As Bear pointed out, roster turnover can be dramatic. Even the turnover from last year’s 111 win team was extensive. Brandon Gomes (pictured) had his work cut out for him. Of the 26 man NLDS roster, 8 left via free agency:
- Tyler Anderson
- Andrew Heaney
- Tommy Kahnle
- Chris Martin
- Justin Turner
- Trea Turner
- Cody Bellinger
- Joey Gallo
That is a 30.7% turnover.
With those 8, three more who were on the NLDS roster who were on the IL to begin the season: Tony Gonsolin, Blake Treinen, Gavin Lux.
That is 11 different players on the 2023 opening day roster who were not on the 2022 NLDS roster.
- Phil Bickford
- Caleb Ferguson
- Michael Grove
- Andre Jackson
- Shelby Miller
- Noah Syndergaard
- Miguel Rojas
- Jason Heyward
- James Outman
- David Peralta
- JD Martinez
Bickford, Jackson, and Syndergaard are no longer in the organization. Players who were on both the NLDS roster and opening day roster, but are no longer on the roster:
- Miguel Vargas – Optioned to OKC
- Dustin May – 60 Day IL
And still more. Two on the current IL from the opening day roster: Michael Grove and JDM.
Rosters are volatile. Teams with the best depth can withstand such roster volatility, and that is where the Dodgers excel.
Because of the roster adjustments, the Dodgers have a number of players/pitchers who have grown to the level they can be considered for the playoffs, and a couple who have been added via the deadline.
- Bobby Miller from OKC to the rotation
- Ryan Pepiot
- Gavin Stone
- Emmet Sheehan
- Lance Lynn (added)
- Miguel Vargas
- Michael Busch (on roster)
- Victor González (on roster)
- Kiké Hernández (added)
- Amed Rosario (added)
Suffice to say, the playoff roster for 2023 will not resemble the 2023 opening day roster and the 2022 NLDS roster.
Last year’s turnover was extensive and next year’s figures to be significant as well. Free agents and players with options:
- Ryan Brasier (Free Agent)
- Clayton Kershaw (Free Agent)
- Julio Urías (Free Agent)
- Kiké Hernández (Free Agent)
- Amed Rosario (Free Agent)
- Jason Heyward (Free Agent)
- David Peralta (Free Agent)
- Lance Lynn ($18MM option, $1MM buyout)
- Max Muncy ($14MM option with $4MM escalators)
Going into Thursday’s game, Max had 465 PA. The option currently sits at $12MM. If he gets 35 more PA, the option will become $13MM, and with 85 more PA, Max’s option will be $14MM. With 30 games, I am projecting Max gets the 85 PA.
There is still too much of this season to try to make roster projections for 2024. But the point is, there will be a lot of changes.
08-31-2023 – MiLB Game Summary Report
OKC Dodgers 4 – Round Rock Express (Texas) 2
OKC ran out 5 pitchers in a bullpen game. Bryan Hudson started and went 2.0 scoreless innings. Kyle Hurt followed with 3.0 IP allowing 1 run on 4 hits, 2 BB, and 3 K. James Jones, Jimmy Nelson, and Wander Suero wrapped up the pitching allowing 1 unearned run, 1 hit, 7 K for the win.
OKC scored 4 runs on just 3 hits. Ryan Ward hit his 20th HR in the 2nd. Down 2-1 in the 7th, OKC scores 3 without a hit. Only one ball left the infield. 5 walks, a batter reaching on a fielder’s choice, 3 WP, and OKC scores 3.
Drew Avans had two singles and an RBI.
Texas started four prospects in their top 21:
- Evan Carter – #1
- Justin Foscue – #6
- Dustin Harris – #10
- Jonathan Ornelas – #21
The Dodgers did not start a top 30 prospect, but did start former top prospect Miguel Vargas, and Kyle Hurt relieved (#13). OKC is made up of a lot of former ML players who started:
- Óscar Mercado
- Pat Valaika
- Yonny Hernandez
- Bryson Brigman
- Patrick Mazeika
And non top prospects who started: Drew Avans, Justin Yurchak, Ryan Ward.
Other former ML position players on the OKC roster include:
- Kolten Wong
- David Freitas
- David Dahl
- Steven Duggar
Box Score
Tulsa Drillers 4 – Arkansas Travelers (Seattle) 1
25 year old RHSP Orlando Ortiz-Mayr pitched the first 6.0 innings allowing just the one run on a HR to the game’s leadoff hitter. He gave up 2 other singles with a walk. He registered 6 Ks. Carlo Reyes and Braydon Fisher finished up with 3.0 scoreless innings.
