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LongBeachPoly
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:57 am    Post subject:

Snipes wrote:
He showed up but only to his limitations. Even at his best he’s not ever carrying you to win a series let alone the whole thing. Seager sure can even if it happens 1:6 years I’ll take it. Btw I love CT3…just think he’s become severely overrated and Seager was sent to the dumpsters by this thread. Again just how I feel and my opinion.


Honestly, I'd rather Seager be as consistent as Taylor in the playoffs vs. one magical playoff run. We might have more than one ring if Seager was a more consistent playoff performer.

Things could have been different this year if Seager could have come through in a few more spots. For instance, if we win Scherzer's start when we lost 1-0 to the Giants, we don't go to a game 5. We don't use Scherzer in relief, we don't use Urias in the game 5.

We go into the Atlanta series with a rested rotation and things might be different.

We can point to Seager's magical playoff run of 2020, but how many playoff runs came to an end because he couldn't come through in the clutch?

2019 when we won 106 games and lost to Washington. How was he in that series?

.390 OPS
8 K in 20 AB

2017 when we actually went to the WS and lost in 7 games.

.743 OPS

2016 when we lost to the Cubs in the NLCS.

.205 avg
.619 ops

So yeah, a more consistent playoff Seager would be nice. Even if it's "only" Taylor level.....

Seager has a career playoff ops of .675
Taylor has a career playoff ops of .806

I'd take the .806 from Seager all day.

Quote:
Even at his best he’s not ever carrying you to win a series let alone the whole thing.


Seager's 2020 playoff numbers:

.328 avg
.425 obp
.746 slg
1.171 ops

Taylor's 2021 playoff numbers:

.351 avg
.419 obp
.784 slg
1.202

It's hard to argue that those numbers weren't good enough to carry a team

Quote:
Approving Taylor does not mean we put down Seager.


I'd say you're doing the same by discrediting Taylor's 2021 playoff performance.
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2021 11:44 am    Post subject:

LongBeachPoly wrote:
Snipes wrote:
He showed up but only to his limitations. Even at his best he’s not ever carrying you to win a series let alone the whole thing. Seager sure can even if it happens 1:6 years I’ll take it. Btw I love CT3…just think he’s become severely overrated and Seager was sent to the dumpsters by this thread. Again just how I feel and my opinion.


Honestly, I'd rather Seager be as consistent as Taylor in the playoffs vs. one magical playoff run. We might have more than one ring if Seager was a more consistent playoff performer.

Things could have been different this year if Seager could have come through in a few more spots. For instance, if we win Scherzer's start when we lost 1-0 to the Giants, we don't go to a game 5. We don't use Scherzer in relief, we don't use Urias in the game 5.

We go into the Atlanta series with a rested rotation and things might be different.

We can point to Seager's magical playoff run of 2020, but how many playoff runs came to an end because he couldn't come through in the clutch?

2019 when we won 106 games and lost to Washington. How was he in that series?

.390 OPS
8 K in 20 AB

2017 when we actually went to the WS and lost in 7 games.

.743 OPS

2016 when we lost to the Cubs in the NLCS.

.205 avg
.619 ops

So yeah, a more consistent playoff Seager would be nice. Even if it's "only" Taylor level.....

Seager has a career playoff ops of .675
Taylor has a career playoff ops of .806

I'd take the .806 from Seager all day.

Quote:
Even at his best he’s not ever carrying you to win a series let alone the whole thing.


Seager's 2020 playoff numbers:

.328 avg
.425 obp
.746 slg
1.171 ops

Taylor's 2021 playoff numbers:

.351 avg
.419 obp
.784 slg
1.202

It's hard to argue that those numbers weren't good enough to carry a team

Quote:
Approving Taylor does not mean we put down Seager.


I'd say you're doing the same by discrediting Taylor's 2021 playoff performance.


Those are Seager’s numbers through an entire playoff run compared to us losing this year against Atlanta. Big difference.

Also as much as I care to ignore homers and RBI’s you have to take them into account during the playoffs and Seager hit what 7-8 bombs? Let’s not compare one of the most historic playoff runs ever to what Taylor did in 2021. That’s crazy.

As for putting Taylor down? I kind of have to with how insanely overrated he’s become. It’s like we forget how cold he gets and how he disappears in clutch situations all the time. He’s very hot and cold. He is nowhere near the model of consistency people are pegging him to be right now.

