Twenty Things I (Think I) Know
The Dodgers can score six runs in 2/3 of an inning off of a pitcher who has a 6.49 ERA and is a total mess but can only score one run off of average to below-average pitchers in 7-1/3 innings. When the best part of Max Muncy’s game is his defense (and it is actually pretty…
- The Dodgers can score six runs in 2/3 of an inning off of a pitcher who has a 6.49 ERA and is a total mess but can only score one run off of average to below-average pitchers in 7-1/3 innings.
- When the best part of Max Muncy’s game is his defense (and it is actually pretty good), the time has come to do something with Max Muncy. Maybe Andrew has to tell him that if he is injured and goes on the IL, they will pick up his option next year… or maybe they just release him, but either way, he has to go away. It’s way past time. When CT3 is activated, Max is gone, but the team should call up Vargas now. This is really hard because Max is loved up and down the clubhouse… but it is a business.
- Cody Bellinger is still an asset for obvious reasons… maybe he will become a bigger asset, but with Max gone, the Dodgers can handle Cody.
- Now we wait… and see how Heaney’s shoulder feels today and what it looks like by his next start. He looks rusty… but good. The question is: Can he stay healthy the rest of the way? The Dodgers were successful in strengthening Gonsolin’s shoulder… in the offseason.
- Now it’s on to the Killing Fields at Coors! Anderson, Urias, Kershaw, and Gonsolin are all set to have their ERAs elevated a mile high!
- The Dodgers are not serious about Soto. Of course, they are talking to the Nats, but they are just driving the price up. Who saw the Turner and Scherzer Trade coming last year? No One! Andrew Friedman will just pull a rabbit out of his hat when you least expect it. He might be in on Castillo, but it won’t be for who you think… except Mike Busch (maybe) and Hunter Feduccia.
- What is the Real Story on Treinen, Kahnle, Gonzalez, Rios, May, Graterol, Buehler, and Duffy? We know that the Dodgers ain’t sayin’ or telling us the truth. I am not saying it is better or worse than what we think we know. I am just saying it is different. The truth is not readily available.
- I do believe we will see CT3 next week.
- We have seen the last of Garrett Cleavinger (at least this year… probably forever).
- I can see Cleavinger, Bruihl, Grove, Feduccia, McKinstry, Moronta, Price, Reed, Alvarez, Outman, Pillar, and Vivas being moved in the right deal (not all of them). That’s 12-player movement possibilities on the 40-man roster. There are a lot of possibilities.
- Could Joc Pederson be a Dodger again THIS SEASON? Could Hunter Feduccia, Justin Bruihl, and James Outman get that done? Asking for a friend!
- Who would make more sense at DH – Garrett Cooper, Josh Bell, or JD Martinez? Who would cost the least?
- I think I am going to rank Gavin Stone higher than Ryan Pepiot. He is that good! This year at AA, Gavin Stone has pitched 59 Innings, allowing 45 Hits with 0 HR and 84 Strikeouts. His ERA is 1.53, and his WHIP is 1.14. Contrast that with Ryan Pepiot in AA last year: 59 Innings, 30 Hits with 7 HR, and 81 Strikeouts. His ERA was 2.87, and his WHIP was 0.94. Gavin Stone may actually pass Bobby Miller in my rankings. Pepiot got pounded pretty good in AAA in 41 innings last season. I’d like to see Gavin Stone moved there soon. I think he will do a lot better than Pepiot did. BTW, Stone is just a couple of MPH off Bobby Miller!
- Do you still want Soto? The LA Times speculates what it would take: “For the Dodgers, the list could include six of these seven players: catcher Diego Cartaya, right-hander Bobby Miller, infielder Miguel Vargas, second baseman Michael Busch, right-hander Ryan Pepiot, outfielder Andy Pages, and right-hander Gavin Stone.” No, thank you!
- Are Bednar or Barlow possibilities in the bullpen?
