There are a few things that drive me crazy. I’ll beat you to the punch: “That’s not a drive… that’s a short putt!” OK, whatever! Things that drive me crazy are things that defy logic, so if you apply some logic, it won’t drive me as crazy!
Being Resistant to Moving Will Smith From Behind the Plate
Let me put this into perspective: Will Smith is in the process of becoming an elite hitter. Will Smith was drafted as a “defense first”catcher. His offense has evolved much more than his defense. Defensively, he is in the upper half of catchers, but his ability to throw out runners is suspect. I have no qualms about moving him; the logical place is currently LF. Concussions are serious, and the Dodgers are downplaying how bad this is. Hunter Feduccia has worked with a number of Dodgers pitchers; he is a LH hitter and a solid defender. He may be a big upgrade over Barnes and Wynns.
Austin Barnes should not catch more than once or twice a week. He has no shot at the plate. He should catch Clayton and catch another game every seven days, but the Dodgers HAVE to see what they have in Hunter. There is no reason to wait. The DFA of Jake Reed opened up a spot – send him a ticket Andrew!
Thinking You Can Win a Game With Taylor & Barnes in the Lineup
Combined, they are hitting 6-69! Whoever thinks that is OK is dumber than a bag of hammers! You have to do something about this Andrew! Like today! Call up Feduccia! Do it now! Is there an echo in here?
Wanting to Trade Max Muncy
In case you have been living under a rock, Max Muncy is tied for the major league lead in Home Runs with 10. Max is back and better than ever, and his defense has improved and will continue to do so. Max may very well hit 40+ HR this year, and still, some fans want to move him. Max is the least of the Dodgers’ problems. His 1.120 OPs is 3rd in MLB (second is James Outman with a 1.121 OPS). Quit talking crap about Max – It doesn’t make you look smart!
Wanting to Fire RVS
Ever since Robert Van Socyoc took over as the hitting coach in 2019 for the Dodgers, they have been one of the best hitting and run-scoring teams in baseball. Luke Williams, who has experienced a resurgence, credits RVS with his success (see video below). So do many other players. We all think that feast or famine (all or nothing) is a Dodger team problem. No, it’s more like an “Every Team Problem.” Scouts, analysts, pitching coaches, and computers are constantly looking for ways to get hitters out. They are always looking for that “hole” in a batters’ swing” which they can exploit. It’s harder to hit in MLB than it ever was.
Believing in James Outman and Cody Bellinger
Let me preface this with this: “I love James Outman. I love watching him, and he is one of my favorite players.” Many of you enjoy parroting repeatedly that I predicted he would be a 4th or 5th outfielder. Actually, this is what I said: “I see him as a 4th outfielder type. Solid, but not a regular. He could possibly fill in as a platoon in CF. We should see him in 2023.” Then, towards the end of Spring Training, I said that he HAD TO MAKE THE TEAM!
Some of you act like I am against James Outman. If anything, I am a huge fan, but I will tell you this: “Most of you never even saw him play until he came to the Dodgers for four games last year.” Then, you saw him homer in his first AB and had six hits in 13 ABs, and hit .462 with an OPS over 1.400. At that point, you jumped on the James Outman Bandwagon. “Damn the people who have watched him for years! I just saw the next Babe Ruth, and I am sure of it after four games!” Well, you don’t know crap after 13 ABs. You know a little more after 70 ABs, and James does look good, but it is very “childlike” to make a decision after a small sampling. 70 ABs are still a small sampling, but I have high hopes that James will be a solid-to-very-good MLB PLayer. But the jury is not in… yet!
TRUE STORY: Bob Hamlin of the KC Royals hit 29 HR in AAA in 1993. In 1994, he was the AL Rookie of the Year with 25 doubles, 24 HR, and a .282 BA to go with a .987 OPS. That was the Top of the Mountain for him. He never came close to any of that and was out of baseball three years later! The baseball landscape is littered with these types of players: Todd Van Poppel, Jerome Walton, and Gregg Jefferies, to mention but a few.
