Not long ago during an interview, Dodger first baseman Freddie Freeman said he wanted to play four more years which would give him 20 in the majors and take him to his age 40 season. His reasons for this are his goal of reaching 3,000 hits and finishing with a .300 batting average. Freeman averages 180 hits a year. He is just 12 hits away from 2500. He needs 123 hits the rest of the year to hit his 180 mark. At his current pace, he will finish with about 155. That would give him 2,623 hits. That would leave him 377 hits away from the magic 3,000 mark.
He also is closing in on 400 homers. He averages 27 a year, so again, easily attainable. He has 375 right now. He also would finish with over 1500 RBIs. He is the current active career leader. No matter what he decides, Freeman will likely be a first ballot Hall of Famer. 2024 was not a typical Freeman year. The illness of his son caused him to miss 2 weeks of the season. He batted just .282 with 22 homers and 89 driven in. Not a normal Freddie year, but he more than made up for it on a bum ankle when he was the World Series MVP and only the second Dodger to homer four times in a World Series. Duke Snider did it twice.
He rebounded in 25, but at .295, was just below his goal. He played in the same number of games as 24, hit 2 more homers, but drove in just 1 more run. His WAR for 25 was a full point lower than 24.4.5 to 3.5. In four post season series, he batted just .225 with 2 homers and 3 driven in. Is it age slowing him down, or something else? He has not had a typical Freddie year so far. His strikeout rate is right at 20%. His walk rate is slightly lower. It just seems he is not barreling up balls like he did the first two years in LA.
In his first two years in LA, he averaged 53 doubles a year. the last two, 37. Dave Roberts is giving him more rest the last couple of years. Freeman used to not want to take a day off. But behind the scenes, there seems to be something else happening that has Freddie re-evaluating his future. What brought about this thinking?
Well, it isn’t age or performance, even though the frustration with his performance so far is obvious in his facial expressions. Nope, it is the presence in his life of a little girl. His daughter, Rosemary, named after his mother, came into the World on April 19th, just a couple of weeks after the season began. She is their 4th child.
To a man with three sons, the daughter is special. I have 2 daughters and a son. My girls came first, so when my son was finally born, I felt fulfilled as a dad. For Freddie, this little girl has become the center of his universe. For maybe the first time in his career, his future in baseball is less certain. In fact, over the last couple of weeks, retirement from the game has become a topic. The goal of 3000 hits has taken a backseat to missing this little girl grow up.
From February to October, ball players are merely visitors in their homes except for the rare occasions when the family goes on a road trip with the team. Trust me, as a father, a lot can happen in 9 days on the road. As a truck driver, often I would be on the road for a month. That can strain relationships, but when your kids are young, it means you are missing parts of their lives.
It seems Freeman is beginning to not want to make that commitment further than the last year of his deal, 2027. I have to believe that Freddie and his wife, Chelsea, are going to have some serious discussions this off season about the future. Freddie has made enough to not have to worry about finances. I am also pretty sure he will be following the negotiations between the MLBPA and MLB over the new CBA this winter.
He will no doubt, honor his contract, and he will play in 27. But beyond that, well, only time will tell.
MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS
Round Rock Express (Texas) 3 – OKC Comets 2
RHSP Christian Romero had an off night. He gave up a pair of solo HRs, but was struggling most of the night. He only walked one, but he also only struck out one. In his 4.2 IP, he had thrown 90 pitches (58 strikes).
RHRP Carlos Duran came in to relieve Romero and struck out the first batter to end the inning.
In the 5th, C Eliézer Alfonzo drew a leadoff walk. One out later 2B Tommy Edman walked. With 2 outs, RF Jack Suwinski walked to load the bases. LF Zach Ehrhard hit an infield single to the SS who threw the ball away as Alfonzo and Edman scored.
The pitchers took over from the 5th. The Comets did not get a hit, and drew just 1 BB the rest of the way.
OKC managed just 3 hits. No batter had more than 1 hit, and none were for XBH. Not a memorable game.
Tulsa Drillers 13 – Amarillo Sod Poodles (Arizona) 9
LHRP Evan Shaw was the opener for a bullpen game. The good thing in his 1.0 inning of work was that he did not walk anyone. The bad thing, he allowed 6 hits, scoring 4 runs. The first 4 batters were single, double, double, single. Two more singles before the inning was complete.
