Who Thinks Brian Doizer Will Platoon?
It has been reported that Dave Roberts told Brain Dozier he would not play everyday and in the truest sense of the word, that may be true. He may get a day off now and again, but there s no way Doc is not writing his name in permanent marker on the lineup card. Where he hits in the order is the only thing up for debate. You can make a
It has been reported that Dave Roberts told Brain Dozier he would not play everyday… and in the truest sense of the word, that may be true. He may get a day off now and again, but there’s no way Doc is not writing his name in permanent marker on the lineup card. Where he hits in the order is the only thing up for debate. You can make a case for hitting him in any one of the top five spots, but he will be there everyday.
Last night, Dodger fans got a little glimpse of what he can do when it all clicks. Last year, after the All-Star Break, Mike Trout hit .285 with a .429 OB%. He had 17 HR and OPS’ed .981. Brian Dozier, in that same span hit .304 with a .394 OB%, to go with 21 HR and a .985 OPS. He essentially did the same in 2016. Brian Dozier is a clutch player – in a small sampling he has also excelled in the playoffs, OPS’ing 1.850.
Yopu can say that “these guys are pros – they play at the highest level every day.” That would be true if they were machines, but they are only human, and suddenly, when you are traded from a dismal team to a team with a chance of winning it all, most players have a heightened sense of purpose. J.D. Martinez is a prime example when he got traded from Detroit to the D-Bags. He hit .302 with a .366 OB% with 29 HR and a 1.107 OPS! I believe Brian Dozier is of that ilk as well.
Brian Dozier is the Dodgers’ starting 2B – PERIOD! There is no platoon… at least, there better not be. Max Muncy, Chris Taylor and Kike Hernandez will have to accept less AB’s, because the new Dodgers’ infield is very good defensively with Bellinger at 1B, Dozier at 2B, Manny at SS and JT at 3B. I don’t care what the defensive metrics say – Manny can play a very good SS. He is not speedy, but neither is Corey Seager. I would be fine with Manny as SS next year, but where does Dozier fit in? The options blow my mind.
Max Muncy can spell Cody, Brian and JT as well as pinch hit to keep fresh, but as a L-R DH in the Post-Season, it will be hard to beat a Duo of Muncy and Hernandez at that position. They already have 41 HR between them!
Yasmani Grandal is locked in. Among all catchers in baseball, only JT Realmuto is better!Right here, right now, Yasmani is the #2 catcher in the game. “yeah, but he will slump as usual.” Maybe – Maybe not! This is 2018, not 2017. Sometimes history repeats itself… somtimes it doesn’t.
Even after last night, I am beginning to trust Scott Alexander – his pitches move like crazy – he just has to watch the walks. I see progress, but the bullpen will look entirely different in the playoffs. This 2018 Dodger team is built for that. So far, I have been impressed with Floro as well.
The big Question is: Turner and Axford will be activated soon – who goes down or on the DL?
Options (pick 2):
- Chase Utley to the DL due to old age.
- Hudson, Goddel, Chargois, Floro or El Gasolino to AAA.
Remember when I said the Cueto signing was a bad deal? Well, he has misssed most of this year and will miss next year before coming back at 34 years old. Orel said it best: “It’s not smart to give long-term contracts to people who throw a ball for a living.” True That!
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
More from Dodger Talk
Dodgers Food Trailer
I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with Chef Mike, who runs the Dodgers Food Trailer for the Great Lakes Loons. They are there for every home and road regular season and playoff game. They prepare three meals a day for approximately 50 people (players and coaches). Since games end late most evenings, they do not prepare breakfast. Many of their hotels have a complimentary breakfast anyway. However,…
Meet LAD 2026 Draft Picks 1-12
3 picks were High School players (2 SS and 1 OF). There was a college OF, college catcher, college SS, and 10 college pitchers. Of all the talk for a need for a catcher, the only catcher the Dodgers selected was Luke Bard, son of LAD bullpen coach Josh Bard. Bard was a 4th year senior from Houston Christian University. He is not a prospect, so the Dodgers are still…
Interview with Paul Beachy – Team Bus Driver For The Great Lakes Loons (LA Dodgers Minor League Team)
It’s been a few days since I did this interview. We have evidently been working my son-in-law (the video guy) like a rented mule at US Water Systems. However, I am taking him to London with me in a few days, so maybe Watford will buy him a pint as a tip, but he’s a dang Red Sox fan, so there is that! I thought that it would be interesting…
Thanks for Your Service: Chris Taylor
I was going to do this post when Chris announced he was retiring, then he changed his mind, but since the chances of him ever playing for the Dodgers again are slim and non-existent, I will go ahead with this post. He unretired, went on the IL, then decided to call it quits on May 24th. Taylor was born in Virginia Beach VA on August 29th, 1990. He attended Great…
Discussion (106)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Joc should have never hit a solo HR – he should have bunted!
Anybody know why Machado seems to be stuck in that number 2 spot in the lineup? I would have loved to see him in the number 3 spot when JT wasn’t playing. And tonight without Kemp in the lineup… I would have liked him in the clean up spot in between JT and Yaz
Can’t wait for a healthy JT. Whether he is hot or not, he just seems to mellow everybody out hitting wise. The other guys seem to feed of him and take better at bats. Glue, Mark, glue. Perfect analogy of Turner.
Jacob Amaya (19) and Miguel Vargas(18) both starting for the Loons tonight. Game in rain delay.
Gavin Lux got a hit in his first at bat with the Drillers leading off.
Those crazy left wrist inflammations…they just continually pop up and the most opportune times.
