Okay guys, 37 days until the deadline. Let’s hear your best ideas for trades the Dodgers should make by July 30th. I firmly believe they will go after at least one bench piece, a starting pitcher, and maybe a back end of the bullpen arm.
I think and believe AF and Gomes will see what the market has to offer, and then make choices they feel will best help the team reach its goal of a World Series title. I think they might be looking for a right-handed power bat. There will be a couple of those available.
I also think that with the recent injuries, the uncertainty of Kershaw’s return, they will have to consider trading for a starter. There will no doubt be several of those out there and available for trade.
Try to keep it realistic. Pick players who actually might get moved. And don’t always shoot for the superstars. AF has only traded for one superstar position player at the deadline since he took over after the 2014 season. Have fun now!
I believe they need at least one starting pitcher. One I would consider and who has been mentioned is Yusei Kikuchi of the Blue Jays. Jack Flaherty of the Tigers would also be a possibility. I do not think they will pursue an Ace type pitcher. Another back of the bullpen arm could be added, but, if they believe Graterol will be ready at some point in August, this might not be the case. I do not think they will trade for a SS unless the price is not outrageous. I also do not believe they will trade for Robert Jr. His price is said to be very high. An outfielder like Tommy Pham or Tyler O’Neill seems more likely. Barnes will remain the backup catcher unless he is injured. Kike could be a victim of roster numbers if his production does not improve dramatically and soon.
One reason the price for Roberts will be high is that he’ll be under contract for 3.5 years, with AAV that under-values his talent.
AF could opt to extend Teoscar–but the cost for 3 more years would probably be about $75 million (considering his current one-year deal at $23.5m.)
During those three years, Robert’s contract will be playing him less than $60 million.
No to Pham
I’ve been saying this team needs some fire. Pham has been on my radar for this reason, plus he comes through.
Pham is a fiery guy. But what he brings that I like is excellent post-season numbers. He wanted to be in LA before. And they need guys that want to be there.
On second thought, I see your point Michael.
I could live with Pham for 2-3 months. Especially if he helps us win in the playoffs. However, his last outburst probably turned AF and the Dodgers off.
For those who do not know…his latest outburst.
https://nypost.com/2024/06/02/sports/tommy-pham-was-prepared-to-f-k-somebody-up-after-white-sox-brewers-incident/
The last time the Dodgers showed this kind of spirit was Max Muncy in the 2020 NL Wild Card against Machado and the Padres.
And before that Joe Kelly and Carlos Correa…also in 2020.
Maybe that is a sign.
Dude showing some fire. I love it.
So do I.
I’ll pass. He probably threw a temper tantrum as a child when it was time for bed.
Kid came from a really bad back ground and excelled in school. He was an A student, so no Fred, he is just one hell of a competitor. He hates losing.
His dad was in prison and his mom struggled to make ends meet. But he still ended up being a really good student from what I hear because he wanted to excel in baseball. So there’s that.
Don’t need to trade for a starter. Just sign Bauer.
In a better world, the Dodgers would have the cahones to do it.
Always better to withhold engaging with someone who asks sarcastic questions meant to demean another person.
In a world where men abuse women freely?
I believe it was consensual. Not everyone’s cup of tea.
He was acquitted, and she was proved to be a liar. Urias was charged and convicted. Bauer was not. I would take Bauer back in a heartbeat, Urias not so much.
Exactly. Bauer was set up by the skank. Granted, he should have had more sense. But being stupid is not a crime.
I think there is a difference between ethical and legal. Confucius said not to do something you would be embarrassed to read about in the morning papyrus.
No one reads the papers anymore Fred. They use the computer or watch Fox news or CNN.
It’s not a crime, but hitting women is a tough place to come back from. Especially in LA, New York, San Fran, Texas, Chicago…
Gents you are forgetting that there was four accusers. Only the most famous one has been discredited.
And NONE of the other cases were prosecuted. The guy was blackballed basically. He deserves another shot. His talent is undeniable.
IF we add a starter, that starter better be trusted to start a game 3 on the road.
Bluto likes to remind us that the Dodgers acquire superstars or undervalued players. I think that is something that I actually agree with him on. I may not agree with the strategy, but then again, nobody in the Dodgers gives a rip. There are a lot of good players in between.
I doubt that the Dodgers will go big. The Dodgers could very well trade for Paul De Jong. And they will trade for or somehow acquire a reliever most of us have never thought of. They could be wrong again, but I believe that they believe that both Graterol and May will be back for bullpen jobs. I also think the Dodgers will bring up Jose Hernandez at some point. I think the Dodgers believe they are set and AF has already told us countless times that he will not trade for a reliever at the deadline because of the cost.
IMO, the Dodgers believe that when Muncy and Mookie get back from their vacations, the lineup will be intact, and the bench pieces are already there. Biggio will be gone, probably DFA. One of Chris Taylor and Kiké Hernández will also be gone.
I believe they will keep Outman as an emergency OF. It is possible that Lux and Vargas could be traded for prospects of some kind. Probably not above low A level.