2B Taylor Young making his first start back at AA after a rehab assignment homered on his first AB in the 2nd inning.
In the 4th, SS Elijah Hainline led off with a BB, stole 2nd, and scored on 3B Jake Gelof’s single.
In the 5th, Tulsa exploded for 7 runs. Young led off with a BB and 1B Joe Vetrano reached on catcher’s interference. C Frank Rodriguez put down a sac bunt that was thrown away for an error on which Young scored. LF Josue De Paula singled to score Vetrano, and CF Mike Sirota doubled (5) to score Rodriguez. RF Zyhir Hope followed with a 3-run HR (10). DH Chris Newell started it up again with a BB. He stole 2nd and scored on Young’s single.
LHRP Christian Suarez pitched a pair of scoreless innings. LHRP Myles Caba pitched a scoreless 4th, but ran into trouble in the 5th. After a 2-out BB, he gave up a HR.
In the 6th, JDP drew a 1 out BB. Sirota forced JDP at 2nd. Hainline drew a BB followed by Hope’s 2nd 3-run HR (11) of the night.
In the home 6th, with Caba still on the mound, the first batter reached on an error. With one out, a single put runners on 1st and 2nd. RHRP Carson Hobbs came in and got the next out. But he walked the next two batters and then a 2-run single.
In the 8th, RHRP Kelvin Ramirez gave up a solo HR making the score 12-9.
In the 9th, Vetrano drew a 1-out BB. Rodriguez singled Vetrano to 2nd. After JDP forced Rodriguez at 2nd, Sirota delivered a run scoring single.
Kelvin Ramirez pitched a scoreless 9th to close out the game.
- Mike Sirota – 2-5, 1 BB, 2 runs, 2 RBI, double (5)
- Zyhir Hope – 3-5, 2 runs, 6 RBI, 2 HR (11)
- Taylor Young – 2-3, 2 BB, 2 runs, 2 RBI, HR (1)
With Kendall George on the IL, Taylor Young should take over as the SB threat. He got his 1st tonight.
Great Lakes Loons 4 – Lansing Lugnuts (A’s) 0
LHSP Zach Root was just toying with the Lugnuts. He completed 7.0 innings, allowing just 1 single and striking out 9. One other Lugnut reached on an error while Root was in. Root threw 88 pitches (59 strikes) and faced just 23 batters. This was a thoroughly dominating game for Root. As I mentioned yesterday, Root cannot be long at Great Lakes. He deserves a shot at Tulsa.
RHRP Robby Porco walked one, but struck out 2 in his one inning. RHRP Dilan Figueredo allowed 1 hit in the 9th, with 1 K.
Great Lakes scored in the 3rd. C Victor Rodrigues doubled (3) and moved to 3rd on a WP. LF Chuck Davalan drove in Rodrigues with a sac fly.
In the 5th, Rodrigues led off with a BB. 3B Jose Izarra reached on a fielder’s choice and throwing error. CF Eduardo Quintero doubled (9) home both runners. Quintero moved to 3B on the throw home. SS Emil Morales followed with a sac fly and a 4-0 lead.
The Loons had 3 hits and the Lugnuts had 2. Two of the three Loons hits were doubles: Rodrigues (3) and Quintero (9). The third hit was a single by RF Kole Myers.
Stockton Ports (A’s) 16 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 8
RHSP Hyun-Seok Jang had his 2nd bad outing in a row. In the 1st, he allowed a double. The runner moved to 3rd on a ground out and scored on a WP.
In the home half, 2B Kellon Lindsey singled, was WP to 2nd and stole 3rd. After CF Jaron Elkins walked, 3B Chase Harlan hit into a DP and Lindsey scored.
In the 2nd, Jang gave up a run scoring double and a 2-run HR. In the bottom of the 2nd, DH Easton Shelton and RF Landyn Vidourek drew BB. With 2 outs 1B Mairo Martinus had an RBI single.
Jang gave up a solo HR in the 4th. Ontario got a 1-out single from C Conner O’Neal and Martinus doubled (11) him to 3rd. Lindsey banged a 2-run single to close within 1.