The first two runs scored by Tulsa were solo HRs by Kody Hoese (10) and Yusniel Diaz (15). Tulsa scored 2 unearned insurance runs in the 8th, that did include 2 singles and a BB.
No Driller had more than 1 hit.
Box Score
Dayton Dragons (Reds) 2 – Great Lakes Loons 1
LHSP Just Wrobleski started and completed 4.0 IP giving up 1 run on a solo HR. Lucas Wepf went the next 2.0 IP and also gave up a solo HR. Carlos De Los Santos and Jack Dreyer completed the final 3.0 innings without allowing a run. Great Lakes pitchers struck out 13 batters. Two solo HRs did them in.
The Loons had 4 hits. Alex Freeland had a single and double. Yeiner Hernandez had a single and sac fly for the only RBI. Max Hewitt had a double.
Box Score
Stockton Ports (A’s) 6 – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5
The Quakes started 7th round draft pick in 2023, RHP Patrick Copen, who completed 1.1 scoreless innings. 5 more Quakes pitchers took the bump, including another 2023 draft pick (12th round), RHRP Noah Ruen.
RC jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but 4 runs on 2 hits and 4 BB off Jonathan Edwards, and unearned run off Joel Ibarra and one run off Ruen finished off the scoring.
Key Offensive Performers:
- Thayron Liranzo – 2-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI, HR (22)
- Jordan Thompson – 2-4, double (2)
- Wilman Diaz – HR (7)
Box Score
Dodgers planning on bringing up Kolten Wong. WHY?????
Joke or serious?
Expected to bring him up. Not official yet.
Because he’s a LHH MI.
We don’t have any of those.
As soon as I open my yap Cleveland picks up another game on Minnesota and San Diego loses again. Sorry Ohio. You were right and I was wrong. The AL Central could have a champion with a losing record. Just get in, right?
Wong. Negative WAR offensively and defensively. And he’s better than Vargas?
That game last night reminded me of so many others earlier in the year. Hope it’s not a harbinger. Harbinger. Good word. I don’t use it much. Synonym? Augury. Never heard of that one. Used in a sentence: “Lynn getting blowed up in the second inning last night could be an augury of future uglury performances.” I used some poetic licensry there.
Padres are totally dysfunctional. That team is a mess. Giants picked up a game on us though.
😂
Based on that last paragraph, I think we’ll have to ticket you for commenting without a license. That said, I thank you for starting my day with a smile, as you often do.
Esoteric humor although somewhat recondite. Luckily I had some coffee in me before reading the scholarly post.
Kolten Wong has a 9.045 year MLB pedigree. He is a 2X GG. His career line is.256/.329/.389/.718. He is 32, so he is far from over-the-hill. YES, he is having a horrible year. But he has been through stretch runs. He is less likely to melt under the pressure than is Vargas. It is also better for Wong to be on the bench than Vargas. LAD likes experience over projection.
Miguel Vargas MAY (maybe not) become a good ML hitter. But he has not succeeded in his two MLB stretches. His career line is .191/.290/.350/.640. He does not have the same defensive pedigree as does Wong. Wong has been playing some SS at OKC. Wong is LH hitting full middle infielder.
Kiké Hernández and Amed Rosario are blocking Vargas, not Kolten Wong. Busch possesses more of what LAD wants in a hitter, and that is HR power. When Vargas is at his best, he has great bat to ball skills, with occasional HR power.
I cannot find it now, but I saw a twitter post earlier this week with a Vargas swing that looked a lot like his old one, with a comment saying “why would the Dodgers try and change it, leave it alone” (paraphrase). He is also back at playing 3B.
Vargas will be back, but more probably next year, not this year.
I don’t understand why they are not using a roster spot for Ryan Pepiot. He’s looked great and you could argue he’s even pitched better than Bobby Miller. I understand they want to look at Sheehan again, but who’s more likely to be ready to make a postseason roster spot?
Sheehan has not pitched great. Pepiot looks ready for action, why not let him pitch down the stretch? Don’t understand why they are about to waste a roster spot on Kolten Wong, who was hitting .165 this year in Seattle. They only get two spots.
