Rant & Rave Friday

I want to clarify a few things:

  1. I have never said that Alex Verdugo would be Tony Gwynn. I do stand on my record of saying that he is “Tony Gwynn-esque.” His bat to ball skills is reminiscent of the late, great Tony Gwynn, but with more power. I also think he will win some batting titles.
  2. I do not think Keibert Ruiz is the next Roy Campanella. That was said in the context of banter. I do think Ruiz will be VERY, VERY good, but I see no similarity to Campy. I do think Kaybear will be a pillar for the Dodgers, but I have been wrong before (Andy LaRoche).
  3. A headline on a Blog is there to grab a reader’s attention. Headlines sometimes say outrageous things. If you take headlines as literal then think about these: Here’s Johnny, Dodgertown Still Whispers in my Ear, Orel Hershiser Assumes the Position, etc. A headline is different than the body of an article. Some (one) of you won’t get it but the others do. Thanks for the e-mails and I am fine.

Back to Rants and Raves

  • I will not tell the other bloggers here what to write or do, but I am not no longer doing the Minor League Report. If they want to do so in whatever fashion they want to then I am fine with that, I just don’t have the time and there are several other blogs that already do so, like www.TrueBlueLA.com
  • Clayton Kershaw has went at least 6 innings in EVERY start this year and he’s not an ACE even though he has a 2.85 ERA?
  • Clayton Kershaw has passed Sandy Koufax and is now #3 on the Dodger All-Time List for strikeouts. The Don’s are #1 and #2 on the list: Sutton and Drysdale. Kershaw will be #1 by the end of his career.
  • When people compare the Dodger’s farm system to others, they forget that the Dodgers have won 7 consecutive division titles and been to two (count ’em 2) back-to-back World Series. They draft at the bottom of each round. Yet, that they are even a TOP 10 farm system is amazing. The teams ahead of them have tanked for years and amassed draft picks and prospects because of it. The Cubs, Padres, Rays and Astros have sucked while the Dodgers just kept winning. Consider the context.
  • Will D. Smith is totally unconscious now. He was supposed to be a guy who had a Gold Glove and a paper bat, but last year, mid-season, he started to evolve. What we are seeing right now is unprecedented and unsustainable, but I hope not. He is simply amazing right about now. Johnny Bench would be his backup. Roy Campanella too!
  • The Dodgers are not run by a hedge fund. However, ownership needs to make money. There is also no correlation between indiscriminate spending and winning. Staying under the Luxury Tax is smart. Boston is #1 in payroll and the Cubs are #3 – both are struggling. The Yankees are #2 and most feel they don’t have the pitching to win it all. The Nats and Mets are #5 and #6. The Dodgers sit at #4 in payroll… and are the best team in baseball. Get real!
  • There is a connection between signing Big Free Agents and winning. That connection is 180 degrees off for the most part. There isn’t always a “bad guy” to blame.
  • The last two teams to win the World Series both had struggling bullpens at this juncture of the season. The Dodgers didn’t lose the past two World Series due to the bullpen – They lost because they couldn’t hit!
  • The Dodgers are now up to #8 in Bullpen ERA, right behind Oakland and the NY Yankees. Of course, they are #1 in Team ERA. In the playoffs, the bullpen will look vastly different.

A Different Perspective

I would like to think that we bring a different point-of-view here at LA Dodger Talk. I cannot speak for AC, DC or 2Demeter2, but right now, I am going to speak for myself.

While I enjoy Ken Rosenthal, Jason Stark, Peter Gammons and may other writers, the fact of the matter is that they are simply critics. They have never built anything themselves. They simply exist to write about what others do or don’t do. They don’t know what it’s like to really build something… something great and sustainable.

I think I bring a different perspective. At age 40, due to circumstances which I finally controlled, I had nothing but the shirt on my back. Kind people lent me a car, a travel trailer to live in and I got to work. In 2002, we were still struggling when my wife and I started our business, US Water Systems in our garage. I had a two year-old in diapers and some weeks, it was hard to buy them. I’d like to say it was an instant success, but it wasn’t. We made every mistake along the way and in 2010, we started to figure it out.

Fast forward to 2019 and we have nearly 50 employees and $20 million in revenue, growing at 30% plus a year. That former 2 year-old is starting to buy us out over the next 10 years as he takes the business to the next level. I don’t have all the answers and don’t think I’m the smartest person in the room, but I do surround myself with people smarter than me (that narrows it down to 99% of the population), who do know what to do.

In the subsequent 26 years since I was 40, I have come to appreciate what it takes to build a company. Building a sports team is not unlike that. That’s why I feel a kinship to Andrew Friedman. He has built it the right way. He makes mistakes, but his model is a picture of sustainability. I have found that you can buy superstars, but frequently, your home-grown ones are the best. We have an incredible team and training and mentoring program in place. In my opinion, Andrew Friedman is running the Dodgers the way I would.

His plan is sustainable and is already yielding positive things as the Dodgers are the NL Favorites to get to the World Series for an unprecedented third year in a row. If they win, I will likely take a backseat here at LA Dodger Talk – I have did this for 20 years and probably won’t stop, but I may scale way back. In the meantime, enjoy the ride. I have a feeling, it will be a great one.

Minor League Highlight and Lowlights

  • Gavin Lux only had one hit, but it was a HR.
  • Rios hit his 24th HR.
  • Dennis Santana gave up 12 hits and 9 runs in 4 innings, and is an absolute trainwreck.
  • Keep your eyes on Victor Gonzalez – he’s a possibility for a LH bullpen role. He has jumped 3 levels this year… maybe 4! He is 5-2 with a 1.95 ERA in 78 IP with 85 K’s.
  • Parker Curry threw 8 innings of shutout baseball as Tulsa won 1-0. He walked zero and struck out 8 while allowing 5 hits. Sheffield pitched the 9th for his 6th save.