It is possible that the Dodgers will find a rental back of the rotation emergency starter just in case any of Miller, Buehler, Kershaw, or Yamamoto confound the medical staffs again and cannot make it back. Think Trevor Williams, Andrew Heaney, Nick Pivetta, Kyle Hendricks, Sean Manaea, Chris Flexen, last year’s Jack Flaherty. This year’s Jack Flaherty will cost too much, as will Crochet. Both will end up with a contender. The one exception to the rental group will be a LHSP in the vein of Miami’s Trevor Rogers. Miami has no starting pitching left, so this is the one that they can trot out and see who might be interested. AF always likes a good challenge.
Everybody’s favorite (baseball journalists) believe that Luis Robert Jr. will end up with the Dodgers. That is way too much of a gamble for AF/BG. That is not happening (IMO).
Houston is suddenly back in the WC race and Kyle Tucker is not going anywhere (Yes, that upsets me…not that LAD had any chance at all to get him). Alex Bregman could be traded, but the always PR conscious Dodgers will never trade for him. And they still believe Muncy will be back.
Boston can keep Tyler O’Neill.
Jazz Chisholm will NOT be coming to LAD.
Part 2 – I neglected to copy and paste properly.
Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo would be good additions, but Arte Moreno will not trade with LAD. When it comes to running a baseball organization, nobody thinks that Moreno is very smart.
Tommy Pham – Probably another PR nightmare for LAD. He will probably get traded to a team that the Dodgers will face in the NLDS.
None of the NL West Division teams will trade with the Dodgers.
Miguel Andujar – That is actually someone I think AF/BG would consider. LF/3B, RH bat. Much more LF than 3B, but he can play 3B at the MLB level. Yes I know that is where Miguel Vargas lives (well not 3B), but who here really believes that AF/BG have any kind of confidence in him. Andujar has pretty even splits in his career. He has a very limited sample size against LHP this year, but he is 7-12, 1 HR against LHP this year. He is healthy again and looking more like the Andujar who first came up with NYY this year. The A’s will trade with the Dodgers. I would not be upset if the Dodgers traded for Andujar. Actually an excellent bench bat.
Chisholm was mentioned as one of the 10 most likely players to be traded. They listed several destinations that were possible. LA was one of them, but I think the Dodgers would not want a guy who dissed Rojas like he did.
If they move Lux at the deadline for prospects only, then what are the Dodgers intentions for 2B?
Mookie
No starting pitcher for tonight’s game listed yet. With all the injuries they have had, I can’t remember how the rotation was set up.
Miller then Stone, then another off day.
I thought it was odd that both Cartaya and Rushing did not play yesterday. Apparently Diego Cartaya has been promoted to AAA.
Josue De Paula has been promoted to Great Lakes.
Great to see that Cartaya has woken up!
And DePaula is one I hope we do NOT trade, unless it’s for some 24 year old stud.
Cartaya’s resurgence makes trading Dalton Rushing even easier for the Dodgers.
I keep hitting no on the Trade Value Simulator if they include De Paula. It would have to be a 24 year old stud with multiple years of control. He just turned 19 (May 24) and is now in High A. Waiting for the others to follow:
Joendry Vargas to RC.
Eduardo Quintero to RC
Alexander ALbertus to RC
Alex Freeland to OKC.
Chris Newell to Tulsa
Jeral Perez to Great Lakes
There are others I would not mind being pushed. Couldn’t Kendall George take his game to High A? Why not? We are talking about a contact hitter that should translate at High A as it does at low A.
A 24-year-old stud with multiple years of control?
Luis Robert is a 26-year-old stud with 3.5 years of control on a team-friendly contract. Unlike some presumptive studs like De Paulo or Rushing,Robert is a proven stud.
All of these personnel moves are pretty exciting. And I’d love to see Kendall George get promoted.
I think AF will give Robert serious consideration because it’s rare that such an opportunity emerges. The A’s Brent Rooker might work, but he’s not a great fielder. I like Lane Thomas a lot but I doubt that the Nationals will deal him.
As for pitchers, Flaherty seems like a good target. A lot of options.
For SS, I’d rather have both Bichette and DeJong on the roster instead of Lux. But are they enough of an upgrade over Rojas? A job-share could make sense.
And I really like Rengifo as a UT upgrade.
But can we please see Lipcius first?
Is Freeland a viable option at SS in the next couple of years? I notice he is a switch hitter. 22 years old.
He is probably the best SS prospect the Dodgers have which is why I want to see how he handles AAA. If he hits in AAA he has to be considered a viable option for 2025. More likely 2026 unless they sign a more long term SS next winter. The problem with him moving to AAA is Trey Sweeney. The Dodgers are not going to have both Freeland and Sweeney at AAA together to play SS.
Not a problem if Sweeney is packaged in a trade…
Well, my gluteus maximus feels a lot better today, which is a good thing. Getting old sucks. As you may have noticed, I am no longer Bear Paul. Once I got signed onto the dashboard, I was able to create a new name. So, I picked my real one. Dodger game on at 6:10 my time. Only a few Dodger hitters have seen Crochet.
The Dodgers get Crochet tonight, but on Wednesday, the Dodgers get to look at the other CWS pitcher that is expected to be traded, RHSP Erick Fedde. Like Crochet he is having an excellent season, and will garner a lot of attention at the deadline. He looks to be a perfect match for Baltimore.