Time will tell. Also CT is barely the guy you lose sleep over when facing the Dodgers. Seager? Just ask Zaidi and Kapler.
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LongBeachPoly
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2021 12:41 pm    Post subject:

Snipes wrote:
As for putting Taylor down? I kind of have to with how insanely overrated he’s become.


That's up to you. But then how can you call others to not put down Seager. Unless you're saying it's ok to put down Taylor but not Seager? I don't get it.

Taylor might be overrated to you, and Seager might be underrated. But, Seager got $325M while Taylor only got $60M.

I don't know what your definition of overrated is, but $15M per seems pretty fair. How much were you thinking his production is worth? $25M?

I mean, if Seager was willing to come back for 4 years at $60M, I think everyone here would be ecstatic. I don't get the unfair comparison you're pointing out.

Quote:
Let’s not compare one of the most historic playoff runs ever to what Taylor did in 2021. That’s crazy.


It's your comparison... You're the one that made the comparison. You're the one that brought it up. How do you make a comparison, get a response and then reply, hey, let's not even compare. I don't get that argument. It's like you're not even allowing anyone to give a rebuttal or anything.

You said:

Quote:
Even at his best he’s not ever carrying you to win a series let alone the whole thing.


You didn't define what that means. Because Taylor put up a 1.200 ops this year. You're saying that's not enough to carry a team to win even a playoff series?

You're saying, only Seager's numbers can carry a team to a win a playoff series but Taylor's numbers aren't good enough?

That's quite a huge putdown. I mean, what kind of ops does it take to carry a team to win even ONE PLAYOFF SERIES?

2.000 ops? If 1.200 ops is not good enough, then define what's good enough.

Here are Chris Taylor's numbers in the 6 game Atlanta series:

Quote:
6 games
.476 avg
.542 obp
1.048 slg
1.590 ops
3 HR
9 RBI


Now, if that's not enough production for you to carry a team to win a series, I don't know what to say. That's a really high standard you have there.

I'm going to guess if Taylor's name was Corey Seager, your opinion would be the opposite. Just a guess.

I think those numbers aren't good enough for you because of the name on the back of the jersey.
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2021 2:49 pm    Post subject:

Let’s not make a comparison means CT3s playoff run does not belong in the same breath as Seager’s run last year.

Overrated on this forum. Not IRL. Big difference.

Ct3 carried us offensively in the Braves series sure. Did we win? No. Seager brought us back 3-1. Ops or whatever metric you want to use..Seager put us on his back after decades of coming up short and won it all. That to me is a trump card. It cannot be quantified.

Anyways I’m not trying to have a massive back and forth. I stated my opinion..you countered and that’s that. I’ve said this to you before ..it gets way too complicated and deep in here sometimes. And yes it’s a message board but I’m not here to participate in mass discussions. One counter is plenty for me.
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LongBeachPoly
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2021 4:53 pm    Post subject:

Snipes wrote:
Ct3 carried us offensively in the Braves series sure. Did we win? No. Seager brought us back 3-1.


Yeah, if the measurement is purely winning, ok...

I didn't know that was the sole criteria on how we were measuring players nowadays.

You got me. Here I thought Bonds had a massive playoffs in 2002 but because they lost, it doesn't count.

So basically, Taylor could have had a 2.000 ops this year and you still would have said:

Quote:
Let’s not compare one of the most historic playoff runs ever to what Taylor did in 2021. That’s crazy.


Quote:
Even at his best he’s not ever carrying you to win a series let alone the whole thing.


So, now I'm starting to understand your definition of "overrated". I'm going to guess you rate Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler extremely high because they carried their teams to a WS victory this year.
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 21, 2021 1:17 pm    Post subject:

LongBeachPoly wrote:
Snipes wrote:
Ct3 carried us offensively in the Braves series sure. Did we win? No. Seager brought us back 3-1.


Yeah, if the measurement is purely winning, ok...

I didn't know that was the sole criteria on how we were measuring players nowadays.

You got me. Here I thought Bonds had a massive playoffs in 2002 but because they lost, it doesn't count.

So basically, Taylor could have had a 2.000 ops this year and you still would have said:

Quote:
Let’s not compare one of the most historic playoff runs ever to what Taylor did in 2021. That’s crazy.


Quote:
Even at his best he’s not ever carrying you to win a series let alone the whole thing.


So, now I'm starting to understand your definition of "overrated". I'm going to guess you rate Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler extremely high because they carried their teams to a WS victory this year.


