In a season full of great moments, and some not so great, which one is your favorite? Buehler’s 9th inning performance in game 5? Shohei’s three homer, 10 RBI game to reach the 50-50 mark? Freddie’s walk off grand slam in game 1? To my way of thinking, there are just too many to choose from. I have several I felt were pivotable to the season. One of which was the last series they played with the Padres before the season ended.
They needed to win the last two games to clinch the division. That was a point in the season that if it had gone differently, could have changed the whole playoff scenario. Had the Padres managed to win the division, LA would have had to play the Braves. And the whole home field advantage for every series might have been lost. At worst, they would have had to play 3 of the LDS games at Petco. 
Since for me it is impossible to just pick one, I will choose a few that really made me smile. The first one was Yamamoto’s game against the Yankees on June 7th at Yankee Stadium. LA was 39-25 going into the game, 8 games up in the West. The Yankees were 44-20 going into the game. They were 4.5 games up in the AL East. Yoshi faced off against Cody Poteet.
It was Poteet’s third MLB start. Yamamoto pitched 7 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 7. The Dodgers did not fare much better against Poteet in his 4.2 innings. They had 2 hits and 3 walks and struck out just once. Former Dodger Victor Gonzalez pitched 2.3rds of an inning. He was followed by Michael Tonkin, 1.2, Caleb Ferguson, 1 and Clay Holmes, 1, all of whom kept the Dodgers scoreless.
Meanwhile the Dodger bullpen behind Yoshi did the same, Banda gave up 2 hits in his 2/3rds inning stint. Treinen came in and walked a batter but got the last out in the 8th. Hudson and Grove pitched scoreless frames in the 9th and 10th innings. The Yankees Ian Hamilton pitched a scoreless 10th and went back out for the 11th inning. Ohtani was the ghost runner on second. Freeman hit a ball that Torres mishandled for an error. Smith made an out. Then Teo doubled off of Hamilton with Ohtani and Freeman scoring. Yohan Ramirez took over in the 11th. With 1 out, Judge singled in Volpe. Ramirez then got the next two hitters to end the game. With the 2-1 win, LA then won the second game and took the series from the Yankees.
Later I took that as an omen. They beat the Yankees two of three in New York, then did the same thing in the World Series. It was just meant to be! The next one also happened in June, this time in Colorado. It was the second game of a 4-game series in Denver. Buehler got the start for LA against Gomber. Buehler had a really bad game. In four innings he gave up 7 runs on 7 hits and a walk. Two of the hits were homers.
Meanwhile Gomber went 6.2 innings and allowed just 4 runs. Ohtani and Pages took him deep, but both were solo shots. Rockies scored single runs in the sixth and seventh and were up 9-4 going into the top of the ninth. The Rockies sent Tyler Kinley out to start the ninth. The Dodgers managed to load the bases with one out. Jason Heyward was sent up to pinch hit for Taylor. Heyward launched a drive down the right field line that hit the foul pole for a grand slam homer. 9-8 Rockies. Rockies replaced Kinley with Vodnik. 
Ohtani singled and Smith struck out. Freeman was walked intentionally. Teo came up to the plate. He had two strikes on him when Vodnik fired a high fastball that it looked like he had swung. But the first base ump said no. Rockies went bat nuts crazy. On the very next pitch, Teo launched a ball over the right center field fence into the bullpen for a three-run homer. LA 11, Colo 9. Phillips retired the Rocks in the 9th for his 11th save. Michael Petersen got his first major league win. Dodgers would take 3 of a 4-game series. 
There was a game on the 29th of June in San Francisco that was both painful and then fun to watch. Glasnow started for the Dodgers against Eric Miller who was the opener for the Giants. Spencer Howard was supposed to be the bulk guy. Giants scored 1 in the bottom of the first. LA scored in the top of the second and on a solo homer by Ohtani in the third. In the bottom of the third, the Giants jumped all over Glasnow scoring 4 runs and effectively knocking him out of the game. Glasnow went three, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits, and 2 walks.