St. Louis is looking at improving their rotation and lowering the age of the rotation. They also do not have a LHSP in the rotation. At least initially they may want to expand a deal to include Tommy Pham.
37 days?
Too far out.
But I’ll say at this point they need a starter and a wRC+ outfielder. Tyler Anderson and Taylor Ward. Make Moreno feel like he’s fleecing the Dodgers and he would do it. Crochet and Robert. Just do it already. Chisholm. Bury the hatchet guys.
A lot can happen in 37 days.
Chisholm is a great talent. I think his character is the problem. Not a great fit in a close clubhouse like the Dodgers. They love Rojas, Chisholm is a petulant child by comparison.
I’m a terrible mind reader. Two summers ago, I thought it was a no-brainer that AF should deal for the Reds’ Brandon Drury as a rental. He was having a breakout year and the Reds had uber-talents coming up. With Max and others struggling, Drury would have been a great fit.
A Miguel Vargas fan who claims to have inside info said the Reds asked for Vargas, so there was no deal–Vargas was much too valuable!!! At any rate, it was the damn PADRES who landed Drury, and then Drury helped the Pads beat the Dodgers in the playoffs. As an FA, Drury snagged a nice contract with the Angels, for whom he has played well.
As for Vargas, he got promoted, hit below the Mendoza line and was put on the playoff roster anyway. Two years later, Vargas is platoon leftfielder who seemed destined for a trade. In retrospect, a Vargas-for-Drury deal would have been more than fine–and the Dodgers might have beaten the Pads.
Oh well. Spilt milk.
I think it’s easier to predict who the Dodgers will deal than who they’ll get. Vargas and Lux simply don’t have a good fit on this team, and both should be dealt to teams that can give them better opportunity. A couple of RPs on the 40-man roster are likely to go because the Dodgers have better talent on the way. (How about Vargas + Varland or ??? for Tanner Scott?)
The big question: Will the Dodgers go after Luis Robert?
Seems like a strong possibility to me. He is a big talent on offense and defense, only 26 years old and comes with a team-friendly contract that mitigates some of the injury concerns.
AF may simply come to the conclusion that the potential rewards outweigh the risks. Consider: Teoscar is getting paid $23.5 million for one season. Robert, who is younger and more talented, would be getting an AAV at about about $5 million less for the next three seasons. How much would an extension for Teoscar cost?
Now if the Dodgers are talking to the White Sox, will they also ask about Crochet and DeJong?
Well, that could be exciting….
I also thought that Drury should be a no-brainer. With Vargas being used as he is, I do not think LA thinks as highly of him as they once did. Angels won’t trade with LA, simply because Moreno is an idiot. He has no clue how to run a team and he does not let his baseball people do the right things.
If a couple of the Dodgers starting pitchers are good to go in September (Kershaw, Yamamoto, May, etc.) giving up a top prospect would be questionable. I hope Lux and Vargas go nowhere. The only way you trade for a shortstop is get an all star who has years left on his contract. Giving top prospects for rentals isn’t a good way to run an organization. Personally I’d rather the Dodgers keep Rushing as a future backup and then starter when Smith is moved to third base. The only place I would put any urgency (and not a lot) is the backend of the bullpen and perhaps another left handed reliever. Vesia has been very good but finding him a partner could be useful. The Dodgers roster is pretty solid, Taylor is actually starting to hit and Barnes is a good glove first catcher. Don’t turn down a great deal but the Dodgers shouldn’t overpay for any player.
Mookie’s injury means he’ll have less experience at SS in advance of the playoffs. Assuming he is moved to 2B full-time, what is Lux’s role? His arm makes him a liability at nearly every other position. Rojas is a better SS than Mookie–and he’s outhitting Lux by a wide margin.
Replacing Lux with a shortstop like Bichette or DeJong would be a clear upgrade.
I also dislike them trading for rentals. But the ones they have traded for have been pretty good with a couple exceptions. Scherzer was lights out during his regular season stint in LA. He even pitched well in the NLDS against the Giants logging a save in game five. But he disappeared when the CS came around. Machado was not nearly as good as he was in Baltimore before the trade, and he was totally invisible in the World Series against the Red Sox.
I’m far from a baseball scout. It seems apparent that Lux and Vargas hitting is improving as the season moves along. I believe most young players are similar. I’m afraid we would regret trading especially Vargas.
Perhaps. But the Dodgers brass now sees Vargas as limited to LF on this roster, and he’s on the short side of a platoon. I’ve heard that 1B is really his most “natural” position, but both 1B and DH are taken on the Dodgers.
Like Michael Busch, Vargas would be more appreciated by a team that has room for his talent. I don’t think we’d regret dealing Vargas if we get a decent return.
Agreed. And I do not think Vargas would complain. But what is a decent return for a defensively challenged platoon LF?
Vargas alone is worth a middling prospect. But Vargas + ??
Vargas + ??? could maybe net Tanner Scott. especially if the the ??? is two prospects.
