The Times… They are a Changin’

Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon
For the wheel’s still in spin
And there’s no tellin’ who
That it’s namin’.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There’s a battle outside
And it is ragin’.
It’ll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin’.
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin’.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’.

From the mouth of the great Bob Dylan to my keyboard: The times… they are a changing! This is the second straight winter in which the Hot Stove League has seldom been hot… in fact, the fire seems to have been extinguished. A few free agents have moved, but most of the big ones are still there. The biggest trade of the offseason was regarded by many as a salary dump, because the times, they are a changin.’

Look, I have been preaching for years that long, expensive contracts are dope-fiend moves for GM’s. Andrew Friedman and Jeff Luhnow were among the first to figure it out… probably long before I said it. It used to be that they would sign a player long-term deal knowing full well that the last two or three years would hamstring the team, but they wanted to win now and felt that they could “deal with it later.”

The Tigers under owner Mike Ilitch (God rest his soul) tried that and came close but no cigar! In 2016, they paid Verlander, Cabrerra and Upton $78 Million Dollars. Jordon Zimmerman and Victor Martinez were paid $18 million each and Abibal Sanchez made $16 Million. JD Martinez and Ian Kinsler weighed in at $11 million each and the final payroll was $207 million. Now they have crashed and burned and are in full rebuild.

Teams are looking deeply into analytics and realizing that those long-term deals are seldom successful and they are simply unwilling to pay what agents are asking… and rightfully so. The system is skewed so that teams underpay a player in his prime and overpay him at the end. I am suggesting that both of those situations are totally unacceptable. This is something that both sides are going to have to resolve in the next CBA.

Some fans… maybe most fans, believe that their teams (we are specifically talking Dodgers) should have accomplished a lot more this offseason, but the problem is “The Times, they are a changin’.” The Dodgers want Realmuto but they have an idea what they want to pay and the Marlins want a lot more. Corey Kluber would have been nice, but the Indians were not going to part with him without getting a King’s Ransom in return.

Agents can no longer drive up the prices to teams with their slick sales pitches. Scott Borasss is famous for his presentations using smoke, mirrors and common parlour tricks. Most teams, maybe every team, have huge analytics departments and if we think we see a lot of analytics… I guarantee you they have a lot more than that… a whole lot more.

Frankly, I am shocked that the Dodgers signed Kershaw, Kelly and Pollock to the deals that they did… but glad that they did. Add in Ryu and the money they spent this offseason was almost $200 Million. Yeah, thay haven’t signed Harper and they got rid of Puig, Kemp, Wood and Farmer – we will see how that works out later, but I still say that RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, this 2019 Version of the Dodgers is better than last years version… maybe a lot better.

Who knows what will happen? So far, no one will pay the prices they are asking. Why should the Dodgers? This is not collusion, this is just a “market correction.” Good things come to those who wait.

That said, Stan Kasten should never be allowed to speak. That was dumber than a bag of hammers!

Finally, Ken Gurnick of Dodgers.com quoted Justin Turner as saying this about Corey Seager’s comeback:



Having struggled when he returned from knee microfracture surgery in 2016, Turner offered Seager a cautionary message.


“Hopefully he doesn’t put too much pressure on himself to go out and try to be an impact guy,” said Turner. “There will be a little bit of a curve trying to build his way into it. Just the understanding it’s not easy — there will be good days and bad days.


“To expect to come back and be Corey Seager, All-Star shortstop, from Opening Day on is probably unrealistic after having the injuries he’s had. Just so he doesn’t beat himself up if he doesn’t feel right for the first 25 games. There is a period it will take to get back in the groove of things. Coming back from my knee, I didn’t feel myself for two months. You can still do things to help the club win, but you’re still not you yet.”

Carey Osborne of Dodgers Insider has a great interview with Rick Honeycutt on why he thinks the Dodgers pitching (which has been the best in baseball the past two years) can be even better in 2019.

If these two guys are smiling like this in October, every little things gonna’ be allright!


(Photos by Jon SooHoo and Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers)


This article has 92 Comments

  1. Impressive birthday list for today (from Houston Mitchell, LA Times):
    *

    Notable births on this date

    1914: Heavyweight boxing champion Jersey Joe Walcott.

    1919: Baseball legend Jackie Robinson.

    1931: Baseball Hall of Famer Ernie Banks.