In the top of the fourth, the Dodgers returned the favor and scored 4 off of Howard. The Giants tied the game in the bottom of the fifth off of Yohan Ramirez. The game stayed tied through the 9th inning. The Dodgers scored a run in the top of the 10th off of Hjelle. The Giants got it back by scoring off of Hudson. Hjelle went back out to pitch the eleventh inning for the Giants. This was where the fun began.
The Dodgers would get to Hjelle for 7 runs. The final blow was a triple by Heyward that scored the last 2 runs. Smith also had a double off of Hjelle. What I loved about the game, despite the 14 runs, was the fact that of their 16 hits, LA had only 6 extra base hits. All five of the Giants extra base hits were doubles. Miggy drove in 4 runs with 3 singles. Yarbrough closed it out and Hudson, who blew the save got his 5th win. 
Sweeping three from Boston coming out of the All-Star break was nice. Especially the 11-inning walk off win on Saturday. Kike tied the game twice with a homer in the ninth off of Jansen and a single in the 10th. Pages drove in the winning run in the 11th off of Weissert with a double off of the wall. My next favorite came at the end of August in Arizona when Ohtani, Betts and Freeman homered in the first inning off of Merrill Kelly in a game LA eventually won 8-6. First time in Dodger history that the first three hitters hit home runs consecutively. 
The next regular season game on my list was September 19th in Miami. Shohei Ohtani had the best single game performance in Dodger history. 6-6 with 3 homers, 2 doubles, 2 stolen bases and 10 runs driven in. But the reason the game was so memorable was Ohtani reaching 50 steals and 50 homers. His second one, a 2-run shot to right off of George Soriano was his 50th. The third, a mammoth blast to deep left off of Mike Baumann was #51. His second stolen base was his 51st also. He just missed the cycle getting thrown out at third on his second double. Dodgers won 20-4.
When the Dodgers came home to face the Rockies, they were up by four games over the Padres. They beat Colorado 2 of 3 and then San Diego came to town. They had a 3-game lead and their magic number was 4. Mike King faced Knack in the opener. The Dodgers scored 1 in the first off of King and that was it. Knack gave up 2 in the second and 2 in the fourth. LA did not score again until the ninth when they scored 1 on 3 hits off of Suarez. The 4-2 loss left the Dodgers with just a 2-game lead with 5 to play.
Game two pitted Cease against Flaherty. LA jumped out 1-0 again, and the Padres scored 2 in the second. Dodgers scored 2 in the fourth to go up 3-2 and a Tatis homer in the fifth tied the game at 3. LA scored 1 in the sixth off of Estrada and Morejon. Phillips, Treinen and Kopech shut the Padres down the rest of the way for the 4-3 win. Lead back to 3 games and magic number to clinch the division at 2.
Game three pitted Buehler against Musgrove. Walker responded with 5 innings of 1 run, 5 hit baseball. He walked 1 and struck out one. Musgrove shut the Dodgers down until the seventh. He would give up 2 runs, 5 hits and a walk. He struck out 6. Tanner Scott came in and the Dodgers hung a 3 spot on Scott. Smith’s 2-run homer was the blemish on Musgrove. But the Dodgers now led, 5-2, the second Padres run had been charged to Phillips. LA would score 2 more in the eighth on a Pages homer off of Hoenig. Treinen and Kopech shut down SD in the eighth and ninth for the win, and the division title. LA had a 5-game winning streak heading into the post season. 
We all know how the playoffs went. LA having to win two elimination games against the Padres and they beat Cease and Darvish with shutouts. The NLCS where they got 2 more shutouts in the first three games. Four shutouts in the playoffs were just unheard of. They lost game five in New York but then won the pennant at home with a 10-5 win. Edman was the series MVP. 
Then came the amazing finish to game one of the World Series. Freddie entering into Dodger lore with a first pitch walk-off grand slam in extra innings for the 6-3 win. Freddie hitting homers in four straight series games to set a record of six straight counting the last two games of the 21 series with the Braves. And the improbable 5 run rally against the Yankees in game five at Yankee Stadium, where a stunned NY crowd saw their heroes implode. LA finally broke the curse and won a full season championship for the first time since 1988. As fans we all are proud of how this team did not quit when things got tough. They just outplayed their demons. 
