Well, the trade deadline has passed. Except for adding 2 players to the roster September first and any injury returns. what you see is what you are going to get. Players have to be on the roster September first to be eligible for the playoffs. Historically over the last few years, August has been one of the Dodgers better month’s record wise. Last year they were 24-5. An .828 winning percentage. They almost doubled the runs scored against the runs given up. 176-95. The only month besides March in which they gave up fewer than 100 runs. They only played 2 games in March. In 2022 they were 22-6 in August. The big difference in 22 was that they only gave up more than 100 runs in one month, May. They kept opponents under 100 the rest of the year.
Ohtani will be leading the charge. He has been outstanding so far and has his best hitting stats ever. Mookie will be back soon, but we do not know just when they can expect Mas Muncy. The Achilles heel has been the pitching. Both the pen and the starting pitchers. Kershaw will make his second start after coming off of the IL today. Glasnow went 7 innings last night, and the bullpen cost him a win when Treinen gave up two home runs in the 9th. Then the Padres won the game in the 10th. Again, they blew a 5-run lead.
The Dodgers brought in 5 players at the deadline. Starting pitcher, Jack Flaherty, RHRP Michael Kopech, Inf-Of, Tommy Edman, Inf-OF, Ahmed Rosario, and CF, Kevin Kiermaier. The only player on the 26-man roster who was traded was Miguel Vargas in the Edman trade. The bottom of the lineup has been better lately, but they have really missed Freddie Freeman since he had to take family leave for his ill son. Hopefully he will be back soon.
So, what can fans expect the rest of the way. With Kiermaier, they can expect gold glove defense in center field. Edman brings a lot of versatility with him. A switch hitter, he can play SS, second base and CF. Rosario returns to the Dodgers at the deadline for the second year in a row. He is also a very versatile player who can play the outfield and several infield positions. Kopech brings some nasty pitches with him. He will become an important piece of the bullpen. Flaherty is going to help the starting pitching. He is a solid # 3 behind Glasnow, and if he returns, Yamamoto.
What I am hoping for is more consistency in the offense and more production 5-9. The top five will be better with Mookie and Freddie back. The bullpen has looked gassed. But it looks like Graterol, Brasier and Grove will be back soon. They DFAed two pitchers right after the deadline, Gus Varland and Nick Ramirez. Buehler and Miller are huge question marks. No one has any idea if either will make it back this season. Buehler is rehabbing and Miller was demoted for bad performance.
One thing is certain; they are not a lock to win the division with the Padres and D-Backs playing as well as they have since the All-Star break. So, buckle up, it is going to be a wild ride to the finish.
Don’t rush to judgement too soon. Let the new guys get their feet wet. I think they did really well considering the players they got and the players who were traded from other teams. They get Mookie and Freddie back, and this team is pretty good. Graterol, Brasier, and Grove help the pen a bunch.
Here’s hoping that Kopech improves with the Dodgers. To my mind, he kind of compensates for the loss of Kyle Hurt to TJ surgery.
As the playoffs approach, some starters could shift to the pen. As a lefty, Wrobo seems like a good candidate.
Put Vesia on the IL to see if some rest brings back some Velocity. Then put Wrobo in the pen to see if he can adjust to relief.
Yes, the race in the West is suddenly getting interesting.
The bullpen–particularly Treinen–lost tonight’s game. All considered, it was one of those games in which it would have been nice to have a closer like Tanner Scott.
It’s been reported that the Padres “swooped in” with a big offer to get Scott and keep him from the Dodgers. I’m OK with that. I think the Pads overpaid–but if Scott helps them catch Dodgers, or beat them in the playoffs, it would have been well worth it.
I’m still a bit stunned at the modest price the Dodgers paid for Flaherty. If Sweeney is that good, wouldn’t he be in the majors by now? Liranzo may have star potential, but he’s still a few years away.
Seems that the Pads gave up a lot more to land Scott than the Dodgers did to get Flaherty.
And it’s easy to overlook that the three-team deal for Edman and Kopech also netted 17-year-old Oliver Gonzales, who had signed with the Cards for $400K out of Panama.
It’s been reported that the kid is 6-4, 200 and already throws the fastball 92 mph. He could be a beast.
Maybe someday, we’ll think of this the Gonzales trade
Dodgers blow yet another 5 run lead . That bullpen has fallen on hard times lately. We definetely could have used a closer like Scott. Maybe Kopech can become just that ? On the other hand the Padres bullpen with the addition of Scott and Adams looke formidable. The division is certainly not a given for the Dodgers. A loss today and the lead will be down to 4.5 games.
Flaherty was a good pickup and the price was rather low when you compare it to the Kikuchi trade.
On the minor league side Emil Morales had a fantastic game at the DSL. Went 4-5, 2 Hr, 1BB. Now OPS of almost 1.150. He and Joendry Vargas probably are our two best infield prospects though 3-4 years away.
