out. That is about an average of 1 WAR per year. That is not unreasonable for a 30-year-old who can hit 100.