    1947: Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.

    1957: Gold medal winning swimmer Shirley Babashoff.

  2. Great read!! I believe those two home grown kids will be just fine!! Do I have faith in our players, absolutely, but do I have faith in the dodgers front office, not quite so much!! I feel these two boys are gonna have a great year.

  3. If Harper were willing to sign a contract for 3 years, Dodgers should make an offer? First year at $20 millions and the next 2 years at $40. That would create flexibility this season, of course there would have to be some adjustment, but could it be possible, or not?

    So the fans would be happy, he would be motivated to play in a contending team and would not be tied a long-term contract

    1. The cap is based on the Annual Average Value of the contract, so it doesn’t create flexibility by paying him less this year. 20, 40, 40 and 40, 40, 20 is the same as far as the cap is concerned. I doubt he signs for just 3 years. But, I’m with you that I’m still holding onto hope that we can sign him. Same with JTRM. Those two would put us as World Series favorites. Put some sauce and french fries in that Del Taco burrito and GO BOLD!

      1. 59, the bacon double del burger at Del Taco is the most underrated burger i’ve ever had. And I say this as a guy who worked at Del Taco in high school!

        1. Dude, you are correct. I like the Double Dell and was thinking about getting one yesterday. Del is the closest fast food to my house. Along with Carl’s JR. They are both short bike rides < 1/2 mile. I don't eat fast food very often, but I when I do, I will usually hold out for In N Out, The Habit or Sonic.

          If you couldn't tell by my constant rants, I have a little blood pressure issue. I'm on the borderline level, so I try stay away from the bacon and try not to eat too much beef either. I have In N Out, The Habit and Sonic in Costa Mesa on Harbor and also on Beach in Huntington Beach. Those are my go to burger places along with TK Burger, also in CM, DTHB and near the Newport Pier. Luckily those are all a few miles away. Thank God they aren't closer.

          Both of my kids like Del and get bold burritos. I had a bite off of theirs from time to time. Not something I would order.

          1. Last week I was on a multi-day fast (I made a bet to lose a certain amount of weight by this last Sunday and was behind schedule) and did a 50 mile bike ride that went North on PCH to Seal Beach. I was just South of Main in Huntington and smelled something very distinctive. If you’ve been to Carl’s Jr or Burger King, it’s those industrial gas grills that grill the hamburger patties that have this unmistakable aroma. I was trying to figure out where it was coming from – I think it was from the TK Burger but I’m not sure. (I know the owner of TK…he’s an avid bike rider)
            *
            I couldn’t get that smell out of my head for two days. I kept on imagining rewarding myself with Carl’s when it was all done. Sunday, after weigh in, and having lost 9 lbs in less than a week, I went right to Carl’s and got a Super Star, brought a bag of pickle flavored potato chips and went to Left Coast Brewery and sipped on IPAs for 3 hours on the patio and gorged myself. That crummy fast food burger was everything I hoped it would be and more.
            *
            Loved those Del Taco cheeseburgers. Some of my fondest childhood memories was Sunday night, which was Del Taco night. I’d always get those.
            *
            I also think someone recently re-opened a Naugles in HB….tried to recreate the original recipes.

        2. Bobby

          I like a Double Del once in a great while too.

          Del Taco or Naugles use to be our go to place, when I was in high school.

          They were practically the same place, and I believe Naugles once was in business with the guy that started Del Taco.

          1. I frequented the original McDonalds in HS. In N Out keeps going north with one in Portland opening soon. 🙂

          2. They opened up two Naugles in Orange County, one in Huntington Beach and the other in Fountain Valley after selling out the company to Del Taco years ago. I went to the one in Fountain Valley hoping the food would be the same as my days of late night fast food eating. It’s not even close to the taste in my opinion. The late night combo burritos at Naugles were the best.
            I’m still hoping for the Dodgers to work out a deal for Realmuto. I just don’t believe the Padres are really ready to fork over all their pieces for two years of his service. Barnes, Verdugo and another lower level prospect should get it done.

        3. Lolz, last night was taco night here in the birthplace of Dell Taco. Actually it was Yermo being the birthplace but the family that started it still owns the three local stores here in Barstow and offer better tacos than the franchise they once owned. So in Barstow oppo taco is not Tuesday, it’s Wednesday.
          .
          Player developement has been the best answer to high paid teams since Branch Rickey and proven as such. If incentives were part of all contracts it would help even out players being paid for their current worth rather than gambling what tomorrow might promise. Screw Boras! I’d like seeing him colluded out of business. So collusion ain’t always a crime, is it?

