From December 3rd to the 6th, baseball’s winter meetings will be held in Nashville, Tennessee. On Dec 5th, there will be a live broadcast on the MLB network of the newly installed draft lottery. MLB started this to deter tanking. It will give the top six spots in the draft to six of the following nine teams.
Athletics, Royals, Rockies, Angels, White Sox, Cardinals, Mets, Guardians, Pirates. Teams that pay into revenue sharing cannot be in the lottery in back-to-back years, so the Nationals, who had the # 2 pick in this year’s draft, cannot be in the lottery despite finishing with the 5th worst record.
Teams in DC’s situation cannot pick higher than #10 overall. After the top six are chosen, then the next 12 are in reverse order of the standings. The 12 post-season teams are then determined by their order of finish. So the Rangers are picking 30th, and the Astro’s 29th.
If my math is correct, the Dodgers would pick 21st or 22nd. We will just have to wait and see.
On the 6th, it is rule 5 draft day. The Dodgers lost a few players in this draft last year and will probably lose some more this season. One, Gus Varland, was returned.
Last year’s winter meetings were more about signing free agents than trades. There were a couple of minor trades, but all the big news surrounded the free agency of Aaron Judge.
Once Judge signed, the free agent dominoes began to fall: Bellinger to the Cubs, Bogaerts to the Padres. I think Ohtani will cause the same type of effect.
A name popped up today that might intrigue the Dodgers. The Brewers are kicking the tires on trading Brandon Woodruff. Yes, he is injured and probably will not be back until mid-season at the earliest, but the Brewers, nonetheless, are checking out to see if teams are interested.
I am positive they will check with the Dodgers. Along with Burnes, Woodruff is one of their best pitchers.
If the Dodgers actually do trade for Burnes, as most speculate they will try to do, can they get just him, or will the Brewers want them to take on Adames and Yelich’s contracts as well?
I checked some things on Yelich, I do not like that his contract still has 130 million on it. But I like the fact that he hits lefties well. A career .270 average against them. If they did get him in trade, they would not need a platoon in left field. That to me, is the biggest plus he would bring to LA.
They need to find out what the kids can do also, and I think Busch and Vargas especially will be given a lot of leash in spring. It is going to be interesting no matter what.
Discussion (21)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Thanks for the reply bear, I’ll have to listen to some of those artists you mentioned.
That trout rumor just seems odd. The way it was worded even sounds like it’s all BS.
OK, I’m ready to sign Nick Senzel, who the Reds released because of a log jam of young infield talent like De La Cruz and Noelvi Marte.
And it’s not like Senzel is old. He’s 28, but injuries have limited his progress. His ability to play 3B and OF make him ideal as a low-cost platoon piece. (Salary in ’23 listed at $1.95 million.)
Last season, Max really struggled against lefties, hitting only .165 with a .641 OPS in 148 ABs.
As mentioned, Senzel hammered lefties, batting .347 with an 1.009 OPS in 118 ABs.
I don’t know anything about Senzel’s defense at 3B, but he sure seems like a good fit for the platoon-happy Dodgers.
What is the fascination with Adames? He is a decent fielder with some pop and a ton of whiff. Don’t the Dodgers have enough of that already? I know, some say the front office is okay with strikeouts. But the fans aren’t. I get tired of wasted at bats. And why is everyone so eager to see Lux leave town? He is two years younger than Adames, he is a contact hitter who will probably hit about 15-20 homers a year. He is faster than Adames, and he is under team control for a couple of more years. Adames is a free agent after next year. Sorry, I don’t want that guy gumming up the works or in Dodger blue. He is just not that much of an upgrade.