This article has 86 Comments

  1. Sorry for taking it too far MT! I have trouble seeing the line I often cross. Thanks for doing this blog. I mostly think you’re awesome.

  2. Wow that was a moment! We are all passionate about the Dodgers and have differing opinions about them but we needn’t get personal and nasty and I’ve been quilty of that as well. Big thx to you Mark, AC, DC and 2Dem for all your hard work and insight and for providing a forum for all us idiots to rant and rave! And Mark I love the headlines! Keep being outrageous! This is our year!

  3. I’m on board with our new LOOGY and giving others including May or Gosselin (or both) the chance to solidify our bullpen. Let the auditions begin. Time and the divisional lead are on our side.

    I apologize if someone already posted the following article somewhere in the recent hundreds of posts. I think it makes sense what AF did and did not do at the trade deadline, and this article speaks to that.

    https://lasportshub.com/2019/07/31/los-angeles-dodgers-love-adam-kolarek/

  4. Belli moving back to first against righties. The JOC at first base experiment is over! Verdugo to right. Let’s see if our defense picks up! Belli will be back n right against lefties. This will produce our best lineup both offensively and defensively!

  5. In case anyone hasn’t noticed, no infield errors in the last 3 games.
    Espn is reporting that the Joc at 1B experiment is officially over. Belli will play 1B when Muncy is at 2B. Seems like this will make room for Joc in LF with Verdugo taking over RF when Belli is at 1B. It doesn’t mean Belli will be at 1B permanently.

    White has done pretty well there, but he doesn’t seem to have much of a bat. That could change with a little help from his friends, Van Scoyoc & Co. But they are going to have send some people down when the hobbled ones return. Don’t think anyone is going to take David Freese from 1B. And, would anyone touch Beaty at this point in the season. The guy is clutch, clutch, clutch, along with another rookie named Smith. Players are stepping up. Now we can really talk about our depth without any doubts. Tonight, may May make Manny miserable.

  6. M.T. – Your success can be best summed up by the song “The Long and Winding Road”… You are truly Steve Jobs-esque who also started out in his garage…
    IMO the Stros are now the pick to snatch the Ring.. Greinke, Verlander, Cole and Miley is one hellatious starting group with Osuna with the mop up chores..
    ALERT… HOLD IT… You’re gonna get their with health, a little luck and who’s the hottest come October, so lets play em all…
    Finally got to see the brawl and as I said early in his career, Puig has the IQ of a fencepost… The pitcher (could be a forward on my team) who charged the opponents dugout is certifiably mad… He did get a solid shot on the run though..

    1. I was glad to see Kela get the most games and Hurdle not get some games too. Throwing inside is part of baseball but Hurdle is a head hunter and has been for some time.

  7. Great write up Mark, you have been through the ringer and came out on top my friend. I love reading this blog and sometimes put in my 2 cents. This site is the first thing I look at in the morning because I am consumed with Dodger Baseball. I have a slightly different take on hanging on to the prospects vs getting the missing piece. I understand that the Pirates were not going to trade Vasquez unless they were blown away with a great deal. I also understand that the trading deadline was changed this year to make it more difficult to get the missing piece due to less teams moving players for prospects. I also understand that we are in one of the largest markets that can afford to sign free agents on occasions. If Lux was the only piece that broke the deal then I understand why the Dodgers didn’t make that deal but I don’t understand why backup plans were not in place. If May and or Gosselin doesn’t do things they have never done before, it will cost us another chance at winning it all. Do we want to be competitive every year or do we want to win a World Series? If we traded away a few top prospects, couldn’t we have signed a few free agents to make up for the loss? D. Cole comes to mind if he’s available after this season. Anyway, I know I will be blasted for my take in here but I don’t think my disappointment of coming up short at the trading deadline is in the minority either. AF and all of us hope that May is ready for the task. Stay tuned

  8. I don’t study all of the payrolls, but I assume that what made Boston #1 in payroll were the acquisitions which got them the championship last year. And the Cubs won the title three years ago. Having the highest payroll is not going to get you a run of titles, and it might cost you down the line in terms of flexibility, but no team wins titles every year in baseball, and sometimes a major pickup will get you over the top. Boston has had a bit of boom or bust, and they have made some foolish acquisitions, but they have made some great ones, and they do have the four titles in 15 years.. You can’t buy a title in terms of having no minor league system, and just paying for free agents, but you need some of the latter as well, and you need to make a big and even risky acquisition sometimes. “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood leads on to fortune.. Omitted, all the voyage of their days is bound in shallows and in miseries.” Even though the ambitious and opportunistic Cassius said it, it still has a powerful ring to it.

    None of that means that the Dodgers will not finally win the title this year. And all of us Dodgers fans hope for that. I believe that some franchises are more concerned with winning titles than our ownership; but the trade deadline is over, and we will go forward with what we have, which is obviously quite a bit.

  9. In the Athletic, Molly Knight writes an article called Here comes Dustin May, the rookie that just might save the Dodgers’ season

    In part, she says:

    “We focused on the top four or five guys and, after that, we weren’t just gonna bring a guy in just to bring a guy in,” Friedman said.