Saying that a player will be a 4th outfielder is not disrespecting him. It is very difficult to be an MLB player, and James Outman is one. I have watched him for several years and had predicted he would be one, so it is difficult for me to see fans watch him for four games and jump on the bandwagon because he is a shiny, bright object. “Yeah, you just figured this out after four games- I’ve been watching him for two years.” You don’t know Shineola after four games. You know a little more after twenty-six games (that’s how many games of experience he has.)
Many of you have said that we cannot trust that Cody Bellinger is back… and you are right! It’s a short sampling. It’s kind of like wanting to bench JDM against LHP because in 27 PA’s he has a poor BA, but has one the best hard-hit rates in baseball. I say that James Outman should play every day. I would even be in favor of batting him leadoff, but it’s a long season and an even longer career. Just like we cannot pronounce Cody “fixed,” we cannot label James Outman as a star… yet, but we can acknowledge what he has done as “damn good” and say that right about now, his future looks very bright. Enjoy the process because right now, James Outman is the best Rookie in the NL!
Believing That the Dodgers Will Trade for Shohei Ohtani This Season or Sign Him as a Free Agent
Shohei Ohtani is an amazing player, and he will never be a Dodger! Get used to that! Teams with stupid owners like the Angels or Mets will sign him. Shohei Ohtani will be 30 soon and on the downhill side of his career. Signing him would qualify as a dope-fiend move. The Dodgers don’t need to put butts in seats. They have that covered. OK, they might sell a few hundred thousand jerseys, but that is chump change. Put down the pipe and back away. The only way Shohei Ohtani comes to the Dodgers is if he wants to take a lot less than market value in order to be a Dodgers and win a World Series!
Only an idiot would trade the prospect collateral necessary to get Shohei Ohtani, and Andrew Friedman is no idiot! Big contracts to aging pitchers seldom pay off. Baseball land is littered with bad contracts for sore-armed pitchers. I do not think AF will even sign Julio Urias, who is three years younger. He will command an eight to ten-year deal, and at least two of those years will be spent on the IL.
In parting, I have three things to say, and you can just watch and learn:
- JD Martinez has one of the Top 22 Hard Hit Rates in Baseball. He will be just fine.
- David Peralta was signed to hit against RHP – he will be solid to very good. In case you haven’t been watching, he is slowly getting locked in. He is in great shape, and there is a reason his teammates respect the hell outta’ him.
- Jason Heyward is a very nice bench piece.
Discussion (45)
Disagree, not disagreeable
04/23/23 Los Angeles Dodgers placed RHP Evan Phillips on the bereavement list.
Praying for Evan and his wife.
Potentially devastating news involving RHP Evan Phillips surfaced on Twitter late on Sunday night following an update on the MLB transactions page. The reliever was placed on the paternity leave list on Thursday as he and wife Elizabeth were reportedly welcoming their first child. Notably, he flew out from LA to Chicago with the team but immediately flew back. Now a report showing he’s been placed on the bereavement list has fans very concerned.
Kike was not involved in the Betts trade. Substitute Jeter Downs.
On a side note.
This weekend my son (freshman catcher for his HS JV team) tried to convince me (once again) about this new catching philosophy. About almost always having a knee down (to frame more effectively). I don’t buy it. I have never bought it. My son’s coaches won’t even entertain a knee down with runners on. My son is excellent at blocking. But he keeps telling me “I could block better with my knee down”. I call BS.
Watch how this ends.
My 15 YO could have blocked that pitch. If his knee WASN’T down!
https://twitter.com/therealjhair/status/1650237282518188032?s=46&t=QLZL6rUStVTcnhF7gF-Qig
What would be the tax ramifications, if we’re over again this year, to signing Ohtani and it puts us over by 40-50 mil next year? Does his signing mean we don’t sign Julio or Kersh next year? There’s a lot of moving parts here. I’m sure AF and Co have all the numbers pencilled out for all the scenarios. If there’s an unlimited budget who wouldn’t want Ohtani!