Of course. Rosario is the best player in the mlb. He stopped our Dodgers from winning another one
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 21, 2021 3:01 pm    Post subject:

OK, so once things get back up to speed, my offseason wishlist consists of these 2 moves:

--Sign Freeman and give him the contract he wants. He's the type of hitter that, even as he ages and if he loses power, he'll always be a tough out at the plate for opposing pitchers. I want that on my team in pennant races and the postseason. If he's "overpaid" nearer to the end of his deal, he's still likely to be contributing. I'd sign him in a second if the Braves screw this up.

--Trade for Shane Bieber. This is going to be difficult, but as low as Cleveland's payroll has gotten, do they really think they are going to try to contend on that kind of budget? So although Bieber is still relatively cheap this year (it will be his first go-round in arbitration), since he has 3 years left before he hits free agency, the time might be now for the Guardians to get maximum value for him, if they don't see themselves contending. They could try to contend this year and still get a lot of value for him if they try to move him next offseason, as he'd still have 2 years left, but perhaps they will want to do it now when he not only has more value with 3 years left, but, hey, what if he gets injured? Of course it will take a lot to get him. The Guardians lack outfield pieces and a long-term second baseman and, as always, teams can use pitching, though their system is flush with good young pitchers. So my proposal is Bieber for Gavin Lux, Tony Gonsolin, Bobby Miller, and Andy Pages. Miller is our #4 prospect overall and our #2 pitching prospect, behind Ryan Pepiot. Pages is our #5 prospect overall and our #1 outfield prospect. Gonsolin would give them a starter at the big league level who is still not yet arb-eligible, one with a 2.85 career ERA and 3.4 career WAR in 142 innings. Lux gives them a middle infield player with serious potential, and both of them can't be free agents until 2027. So it's 5 years of Gonsolin, 5 years of Lux, and two top prospects for 3 years of Bieber. It's a steep price, but given that the Dodgers still have Michael Busch as a possible heir apparent at 2B, and given their quality young starting pitching options with Pepiot, Landon Knack, and Dustin May by 2023, it's a deal I'd make.

Rotation
Buehler
Bieber
Urias
Heaney
Open Competition (Pepiot, White, Jackson, Price, free agent signing, etc.)

Lineup
Betts RF
T. Turner SS
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Muncy DH
J. Turner 3B
Bellinger CF
Pollock LF
Taylor 2B

As far as the rotation, you're set with the top 3, Heaney has big bounce-back potential if the Dodgers can get him to keep the ball in the yard, and they can figure out the #5 starter role. Maybe you bring Kershaw back, in which case he's actually higher in the pecking order. Maybe Pepiot shows he's ready, and off he goes. Perhaps you have a revolving door between guys like White and Price and Jackson. Maybe May ends up capable of starting towards the latter couple of months of the season. If the situation never really works itself out somehow, there's always the trade deadline.

As far as the lineup, it looks pretty stacked, especially if Bellinger gets his mojo back. Of course, you can move guys around if certain guys are hotter than others. For now I put Taylor 9th so that you have 3 speedy guys in a row going 9-1-2, but he could certainly hit higher in the lineup depending on how things unfolded. The DH spot would probably be a revolving door; I'm sure Muncy will spend some time at 2B, perhaps a lot of time there, with Taylor rotating between 2B and 3B and LF/CF. Turner can get time at DH for sure. You may even see Smith at DH so you can get his bat into the lineup more often. If there are injuries or poor performances, perhaps Busch forces his way into AB's.
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 21, 2021 8:51 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
The Dodgers will pay the competitive balance tax for the first time in four seasons, charged by Major League Baseball with a penalty of $32.65 million for 2021, per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press.

MLB deemed the Dodgers payroll this season to be $285,599,944, the highest in the sport and well beyond the $210 million CBT threshold.


Damn, $285M.

$32M in luxury tax.

I'm surprised this is the first time we've payed luxury tax in 4 years. They really went for it this year and it backfired.

It's going to be higher for us next year as repeat offenders.

This is why I don't think they'll trade Lux or any of the young prospects. I think the plan is to get back under the luxury tax within 2 years.

Only way to do that is for some of the cheap younger stars to fill the roster.

That Bauer signing has really cost us big time.

Yeah, if the plan is to get back under the luxury tax within 2 years, I don't know if they'll re-sign Trea Turner or even go after Freeman.

According to Spotrac, we're already at $233M this year (CBT is set at $210M). So we're already way over.