Graterol was blasted at OKC.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s going to take a few weeks to sort through the incoming players and where they are going to fit. Flaherty looks like a terrific deal. He should help. Keirmaier? A huge question mark as our incumbent CFs, Pages/Outman, seemed sufficient if you wanted to stick with lopsided players.
A 5-0 lead after the 1st inning, is not sufficient for a Dodger win. Glasnow has to find a way to escape the HR ball he offers up too often. Secondly, our batters gave no support to the lead and just faded away after the 1st inning. Thirdly, our BP cannot be relied upon to deliver saves. 2 HRs from Treinen? That’s an imminent divorce. He’s an FA next season. Let him walk. Philipps, otoh, won’t be an FA till 2007. Package him up after the season. Our BP needs a makeover.
Yesterdays game was another example why I thought we should bring in a bona fide closer. IMHO this closer by committee is not a good way to go. Better to have clearly defined roles in the pen.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They tried and it wasn’t Scott they were targeting. It was Duran in Minnesota. I don’t blame them for not paying the price Miami wanted for Scott. Graterol Brasier and Grove will all be back very shortly, and the BP will be fine.
Graterol won’t help now if his last outing at OKC is any indication of how he’d pitch at the show.
Talk about small sample sizes!
He may still help, but he needs more “sampling” at OKC to prove it.
One bad outing? Cmon, he and Brasier have been pitching well. Every pitcher has a bad day now and then.
“a bad day” should be VERY rare against 3A batters.
Not really. Some AAA hitters are just () that close to being in the majors, and it doesn’t take much for your mechanics to be off. Graterol is a MLB pitcher. He is rehabbing and working on pitches. Maybe that night he was relying on a pitch that he hasn’t been too pleased with. You work it out down there so your performance is better in LA.
Maybe, maybe not. Buehler struggled earlier at OKC, and it was a harbinger of his struggles when he later got called up. Either way, I hope your optimistic outlook on Graterol comes true when he gets back to the show.
As someone else wrote, the Dodgers are hoping that Kopech will be this year’s Brasier. With a fastball averaging over 98, Kopech has more potential.
I wanted Tanner Scott but agree that the price was too high–unless he helps the Pads vanquish the Dodgers.
The Dodgers’ best reliever in the playoffs could tur out to be River Ryan–assuming that the rotation is some mix of Glasnow, Yamamoto, Flaherty, Stone, Kershaw.
It’s been a small sample in the majors, but Ryan has shown great stuff, poise and competitive fire. Right now I’m wary of Treinen and Graterol, and Phillips needs to get back on track.
If Bobby Miller or Buehler gets fixed, they could be in the mix too.
Kopech looked awesome tonight. SO the side.
Bullpens are fickle. Always have been. With the amount this pen has been used over the last 60 games, it is a wonder their arms haven’t fallen off. The offense failed yesterday too. Loading the bases and not getting anything is just not good. Pages is not a centerfielder. They got Kiermaier for his glove. He is Bellinger level out there. And, despite having a bad year right now at the plate, he is a career .240 hitter with some pop, and he still has pretty decent speed. Defense is important in the playoffs.
The younger Keirmaier won multiple gold gloves. AF tried to get him a couple times in the past, so he’ll probably take Outman’s spot on the 26-man roster.
Who will Rosario and Edman bump?
And will Max get well in time or not? What is the true status of Rojas and Taylor?
With the new, improved roster, the Dodgers have at least five past GG winners; Keirmaier, Mookie, Heyward, Ahmed, Edman and Freddie. And we’ve seen quality defense this season from Rojas, Lux (at 2b), Smith and Barnes.
There’s a lot of “optionality,” as Roberts likes to say.
Biggio, Kike, Ahmed, all on the bubble when the big boys come back. Feduccia, who hasn’t seen any action at all, will go down when Freeman comes back.
The Padres swooped in because they know what it is going to take to catch the Dodgers. And, they keep using their system to make great trades. When will it run out?
Yankees supposedly back out because of his medicals. They were concerned about the back issue he had earlier in the season. Detroit wanted something for him, so they took the Dodgers offer.
Bear
I’ll take Edman on the roster over any of Keirmaier, Kike, Biggio, Ahmed and you said Taylor is out for the year, so he’s irrelevant. Edman is a platoon player at best, his career stats against RHP are bloated from his rookie year 5 years ago. They can do whatever they want with him on the infield during the regular season until Betts and Muncy return as far as I’m concerned because he’s better than the names I mentioned in the first sentence. In the playoffs Muncy at 3B, Betts at SS, Lux and Rosario platoon at 2B, Freeman 1B. If Muncy needs a platoon partner in the playoffs then Edman platoons with him. For defensive purposes if Edman is better at 2B and Rosario is better at 3B then there you go. Otherwise if Muncy doesn’t need a platoon partner in the playoffs, then platoon Edman with Outman in CF, Pages and Heyward platoon in a corner outfield spot, and Teo also in a corner outfield spot everyday. Keirmaier shouldn’t have been traded for at all. Outman and Pages better get consistent at bats right now to get ready for the playoffs and Heyward needs to get at bats too. But not too much because you don’t want to risk injury with Heyward. There’s your position player roster in the playoffs:
Smith
Barnes
Ohtani
Freeman
Lux
Rosario
Betts
Muncy
Edman
Teo
Outman
Pages
Heyward
The only reason I talked bad about Edman is because of Keirmaier. Because Outman and Pages need their consistent at bats right now to get ready for the playoffs. Keirmaier is a wasted roster spot. Like I said in a previous post, both Outman and Pages have upside and Keirmaier doesn’t. The defense only people don’t get that, and they never will. As far as I can tell you’re not a defense only guy. And like I said many times, I’m not worried about getting to the playoffs, I’m confident about that. So it’s all about the playoffs to me. Also I respect your opinions and you were right, AF got an impact player by the name of Flaherty.