Scott would join with Vesia to give the pen two strong lefty options. Perhaps he’d replace Banda, who could be sent back to Miami in the deal
Time will tell.In a very limited role and/or opportunities, Vargas OPS> over 900 and average over .300. If the return is good and not some marginal player that has big league experience it could make sense. But if the Dodgers are going to trade a talented prospect it would have to be a catcher, our roster and top thirty prospects is loaded at that position. Not so much in the outfield.
You are obviouly a Miguel Vargas fan. You are not alone. You are reporting stats for his last 32 PA. But his career? .202/.297/.369/.665. Even with his limited 2024 sample size, the splits are horrendous. Vs LHP (15 PA) .539/.600/.923/1.523, vs RHP (17 PA) .133/.177/.267/.443. He is also a liability defensively. Miguel is best at DH/1B. He is not going to get that opportunity with the Dodgers. What if the return is a Jackson Ferris/Zyhir Hope return? A top 10 and a top 20 prospect.
To answer the question of a Ferris,Hope return, that would be very tempting. I liked Busch as a hitter as much as I liked Vargas but that trade looks like it could turn out well for the Dodgers. One issue that concerns me is the lack of almost ready outfielders. I know this won’t be popular but as a complete player I’d take Vargas over Outman. But following the farm teams the outfield is an area of concern. Perhaps trading Vargas for a very good outfield prospect is the ticket, although that is a bit redundant in my book.
IMO, Vargas is nowhere near the OF Outman is. Vargas is bad defensively. Outman has more power, is faster, much better defensively, and if you like to use Vargas’ MiLB numbers, Outman’s were better. Outman totally outplayed him last year which is why he stayed and Vargas did not. There is a lot of division on feelings about Vargas and Outman. If the Dodgers needed a LH bat, it would have been Outman. But the Dodgers wanted a RH bat (replace Mookie) so it was Vargas. You cannot get away from how bad Miguel is against RHP. He is the RH hitting platoon for LF. With RHP (which is a huge majority of the time), the OF is going to be Teoscar, Pages, and J-Hey. In Monday’s game, LH hitting Lux batted for Vargas, and CT3 moved from 2B to LF. Roberts determined that late in the game, the team was better off with CT3 in LF than Vargas.
All that being said, I hope Vargas keeps hitting LHP. When Muncy and Mookie come back, Vargas is back in MiLB. Like Busch, Vargas is a 1B/DH. I hope he is traded to a team that can use his skills like Busch to Chicago. I like both Busch and Vargas (and Outman), but Busch and Vargas are not good fits for LAD.
In the minors Vargas has a .296 batting average and a .998 OPS. Give him an oppportunity
I wish the Dodgers gave Vargas an opportunity against left handed pitching. He hit lefties up until last year. It’s been pounded in Vargas head he can’t hit lefties. Mentally he has to be in a bad place versus lefties. I believe the Quote from a HOF catcher “90% of hitting is mental and the other half is talent.”
John, he is only playing against left-handed pitching. They pulled him last night when a right-hander came in. He is hitting .533 against lefties and .133 against right-handers. Yogi actually said, 90% of hitting is mental, the other half is physical. The Dodgers do not feel he can hit right handers consistently.
Your correct, against right handed pitching, put righties where I have lefties, Man that is embarrassing and I’m a class short of a masters.
Bear, hope to meet up with you in September for the Dodgers series. My job this past 18 years is just about over and I will get to have some fun.
That stat can be a misnomer. What has he done in the minors before he broke his hand? What did he do in spring training this spring? What has he done in the minor this season? What has he done in very limited opportunities in the majors this season? I’m not really a huge Vargas fan, but I do love to watch him hit. He looks confident this season. Even his outs for the most part are hard hit. I like organizations that build within whether it be business or baseball. When the Dodgers follow that pattern then go out and get one or two pieces that are real good like Trea Turner, Max, Ramierz etc. That is how a long term successful organization is ran. Braves are much like it. An opposite could be the Padres.
I’d take Vargas over any outfielder I’ve seen listed in these comments. I’m an old washed up basketball coach who happened to love baseball and has watched it closely for over 60 years. So I’m not advocating that I’m an expert by any stretch.
I would refer you all to stb timetable for injuries. Do u really believe may or kershaw will be back? Kershaw is already backing up with shoulder soreness. May is barely even mentioned. He is throwing bullpens. Come on he is going to be just like buehler last year and not make it back it takes forever for any Dodger to get off the il in spite of Docs “we expect him back at the end of the il. Never happens, look at pepiot out almost the whole year.
I said that to say this. We got what we got and hope Glasnow can survive and flourish. If we don’t make a move for a starter as it stands we probably have Glasnow, stone, miller/paxton. We better pick up a starter. I would go after Quintana or Manea if the Mets would deal. We better pick up someone or we will end up like last year. Mb Buehler could get back in the picture but I would forget may, kershaw, and probably Yamamoto.
I do not believe anyone is saying that May will come back as a starter this year. I think that AF/BG consider him a bullpen option for 2024. I have no problem with that.