          1. Bill

            Actually Naugles was more our go to in high school, because it was closer to Corona High.

            But I lived on the other side of Corona, so I went to Del Taco when I was not at high school.

            The beans at Del Taco in Corona were always good, but that always depends on which one you go to.

          2. Quas

            I remember that one in Barstow.

            The one in Corona was there a long time too.

            So I bet they opened the Corona one, soon after they were so successful, in Barstow.

          3. Yeah, that Del in Bartow still makes the tacos the way i remember – in that wax paper with the slice of tomato on top. I always make it a point to stop there when I can on the way to Vegas

    2. The cap is based on the Annual Average Value of the contract, so it doesn’t create flexibility by paying him less this year. 20, 40, 40 and 40, 40, 20 is the same as far as the cap is concerned. I doubt he signs for just 3 years. But, I’m with you that I’m still holding onto hope that we can sign him. Same with JTRM. Those two would put us as World Series favorites. Put some sauce and french fries in that Del Taco burrito and GO BOLD!

      1. Bum

        Where is San Bernadino.

        I think my dad took me out to that McDonalds when I was 10 or 11, if it was close to the Orange Show.

    1. Personally, I do not think that Harper is necessary, since we have Bellinger (who will be much better) but since every day and on every page, it is said that Dodgers should sign it ….

  4. I really like the Rick Honeycutt interview. I totally agree that our pitching has the chance to be better. Adding Kelly and Urias back into the mix is like adding a premier starter and reliever to an already dominant staff. If Kershaw and Ryu are healthy we’ll get more innings of top shelf starters compared to last year. I also think we’re much deeper with high upside guys like McCreery, Thieren and Kasowski nearly ready. We can also use a healthier Garcia, Cingrani, Santana and Fields. But, it’s hard to say that all of them will be healthier this year, or if their injuries will get worse and require surgery. Floro and Alexander are candidates to refine their skills and get even better. Baez can step forward or regress back to El Gasolino. Ferguson will be available whenever they need him to step in. Stripling could be deadly out of the pen. I can’t say that I follow other teams as closely as the Dodgers, but it’s hard to image anyone other team being this deep. And this doesn’t even include possible surprises with quality arms that could be promoted during the season like Alvarez, Gonsolin, May, White, Sborz, Sheffield, Holmes. And I’m probably forgetting some.

    Our pitching is better and hopefully our lineup can step up with the loss of Kemp, Grandal and Puig. Kemp and Grandal carried the Dodgers at times during the season. Unfortunately, they also went into deep slumps at times and couldn’t hit at all. Lefties were our kryptonite, so hopefully all this can be counter balanced with more consistent hitting and a better approach. Pollock makes up for the loss of Puig, that’s a wash. We really need Barnes to help make up for Grandal. Kike and Joc maybe makes up for Kemp. Second base will be better to start the season as Forsythe was horrible. Seager is going to be a welcome addition back into this lineup. I’m hoping Verdugo is ready to step up, for Mark’s sake!

    I’m sure ready for the season to start!

      1. Barnes has always swung hard. He might have swung even harder last year. He might benefit the most from less emphasis on the home run. Barnes and Smith will be a great catching combo.
        .
        Joc turns 27 during the season and that is an age when many take big strides. Joc’s OPS was third best last year trailing only Turner and Muncy.

        1. Smith isn’t even on the 40 man roster Bums, Sept call up unless someone goes down with an injury.

          1. Ruiz will be up before Smith unless Smith hits .500 or some such stuff, because of that reason.

          2. Mark

            Is that Barnes or Joc’s baby, because I knew Joc’s wife was expecting, but I didn’t see anything about Barnes.

          3. If Smith does well at OK and if the Dodgers think he can help the team at some point during the season, Smith will be put on the 40. He could replace Stewart immediately as soon as a team claims Stewart who is out of options.

    1. I used to read all that stuff, then I found a better way to project what the players would do:
      Image and video hosting by TinyPic

    2. Wow, I guess Zips doesn’t like Verdugo as much as MT. In all fairness, Tony Gwynn’s WAR as a 23 yo was 1.9, so maybe Mark’s on to something. Except TG’s 1.9 was accrued in 334 PAs.