But Doc is going to do what Doc is going to do. Probably Doc stuff, stupid stuff.
To me, defense only means someone to substitute later in the game with a lead in our favor, to hold it down. Agree 100% about Keimaier. Keep in mind that Pages is a better hitter than Outman and doesn’t SO nearly as much. Outman needs to be traded, but so does Pages if we want a defensive platoon at CF. And, yes, Doc is going to do Doc things, and we know what that means. Looking forward to seeing what Edman can give us. He’s a utility man but probably better than any we have, at the moment. Rosario, too.
The Dodgers have utility up the wazoo. What they needed was a centerfielder who can hit. They now have 3 centerfielders, none of whom can hit. Might even be 4 with Edman
Obviously at full strength this is a very good team. Will they ever be at full strength? If not, they might just continue being the .500 team they’ve been for the last 60 games or so.
A lot of this falls on the FO for not having the foresight to complete this team and not use players with lopsided splits and hiccups to man the positions. This is all self inflicted.
Eric, I respect your opinion. Always have. But let’s get a little perspective first. Kiermaier is having a down year. But he also is not playing regularly. But his career stats are very acceptable. He is a career .246 hitter, with some power and speed. Sometimes going to a team in a pennant race helps a hitter a lot. They just need him to be about as good over the next 54 games and possibly in the post season. He does not strike out much, and he has a lot of postseason experience. He hit .368 against the Dodgers in the 20 World Series. But he is mainly here for his defense. And at that he is one of the best in the majors. And you need good defense in the playoffs. As for Edman, you have to look beyond the stats because they do not tell the full story. One reason I like this trade and this player is because he is a baseball player. Not the greatest athlete, but he makes the most of his baseball skills. You need to watch a player in action and not always use his overall stats as judgement. He hustles all the time. He doesn’t take a single play off. The trade was made to bolster the bench which we all know that it has been thin all year. Barnes is the only bench player who is hitting. The team expects Mookie back in a couple of weeks. They aren’t sure about Max. But the pen is getting some fresh blood maybe as soon as the next homestand. Edman will be ready to play in a couple weeks. As for Doc, you can’t put the blame on him for every loss. And last night was definitely not on him. I have seen really good managers make bad decisions. Lasorda did it more than once in playoff games. Alston cost the Dodgers a pennant in 62. I know, the player did not do his job. But Alston sent a pitcher back to the mound who was obviously gassed. Roberts might make a bad decision that cost you maybe four games a year. If he makes a mistake in the postseason, people remember that most. They don’t see that his clubhouse is solid, there is no dissention on the team, and his players love playing for him.
Michael
one of your best posts
While the excitement of the trade deadline acquisitions were fun, it sure didn’t last long with losing to Friars. Glad I didn’t stay up and watch it to the end.
Within the last 3 weeks we’ve suffered 3 tough losses. 7/13 lost to Tigers 11-9, 7/27 lost to Astros 6-7, and last night. All 3 road games and had big leads only to lose. Frustrating but that’s baseball I guess.
Tough match up with Cease/Kershaw tonight.
Padres/DBacks are playing well and Division lead is dwindling.
Be an interesting 2 months of season left.
August is usually their hottest month. We shall see.
I was listening to the game with my 14-year-old son.
When the Dodgers headed into the 9th with a two-run lead, we agreed the game was set up for another collapse.
Games like that can have an emotional effect on the team. The Padres must feel that their never out a game–and the Dodgers have more reason to worry.
Yes, they are playing without Mookie and Freddie and Max….
But still….
I said a few days ago what we needed most was a closer, then a starter, then a 3b. We didn’t get a closer, Flaherty is a solid starter.. But.3rd base? Many said Edman was picked up to play cf but we need him, or somebody at 3rd. But is he still on the IL?
Now there are so many shortstops on the roster is it possible Mookie goes back to the outfield? One of them probably platoons w Lux, who btw didn’t get traded like many predicted.
If Glasnow, Yamamoto, Kershaw and Flaherty are the 4 playoff starters can you imagine what.River could do out of the bullpen? And Stone?
Though I’m not totally satisfied w all these moves, or lack of, I understand that the FO can’t make any trade they want.