And Kershaw just had a setback…
What about Yamamoto, Knack was impressive
Flaherty
In the playoffs, you need four starters with the fourth starter getting maybe two starts through the playoffs. The pitching staff is set up for the playoffs. What they need is an inning eater for September. If the Dodgers maintain a safe lead in the division (which they should), they will probably start cutting back the starters innings sometime in the later part of August so the arm is in good shape going into the playoffs. Would be a great time for some of the injured pitchers that are coming back a time to build up innings. Could be a reason in going and getting a reliever but not an overpay in talented prospects. The off season is the time to retool the team.
Interesting that Hayward is playing over Teoscar tonight against a lefty. Is Teoscar hurting?
Heyward is 1-3 against him with 2 RBIs. Hernandez might need a day. He has not had one this year.
He had one Sunday. Maybe there is more to why Teoscar was pulled the other night against Colorado. Hard to know for sure. I do not believe any explanation that Doc lets out…”needed to get him off his feet”. Teoscar was signed to hit against LHP. Crochet is the only LHSP the Dodgers will face against CWS. Why not take one of the next two nights off?
No, my cynical brain thinks there is more to the story. BTW, is there a James Outman sighting anywhere in Chicago?
Nothing cynical about it. Teo is definitely injured, the only question is whether it’s major or minor.
If Doc says “day to day” which is the most likely pronouncement, we should see him back within 2-3 weeks and, of course, they’ll go at least a week before putting him on the IL, thereby costing us a roster position for that time.
Correction – Doc says Teo has flown to the DR for personal reasons and will return tomorrow.
OK, I’m going to take him at his word.
No reason not to. It is not an injury. Hard to fake a trip to the DR.
Also reported on X.
There have been reports that Alex Anthopoulos will be targeting SP and OF, and the rumor is that he will be all in on Jack Flaherty. But they also could be interest in OF Wenceel Pérez, and the projected cost will be 2 top 10 and one top 15 prospect.
· 21 year old SS Nacho Alvarez Jr (AAA) – Atlanta #6 prospect
· 22 year old RHP Cade Kuehler (A) – Atlanta #8 prospect
· 26 year old RHP Darius Vines (AAA) – Atlanta #14 prospect
What is intriguing for me is that Atlanta has a 21 year old SS in AAA. He was a 5th round pick in 2022. For the 2024 season Nacho is hitting .289/.392/.385/.777. Since his promotion to AAA (53 PA) he is hitting .375/.434/.646/1.080.
In 2022, the Dodgers chose Alex Freeland (3rd round), and Nick Biddison (4th round) ahead of Alvarez. The Dodgers 5th round pick was also a SS taken 10 picks later, Sean McLain (Matt’s brother). The Braves 5th round pick is in AAA as a 21 year old. The Dodgers 5th round pick is in low A as a 23 year old hitting .147/.287/.190/.477.
Nick Biddison is a 23 year old OF hitting .190/.323/.314/.637 at Great Lakes (High A).
The Dodgers do not have any SS close to what Atlanta can offer. They have pitching prospects, but AF does not like to trade them. If AA makes that offer, the Braves will get Flaherty and Pérez over whatever the Dodgers offer unless it involves Dalton Rushing or Josue De Paula. And AA may not have the best offer out there.
With Acuna out, the Braves could make a big offer for Robert.
I’d never heard of Wenceel Perez and when I looked up his stats I could understand why.
There is also chatter that the Phillies and Royals could go after Robert…
Great that Cartaya seems to be coming around. With Will Smith locked up long-term, either Cartaya or Rushing could be traded…
And in today’s news, the Sox put in a righthander and Lux just pinch-hit for…. Miguel Vargas.
I think it’s pretty obvious that whatever success Gasparino has had drafting pitchers, he’s been very poor at drafting position players.
It’s time to offer Logan White whatever he wants to come back here. Preller has a never ending stream of prospects to trade whenever he needs them. He decimates his farm system and the next thing you know he’s got all kinds of prospects to trade again.
If we can pay Shohei 700 mil, we can pay Logan whatever he wants. It won’t be 700 mil.
I am all in. Logan did not do too bad with drafting Clayton Kershaw.
Ive been saying this for a while too. Seager, Bellinger, Urias, Kenley, Joc, Verdugo, Kershaw, all drafted by Logan White. He also drafted Kemp as well, I think. Broxton, Russell Martin, James Loney, some other good players who were drafted by White.
Yes to Broxton, Martin and Loney. Logan White’s 2002 draft (his 1st) included Russell Martin, Jonathan Broxton, James Loney, Delwyn Young, James McDonald, and Eric Stults. 2003 included Chad Billingsley, Matt Kemp, AJ Ellis, Wesley Wright, Andy LaRoche (an MT favorite), and Xavier Paul. Those were his 1st two with the Dodgers. He was also instrumental in siging Yasiel Puig and Kenley Jansen. We already know about Kershaw, Seager, Bellinger, Pederson. He was also involved in signing Urías.
OK, it’s a done deal.
I’ve drafted the dismissal letter to Gasparino (although maybe we should keep him around to draft pitchers) and I’ve set up a meeting with White’s agent for tomorrow. Of course, he’s probably under a long term contract and I’ll be arrested for tampering.
Ohtani named player of the week for the second time this season. 9th time in his career.
It’s tough now making such predictions because everybody is still in it.