- No single stat reveals more about the offensive capability of a player than OPS. Will Mookie Betts ever be the Superstar the Dodgers thought they were getting? It’s not likely. Don’t get me wrong… Mookie is a star, a very good player. He is just not the Superstar the Dodgers paid for. His career OPS is .889 – that’s very close to being a superstar, but there’s no cigar! In 2019, Mookie hit .346 with a .438 OB% and a 1.078 OPS. He slipped a little in 2019 as he hit .295 with a .915 OPS. Still, both years were “SUPERSTAR” stats. Remember, an OPS of .900 puts you in that stratosphere. There was talk all over about who was the best player in baseball. – Mike Trout or Mookie Betts. In 2020, Mookie OPS’ed .927 but has OPS’ed .854 and .878 in the past two years. Again, close, but no cigar! Mookie is a very good player, but Freddie Freeman is OPS’ing .936 – he is a “Superstar.” Trea Turner OPS’ed .950 in 2021 but is at .851 this year – Still a star, just not a Superstar. Believe it or not, Cody Bellinger has a career OPS of .829. Of course, it’s.645 this year. In case you are wondering, Justin Turner has OPS’ed .864 as a Dodger. This year he has gotten his OPS up to .738, and .800 is not out of the question, but it’s a longshot.
- I think Mookie, Justin, Will, Trea, and Freddie will all carry this team, but with Max out of the picture, they need another bat or two. Joc Pederson and Miguel Vargas may be just what the Doctor ordered.
- Hanser Alberto means a lot more than what the stats show. However, he also needs to step up… and he has started to already. The same with Jake Lamb, and he needs to swing the bat more. He looks at too many pitches.
- Danny Duffy, Victor Gonzalez, The Bazooka, Walker Buhler, Blake Treinen, Tommy Kahnle, Dustin May, and Jimmy Nelson. That’s EIGHT potentially good-to-great arms for the playoffs. They all will not make it back, but if just four or five do, the Dodgers’ Pitching Staff will be extra-extra-ordinary. Right now, it’s just extraordinary! One has to ask,” Do the Dodgers really need to trade for more pitching?” I think not.
- Trayce Thompson has shown me that in baseball… I just never know. So I just shut up and enjoy the games.
Future Dodgers Down on the Farm
- OKC won 6-3
- Miguel Vargas hit his 14th HR
- Mike Busch was 2-4
- James Outman was 2-3 with a BB and his 5th HR
- Andre Jackson had (by far) his best outing of the year as he went 5 innings, allowed 1 Run and 1 Hit, while walking 3 and striking out 6.
- Pedro Baez had his first AAA appearance after pitching 5.1 innings in AZ. He promptly gave up 3 Hits and 2 ER in .2 IP. He walked a batter and was charged with a blown save. His AAA ERA is 27.00.
- Tulsa lost 6-2
- John Rooney pitched 7.1 innings, allowing 2 hits and 1 ER. He walked 1 and struck out 6. It was his best performance, but the bullpen blew it.
- Let’s never mention this game again.
- Great Lakes won 8-6.
- Eddys Leonard hit his 9th HR.
- Diego Cartaya was 1-3 with 2 Runs Scored and a walk. They are not giving him much to hit, and he is not challenged at Great Lakes. He needs to move to Tulsa.
- Rancho Cucamonga was shutout 6-0
- Maddux Bruns went 2 innings, allowing NO hits and No Runs. He walked 2 and struck out 2.
- The rest of the team forgot their bats.
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Discussion (101)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Some of our minor leaguers had great games yesterday.
Cartaya two more bombs . Miller 6 innings , giving up 2 runs on a HR but 11 Ks and no BBs. Busch 3 more hits.
Then you got the return of May throwing gas with silly movement.
Treinen obviously getting close as is The Bazooka. Rios starting at 3b for OKC.
Reinforcements are close.
The more I think about it the more I like the idea of going after Ohtani. You get 2 players in 1. An ace starter and a monster DH.
But I am still reluctant to give up Miller and Cartaya. I think both could be all stars in the future.
If there is any way to get Ohtani for a package not including those two I probably go for it.
Pepiot, Stone, Page, Vargas, Busch,Grove ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No idea what “yard barker” is, but the Angels definitely should be listening to offers for Ohtani.
I recently saw a old video that reported that Ohtani’s first choice would have been the Dodgers, but without the DH the Dodgers only saw him as an SP. and not also aNa parttime outfielder, like he was in Japan. So the DH rule led him to the Angels. It has also been reported that Angels GM Billy Eppler had courted Ohtani for years and that helped–which is why the Mets could angle for him. But maybe Ohtani simply prefers SoCal.