Pepiot will be back. He was optioned to make room for Shelby Miller. Without injury, Stone cannot come back until Sept 7, and Pepiot September 9 (or 10). If Sheehan is recalled, he will be the bulk pitcher for Saturday. Just spitballing, but he would then be optioned when Stone can pitch on September 8 vs Washington. He would then be optioned and Pepiot could be recalled for September 13 vs San Diego. He would then stay in the rotation. They need to monitor innings. These guys have been used more than anticipated (except for Pepiot).
Churn and burn, baby
After September 1, if Pepiot is recalled, doesnt someone have to be cut to make room on the active 26-man roster? Unless there is an injury right?
Someone has to be removed from the 26 (28) man. Pepiot is on the 40 man, so nobody has to be DFA’d. Once he was optioned he could not be recalled for 10 days unless there is an injury. Stone and Bryan Hudson are the only players who have been optioned 4 times. If either is recalled, they could be optioned one more time. The Dodgers know these rules far better than me, so Stone will not be optioned a 6th time. I am guessing the same would be true for Hudson. Pepiot has been optioned twice and Sheehan once thus far.
I am not aware of any rule regarding Sept 1 except to increase player rosters from 26 to 28.
I hope I answered your question.
Yeah makes sense, I know the rules changed slightly over the last few years.
Not only this, but I could see a playoff series where Lynn’s inability to miss bats results in Pepiot pitching before Lynn.
The last couple of starts have been concerning. I still believe in him though.
After Lynn’s meltdown I shut the game off and watched the movie, Red 2. But when I checked the score after it was over, I was shocked. Lynn may have gotten rocked, but he battled. It is his first really bad outing. He is allowed that. Mookie hit ,455 for the month with 11 bombs and now has 38, a career high and 98 driven in. They were 1-9 with men in scoring position, so they could have won that game. Muncy just missed hitting one out in the 9th with 2 on. Mookie crushed one to right that was caught at the wall. This team has a lot of fight in it. Muncy’s bad throw ended up letting in the winning run. But the Braves are not invincible. One thing I know for sure, do not throw any cookies right down Broadway, their hitters make mush out of those.
I watched “My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To”
Sounds like a love song Sandy. But, what if she doesn’t? Then it’s a song sung by The Ungrateful Dead.
I watched most of it. 8-6 when I dozed off.
WRISP. Raises its ugly head again. But, 7 should be enough.
I would have preferred Lance’s bad outing to be from a small ball attack instead of from the home run that has been his nemesis. He was wild and it bit him.
Even at 14 mil, I don’t see any way we don’t bring back Max. As others have said, if it wasn’t for his ridiculous batting average, we’d be commenting on how great a year he’s having. Not only that, as Branch Rickey and Scott Boras used to say, it’s better to get rid of a player a year too late than a year too soon………………..or was that the other way around?
My son forwarded me a Fangraphs article yesterday on TJ surgeries, pitcher injuries and the like, written by Jay Jaffe. For those who are interested in this kind of stuff, it’s a fascinating piece and it sends up a red flag for Walker Buehler’s trying to come back this year and the possible downside to doing it.
Here’s the link:
Tony Gonsolin and Recent Tommy John Surgery Trends | FanGraphs Baseball
Correct. He is back. Even before last night I felt Lynn’s return was unlikely.
Good read Jefe. And it doesn’t require reading between the lines to see how risky TJ surgery is to a lengthy career. And a second? Forget it. They way these guys throw now, it’s just a matter of time.
So, Buehler. I think I wouldn’t let him pitch in live games this year.
Ohtani. I think it’s quite possible he knows he will have surgery immediately following the season, and doesn’t care if he doesn’t pitch til ‘25.
I wonder if Gonsolin wanted to get as many games on the active roster as he could before getting the surgery incase he doesn’t make it back after surgery.. Does a player get service time for being on the IL?
Yes. Players receive Major League service time for each day spent on the 26-man roster or the Major League injured list.
Lunatics running the asylum
If he continues to hit 35+ homers a year, I don’t care about his batting average.
An interesting development between Scott Boras and the Dodgers. Boras seemed to imply that it was the Dodgers who were to blame for Bellinger’s decline. AF came back at Boras, and Boras had to do some backpedaling. He followed with a comment the Dodgers did not force Belli to play.
Here is the article:
I was surprised to see JDM sign with LAD, but I believe that was more to get back with RVS and to play with Mookie again. I believe JDM is the first Boras client to sign with AF. JDM will not be back in 2024. I would not expect any Boras client to sign with LAD next winter. That would include: Matt Chapman, Cody Bellinger, Frankie Montas, Jordan Montgomery, James Paxton, Blake Snell, Julio Urías.