Can we add $30M for Freeman?

I wonder if Friedman might look into trading Justin Turner ($17M) and Price ($15M) to create some room for Freemen.

Instead of playing Lux in the OF, I think they should be training him to play 3B. Here's an article back in Aug 2021:

Quote:
Dodgers News: Gavin Lux To Play 3rd Base, Potentially Right Field In Utility Role

When the Los Angeles Dodgers looked to graduate Gavin Lux from top prospect in the organization to everyday player on the Major League roster, it entailed a position change to fill a vacancy at second base.

Now that Trea Turner is in a similar boat because of Corey Seager manning shortstop, Lux has been flexed into a utility role. He was activated off the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and started at third base.

Lux played the position some while on rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, but his return to the lineup marked the first time doing so at the Major League level.

“He hasn’t played a whole lot at third base but he’s taken groundballs over the last few years. He’s played on the left side of the diamond, so the ball comes off the same way,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained.

“Talking to Dino (Ebel), who’s seen him quite a bit, he looks really natural over there. The arm plays, the glove plays, quick burst laterally. So I have all the confidence in the world in Gavin there.”


Yeah, I think that's the plan to keep costs down. Lux at 3B.
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 21, 2021 10:37 pm    Post subject:

^
It's going to be interesting to see what they do with Lux. It's entirely possible they see that he has 5 years of team control left and is dirt cheap for the next 2 years and don't deal him. But with Busch knocking on the door and recently turning 24 years old, you have to wonder if they may think he's ready to go. I've also seen some talk that Busch is less athletic than many second basemen and if so, maybe he could be a third base fit at the big league level? Could they see him as Turner's replacement by 2023? I guess that's possible, and then maybe you have both Lux and Busch in the lineup next year, which would obviously help to keep some costs down. (We also have Kody Hoese as a 3B prospect too.)

I could see a move to trim some payroll where they do try to shed Price's salary, either by attaching a prospect or two with him, or, as you said, maybe a veteran like Turner or even Pollock. Personally, I think Pollock would be the more likely of the two to be dealt in such a move. I think we have more OF depth than 3B depth, as Taylor could just take the bulk of the AB's there, plus I just think JT is regarded as such a clubhouse leader that it would be a shock if he were not here, especially with Seager gone and possibly Kershaw and Jansen as well. I'm not saying it's awful logic to move him, but I seriously doubt that the Dodgers want to move him. I kind of think he will play out his last year and then maybe the Dodgers will decide it's time to let him have an opportunity elsewhere, like what I think we will do with Jansen and possibly Kershaw.

Another problem is that it's hard to think of a team that would just take something like $30+MM in payroll obligation on. So perhaps it would have to be two separate trades if we were thinking of cutting some payroll like that.

Oh, and one last thing: we still could get some payroll relief this year if Bauer is suspended for a significant chunk of the season, which I absolutely believe will happen. Maybe it's not the whole year, but I think he's getting a minimum of 50 games and possibly 100 or more. We'll just have to see.
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 21, 2021 11:34 pm    Post subject:

^

Another thing to consider is the new CBA. Owners want harsher penalties for going over the CBT plus a lower threshold. Players want the opposite. Let’s see which side wins out.

Yeah our future looks a little bleak right now with these looming factors:

- new CBA coming

- our home grown talent are coming up on big paydays: Buehler, Bellinger, Urias, Muncy

- it’s unclear how willing this ownership group is to going over the CBT year after year. This year was the 1st year in the last 5 that we’ve paid the luxury tax. (Note: we would have been over in 2020 as well but due to an agreement between players and owners, the CBT was suspended for 2020).

- bad contracts weighing us down: Price, Bauer,

- some big looming free agents: Treinen, Trae Turner, Pollock

-our top prospects aren’t ready to contribute to the mlb roster yet: Busch, Pepiot, Miller?
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2021 1:13 am    Post subject:

I think Pepiot might be ready. He was dominant at AAA and they say his changeup is incredible. And he sits in the mid-90's with the fastball. I guess you never know how a guy will adjust to the big leagues, but if he has the mental makeup, the scouts seem to think he has what it takes to be a difference-making starter. Maybe we see that as soon as next year. The organization is so great at developing pitching, so let's hope that continues with the likes of Pepiot and our other prospects like Knack and Miller, etc, if we don't trade them. (And you know we won't trade them all, naturally.)

