Note to All – This post was drafted before Sundays game. However, it does not detract from the focus of this post.
I do not know if they are too old now, but they are getting pretty darn close. Injuries do not heal as quickly when we turn north of 30, including professional athletes. Or are the players concentrating more on their new positions more, and that is taking a hit on their offense?
Regardless, something is off with the first three offensively.
Ohtani started to ramp up his pitching in earnest in June so he could be ready at the All Star break. However, as we have discussed ad nauseum, too many LAD starters on the IL, and his rehab was ramped up even more. More bullpens. More live sim games with live batters. He started June 16, well before the planned date after his set back in the Spring.
Shohei Ohtani’s baseball age is 30. His physical age turns 31 on July 5. Thus his baseball age is one year younger than the player born on June 30 the same year. As an example, Tommy Edman is 10 months younger than Ohtani, but both are 30 in baseball age. What does that mean? No clue. They had to pick a birthdate somewhere in the middle of the season. The only age that matters is the age the body feels.
I know Ohtani tells everyone that the ramp up in pitching between games is not a reason for his decline in offensive production in June. What is he supposed to say? “You know, if I was ramping up pitching to the level I should have been in the offseason, then I would be crushing it in June like I did in May.” Contrary to reports, especially from those fans who believe that Ohtani is omnipotent, Shohei is human, and cannot hit, pitch, and run at elite levels at all times, especially when ramping up to pitching at an elite level, as he is capable. Pitchers (and hitters) have their routines. When Ohtani started to ramp up, his routine was broken for hitting and pitching.
Now, before those on other sites who love to call us morons read this, I am not criticizing Shohei Ohtani. Not in the least. Bear knows what that was like when only pointing out statistics of Ohtani swinging at balls outside the zone. No comment that he sucked. But he was accused of it.
Shohei is the best player in the game, and once he gets back into a routine, IMO he will return to his elite self, both offensively and pitching. I do not know if his base stealing will return, although I highly doubt it, that should not impact his overall greatness in the 2nd half.
The last time Ohtani was in full routine was 2023 before TJ surgery. Being back in the rotation should help with that routine.
For the month of May, when he still was not being pushed to pitch, in 128 PA, Ohtani batted .309/.398/.782/1.180. He had 5 doubles, 1 triple, and 15 HRs. He scored 31 runs, and drove in 27. He had 31 K with 17 BB. He was on base 51 times in those 27 games with 10 multi-hit games.
For the month of June, in 91 PA, Ohtani is batting .260/.363/.442/.804. Not very Ohtani like. He has 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HRs. He has scored just 10 times, with just 7 RBI. He has 25 K, 10BB, and 3 HBP. He has reached base 33 times in 20 games, with just 5 multi-hit games.
This year, Ohtani’s hard hit % and average exit velocity are at or near the top of his career. While his line drive % is down, his ground ball rate is up, at the highest level since 2020. His pull % is the highest in his career, while the opposite field hitting is the lowest in his career. With a lower line drive rate, and way more pull than opposite, he is not driving the ball into LC at a rate that we are used to seeing. That is why we are seeing more ground ball singles between 1st and 2nd from Shohei.
For 5 of his 7 years with LAA, Ohtani was a 2-way player. For those 7 years, Ohtani’s batting line was .274/.366/.556/.922. Is that what we should expect from Ohtani while he is pitching? I will take that with his CY level pitching.
Mookie is struggling in 2025, offensively. He is one of the better defensive SS in MLB, and is making plays this year, he had no hope for in 2024 pre injury. His throws are still an adventure, but they almost always end up in Freddie’s glove.
For June, in 79 PA, Mookie is hitting .257/.342/.357/.699. 4 doubles, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 9BB, and 9 K. In 18 games, Mookie has 4 multi-hit games. His last multi-hit game was June 7. He has not had a HR since June 8. Not even close to Mookie like. Is he exerting more energy by working at SS? It is not the games, it is the work between games. Then again he is 32, and probably starting to slow down. My guess is if he were 26 and converting to SS, I do not believe we would see such a decline. But with the position change to a more physically demanding position, AND his 32 year age, it is a double whammy.
I can appreciate that Mookie wants to be the SS, and to be elite at it defensively. We were told that the team asked him to play SS because it was easier to find an OF than a SS as a FA or in a trade, and for the team, he was agreeable. So the Dodgers put Mookie at SS and signed Michael Conforto.
Mookie will not blame the diminished results offensively because of his SS work. Like Shohei, what is he supposed to say?