UCLA handed USC and embarrassing loss last night. Probably Caleb Williams last game at the coliseum. SC gained 5 yards on the ground. All the yardage was gained by passing. At 7-5 on the year, they most likely will play in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Guys advocating signing some free agents need to take a reality check. The Dodgers # one target is Ohtani. Ohtani is one of seven free agents who were offered QO’s. If the Dodgers do sign Ohtani, above what he costs in salary, there is another cost. The Dodgers would lose 1 million in international pool money, and their second and fifth picks in the draft. If the Dodgers signed another player, aka Snell, Chapman, Nola, Bellinger, et al, they would forfeit their third and sixth picks. Sorry guys, that isn’t going to happen. No way ownership or AF are comfortable with giving up four picks and a million dollars in pool money. They would much rather acquire free agents for whom there is no compensation. They do not say what the penalty would be for signing three of those players, probably because that is about as likely to happen as a hurricane in Colorado. The Trout rumor was started by a writer named Gomez who writes for Google sports. Again, no way Moreno trades Trout to the Dodgers. He would need to be totally nuts to do that.
Brewers are clearly a great trade fit for the Dodgers. Burnes would fill an absolute need.
Yelich and Adames would be upgrades (with a significantly higher price) but they would not be “needs.” Dodgers also don’t “need” Devin Williams…. but he’d looked good in blue too.
What else would count as a “need”?
I’d say a second top-tier SP is more important than Yelich or Adames. Yamamoto, Snell, Nola and Cease come to mind. Maybe Imanaga. Perhaps Beiber or Glasnow. The $$$ that might otherwise go to Yelich and/or Adames might be more wisely in invested in an SP.
If the Dodgers don’t pursue Yelich, perhaps they could target Nick Senzel, who was recently set free by the Reds.
Senzel profiles as platoon guy who can play 3B and OF. Against all pitching, he was pretty meh, with an OPS under .700. But against southpaws last season, he batted .347 in 118 ABs and slugged 9 HRs, compiling a 1.009 OPS. Maybe he’ll never do that again, but it shows what he is capable of. Perhaps he could platoon with Busch in LF. Heyward in RF or Max at 3B. He’d be a lot cheaper than Yelich and brings some versatility.
sturgill simpson one the most amazing musician s around. yeah bear , he’s not george jones or merle haggard, whom both i love, but his music is fantastic ! chris stapleton is also so damn talented! mainstream country adopted him because he was killing it! but he doesn’t belong in that crap community called new country. check out his new song white horse, unbelievable! sorry, i’ll get back to baseball, trout to the dodgers? hell yeah! something to play for? i think he’s going to be so fired up! why not? we were taking Yelich, so why not the best player in the last ten years? count me in!
Assuming Dodgers sign Ohtani (which seems very possible), I would be surprised if they add two starting pitchers on long term deals. They have 8 right handed starters with AAA or major league experience who need a runway, to use a Dodger’s term. I believe that they won’t have all 8 of them by March 1st but I would not block these young starters to sign two starters on long term deals with two or more of Ohtani, Gonsolin, May, and Kershaw back in 2025. Just does not make sense.
If the Dodgers field the team Bradley suggests next year I would be surprised and disappointed.
They will have effectively blocked Busch and Vargas for another year which seems to fly in the face of everything they have talked about the last two years. Not to mention they would pay a ransom in tax.
Yelich Outman Betts outfield set Muncy Addames Lux Freeman Smith that’s how the infield will be set and DH Ohtani right there the team improves better then last year and off the bench you have Taylor Kiki Deluca Feduccia and Heyward that’s a pretty good team and would be feared in national League and with Burnes Snell Miller Buehler and Pepiot in the starting rotation and yarbough the sixth man yeah I like that for 2024 let’s go with that and rumor is Chapman added in bullpen. Why not a veteran and Triedan comes back and the closer from last year agian yes go with that team and play with some anger this year like there on a mission. As they watch j.d Martinez and Turner go to the Diamondbacks and Bellinger and Chapman go to the Giants and well San Diego is San Diego to much talent to gel together and the Rockies poor Kris Bryant he is saying why did I come here then just stay a Giant and oh watch an old friend Joc Pederson go to Seattle to help that young team as there DH.
Well now. Maybe what we have heard and seen is not true:
“Yelich’s throwing has improved. After ranking 260th in the majors in arm strength last year with an average throw of 81.1 mph and a maximum throw of 88.1, he was up to 134th (47th percentile) with an average throw of 84.4 and a maximum of 95.3.
League average for a leftfielder is 87.5.