It looks like Lux is the least of their problems now. Batting 3rd is an elite station and he’s been hitting. Maybe he is over his problems. Sure looks like it. He had a .275 BA in 2022 and was clutch. This is what everyone was hoping for. It doesn’t feel like Mookie is destined to play at SS. We now need to stabilize our OF and Mookie in RF, Teoscar in LF, helps do that while they figure out CF. We need to give it time. Perhaps even the pitchers can regain their health and begin to dominate once again. Maybe this FO is learning a big lesson.
Don’t sleep on Kopech. He has nasty stuff and a tweak or two from our pitching guru’s and that guy could easily slip into a closer’s role. I don’t think there was a really good third baseman on the market. I sure did not see one get traded. Rosario has been playing a lot of third base, and he is hitting over .300 The price for Scott was way too high for any closer. They tried to trade for Duran of the Twins, but the Twins wanted MLB ready players, and the Dodgers wanted to trade them prospects. Makes sense since the Twins are still in the race.
Why was Kopech sitting out last night? He was supposedly the most rested reliever they had. Why did they trade for him if they are not going to use him? Anybody who has an elementary understanding of baseball can c Vesia has lost it for whatever reason. The Dodgers once again went the cheap route at the deadline. The Padres paid a big price but they improved their team. Would anyone rather have Tanner Scott or what we got.
Apparently now we are finding out why we we got Flaherty so cheap. He has injury issues. Sound familiar. Our biggest strike Edman is on the il. Sound familiar. Pages and Outman are not going to cut it. Outman is like a deer in headlights waiting to strike out. Pages looks like he is swinging straight up can’t hit a high pitch. When is the last time he hit a homer. When the Dodgers get to the end of the game against the pads their closer just strikes everyone out. We are waiting on Graterol? He had a great year last year but is not a closer. He does not have swing and miss stuff. I think it is likely in a playoff series with the pads, snakes, even the Giants we do not matchup well. I thought Glasnow was an ace but is prone to the homer. If healthy mb Flaherty can put up zeros. If if if well if our bullpen don’t turn around we r toast.
Touching upon the RVS system once again, is it really helping our batters? Ohtani seems like he’s in love with the SO. He’s chasing Teoscar. Do we all realize how many SOs the Dodgers have been giving away? Isn’t RVS somewhat responsible for guiding players away from bad habit like chasing balls, not seeing the pitches properly, timing, etc? If the answer is yes, they need to be replaced. They stand around analyzing and making notes but nothing has changed in a few years. Same shit, over and over again.
This is a launch/exit velocity system being used in LA. It’s clearly slug oriented. I get that. With this system there will be a lot of strike outs. I get that too. But chasing is not something that is included in this scheme. That is on the players. Know the strike zone and stay within it, which is something taught in high school.
Pages can’t hit high strikes. The league knows this and I believe that’s why he is OPS’n .530 in the last month. I guess Kiermaier is the answer as he is OPS’n a significantly better .649 over the last month.
Sigh.
And Kopech who throws 120 mph fastballs, that apparently are just as likely to hit the backstop as the strike zone, is going to be used how? I think we could have used him last night.
As I have repeatedly said over the last month, this team needs to score, and what see from the deadline moves I don’t believe that has changed.
IMHO we score enough and when FF, Mookie and MM (hopefully) come back this will be a top 5 offense in MLB.
What we are lacking is a bona fide closer. Have to hope that among Phillipps, Hudson, Treinen maybe Kopech one will evolve and take the job .
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!1
I’ll say it again: Don’t count out guys like River Ryan and Bobby Miller for big bullpen roles in the weeks ahead.
Remember that Bob Welch and Dave Stewart both started as RPs for the Dodgers before they became aces.
Badger— seems to me, a few organizations are moving away from the all or nothing hitting approach. Is that true or am I dreaming? All teams have to do is watch the Dodgers flail in the playoffs to see that it’s a flawed approach. So now a little devil’s advocate re: Kiermaier. Centerfield is the most important outfield position on any team. I think that Outman was an adequate defensive player but maybe not in Kiermaier’s league. Neither, apparently, can hit water if they fell out of a boat. If Kiermaier is truly a Gold Glover, he could essentially save runs by making the plays that our current outfield can’t. In effect, taking pressure off the offense to score 8 runs every game and potentially cutting down the stress on the BP. The Dodgers have enough sluggers so whether he hits .170 or .270 he can still help the overall team.
Just read this Wally. It’s addressed to me and worthy of a response.
It’s my opinion organizations envy the Dodgers success and would emulate if they could. Most cannot. Some are trying. The Orioles now slug, The Yankees obviously slug, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox, heck, even the A’s slug now. Home runs put butts in seats.
I guess Kiermaier becomes the everyday centerfielder but my question is who else just traded for will be every day players.
Grades for the deadline:
Padres A
Dodgers B
dbacks Meh
The dbacks picked up Puk who has been great in the pen. Got him to neutralize Ohtani so he can strikeout more. U were talking about staying in the zone. Oftentimes it seems Ohtani hasn’t a clue. Having said that I realize he has been our most productive hitter. He has done his part.