Anyway, it’s hard to imagine the Angels becoming a contender next season, so the best way to maximize his value is to move him now when the buyer could have him for two pennant runs. The Angels have a weak farm system and need A LOT of help. The Dodgers have a deep system and could put together a big package for a guy who is both an ace-quality starter and top-tier DH with power and speed.
To replace the DH: Start with Max (a good bounce-back candidate) or Rios and add Busch. or Vargas . For good measure toss in Amaya or Leonard because the Angels need a SS).
To replace the ace SP: Start with Gonsolin (peak value) and add Miller, or maybe two pitchers like Grove and Nastrini. Toss in a catcher like Feduccia because the Angels will need a backup to Stassi.
Anyway, given the Angels many needs, the Dodgers could offer a few ML-ready players and young prospects that would quickly improve their standing. If an 8-for-1 deal seems outlandish, remember that the Dodgers traded five prospects or Machado–and he doesn’t pitch.
To simplify this, just think of Ohtani as roughly equivalent to Scherzer + Trea. The Dodgers got that pair for their top two prospects and two lottery-pick types. Could Cartaya + Miller plus two lower level types net Ohtani? No, because Ohtani is younger and of course has a marketing cachet that plays outside the lines. Ohtani will likely be the game’s first $50 million per season player. Perhaps $60 million.
With Ohtani in blue, the Dodgers would likely employ a six-man rotation, which might be a good thing..
Just imagine slotting Ohtani into the top of the lineup with Mookie, Trea and Freddie….
Yard barker is reporting that the Angels are open to listening to trade offers for Ohtani.
While OPS is a better measure of a hitters value, I still like to monitor batting average for historical comparisons.
After tonight’s game, the Dodgers have 3 of the top 4 hitters in NL by batting average.
Goldschmidt leads the league at .335 followed by Freeman-323, Trea Turner- 312, and Lux-307.
While OPS is a better measure of a hitters value, I still like to monitor batting average for historical comparisons.
After tonight’s game, the Dodgers have 3 of the top 4 hitters in NL by batting average.
Goldschmidt leads the league at .335 followed by Freeman-323, Trea Turner- 312, and Lux-307.
Hey AF, resign Trea. Forget Soto and Otani. Get bullpen help.
Tyler Anderson = Why do the Dodgers need another starter? Why?
I might have to reconsider how I feel about the games at Coors!
Yankees got better today.
Dustin May today: 3ip, 2hits, 6k. I’d love to know how hard he was throwing!
I see Rios is making a comeback in AAA ball and that is an upgrade for the offense whether it’s DH or the bench.
Jessica Mendoza on Conner Joe hitting Belli in the back on a throw to second. “It’s almost like he didn’t see him”. Really? You’re standing next to him holding him on to begin the play and you’re throwing to second trying to get him out, but you don’t see him?
Damn! It took me long enough time finding a decent stream. I guess Mad Titan is the ticket. Well see for how long.
MLBTR still has “Treinen Won’t Face Hitters For Weeks” in the most current post for the Dodgers. Roberts just said in the pre-game that Treinen will face hitters in LA this weekend.
Brusdar is also in LA this weekend and will throw a pen.
May is on the hill tonight in OKC. Edwin Rios is in the lineup batting second and playing 3B.
Mark said this:
“Danny Duffy, Victor Gonzalez, The Bazooka, Walker Buhler, Blake Treinen, Tommy Kahnle, Dustin May, and Jimmy Nelson. That’s EIGHT potentially good-to-great arms for the playoffs. They all will not make it back, but if just four or five do, the Dodgers’ Pitching Staff will be extra-extra-ordinary. Right now, it’s just extraordinary! One has to ask,” Do the Dodgers really need to trade for more pitching?” I think not.”
First thing, Nelson is done for the year including the playoffs unless I missed something. Secondly Duffy is nothing to get excited about.
For the playoffs:
Of those 6 remaining, there are 2 that would be big upgrades if they are themselves/fully healthy when they return, Treinen and Buehler.
Of the other 4:
Gonzalez has very little experience/innings in his career, I wouldn’t trust him in the playoffs, but during the regular season he would be an upgrade over certain other guys we have.
Graterol’s career stats against LHB is terrible, but this year is average against LHB, he’s an upgrade over certain guys we already have for the regular season, but I wouldn’t trust him in the playoffs.