Duke –
You make a pretty strong case for going after Ohtani. You are right about who actually regrets the loss of the prospects for recent Dodger deals. And, you probably could add the SF Giants as Ohtani suitors.
There would be a lot of public pressure on the Dodgers to get into the bidding war for him. Not sure the Dodgers want to send a “not interested” message to the 40k+ fans every game at Dodger Stadium.
Sure glad I am not on that hot seat!
Just say NO to OH!
Nop
OK, let’s assume that the Angels flop (again) and Ohtani is on the market. Put aside his bat for a second. Let’s assume that Ohtani is best pitcher on the market (and it probably ain’t close). Let’s further assume that Dodgers want to shore up their pitching staff, which is always a reasonable assumption.
In years past, the Dodger front office brought at mid-season in high-impact players like Scherzer, Trea Turner, Darvish and Machado at mid-season. The Dodgers gave up a lot of young talent to get those guys, but which of these deals do Dodger fans regret? Any of them? And while it was not at mid-season, but the Dodgers also gave up a lot to get Mookie. Does anybody here wish we had Verdugo, Kike and Connor Wong instead of Mookie? I know some of you think Mookie overrated–a star, but not a superstar. But do you wish AF hadn’t pulled the trigger on that deal?
But back to the 2023 mid-season trade market with the Angels entertaining bids for the most extraordinary player in the game…
The Padres will make an offer. So will the Mets. So will the Yankees. So will other teams.
But the NO-to-OH crowd say, “Don’t do it, Andrew! We don’t want that guy! We want to keep our top prospects in OKC and Tulsa and Great Lakes and Rancho Cucamonga!”
So the AF says, “Yeah, we’ll let the Padres get him.”
For some reason I don’t think it would work out like that.
How about some kudos for our ace, who, battled without his best command today.
He’s just a joy to watch, never giving in.
Badger: Gonsolin threw 57 pitches in his MiLB rehab start. The start on Tuesday will function as his second rehab start (probably 75 pitches or so) only it will happen with the big club. He should go 4-5 innings and get him ready for 85-90 pitches in his next start, which gets him close to being full ready.
Ohtani is an all star pitcher AND an all star hitter. No one in the HISTORY of modern MLB history has even come close, including the Babe. If he continues this level of excellence for another 5-6 years I don’t see how he can’t be considered the greatest ever!
Also impressive gut check by our Dodgers after that debacle on Friday!
Looks like we most likely will be at a tie to lead the division at this day’s end,
Nice win. Lets just keep it going in Steel Town. Ohtani no.
Dodgers Planning To Activate Tony Gonsolin For Wednesday Start
By Mark Polishuk | April 23, 2023 at 3:33pm CDT
Tony Gonsolin’s 2023 debut may be imminent, as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) that Gonsolin will “likely” be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday’s game against the Pirates. It won’t be a full start, as Gonsolin is expected to pitch around four innings before giving way to the bullpen.
I forgot to post earlier that the Dodgers released Rubby De La Rosa.
What happens when a pitcher puts a ball on a tee against Max?
Bluto my friend, I think if you leave off the first line and the last line of that post you would encourage more discourse.
That said, I agree with the last line, the asset is Ohtani. That’s not in question. The question is – what’s he worth to YOUR franchise? It’s my opinion, and only my opinion, he would be more valuable to other organizations.
Totally agree with Mark’s column today.
Friedman is NOT stupid, doesn’t make moves that are not well thought out even if they don’t all work out. I MIGHT be able to see him trading for Ohtani as a rental if it would win the World Series, otherwise not a chance. Cohen will sign him because he wants NY fans to love him!
PS: Agree on Cobb’s comments about Joc. Loved me some Joc the first half of 2015(?). Thought sure we had a R.O.Y. and solid everyday player. So did a lot of other people. I wish he’d signed anywhere but SF.