I will not criticize the Conforto signing, as I was initially for the deal. The price was a bit exaggerated, but I liked the player, and thought that he would fit in well. He does fit in well as a teammate, but his baseball acumen is well below that of a replacement level OF, not withstanding the great catch he made Friday. Should Mookie go back to RF? I am not Mookie and do not know how his body feels running on the grass. He says infield is easier for his legs. You can choose to not believe him, but why would he make that up? Kim at SS and Edman in 2B? Okay. Mookie to 2B? Kim to SS and Edman to CF. Okay. Either way, Kim is in and Conforto is a LH hitting PH and reserve OF.
Regardless, how will Mookie take the change? I understand perfectly that Mookie is a better teammate than Rafael Devers was with Boston, and would be willing to make a move for the betterment of the team, but it needs to be discussed with him. Then again, I doubt that Mookie makes the All Star game this year, and he will get an unusual mid-July break at home with family and rest during this time, and perhaps that will trigger a resurgence at the plate. That should have no impact on Conforto, as Kim should be in the lineup before Conforto.
Now to Freddie. His injuries are not healing like when he was in his 20’s. I am not sure his ankle will ever be the same. He will turn 36 in September, and yet his 2025 offensive numbers have been outstanding overall for the first 78 games, although he admits that he has not clicked for the last 6 weeks.
"Swing is still in Arizona I think."
Freddie Freeman (0-4, 2 K) chats with the media after the #Dodgers lose to the Nationals 7-3 in Game 2 of the 3-game set. pic.twitter.com/v1jixTGtvj
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 22, 2025
For the month of June, in 19 games and 78 PA, Freddie is hitting .197/.269/.254/.523, 4 doubles, 3 RBI, 7 BB, and 18 K. He has 14 hits, and only 4 multi-hit games in June. His last multi-hit game was June 17 against San Diego. His last HR was May 14. His last multi-XBH was June 3 against NYM with 2 doubles. This is nowhere close to being the Freddie we were expecting.
Freddie will be going to Atlanta for the All Star game, and that will be a reward for him. He is deserving and it will be a homecoming of sorts for Freddie, as he is still adored in Atlanta. This will be a nice respite to get his mind off what is happening with his offense with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers HAVE to have the first three in their lineup to be clicking for them to win. Andy Pages has been a very nice addition. He is deserving of an All Star spot, but it will depend on which team does not have a player voted to be a starter to know whether Pages has a chance.
Will Smith has been extraordinary this year. And Teo is Teo. Hyeseong Kim has been a surprise. I am not sure where the Dodgers will be without these four.
But just as disappointed as Shohei, Mookie, and Freddie might feel, I am just as convinced they will break out of whatever it is that is ailing them. In the interim, if Mookie needs a break, put Hyeseong Kim at SS. If Freddie needs another day off, put Rushing at 1B (not Kiké). While I do not believe the Dodgers are TOO old, they are getting older, and it is about time for them to get more youth in the lineup, more often than they have been.
Because AAA and AA is really devoid of regular position players , the Dodgers are going to need to ride these players until, the A League players get to MLB. Maybe Freeland will be an exception, and while I do like him, it is not unrealistic to believe he is a platoon infielder as well. Outman and Feduccia certainly are role players, and there really is nobody in AA that gives an impression that they are even at that level, although Yeiner Fernandez could make a case for reserve as a catcher and 2B. An Austin Barnes type player. But certainly not a regular.
There is plenty in A+, A, and Rookie League to like, but they are a long way away from MLB, and a lot can happen in their development as they traverse that climb through the organization. I am working on my 1st half analysis of the LAD MiLB farm system, and it will be heavily positioned with those levels.
As I said in a previous post. Be patient. The Dodgers are getting closer. They will be getting starters and relievers back and healthy. They will be playing an easier schedule. And I am guessing that Michael Conforto will not be in the lineup as often after the All Star break if he does not start producing. And still they are 3.5 games in 1st, and only 1 game behind Detroit for the best record in MLB. With 83 games remaining, and a lot of pitching help on the way, I sure like their chances.
For the record, on Sunday:
- Shohei – 2-4, 3 runs, 5 RBI, triple (6), HR (26), 1 BB, 2 K
- Mookie – 1-4 1 run, 1 RBI
- Freddie – 1-4, 2 runs, 2 K
OKC Comets 10 – Round Rock Express (Texas) 7
The story of this game was Tyler Glasnow making his initial rehab start. The first inning went extremely well for Glasnow. He retired all three hitters on 12 pitches with a strikeout (1st batter he faced). After he retired the first batter in the 2nd inning before walking the next two batters on 10 pitches. Glas registered a flyout and a 3rd BB before getting the last batter on a ground out with a 10 pitch AB.