Kahnle is an above average reliever and against both sides of the plate, nothing special, but he would be an upgrade during the regular season over certain guys we already have in the bullpen and I would consider him for the playoffs if there is room, but I wouldn’t use him in high leverage situations in the playoffs.
May has better career stats against LHB than Graterol, I’ll take May any day over Graterol. But I still wouldn’t want May as a reliever in the playoffs. He doesn’t have much experience/innings too. If there is room for May as a 4th starter in the playoffs I’d go for that, but I doubt there is room. It wouldn’t hurt to see what he can do as a reliever during the regular season because he would be an upgrade over certain guys we already have in the bullpen and our lead over the Padres is big.
As I’ve said before, Betts is a very good player, but I consider Freeman and T Turner as more valuable than Betts, and I want Friedman to try to sign T Turner.
Also as I’ve said before, all Vargas has to do is hit better than Muncy, and that is not a lot to ask for, and I think that is all we need for an upgrade on offense.
I don’t want Soto for the price in prospects nor do I want him for the dollars 2 years from now. It’s not good to pay what he will get in 1 player, you’re better off paying for 2 stars than 1 superstar.
I know I’m going to rub people wrong when I say I don’t want to pay the price in prospects for Castillo because I don’t think he’s much of an upgrade over the starters we already have and the cost for him can go to upgrading our bullpen that is ranked number 6, while our starting pitching is ranked number 1 and our offense is ranked number 1 or 2. And why throw in Drury with a career slash line of .252/.302/.431/.733? Yes I know he is having a good year with an above .800 OPS, but he’s never had an .800+ OPS year in his career until SO FAR this year.
Just my opinion and my 2 cents for the day.
Are we actually quoting tweets from guys named Ben Dover now?
What, Hugh G Rection or IP Freely weren’t available??
I think Joc is mostly a sentimental notion. But Farhan may want to flip him.
Yanks did well to get Benintendi, and now they are reportedly in on Castillo or Montas. Both could be had in packages. Can’t recall the name, but Oakland could offer a good reliever plus Pinder with Montas. But Castillo plus Drury would be better.
I’ve always like Josh Bell. He could DH while Max and JT share 3B. I think a couple of mid-level prospects might be enough, say Outman plus Rooney? And we could sacrifice Lamb.
See what I did there?
8:40 PM ET
Dodgers (65-32)
Rockies (45-54)
SP Tyler Anderson L
10-1 2.79 ERA 103.1IP 87K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
DH Jake Lamb L
2B Gavin Lux L
3B Max Muncy L
CF C. Bellinger L
LF Z. McKinstry L
35% Rain
74° Wind 9 mph Out
* Joc Pederson’s name keeps resurfacing like a bad penny. He does nothing for me as a platoon piece in left. Would the plan be for him to platoon with Trayce? With Lamb kicking a can down the road? On the surface Joc would play against right handed pitching only. He hits .238 versus righties. So Trayce would be the guy against lefties? Thompson is hitting .200 against lefties and .320 agains righties. Big reverse splits. Lamb and Joc have basically identical averages against RHP, at .234 and .238 respectively. So a platoon with Thompson and Lamb isn’t really effective and Joc brings nothing to add to this but complication.
* It looks like the Nats may have backed off trying to tie Corbin’s bad contact to any Soto deal.
* Mark wrote “Do you still want Soto? The LA Times speculates what it would take: “For the Dodgers, the list could include six of these seven players: catcher Diego Cartaya, right-hander Bobby Miller, infielder Miguel Vargas, second baseman Michael Busch, right-hander Ryan Pepiot, outfielder Andy Pages, and right-hander Gavin Stone.” No, thank you!”
Double No Thanks here too. I can’t believe this is even a consideration.
* Anthony Castrovince of MLB wrote “It’s fair for some fans to ask that in what has statistically been a down season for Soto. As of this writing, his batting average (.245) is 68 points lower than last year, his on-base percentage (.401) is 64 points lower and his slugging percentage (.485) is 49 points lower. He also grades out poorly as a defensive outfielder (first percentile in Outs Above Average).”
The comparisons with Ted Williams make me laugh. Teddy Ballgame did it for 21 years minus 3 years in the Service. I personally have no interest in pursuing Soto for anything close to what’s speculated. The potential outgoing players are who you can build a franchise on; not one player. And the Dodgers have them and aren’t rebuilding.
* My money would go into trying to sign Trea Turner for 5 years at top of the line $.