While not for 2024, but for 2025, that will include Juan Soto.
Assuming the Dodgers do not re-sign Urías or JDM, that will leave Ryan Pepiot and Brusdar Graterol as the remaining Boras clients.
There are no real difference making position players that AF will be hot on (IMO). A few SP that are at least equal to or better than the Boras clients, and a couple of potential difference making relievers (Hader, Hicks, Alvarado).
Diego Cartaya has been moved to the Development List. This is just a fancy term to say he is being assigned back to Arizona for individual work. There is nothing to read into this “development”.
Today’s MiLB Pitchers:
Nice lineup of arms. I’ve liked Rosario for a while now. Glad to see the results catching up to the promise.
So have I on Rosario. Most have no clue who he is. But I have been writing more about him this year.
Boras is cutting his own throat getting on the bad side of the Dodgers. One of the richest franchises in the game, you want them bidding on your players.
Perhaps the Dodgers should have been thinking more small ball in the 9th instead of the walk off homer.
I’m interested to see that they have Vargas playing third base again. That tells me that he isn’t going to be the every day second baseman next year.
Do they plan to have a middle infield of Lux and Mookie (in one configuration or the other) or are they just trying to make Vargas more versatile so they can move him back and forth when they move Mookie from the outfield to the infield?
This winter’s free agency crop for position players isn’t all that interesting, with Matt Chapman, Bellinger and Ohtani (if he decides to play the outfield while not pitching next year) as the only star-power types on the list.
It’s a really good question and the answer is who knows?
Might depend on the best bat they can bring in and where he plays.
I personally could live with Lux/Mookie up the middle.
They may not bring in a “best bat”. Not much available except for the three I mentioned, and I doubt Belli will be available to us.
They may decide they want to start the season with Outman, Vargas and Busch all as regulars. For example, move Max to DH, Vargas to third and Busch to left field.
With Belli not available to us and Ohtani making his decision based not only on money, that would leave Chapman and he’ll have lots of play with someone probably outbidding AF.
I keep on forgetting Korean MVP outfielder Jung-Hoo Lee who is supposed to be posted this winter and will only be 25 next season. Great bat to ball skills and considered a superior outfielder. He’s a lefty batter. Giants are already known to be interested in him and they’ll have lots of money to throw around, but based on our draft this year, maybe we’re starting to take more interest in bat-to-ball skills.
Agree with all this. Chris Taylor exists too. Peralta & Heyward have covered a bit of outfield shallowness this season. With Pages missing the year, we might have to bolster it a bit this offseason.
While there was some talk about changing the pitch clock times during post season, MLB has decided to keep the rules the same:
The pitch-clock rules used throughout the Major League Baseball season will remain the same during the 2023 postseason, sources familiar with the situation tell ESPN.
The rules: 15 seconds with no runners on, 20 seconds with runners on. Players had expressed hope for more time.
One rule that will change is no ghost runner in extra innings.
Glad to see Sheehan return. I wonder if there’s a chance he could stick as a bullpen arm in the postseason. Open auditions.
I’m late to the show on Kolten Wong.
–Two-time Gold Glover
–He’s hit .539 with one home run and six RBI in just three games with OKC.
–He has played five total for the organization, including two in Arizona — and he’s posted a 1.495 OPS early on.
I felt like Boras was saying Bellinger should have sat out two seasons with pay because he was hurt and that way his lack of hitting would not be displayed. That’s weak.
Muncy from time to time seems to try to hit the ball where it is pitched with success. But mostly, he is a big swinger and good eye hitter.
Lynn had control problems that led to home runs with runners on base.. I am not confident that it won’t happen again. I hereby predict he will not be a Dodger next year.
I wonder what the $/WAR figure on all the Boras clients over the years amounts to. I bet Friedman knows and that could be why he won’t deal with him. Cost-benefit doesn’t add up.
Wong is hitting .539 at OKC? Put him in the lineup while he’s still hot.
With a month to go Muncy has put up 3 WAR. He makes $13.5M. That math adds up. $10 million team option? Exercise it.
I don’t care who wins the MVP. I care who wins the pennant.
Not that it should or will matter, but the option has a $4MM escalator which will we vested, making it a $14MM option. He needs 30 PA for $3MM and 80 PA for the full $4MM escalator.
I would have him back. I don’t care about average anymore. I’m convinced OPS is the stat to value.
Yonny Hernandez has been outrighted to OKC.