    In other words, the Dodgers weren’t going to trade for Shane Greene, Mark Melancon and Chris Martin like the Braves did, or Sam Dyson and Sergio Romo like the Twins did, or Hunter Strickland, Roenis Elías and Daniel Hudson like the Nationals did. And that might be because they believe their own minor leaguers, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin, are better than all of them.

    https://theathletic.com/1112746/2019/08/02/here-comes-dustin-may-the-rookie-that-just-might-save-the-dodgers-season/

  10. Post-Deadline, the Astros got the buzz. They’re the new trendy pick and deservedly so picking up two quality arms to shore up their only weakness on an already great team. All the while we failed to get that lock down late innings guy. Lucky we have some options and we’ll see where the cards fall when it’s all said and done. I’m glad they wound up with Greinke instead of someone that’s had better luck against us.

    I’m wondering how much Gonsolin’s performance at Coors had to do with our lack of deadline activity. Probably not as much as I would like to think since AF is more pragmatic than I am. However, he was a lock down reliever in college and pitched out of the pen initially after he was drafted. He could be our late inning acquisition. He could be our K-Rod.

    Now that we aren’t platooning several positions and have more every day players that hit both arms, left and right, we will be more consistent on both sides of the ball. Less Kike and CT3 starting and more of them off the bench is a good thing.

    Today is officially MAY DAY! I’m beyond excited to see his debut. I’m trying to temper my expectations. I mostly just want be memorized by all that hair! Another K-Rod? 4th Starter? Can I dream?

  11. I must have missed this whole “player comp” controversy.

    As, AC, has mentioned player comps have their fans and adherents, but how and/or why did anyone care who was comped to who.

    Anyway, much more important is:

    https://blogs.fangraphs.com/called-up-dustin-may/

    A blog from FanGraphs on and by the scout who signed, Dustin May

    Some stuff from the minor leagues:
    Full age 17 comps (so far) then:
    Cartaya: DSL/AZL, 172 PA, .276/.331/.449, 12 BB/34 K
    Keibert: AZL/Pio, 245 PA, .374/.412/.527, 15 BB/27 K

    It is borderline bonkers to compare two 17 year-olds, and I assuredly don’t think we can call Cartaya a lesser prospect than Ruiz because of lesser production at the same age.

    On the Dennis Santana, let’s bear in mind:
    -The Triple-A ball being juiced applies to the pitchers too, and the PCL was already an offensively oriented league before that.
    -The command (and walk numbers) have not been the same as they were last year.
    -He’s still just 23 and a conversion arm who reached the majors at 22… really solid spin numbers too. If starting proves to be too much of a challenge long term, he’s still a very solid relief option, and one who could be used for multiple innings.

  12. As William said, the deadline is over and time to move on with what we have.
    On another subject
    I got my season ticket renewal and see there’s a 10% increase in ticket prices. With all the rookies coming up and payroll going down, Why? Because they can and people will come.

  13. Am I correct that we don’t actually know what the Pirates were asking for? Was it two of the four and one had to be Lux? I read somewhere that they actually wanted Smith instead of Ruiz because they need a catcher now (next year). I’ve always been a huge Vazquez fan going back to when he was Rivero, but relief pitchers can crash and burn at a moment’s notice (look at Diaz), so although I’m disappointed I certainly understand AF’s position. Boy will we be happy next year when Vazquez looks like the 2019 version of Diaz and Lux, Smith and May are killing it.

    1. In your scenario, where did we finish in 2019? Runners up to the Astros? Or did the Braves beat us in the NL championship? I guess we will never know. Relief pitchers are failed starters except for Jensen. He’s a failed catcher.

      1. All of my forward thinking scenarios have positive outcomes. We beat the Astros in 4. 🙂
        I assume you’re one of the folks who think AF should have traded whatever necessary to get Vazquez and I’m not going to argue with you. I guess I’m just saying I can see both sides of the argument.

    2. The Athletic’s main man Ken Rosenthal reported the Pirates insisted on Keibert Ruiz and Gavin Lux or Dustin May. I don’t think the Dodgers were going to part with Lux or May.

  14. I agree that we need to move forward. I never believed that any of the top relievers were in play, primarily because that is KJ’s job, and he is already a Dodger, no longer and with flaws, but pretty darn good MOST of the time. Last year my focus was on young controllable relievers who were not closers but could be quality setup guys…Ryan Pressly, Taylor Rogers, and Jose Leclerc. This year, same thing. But none on my list were traded so I cannot complain. Bummer and Colome’ are still with the ChiSox, Seth Lugo is still with the Mets (Zach Wheeler & Thor as well), Michael Lorenzen is still with the Reds.

    Of the “top” relievers moved on Tuesday, Shane Greene did not cost the Braves very much at all. Maybe Gonsolin and May CAN be better, but Greene has been getting ML hitters out all year.

    Adam Kolarek. I am not a fan, but I hope I eat my words. Pedro Baez is a much better reliever against LHB than Kolarek. And if you are looking for a LH reliever who did well in the post season in 2018, then perhaps the guy that was sent down to make room for Kolarek should have been given more of a chance to build on what he has done for his last three relief appearances and what he did last post season. 10 batters over 3.0 innings over 6 games with only 1 base runner on a walk. 3.0 innings over 6 games…sounds like he was used as a loogy to me. So he has the post season experience, and was basically untouchable.

    I preferred to stay away from Diekman and any other reliever in the Axford/Rosscup/Madson mold. I think Kolarek fits in the Axford/Rosscup/Madson mold. Hopefully he will have better results. By the way, in his last 5 games, Kolarek has inherited 5 runners, and 4 have scored. Just sayin’

    1. If you mean Caleb Ferguson as the one who went to AAA for Kolarek, I agree. I think Kolarek is a side-armer? They scare me.

