As the game ended on Tuesday, the lineup was as follows:
1B – Kevin Padlo
2B – Jeral Perez
3B – Jake Gelof (#23 prospect)
SS – Noah Miller (#27 prospect)
LF – Samuel Muñoz (#25 prospect)
CF – Dylan Campbell
RF – Zyhir Hope (#21 prospect)
C – Chris Okey
P – Kyle Hurt (#7 prospect)/John Rooney
There is no room on the LAD roster for Kevin Padlo. He is an emergency 1B. He is from Murietta, CA, and undoubtedly grew up a LAD fan, and this is his chance to play for the Dodgers.
Jeral Perez – He is not on the prospect list…yet. But he is someone to watch. He is an 19 year utility infielder who split his time almost equally at 2B, SS, and 3B. At 18, He reached full season A League (Rancho) at the end of the season. He has some pop for an infielder with a .503 SLG at the Arizona Complex League (11 HR/221 PA). This could be a launching year to boost him into prospect status.
Jeral Perez, shortstop from the DR, signs with the Dodgers https://t.co/ZG8rEgV8vn pic.twitter.com/j0tcNb7iNG
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) January 15, 2022
Jake Gelof – Is a hit first 3B. We saw a glimpse of his defense on Tuesday. His backup positions are 1B and LF. With the Dodgers, that basically means LF. I am not sure he hits well enough to be a LF. He had a long season with University of Virginia and then Rancho. He should start at Great Lakes. At 22, I hope he hits well enough to get the push to Tulsa. His bat is going to have to carry him.
Noah Miller – Noah is the antithesis of Jake Gelof. Miller is an elite defensive SS with a very questionable bat. He strikes out a bit too much for a middle infielder with no slug. He played all season at High A in 2023. Hopefully he starts at Tulsa, and the Dodgers can work his swing into contact first. He has good bat speed from both sides of the plate.
Noah Miller with Brother, Brewers Utility Player Owen
Samuel Muñoz – He just turned 19 in September, and played a full season in the ACL. He is of the age of a High School draft pick. Since he is a LAD top 30 prospect, he would be a very good high school pick. He has been moved from the infield to OF. He played CF most of 2023, but figures to move to LF as he grows. He has an instinctive baseball IQ and should start the year at full season low A (Rancho).
Dylan Campbell – A 2023 4th round OF compensation pick out of University of Texas. Baseball Age – 21. Selected about 200 spots before Baseball America’s ranking and about 40 spots before MLB Pipeline. At Texas, Campbell produced an excellent .335/.433/.599 slash line with 13 home runs, 19 doubles, a 14.6% strikeout rate, 13.2% walk rate and added 26 steals for good measure. He is a free swinger who makes contact. He struck out 20% at Rancho with no BBs. He also hit the ball on the ground too much at Rancho. It will be good to see what changes the Dodgers development team can make in his swing. Defensively, Campbell does a good job. He made a very good running catch on his first opportunity in Tuesday’s game, and then misread a ball that was hit over his head and turned an out into a bases clearing double that bounced off his glove (mis-scored IMO). Outfielders will tell you the hardest balls to judge are those hit right at you. Campbell’s first step was in when it should have been back. Joc Pederson caught a lot of flak about his defense, but he was as good as there was when going back on balls. Good read and good first step. In the gaps, not so much.
Zyhir Hope – An exceptional athlete, who could become a stellar OF. He was in the ACL all season in 2023. He was also considered an excellent pitcher prospect. I think the Dodgers are going to see if his athleticism can translate into a top OF prospect, but if not, he could follow in the long line of Dodger 2-way players moving fulltime to pitching.
Chris Okey – At 29, Okey is not a prospect, but could become a good backup catcher for a MLB team. He is having as good of a Spring as any reserve on any team. .500/.500/.929/1.429 in 14 PA. He seems to hit the ball hard every time he makes contact. I do not expect it to happen, but I would not be upset if he were the LAD backup to Smith. And that is coming from a big Austin Barnes supporter.
This week we also got to see Thayron Liranzo play 1B. He is a larger human than I expected. When taking a throw from 2B, he slipped on the bag and fell down, perhaps turning his ankle a bit. He is going to have to learn not to stand on the base when taking throws from his infielders. Hopefully the strides he took catching last season will continue and he will become a very good catcher prospect. He is already an exceptional offensive prospect, arguably the best in the organization.