Overall, Glasnow threw 48 pitches (36 in 2nd inning), did not allow a run or hit, walked 3 and struck out 1. His pitch repertoire:
· 4-seamer – 37 pitches
· Cutter – 12 pitches
· Sinker – 4 pitches
· Curve – 1 pitch
· Slider – 1 pitch
His slider sat 95-97 and reached 98.3. His sinker sat 96-97. 48 pitches was a nice 1st outing, even with the 3 walks. His command will improve, and I expect he will throw more breaking balls in his next start. The most important issue will be how Tyler feels on Monday.
In the 2nd inning for the Comets, Esteury Ruiz singled and stole 2nd with one out. After the 2nd out, Chris Okey singled Ruiz home. Austin Gauthier singled Okey to 3rd and James Outman singled Okey home for a 2-0 lead.
In the 3rd, OKC increased the lead to 4-0 with an Esteury Ruiz 2-run bomb.
Nick Frasso impressed again in relief with a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd. After two poor relief outings in May, Frasso has reeled off 8 good relief appearances in June. He pitched 11.2 innings allowing 2 runs, 9 hits, 1 BB, and 7 K. His last 4 appearances have been scoreless with 2 hits, 0 BB, and 4 K. Nick still needs a back to back relief appearance, but the conversion looks to be a success thus far.
Landon Knack entered in the 4th and was supposed to be the bulk innings pitcher. He struck out the side, but it is what happened after he struck the 1st two out that got ugly. He allowed the next 8 batters to reach: 6 hits and 2 BB. Of the 6 hits, 4 were XBH with 2 HRs. 7 runs came across before Knack struck his last batter out.
In the 5th, Outman slugged his 16th HR of the season. It was an oppo taco hit 100.7 MPH. With 2 outs, Ryan Ward, Hunter Feduccia, and Kody Hoese each singled for another run.
The Comets scored three in the 5th to take the lead. Nick Senzel, drew a BB, Okey singled, and Austin Gauthier walked to load the bases. Three straight singles by Outman, Alex Freeland, and Ryan Ward plated three and OKC had the lead again.
Ruiz hit his 2nd HR of the game to give OKC a 10-7 lead after 7.
Meanwhile Knack continued 3.0 to pitch after his disastrous 4th, and pitched well. He did not allow a run for the next 4.0 innings. He exited in the 8th with two runners on and two out. Ben Harris was summoned to get the final out of the inning. Knack ended up throwing 96 pitches (54 strikes).
Logan Boyer did not blow a save, but he couldn’t close it out. He is 0-4 in save opportunities before this game. Sam Carlson entered with 2 outs in the 9th, one run in, and the bases loaded. Carlson struck out Tucker Barnhart to end the game to get the save. Boyer generously was awarded a hold for the game.
· James Outman – 4-5, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (16)
· Esteury Ruiz – 3-5, 3 runs, 3 RBI, 2 HR (6)
· Ryan Ward – 3-5, 1 run, 1 RBI
· Chris Okey – 2-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI
OKC has three players with 50+ RBIs. Freeland (57), Ward (56), and Outman (53). No other team in professional baseball has that distinction.
Box Score
Midland RockHounds (A’s) 3 – Tulsa Drillers 0
5 of 6 Tulsa pitchers pitched scoreless innings. However, Jerming Rosario allowed 3 unearned runs for the only scoring of the game.
Tulsa loaded the bases with 2 out in the 9th, but José Ramos grounded out to end the game.
Tulsa had 4 singles in the game, with Yeiner Fernandez getting 2 of them.
Box Score
Great Lakes Loons 6 – Peoria Chiefs 5 (Cardinals)
Josue De Paula drove in three runs, providing a home run for a second straight game, in a 6-5 Great Lakes Loons win over the Peoria Chiefs.
De Paula had two hits, three stolen bases, and a walk with three RBI. With a runner on in the third, he scorched a ball to deep left center, his tenth homer of the season. The Dodgers No. 2 prospect is the first Loon to reach double-digit dingers for the season.
The Loons as a team stole eight bases, matching a single-game season high. They stole four in a three-run fifth inning. Kendall George walked and stole second base. De Paula drove him in with an RBI single. De Paula took third base and scored on a Mike Sirota sac fly. Zyhir Hope walked, stole second, and was plated by a Joe Vetrano RBI single. Vetrano also swiped second base.