Jang retired the side in order in the 5th. In the 6th, RHRP Jhonny Jiminez gave up a run on a single, BB, sac bunt, and sac fly.
In the bottom of the 6th, O’Neal homered (4) to keep it a one run game.
With RHRP Jecsua Liborius on the mound, he hit the first two batters followed by 2 singles and 1 run. A balk and sac fly brought in 2 more.
In the 8th, Elkins doubled (9) and scored on Harlan’s single.
Stockton put up 6 in the 9th, and Ontario went down without a run, but O’Neal did hit a double (5) for his 4th hit of the night.
- Conner O’Neal – 4-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, double (5), HR (4)
- Kellon Lindsey – 2-6, 1 run, 2 RBI
- Mairo Martinus – 2-5, 1 run 1 RBI, double (11)
- Doubles – Ching-Hsien Ko (7), Jaron Elkins (9)
DSL Royals Fortuna 11 – DSL Dodgers Bautista 3
Dodgers Bautista had 3 hits, all singles. Two of the three hits came from players deemed to keep an eye on (Melburne and Reynosa)
- DH Ezequiel Melburne
- SS Ariel Reynoso
- C Oliver Chapman
Melburne was 1-2 with 2 BB.
All 5 Dodgers Bautista pitchers allowed at least one run.
There was no DSL LAD Mega game or ACL game.
Discussion (69)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Sad to watch Mookie when he is hitting like this. I saw 3 ABs. two pop ups and a strikeout where he took the first two pitches for strikes , then swing at 1 in the dirt
Free River Ryan. No need to Lauer our standards.
Even though I assumed Tucker would eventually break out it’s still good to see sooner rather than later. He definitely looked like a guy pressing. He needs to stack a few games together now.
To Skubal or not to Skubal? The Dodgers don’t need him but a small number of teams have ever three-peated in all major sports not just baseball. I’m sure the thought of facing some other NL team in a 5 game series with Skubal isn’t real appealing.
Edman 1-4 at OKC. Played LF. Alex Thomas hit his first homer.
Nice cushion for Ohtani. Just one stressful inning. Offense even and well balanced. LA is now 7 in front of the Padres and 7.5 up on Arizona.
He ended up walking one.
His stuff? It plays. They say.
That was me Jeff, not sure where I saw it. I looked it up and you are absolutely correct. I apologize for the confusion.
We need to talk about Jonathon Hernandez.
He’s a gamer
I think this year’s breakout prospects are Root and Harlan.
HM to N. Miller, Hainline & Shelton
The ranks of people who think he’s the greatest ever continues to grow.
It’s hard not to fall onto that line.
Per Srah Langs:
Lowest ERA in first 10 starts of season, since ER official (1913) excl openers:
2021 Jacob deGrom: 0.56
1966 Juan Marichal: 0.59
2026 Shohei Ohtani: 0.74
Yeah. About Tucker’s swing and poor offensive production……never mind.
Badger had the right approach… patience! That didn’t take long.
I don’t know about anyone else but I’m enjoying watching Alex Freeland. He seems more comfortable this time up and is just playing ball. Will he be able to keep it up I certainly hope so. Oh and Ohtani never ceases to amaze.
The 40th pick was in the first round?
I’m puzzled.
I understand the perception that the starting lineup has “underperformed,” considering the struggles of Mookie and the subpar performances of Tucker and Smith.
But the team offense is ranked 1st in MLB in OPS at .791 ahead of the Yankees at .765 and Braves at .761.
The Braves seem to have put it all together this year. Getting back to the WS will be tough.
More help from Mookie and other recent underachievers would be nice.
So Shohei just got his second hit in this game, lifting his average to .300.
Meanwhile, he’s throwing a one-hitter through 5 innings.
The Full Ohtani.
Oh, he’s also walked twice….. and hasn’t issued any walks while striking out 6.
Gallen is just a shell of his former self..
Forget about an “era” for Ohtani.
He should be measured by “eha”
C Anson Aroz has been promoted to Great Lakes.
CF Alek Thomas has been reassigned to OKC.
In a prior post somebody said that Mike Sirota was an infielder in college. He never played infield in college. 140 games in CF and 2 games in LF.