  15. So was this a Joc experiment or just an advertisement for possible trade. It ended when trading season over.

  16. Braves just released Luis Gohara who went unclaimed through the waiver process. He’s just turned 23 and was previously considered one of the Braves best pitching prospects (and they have a bunch of really good ones). He had a shoulder procedure which will shut him down for the rest of the year and they didn’t have any room for him on the 40 man roster. He’s had a history of injury problems plus he lost his father last year and his mother had heart surgery so he had that to deal with also. I don’t know if he has any options left, but I think he would definitely be worth a gamble for next year if he would take a minor league contract or if he has options left. We can add him to the Thornburg List. Roll the dice. Sometimes you get lucky.

    1. It is going to need to be on a minor league contract with a 2020 ST invite. This is exactly who AF targets. I also would not be surprised to see Farhan take a look. He is going to land somewhere.

  17. I am in the mood to review this just one more time, after I have seen that the Astros are now the favorites to win the title. Odds are not guarantees of anything, but they are not to be ignored. So let’s say that the oddsmakers are gauging it correctly, and that the Astros win the title again, even though we get to the Series to lose to them; where does that leave the Dodgers, now and for the near future?

    Now, let’s speculate as to what Vazquez would have done for us, compared to Lux. Of course, we don’t know what was demanded, almost certainly more. But what about Lux, Stripling, Pederson, and then another minor leaguer who is not May? Or what about Lux and Ruiz only? Let’s mostly concentrate on the apparently untradeable Lux. Let us imagine the next three years. We don’t know how anyone will do, but the best guess is that Vazquez, who has been a top reliever for a few years now, continues to be one of the best closers in baseball. And as for Lux, let us be on the high side, and imagine that he averages .300, with 20 HRs a year, while playing a decent second base. Which would you rather have? I’d say Vazquez, not even close. Unless someone reasonably believes that Lux is another Mike Trout or Rogers Hornsby. Closers are invaluable, second basemen who are not superstars are not as much so.

    You’ve got Lux for six years, Vazquez probably is only good for three. But longevity in baseball is overrated; and besides, in six years, Lux could be a free agent, and too expensive for us to keep, and then he could go to the Astros, or Red Sox, any of the teams willing to take on higher payroll. It is not 1950, where you are thinking in terms of 10-15 years of greatness with the same team. In terms of winning titles, who is more valuable? I think it’s obvious, Vazquez. In terms of saving payroll, that’s another story, of course. I just don’t see the rationale for saying that it’s so great that we kept Lux, and say, Ruiz, and not gotten Vazquez. I would attribute at least some of it to the lure of the unknown, the excitement fans always have about someone new, who might be “The Natural,” but more likely is simply another good player. Finally, let us say that we had gotten Vazquez and won the title. Then next Spring, we would have Vazquez for a strong bid at repeating.. Would we be happy, or upset that we didn’t have Lux and Ruiz? Or, if we didn’t win the title with Vazquez, even though he pitched well, would we be more excited about next season’s chances to win it all with him as a major piece, or without him, and with Lux and Ruiz?

    1. There’s so much wrong with this, it’s not even funny.

      1. Relievers are ridiculously inconsistent. It’s quite a stretch to modestly suggest “Vazquez is probably only good for three.” Cory Knebel, Cory Allen, Andrew Miller, David Roberson, etc.

      2. Vazquez WOULD NOT BE THE closer. He’d be used in high-leverage situation, which has value, but he wouldn’t be the closer.

      3. Most importantly, reliever are NO WHERE near as valuable as a regular player let alone starting pitchers, in comparison with which a reliever throws about 1/3 the amount of innings BEST CASE. You can argue that Rivera (with his absurd regular and post-season) is an exception, and Vazquez is nowhere near Rivera. Again, he won’t close. He will pitch for one inning every 3 games on average. That’s peanuts compared to an everyday player. It’s not even funny.

      4. Don’t take my opinion, FanGraphs estimated that an elite closer is worth 2 WAR over a season. 2 WAR. Vazquez himself is only at 1.6 WAR for 2019. Maybe the elite closers go up to 4. Let’s be generous and say Vazquez provided 3 WAR. Here are the 2B with a higher than 2 WAR:
      Marte
      LeMaheiu
      Muncy
      Merrifeld
      Moustakas

      Lowe
      Albies
      Torres
      Altuve
      Sogard
      LaStella

      1. Some good points Bluto. In the match between you and William I’m mostly on your side, but you sound very angry. Please don’t be angry, it’s bad for your health.
        Saying that Vazquez wouldn’t close would probably only be true until he showed he was more capable than Kenley and he would then become the closer in spite of Kenley’s feelings.
        Your best argument is the amount of innings a position player would contribute compared to a reliever, even an excellent reliever, and of course that translates into WAR numbers.

        1. Not angry!

          But I am at work for only five more hours.

          Then to the beach!

          Your assumption about Jansen not being the closer in some hypothetical future is just an assumption at best.

          1. Enjoy the beach.
            And yes, you are absolutely correct, all predictions about the hypothetical future are assumptions.
            Once in a while I get a prediction about the future correct. I’m much better at predicting the past.

    2. At the end of the day no one got Vasquez. Are we to assume only the Dodgers wanted him? Who AF wanted to trade/Pittsburgh wanted is some thing we don’t know. What we do know is that no one got him. Tells me Pittsburgh was unreasonable in what it wanted.

      1. Or, Huntington was telling the truth when he publicly said that Pirates were not interested in trading Vazquez (paraphrasing). Giving him the benefit of the doubt, he may have told the Dodgers the only way he would trade Vazquez is if he received Lux, May, and Ruiz (just an example).