Kyle was Hurt by the defense behind him. He should have got out of the 9th unscathed, but allowed 4 unearned runs. Three of the four came across from the double hit off John Rooney on a ball that should have been caught. Coulda, woulda, shoulda, for both pitchers. Rooney continued his excellent spring, allowing his first hit (non-hit). I think we will see John Rooney at Dodger Stadium this summer.
As a follow up, on Wednesday, we got to see Josue De Paula again. In his first plate appearance on March 2, Josue hit an opposite field HR. In the final Arizona ST game, in his 2nd plate appearance, Josue hit a line drive single into left center. He also made a diving catch in RF, but almost broke his wrist as he fell on top of it in his dive. I am sure he was reminded that they did not need for him to get hurt in a meaningless game.
This was an excellent catch from Josue De Paula, and thankfully his wrist appears to be okay pic.twitter.com/AaSmLb978i
— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) March 13, 2024
Nice swing on a ninth inning single for Josue De Paula after working the count full
Remember, he is 18 years old pic.twitter.com/qLKv3Z3B5T
— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) March 13, 2024
For the most part, these were kids that got a taste of MLB. Most are not ready for MLB, but it sure is nice to see the C-Team kids getting a chance to play.
Can’t wait to see minor league assignments. Low A should be loaded.
Pitching at the upper levels, hitting at the lower.
Don’t sell the pitching short at the lower levels.
Payton Martin, Jang, . . .
Here’s the full traveling roster:
Catchers (3): Austin Barnes, Hunter Feduccia, Will Smith
Infielders (6): Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Kiké Hernández, Gavin Lux, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas
Outfielders (5): Teoscar Hernández, Jason Heyward, James Outman, Chris Taylor, Miguel Vargas
Designated Hitter (1): Shohei Ohtani
Starters (7): Tyler Glasnow, Michael Grove, Kyle Hurt, Landon Knack, Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Relievers (9): Ryan Brasier, J.P. Feyereisen, Daniel Hudson, Joe Kelly, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Gus Varland, Alex Vesia, Ryan Yarbrough
The only position players not on the 26 man are Miguel Vargas and Hunter Feduccia.
Kyle Hurt, Landon Knack, and Gus Varland are undoubtedly headed to OKC before March 28.
Stop the Presses: Aaron Donald to join the Dodgers as new Starting SS!!!
So then the pitching staff on opening day, the 28th, should look like this or no:
Starters not in any order:
Yamamoto
Glasnow
Miller
Paxton
Stone
Relievers:
Phillips
Brasier
Treinen
Kelly
Hudson
Graterol
The last 2 spots are out of these: Vesia, Yarbrough, Feyereisen. Which 2 do you think?
Graterol is going to open the season on the IL. Vesia and Yarbrough are locks since there are no other lefties on the 40-man. Feyereisen will take Graterol’s place
No Gage or TJ?
Gage is behind Vesia and Yarbrough, and TJ needs a corresponding 40 man move.
Vesia & Yarbs
I agree with Bear. I have been hit over the head too many times with incorrect medical status reports delievered by the Dodgers to believe Graterol will be ready. That would mean that all three would be on the 26 man to statrt the season. Vesia and Feyereisen have options.
I rarely believe any of their medical reports anymore. Been that way for a couple of years. Another one of the Astro’s starting pitchers, Jose Urquidy, is being evaluated for an elbow injury. Bad situation for the Stros as they are already without Verlander, McCullers and Garcia.
It has finally been revealed that Shohei Ohtani had a hybrid internal brace procedure. This is very similar (if not identical) to what Tyler Glasnow had.
Via Associated Press:
Glasnow has said that his elbow feels as strong as ever. Glasnow’s surgery was performed by the aforementioned Dr. Keith Meister. Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed Ohtani’s and stated that he and Meister use the same philosophy. Medical science gets better and better.
Ohtani is scheduled to throw a simulated game in September. It looks more and more as if Ohtani will be good to go next year and with a bionic elbow.
Nice
So much talent on this team it’s absurd
Recent advances in medicine (nearly across the board) are really mind-boggling.
In jest, kind of, I said years ago where doctors would transplant steel cable in the elbow for a new UCL. Abraided ligament sound like that. It will never fray and bolts can lock it through bones. I see it now, as some idiot parents have already done with their healthy 16 year olds, get a steel Tommy John cable for optimum performance for a career. Bionic arms.