Christopher Sanchez’s scoreless streak comes to an end for Phillies! Quite an impressive run. Not sure if he got to 50 innings or not!
The Broncos bought some property where there used to be a railyard. They plan on building a domed stadium there.
He was historically bad. Especially on low pitches. Max had one 3 inches below the plate called a strike. Unfortunately, he did not challenge and ended up striking out. He would have walked.
He is discombobulated completely. Looks totally lost and frustrated at the plate. I believe the guy is pressing big time trying to live up to that humongous contract.
Corbin Burnes suffered a Teres Major strain and will be out until at least September. Padres DFAd Nick Casteallnos. Angels resigned Joey Luchessi to a minor league deal. Rays acquiring Simeon Richrdson-Woods from the Twins. No return yest announced. Angels called up Shaun Anderson. Reds released RHP Josh Staumont. RHP Yunior Marte, DFAd earlier by the Reds elected free agency.
We’re witness to one of the greatest sportsmen of the century.
The way the current team is, no addition will significantly help or add right now.
It’s too good.
Betts every time he’s out of phase?
Pages when he’s swinging too hard?
CT3 during his last years?
Will Smith for much of last year?
9:40 PM ET
Dodgers (39-22)
Diamondbacks (32-28)
SP Shohei Ohtani R
5-2 .82 ERA
SP Zac Gallen R
3-4 5.16 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
CF Andy Pages R
1B F. Freeman L
SS Mookie Betts R
RF Kyle Tucker L
3B Max Muncy L
C Will Smith R
LF Alex Call R
2B A. Freeland S
In Domed Stadium
The Bears haven’t been the same since The Refrigerator retired.
Hey Phil. Thanks for the explanation on Tucker’s swing. It seemed to me that the swing might have been lacking any power by the time contact is made. And Pence is a great example of a completely odd hitting approach by a successful big league hitter.
And Badger, Tucker certainly has the “star” stats offensively in his past. That’s what caused my questioning his swing. If it’s the same approach he’s used in the past, then I guess we’ll have to wait for him to start producing. At this moment he seems to be really pressing.
That’s almost as good as getting a 300% discount.
Who do we want back for Tucker and $100M?
Ok. Got it. Thanks
Pence is a good comparison
Badger a couple of comments
* I too don’t care what he looks like. I’m not criticizing his swing. You might notice my last comment – “it’s different”
* I’m not questioning his past “resume”; His Silver Slugger Awards nor his defensive chops. His swing is “just different” as I was attempting to explain what I see to Zeke and tedraymond2.0.
* You say “it’s impossible to get the bat from load to follow through without wrist action” I never said in my analysis Tucker was without wrist action. Of course there is wrist action in every swing. To me, he just seems to pull the bat through the zone without the quick wrist action of a Hank Aaron.
* My analysis has nothing to do with not liking the guy or questioning his past success. It’s not criticism.
* I simply tried to explain why his swing looks different to some.
I admire “different”. There is more than one way to play ball. Hunter Pence was extremely unorthodox but a terrific player.
Bears will figure out a way to remain in Chicago, but may play half their games at Comiskey and half at Wrigley (and maybe half wherever the Bulls play).
It’s made to sound like Chicago doesn’t need the Bears.
But, Hammond? You gotta be kidding. It actually looks like a suburb of Chicago, not unlike Anaheim and LA. Could they go play in Hammond and still be the Chicago Bears?
Sounds like a bluff. But what did I know? I don’t know Chicago. And I never heard of Hammond.
I think you know more about all that than I do so it’s probably all true. Some of I might question (for example: it’s impossible to get the bat from load to follow through without wrist action) and I will again point out his career (9 years 3400 PA’s) OPS+ is 137. He’s not 30 until next year so he is still in his prime. He’s not a great outfielder but he does have a GG as well as two Silver Slugger Awards. I like the guy. I don’t care what he looks like, I care only about results and his resumé reads pretty not too bad to me.
From the Indy Star today:
The Chicago Bears are running out of reasons to stay in Illinois
The Chicago Bears have backed themselves into a corner.