Buehler final strike to Verdugo
RIP, Padres, Yankees, Mets
I would love to see them get Edman under contract pretty quickly.
Me too
Edman extension would be nice and I hope they get it done, but let’s not get carried away. Edman was by far the best player in the NLCS but his season numbers weren’t impressive. Sure he was coming back after an extended time on the IL but looking at his career numbers they are fairly consistent with his numbers during the regular season. I remember when Kike blew up Chicago in a playoff game, he didn’t get a huge extension because his overall numbers told a different story. We need Edman if the front office doesn’t think Freeland is ready or we don’t get a CF. Again I hope we sign him to an extension.
Edman should start by asking for $70 million for four years.
After all, Taylor got $60million for four…
And the cost of talent is going up.
Big difference is the fact Edman is 29 years old, younger than Kike, Taylor and Rojas, who are all utility guys now. He is a switch hitter who is multi-positional. I give him a pass on his season numbers since he only played in 37 games. His career BA is 34 points higher than Kike and 13 higher than Taylor. He can play two premium defensive positions, CF and SS and plays both well and he earned a gold glove as a second baseman. He also is a bigger stolen base threat than any of those guys. He had more steals in a single season than Kike has stolen his entire career. They love the guy, and his versatility. Get R Done!
How could you not want to keep this guy? He’s little, but mighty!
And Edman already won a gold glove at 2B.
Big kudos to AF and Gomes for getting him and Kopech in the same deal.
And now they add Snell.
Damn.
A good SS is in the $20-30 million range.
If I was Edman’s agent, I’d be seeking SS money. Edman may be a UT player, but it sure looks like the Dodgers plan to use him every day, at SS or CF….
Dodgers have paid Taylor $60m for 4 years to be a UT guy….
Would Edman be wrong to seek a $100 million, 5 year deal?
All of those moments were great. You play the game to win the WS. So for me, the best moment of the year was Walker Buehler striking out Alex Verdugo to win it all.
And yes, I too hope they sign Edman to an extension soon.
I loved the way Buehler just went right through those last 3 hitters. Wonder if it is possible he joins old buddy Corey Seager in Texas. Seager had nothing but praise for Walker. Said he is the guy you want on the mound to close out a big game.
Freeman’s granny by a landslide
Awesome shot. Hit the Yankees right in the heart, snatching defeat from victory. That is on Boone. Bringing in a guy to pitch who hadn’t pitched in quite a while.
Taking down the Puds in the NLDS and shutting up their trio of clowns, Tatis, Machado, and Profar was especially pleasing for me.
That was epic
I will have to have to say the unbelievable Grand Slam by the man the truest pure hitter of our time Freddie Freeman.
Not to mention how jacked up his ankle was when he performed that epic moment
That is the truth. Freeman hit another grand slam during the season at Dodger Stadium that ended up winning the game. LA was down 1-0 in the eighth against the Red Sox on July 19th. Nick Pivetta had shut LA down. Freddie hit a slam in the 8th to win it 4-1.
The single moment we’ll always remember, of course, is Freddie’s walk-off slam in Game One of the WS.
Simply epic. And the way Freddie raised his bat in triumph… an indelible image.
But it sure is nice to be reminded of all these other moments, such as Shohei’s ridiculous game to reach 50-50, and the back-to-back-to-back HRs by the big three. Nice to be reminded of Heyward’s heroics too.
For best defensive moment, it’s hard to top Kiermeier’s catch in center and the throw home to cut down speedy Brice Turang. Platinum glove stuff.
But Teo’s throw from LF cut down Stanton in the World Series. (Nice play by Smith on both plays.
While we can revel in so many great moments, Yankee fans are cursed by memories of the blunders of Judge, Volpe and Cole.
Or was that Rizzo’s fault?
I think both guys screwed up.