It’s great to see Outman have such a hot start. But I agree with Mark. Still too early to know where he will fit in for this season and moving forward.
I’ve reserved my opinion on Outman because I never got to see him play up close. He skipped Rancho all together. He moved from rookie league to high A. He Didn’t play a game in low A. I tend not to have strong opinions about guys I haven’t watched play. And I didn’t see a single one of his minor league games (outside of highlights). I tend to reserve judgment before I sound off. Unlike Lux, Vargas, Cartaya… ect. Whom I saw play many, many times and talk to many times.
I remember how Joc started. His first month or two in the league he looked like the second coming. After the AS break he became what he is today. A platoon outfielder. 70 ABs isn’t much to go on. I’ll reserve judgment. But I’m rooting for the kid and our record would be in the trash without his bat, so far, this year. He and Muncy have carried this team, so far.
If you are the Dodgers you trade prospects for Ohtani ten times out of ten. Maybe fourteen times out of ten.
You are the Dodgers and the asset is Ohtani.
How is this even a debate?
Ohtani, unlike Greinke, might not want to sign with the highest bidder. He wants to win and will probably choose a location that also has a good chance for a championship. He is going to get a shoe contract etc. I think the Dodgers will offer a max 5 year contract, maybe 4 at 45.
If the Dodgers were to trade for Ohtani, my guess would be Muncy, Urias, Busch, and another pitcher would be on the table. Moving Muncy would open third for Smith.
I see our SS hit a HR. Way to go Rojas!!
So far so good with Mookie at short!
I like Betts at SS because like Cassidy said it’s easier to get a star 0F than a star SS and I’d rather see Peralta/Heyward/Thompson/Taylor play the two other outfield positions than Rojas at SS
They just showed the zone chart for Outman. Where is it he hasn’t hit yet?
High and tight, low and away.
But don’t tell anybody.
Muncy got really bad hop, Barnes has to catch that tip!
Two horrible defensive plays in the first inning.
Not a great start.
David Vassegh
@THEREAL_DV
Dave Roberts said Evan Phillips will rejoin #Dodgers in Pittsburgh.
David Vassegh
@THEREAL_DV
Tony Gonsolin has joined #Dodgers in Chicago.
Mookie at short solves a lot of our problems this year and going forward. He doesn’t have a lot to live up to,defensively from our last 2 SS’s. It’s easier to find a star outfielder than a star SS at the deadline.
Just FYI: Dodger Lineup vs Stroman Lifetime: 17-83 -.205 BA – 1 HR & 8 RBI & 21 K’s.
Cubbie Lineup vs Kershaw Lifetime: 26-88 . 295 BA – 3HR &11 RBI &16 Ks
Those figures mean NOTHING just INFO to make everyone a little more informed. Of course Outman and Vargas have never faced Stroman and Bellinger of course has never faced Kershaw.
Mark, I reread what you wrote up top and you did start out saying 4th or FIFTH outfielder during the offseason and you only wrote 4th up top. But I don’t care anymore because you came around and dropped the FIFTH part and that was what bothered me. Peace though.
I totally agree that I don’t want the Dodgers signing Ohtani.
I never really thought about Smith in left field, always 3rd base, but no way are you moving Muncy.
While it would be nice to have the Berlinger of these first few weeks – I was happy that the Dodgers did not sign him – if we had there is no way Outman would have made the team out of spring training.
I am totally done with Barnes and Taylor combo – what is Feduccia suppose to think!
As Mark and others have stated, Feduccia has caught a significant majority of the pitchers, so why the heck is Wynn (a Giant castoff on the team) on the team? Pretty insulting!
I appreciated loyalty but the goal is to put a winning product on the field. Not sure why we have to keep seeing the same crappy results.
Taylor and Barnes have a “large” sample size of 2+ seasons, the Dodger farm system has players that definitely CANNOT do any worse, and realistically will be better.
Anyway hope Kershaw can throw another good game.