Loons pitching permitted one run through the first six innings. Maddux Bruns struck out four over three innings, allowing one run. Alex Makarewich worked a scoreless fourth, and Brooks Auger needed just 19 pitches in two clean frames. But in his 3rd inning, Peoria plated four runs in the seventh inning. Two walks and a Won-Bin Cho RBI single made it 6-2. With two outs, Josh Kross went first pitch swinging and knocked his second homer of the series, a three-run shot, cutting the lead to 6-5.
Cam Day and Evan Shaw stranded three Chiefs and collected the final five outs. Day worked around two walks inducing a groundout to the shortstop to end the eighth. Shaw forced a flyout to end the contest to register his first save.
· Josue De Paula – 2-3, 1 BB, 2 runs, 3 RBI, HR (10)
· Jake Gelof – 1-3, 1 BB, double (7)
Box Score
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6 – Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego) 3
The Quakes won for the tenth time in their last 11 games, coming from behind to defeat the Lake Elsinore Storm 6-3.
Jose Meza had a season-high three hits with three RBIs. Meza clubbed a two-run homer in the first, his fifth of the year, putting the Quakes on the board at 2-0.
A three-run double gave the Storm a temporary lead in the fourth against Logan Tabeling, making it 3-2.
Rancho answered immediately in the fourth, as Jackson Nicklaus singled and scored on a two-out infield-hit by Eduardo Guerrero, knotting the score at 3-3.
The Quakes took the lead for good in the fifth as Meza delivered again, this time, an RBI single that scored Jaron Elkins to give Rancho a 4-3 lead.
Rancho added two more in the sixth, as Eduardo Quintero had a sac fly and Elkins doubled home a run, making it 6-3.
The Rancho bullpen was strong down the stretch, as Domingo Geronimo, Nicolas Cruz, and Dilan Figueredo combined for five scoreless innings. Figueredo recorded his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth.
The Quakes will be in San Jose on Tuesday, opening a six-game set with the Giants. Christian Zazueta is scheduled to throw for Rancho, while San Jose will counter with Hunter Dryden.
· Jose Meza – 3-4, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (5)
· Jaron Elkins – 2-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 2 doubles (16)
· Jackson Nicklaus – 2-4, 2 runs
· Angel Diaz – 1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (1)
Box Score
I don’t know how much ages is effecting Freddie, Mookie and Shohei but one thing is certain, we have more years to find out. Freddie has 2 more years on his contract, Mookie 7 more years and Ohtani 8 more years.
Where will Mookie be playing in 2032?
Not SS.
Old; Freeman, Muncy, Teo, Conforto, Mookie
Prime; Edman, Will, Ohtani
Young; Pages
Yes our position players are old.
We are still the favorites to win the WS.
Bringing up two more youngsters next year is a must.
Good article Jeff.
While Freeman, Betts and Ohtani are getting older they still are a great top 3 in the lineup. And the depth in the rest of the lineup is outstanding. With the emergence of Pages, Muncy and Kim recently, the lineup is even deeper. Teo and Edmond also provide clutch hitting and solid at bats. But the unsung star to me this year is Will Smith. He has an OPS of 969 which is amazing for a full time catcher unless you are Cal Raleigh! Will also is limited because he cannot get at bats as a DH like most top catchers do because of Ohtani. The biggest difference between the Dodgers and Padres to me is the catching position. The Padres have Maldonado and Diaz who have OPS of 601 and 530 compared to Smith’s 969! Will is a clutch hitter who gets much less attention than the rest of the Dodger stars.
Jeff makes a great point that despite the injuries, the Dodgers are on track to win the division and post the best record in the NL. And they should be healthier in the second half for a playoff run.
I have less confidence in Glasnow than Jeff and most Dodger fans but if he is at his peak for the playoffs that would be huge. With hindsight, the trade and extension for Glasnow is looking suspect as he has been outperformed by Pepiot so far at 1% of the guaranteed money. As another poster mentioned earlier, Pepiot is having a good year after a solid 2024. He has a 3.04 era this year in 94 IP after a 3.60 ERA last year in 130 IP. He actually has a lower career ERA than Glasnow by 3.21 to 3.83.
I expect Yamamoto to be the top playoff starter with Snell, Ohtani and Glasnow as the rest of rotation if healthy. And the bullpen will carry a heavy load.
Also, with the 3 older stars, I think they should be given more rest, especially Ohtani. Sure he was able to pad his HR stats in the 8th inning today, but the goal is to win games and the WS, not post more stats in blowout wins. Ohtani has yet to be a two way player through October and he is on pace for 700 plate appearances. It would seem wise to limit his playing time in regular season games to maximize performance in the playoffs.
Geeat content
Seems like Jeff is rambling in his post trying to come to some kind of understanding of the Dodgers when there is nothing to understand. Dodgers too old? They have older players, but too old?