We do have decisions on some of those players you mentioned, to be sure. But we do have a ton of money dropping off the payroll in the next couple of years. Whatever some of our issues have been, I'm confident we'll always have a high payroll and have big-time talent on the team, and I'm also confident in our ability to draft and develop players. In general, it's a good time to be a Dodger fan. At some point, our playoff streak will be snapped, but we're in good position year after year.
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2021 10:50 am    Post subject:

^

Yeah, hope so. When this ownership group took over in 2012, they had a plan. They wanted to spend to secure that huge TV deal. They traded for Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford then signed Greinke that offseason. The plan was to spend big while waiting for our stocked farm system to start graduating to the majors.

So, we went over the CBT from 2013-2017.

Our roster from 2013-2015 was mainly high priced veterans. We didn't have much youth. Then, our youth started kicking in. We were a playoff team from 2013-2016 but we weren't WS contenders until we had that good blend of superstar youths and high priced veterans. We've been WS contenders from 2017-2021.

Here are the youths that have come up from 2013-2018 (I'm including any player that's still under team control for a few years, whether acquired through draft, or trade, or waiver pick up, or international signing).

2013 - Yasiel Puig
2014 - Joc Pederson, Pedro Baez
2015 - Corey Seager, Kike Hernandez, Austin Barnes, Yazmani Grandal, Alex Wood
2016 - Ross Stripling, Julio Urias, Chris Taylor
2017 - Walker Buehler, Cody Bellinger
2018 - Max Muncy

So from 2016 until 2021, we really relied on our low priced youths to carry us. Seager, Buehler and Bellinger being the main ones. Now, most of these youths are gone. The only remaining ones in this group are:

Muncy, Bellinger, Taylor, Buehler, Urias. They'll all be expecting big paydays soon. Taylor just got paid.

In order to sustain this success, we're going to need the next group of youths to really step up. We need to find some superstars in this lot. This last lot gave us 4, maybe 5 superstars? Seager, Buehler, Bellinger, Muncy, Urias?

This next lot includes: Will Smith, Lux, May, and the rest are still in the minors. How many superstars will we get out of this lot? Will Smith looks to be the closest one. Maybe Diego Cartaya will be one? If we can't get any superstars out of this lot, I don't know if we can continue sustaining our success. I don't think you can win with a team made up of primarily high priced veterans. it's just not sustainable.

If our roster starts to tilt too much towards high priced veterans and not enough superstar youths, we might go back to the days of 2013-2016. Playoff team but not WS contenders.

I still think we're WS contenders this year and next year, but once Buehler, Muncy, Bellinger, and Urias need to get paid, we might have an issue at that point.

A good example are the Houston Astros. They've had a huge talent drain during this run, losing:

Cole, Keuchel, Verlander (to injury and old age), Charlie Morton, George Springer and soon to be Carlos Correa.

They still made the WS last year because they've been able to replace that lost talent pretty well:

Lance McCullers (becoming their ace), Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez, Luis Garcia, Framber Valdez, Jose Urquidy, Cristian Javier

This 2nd wave of talent have been fantastic for them in helping them sustain their run.

We're going to need a similar 2nd wave of talent to sustain our run as well.
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2021 11:37 am    Post subject:

ChickenStu wrote:
OK, so once things get back up to speed, my offseason wishlist consists of these 2 moves:

--Sign Freeman and give him the contract he wants. He's the type of hitter that, even as he ages and if he loses power, he'll always be a tough out at the plate for opposing pitchers. I want that on my team in pennant races and the postseason. If he's "overpaid" nearer to the end of his deal, he's still likely to be contributing. I'd sign him in a second if the Braves screw this up.

--Trade for Shane Bieber. This is going to be difficult, but as low as Cleveland's payroll has gotten, do they really think they are going to try to contend on that kind of budget? So although Bieber is still relatively cheap this year (it will be his first go-round in arbitration), since he has 3 years left before he hits free agency, the time might be now for the Guardians to get maximum value for him, if they don't see themselves contending. They could try to contend this year and still get a lot of value for him if they try to move him next offseason, as he'd still have 2 years left, but perhaps they will want to do it now when he not only has more value with 3 years left, but, hey, what if he gets injured? Of course it will take a lot to get him. The Guardians lack outfield pieces and a long-term second baseman and, as always, teams can use pitching, though their system is flush with good young pitchers. So my proposal is Bieber for Gavin Lux, Tony Gonsolin, Bobby Miller, and Andy Pages. Miller is our #4 prospect overall and our #2 pitching prospect, behind Ryan Pepiot. Pages is our #5 prospect overall and our #1 outfield prospect. Gonsolin would give them a starter at the big league level who is still not yet arb-eligible, one with a 2.85 career ERA and 3.4 career WAR in 142 innings. Lux gives them a middle infield player with serious potential, and both of them can't be free agents until 2027. So it's 5 years of Gonsolin, 5 years of Lux, and two top prospects for 3 years of Bieber. It's a steep price, but given that the Dodgers still have Michael Busch as a possible heir apparent at 2B, and given their quality young starting pitching options with Pepiot, Landon Knack, and Dustin May by 2023, it's a deal I'd make.