      1. who was more fun to watch hit back then? Gwynn or Boggs? I say Gwynn only because we saw him so much more

        1. Gwynn by a long shot. He was art. Boggs was more machine-like. He would’ve struggled with the shift.

          1. Wade Boggs believes he would have approached .400 if he could hit off the shift. When responding to a Jon Heyman tweet: “Soto, Schwarber and Harper have all tried bunting vs. shift and with wind blowing in at Wrigley today. Love the idea, tho only Soto successful. “Per Wade Boggs’ Twitter – How about letting the ball get deep and going the other way
            .
            Wade Boggs was a magician with the bat…not as much as was Tony Gwynn, but still with very few peers.
            .
            Boggs 18 Years – .328/.415/.443/.858
            Gwynn 20 Years – .338/.388/.459/.847
            .
            Hitting philosophy has changed dramatically. With Boggs and Gwynn bat control was important. Those guys could do anything they wanted with the bat. Today it is get the ball in air and hit it hard. Obviously more K’s now because bat control is not stressed as much. Think about this…in 20 years Gwynn struck out 434 times in over 10,000 PA. In contrast, CT3 has 320 K’s in his last two years. I think it is safe to say that CT3 will K more in 3 years than Gwynn did in 20. I prefer the Boggs and Gwynn approach, but that is me and I am told I am a dinosaur.
            .
            I hope the 2019 LAD approach is doing exactly what Boggs said to do against the shift…let it go deep and take it the other way. And teach them how to bunt just in case they do not have bat control.

        2. I say Gwynn too. Freaking 396 for God’s sake. He could hit the ball anywhere and could hit pitches out of the strike zone too. By far, one of the very best hitters all time.

  5. As long as Pollock is healthy, I think this will be lineup:
    C – Barnes/Martin
    1B – Bellinger
    2B – Muncy
    SS – Seager
    3B – Turner
    LF – Pederson/Taylor
    CF – Pollock
    RF- Verdugo/Kike

    Kike will move all over too and Toles and Freeze will be bench players.

    1. It certainly looks like that could be the most often used lineup. Or they can play musical chairs moving people all around the field. Taylor in LF/SS/2B. Muncy 2B/1B, Belli 1B/LF/CF. Kike SS/2B/CF/RF, Freese 3B/1B, etc.

    2. I don’t see how there is room for Toles with a 4 man bench. He has 2 options left and will open the season in AAA barring further moves or injuries even if he has a great ST.

      1. I tend to agree with that statement. Toles is doomed to rack up frequent flyer mileage all year.

    3. Mark, I have to ask again. What relief pitcher are you dropping to add Toles? With Toles, that is 13 position players, leaving only 12 pitchers. With only two off days between Opening Day and May 2, pitching is going to be needed. I am guessing your 7 are:
      .

      Kenley
      Kelly
      Baez
      Alexander
      Cingrani
      Stripling
      Urias
      .
      You won’t need 3 LHRP. You are already on record for both Alexander and Urias to be on the opening day roster and be lights out for the season. That means Floro or Fields or Garcia or Shaggy over Cingrani? Just asking.

      1. Good point AC-the real battle is for the final spot in the pen. If healthy Cingrani and Alexander are the 2 lefties and Urias and Caleb start out in AAA. I like Floro, Fields and Shaggy better than Stewart or Garcia but the latter 2 have no options left and could be claimed if DFA’d. It could be a wide open battle and should be.

        If Barnes and Martin are the C’s where do the prospects play? Gale is on the 40 man and they added Thole so if Smith is at AAA then 3 catchers? I think Ruiz opens at Tulsa and it seems less likely by the day of adding JTR.

      2. Kenley
        Kelly
        Baez
        Alexander
        Cingrani
        Stripling
        Stewart
        Floro
        .
        I can see Stewart and Fields as part of a trade package but I would like to see find his fastball again and stick with the Dodgers.

      3. I’m not saying that is the opening day roster, but things have a way of changing.

        It’s possible Seager is on the DL to start the season.

        I have no clue how it will shake out – the Dodgers have way too many pitchers, but I guess that’s a good problem.

        I would not start Urias in the minors, but maybe the Dodgers don’t feel the same….