If they’re sincerely willing to move to Indiana, then there’s only one thing left to do: Pack the trucks. If they’ve been using Indiana as leverage to get a better deal to stay in Illinois, then, well, the gambit failed. The Bears can slink back to Soldier Field and figure out next steps.
The Illinois legislature adjourned until fall without approving an incentive package to build a new stadium. The Bears aren’t going to learn anything new before they conclude a process that is making NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell impatient.
The Bears are either bluffing, or they’re not. It’s time for them to show their cards.
Illinois lawmakers could convene a special session to reconsider a stadium deal, but what’s the point? Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, and the Democratic-controlled legislature have known for years that the Bears were angling for a new stadium deal. Facing the prospect of losing the Bears, Illinois essentially just said, “Do what you have to do. We’ve got nothing for you.” Illinois’ position seems unlikely to change in the coming months.
Meanwhile, Indiana has come up with around $1 billion toward a stadium in Hammond. The Bears have committed to paying $2 billion.
Indiana’s share would come from doubling the hotel tax in Lake County to 10%, instituting a 1% food and beverage tax in Lake and Porter counties, adding a 12% admissions tax to future tickets and creating a special taxing district to divert money to the stadium.
“Now, the Bears are going to go huddle,” Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott said June 2 on his Left of Center podcast. “They’re going to discuss the offers on the table, and when I say offers, I mean one. There’s one offer. It’s Hammond, Indiana. The state of Indiana made an offer.
“They’re going to discuss and they’re going to say, ‘We’re going to do this and we’re going to put shovels in the ground and we’re going to get this started,’ or they’re going to say, ‘No, we’re not going to do this,’ and, if that’s the case, God bless them. The Bears can go back and deal with JB Pritzker … without Hammond, and without Hammond to beat up on from the city of Chicago calling us a toxic waste dump.”
My assumption has been that the Bears were bluffing. But, even if they were, Illinois’ ambivalence must be painful to the Bears’ owners and executives.
The Bears are like a person with a lucrative job offer to leave a company in which they’re otherwise content to remain if they can just get a raise — yet that employer is refusing to make a counter-offer. At some point, leaving becomes a matter of pride, even if you’d rather stay. That might be where the Bears find themselves.
If Indiana lures the Bears across the state line, you have to give credit to Gov. Mike Braun, House Speaker Todd Huston and other state and legislative leaders who seized an opportunity that looked dubious to most, including me.
Unless, of course, you’re looking at the Bears as an investment. In that case, you might be disappointed. The finances almost certainly sound much rosier now than they would turn out to be in practice — that’s how stadium financing always goes.
Landing an NFL team also does not guarantee a bright future for Hammond. Sports stadiums often fail to live up to their broader redevelopment promise, and the Bears could just as easily move back to Chicago in 30 or 40 years.
It’s better to judge this deal as an amenity. There are only 32 NFL teams. Indiana might soon have two of them — as well as another Super Bowl hosting opportunity and all the other perks that come along with NFL teams.
You’d be justified in arguing it’s not worth the cost. That’s what Illinois appears to have decided. Just try to name one other thing Indiana could add to its northwest corner to garner the same level of prestige and transformative potential as the Bears. If you’re the mayor of Hammond, of course you want to bring the Bears to your city. There’s no other rational position.
“I’m pretty sure, within the next month, Hammond is going to learn its destiny,” McDermott said on his podcast. “We’re going to either get the thumbs up or the thumbs down.”
In the contest over which state cares the most about hosting the Bears, Indiana has already won.
Tucker’s swing doesn’t bother me. Baseball history is littered with players who had long, beautiful swings and short ugly careers. It’s Tucker’s career stats that I find impressive. A 137 career OPS+. You know who doesn’t have a career OPS+ that high? Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Will Smith, Teoscar Hernandez, Andy Pages, Fernando Tatis and Steve Garvey.
I threw those last two in for effect. I think it worked. I’ll let you be the judge.
The point is it’s just too early to throw him overboard. I’m not Confortoable with that.
(see what I did there?)
This guy is a hitter. Hitters hit. Of course he’s not worth $60 million. Other than Ohtani, who is? I’m going to continue to wait patiently for it all to coalesce. We’ve yet to see how good this team is. And Tucker is an important part of the ‘26 Dodger amalgamate.