  18. Since Vasquez is still a Pirate, I have to think they (the Pirates) weren’t committed to moving him. The Dodgers weren’t the only ones looking for quality relief pitchers. Everything is almost always for sale if the price is high enough hence the willingness to talk.

    There are very few organizations left in modern baseball that are not run in a business like fashion. Trades and signings are more than just Dollars and Cents but there is still a price figured into these transactions. Extending Kershaw was more than just a simple Dollars and Cents calculation but from both a player and organization standpoint it makes sense. Resigning Turner and Jansen also falls in this category.

    I suspect AF was willing to over pay for Vasquez or other high quality relievers to try to win it all this year but he certainly wasn’t going to give anyone a blank check. I suspect that was close to the Pirates’ price.

    This years trading deadline was an unknown. It pushed everything earlier in the year with no waiver trading. Other factors such as the Giants recent win streak contributed to the weird dynamic. I suspect Farhan fully intended to move MadBum and Smith 2- 3 weeks ago but with their winning streak it would have been a PR nightmare (a non Dollars and Cents price).

    Basically, none of the top tier relievers were moved. (I have Greene, Melancon and Diekman in the second tier). That speaks volumes about the market.

    In a glass is half full world (I would hold as a much better world than the alternative) we have many more pieces available (May, Gonsolin, Urias, Maeda, Stripling etc) with which to add as we try to construct a post season bullpen than many other teams.

  19. AF played it safe in my opinion. Jeff Luhnow , Dave Dombrowski, and Theo Epstein all make big bold moves at the deadline and win Championships. In my opinion, Ruiz is a Luxury now that Will the Thrill is taking off. Dustin May can be replaced on the Free Agent Market with a D. Cole or someone similar. Now this is assuming that the Pirates would have taken May and Ruiz. I would have made the deal and gone to war with the best chance of winning a Championship. Yes, relief pitchers are fickle but Vazquez seems to be pretty consistent over the past few years and seems to be one of the most dominate closers in the game right now. Kenley Jansen doesn’t get to dictate who closes the games and hopefully would warm up to a co-closer’s role for the sake of the team. That’s probably why I am a Real Estate Appraiser and not a Baseball GM. Nuff said

    1. Ooooh.

      I have a question regarding Real estate appraisal in the LA area.

      Who dictates what a neighborhood is for the sake of appraisal/evaluation. In my neighborhood three blocks south is markedly different than what lies three blocks east or west. Who tells you (as an appriaser) how to find comps?

      Can I, as a homeowner, tell you what I think relevant comps are?

      Also, if I had beach-front property in an area that hasn’t seen a beach-front sale in more than 2 years how can I get a good valuation / appraisal?

    2. Maybe I am in the minority here, but I have no problem with KJ as the closer. Since 2013 up to the 0-2 pitch he threw to Marwin Gonzalez in Game 2 of the 2017 WS, KJ was arguably the best closer in MLB. Now Vazquez can arguably claim that status, but who is to say that he will not show his mortality and become more of a KJ than a Mariano Rivera or Trevor Hoffman.

      I have no doubt that AF made a strong offer to Neal Huntington for Vazquez, but there is no way that AF was going to deal Lux who is the potential answer to one of the biggest problems the Dodgers have had for the last several years…finding a reliable 2B. Vazquez may be a better closer than KJ, but not Gavin Lux better.

      A better question if I was a Pirates fan is if the offer was Ruiz and May, and Huntington did not pull the trigger he should be fired. I do not think May was included in any proposal, but if he was, there is no way Huntington should have walked away.

      If what some are reporting is true, what I find laughable is that Huntington thinks that he needs to have a more ML ready catcher than Kaybear. Does Huntington and his shallow pockets think he has the players for a 2020 run? Joe Musgrove/Chris Archer/Trevor Williams/ Dario Agrazal/Steven Brault. That is the current rotation. That is not a championship rotation. Jameson Taillon is having elbow surgery (not TJ) that will sideline him until at least May of next year. Highly regarded Mitch Keller is their top prospect but he has been that for awhile and he is now 24. Their only other top 10 pitching prospect is 18 year old 2019 draftee Quinn Priester (#6). But maybe it wasn’t so much that Ruiz was not ML ready in the eyes of Huntington, but a catcher with way too many questions. I think it is more likely that Huntington had no intention of trading Vazquez as he said, and he was not going to bite on a Kaybear and 4 second tier players similar to the deal Baltimore took for Manny. I am guessing that AF went more with Kaybear and quantity over quality and Huntington said no. He remembers Gerrit Cole and Chris Archer deals where he got hosed on both. It is better to do nothing than to fall short again.

      1. AF made it pretty clear last night during the broadcast of the game that he was frustrated that the Pirates thought they were going to contend next season and wouldn’t take what he though was more than a fair deal. So apparently, building a deal around Lux and say guys less than May and Lux even guys like Gray or Gonsolin or more quantity like AC suggests wasn’t good enough since Ruiz is probably arriving in 2021 maybe September of 2020. They set the sights on impact players like Vasquez and probably Diaz. I listened to AA on High Heat today and he said that he didn’t even talk to the Tigers until 3 hours before the deadline about Greene. The Dodgers front office apparently wasn’t that high on him

  20. So Bellinger is going to be at 1B against righties. So lets see what we got when everyone is back and healthy. This isn’t a batting order just the 8 guys that will play.

    Vs righties:
    Bellinger 1B
    Muncy 2B
    Seager SS
    Turner 3B
    Verdugo RF
    Pollock CF
    Pederson LF
    Smith C

    So where does Beaty fit?