Rotation
Buehler
Bieber
Urias
Heaney
Open Competition (Pepiot, White, Jackson, Price, free agent signing, etc.)

Lineup
Betts RF
T. Turner SS
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Muncy DH
J. Turner 3B
Bellinger CF
Pollock LF
Taylor 2B

As far as the rotation, you're set with the top 3, Heaney has big bounce-back potential if the Dodgers can get him to keep the ball in the yard, and they can figure out the #5 starter role. Maybe you bring Kershaw back, in which case he's actually higher in the pecking order. Maybe Pepiot shows he's ready, and off he goes. Perhaps you have a revolving door between guys like White and Price and Jackson. Maybe May ends up capable of starting towards the latter couple of months of the season. If the situation never really works itself out somehow, there's always the trade deadline.

As far as the lineup, it looks pretty stacked, especially if Bellinger gets his mojo back. Of course, you can move guys around if certain guys are hotter than others. For now I put Taylor 9th so that you have 3 speedy guys in a row going 9-1-2, but he could certainly hit higher in the lineup depending on how things unfolded. The DH spot would probably be a revolving door; I'm sure Muncy will spend some time at 2B, perhaps a lot of time there, with Taylor rotating between 2B and 3B and LF/CF. Turner can get time at DH for sure. You may even see Smith at DH so you can get his bat into the lineup more often. If there are injuries or poor performances, perhaps Busch forces his way into AB's.


Like your plan, although I think we need more depth, in that what made our team special was having guys like Joc, Kike, CT3 coming off the bench. Right now, we have no guys like that. So I would like to see that develop out, but I trust the FO there.

More interesting is your pitching remarks. I feel like that is too much for Bieber, but who really knows. In any event, how do you figure Bauer factoring into all that? I noticed he didn't make your rotation, which is fair. But I don't think the team has the luxury this season of moralizing over Bauer. Even if he is suspended for a huge chunk, I see him taking the bump in Blue in the future. Do you?

Also . . . on Lux . . . his bat-to-ball skills and bat speed in the zone finally looked as advertised to end the season. If Lux can be an Utley-esque talent for us, you simply cannot let that go.
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2021 12:17 pm    Post subject:

^
I do not believe Bauer will throw another pitch for the Dodgers.
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 10:51 am    Post subject:

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Sources: Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to 1-year, $17M deal before lockout

Slugger Cody Bellinger and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed on a one-year, $17 million to avoid arbitration before the Dec. 1 lockout that has shut down Major League Baseball and frozen transactions, sources familiar with the agreement told ESPN.

The deal was not announced after the lockout, as teams are not referencing players by name during the work stoppage that has lasted more than three weeks and will stretch into the new year.

Bellinger, 26, is coming off the worst season of his career, hitting .165/.240/.302 with 10 home runs in 95 games. His postseason performance, however, rekindled memories of his 2019 season, in which he hit .305/.406/.629 with 47 home runs and won the National League MVP award.

Because arbitration salaries almost always increase, Bellinger will make $900,000 more than he did in 2020. The Dodgers either had to pay Bellinger in the vicinity of $17 million or non-tender him, which would have made him a free agent.


So he made $16.1M last year. He gets a $900k increase this year. Spotrac estimated he'd get $16.5M, so he got $500k more than they predicted.

We have one more year of control over him in 2023 then he's a free agent.

Urias and Muncy are also on the same free agent timeline as Bellinger. 2024 is going to be a very interesting year for us.

We might be looking at a 2 yr window to win another ring before we blow this thing up, or make some drastic roster changes.
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2021 7:59 pm    Post subject:

Would Kyle Schwarber and the Dodgers be a fit?
The free agent was an All-Star in 2021


By Blake Harris on December 27, 2021 4:11 am


We’re on Day 492 of no baseball (well at least it feels like it) so I’m searching to find any interesting piece of baseball news I can find for you all.