Brain fart by both of them. But it was Cole’s job to cover first.
Some reporter for the sporting news seems to think LA will sign both Fried and Adames. Add Teo to the mix and I would be happy.
Now is it Snell and Adames?
Might be, I am just surprised they signed one of Boras’s clients. 60 million is deferred.
The rumor mill is so all over the place right now. What is known is that the White Sox asking price for Robert Jr. is through the roof. White Sox are focusing on position players in any trades they might make.
Will notdothe WS any good to ask for the moon.
If they wait until the deadline of next season the aquiring team will have lost a full half year of control plus who knows how good Robert jun will play in 2025?
WS are going nowhere with or without Robert jun.
So asking for the sky is not a good business decision.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!
I agree, but tell that to their GM.
I don’t get how Robert Jr. Is worth so much. I mean one good season. Someone explain it to me. I know we don’t have a defensive centerfielder that hits great,but darn
I think it’s Roberts’ ceiling, he’s proven he can hit 38 HRs in a season not many CFers can, or have ever done that, Add to that, he’s only 26 so in theory his best years are ahead of him not behind, and that’s what is driving his cost. I’m not saying anybody should pay an outrageous cost for him, especially because he’s hurt way too often, but I’ll admit I was one of the guys who wanted to see AF trade for him last season.
i think the Dodgers have many ways they can play this, as has been mentioned, they can trade for Roberts, they can trade for be Bellinger, they can sign Adames and put Edman in CF, those are the big obvious options I’m sure there are a bunch of other ways this can all turn out.
Uh, Keith, that is incorrect. Many center fielders have hit way more than 38. The most being 58 by Judge. Hack Wilson and Griffey Jr. hit 56. Mantle had 54 and 52. Mays 52 and 51. Andruw Jones hit 51 and Brady Anderson hit 50. Snider hit 40 or more 5 times in a row. Bellinger had 47. Mike Trout. I don’t like trading for the guy because of his injury history. He had a monumentally bad season. His value is at it’s lowest point. They are not going to get what they want.
White Sox will wait for the trade deadline to trade Roberts if they do at all. They will certainly not get what they are asking for now. If he stays healthy the first half and puts up good numbers he will be very sought after at the deadline.
That is the truth.
Robert is just so physically gifted. In that regard, he reminds me of Puig. Big, fast, strong, great arm, great glove.
Belli is getting paid a lot more than Robert, actually. For Belli, I’d try to unload Taylor. Belli has some sentimental appeal, but even his “bounce back” season was not that special.
Dodgers will probably pass on both of these guys. But if Teo goes elsewhere, Roberts could make a lot of sense.
Another reason for a blockbuster is that the Dodgers have a surplus of aging prospect capital. Any offer for Roberts could include 4A types like Ryan Ward and Feduccia. (I have no problem sending a care package to the White Sox. Should the Dodgers send five or six guys unlikely to play much in Chavez Ravine for a new centerfielder? Why not?)
The price should be very high. Part of the reason is that Robert is playing under a team-friendly contract.
He is, potentially, an upgrade over Teo because of his defense and relative youth. But his salary over the next couple of seasons is much lower that what Teo will be getting. The biggest question is whether he can stay healthy and benefit from a top-shelf franchise where doesn’t have to be “The Man.”
Now that Snell is signed, would it make sense to bid for Robert instead of Crochet?
Robert would cover CF, pushing Edman to either SS or a corner OF, depending on who else might come in.
Plausible offer: Lux, Outman or Pages, Rushing, Bobby Miller.
That’s four guys who could be stalwarts, including a couple with star potential.
FWIW, I think the ChiSox desperately need pitchers too. They might think their that hitting and fielding is their big problem–but the White Sox are just a bad team every which way.
Beast-mode lineup, if AF really wants to pig out:
Shohei DH
Mookie 2B
Freddie 1B
Teo RF
Max 3B
Robert CF
Smith C
Adames SS
Edman LF
Edman is not going to play a corner outfield position. No way, he either plays CF or SS. I don’t think they even consider Robert Jr. His injury history should be enough to make any team shy away from him. Teo is a better option.