DODGERS REINSTATE JUSTIN TURNER
–
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today reinstated third baseman Justin Turner from the 10-day disabled list and placed infielder Chase Utley on the 10-day disabled list with left wrist inflammation.
–
Turner, 33, missed the past 10 games due to a right groin strain during his second stint on the disabled list this year. The Long Beach native has appeared in 50 games with the Dodgers this season batting .259 with 21 runs, eight doubles, five home runs and 20 RBI along with a .354 on-base percentage.
–
Utley, 39, is batting .240 with one triple, one home run and 14 RBI in 69 games with Los Angeles this season.
And Gavin Lux leading off and playing SS for Tulsa
Ryu pitching for rancho tonight.
Man, Baez even gets demoted slowly [joke].
Grandal is a perfect example of why the post-season is a crapshoot. If he was hitting last October like he is now, the Dodgers would likely be defending champs.
–
I think it’s a bit early to begin thinking about next year (although FAZ needs to be thinking about all the time). Dozier was impressive last night, but I want to see more.
–
Going forward I hope that Muncy shows us that he’s just in a slump, and will break out of it. Until he does, I’m not penciling him in for anything going forward. I’ve seen this before, and sometimes it’s real and sometimes not.
–
Grandal should probably be signed to a multi-year deal, because he’s still one of the better catchers in the game. Then, if one or more of the young Dodgers catching prospects steps up, Grandal could then become a valuable trade asset.
–
Definitely want Manny back next year, and look forward to Seager’s return.
–
Not including anything about the pitching now, but I suspect that that’s an area that will have to addressed long and short term, both in the rotation and bullpen.
Tonight’s Dodgers lineup:
–
Pederson LF
Machado SS
Turner 3B
Grandal C
Bellinger CF
Dozier 2B
Muncy 1B
Puig RF
Kershaw P
Interesting interview with RC Quakes manager, Drew Saylor
–
Open on www.truebluela.comhttps://www.truebluela.com/2018/8/2/17641756/drew-saylor-interview-rancho-cucamonga-quakes-trade-deadlinePerhaps Utley going to the DL is punishment for his unprofessional batting practice attire….
Mark, do you think they should resign Dozier in the off season?
P.S.
Utley has great for MLB!!!
Chase Utley to the DL due to old age. Not funny Mark, Chase Utley has none everything F&Z expected from him when they traded for him. He plays every game as hard as he can, giving everything he has for the team, yes he is older and can’t do what he once could but he deserves your respect, not you trying to be funny at his expense.
Wow, wasn’t it a week or so ago MT set the gill nets for the Grandal ‘haters’??? As usual those haters didn’t show up!!! 3 years of Yasmani or Smith & Barnes… Gotta go with the controllable kids… Sign Manny… L.A. teams need their stars!!!
Except for Donald T. Sterling’s illegitimate step children A.K.A. the Clippers…
Stl 1 col 0
Either AC or DC favorite DJ lemahieu is coming back
Dozier looks a little like a young ned colletti. As for muncy, even if he’s downgraded to a part time starter he still has value. Like with Taylor last season, I never complain about essentially free production.
There was something about seeing Dozier in a Dodger uniform, watching him in the dugout, and looking younger than I thought he might look like that now makes me a Dozier fan. Better late than never. I would like to see a Manny – Dozier double play combo next year.
.
The Dodgers do not need Grandal’s bat next year with Seager and Machado in the lineup. Spend the money on Machado and let Smith and Barnes be superior defensive catchers. Grandal has never been a favorite of mine but like Dozier, he is now. Color me impressed. But, time for him to move on next year.
.
Should have traded high with Muncy like I was hoping would be done. If Kemp is traded next year and the NL gets the DH, then Muncy has an appropriate spot on this team next year.
.
Second base is Dozier’s to lose or keep.
My sources inform me goeddel is out of options so he won’t be sent down. Has to be Baez and a mystery injury to utley/muncy unless we send Ferguson down or something else unpopular like that.
I would echo Hawkeye (and probably Mark) with a potential 3 year extension for Grandal. Smith and Ruiz are not ready, and Barnes is not a starting catcher candidate. Smith could be a backup catcher next year, but he could learn how to work with the Dodger pitchers from Grandal. Grandal will be 33 after a 3 year extension, and could still get another big pay day, and both Smith and Ruiz should be ready to be to the backstops at that time, and Diego Cartaya another 3 years closer. Don’t look now but Connor Wong is starting to play as he did in the beginning of the season. 2 more HRs last night (16 on the year), with his average back up to .260. He is on track for a 20 HR year for a catcher.
Who will the Dodgers send down for JT’s return. We know they won’t cut Utley who is not only the team Dad but also their best pinch hitter. Phantom DL trip for Chase? Or a trip to the minors for Bellinger? Someone else like Muncy need 10 days off? It’s a risk defensively to hand Muncy 1st for 10 days with no defensive replacement.
~
They could go to 12 pitchers but then you have to move two off the 25 when they activate Axford. Who’s going down there? Baez? Floro? Tough to send down Fergie. I’m not sure who Axford is better than.
If Mark’s prediction of the DH by next year comes true, the Dodgers will be sitting pretty with Muncy and Kemp. I’d prefer not seeing either one in the field.
*
1B – Bellinger
2B – Dozier (signed)
SS – Machado (signed)
3B – Turner
LF – Pederson/Hernandez/Toles
CF – Verdugo/ Taylor
RF – Puig
C – Maldonado/Smith
DH – Muncy/Kemp