Bleacher Report usually has fun rankings, and they published an article ranking the best fits for free agent Kyle Schwarber. The Dodgers were one of the teams ranked, coming in at No. 7. Not too high of a spot, but being on the list is certainly news worthy of a morning article!

Here’s what they had to say about the fit:

Signing Schwarber would be an interesting attempt by the Dodgers to replace Corey Seager’s bat in the lineup. The two players are different but comparable in OPS.

With the Dodgers already having their immediate Seager succession plan at shortstop with Trea Turner, adding Schwarber to the lineup would give them a similar left-handed presence at the plate.

There has not been much news linking Schwarber to L.A., as the Dodgers are after Freddie Freeman, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. But one would have to think if the Dodgers are interested in one, they would also be in the other.

Also, Freeman is reportedly seeking about $180 million over six years. Schwarber’s asking price is reportedly $60 million over three years.

Schwarber could play first base if the Dodgers move Max Muncy to second, or left field with Cody Bellinger in center and Chris Taylor in right.

Schwarber is reportedly looking for an offer around $60 million over three years. This offseason, MLBTradeRumors predicted he’d fetch around $70 million over four years.

He would certainly be a welcoming bat to the lineup. It’s not quite replacing Seager, but adding a left-handed hitter who posted a 3.2 bWAR and .928 OPS in 2021 is certainly a great add.


In addition, he can provide versatility in the field, as he has experience in the outfield along with first base. Not to mention, the DH should it be added to the National League.

I’m not sure if the Dodgers have any interest in bringing in Schwarber, but with the uncertainty surrounding Max Muncy it sure could be an interesting and helpful addition.

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ChickenStu
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2021 10:34 pm    Post subject:

^
He would be a good lefty bat, but he's basically a DH. He's a terrible outfielder, and that article apparently forgot that we have a right fielder named Mookie Betts. If his price isn't sky-high, I could see us having some interest. His last two full seasons (throwing out the 2020 shortened campaign) have been quite good at the plate, and he doesn't turn 29 until March so he should be in his prime.

Still, as a guy who should be DH'ing most nights, it would take away some of the Dodgers' flexibility in terms of being able to rotate guys in and out of the DH spot. I suppose they could try to hide him at first base and move Muncy to second, though.
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LongBeachPoly
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2021 11:38 pm    Post subject:

^

I think there’s a flaw in our moneyball approach. That’s why we’ve only won 1 ring, why the A’s always struggled in the playoffs and why the SF Giants won 107 games in the reg season but lost this year in the playoffs.

Low average high OPS guys are great over a 162 game season. They just don’t work in the playoffs. There are exceptions, like Joc and Muncy have played well in the playoffs.

But overall, it’s a flawed approach to me. I think low average, high ops guys do most of their damage vs mediocre pitching. Which is why they perform well in the reg season. Come playoff time, they struggle because it’s all good pitching.

Schwarber’s postseason stats stink and they’ll continue to stink. We need more postseason performers. We have the reg season covered.

———————/—————

On another note: I thought Smith has been a good playoff performer so far but his numbers don’t show it:

34 games
126 AB
.177 avg
.294 obp
.308 slg
.602 ops
5 HR
17 RBI
17 BB
32 K

Surprisingly, Grandal’s career playoff numbers are better than Smith’s.

40 games
102 AB
.146 avg
.316 obp
.440 slg
.756 ops
6 HR
16 RBI
23 BB
42 K
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2021 10:06 pm    Post subject:

ChickenStu wrote:
^
I do not believe Bauer will throw another pitch for the Dodgers.


You are probably right but if he is just allowed to come back and pitch for another team, how does that benefit the Dodgers who have paid out a lot of money to him?

I say if he is eligible to pitch, let him pitch if under contract.

Not saying I condone him as a person or that I would keep him long term, but it is a business and he is/(was?) a good pitcher.
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2021 10:58 pm    Post subject:

LakerLanny wrote:
ChickenStu wrote:
^
I do not believe Bauer will throw another pitch for the Dodgers.


You are probably right but if he is just allowed to come back and pitch for another team, how does that benefit the Dodgers who have paid out a lot of money to him?

I say if he is eligible to pitch, let him pitch if under contract.

Not saying I condone him as a person or that I would keep him long term, but it is a business and he is/(was?) a good pitcher.