Ohtani is the best player in baseball? This is very debatable especially with a player like Aaron Judge around. Ohtani is unique, but I don’t know about being the best.
Glasnow has always had potential. No one would argue this point. The problem is he cannot seem to stay healthy.
The Front Office has bought most of their talent rather than developed them. They were choice moves that have paid dividends quickly. But their pitching choices have not fared so well. With the exception of Kerhsaw(definitely too old, but beloved), not even Yamamoto has emerged as an Ace. The FO has resorted to a revolving carousel of retreads, rehabs, that we are trying to make heads or tails out of. It’s almost like a guessing game and I refuse to believe there is any certainty to what they are trying to accomplish. They are jinxed when signing pitchers. They’ve refused to consider any big name signings even though they’ve had success signing position players. They are in constant spin cycle with no end in sight. It’s a lottery who gets the call…………
Well, one Jeff is rambling
In my opinion Jeff never rambles. His point is a good one. I don’t know the answer. The second half play will go a long way in answering the question.
I also don’t know who the best player in baseball is. My evaluation would include playing outstanding defense and neither Judge nor Ohtani do that, though I would include pitching in that assessment and it would appear dWAR calculations don’t do that. I believe an important question to ask, quite possibly the most important question, is which of those two players is the most valuable to both MLB and their individual organization and the answer to that is clearly Ohtani.
And who is the ace of this staff? Yamamoto leads the starting staff in both starts and ERA so it’s gotta be him. I still believe he’s going to need a vacation soon.
IMHO Yamamoto qualifies as an ace. Without him we do not win it all last season. His FIRST season over here. he was clutch in the postseason on the biggest stage. Certainly among the top 5-7 starters in MLB IMHO.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How many more innings does Kike need to log to qualify as a 2 way player??
My understanding is Kike will be starting the first playoff game and hitting clean up
Bobby Miller went on the IL at OKC.
Had a very good outing last time pitching so this is not encouraging.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who’s the best player in baseball? Are you kidding me! Ohtani is doing something only the greatest player in mlb history has ever done. And he’s doing it over a longer stretch. It’s not only that he’s a two way player, but he’s an MVP hitter and an all star pitcher! It’s insane what he is doing! Please!!!!!
And please check Judges’ October stats
Judge has been much better than Ohtani this year so far. That may change in the second half as Ohtani begins pitching.
In terms of October stats:
Judge has a batting average of only 205 and an OPS of 768 with 16 HR in 58 postseason games.
Ohtani has a 230 batting avg and 766 OPS with 3 HR in his 16 postseason games.
Pretty similar postseason stats with Judge having many more playoff games so far.
The best baseball player used to be judged by the 5 tools. Is pitching playing baseball? Well, yeah, but pitchers aren’t measured by whether they can hit, hit for power and run. They obviously are measured by their ability to throw and they are awarded Gold Gloves.
Ohtani can do everything. Judge can’t.
And he does everything at the highest of levels! Forget baseball. I think we’re seeing the greatest athlete sports has ever seen. IMHO
Great stuff Jeff, and right on the money. Freddie has not looked like himself in a while, and you can see the frustration he is feeling on his face after every out he makes. Unless something changes in the next few days, Mookie will be headed to Atlanta. He is second in the SS voting to Lindor, and unless he begs off because of some sort of ailment, he will be the backup SS at the All-Star game. Ohtani is a unicorn, one of a kind player. But the best baseball player in the majors right now is Aaron Judge. Amazingly, he is not leading the majors in homers. That is Cal Raleigh of the Mariners who has 30 homers. I used to think it was entertaining when a position player came in to pitch in a blow-out. But Kike has made the last two times almost impossible to watch. Miggy Ro’s outing where he imitated other pitchers on the staff was more fun. I also remember Russell Martin getting the side out in order once when he pitched the 9th.
Bringing in Kike to pitch is the stuff of carnivals and fairs. Should only happen once a year at most. Kike is capable of throwing 85 mph. Why is he just lobbing the ball up there?
If he could eephus for strikes that 85 would look like 95. But he can’t. Why bother if he can’t throw strikes?
This is a clear case of good news bad news. The good news is – the Dodgers aren’t using a bullpen piece in a blowout. The bad news is – Kiké is pitching. The end isn’t near.
Reds DFAd Jemier Candelario. Mets called up Travis Jankowski and sent Acuna’s brother down to AAA. Rangers recalled Dane Dunning. Giants optioned Travis Fitzgerald and will activate Justin Verlander from the paternity list. Twins claimed RHP, Connor Gillespie from the Marlins. Orioles called up Chadwick Tromp. Mets signing LHP, Richard Lovelady. Mets optioned Francisco Alvarez to AAA. Astros in the market for a LH bat.