For me the best moment: WB striking out Verdugo for all the marbles.
Close second FF walk off GS.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The second becomes a footnote without the first.
Yep!!
The one move I did not agree with was releasing Heyward in August. Yeah, J-Hey was not having a great year. But he was the left-handed power bat off of the bench they did not have for the rest of the year. Plus, they released him three days after he hit a game winning three run homer off of Munoz to beat Seattle. He had some big hits for Houston down the stretch.
I share that sentiment.
I hope Heyward gets a sweet WS share.
He will get a share, how much, I do not know, but he also will get a ring.
Dodgers could trade Taylor for Bellinger if the Cubs are open to it. Saves the Cubs about $12.5M this year and they are off the hook for the $25M in 2026 if Belli doesn’t opt out. Dodgers would basically be getting Belli for $12.5M in 2025. It is risky.
He’s still a 2 WAR player in his prime. It’s not a bad idea, but I do think the Dodgers want to do better at that position. Edman could put up 2 WAR as an every day centerfielder but he won’t slug like Bellinger.
Ideally I would like to see Edman doing what he did this year. And if you look at his stat sheet in 6 years he has played 2B, SS, CF, LF, RF, and 3B. He’s a baller and we’re lucky to have him. Everyday CFer? Split SS time with Rojas? I don’t think so but I have no idea what Friedman thinks.
Odds are that Belli won’t slug like Belli.
It’s possible that Edman shuttles between SS and CF, sharing the jobs with Rojas and perhaps Outman/Taylor/Kike (if Kike returns.) Mookie shuttled between RF and 2B.
If the Dodgers sign Adames, Edman could be full-time in CF.
That said, Outman has earned a return engagement, but he may be best as a platoon player–or as trade chip. He’s one year removed from finishing 3rd for NY ROY. He would start in CF for a lot of teams–and could still start on the Dodgers.
Belli’s ship has sailed. And why in the world would the Cubs want Taylor?
Salary dump for both teams.
Pages had quite a few [clutch] big hits and homers this year.
Pages did not impress me all that much. Had some good games and hit 2 homers in a LCS loss to the Mets. 1.3 WAR is not all that, and his OPS was barely above .700. He certainly did not look like an everyday player. His defense in center was awful. He did not play a single game in the World Series for a reason.
Agree. That’s why the Dodgers have to do better than an OF of Rushing (?), Edman/Outman, & Pages. Not good at all.
Yeah I’m with you there, I’m hoping that’s not what the OF ends up looking like.
like bear I’m not as sold on Pages as some of you other guys are, I’m ok with him being our fourth OFer, or in a corner position if we have two other really good OFers.
Pages crushed lefties with a OPS over 900, but struggled against righties, with an OPS below 700.
He is at risk of being a platoon player. Right now, he should platoon with Outman.
Also, Pages is a mediocre fielder, while Outman has a superior glove.
All considered, I would have no problem including Pages in a trade.
Same here.
Apparently the Dodgers have made an offer to Soto.
My friends and family don’t want to sign him. I don’t think it’s because they don’t like him near as much that he represents buying a championship.
Who would leadoff? Soto is an on base machine and a good guy to maximise at bats.
LF. Soto
2b. Betts
1b. Freeman
DH. Ohtani
C. Smith
3b. Muncy
RF Pages
CF. Outman
SS. Edmand
Glasnow, Yamamoto, Ohtani, (Lux, Rushing), Suzuki, Miller, Gonsolin, knack, Kershaw, May, Sheehan
Im with your family Bear they dont need Soto on the other hand i think Edmans a ballplayers ballplayer. Imo they should sign him immediately.
Clarification please:
In your list of pitchers, who is Suzuki? Did you mean Sasaki? Or have you traded for the Cubs outfielder and made him a pitcher? I ask because I know how you like to try players in positions they haven’t played before.
And is (Lux, Rushing) supposed to indicate that they’ve been traded for a pitcher, such as Crochet? I think the Sox might go for that although they’d probably ask for at least one more player.