I just don't think this ownership group is going to be OK with him wearing the Dodger uniform. The details are lurid and this same management nixed an Aroldis Chapman deal because he fired a gun in a domestic dispute. He didn't even actually strike anyone, not that I'm trying to minimize what happened. Still, we know the details of what happened with Bauer. In a more conservative place, maybe a certain ownership group would've given him a second chance. I'm sure another team will. I just don't think it's going to be the Dodgers, and, in fact, I'm about 95% sure of that. That's not even a comment on whether or not I think that's the right decision (I think it is, for the record), just a comment on how I am reading the tea leaves.
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 9:33 am    Post subject:

ChickenStu wrote:
LakerLanny wrote:
ChickenStu wrote:
^
I do not believe Bauer will throw another pitch for the Dodgers.


You are probably right but if he is just allowed to come back and pitch for another team, how does that benefit the Dodgers who have paid out a lot of money to him?

I say if he is eligible to pitch, let him pitch if under contract.

Not saying I condone him as a person or that I would keep him long term, but it is a business and he is/(was?) a good pitcher.


I just don't think this ownership group is going to be OK with him wearing the Dodger uniform. The details are lurid and this same management nixed an Aroldis Chapman deal because he fired a gun in a domestic dispute. He didn't even actually strike anyone, not that I'm trying to minimize what happened. Still, we know the details of what happened with Bauer. In a more conservative place, maybe a certain ownership group would've given him a second chance. I'm sure another team will. I just don't think it's going to be the Dodgers, and, in fact, I'm about 95% sure of that. That's not even a comment on whether or not I think that's the right decision (I think it is, for the record), just a comment on how I am reading the tea leaves.


Trade? I assume if a team out there is willing to assume the bad pub surrounding Bauer, they might also be willing to assume his contract.
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 10:15 am    Post subject:

LarryCoon wrote:
ChickenStu wrote:
LakerLanny wrote:
ChickenStu wrote:
^
I do not believe Bauer will throw another pitch for the Dodgers.


You are probably right but if he is just allowed to come back and pitch for another team, how does that benefit the Dodgers who have paid out a lot of money to him?

I say if he is eligible to pitch, let him pitch if under contract.

Not saying I condone him as a person or that I would keep him long term, but it is a business and he is/(was?) a good pitcher.


I just don't think this ownership group is going to be OK with him wearing the Dodger uniform. The details are lurid and this same management nixed an Aroldis Chapman deal because he fired a gun in a domestic dispute. He didn't even actually strike anyone, not that I'm trying to minimize what happened. Still, we know the details of what happened with Bauer. In a more conservative place, maybe a certain ownership group would've given him a second chance. I'm sure another team will. I just don't think it's going to be the Dodgers, and, in fact, I'm about 95% sure of that. That's not even a comment on whether or not I think that's the right decision (I think it is, for the record), just a comment on how I am reading the tea leaves.


Trade? I assume if a team out there is willing to assume the bad pub surrounding Bauer, they might also be willing to assume his contract.


Giants and Padres come to mind. they always like to pick up Dodgers' trash and hoping for some kind of vengeance performance whenever that player plays against the Dodgers.
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ChickenStu
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 5:09 pm    Post subject:

^
I guess the first step is seeing how long his suspension is going to be this year. At that point, the Dodgers will know how much of his salary comes off the books for this year, and other potentially interested teams would know how much they'd have to pay him this year, plus his option year for next season. I think it's highly likely that any acquiring team would want the Dodgers to pay for some of his salary, especially since that team might be on the hook for all of Bauer's money next season. It's hard to imagine the Dodgers recouping much value in a trade, because teams know that the Dodgers would just cut him rather than let him play for them. At the same time, if he hits the open market, obviously he could go wherever he wanted, so a team that trades for him does have the ability to at least guarantee his services for this year at the very least (assuming he is not suspended for the entire season, which is still on the table). So I guess maybe the Dodgers could get a small return out of it, but I wouldn't expect much. And, again, I think the Dodgers will probably have to eat some of the money he has left.
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32
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:14 am    Post subject:

Quote:
#Dodgers have promoted Assistant GM, Brandon Gomes to General Manager. Gomes retired from pitching MLB in 2016.


https://twitter.com/THEREAL_DV/status/1483515784252977155?t=VncUSSIfkIrXyX4yCzvNmQ&s=19
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Last edited by 32 on Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:54 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:23 am    Post subject:

Still Friedman's show.
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