AND, I’m just going to list big game fishes. Two fishies.
So, going off this list:
https://www.mlb.com/news/baseball-s-next-free-agent-classes
My big fish is Max Fried. Out of contract, there’s a connection between front offices, Atlanta may feel Philly and LAD are out of reach. Santa Monica boy.
My 2nd biggest fish is Ha-Seong Kim, it’s a mutual option so he’s probably gone. Preller will trade with anyone. The FO guy with Dodger ties has passed away. Kim’s versatlility will appeal.
Is this a joke? It has to be right? Both have next to zero chance. It might work in a fantasy league.
As close to a joke as we can get.
Of course both have a next to zero chance!
We’re in June!
None of these predictions will happen.
None.
“None”.
A month frim the deadline this is how I feel about the subject. Obviously something will happen but every year that something surprises.
Look.
I,too, would like Fried but why not wait until after this season when he becomes a free agent?
They will check in on Fried next winter. His agent is not Scott Boras. Yes, Fred, there is about a 1-1000 chance Fried gets traded at the deadline.
Fried’s high school teammate, Jack Flaherty, is much more likely to be traded, but very doubtful AF/BG will put up an offer that is not beat by at least 3 teams, including Atlanta.
As long as Atlanta is in position to make the playoffs, Freid is going nowhere.
Because the Dodgers don’t want to sign him. It’s just a rental.
That’s their MO
You think Pads would make a deal with the Dodgers that could actually help them beat SD? Questionable at most.
I think Preller would trade with anyone.
How many times has Preller made a trade with LA since he took over??? Last trade with SD I remember is the Kemp deal which took place in the winter meetings, not during a pennant race.
How many trades did Baltimore make with the Dodgers before Machado?
How many trades did Washington make before the Scherzer/Turner one?
Were there many with the Rangers before Darvish?
With the Astros before Josh Field for Yordan A?
I honestly don’t know the answer, I also don’t know why there has to be a track record?
Baltimore in the AL, DC in the eastern division, also not a rival. Texas in the other league. Same with the Stros. Teams in the same division rarely trade anyway, especially during the season. AF has made a bunch of trades with the A’s and the Rays, why? Because of the connections he and Zaidi had with those organizations. Preller is not going to make a deal with LA that makes them better, and why would AF trade any of his best prospects to the Padres? Fan base of both teams would go berserk.
Nobody cares about what fans think, Bear. er, Bear Paul, er, Michael.
You are delusional if you think that. They could have easily put Bauer back on the roster after he was taken off of suspension. Instead, leery of fan backlash, they went ahead and released him and paid his salary anyway, taking a CBT hit. What fans think is very much on the Dodgers mind, and the Padres too. The Padres are currently fourth in the league in attendance, but they are down about 1000 fans a night. They have already played 43 home games. They average 8000 less a game than the Dodgers, who with their first crowd next homestand, will go over 2,000,000 for the year after 42 games.
Then why don’t they bring Bauer back? I think they care very much what the fans think.
Good point. I stand corrected
Well they did trade for Grandal and others back in 2015, but it doesnt happen often.
The Kemp-Grandal deal was made at the winter meetings. They have not made any significant deals since. And they have not made a deadline trade with each other ever.
When was the Matt Beatty – River Ryan trade?
Pre-season, March of 2022. Right after spring training.
March 28, 2022 after Beaty was DFA.
Which of those teams are intra division rivals that hate the Dodgers? And if you think that is not a factor, you are more than naive.
Padres placed Tatis Jr. on the IL. Patrick Sandoval out for the year with a torn UCL.
Well that certainly sucks… Sandoval left that game in pain.
The Angels are such a hard-luck franchise. Perhaps Arte can be convinced to deal with the Dodgers….
Rengifo is on my wish list. I used to think Taylor Ward was a good target, but Robert is a much more appealing target.
Arte needs to be convinced to sell the team.
He was going to, Angel fans were happy, and then he changed his mind. He is on a power trip.
I think its more greed, Michael. He didn’t get the offers he wanted.
Possible, but there was a group coming together willing to pay him a lot of money until he changed his mind. Angels are not the best run or most valuable franchise. The brand has suffered under his ownership.
“The brand has suffered under his ownership”
I think that depends on perspective. According to Forbes the Angels are the 7th most valuable franchise in MLB and the value is trending up.
Their fans don’t think so. Their attendance has been pretty steady, but you talk to an Angel fan, and they are pretty disgusted with management. Here in Colorado, Rockies fans are hoping Monfort sells.
We are going to be in August at the earliest for Kershaw’s possible return. #22 cannot be counted on. If he gets back…nothing would be better. AF/BG just cannot count on it, or they should plan on him not being there.
Wow I finally saw Crochet’s numbers for the year. .95whip??? For a starter???
And Crochet had a good outing today against the Dodgers. Six Ks in 5.2 innings–and zero walks…Five hits, zero runs… So that pretty much tracks with his WHIP.
News from Internet:
The GREAT Andy McCullough takes a look at how the trend to finding pitchers “who miss bats” has affected MLB. ($$$$)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5537852/2024/06/24/mlb-missing-bats-baseball-strikeout-pitch-tracking/
Glasnow is featured.