I give the Dodgers an A + for their deadline moves. Raised the floor of the bottom of the lineup and bench considerable, brought in the best starter on the market available plus Kiermeier. And while achieving it did not give up any of our top prospects.
Yes, we probably should have gone after a bona fide closer but overall a clear A + for me.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!
Easy grader. Or, maybe more optimistic than me.
I don’t know how much better the bottom of the lineup will actually be. Who is going to play where? Lux will probably stay at second, Mookie will be somewhere, shortstop I assume, if Muncy returns he’s at third, if he doesn’t return, oh sh*t, and though Kiermaier does improve the up the middle defense he does not improve the down the middle offense.
Some players will be leaving soon, that’s for certain. And you may be right, the new guys should help. But, aren’t they all bench players? And all this doesn’t even address what’s going on with the pitching staff. Yamamoto better get his ass back in the rotation, Flaherty better be able to take the ball every 6th (maybe 5th) day through October and we may find out very soon (as in today) whether Kershaw will help. And the bullpen? Hasn’t exactly filled many with confidence has it.
I know this team is good. But I think it’s only good enough with everybody that’s supposed to be there actually there.
At this rate, we won’t have to whine about how the layoff ruins our post season mojo.
Entirely possible.
A lot of health questions re Edman, Max, Taylor, Rojas.
Weird that I’m much more confident about Mookie coming off a broken hand. Does that make sense?
Perfectly
Hey dodgerram. I agree with Badger on his opinion of your grades for the Dodger trades. I thought the pitching trades were at least a B+. It would have been a solid A if not for Flaherty’s back issue. The position players are nothing but more than bench players that may or may not make much of a difference. An average C for position guys. I thought Del la Cruz or Rooker would have been better choices.
For the deadline deals I no real complaints. Overall grade for me would be a B-. AF was in a tough situation not knowing how many or when all the injured players might return. Now it’s up to the players to perform and try to be more consistent in their play.
It looks like they lost Walker to the same injury that has sidelined Muncy. That is why they traded for Bell. Switch hitter with pop from both sides. I saw one of the posters here saying something about wanting De La Cruz, who went to the Pirates from the Marlins. Well, the same reason for not trading for Rooker can be applied to De La Cruz. Strikes out a lot, is the DH about as often as he played left. 18 homers, but most are solo shots. Not a big RBI guy.
Yesterday I wrote the Flaherty deal with the Tigers seemed too good to be true, and was a steal as long as his back holds up. And yes, EVERYONE was surprised how little the Dodgers gave up to acquire him.
But now we know the Yankees had a deal in place for Flaherty until they backed out due to the medical reports on his back–which has already bothered him this season.
So with this concern in mind, it remains to be seen who actually got the “steal”– the Dodgers or the Tigers. We’ll know the answer by October.
I read that too.
What I didn’t read, and won’t get to read, are those medical reports.
Am I wrong in assuming medical exams by our own team physicians are given on these guys?
I really don’t know the answer to your question, but I’m guessing no. But either way, I’m now more queasy and less giddy about this trade after knowing the Yankees earlier rejected their deal for Flaherty based on the health concerns he’s already shown this year.
This may explain why Flaherty’s price was not high.
Worth the risk, I think.
The Dodgers must be pretty desperate to take such a high risk.
I doubt the Yankees were the only team who rejected trading for Flaherty due to concerns over his back; hence, the Tigers acceptance of the Dodgers low-ball offer.
Was really hoping we would grabbed De la Cruz for LF . We’re still missing another consistent bat in OF. Thoughts ?
I think you’re right.
As for what to do about that, I got nothing. Hope for the best I guess.
Plays DH as much as he does the outfield. Strikes out a lot, OPS is .707 and OPS + 93, so he is below MLB average. Bat not as consistent as you might think. Rooker would have been my choice. Hitting in the .280’s, plenty of pop and RBI numbers are good.
Why are you so worried, gentlemen? The division is blue, every trade was made with the playoffs in mind, the team will be complete and in some way “rested” by then…
Don’t worry about Arizona or my other favorite and beloved team that wears shit colored uniforms, they’re the ones worried about the Dodgers!
It’s true they are all chasing us.
What causes me concern is each day for years I check the daily odds and most every day for a long time the Dodgers have been favored. The money has always liked the Dodgers. That’s not true lately. Even today the Padres are favored. And I don’t need to ask why really. The Dodgers are not favored often these days because so many starters are missing from the lineup and rookies, and pitchers fresh off rehab or IL assignments are on the bump.
It’s the end of July and the team has been on cruise control for a couple months now. The hammer doesn’t need to be dropped yet, so, no need to worry. But there is cause for concern. Who might not be coming back at full strength?
A few observations about last night’s disaster. It was almost the exact same as the Houston debacle. The club had a 5-0 lead early, and then took their foot off the gas pedal. I don’t know why they do this. Don’t relax or let up. they did the same thing in Houston. Keep scoring runs. The bullpen is run into the ground.
