Why A.J. Pollock?

If were are under the illusion that Bryce Harper was coming to the Dodgers, then you are likely to be asking that question… and it’s possible anything I say will not satisfy you. I was not a fan of getting AJ Pollock and really wanted Nick Castellanos, but Castellanos was going to cost several players – I have no clue exactly who.

It’s not that Friedman won’t trade prospects – it’s just that he won’t trade Certain Prospects, like Gavin Lux, Alex Verdugo and Keibert Ruiz. He’s open to trading some of the others… just not those three.

What I disliked is his injury history and the fact that he costs the Dodgers their second round pick. I’m actually surprised that Friedman signed him in light of losing that pick. However, maybe he believed that the prospects he would have had to trade for Casty would equal more than losing a pick.

He also got a Gold Glove Fielder in Pollock, so there is that. We also hear that he is still trying to get JT Realmuto, if the Marlins will come around to his way of thinking. He’s not including Lux, Verdugo or Ruiz in a deal. End of story – that’s a non-starter. Adding Realmuto along with Pollock would be a huge upgrade, but Realmuto may take longer.

A 4-year deal in the $50 million vicinity is a whole lot better than a 10-year $320 million deal to Bryce Harper. Do the math. The only correlation between long, expensive contracts and anything, is that about 70% of the time, it’s a dope-fiend move that handcuffs a team for many years to come. A few short years ago, fans were singing Arte Moreno’s praises for signing Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols. It didn’t take long to sink that franchise.

Dodger fans were very upset when the D-Bags signed Greinke and were ready to win the World Championship… except that it never happened and now they are in full rebuild. How about the Giants? All of those big contracts worked out didn’t they? You should be happy Friedman won’t do big deals. That means the Dodgers will be relevant for a long time and all you need is a chance in baseball.

I don’t know if he will get Realmuto because I have no clue if the Marlins will budge. I think they will have to, but Houston was not going to include their top prospects, neither was Atlanta and now the suiters are fewer after Washington and Milwaukee signed their catchers.

“Why not just keep Puig if you want a RH outfielder?” Other than the fact he was a knucklehead and annoying to his teammates, threw to the wrong bases, his defense was slipping in LF and he made many mistakes on the basepaths, nothing…. well, other than the fact that he hit like a LH hitter, not a RH hitter. I don’t care what side of the plate he hit from, the results were that of a lefty! That doesn’t help.

Can Pollock stay healthy? Many of his injuries were just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, like Justin Turner breaking his wrist last spring. Freakish injuries! You never know and sometimes you just get snakebit for a while. The odds are he is due for a good health season. The Dodgers won’t push him hard and give him rest due to their great depth, but you never know.

The thing is: You can sign a player to a $320 million dollar deal and he can go down too. I acknowledge that Pollock has been injury prone. Since his Rookie Year, he has appeared in 137, 75, 157, 12, 112 and 113 games. It’ been 3 years since he has played a full season, so if you are a Glass Half Empty Person, you will say “He can’t be counted on because he’s seldom healthy.” If you are a Glass Half Full Person, you might say “He’s due for a healthy season.”

Either way, if you look at the stats, you have to acknowledge that AJ Pollock can hit, when healthy. I have no special knowledge, but it has already been speculated that Robert Van Scoyoc (RVS) may be excited to work with him since he knows him from Arizona.

The people who complain Pollock is injury-prone and say the Dodgers should have kept Puig, need to consider this: Over the same six-year period, when Pollock appeared in 137, 75, 157, 12, 112 and 113 games (an average of 101 games a season), Puig appeared in 712 games which is just 17 more games a season. Put that in your pipe and smoke it! 17 more games!

Now, where does Pollock play? That’s the big question. I would be inclined to play him in LF, where there would be less wear and tear on his body which would equal a better opportunity to say healthy. CT3 or Bellinger can man CF, but where everyone plays is problematic right now, as the Dodgers have alot of flexability.

My guess is that the Dodgers will strike a deal with the Marlins for JT Realmuto which involves Joc Pederson, Austin Barnes, Diego Cartaya or Will Smith, maybe Yadier Alvarez, Edwin Rios and/or Josiah Gray. Or, maybe it will come down entirely different…

Keibert Ruiz is going to be very, very good, but he is very, very young, so a full year at AAA will do nothing but prepare him. In 2020, the Dodgers let Martin walk and Ruiz caddies under Realmuto. I am convinced that is the plan… whether it comes to fruition is whether the Marlins will accept Friedman’s deal. The Dodgers have no intention of bidding on Realmuto when his contract is over. They have other fish to sign.