As we all know, Wednesday was the last day in Arizona for the Dodgers Big Club. I have a friend in town and we definitely wanted to catch the last day’s events against the Mariners. We started the day by driving over to Camelback Ranch to buy game day tickets at 10:00. I refused to pay the inflated prices of tickets online including the extra 6 bucks each to sent them to my phone. So I priced tickets in my favorite 2 sections. The cheapest was $100 bucks each. Nope. So we bought 2 tickets to sit in the outfield grass berm, just to get us in the place. $32 bucks each to sit on the grass game day. We then ventured to the back fields and parked and watch BP and infield work. Very fun but a huge crowd in a small space. That was over by 11:30 and the plan was to drive to a front handicapped lot to park for the game. The lots were full. There are now 2 ways into Camelback Ranch. Used to be one only. We drove each way to find parking. The traffic was backed up each direction for a mile of more. They were using the overflow dirt lot behind the entire complex all the way the Camelback Road, a very long walk to the ballpark entrances. I can’t walk that far. So we went to plan B. We drove back to my Condo and broke out the bicycles and rode back to the Ranch, passing hundreds of cars all jam in lines and not moving. There is no way these folks could have found parking and gotten to their seats by the 5th inning, if ever. We rode right up to the front gate, locked the bikes and made it for top of the 2nd. The stadium was packed but I had another friend who had 2 unoccupied seats in the 5th row behind the on-deck circle that were below his seats. So we had premium seats for $64 instead of $200+. I have never ever in all my Spring games ever seen Camelback that packed and the parking lot that full. Fun day but a giant free for all hassle.
I’m glad the Dodgers are gone so things can get back to a more traditional, leisurely spring training atmosphere with only the White Sox here. What a zoo.
Dealing with those issues of parking, ticket prices, etc etc has cured me. Catch you on the tube.
$32 to sit on the grass??? For a get-away spring training game??? That is crazy.
I miss Vero Beach.
I think it’s the anticipation of how good this season could be, everyone wants to be a part of it in some way.
phil is right about how crowded it was but I still enjoyed it enough to try to make it out there again next year.
Jeff, that price was a walk-up, game day price. The berm seatings on the Camelback Ranch site for advance purchase were $89 dollars each for every game I looked at.
BY THE WAY, I predict Yamamoto will be the 3rd or 4th Dodger starter in the rotation by the All-Star Break if not sooner, surpassed by Glasgow, Miller and hopefully Buehler, sooner of later.
Dodgerrick yesterday said Rojas would make a a good replacement if Lux doesn’t cut it and Mookie movers to 2nd.
I have been saying this practically every single day for months. No need for a trade, additional salary, and 20 homers with this line up. .237 and great D from Rojas solves the problem but Adames name keeps showing up like a bad penny. HE IS NOT THE ANSWER.
Totally agree Phil. I don’t get a lot of fans fixation on Adames. They won over 100 games last year with Rojas as the primary SS. Adames is extremely overrated. Not a significant improvement over Rojas and it would cost more money in salary as well as some good prospects. For a freaking rental. Hell No!!
Justin Wilson signs a MLB deal with the Reds for $1.5MM, and another $1MM in incentives. I guess his opt out worked just fine.
Taking advantage of the bad pitcher development market inefficiency?
Use the Dodgers in Spring Training to improve your value, hit open market?
Seems to work most of the time.
Can’t keep all of them. Sigh.
Rosenthal on the Betts move to SS ($$$$)
https://theathletic.com/5342560/2024/03/15/mookie-betts-dodgers-shortstop/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=twhq&source=twitterhq
“…
So, why are the Dodgers doing this, even if the decision, in the classic description by manager Dave Roberts, is only “permanent for now”? Because the team believes strongly in Gavin Lux’s bat, and wants to see if his throwing will improve moving from short to second. Because making Miguel Rojas the primary shortstop for a second straight season might be too much to ask of him at 35. And mostly, because Betts is confident he can play the position at a high level
…”
Still snowing here. Over a foot already. No game today, so I am doing some stuff on my computer.
Where do you live Bear? Snow is no bueno.
Canon City Colorado.
Pirates sign Michael A Taylor to a one-year 4-million-dollar deal.
A’s nab JD Davis
I am of the age now that I hope I am around to see the Dodgers win another Championship. I hope it is with this team because this looks like something special. But we felt the same way in 22 when they won 111 games. It is not easy to win the whole thing in this era of baseball. And despite what many think, all a team with lesser talent needs to do is get HOT at the right moment. Arizona proved that last year.
Last three years have been embarrassing postseason flops.