I know they are missing key pieces. Obviously Graterol is a key piece, and so is Brasier, but there isn’t anyone in the bullpen that strikes fear in opposing hitters or can come in and dominate. I’ve said this before so many times, they need to get more length from their starters. I was pleased to see Glasnow stretched to 7 innings and 100 pitches. They absolutely cannot continue with the 5 and 80 strategy anymore. I’m not asking for complete games. But a quality start is not asking too much. 6-7 innings every start.
Glasnow is a good pitcher and gave a quality start, but he looks as if his body is starting to break down a bit. He looks like he’s laboring a little. Hoping they can figure out a way to keep him sharp without destroying the bullpen more than it already has been.
I don’t understand why they refuse to let the relievers pitch multiple innings. Banda pitched a scoreless 8th and has been pitching well. Why not just let him go out for the 9th? Why did they have to bring in Treinen? because of match-ups? Computer data? Guys are going to have to pitch multiple innings, or we’re going to see this again.
I also didn’t like bringing in Outman at the end of the game. I get he’s put in for defensive purposes, but then Treiinen blows the lead, and his spot comes up in the order. Outman couldnt hit water if he fell out of a boat this year. It’s not smart to use him, unless you know for sure that the bullpen is not going to blow the lead. And let me tell you, I knew that Treinen was going to do the same thing, and blow another one. It was not hard to predict this.
You could see the difference between the SD bullpen and the Dodgers. The SD relievers look like they are lockdown. They come in and strike everyone out. Also what happened to Daniel Hudson? Did he fall into a black hole? Why wasn’t he an option.
The lead is dwindling, and the Dodgers have played very poorly against San Diego. If they are not careful, and dont start adjusting and trying something different in regards to game strategy, and pitching management, then it’s possible they could fall out of first place before the reinforcements return.
And, the SD bullpen just got better. These guys are not afraid of the Dodgers (especially the depleted Dodgers) and they are coming after them. Should be a tense couple of months.
I’m not too worried about it
I no longer care about earning the time off before playoffs. How has that been an advantage? Let the Pads win the division….all I care about is how we play in Prime Time.
Dodgers will only get as far as this bullpen allows it. If our veterans Vesia, Hudson, Treinen and Phillipps do not turn it around we will not go far in the postseason.
Maybe it is time for the Dodgers to take a look at Henriquez. Fireballer at TUL.
And hoping that Pryor can unlock Kopech.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!1
Outman was not put in for defense. Barnes pinch hit for Heyward and Outman came in after the switch.
Ok. still, why use Barnes as a pinch-hitter?
Because Barnes hits RH, Heyward does not hit lefties all that well, and Barnes is about the hottest hitter they have. And there was a lefty on the mound and the bases loaded. Barnes big mistake was swinging at the first pitch.
Scott, I totally agree with your assessment of how the pitchers are used. It’s been a major complaint of mine for years. They baby these guys’ arms in order to keep them “fresh for the playoffs” or “prevent injuries”. Check out the Dodgers’ IL. How’s that working out for all the pitchers on that list? It ain’t.
These pitchers throw more in high school and/or college than they do as pros. The organization talks about building up the starters’ arm strength. What, to be able to pitch 5-6 innings or 80-85 pitches? It used to be 100 pitches before a pitcher was automatically removed. Now it’s 85 or so. Who decided these were the magic numbers? It’s a joke. It ruins a players’ confidence and competitiveness. And there is little proof that limiting a pitch count or the third time through the order should be the defining factor in removing a pitcher. EVERY TIME? If the coaching staff never let’s it happen then the analytics are proven to be right. And the process continues. How about looking at what’s happening on the field? The analytics can be used as a heads up, but if the pitcher is still effective then there is no justification to remove him. None.
Roberts said the other day that the reason he removed Ryan is that he wasn’t missing bats. This is even that he was still throwing 96-98 MPH. Hey Dave, ever hear of pitching to contact? More bullshit reasoning by the winningest manager in the history of baseball.
After all, he has a bullpen to burn through!
What Robert said about Ryan and lifting him tells the entire story. The guy is doing rhe same over and over and over again. Did it with Wroblesik the day before, did it in the playoffs over and over . And will not stop his insanity.
May I say it is moronic?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My guess, and it’s only a guess, the velocity and spin rate stressed by the organization is hard on the arm. And as for removing Ryan, he was at 92 pitches I think, and I don’t know how many pitches he has been throwing in the minors but I’m fine with limiting young guys who throw that hard and spin violently to 90 pitches. I think veterans like Glasnow should be able to throw another innings worth, 105, but it would appear the Dodgers prefer to exercise on the side of caution when it comes to arms. Maybe it will work going forward.
Ted and Scott, I have discussed pitcher usage ad nauseam. Saying exactly what you boys are saying. And they spin it so Captain Hook looks justified in popping up like a Jack-in-the-Box mid inning. We’ve seen how that’s work out lately. It’s not Doc throwing the gopher balls but he is the guy putting the pitchers in position to throw the gopher balls. He just over-manages the pitching. He or the Wizard.