Are the Dodgers too old? No, not for this year, but yes, we are on the older side.
For a while we were bringing up young guys more consistently who were making big impacts (Joc, Seager, Bellinger, Smith).
That pipeline has slowed down, partly due to Lux not making it big, Miguel Vargas not making it at all, Outman making it for 5 months only, and Belly and Joc fading fast after rising fast.
It looks like Pages is a young rising player. I wish we knew if Kim was a young, rising player, but we don’t know yet. We don’t know what Rushing is, yet. May is young, but coming off a 2nd TJ. Sheehan is young but coming off TJ. Roki is young and we don’t know yet what he is, plus he’s hurt. Yamamoto is young and a star. Casparius looks like he fits in (not sure where, but he fits in).
Some smart folks on this blog were hoping we’d sign Juan Soto this past offseason, because he’s already elite at a young age (that made sense but his contract makes no sense, so I’m glad we didn’t go there).
But yes, we need more impact kids to start coming up soon. If Rushing isn’t our future starting catcher, let the guy play LF; he can’t be worse than Conforto. Kim looks much better at 2b than CF, so why not let him just grow at 2b! And for crying out loud, start moving the 4 stud outfielders in A ball up a level already!!
the team doesn’t need impact kids. sure, they’d be lovely to have, but the Dodgers process seems to be develop average to good players (Lux, Busch, Smith, Pages, DeLuca, Vargas, Rushing, Gonsolin, Wrobo, Sheehan, etc.) -> hope one becomes a superstar if lucky -> sign an established superstar when available on the open market.
i’m sure we will see this next happen when Freeman’s contract is up
Smith is more than a good player. He’s an all star and the best catcher in the NL.
no arguing, his not being a superstar was my muddled point
For Bear, and via Anthony DiComo, for the next nickname article:
For those asking, yes, new Mets reliever Richard Lovelady has requested to go by his nickname Dicky. So it will be Dicky Lovelady from here on out.
Bluto, in answer to your question about what led up to the DeShields-Martinez trade and why. It is actually pretty simple. Jody Reed was the Dodgers second baseman in 1993. He had a decent season, playing 132 games, batting .276. He was an excellent fielder. He was 30 years old. After the season, the Dodgers offered him a 3-year-deal for 7.8 million dollars. He turned it down because he wanted to be a free agent. So, needing a second baseman, they made the trade with Montreal. DeShields at the time was only 25 years old and coming off of 4 very good seasons in Montreal. Tommy Lasorda felt that Martinez had too small of a frame to excel as a starting pitcher, even though he was 10-5 in 93, so he felt the need for a full time second baseman was more important than keeping Martinez. As it worked out, and we all know, Martinez blossomed into a Hall of Famer. Reed signed a deal for 1 year with Milwaukee for 750,000. He played about the same for the Brewers as he did for LA, then became a free agent again, this time signing with the Padres for 450,000. He played there two years, getting 1 mil his second season. He finished with Detroit for 1 year. Had Reed taken the Dodgers offer the trade probably would never have been made and Martinez might have started the 94 season with LA. As for DeShields, for whatever reason, he never played at the same level in LA as he did in Montreal. I give him a pass in 94 because it was a strike year. He had never stolen less than 40 bases, which is one of the reasons LA traded for him and he hit .277 while with the Expos. In 95, he hit .256 and had 39 steals. But in 96, his last year in LA he hit just .224, but stole 48 bases. His OBP that season was .288, he had never been below .347 in his career. As often happens, after LA let him leave as a free agent, he rejuvenated his career with the Cardinals. He hit .295 then .290 with them before becoming a free agent again.
I mean that’s easily available info.
Was everyone in the front office for the trade?
Lasorda was only the manager.
Did the scouting staff and Fred Clair concur? I know failure is an orphan and all that, but there has to be more dirt? No?
Maybe not.
I’m a huge BoSox fan and there’s no small amount of info from Pedro about his thoughts on the trade, how it motivated him and disappointed him. Was Reed not amenable to resigning? Was Pedro never thought of as a starter?