    Vs lefties
    Freese 1B
    Muncy 2B
    Seager SS
    Turner 3B
    Bellinger RF
    Pollock CF
    Verdugo LF
    Smith C

    So all of this is more musical chairs with the intention of keeping Pollock in there everyday and to keep Pederson in there vs righties and ignore Beaty’s bat?

    Am I wronge on any of this, including the 8 guys in both scenarios and the positions that they play?

    1. Pollock is having a very hard time with RHP. Beaty doesn’t hit LHP. That would effectively eliminate a platoon of Pederson and Beaty in LF. Neither player hits LHP. Beaty would remain a PH, primarily. I like your Lefty Lineup.

      Muncy has not proved to be a reliable defensive presence. At present, Negron seems to be a decent 2B and much quicker than Muncy. I’m not sure that Muncy at 2B every game is a sound decision. I also don’t like the fact that neither Pederson nor Pollock can hit consistently every game. Both exhibit offensive weakness. Pollock has good numbers against RHP career-wise, but this year he is terrible. This tells me the outfield is still a liability for us as well as moving Cody from 1B to RF and vice versa. Versatility is good in emergency situations, but I like consistency in my positional players. Finding the permanent 2B player (Lux?) will be important for the rest of the season. Pederson is still a huge question mark for me in the OF. He weakens the whole structure and prevents a successor from coming up. Beaty is not his replacement. Perhaps Peters is the guy if he can continue his impressive play in the minors. Can he hit both RHP and LHP? If he can, bring him on. Pollock LF, Peters CF, Verdugo RF, Belli 1B, creates the best look for every day play. Does anyone really doubt this?

      1. Sorry for the double posting. I made a mistake filling in my name.

        Pollock is having a very hard time with RHP. Beaty doesn’t hit LHP. That would effectively eliminate a platoon of Pederson and Beaty in LF. Neither player hits LHP. Beaty would remain a PH, primarily. I like your Lefty Lineup.

        Muncy has not proved to be a reliable defensive presence. At present, Negron seems to be a decent 2B and much quicker than Muncy. I’m not sure that Muncy at 2B every game is a sound decision. I also don’t like the fact that neither Pederson nor Pollock can hit consistently every game. Both exhibit offensive weakness. Pollock has good numbers against RHP career-wise, but this year he is terrible. This tells me the outfield is still a liability for us as well as moving Cody from 1B to RF and vice versa. Versatility is good in emergency situations, but I like consistency in my positional players. Finding the permanent 2B player (Lux?) will be important for the rest of the season. Pederson is still a huge question mark for me in the OF. He weakens the whole structure and prevents a successor from coming up. Beaty is not his replacement. Perhaps Peters is the guy if he can continue his impressive play in the minors. Can he hit both RHP and LHP? If he can, bring him on. Pollock LF, Peters CF, Verdugo RF, Belli 1B, creates the best look for every day play. Does anyone really doubt this?

  21. Each market is different as you are pointing out. Each Lender works a little different in how they want reports completed and what criteria to use for your comparable search. My approach is to attempt to stay as close to the subject as possible and use as similar houses to the subject as possible. Try to use similar lot sizes, year built, similar square footage (GLA), similar condition houses, within a mile of the subject property. Try to keep bed and bath counts similar if possible. You continue to widen/expand your search until you can find 4 to 5 closed properties that you feel are comparable to the house you are appraising. You also need to find a minimum of two active, pending or under contract houses to compare also. The beach front property deal would be a nightmare and I would refer that to someone that would have to do a cost approach appraisal on it. You can not do the closed sales comparison approach on a property with no similar sales in over two years. Or at least I wouldn’t trust the report unless values have been stable in that market over that time period. I will listen to homeowners and agents thoughts on good comparables and have used some of there ideas, however they are not aware that items must get bracketed such as year built, lot size, living area etc. They also are not aware that you can’t use a 2018 built house and compare it to a 1963 house. I get that a lot. Anyway, I hope that helps. No one dictates what comps to use, but underwriters will send you back out if they feel you are pushing value or understating value.

  22. DODGERS SELECT RHP DUSTIN MAY, RECALL RHP TONY GONSOLIN
    RHP DYLAN FLORO OPTIONED, LHP HYUN-JIN RYU PLACED ON IL

    LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that they have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Dustin May and have recalled right-handed pitcher Tony Gonsolin from Triple-A Oklahoma City. In order to make room on the 25-man roster, Los Angeles optioned right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro to Triple-A and placed left-handed pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu on the 10-day injured list with neck soreness, retroactive to August 1. In order to make room on the 40-man roster for May, the Dodgers transferred left-handed pitcher Scott Alexander to the 60-day injured list with left forearm inflammation.

    May, 21, was originally selected by the Dodgers in the third round of the 2016 First Year Player Draft out of Northwest High School (Tx.). He has been with the organization for four seasons, posting a combined 24-17 record with a 3.50 ERA (157 ER/403.2 IP) and 394 strikeouts. The Dodgers 2018 Minor League Pitcher of the Year has split the season between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City, going a combined 6-5 with a 3.38 ERA (40 ER/106.2 IP) and 110 strikeouts. On Monday, he was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week, going 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA (1 ER/12.0 IP) while striking out 10 hitters from July 22 through July 28.

    1. good. I was thinking it’s about time we give Ryu a few starts off to rest up for the stretch run.

      Enjoy your vacation buddy!

      1. So who takes Ryu’s next start (?Monday), Urias or Gonsolin?
        Or should I embrace the power of the word ‘and’

        My inclination is Urias with Gonsolin in a BP role again

    2. Hey, I got one right with my Scott Alexander to the 60 day IL for Dustin to the 40 man. I can’t be wrong all the time.