        It’s going to be interesting!

    4. That is the lineup I’m am looking at for the first few months as well. I would not be surprised to see Taylor as SS early in the season as Seager is moved back in slowly. Given early minor injuries and the historic use of the 10 day DL I expect Toles to break camp as the 4th OF’er.

      I am in the Muncy 2B and Bellinger 1B camp.

      1. I think Toles is insurance in case of a Pollock injury and will do better with regular playing time at AAA than 1 or 2 starts a week and PH duties.

        I don’t care where Muncy plays but his bat needs to be in the lineup most days. If LF is a platoon then Cody at 1st probably puts Kike on the bench (where he belongs) as the super sub.

        1. Concur. If Seager or other regular does not start season on DL then I expect Toles and his options to be playing in OKC.

          1. Mark

            That is Joc’s baby not Barnes.

            Because Barnes and his wife’s baby right now, is a Yorkie Terrier.

        2. Vegas

          Did you see Puig’s interview on MLB Tonight, last night?

          I thought of Hawkeye and you, when I saw it.

          1. I did, and in english too! Loved the snow on the baseball field and him shaking hands with the mayor.

  6. This is a steep price to pay:
    1:44pm: The Lakers let Demps know that one of their potential scenarios for Davis would include Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac, and a first-round pick, a source tells Turner (Twitter link). ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne (Twitter link) hears that it’s “common sense to assume no one but LeBron James would be untouchable.”

    1. So the Lakers trade all of their draft picks earned by being terrible for 5 years and lucky in ping pong ball numbers for payroll relief and then for one player with maybe half of his career in the books and with a contract that expires in one and a half years? I forgot to add the top draft pick (Randel) that was not re-signed to reduce payroll.
      .
      That’s like the Padres trading all of their best players and prospects for Machado and Harper.

  7. From Heyman.

    Padres, Rays, Reds, and Braves are still in the running for JT Realmuto.

    The Dodgers are still in too, but they are not as engaged, as these other teams are.

    That sounds bleak, but maybe Friedman is playing hard to get.

    The GM who was formerly rebuilding the Braves, said he thought two top twenty prospects, and an major league player, would be a fair amount for two years of Realmuto.

      1. #64

        #31 is for last year’s pick not signing so don’t think that can be taken. So they lose pick #64 for Pollock and gain #79 for Grandal.

  8. From a Logenhagen chat today:
    `
    Jack: I’m a Dodger fan and my brain has been melted by the last two World Series losses, pessimism is all I know. Can you convince me that Keibert Ruiz isn’t Dioner Navarro?
    Eric A Longenhagen: I have a 7 on his bat and he has the most accurate arm I’ve ever seen.
    `
    Sir Nerdlington: Do you believe in the changes Gavin Lux made? He’s not on the 40-man but is there a chance he plays in Chavez Ravine this year?
    Eric A Longenhagen: Buy that he’s made offensive progress, don’t think he’s a SS anymore tho
    `
    NotGraphs Revivalist: Very random question – which pitchers in the top 100 prospects would you expect to have the heaviest ground ball rates?
    Eric A Longenhagen: uh, Kyle Wright or Dustin May?
    `
    From Keith Law chats:
    `
    `
    Joe: Would it make any sense for the Dodgers to trade Ruiz in a deal for Realmuto?
    Keith Law: Definitely not. And I don’t think they will.
    `
    Kevin: I believe Mitch White made a midseason list or was at least a name to watch for you previously, did you get to see him last season? Any chance he ends up getting a spot start with the Dodgers this year?
    Keith Law: He was on my midseason list over in 2017. Has had trouble staying healthy, and when he’s pitched his stuff has varied widely.
    `
    Bilal: who’s getting the bulk of the starts behind the plate for the Dodgers by the All-Star break: Barnes, Smith or Ruiz?
    Keith Law: Smith.
    `
    Nook: Is Bellinger still young enough to make significant strides offensively, or do you think 2018 was a realistic showing of who he is?
    Keith Law: He’s still 23 so age isn’t a concern, but the way he swings leaves him vulnerable to a couple of pitching plans and he has to show he can adjust and shorten up if he wants to be more than he’s already been.
    `
    Kimmy: Dennis Santana: 4th-starter ceiling?
    Keith Law: More likely reliever for me. I feel like if he starts he’d be more than that, but the odds are he’s a reliever.
    `
    Ave Maria: Is there a pitcher in the Dodgers system you’re particularly high on at the moment?
    Keith Law: Several. You’ll see a couple of those names Monday-Wednesday.
    `
    Kip: Arenado or Machado?
    Keith Law: Machado.
    `
    Mike: Thoughts on Dodgers trading away Puig (and friends) and replacing him with older and injury prone AJ Pollock?
    Keith Law: Puig was a free agent after the year, so your question is leading, omitting a critical detail – and Pollock may be older but he’s a better all-around player right now.
    `
    Shane: Have you heard any whispers about what type of punishment the Dodgers face for their international issues and if that is playing a hand in their offseason moves?
    Keith Law: I haven’t heard a word about it nor have I asked. Not really my department.
    `
    Jason: Is Pollock better than Joc Pederson over the next two years?
    Keith Law: Yes.
    `
    Anuj: Is Ruiz and J. Gray for Realmuto too much, fair, or too little?
    Keith Law: Too much, and the Dodgers are not trading for a terrible framing catcher.