In the Texas League (where DePaula plays), remember that he just turned 21 last week, there are four players with an OPS higher than him (barely). They are 26, 24, 22 and 25 years old.
Insofar as Freddie leaving, there at least two ways to look at it:
1. I want to be home with my kids;
or
2. I want my kids to remember me playing and experience the clubhouse, etc.
i have no clue which way Freddie will lean.
Stu Scheurwater is brutal behind the dish and is on my list of one of the worst umpires, and has been for a long time.
I have no idea why he hasn’t gotten better and how he keeps his job.
I have refrained from commenting anymore on the ABS Challenge System but he is the poster-child for its limitations. A single wrong challenge gives ole Stu the freedom to miss an untold amount of pitches for multiple innings. He had back to back and multiple challenges in an inning. You can’t challenge all of them, if you guess wrong early.. You’d need about 10 challenges with this clown calling balls and strikes to get calls right.
Zeke and tedraymond2.0 both mentioned Tucker’s odd swing. I first noticed it in Spring Training. I was sitting on the 3rd row between the on-deck circle and home played on the 3rd base side, so I got a perfect view of Tucker’s swing. I mentioned to my companion how odd his swing was; a swing unusual for a big league hitter.
It’s hard to explain – His hands at the load position are well extended past his left shoulder, like his right arm is expended away from the incoming pitch. This creates a really long path to get to the baseball. He doesn’t “sweep” but his hands, especially his bottom hand, sort of pull the bat through to the hitting zone. There is limited wrist action through the hitting zone. It’s not really sweeping the bat to the zone but it’s not a short, quick action to the ball. Very unusual mechanics. I don’t know how he’s ever on-time.
When you get a chance at a TV shot of him from the side, notice where his hands start when he loads and how far his hands have to travel to get to the pitch, while pulling his bat to contact.
Very different.
Aaron Judge is having his bruised ribs checked out. Got my new truck all licensed and registered. Dives great.
Wednesday’s Dodger Affiliates’ Schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Aiden Foeller) vs. Lansing (Samuel Dutton)
5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Jackson Ferris) vs. Round Rock (TBD)
5:05 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) at Amarillo (Avery Short)
6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) vs. Stockton (Jackson Nove)
Oh sorry I see you said IF they trade….my bad.
It is remarkable that the Dodgers have the record they have considering most of their starting lineup has vastly underperformed. Pitching, pitching, and more pitching saves the day for this team. This will definitely will be the case in the postseason when pitching is generally the determining factor in winning a World Series.
If the offense can get their collective act together and the pitching can stay healthy then three in a row has a real chance of happening.
When did they get Skubal, did I miss something?
I get it Badger. At this point patience is definitely required. Of course, we are waiting and expecting a breakout any day now.
The main reason for my reply to Zeke was the surprising awkwardness of Tucker’s swing. It would be interesting to hear what Tucker’s interaction with the hitting coaches has been.
One more inning would’ve been nice.
Skubel, Wheeler and Sanchez should scare you! Scares me
Phillies dont scare me AT ALL.
LOT of swing and miss in that lineup.
How good are the Dodgers?
Only Pages and Muncy are hitting near projected levels and still we at or near the top in so many MLB offensive categories. Shohei and Freeman both seem on the verge of returning to their all star levels.
By October we need two of Tucker, Smith or Mookie to figure it out to be an offensive force in playoffs.
Now with Sheehan and Roki finding themselves, our starting pitching is super solid. If we can get Diaz, Phillips and Stewart back and healthy our bullpen will be ready.
The only thing that scares me is if Braves, Phillies or Yankees trade for Skubel
I think it’s River time. He’s more than capable of pitching 6 innings and should much better than E.L. When Glasnow is ready to come back , I can see Emmett or Wrobo first outta the pen for long relief. Then by the time Snell is ready, probably one of our other starters will be gassed (or hurt) and need some IL time. My 2 cents.
The Dodger starting pitching has been outstanding so far. They are pitching far later into games than last year. Ohtani and Yamamoto have be solid, as expected. Of course, Wrobleski has been a surprise and has turned into a solid #3. He has become a “pitcher” with his soft contact rate. Now, with him locating his pitches he is able to add some velo which has increased his K rate. It’s refreshing to watch a young prospect combine his throwing talent and the mental aspect of the game to maximize his pitching skills and contributions to the team.
