What Follows is What I Know for SURE:
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Discussion (27)
Disagree, not disagreeable
The Rangers seem to be adopting the throw around the money and everything will be better strategy. Unless, of course, the players don’t perform. Corey got 300 million plus, but didn’t play like a $325 million player. Will DeGrom live up to the contract? Some injury history is concerning, especially for a contract of that length.
If Gavin Lux can’t play short does that mean the Dodgers will play in the SS FA market? I think Lux can play short and his bat can play up.
But I’d rather bring back Trea.
Not sure I’d invest in Verlander, not at three years. Dodgers have some impressive young pitchers. But not a lot of shortstops.
I think that has to be the focus. They are still in discussions with Trea Turner. Lot of moving parts. Will any club show up with a $300 million deal? Other than a healthy Mike Trout there isn’t a $300 million player in the game.
That doesn’t mean some crazy organization won’t fork out those kind of dollars. But honestly, how many of the big contracts actually work out?
I recall reading that Juan Soto would be the first $500 million player. But he looked fairly ordinary in 2022.
No question, a certain homerun hitting pitcher will get mega bucks at some point.
But I just don’t see any current free agents playing in that type of market.
Dont know about SC Bear., Their defense is just awful! Changes need to be made in the coaching staff on that side of then ball!
Well I guess Verlander is gonna get his three years! Gut check time for Trojans in 2nd half!
So much for deGrom wanting to win a WS!
Elon Musk!
$44 Billion buys a lot…
That’s all I’ve got to say!
The Rangers are going to be fun to watch. They’ve already spent something like 700 million in the last couple of off seasons, plus hiring Bochy and I’m sure there is more to come.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see them add Nimmo for another 100+ mil and another pitcher like Taillon or even Rodon. They’re out-Prellering Preller, although I guess he does it mostly with trades.
Good for us!
deGrom to the Rangers, 5/185 with an optional year 6 that would bring the deal to 222 mil. Full no trade.
What Follows is What I Know for SURE
There is going to go down a big trade of very very good player(s) for a lot of our farm kids and maybe 1 or 2 establish players.
Cody is training with Matt Holliday.
Looks better already.
I wonder if this increases the odds that he signs with the Cards. Holliday is their new bench coach.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1598534403814105095
I hate to lose Chris Martain, but he ain’t worth that much to the Dodgers, who can take any stiff off the street and turn him into Cy Young!
Good! We don’t need average players! There’s just no way Judge signs with anybody but the Yankees.
Wong for Winker is just Wong
Kolten Wong discussion is ended. Just traded to Seattle for Winker and Toro.
Passan:
Right-handed reliever Chris Martin and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a two-year, $17.5 million contract, pending physical, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Martin, 36, was magnificent for the Dodgers after a deadline trade and parlayed it into a multiyear deal.
MLB.tv showed a potential Giants lineup with Aaron Judge, as if to show how scary it could be.
I spit out my food laughing so hard at this “scary lineup”
Lamont Wade
Judge
Joc
JD Davis
Mike Yazstrimski
Wilmer Flores
Brandon Crawford
Thairo Estrada
Joey Bart
OK, I can translate what the Dodgers are saying:
“We can play Gavin Lux at SS or 3B and trade for Wong”
Translation:
“We want to convince other teams Lux can play SS so he will have more trade value.”
From MLBTR:
“Wong is coming off an atypical season. A two-time Gold Glove winner, he’s been one of the sport’s top defensive second basemen throughout his career. His track record at the plate has been more mixed, but he paired arguably his best offensive season and his worst showing with the glove in 2022. Wong hit 15 home runs and put up a .251/.339/.430 line through 497 plate appearances, numbers that checked in 16 percentage points above league average according to wRC+. Statcast pegged him as the game’s worst defensive second baseman, though, estimating he was seven runs below average. Wong committed 17 errors, tying a career high, and he had the worst speed metrics of his career. At his age, Wong’s best days as a defender could be behind him, although it’s worth noting he also didn’t seem fully healthy. He lost a couple weeks in June to a right calf strain and acknowledged after the season he played through leg injuries (via Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel).”
I cannot see any interest in Wong, except for the bench.
Apparently, Bluto believes everything he reads. In that case, we’ll have Correa, Bogaerts, Judge, Verlander and DeGrom. What the hell do they need Wong for? Batboy?
If you think they’re gonna use Wong at SS after only playing a single inning there in his entire 10 year big league career, which came last year, and move Lux to third base, another position to learn, you’re beyond help. The last thing the Dodgers need is a lefty-swinging, light-hitting, middle infielder. And then they’re going to waste prospect capital to get him? Gullible.
And yes, Rosenthal is full of shit and doesn’t have anything better to do than to write a bunch of nonsense, apparently like the rest of us.
So far, just from the Brewers. The Dodgers are apparently interested in Wong, Adames, Burnes and Yelich.
More fun to come with the Winter Meeting starting on Sunday.
You guys really think Lux can make that throw from 3rd. No way!
Excellent report!
That’s what I know for sure, too….
Saw the Kolten Wong notion. Hmm.
He might fit, and he probably wouldn’t cost much. Angels gave up three pitchers of little note to get Hunter Renfro from the Brewers–great move for the Halos–, nd now they apparently want to dump Wong’s salary too. I wonder whether AF and Associates might try to expand the talks… like Wong + Adames….
The Brewers supposedly want to dump Yelich’s big contract. He’s fallen off a lot since his MVP year–though not nearly enough as Belli. (Remember when those two guys were miked up at the All Star game? Stars of the future!)
Anyway, talks with Brewers could get more interesting. The report I read also suggested that Dodgers would go hard for a free agent SS, and perhaps move Lux to 3B. That makes no sense to me, since the brass is betting big on Vargas.
I still think Dodgers will give Lux his shot at the position he grew up playing. Wong, a past gold glover, would help stabilize the D and ensure that Muncy is a DH/3B guy.
MLBTR reporting that the Dodgers and the Giants have an interest in Kolten Wong. Elfin signs a 3 year deal with the Rays.
Tweet from Doug McKain at DN…
Dave Roberts on who will play shortstop next year for the Dodgers on the Starkville Pod:
“If it doesn’t work with Trea, we have one of our homegrown guys in Gavin Lux who we’re probably looking at to fill in at short.”
Also said, “I loved having Trea with us”.
When I read this it almost sounds like it implies that it’s either Trea or Lux, like they aren’t considering the other Free Agents. It’s also a puzzling to use the phase “fill in at short” The Great Communicator, eh?
Rosenthal has a bit on the Dodgers including this:
One possible scenario: Trade for Brewers second baseman Kolten Wong, a player the Dodgers like, according to major-league sources. Sign one of the big four free-agent shortstops. Play Gavin Lux at third.
I know for sure I don’t know what AF/BG have up their sleeves but hoping for a nice surprise.
Keep in touch when you go to Cincy, St Louis, or Milwaukee next year. Cincy is 90 min away from me.
Continuing from previous post…….. Yes, MT I have seen the Dodgers play twice this past year at Nationals Park. Nice stadium also added Citi Field in NYC to my list of visited MLB ballparks this past year and will hopefully add Cincinnati and STL next year.
Your wife’s assessment of SF is spot on. That place, while it might be picturesque and a nice place for tourists to visit, is a real shit hole. Homelessness, vagrancy, open space drug use, feces on sidewalks and aggressive panhandling are real. While I had motivation and a reason to leave California, I most likely would have left even if I didn’t have family living elsewhere. Lived in the Golden State my entire life, but had to get out……..current day politics aside.
Thinking Fast and Slow