“It’s just really hard to hit a baseball. It was always the hardest thing to do in sports. And then we made it even harder.”
As per Jerry Espinoza:
Another interesting Dodgers arm to keep tabs on, lefty Luke Saber Fox. I watched him ramp up in the spring, saw his debut in late May. 2023 17th rd out of Duke…
He’s now thrown in 4 ACL games, had only given up 1 hit in his first 4 innings of work. He went 3 innings tonight did give up 5H but the Rangers are hitters. He hasnt surrendered an earned run in 7 innings. 7K’s.
Baseball America has updated their MOCK draft ($$$$$)
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2024-mlb-mock-draft-4-0-projecting-the-top-39-picks/
23. Dodgers — Kash Mayfield, LHP, Elk City (Okla.) HS
Amid speculation on this blog that he may be trade bait, Jay Jaffe took a look at Jack Flaherty:
I love Gowdy’s herky-jerky windup and he’s still very effective:
Kevin Gowdy threw a scoreless inning for AAA OKC & lowered his ERA down to 3.34. Gowdy has allowed just 1 run in his last 9 outings (15 IP) & he has 18 Ks in that span
Dodgers’ Korean righty Hyun-Seok Jang, who has struck out 23 in 12 ACL innings after getting a huge bonus from LA last summer rather than go out as the first overall pick in the KBL draft.
Keith Law had a chat:
Alex (CA): Can you shed some insight on what’s going on with River Ryan?
Keith Law: He pitched the other night for OKC. Sat 98 with the cutter at 93-94. Still effectively rehabbing as he didn’t throw any breaking stuff.
Matt: I know that fans and some writers can overreact too early when a young player struggles(like fans who complain that Elly de la Cruz is a disappointment because he didn’t show up as an MVP at 22). Are there examples of teams giving up too early on a young player (a version of MLB ready prospect fatigue)?
Keith Law: Gary Sheffield comes to mind. Brandon Phillips too.
Guest: How does Bazzana as a prospect compare to Matt McLain last year?
Keith Law: Do you mean McLain in his draft year? He had a broken hamate for part of that spring and didn’t get a chance to put up big numbers or even show what sort of power he had.
Jared: Wondering which of the Orioles prospects as you see as the “easiest” for team to move in possible trades, given their glut of talent, current roster construction and which prospects are desirable to other teams.
Keith Law: They could easily trade two outfielders and not even notice – Mayo is the best of them and the one I’d keep if possible, but he has to be in that group with Kjerstad, Cowser, even fringier guys like Stowers if they can fill out a trade. Norby and Westburg would also have a lot of value as guys who could step right into a major-league role but who the Orioles don’t entirely need.
Jerry: If the Astros are in the same place at the deadline, should they give serious consideration to trading Alvarez, Tucker, or Valdez? Seems like those would be the only ones who would bring a substantial return.
Keith Law: I’d really try to extend Tucker and shop the other two. You build around guys like Tucker.
Ben: TWP’s are becoming more commonplace ever since Ohtani’s success. Are there any you have your eye on right now you believe can do well at both hitting and pitching?
Keith Law: TWPs are becoming more commonplace in college/the minors. They are not becoming more common in the majors because it’s next to impossible to do. Ohtani’s a unicorn.
Eric: keith still believing in climate change hoax
Keith Law: How dumb do you have to be to still be a climate change denier? Do you not believe that CO2 and methane levels have increased substantially in the atmosphere, or do you think that there’s some sort of magic here where that doesn’t change the climate? It’s beyond magical thinking. It’s delusion.
Cary Osbourne takes a look at recent call-up Michael Peterson:
https://dodgers.mlblogs.com/the-pride-of-the-u-k-michael-petersen-and-his-long-road-to-the-big-leagues-8823762572cc
“His velocity has long been impressive, but the Dodgers wanted something else out of him — confidence. Confidence in working in the zone and confidence throwing the breaking ball. They wanted him to believe that he belonged.”
Dan Szymborski had a chat:
Jeremy: Odds that one NL playoff team finishes below .500? Odds that two do so?
Dan Szymborski: ZiPS actually had it less than 10%. The average wins for the eventual wild card winners in the last run was 91.8, 88.0, and 85.4 in the NL (in the AL, it was 93.6, 89.5, 86.8)
Yo Yo Mama: Hey Dan – your reference to Jaqueline du Pre tells me you’re maybe a big classical music guy. What’s your top 5 composers power ranking look like?
Dan Szymborski: Yeah, I talk classical music from time to time in the off topic Qs… Looks like my five most listened to, at least from my personal collection, are Mahler, Beethoven, Bruckner, Haydn, Chopin
Baseball America’s Fantasy Podcast took a look at prospects in the COMPLEX league:
Among the Dodgers discussed:
Eduardo Qunintero, Albertus, Yoandry Vargas, Mesa, Christian Zazouetta (sp?) and Edgardo Henriquez
Leo Morgenstern looks at why we don’t see more 3B steals:
Jack Harris found a Speakeasy bar at Dodger Stadium, then he wrote about it for the LA Times:
https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2024-06-24/dodger-stadium-speak-easy-right-field-pavilion
“Back in the 1920s, it took a special knock or secret password to gain entry into a speakeasy. It’s more straightforward now. This one requires an online reservation secured by a season-ticket holder using points acquired by spending money on food and merchandise.”