Roki Sasaki seems to have gained some much needed confidence in his last start. Sure, he’ll have some growing pains along the way. But, if he can remain confident that should allow him to overcome those outings where things aren’t going his way. The talent is there. It’s the mental aspect of the game that needs to continue to grow. The Dodger FO did the right thing in not sending him down to OKC. It was nice to see his teammates rally around him after he came out of his most recent start. Especially, Vesia.
Emmet Sheehan has been effective as a #4-5 starter. He’s not the most consistent, but he’s not afraid to throw strikes. He has times where he is rolling along he throws a HR pitch. He’s only 26 and if he can stay healthy (a big if) Emmet should be a mainstay in the rotation for several years.
What is going to happen to the rotation when (if) Glasnow and Snell return? If the current rotation can stay healthy then I think the Dodgers should have these two play catch for a couple of months. Then in August start to build up to pitch their usual five inning outings for the postseason. I fear that if they return soon they will break down at least once before the postseason arrives. Then the strategy of having them “fresh” for the playoffs goes out the window. It would, also, allow the three young pitchers above the chance to gain experience and be strong additions to the BP in the postseason.
Carry on.
Patience. I’ve checked with my Magic 8 Ball.
“Tucker will contribute.”
It’s always good to hear how well our “best” prospects are doing. And several are ranked quite high on all the prospects lists. But a quick check on stat leaderboards tells me in AA there are 14 players OPS’n higher than DePaula, 32 players OPS’n higher than Hope. Then there are the number of players in AAA that are banging better pitching. My point? Every team has prospects. The question I ask is, who can help now.
Watching this team play, at times anyway, is high anxiety. Then I look at the standings and the Dodgers are 6 games up, and if the season ended today the only team in all of baseball they wouldn’t have home field against is Atlanta. Damm. This team is good. I wonder how good they will be in Sept/Oct when Glasnow, Snell, Diaz, Stone, Phillips, Teo, Kiké and Edman are all back playing at 100%? I also wonder if this team will ever be at 100%?
I believe Freeman will extend. The idea he’s not home a lot sounds ridiculous to me. Baseball players, even those that play to November have over 3 months off and are home 81 of the 162 games of the season. For the amount of money they get paid, that’s a lot of days off and a lot of days at home. Plus they play baseball for a living. How many of us would do that til age 65 if we could? I know I would. If he extends 2 years his daughter will be 3 when he retires. He will have all day every day with his kids from age 40 on. Who of us can say that?
That said, if he reaches his personal goals, and the Dodgers 3peat, I won’t be surprised if he walks away. He’s made close to $300 million. He will have 4 rings if they win again. He’s a first ballot HOFer. “F it. I’m outta here. Retire at 40 and live the good life. I want to thank all the people that paid for this. The fans.” Said no player ever.
I agree MT. Expectations for Lauer are low and he is delivering so far. I would think it reduces any stress Lauer
might feel starting for a team with championship goals. Just do what you do best consistently. So far, so good.
And, stay healthy!
Until Snell and Glasnow are back.
DBacks are a gritty, pesky team. Hopefully Shohei can shut them down tonight and give us a chance at a series win.
I noticed the same thing with Tucker’s swing. When the season started and watching Tucker’s ABs I thought “what the hell is this?”. I hadn’t watched much of Tucker in the past, but thought he had that beautiful LH smooth swing. Apparently, not the case. What a major disappointment so far.
In 2025 it was the “out of nowhere” Tanner Scott and Blake Snell signings. This year AF decided to push the envelope further with a “was that really necessary to pay $60M/year?” signing of Kyle Tucker. I know money is not a consideration for the ownership, but to pay such outrageous sums and get the returns that they have is just silly.
Hated this contract when it was signed and hate it even more now. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a player weakly ground out more than this guy.
Tucker has one of the ugliest swings in my opinion. It’s all arms and no legs. A lot of left handed batters have a sweet looking swing but not his. Seems like an easy out most of the times when he is at the plate.
Eric Lauer’s line against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday was exactly what the Los Angeles Dodgers needed from their newest sixth starter.