1 more clarification: where is Joc on that list??
That ship sailed a long time ago. Joc is nothing more than a DH now. He did not play a single game in the field last year.
I’m trying to replace Joc with Outman. Joc has made his fortune and with 10 years in, he gets a full pension.
If he could still play some outfield, that would be Ok, but he can’t.
To be honest, spell check offered up Suzuki and I accepted the offer. Sasaki isn’t spell checks go to word, yet.
Probably Chrochet.
Soto might have a great OBP, but he does not steal much. I wouldn’t have him hitting ahead of Mookie or Ohtani. I go Ohtani, Betts, Freeman, Smith, Soto, Muncy, If they also re-signed Teo, I would hit him fourth.
Soto is overrated.
Not so much overrated as overvalued. His defense is mediocre at best. He to me does not have a great baseball clock. Have seen him hesitate many times when he should have just gone for it.
Speed and steals don’t matter nearly as much as on-base percentage–and Soto has been at or near the top for years.
There is really no bad place to put a bat like Soto’s, but if you have your top on-base guys in the first three spots the odds are good that the 4th and 5th batters step to the plate with men on base.
FWIW, I expect Shohei’s steals to decline in ’25. If he ran as much as he did in the second half, he could steal 70. But his injury on a slide should discourage management, especially since he is also expected to pitch.
Smith had a somewhat down year with the bat–but he was the clean-up hitter at the start. When he’s on, he walks more than he Ks.
Dodgers just have an embarrassment of riches…
Shohei is a lead-off beast…
I’d go with
Shohei
Mookie
Soto
Freddie….etc.
Won’t work in Robert’s system. He likes left-right-left-right. Makes lineup less susceptible to left-handed pitching. I doubt they get Soto anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. If you check their career stats, Betts is the best leadoff hitter on the team.
Obvious high points of the season are winning the WS but on a personal note my favorite moment was the fan’s reception for Freddie Freeman when he returned to the lineup after his absence due to his son’s medical struggle. His tearful response while trying to get in the box to hit, was worth a thousand words. If you didn’t feel for the man and have tears in your eyes, someone stole your heart.
His grand slam is in 2nd place. This guy is such a good man and great baseball player. His struggles through the season didn’t go unnoticed by his teammates as they bonded to win a Championship.
Very true Phil. It was a very heartwarming moment.
The MLB total post season pool totaled nearly $129.1MM, eclipsing last year’s record by more than $21MM. The Dodgers share was a record $46,473,177.14. The Dodgers had 79 full shares of the post season pool totaling $477,440.70 each and 19 partial shares totaling $405,000 each.
Baseball America just dropped their top 30 International Free Agents not named Rōki Sasaki and the team they are expected to sign with. Of the top 30, the Dodgers have zero. I wonder where they have their $$$ allocated for. San Diego is another team that is not projected to sign any of the top 30 IFA. San Diego has a pool of $6,261,600. LAD’s pool is $5,146,200. Looks like the Dodgers need to trade some prospects for International Bonus $$$. Let the battle begin.
Wow, about 10 years’ worth of salary for me and they get it in a lump sum. Shows how far they have come since I first started watching the game. I think the 59 Dodgers got about 11,231.00.
The Dodgers have/had some money left over this year for Saski if posted. Now that it looks like it will be next year, what happens to that money?
Giants signed Max Stassi to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training.
Dodgers sign Blake Snell 5 years, 182mil!!
Is this real
Reported by Fiensand, Passan and Ardaya
Indeed,indeed it is real .what a great pitcher .
Off to the races!!!! AF isn’t even making it a fair fight!
Repeat
I just read about this myself, WOW, But how does this affect a reunion with Teo? He is getting a 52 million dollar signing bonus and deferred money.
Yes. Deferred $$$. But this signing just blew out the post I had planned for tomorrow, so if Bear has one to go, he can publish. I am going to have to try and resurrect what I wrote. I did not see this coming. But then again, after last year, AF/BG are playing with a different deck that what I was used to.