I think he’s worth it. And we know what he brings to the table. Trea makes us go. His numbers are great and he plays every day. He brings speed and consistency. Every time you look he has another hitting streak going. His defense is fine and he hits .300 falling out of bed. I envision a middle infield that would perennially have two .300 hitters in the line up with Lux and Trea. There is so much to like about this guy but it’s easy to take him for granted and just assume he’s leaving. I would exhaust all avenues to re-sign him. I know he’s 29 but I see his body holding up to 35. For me, that’s were my big $ contract would go.
I just want the trade deadline to pass. Some years I enjoy the speculation. This year it’s getting old. AF will make a move or he won’t. Might be a big name. Might be somebody most of us would have to lookup to even know who he is. But it will be in AF style.
I am curious if the news about Trout’s injury might push the Angels a little closer to consider trading Ohtani. As many in the media have pointed out, the condition isn’t terribly serious for the average person. Physical therapy. Muscle conditioning. But for an elite athlete? I don’t buy that. Most people don’t dive into the ground or a padded wall every week. Nor do they have to swing a bat thousands of times per year. Oh, and BTW… do that effectively to catch or a hit a small ball flying at you. While I don’t think this is career ending, I do think there is a strong chance Trout won’t be the same. At least not for very long. This kind of chronic condition doesn’t bode well.
I still think the Angeles will likely keep Ohtani and let him walk as a FA. Arte would rather keep filling seats over making a strategic move that would ultimately improve the team. The fans are already pissed off and frustrated. Trading Ohtani would make their brains implode. Ohtani’s star/marketing value is vastly greater than Soto. They could transform their org and prepare for the potential end to the “Trout” era. But they likely won’t.
Source: The Los Angeles #Dodgers offered Gavin Lux and top prospects, Diego Cartaya, Michael Busch, Andy Pages, Ryan Pepiot, and Landon Knack to the #Nationals, for superstar Juan Soto.
Cartaya is the Dodgers #1 prospect, and the Nats scouting department is very high on him.
** too much,too little ?
would hate give up Busch,Pepoit and Lux coming into his own. But gotta give up BIG to get back BIG !
Would be fine JD,Castillo – call it a day. AF likes swinging for the fences !!
Taylor passed his running in the outfield test and has started taking infield grounders and throwing to first base. Doc said his arm has the flexibility to throw at all angles now. After a few simulated games next week he will ready to return after a rehab assignment. To me that says Max is going to start to see fewer AB’s.
Dodgers Nation
Dodgers: Every Fan in LA Needs to Know Ronan Kopp
Brook Smith
Jul 28
Standing at 6-foot-7, you immediately notice Ronan Kopp on the field and in the dugout. The Dodgers picked up the left-handed hurler out of South Mountain Community College in Phoenix in the 12th round last year. And since then, he has carved a name for himself in the organization.
Almost quite literally. With a fastball that reaches the upper 90s and a decent breaking ball to mix in, Kopp has dominated with Rancho Cucamonga. Across 44.2 innings of work, Kopp has chalked up a ridiculous 80 strikeouts to go along with a pristine 1.61 ERA. And perhaps th best news for the Dodgers? He turns 20 years old on Friday.
At that height, Kopp gets downhill very quickly on batters. That has resulted in him averaging over 16 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched in 2022. But he does struggle with control at times too, averaging 5.6 free passes per 9 innings. But the Dodgers have proven many times that they can help guys get their control dialed in.
Ronan Kopp threw the bulk innings on Sunday for Rancho going 4, striking out 7, & walking just 1. @rkopp27 has not allowed an earned run in his last 6 outings, which is all of July, & his last 2 in June. During that span of 18.2 innings, he has 30 K’s. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/dvbck5WvpN
For the moment, the Dodgers seem to be trying to find out where they want him to pitch. Kopp has appeared in 20 games this season, and 6 of them have come as a starter. But if they can get his control dialed in a little more over the next 2 years, Kopp could very well be a part of the big league squad.
Hoping not to see Max penciled in todays line-up. He needs some time off or perhaps another IL stint. His walk first ABs are tiresome and all too often we see a center cut FB taken for strike three.
Sit’em Doc
Bringing back Joc would be fun. He would basically replace Jake Lamb in a platoon with Trayce.
Plus, Joc could give Freddie a day off
Hey, just kidding…