I have been preparing and leaving Arizona so I haven’t watched as intently as usual; but a couple of things got me asking “are you crazy?
We’ve watched Belli for years. Where are the holes in his zone? I’ll bet you would agree with most by saying Hard stuff UP and pitches soft away, making him reach. I would never pitch him in, especially low and in. It’s right in his “ loop zone” and speeds up his bat. The only thing he would see IN is a heater to knock him off the plate.
I haven’t seen every AB but I saw him homer on a FB thigh high, inner 1/3, another on a FB thigh high middle outer 1/3 and a breaker again slightly in and down that he pounded. Yesterday we did throw 2 heaters up in the zone and the HPU missed both.
Why? I’m not privy to the data the pencil-necks spit out of the computer lab but my eyes tell me pitch him UP hard and soft away. No more targets middle in and low in the zone , please.
Dustin May has a “Bigfoot chance up”. They say it’s out there but nobody has ever seen it. He really needs something 86-88 with some arm side run or sink. He has 3 great moving fastballs, the 4 seamer, cutter and 2 seam arm side runner they call a sinker. He threw that curveball more but he can’t locate it at all and it’s basically caballo mierda. His arm slot is perfect for a sinking arm side change to get guys off those fastball and get some swing and miss. A change would be a game changer for him.
Poor CT3 and Barnes couldnt hit a bull in the ass with a bag of ice.
I don’t understand pitching protocols any more. I see things the make my “ mother hen” blood boil with pitchers. May and others pitched on a cold, windy, damp Chicago day with NO sleeves. The fans are in stocking caps and parkas and the pitchers have bare, exposed arms. WTF.
And May, after being pulled, lingered in the dugout, sweat-soaked with NO jacket on. In my coaching career I must have reminded the pitchers 10,000 times to “ put a jacket on”. If you ever pitched, I bet you heard that too.
And if you threw 75 pitches or more, I had pitchers ice asap. May would have been in the clubhouse, nice and warm, icing his arm and not standing out in the wind.
Meanwhile nobody builds up arm strength . Pitches are capped at 85 to 100 and everybody is satisfied with 6 innings.
Tim Anderson, who will be 30 in June, will make $12.5 million in 2023, and his contract includes a $14 million club option ($1 million buyout) for 2024. Assuming that is picked up, he will reach free agency at age 31 after the 2024 season. He is worth pursuing.
Saturday scores
Oklahoma City 3, Albuquerque 2
Wichita 4, Tulsa 3
South Bend 4, Great Lakes 2
Rancho Cucamonga 7, Fresno 3
Sunday schedule
10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Adolfo Ramirez) vs. South Bend (Kohl Franklin)
11:05 a.m. PT: Tulsa (Landon Knack) vs. Wichita (Carlos Luna)
12:35 p.m.: Oklahoma City (TBD) at Albuquerque (Karl Kauffmann)
2 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Jared Karros) vs. Fresno (Gabriel Barbosa)
Sunday is the first professional start for Karros, son of Eric who was drafted in the 16th round last year out of UCLA. Karros the younger has 12 strikeouts in 6⅔ innings in his first two games this season for Rancho Cucamonga, both in bulk relief, with a 4.05 ERA.
2:20 PM ET
Dodgers (11-11)
Cubs (12-8)
SP Clayton Kershaw L
3-1 2.52 ERA 25IP 26K
SP Marcus Stroman R
2-1 .75 ERA 24IP 25K
Confirmed Lineup
SS Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
3B Max Muncy L
DH J. Martinez R
CF James Outman L
RF J. Heyward L
LF D. Peralta L
2B M. Vargas R
C A. Barnes R
Partly-cloudy-day
40% Precipitation
42° Wind 7 mph L-R
Mookie starts at SS
You may be right, Mark. Shohei Ohtani will probably never be a Dodger.
It will cost a fortune. Maybe more. But you need to look beyond traditional thinking. You get two players in one. A very good DH and an elite pitcher. So what will a good DH cost you? $10 – 12 million, maybe more. What will an elite pitcher cost? $25 to $30 mil.