Jay Jaffe had a chat:
Tigers fan: Which current player do you think will have the greatest HOF career/legacy? Trout, Ohtani, Judge Soto etc.?
Jay Jaffe: I think all four of those guys are going to wind up in Cooperstown with impressive but very different legacies. Trout passed the JAWS average for center fielders before his 27th birthday (https://blogs.fangraphs.com/mike-trout-is-now-an-average-hall-of-famer…). Ohtani is a two-way player like we’ve never seen before. Judge’s power is incredible, as is Soto’s batting eye. If Ohtani can return to pitching well while still hitting well, I think he’s the answer but I think that one way or another we’ll be talking about all of these guys 50 years from now (maybe not me, as I’ll be 104 years old).
Guest: You think Walker Buehler can get back on the right track this season?
Jay Jaffe: The velocity is there, but the stuff is down and so is the coommand. I think it’s going to take some time for him to figure out what works now as opposed to what worked 2018-22.
Jack Harris also looked at Bobby Miller’s small town roots for the LA Times:
https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2024-06-24/dodgers-bobby-miller-mchenry-illinois-fiery-competitor
“Miller’s competitive fire belies the quiet, small-town setting he grew up in.
A bedroom community of around 27,000, nestled into the lush rolling hills of northern Illinois, the city of McHenry is partially a distant Chicago exurb, partially a picturesque rural enclave.”
Ben Clemens chat:
Miguel Vargas: This is it, right? It’s my time to shine by living up to my prospect pedigree and saving the world from all of these terrible ABs by Taylor, Kike, and Biggio, right!?!? Infield, outfield, I can do it all! (Except shortstop.)
Ben Clemens: As a longtime Vargas-head, I sure hope so. He’s absolutely tearing up Triple-A this year, and going into the season without a broken hand is definitely going to help. I do think that the Dodgers would be well-served to give him a ton of chances to impress them. Just from a team-building perspective, it doesn’t matter THAT much how the old guys who will be gone soon do, but if Vargas is an impact hitter, that’s a big deal for their roster flexibility and lineup for years to come
Broken Bat: How worried re you? The bottom of Dodgers lineup is a crap shoot, and now Mookie out. Pitching is a large question with so guys coming off injury and now adding Yamamoto to tht list. I think Snakes were getting to bring Lawler up prior to injury. He actually started at 3b. Perdomo a quiet, solid player up and I think Snakes with Carroll waking up can challenge for division. Your thoughts?
Ben Clemens: I’m…. not worried if I’m the Dodgers. Yes, fine, there are some good players on Arizona, BUT they’re below 500! They’re 8.5 back in June. The odds are extremely against them
I’m going to sit back and let other teams come to me.
Teams that are selling are not going to come to you. Buyers are the aggressors, not the other way around.
Okay. No on De Jong. His defense has not been good at all in this game. And that would be the primary reason for acquiring him. So unless Bo Bichette becomes available, okay to leave it as Miggy Ro and Mookie in whatever position they desire.
Crochet? I am still a big advocate.
I also like Tommy Pham. Need a little fire in the belly.
Crotchet’s price keeps rising based on his latest showings.
I was thinking the same thing. I just don’t see an upgrade at short unless someone unexpected falls out of contention.
I really liked what I saw of Crochet. I’m more than happy to give up a few quality pieces for this guy.
Florida!
I love it when something I write gets responses like this. Over 100 comments. Thanks guys, much appreciated. 😀 😍 😜
Toronto has lost seven in a row and is now 7.5 games out in the AL wild card race. The Tigers are 6.5 games out. The Rangers are 5.0 games out–after winning four in a row. The Astros are 4.5 games out–after winning five straight.
Over in the NL, only the Marlins and Rockies are clearly out of the wild card contention. The Giants are next–but only 3.0 games back.
Anyway, Toronto is looking more and more like a seller.
I’m not crazy about Bichette, but I’d rather have him on the roster than Lux. Toronto will probably consider offers.
Bichette is on the IL right now. Kiner-Falefa is playing SS for them
So if you were Luis Robert or Garret Crochet, you might be thinking: “Gee, it might be nice to get traded to the Dodgers.”
If that’s their wish, they didn’t hurt their cause tonight against the Dodgers.
Crochet threw 5.2 scoreless innings, striking out 6 and walking nobody.
Robert got on base three times in four ABs with a double and two singles. And, uncharacteristically, he never struck out.
Wrong Duke, he got on base three times, but he walked twice. I know he has talent and a team friendly contract. I just do not think with his history of injury he is worth what the White Sox are going to ask in trade. As for Crochet not walking anyone, he should have had at least two but very questionable calls by the home plate ump gave him K’s instead. Especially Smith’s last AB. That pitch was way off of the plate and high.
“That pitch was way off of the plate and high.”
Every day in every game. Outcomes are being affected. Everyone knows this, and yet…….
Yeah, the umps are atrocious.
Robert a double and 2 walks, not singles.