I will also pose this question about how they prepare prospects in the minors, for the third time. They may throw more in high school and college and a totally babied on the way up. And it isn’t working!
“River Ryan. Why is it that this kid, who’s now 25, comes up to the big club and the most pitches he’s thrown in a professional game is 76? In 182 innings covering 46 professional starts, he hasn’t been stretched past 76 pitches? I get he was a position player in college. But there appears to be no attempted to build arm strength and endurance in the minors. Innings manage for the fear of an injury has gotten to the point where 5 innings and 85 pitches is PAR.”
Also with the lack of transparency regarding injuries, I don’t know if CT3 is done. Same with the under appreciated, Miggy Ro. But it does look like AF provided Doc with about 6 utility guys to platoon and move around as he likes to do.
I’m personally taking a vacation so I don’t have to watch anymore 5 runs in the first inning and jack-shit the rest of the game. Maybe guys returning can fix this shit-show.
Agree with this
Most of the Dodgers have very little experience against Cease. Ohtani and Kike have homered off of him. Ohtani twice. Machado has the best numbers against Kershaw. Someone asked who is going to go when Edman and Kiermaier get added to the roster. Feduccia will likely be the victim when Freddie is activated. Biggio is likely to be gone when they activate Edman, but Edman is at least 2 weeks away from being activated. Outman will be sent down when Kiermaier gets here. Rosario is already on the roster and is wearing #27. They gave Edman #25, Kopech, #45 and Kiermaier #93. At least for now. I think their hardest decision will be when Mookie gets activated. The only player on the roster I could see leaving then would be Ahmed. If and when Max gets back, well then it would be down to Kike. They have two other players who fill his role nicely, are younger, and at this point, better hitters.
I am expecting a total a.ss whipping by the Padres today. I have no confidence in CK vs this fired up Padres team.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They are favored. But we beat them 8 out of 10 innings yesterday, so, we got that going for us.
U got it!
Badger – I need your help since you were an umpire. (or anyone else here, please)
An old buddy relies on me for answers to baseball questions. It’s usually pretty simple stuff but he got me by the short hairs on one yesterday.
Situation:
June 26th – Danny Jansen starts at catcher for the Blue Jays versus the Red Sox. The game is suspended in the 2nd inning due to rain.
As we know, a suspended game shall be resumed at the exact point of suspension of the original game. The lineup and batting order of both teams shall be exactly the same as the lineup and batting order at the moment of suspension.
Any player may be replaced by a player who had not been in the game prior to the suspension. No player removed before the suspension may be returned to the lineup.
On July 27th, the Blue Jays traded Jansen to the Red Sox. He is on the 26 man roster for Boston.
On August 26th – the suspended game from June 26 is scheduled to resume with the potential for Jansen to be playing for the Red Sox.
He could be the first player in MLB history to appear in a game for both teams.
But can he?
The rule on new players says “A player who was not with the club when the game was suspended may be used as a substitute, even if he has taken the place of a player no longer with the club who would not have been eligible because he had been removed from the lineup before the game was suspended.”
That’s way over my head…….. especially if the substitute is the SAME GUY.
Would the league just have to rule on this, if it comes up? I’m stumped on this one.
Help!
My ruling:
He can play.
And if you argue my ruling? Take a seat meat.
My thinking would be that Jansen had a slot on the 26 roster and whomever filled that slot would not be eligible to play in that game when it was resumed. If Jansen were in a slot on his new team that had not been substituted for during the rainout, then he would be eligible to play.
The discussions here have really take a turn.
what is going on?!?
MarkTimmonsCrowdStrike virus
Whatever do you mean Blutovius?
You’d think that the fans of the Dodgers on this blog were long-suffering Oakland A’s fans, with a hatred of pragmatism and nuance, by the new tenor and comment direction.
I feel it’s pretty pronounced.
Present company excluded, Badger and Dionysus.
Well, people are frustrated the Dodgers have become a .500 club. I get it. At times, like presently in tonight’s game, they don’t look like world beaters.
Speaking of tonight, why are three members of the JV team still in the lineup?
Cool moment in today’s Red Sox game.
https://x.com/MLB/status/1818800096147865905
Per Roberts:
1> Max Muncy had a “breakthrough” and is feeling much better after a “chiropractic adjustment” involving his ribs
2> Of the three rehabbing Dodgers relievers (Ryan Brasier, Brusdar Graterol and Michael Grove), Grove is likely the first one who will be back. Could be as soon as next homestand.
3> Mookie Betts is taking BP again, and could be back in the “next couple weeks”
Nice post, Bluto, that’s some good info
I don’t mean to overreact to 1+ starts but the margin of error for Kershaw with a fastball topping out at 91 is really slim against good line ups. We kept talking about Miller, Buehler, Kershaw and Yamamoto coming back at any time to bolster the rotation but it is does not look real promising for Miller, Buehler, or Kershaw.
Asking this line up to come back against Cease from a 4-0 deficit is asking a lot. Things may get worse before they get better in two weeks. On the bright side, they will likely be playing meaningful games in September which should help them prepare for the playoffs.