I only got Pedro’s side, from the Globe and whatnot, but there has to be more to the story…
Since the trade happened so long ago, there are not many insider articles about it. I googled the trade and found only one. None of the behind-the-scenes info was available. Lasorda may have only been the manager, but his word carried a lot of weight back then. He had been at the helm for many years. Doubtful that Claire was not in agreement since he pulled the trigger on the trade. And remember, DeShields was just 25, entering the prime of his career supposedly. In hindsight, the trade was awful. But just like AF signing Conforto, no one expected Deshields to perform as badly as he did. In Lasorda’s eyes, and he was in charge, Pedro had too slight a build to be a starter. In his career at the time of the trade, he had started just 3 games in 67 appearances. It was definitely a judgement call at the time, which turned out to be totally wrong.
Sounds like a porn star character or a James Bond love interest.
That would be Dick Lovelady.
I just woke up from a dream where someone on the Rockies hit a 3 run home run to make it 16-2 Colorado in the 7th. It was 3:30 and I couldn’t get back to sleep.
Dammit. I think I need some R&R. Maybe I’ll grab Yamamoto and head to Montana where we’ll do some boating, I can go tubing, he can do some fly fishing and I’ll get arrested for kidnapping.
I’m usually a morning person. Not today.
Don’t worry, it was all a dream. Remember, you used to read word up magazine.
DC beat the Padres 10-6 yesterday, so the Dodgers picked up a half a game in the standings. Like when LA beat DC Sunday 11-6, it wasn’t really as close as the score showed. DC led 10-3 going into the bottom of the 9th. Wood hit another homer, his 22nd. Corbin Carroll has a fractured wrist. No report on how long he will be out. White Sox signed Noah Syndergaard to a minor league deal and the Cubs called up Michael Fulmer. Prosecutors in the Franco trial want a 5-year sentence for him. Reported by Sports Illustrated.
I’m jumping late but because my thoughts are so insightful…..
Position Players:
The Dodgers have a ton of salary going to players hanging onto their primes. Betts, Freeman, Teo, Ohtani, Smith. That money will still be spent when they will be past their primes. That is when the Dodgers could be too old unless the Dodgers can put three players that are in their primes in the lineup that would push those players out of the top three spots in the lineup AND those three spots not be filled with players with huge salaries.
Those three players need to be in their primes otherwise the team will struggle because half would be too young and half would be too old. That’s what they had back when Kent and Gonzalez were complaining about Loney and Kemp not being able to carry them into a championship.
Finding those three players that could carry Betts, Freeman, Smith as those vets age into the latter years of their contract is what drives my desires to choose Outman over Conforto and Freedman over Muncy. Outman and Freedman don’t have to be great this year because of the ability of Betts, Freeman, Teo, Ohtani, Edman, and Pages to provide enough offense.
Kim will soon replace Rojas.
Rushing will help Smith age well.
Pitching:
Glasnow’s contract will not age well. In fact, he already is too old.
Kershaw is too old.
Snell might be too old.
Gonsolin is too old.
Yamamoto is probably a good long term contract and is in his prime.
The Dodgers should have kept Pepiot.
I’m 80% sure this was sarcasm.
Maybe 70%.
I think he’s serious.
John asked about the Chan Ho Park-Tim Belcher fight in 1999. Here is what I got from reading about the incident. In the 5th inning of a game against the Angels on June 5th. Park laid down a bunt which was fielded by Belcher who met him about half-way to first and tagged him out. They exchanged words and then Park threw an elbow to Belcher’s face, and then tried to karate kick him. Both benches emptied. Park was tossed from the game. Park later said that Belcher tagged him very hard and then cursed at him. That is what started the fight. Belcher repeatedly just refused to talk about it. Angels were leading 4-0 at the time. Park got a 10-game suspension but missed just one start. In the bottom of the 6th, LA rallied for 5 runs, 4 coming on a Devon White grand slam, and scored 2 more in the 7th, on a Gary Sheffield 2-run homer for a 7-4 win. Onan Masaoka got the win with Mike Maddux, Pedro Borbon and Jeff Shaw finishing the game.
Thanks Bear, I was telling my son about it so we You Tube the kick. It was epic. Imagine that kick with spikes on.
Park was always sort of a loose cannon. You could see it was pretty easy to tick him off. I doubt Belcher tagged him that hard, they seem to run into each other in the video. To me, Park will always be the guy who gave up 2 grand slams in one inning, to the same guy.
I know that there are so many brilliant minds here with a plan for the Dodger future, but I’m gonna go with the plan of the guy who has produced a 12 year dynasty. He seems to have a pretty good handle on both winning now and maintaining a bright future.
For example and I find this statistic mind boggling, the 2025 Dodgers have only 10 players remaining out of 50 who were on the 2022 roster at some time. And that team won 111 games! AF is playing chess compared to us playing checkers when it comes to roster construction.