So much for AF not signing Boras clients.
First Boras client signed for more than one year since Brown signed in 99.
Good pitcher. But, 5 years? He’s 32. $36+ mil a year is roughly 4.55 WAR each year until he’s 36. Let me be the first to say that ain’t gonna happen.
I’m glad he’s here but this looks like an overpay.
Wow is right.
Looks to me that the brass made Snell a priority over Burnes, Fried, Crochet and others. Snell didn’t want to wait like he did last season.
When he’s on, he’s pretty great. He gives the rotation a lefty, and maybe he’ll pitch a bit deeper with a six-man rotation.
My own preference would have been a trade for Crochet, because he’s only 26 and trades are more fun.
Now what if the Dodgers add Sasaki?
Egad.
Difference between Snell and Burnes and Fried is Snell is the only one without a QO attached.
Awesome news for the team.
Not so awesome news for the poster with the fake name Blute.
I was/am wrong again!
Didn’t think the Dodgers would go more than 3 years. Wrong on that.
Didn’t think the Dodgers would pay market for a non-Superstar. Wrong on that.
Didn’t think the Dodgers would deal with Boras. Wrong on that.
But, despite this I’m super-stoked with this. Probably will suck in years 4&5, but this is the advantage of being a big market team.
$52mm signing bonus.
Some deferment.
No opt-outs.
According to reports, 60 million is deferred.
Candidates for six-man rotation:
Snell
Shohei
Yamamoto
Glasnow
Gonsolin
B. Miller
Knack
All these guys are under contract, as are May, Wrobleski, Frasso, Ferris…with Kershaw and Sheehan expected back in a few months.
Plausible additions:
Sasaki
Buehler
Best moment of the season for me is definitely waking up to the news that the Dodgers have signed Blake Snell!!!
The first one of my three S. has signed. Now on to Sasaki and Soto and make it a S. trifecta! 😀
Many said the Dodgers would not sign a Boras client. Many said they would not go more than 3 years for a pitcher north of 30 years old.
Many said not more than 3 years and 110-115 million total for Snell.
All wrong.
If healtyh this shapes up to be one of the best rotations the Dodgers have ever had.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Soto is not going to sign with LA. Bank on it. He is going to be a Met.
While we revel in the arrival of Snell and ponder the possibility of Soto, I was heartened to see a spirited defense of much-maligned Max Muncy in TrueblueLA.
https://www.truebluela.com/2024/11/26/24303888/max-muncy-2024-dodgers-review.
The writer notes that Max’s defense metrics improved and that his offensive performance when he was able to play actually outpaced Silver Slugger winner Machado:
“After back-to-back seasons below the 15th percentile in Outs Above Average, Muncy’s performance put him in the 64th mark across 2024, the kind of improvement that gives you peace of mind about the sustainability of this role. A much better defender at first, Muncy could’ve been much happier and comfortable just running down his deal with the Dodgers and getting more money to cover first elsewhere, instead, he chose to stay with Los Angeles. The improvement was so good that in the Dodgers’ crucial postseason moments, it wasn’t Muncy who was leaving late for a defensive replacement, it was Teoscar Hernández. Something that would’ve never been the case in 2023 or 2022.
“Unfortunately for Muncy, he wasn’t able to stay healthy enough during the regular season to fight for what would’ve been the first Silver Slugger Award of his career (Muncy wrapped up the year with a .858 OPS whereas Manny Machado who took home the award didn’t eclipse the .800 mark).”
Even though Max has a habit of hitting 35 HRs a year, fans often wrongly perceive him as a weak link. Part of the reason, perhaps, is his husky build–though he is quicker and faster than perceived. His patience as a hitter frustrates fans. He’s a grinder who nearly retired from the game before the Dodgers brought him in on a minor league deal and helped Max maximize his hitting ability. He turned himself a top-tier first baseman but gamely took over 3B to accommodate Freddie–and is so grateful to the Dodgers that he negotiated team-friendly deals to stay with the club….
And yet some fans still wonder why the Dodgers don’t trade for Arenado…