I’d like to see what over-reacting to 1+ starts is, if not this?
It’s not an overreaction to say Kershaw does not look good and Yamamoto, Miller, and Buehler do not look close. Another thing that is not an overreaction is our defense still sucks.
I started by acknowledging that it may be over-reacting but this version of Kershaw looks an awful like the pitcher who pitched at the end of last year. He averaged 89.6 mph on his fastball. He got one swing and miss and lasted four innings. Admittedly, his slider did not have the same bite it had vs. Giants therefore he only got one swing and miss and gave up 7 runs. That is what I mean by margin for error.
I would think it safe to say that, at best, the jury is still out on Kershaw, Miller, and Buehler helping the Dodgers. Things may change but the early returns are not positive.
What was Dino thinking holding up Ohtani with two outs there. Put the pressure on the other team. Bad coaching there. Really pissed at that conservative move — I don’t get it.
It’s a good thing we don’t play the Pads 19 times this year.
There’s a hole in the outfield, the platoon in the outfield is below average, and depending on Muncy there could be a downgrade at 3B and the pitching is not looking good.
Before the season started, I wanted AF to get an outfielder in the off-season and then Brent Rooker at the trade deadline, but that didn’t happen. Before the season started I thought Outman would play every day and if he didn’t deliver against LHP then he would platoon with someone and I thought the pitching would be fine.
A lot of expectations have not been met.
Kopech looked like a stud
Mb Kopech could have come in last night. Just a thought!
is Kershaw going to go to Florida now? Looks like it did wonders for Buehler.
is it too late to get Bauer?
our 2 highest performing starters currently:
Wrobleski sent to minors
RR next to b sent down
another bullpen game. This bullpen might have more innings than the starters. Wonder why our bullpen is suddenly the worst in the majors.
but we r 4.5 up
great organization
great time to be a dodger fan!!
Yes, Kopech is clearly the bright spot in this debacle. That was good to see.
But Kershaw may be washed. Perhaps it’s for the best that the Dodgers can get a sense of Kershaw’s present ability now than in a few weeks.
This team is in tatters right now. Two of the Big Three are out of action, and so are Max and Rojas, who has been vital to the Dodgers’ success so far.
Just a few weeks ago we were talking about a “Big Four”–but Smith has been slumping for a while. And Pages, who had seemed so promising, struck out twice and now has an OPS of .669–about 120 points below what Outman hit in his rookie season last year.
Hope Mookie gets back soon, Hope Miggy and Max get back soon too..
And Fred sooner.
Dependency on aged relievers has also played a part in this debacle.
Hey Bear, good job on the Deadline Trade Tracker.
Thank you, I appreciate it.
3 hits, 11 Ks. Not much fun to watch I would think. But considering who they ran out there as a lineup, about what one would expect. Smith got two hits yesterday, then struck out three times tonight. He has been slumping for a while. 3 errors did not help Kersh at all. And he made one of them. I expect the offense will pick up some with Mookie’s return and when the Mendoza line guys are not playing. I think this stretch of so many major pieces of this team being disabled and the team holding on to first by their fingernails, will show us what kind of grit they really have. Their August schedule is no cakewalk. A’s for three then Philadelphia, 3, Pirates, 3, Brewers in Milwaukee, 4, Cardinals in St. Louis, 3, Mariners, 3 in LA, Rays,3, Orioles, 3 then they finish with 2 against Az in Arizona. That is a 4-game series that extend into September. They have 10 games against contenders in September. Including 3 against the Padres the last week of the year. So, they either suck it up and play a lot better or they miss the playoffs all together. If they miss making the playoffs, some of you may get your wish and see Roberts get fired.
This lineup with Kershaw pitching against Cease went about as expected. The return of Betts and Freeman (and now, perhaps Muncy has turned a corner) plus
fewer ABs by Pages and Hernandez against RHP and Lux and Heyward vs. LHP will do wonders. Hopefully they can hang on until help comes.
I like their rotation if Yamamoto returns fully healthy but that is far from certain at this point.
The last two months will be entertaining and will either bring out the best or will bring some major changes. I would rather see them challenged these last two months than coasting into the playoffs like last year. More fun as a fan and better preparation for the post season.
Thanks for keeping the site up while Jeff is recovering.
Doing the best I can. Would appreciate any suggestions for stories you might like.
The Dodgers are a problematic team right now, and their adversity has just begun. We’re now going to see how much fight and character the entire organization–from management to the players–has from here on out.
Will they fold like a soft team ..or will this adversity harden them for a playoff run?
Missing the playoffs entirely would necessitate more than just Roberts firing.
Was this Feduccia’s first AB since getting called up? His long-anticipated debut in the majors?
He flew out, but it’s still a highlight of sorts. Hope he gets a start soon before he gets sent back to OKC, providing Smith and Barnes stay healthy.
Yes, it was his only at bat since being called up. As soon as Freeman returns, he will go back down. No word on when that might be.
Heard promising things about Muncy today.