“I’m not blessed with the strongest throwing arm, but I feel like I can get to a lot of balls out there and make a lot of plays because I can run really well,” Yelich said. “To throw guys out from the outfield, you need a lot of things to go right anyway, even if you have a throwing arm like Hunter Renfroe. You need the ball to be hit pretty hard, kind of at you, you need the right kind of runner.
“So, I’ve worked on cleaning up some throwing stuff and just little details that you can do during the game and just kept working on them during batting practice.”
Yelich has yet to register an assist and teams still routinely challenge him by trying for the extra base. But there’s no denying Yelich has shown some extra zip on his throws and that, combined with a quick release and accuracy, has made him less of a liability when the ball is in his right hand.
“There’s small mechanics in there – we’ve shortened up his arm stroke a little bit,” Berry said in describing the improvement process.
“But it’s just like anybody who would come to me and say, ‘Hey man, how do I get faster? How do I learn to dunk?’ How do you learn to throw hard? You have to throw hard. You have to jump hard – as high as you possibly can, a lot.
“So, if you come out here and just play catch at 90 feet and then 120 and take it in, nothing is going to get better, and your arm is not going to get stronger. But if you constantly work on throwing the ball hard, running hard, jumping higher, you’ll get better at those things.
“So, he’s done a great job of mixing in long toss twice a week, working on back spinning the ball. Hard, firm throws. More quality over quantity, and it’s showing.”
The article on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is very interesting:
https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2023/06/23/milwaukee-brewers-christian-yelich-is-a-solid-defender-again-in-left-field/70346125007/
Yes, he is no Gold Glove and he can’t play RF, but he may not be the boat anchor some think in LF.
My sons’ favorite Sturgill Simpson Song:
I’m sure the Brewers would want to dump some contracts in a deal for Burnes, probably lessen the prospect cost. No doubt they would love to get rid of Yelich’s final years. Lot of money. Would the Brewers pay some of that contract. Maybe, but the Brewers aren’t the Mets.
If the Dodgers do that, what does that mean for Busch or Vargas?
Yelich certainly isn’t performing like he did before getting injured. Is 2023 now the standard or will he slipped back down. Maybe he improves on his present numbers, but there is a lot of risk, especially with all the money owed. He has had a series of back and neck related issues.
I’ve got an idea for Bear, I’d like to see him perform with Ally the Piper. She can play anything on bagpipes. I’m thinking it goes viral.
If the Dodgers make the trade for Burnes, Adamas and Yelich, Milwaukee would have to kick in dollars. Busch or Vargas would be in the trade along with some pitching. I prefer to keep Vargas because he s younger, bats righthanded and strikes out less. I also think we get Ohtani.
Betts RF
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Ohtani DH
Muncy 3B
Yelich LF
Outman CF
Lux 2B
Adames SS
Not a bad lineup.
If the Dodgers land Ohtani and deal for Woodruff, they’d have two star pitchers coming off surgery in ’25.
No worries, since they’d likely go to a six-man rotation. (I’d worry more about Woodruff coming off shoulder surgery, but AF has great confidence in modern medicine.)
good one mark! plenty more. he does bluegrass too!
Never even heard of those guys. Like I said in the last thread, I do not listen to what they call country today. I have no doubt some of them have a lot of talent. I just prefer real country to the crap they make today. Just like I prefer classic rock and oldies. Also a huge fan of big band music and folk.
mark, your son has good taste! sturgill is a super talented musician. , unlike these so called artists they call country. smells like dodgers are going big! let’s roll!!
Just read the Dodgers are drafting the 25th pick in the 2024 MLB First Year Player Draft.
As I said in the last thread, I do not think AF will go more than five years… maybe six for Ohtani. I could maybe see 6 years of $300 Million with bonuses for pitching, but I do not believe there is any way in God’s Green Earth he will sign him for 8 or 10 years, and if that is what Shohei wants, he will not be a Dodger.
Ohtani will be a Dodger soon. Bet it!!! AF will not swing and miss twice on a player he has coveted since Ohtani’s high school days. The money is there, the winning culture is there and certainly the weather is there. Not a hard decision for Ohtani. He will also attract future free agents to play with the Dodgers. Another factor ownership is all in.