        1. If Ruiz has “the most accurate arm he’s ever seen” then why percentage throwing out runners not amazingly high?

          But if he really does have a 7 (out of 10 i assume) bat, and that good of an arm, and he’s only 19 in which case we can expect him to improve even more, then this guy is a can’t miss and DO NOT TRADE prospect!

          1. Because throwing motion and throw speed are other factors in throwing a runner out?
            `
            Because catching also includes stopping pitches, calling a game and other defensive responsibilities.

          2. I have seen him throw and while would not say he has the most accurate arm I have ever seen, I would say he pretty good. I think he’s a tad slow and it’s probably his footwork to be in position to throw as soon as the ball is transferred.

            I started to post this, then ate diner and came back, only to find that AC said about the same thing… 😉

    1. Ruiz still needs to work on his footwork behind the plate, and he needs to work on his transfer of ball from glove to hand. I have read reports that he still needs to work on his framing, but so far the word is that pitchers do like throwing to him. I do not know enough of the player development process in the Dodger organization to determine how far the team will allow him to call pitches.
      .
      I would consider him the most untouchable of untouchable of the prospects, but IMO he is not going to be ready this year. His bat to ball skills are uber exceptional, but there is so much more to being a catcher at the ML level. Just ask all of the past several years’ can’t miss catchers…Francisco Mejia, Carson Kelly, Chance Sisco, Blake Swihart…
      .
      While there are some of us out here that do not believe that Ruiz will be ready for The Show by his 21st birthday in July, we still believe he is a bonafide star catcher of the future for LAD and should not be traded, and certainly not for JTR.

      1. Plus he still needs to develop more arm strength. All of these come with maturity and experience Everyone should be patient with this jewel.

    1. With Verlander, Cole, McHugh, and Miley, the Stros have a good starting 4 and in their weak division, they should be more than fine to make Josh James their #5, with Forrest Whitley knocking on the door. The Stros have two more top 100 pitching prospect following Whitley and James. With McCullers due back next year, their pitching should be just fine.

  9. I can’t find the guy who posted this yesterday, but he referred the article in the wednesday sports section of the LA Times. Andy McCullough had a must read about the current status about free agency. Read that and you will see that the Dodgers so far have awarded the biggest contracts to free agents,(Kelly, Pollack). Times have changed, and while the players don’t like it, teams through analytics have finally figured out what Mark has been preaching for the past 2 or 3 years about the “Dope Fiend” moves. Long term contracts are going the way of the dinosaur. The industry will adjust, but like David Freese said in the article, he was so glad to accept the Dodgers option rather than test the free agent market over 30 years of age. So let’s not rag on Freidman not going for Harper( Who in my opinion is straight up poison in the Dodger clubhouse). If he or Manny Moe were so wanted, how come they haven’t signed yet? Sign of the times… Both Harper and Machado linked to the Pads and White Sox? Really? In my neck of the woods that’s called sloppy seconds…

  10. Dodgerpatch was making he hungry and thirsty for a beer. I had to grab a Daredevil Liftoff IPA. By the way, that’s what we do: We do more craft beer breweries in the USA than anyone.

    Water is Life
    Beer is 90% Water
    Therefore Beer is Life!

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