Lauer mostly mitigated damage versus one of baseball’s best clubs against left-handed pitching, allowing two earned runs over 4 2/3 innings in the Dodgers’ 6-5 win. The line score was nothing flashy, and not much really popped off the page, but the Dodgers don’t need Lauer to overpower the opposition. They simply need him to post a solid start once a week, and let the rest of the rotation take it from there.
— From The Athletic
Lauer is a perfect #6 starter.
Nail biter last night. The first inning was the only clean inning by a Dodger pitcher. Lauer tried to make it through 5. Hurt had a bad outing. Shake it off and go to the next game big guy. Pen has had some troubles the last week. Scott back on track. Too many walks last night, and a few missed opportunities by the offense. I wish sometimes that Davis would just keep his mouth shut. After Ohtani’s double and then triple, old state the obvious Davis started talking about a cycle. Hey Joe! We are watching the effing game. We know that it is possible and don’t need you to tell us constantly. Quit doing your best Drew Goodman impersonation. He always does stuff like that.
Pay 100 million of Tucker’s contract and trade him in the deal. Eat it! Move on – nothing to see here. Sirota and DePaula are better!
It doesn’t seem long ago that we had no Outfielders in the system!!
Shame we didn’t push a few in for CJ. He’s off to a great start.
Good to see Freeland playing well.
From BA:
Zyhir Hope, OF, Dodgers: Hope had one of his best games of the season Tuesday, recording three hits, including a pair of three-run home runs. His nine total bases were a season high, and he drove in a season-high six runs. His first home run in the fifth inning left the bat at 114 mph, and his second came in his next at-bat and sealed the game, extending Tulsa’s lead to six runs.
Hope now has 11 home runs and is hitting .296/.356/.515. He makes up the most talented outfield in all of minor league baseball that also features Josue De Paula and Mike Sirota, who both rank among the top 20 prospects in all of baseball. The Dodgers also have Eduardo Quintero and Charles Davalan in High-A and James Tibbs in Triple-A, giving them the most talented outfield group in all of baseball.
Was watching Ontario’s game. Lindsey, Elkins, Harlan & Ko all swing the bat hard. Bunch of killers at the plate.
Remember Duke,you wanted Roberts Jr. from the White Sox many times. Look where he is now with the Mets, on the 60 Day IL. He is Always hurt. Be careful who you wish for in trades,especially pitchers. I rather have the Dodgers develop their own and keep them.
Root was the Dodger’s first pick in the 2025 First Year Player’s Draft.
Zach Root was the Dodgers’ first pick, followed immediately by his Arkansas teammate Davalan (on the draft pick acquisition that was part of the excellent Lux deal).
But I think both are technically second-round picks.
Anyway, it’s great to read about Root’s progress. It seems that he is a rarity: a finesse/control pitcher in college who has added velocity as a pro. Looks like a keeper… unless Detroit demands him in the Skubal blockbuster.
It’s fun to read about the Dodgers’ prospects. I used to be wary of the hype surrounding de Paula–it gave me Cartaya heebie-jeebies — but he really seems to be living up to it now. And Tibbs is playing like he might be a worthy successor to Freddie. (He might have been promoted instead of Ward but a wrist injury has limited him to DH duties recently.)
I trust Freddie will indeed fulfill his contract through ’27 and reassess his future when the time comes. In addition to his “counting stats,” Freddie’s HOF-campaign highlight reel features a couple of epic walk-offs and championship rings. Plus, he’s a popular guy–never surly, and no hint of PEDs. He’s a lock.
As for Skubal…..
Detroit is struggling, and the smart move would be to deal Skubal. The Dodgers don’t need him, but did they really need Tucker or Diaz? AF and BG could put together a strong package and still have a top-notch farm system. If they pass on Skubal, perhaps they’ll go after Skenes or Misiorowski when the time is ripe.
Finally a first round draft pick left handed pitcher by the Dodgers in Zach Root that might make an impact at the Major League level with the Dodgers IF he stays healthy. I believe he was pick number 40 in last year’s draft. Clayton Kershaw might has been the last left handed pitcher first round Dodger draft pick to achieve that excellence as a future first ballot Hall of Famer.