I read this story a while back about how Ohtani generates something like an additional $15 million a year for the Angels — merchandising, marketing and sponsorship dollars. Much of that due to the Japanese market.
So factor all that in and maybe Ohtani makes some sense, even for the Dodgers. Remember the Dodgers have wanted Ohtani for a long even back in his high school days.
Will the Dodgers re-sign Julio Urias? Maybe not, Scott Boras and all.
So why wouldn’t the Dodgers pursue Ohtani?
Every year we hear this will be the “year” the Dodgers cut payroll. Heard that a lot a couple of years ago and then they signed Freddie Freeman. This past off season, the Dodgers made a huge offer to Justin Verlander, only to have the Mets top it at the last minute. Even Kershaw thought Verlander was going to be a Dodger.
The Dodgers are in the midst of a youth movement, which means lower salaries. It seems like a perfect time for LA to go big in the free agent market. If not this winter, when?
As to James Outman, since MLB eliminated the team in Lancaster I don’t get to see the Dodger minor league prospects. All I have to rely on is what scouts, minor league coaches and video to assess a player. Doesn’t replace seeing them in person.
But what I do know is a lot of his coaches were high on him and he had good numbers. He’s also an athlete, which is a big plus.
They might want the Dodgers to take Yasmani Grandal’s contract in the deal. Bear would be elated! 😉
I recently found LA Dodgers Talk— I think this is one of the best Dodgers websites
I agree! But we need a shortstop with a good stick. Kris Bryant is another player we should be very interested in. Infield/outfield! Rockies are bad!
Pages?
Right mark, but he’s still better than the bottom 3 we’re putting out there now.
I know Mark’s not talking about me because you said the words “most of you”. But in 2021 spring training I saw something about Outman and that was before he went on a tear in the minors. Just for the record.
I agree about Ohtani, I wouldn’t want the Dodgers to give up what it would take to get him.
I figured Muncy would bounce back this year from his bad year last year, but I also thought the same about Taylor. But there’s still time for Taylor to bounce back.
I’d like to see Feduccia brought up and it would have/would be the best time to bring him up while Smith is out, to see what he can do at the MLB level. I haven’t found much news about Smith’s concussion by the way. And I agree with Mark’s statement today “Will Smith is in the process of becoming an elite hitter”.
Just my 2 cents.
Agree mark, please don’t pour 500 billion dollars into ohtani! Tim Anderson would light a hot fire under some dodger butts! I said earlier, don’t wait for the braves or someone else to pull the trigger, make it happen now! Brian Anderson ain’t coming through those swinging doors anytime soon. The pirates are playing better baseball than we are! With Tim our infield is set! That puts pressure on 4 guys, Thompson,Taylor, Barnes and peralta. Heyward actually is hitting the ball very well with some bad luck and playing very good defense. Bring up Hunter , if he does the job, he starts, Will to left, Barnes once a week (if that), if Will is ok, let him spell hunter, so long Barnes and thanks for your service!
I have a question for everyone here. I’m sure there will be differing answers, I have my own opinions but I’m curious what some of you will say.
As a manager what would you do to help get your team out of a losing streak assuming you have a better team than the record shows?
There is a great article in The Athletic on JO:
https://theathletic.com/4440521/2023/04/22/dodgers-mlb-james-outman-homers/
Totally agree. No trade for Ohtani giving up prospects. Also Angels would NEVER trade with the Dodgers, The Mets are the favorite to sign Ohtani when he becomes a free agent. I’d rather spend my money in acquiring two or three free agents for the money Ohtani will sign for. AF went to Japan recently to scout younger Japanese players that will become available. Our real immediate need is a star studded shortstop who can hit and field. Taylor, Rojas and Williams are role players and not everyday shortstops. Use prospect capital in a trade to acquire one.
Tyler Anderson’s ERA with the Angels 7.20.