  23. I don’t know about any of you, but since Freese, Taylor, Hernandez are all injured this is the perfect time to see if Beaty can hit lefties in the major league. He actually hit lefties BETTER than righties in AAA.

    I’d rather try Beaty everyday at 1B than to fool around with Negron and White.

    Anyone agree?

  24. Today’s lineup:

    Fat Muncy (1b)
    Max Muncy (2b)
    JT
    Belly
    Seager
    Will the Thrill
    Verdugo
    Negron (CF)
    GingerThor

    1. If you had shown me this line-up ONLY and told me it was for the Dodgers 111th game?

      I would have guessed the season was a total disaster and the Dodgers were in last place

  25. Ryu IL’d for neck. Alexander the not so Great was put on the 60-day IL, Floro was sent down to AAA. May and ToGo activated.

  26. Hey Neal Huntington. Keep your Felipe Vazquez and we’ll raise you Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin…. AND keep our Lux and Ruiz. See you in the playoffs next year. LOL.

  27. Things are going as desired, fix group B with internal options. Vazquez? Sure, he is a superior talent but by no means giving him 2 or 3 of The Fab Four. I think that with 9 Jansen, 8 Urias, 7 Kelly / Baez, group A is as good as anyone, group B, Floro, Yimi, Chargois, etc., will be replaced by May, Gonsolin, Maeda and Kolorek, I still believe that Fergunson can fix. Houston in 2017 beat us without a left-hander in the bullpen, Liriano I think he only had one game and his giles closer was a disaster, it was Morton who got hot and did the job. In 2018 Marcos has reported extensively on the Boston bullpen. I trust the internal options, they are better than group B, the possibilities are very good. Let the internal competition begin, the audition begin, the casting begin!

  28. @billplunkettocr
    Dave Roberts confirms Gonsolin will start Monday. Expects Ryu to miss only one start.

  29. Can someone explain to me why they needed to add Gonsolin to the roster on Friday if they don’t plan to pitch him until Monday? If they really don’t plan to use him out of the bullpen, they’ve just shorted themselves a man for no good reason.

      1. That fits with Plunkett’s original tweet

        @billplunkettocr
        Tony Gonsolin said he has been told the plan is to have him take Ryu’s start Monday. I imagine that could change if he’s needed in relief this weekend

      2. Mark

        I looked up Beaty’s stats in AAA and it turns out he hit lefties better than righties. Do you think the Dodgers should give him an opportunity vs lefties at1B to see if he can hit lefties at the major league level?

        It could solve our 1b spot while letting Muncy settle in at 2B. Since the Dodgers don’t plan on bringing up Lux this year. Plus its obvious that Pederson and Pollock should be platooned in the outfield.

        1. Mark

          Also do you think the Dodgers should get Beaty ready for a back up role at 3B next year to give Turner as much rest as he needs since Lux will probably be our 2B next year with Muncy at 1B.

          1. 1. Friedman and Roberts will make him earn it. .. little by little.

            2. From what I have seen, he is not very good at 3B. Maybe he can improve, but the problem is that he has an average arm.

          2. Oh Ok, I can see him improving at 3B with practice considering his bat to ball instincts. But if he has an average arm that might be a problem. But I’m not a defensive stat-head. I’ll give up some defense for some offense. But Turner is going to need some rest next year considering his age and that he’s dealing with hamstring problems.

            I just like Beaty, and I’d like to see him contribute more than just pinch hitting.

          3. Mark

            What do you think about my first post to you about Beaty hitting better against lefties in AAA and asking if the Dodgers should give an opportunity at 1B everyday to see if he can hit lefties at the major league level?

          4. Beaty, being half a player offensively, will be limited in his role. He has been a terrific PH against LHP, but defensively, he is no better than a platoon player. Do I like platoon players? No, especially the way the Dodgers are composed with Pederson on the team. If you use a player only for their bat, it is going to cause problems defensively. You see this already with Pederson and Muncy. We don’t need more of this. Negron is probably the only backup at 3B that could be reliable but there is a good chance he will be sent down when the walking wounded return. David Freese used to play 3B earlier in his career so maybe in a pinch he could back up Turner. I almost forgot Gyorko! There is your 3B backup.

    1. He is going to be sitting in a bullpen and not pitching this weekend, so it might as well be with LAD. No travel, although Las Vegas is not far, it is still getting on planes and different hotels. He gets to go through his routine with ML staff.