Cassidy, it is a lot easier when you sign players to long term deals for lots of $$$. In 2022, the Dodgers had three players signed to contracts longer than 3 years, with an opening day payroll of $281MM and an AAV of $293MM. In 2025, the Dodgers have 9 players with contracts longer than 3 years, and an opening day payroll of $329MM and an AAV of $403MM. Since 2022, the Dodgers have promoted from within exactly 1 starting position player (Pages) and 1 backup (Rushing). The other internal additions post 2022 – Relievers Ben Casparius and Jack Dreyer, and SP Justin Wrobleski.
In 2022, the Dodgers had as MLB ready (or near ready) prospects: Diego Cartaya, Bobby Miller, Michael Busch, Andy Pages, Miguel Vargas, Ryan Pepiot, and Landon Knack. All were top 7 prospects (1-7). All except Cartaya made it. Only Pages remains with the LAD MLB team while only two others are still in the LAD organization at AAA (Miller and Knack). Knack and Miller are looking for change of scenery addresses as well as Outman. Sheehan and Henriquez should be #27 and #28.
In 2025, the Dodgers have Dalton Rushing and Alex Freeland in the top 5, with only Nick Frasso also in the top 11. Outside of Rushing and Freeland, there is not a true MLB regular position playing prospect in AAA or AA.
I assume with the LAD largesse of cash that their current strategy is sustainable, but what happens if Mark Walter decides he wants to spend more time and $$$ on rebuilding the Lakers. His $2B investment in LAD has already tripled, probably not a lot more room for growth, at least not at the rate since his purchase.
i don’t think there’s any worry in the Dodgers spending budget going down. at least not until the RSN deal ends.
i do think the next superstar signing may wait until $$$ comes off the books (Muncy? Muncy and Freeman?)
If the pitching holds up this team as it is currently constructed could win again next year. As Jeff mentioned, there’s nobody in the minors now that improves this roster. Those that are close are similar to those that were close and are now playing elsewhere.
Yeah, I guess I wasn’t clear and apologize for that.
My point is that the team is constructed to win until Freeman’s contract is up.
it will be then, but the next major superstar is added, and the roster looks fundamentally different
Age is a relative to how one did in his younger life. Take Freddie for example example, other playing briefly at third when he was with the Braves, Freeman played first. First is not as demanding on the body than most other positions. If he’d be careful walking around at home and not messing his feet up, he will have a longer shelf life.Betts had played a more demanding position and also stole bases.both Betts and Freeman seem like the type that work out and take care of themselves in the off season. Ohtani the same, his pitching may go before his hitting. I realize I’m biased but Kershaw has more left in the tank. He will be like Greg Maddux, Maddux never threw hard he threw smart. I’ll admit I was done with Muncy, he has proven me wrong. I love when I’m wrong in that sense, that being said it’s time to find a suitor for him in 2026. I hope the Dodgers allow their young outfielders to develop in our system. It would be great to develop one of them as a first basemen and another as a third baseman. Freddie and Teo’s contract expire about the time those youngsters should be able to step up.in my opinion it’s a great time to be a Dodgers fan now and in the future.
I have no doubt that AF will keep this train rolling.
Good win.
Coors sucks.
Conforto showed something.
Wrobo-cop did too.
Coors is a tough place to play. I do not know if you have ever seen a game there, but in all the times I went and watched the Dodgers play there, there was only 1 close low scoring game, a 3-1 win by Maeda on a Saturday night.
Giants lose, Padres win, LA now 4.5 in front of SF and 5.5 in front of the Padres. Still just one game back of Detroit for the best record in the majors. From Smith to Edman, those players had 11 of the teams 14 hits. Betts 2, and Ohtani, 1, had the others. Freeman 0-5 and did not look good doing it.
I’m wondering if Freeman’s problem is just a mechanical glitch in his swing that he will eventually fix, ..or an undisclosed long-term injury he must deal with for the remainder of the season.
I believe it is a combination of a glitch in his swing, and the fact that his ankle is still not right. He has said for quite a few weeks now that he does not feel comfortable at the plate. Ankle has to be part of it.
If the ankle he hurt last year is still an issue, that’s worrisome.
Are they old? Yes. Are they TOO old, no not yet. But the 2025 playoffs will be the last for this core group.
You can be absolutely certain Friedman and company have been and ARE well aware and will address it this offseason. He already did a couple very hard things with Barnesy and CT3 and will likely have to dismiss other players in various ways. I expect Rojas to either be non-tendered or possibly offered some kind of coaching position. Conforto will be gone one way or another another will be several others.
Among those off the roster for 2026 will NOT be Ohtani, Betts or Freeman.