      1. He can also pinch hit. He’s a very good hitter and he just might be needed this weekend as a pinch hitter

  30. Thank God this trading deadline is done and we can finally move on. My brain hurts from all of the conjecture and speculation, and 99% of it never happened. Aside from Houston making a big WTF moment, the Braves probably helping themselves and Arizona getting Leake and Gallen (who was great against us) and the 3,4,5 and 22nd prospect and a salary dump, the ending turned out to be the Butler Did It. AF confirmed on last nights broadcast what we all suspected; the asking price for any of the top 3 relief pitchers was just too high. He reported that the FO had planned on being very aggressive trying to fill needs but only focusing on the top guys and nothing else. (I guess he forgot about Kolarek) They made some offers that he seemed relieved and glad were not accepted. There’s a reason the top relievers stayed put. We all knew this was possible with the reluctance to part with the top talent.
    Now we need to move on. We know there is a lot of talent here (and some deadwood) and we will see more guys get a look. The idea of having a staff versus defined starter – reliever rolls is what we are going to see. AF said the idea is to deploy the best bunch of arms going forward and figure out how to put guys in the best positions to succeed. We’re going to see some pitchers.
    Basically standing pat isn’t a bad thing. I heard similar comments coming from the Red Sox FO justifying why they haven’t made deals. They feel the have the same guys who won the World Series and are better than what they can trade for. The pieces are there, they just need to play better. The Dodgers have enough talent to have a winning bullpen. One more time I will say……….. Joe Kelly is a huge key as to how this will play out. One way or the other.
    I appreciate the effort that Joc put in to trying to learn 1st base. He was a good soldier. But it made my week to hear this experiment is over! (the Wes Parkers and the Tommy Hutton’s rejoice)
    Now we can get to figuring out the real playoff lineup which is complicated due to injuries. Seems to me the outfield plan now is much more clear with Belli back at first against lefties. 2nd is the mess when CT3 and Kike are back. Correct me if I miss somebody but the following guys seem to be trying out; CT3, Kike, Negrone, Gyorko, Muncy and you want to add Lux to the mix? Last i checked they only can play one guy at 2nd at a time. Where’s Beaty in all this? After September call ups, I fear that Doc will have a new line up every day. To me, again depending on health, settling in on a reliable, predictable play off line up as early as possible is a huge plus. It might not be possible but it would be desirable. Doc loves to manage but moving guys all over the place from one day to the next is not good prep for post season. I personally think that that is one of the strengths of the Astros. They have the same basic line up every day and use predictable fill ins for off days. Their line up is not dependent on lefty-righty match ups as much, guys know when and where they are playing, they can prepare accordingly. and just settle in to playing their position every day. (Of course, having a DH helps.) Players like a set, predictable routine and I hope the Dodgers can get to that point in left, 2nd and 1st base so September isn’t a giant try out camp.

  31. Kristopher Negron being interviewed on the pre game show on radio. Sounds like a very cool guy actually.

    For those wondering, as I was, as to his ethnicity: his mom is Puerto Rican and dad Dominican (or vice versa), but he was born in New Jersey.

    Edit: he grew up playing ss and cf (hence his starting in cf tonight)

  32. #1: The Dodgers have some injury concerns with Turner, Seager, Pollock, Freese, Taylor and Hernandez. You are going to see some lineup changes because of that. They need options for depth. Negron in CF? Fastest guy on the team, can he play CF? We will find out!

    #2: The Astros don’t have anyone like Joc Pederson with such extreme splits so they don’t have to platoon as much.

    #3: However, they have used a lot of different lineups this year due to injuries.

    #4: The Joc showcase is over, It failed. Someone wanted him for 1B – I don’t know who.

  33. For the record I’m glad Doc left May in there to try and close out the 6th. To me Doc gave him a playoff audition right there. Can he come thru in those situations? Hopefully he’s put in more of those situations over the next 8 weeks. Be good to get him ready for Oct

    1. Absolutely 100% concur. Dustin didn’t get out of it, but I would bet a large lunch from a drive up window that he learned something that will make him better next time out. Maybe Doc is learning as well. These pitchers have to learn how to get out of trouble.

  34. Yes, agreed on leaving May in for the 6th.

    My take on May is not as positive as I hoped it would be. I thought perhaps he could fit in at this late stage in the season as a starter, but I am not sure he is ready for the role. He is eminently hittable as we saw him giving up 9 hits in less than 6 innings. He has poise, speed, and intensity, and should break in to the rotation at some point, given the chance. I think he might fit better in the BP at this point.

    In comparison with Gonsolin, I would think Tony has the edge on him as a rotation player at this point. A lot will hinge on his performance on Monday. If he can match May’s longevity (6 innings) without a big problem, I would keep him in the rotation for the time being and send Maeda to the BP. If both pitchers fall short, we are right back to the problem of not trading for another starter. Urias will have to be the #4 and Maeda, #5. Not having either of them in the BP weakens the BP.

  35. Cmon Jeff it was his first start and some of those “hits” were pretty weak contact. If he gets Naylor in 6thbwe are all singing his praises. He will learn to bear down and focus more in those situations with more experience. Check out some of Kersh’s early starts. It takes time. I think we have two studs in Gonzo and May!

  36. Dang, totally impresses with May. If not for White’s error hitting the runner to screw up a double play, then the walls caved in, he did great., Before we take out the carving knifes and say this dude is not worthy, don’t forget… HE”S ONLY 21!!! Did anyone notice the nasty late movement on some of his pitches(some of hit 97mph). This guy is Striker Bueller with wild ass red hair. He already has 3 pitches that are legit. Hadn’t seen him since spring training, and now I see why Freidman didn’t trade him, this guy can be a total ace or #2 frontline starter in about 2 to 3 years. Love his attitude also. Don’t care we lost, it was worth it to see May for an extended time. Also love the fact that being a Texan, he wore his trademark cowboy boots into the Dodger clubhouse when he got called up.

  37. I never said May is not worthy or his future was not bright. You guys are too sensitive and ready to defend what doesn’t need defending. He lasted almost 6 innings. By any stretch, that was a success and congrats to him on his first MLB start. Now, on to reality…………………

    Personally, I think he’s got the goods. He may not have the control that it takes to deliver them just yet. Sure, if this, if that. The point of playing is to win and shut down the batters. He never did that. White made a boner of a play that should have been a DP. But later in the game, SD kept hitting and scoring. Baez gave up another run and the Dodgers gave him no run support. If you want to blame the loss on the batters, I can go with it. You can’t win a game without scoring runs. I need to see more of him. Anyway, it’s only my opinion.

    Dodgers need to keep their focus and not let Doc’s anaemic lineups get out of hand. They need to do everything possible to win home field advantage because the Astros are going to murder them with their pitching and clutch hitting. They are on a roll, and we ain’t.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *