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Home > Dodgers > Dodgers’ Blue Roller Coaster Takes A Dive. Dodgers Lose 4-3

Dodgers’ Blue Roller Coaster Takes A Dive. Dodgers Lose 4-3

Game three of LA vs NY promised a great pitching duel between Kenta Maeda and the one they call Thor, Noah Syndergaard.

Just put that on the bill, and it’s enough to get us interested. Here’s how the game played out.

Nothing much through the first two, but in the top of the

3rd inning
Mets
Syndergaard took Maeda deep for a solo home run.
Dodgers
Corey Seager then got a hold of one and returned the favor to tie the game at one.

4th inning  Game tied 1-1
Maeda pitch check: 1 run,  51 pitches.
Dodgers
Yasmani Grandal belted a lead off homer into the all-you-can-gorge pavilion. 2-1

5th inning
Mets
Hit batter.
Walk.
With two on, and the bunt not working out, Syndergaard went to a full swing and blasted a 3-run homer. Mets 4-2

6th inning  Mets 4-2
Mets
After Maeda allowed two more Mets base runners with no out, Dave Roberts went to the pen for troubled reliever Chris Hatcher.
It took a while, but he got the outs.

7th inning  Mets 4-2
Mets
Adam Liberatore in, but quickly gave up a single and a double.
With bases loaded and two out, the skipper went to Louis Coleman. Apparently, Dodger fans were going to be treated to the full bullpen show tonight.
Coleman got the final out and kept things quiet.
Dodgers
Also keeping things quiet, the Dodgers’ bats. Syndergaard had retired 10 in a row at this point on 86 pitches.

8th inning  Mets 4-2
Joe Blanton in.
The non-hit parade continued as Blanton shut them down.
But the big question, would the non-hitting continue on the Dodgers’ side?
Yes.

9th inning  Mets 4-2
Blanton back again.
He did the job and we headed to the ninth.
Dodgers
Adrian Gonzalez – Dodgers double!
Yasmani Grandal – 4-3 out
Joc Pederson – 4-3 into the shift. Run scored.
Yasiel Puig – three pitch strike out.

Dodgers lost 4-3.

Maeda did not help himself tonight as he gave up all four runs, with two home runs by the opposing pitcher. The Dodger bats also were quiet through the night.

As I tweeted earlier, I would have preferred Joc to hit directly behind Gonzo, and not Grandal. We were also treated to the $20 million useless man in left field, while last night’s hero, Trayce Thompson, sat on the bench. Manager Dave Roberts did the same thing to Joc Pederson when his bat was “home run hot” as well.

The speculation that Roberts’ hands are tied, and lineups are being set by the F.O., is picking up steam.  Many of our LADR readers, and Scott himself, loudly proclaim the team to be lousy, and at best mediocre. While they are not the ’27 Yankees, I don’t think this team is as bad as all that. They are however, as bad as the silly lineups and benched hot players make them.

One positive tonight: we saw almost everyone in the bullpen, and they all did their jobs, holding the Mets scoreless. Game four of the series tomorrow night.

Kenta Maeda (3-2) went 5 innings with 6 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 3 Ks, 2 home runs.  ERA 2.30

Home runs: Seager, Grandal

Double: Adrian Gonzalez

Oscar Martinez

I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.

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Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
http://alltradebait.blogspot.com/

48 thoughts on “Dodgers’ Blue Roller Coaster Takes A Dive. Dodgers Lose 4-3

  1. Count me in as one who thinks the team is not good. This is compounded by the crazy lineup changes removing hot hitters for their mandatory rest. Rest? Saving up their strength for the post season? We aren’t going to see any postseason this year, shaky pitching, weak hitting. So let the few youngsters play daily and see what they are made of.

    If it were me, I’d try to trade Gonzo, dump CC, see what I could get for Puig. Get real pitchers, more prospects, something St Louis does well…get rid of players still worth something while you can still get something. I would spend this year following through with the changeover to youth and the future.

    1. DD,

      I agree. Are you sure you don’t have an agenda? (sarcasm)

      Some in here view the Dodgers through the bottom of their Dodger blue mugs and some of us just watch the games and observe the obvious.

      Puig’s highest value was, well about 2 years ago. Gonzalez’s value, due to age (and contract) is decreasing daily.

      1. As far as I’m concerned, Gonzo’s value is still sky-high with the Dodgers.
        His home run production is off this year, but like we do with our favorites, I think his bat will heat up and the power will return soon enough.
        That said, the man is hitting through the power outage. I’ll take a single or double with men on.
        Remove his bat from the lineup, and who fills the vacuum?
        Justin – I’ll start hitting any day now – Turner?

        1. Oscar I think Agone’s production is down, because Turner isn’t hitting, or driving in runs. And Puig wasn’t protecting Agone’s bat, when he was batting behind him.

  2. “Many of our LADR readers, and Scott himself, loudly proclaim the team to be lousy, and at best mediocre. While they are not the ’27 Yankees, I don’t think this team is as bad as all that.”

    Not as bad as lousy or mediocre? I guess you are probably right about that. We’re not lousy and mediocre is .500. Mediocre is middle of the pack. We aren’t middle of the pack. Well, I guess maybe league wide we are, but, we are right there with the best of the West.

    I still believe the front office’s expectations on lineups are clear, but Roberts is free to go against them if he chooses. But why would he choose to? He knows what it is they want. I’m sure it was discussed in interviews. FAZ: “We firmly believe in analytics. Do you?” Roberts: “Why yes, yes I do”. FAZ: “What are your all time favorite movies?” Roberts: “Moneyball and Platoon”. FAZ: “You’re hired.”

    Solo home runs aren’t sexy. Three run bombs by somebody called Thor? That’s sexy.

    We’ve talked about trading AGon before and as long as we contend we won’t see that. If we fall off the pace? ….. who knows. It could happen. AGon is our lineup anchor. Dumping CC is unlikely, as it would be very costly. He can still hit. He is sometimes a late starter. Ask Mark.

    I like our chances today.

    1. We’re right in the fight for first place in the .500 division.
      Sure, that’s not great when compared to the other big bopper clubs, and it’s even worse when viewed against big-time AL clubs, but winning our division is the first goal.
      Of course, the FO should look at the big picture, but we’re good enough to clear the first hurdle.
      We just showed the Blue Jays that we can hold our own against them when many thought they would just crush the Dodgers.
      Play the young guys every night and play the hot hands…we’ve got a pretty decent team that needs some tweaks, not a wholesale clean out.

      You’re spot on about Roberts probably could defy the FO and play smarter lineups, but he knows who signs his paycheck.

  3. Kudos Badger, we are mired in a crummy NLW and time will tell… If we market AGon and I’m a A.L. GM I’m all over that like white on rice… 1B and transition to DH… The man is a consummate pro and will produce… Do I wish he had a masher around him??? Heck yes…
    Is it based on our track record in the past, but who says the Blue wont pick up an aforementioned masher or ‘good’ pitching at trade time. IF we did, does this blog become boring??? No more Chili/MJ tag team…

    1. Hey now….I’m not replacing Badger…..in the Badger vs. Mark diatribes. But when I disagree about Tejada being at fault for him breaking his leg when Utley’s slide should have been ruled runner’s interference than I will say so. Like many have pointed out, the Dodgers offense has been anemic now for the past 2 seasons. Yet some in here want to think that the Dodgers just aren’t hitting. They haven’t hit for 1-1/4 seasons now. In fact they are trending downwards.

      1. Hey, I have no problem with the existing for decades rule on interference, but it hasn’t been called properly for as long as I’ve been playing. I didn’t really learn the rule until I became an umpire in ’74. Was I surprised. And you should have seen some of the discussions I had with, softball players, Legion and high school and even college coaches when I enforced it. Utley’s slide was, in my estimation, egregious. But egregious has been allowed for a long, long time. I say again, what made that play different was Tejada not clearing knowing Utley was bearing down on him. I played SS for over 50 years, and coached infielders at many levels. You have to know how to avoid slides at the bag. What Tejada did was, in my opinion, really stupid. He knows better. Take the out at second and get the f out of the way. What Utley did was, in effect, what EVERY player, including all of us, is taught to do – break up the double play. Utley did it awkwardly by sliding into a stationary Tejada. I guarantee you he wasn’t expecting that. All that said, I agree it was an illegal slide. If I remember correctly, a run scored on that play. By rule, that should not have been allowed.

        I still think the Dodgers are better offensively than they have shown. I’m prepared to admit I may be wrong about that.

        1. For what it’s worth I believe we agree on the Utley slide. Yes I realize they have not called that very often but it has been called in the Majors. All I was saying is that the fielder has a right to catch the ball and come down in any awkward position he wants being 2-3′ behind the base cause he was never going to turn the DP anyway. He just didn’t expect Utley to ‘dive’ feet first into his leg. Diving, in comparison to sliding changes the angle of which the runner makes contact with the fielder and that makes a whale of a difference. As I said then, it was a bone headed play on Utley’s part because the DP was not getting turned and all he did was risk the Umpire calling runners interference. Enuff said….it’s history, ‘rule has been changed’ and we wait for the first time it is called or not called.

          1. in principle I agree with what you say about the fielders right to come down awkwardly. Truth be told I’ve never seen an infielder do what he did. Again what made it an illegal slide was that contact was made out of the baseline. He wasn’t going to get a throw off to first base in that spasmolytic position. I could have beat that one out, but he does indeed have the right to make an attempt. I find it weird that they actually have a new rule – 6:01 I think – that says basically the same thing that is contained in the 7:09 rule does.

        2. Regarding the Dodgers bats, in all honesty, can they get much worse?

          Looking at the numbers to date…..
          20th in BA
          18th in Runs Scored
          26th in HR’s
          24th in SLG
          23rd in OPS

          I guess the short answer is Yes, they can get worse.

          Here’s where they finished last year….
          19th in BA
          19th in Runs Scored
          6th in HR’s
          10th in SLG
          7th in OPS

          As bad as they have performed they are on ‘pace’ (in comparison to the rest of the league) with last years finish in both BA and RS. The obvious number that is down is the long ball which drives up SLG and OPS. Decipher what you will.

  4. I believe FAZ select the 8 position players who will play against the particular opposing pitcher. Maybe Roberts can choose the batting order, but he is told to play CC over Thompson on any given night. Again that is what I believe.

    But what do I know. I believe our bullpen is actually pretty good and could actually be better if you allowed each one of them to pitch to more hitters. Like Blanton did last night.

  5. Manny. Kemp. HanRam. I miss those days. Nobody left their seats when those guys were up. Who is our “that guy” now? And does anyone believe this group of number crunchers will find a way to bring in what is needed to make this team “can’t miss entertainment”? What makes this year’s version of the Dodgers can’t miss is the fact this is Vin Scully’s last year. THAT is the reason I paid for mlbtv. Watching guys like Kazmir and Wood, Crawford and Kendrick is, in my opinion, not worth the price of admission. When the #1 minor league system guys finally all make it to The Show, I’ll buy. I still figure that to be around 2018. Here’s another thought, that might be the year the Lakers and Rams are finally good again. In the mean time, we got mediocre, which as Oscar has so eloquently informed us, isn’t lousy.

    1. Back when baseball was baseball, just a simple game, I would have paid to see Wood, CC, and Kazmir. But the cost of today’s “experience” is so outrageous that I won’t lay a dime to see Kazmir throw batting practice. So I get my three innings of Vin on the radio and hear the boos as the game progresses.

  6. Moneyball will always say ‘No’ to big long term contracts (unless a younger player locks himself into a long term deal). Good luck with that. Please tell me which superstar now or in the future WILL NOT be seeking a big, long term contract?

    That’s why I stated a week or so ago that you better get use to not having any star players on the team. Also why I said the sooner F & Z are gone the sooner the Dodgers will win a title. This is not rocket science.

    1. Agreed. And that means home-grown players who become stars will leave via trades or, less likely, free agency. No more highly paid players, including Kershaw as soon as he can opt out. I would like to see Kershaw go public and announce his intention to opt out unless the team signs some good players. I would also like to see “the fans” in LA boycott the games until the club changes its MO. Not holding my breath on either of those things.

      1. Wondering I read that article, and I guess if Chapman would have gotten, ten more days, to his suspension, he wouldn’t have been a free agent this year. He got thirty, and forty would have done it. Thanks again.

  7. But I will say that despite all of the Dodgers shortcomings they set atop the division. Is this good or bad? The longer they stay ‘competitive’ for the division title the less likely any ‘major’ pieces get moved for prospects. Which leads to picking up players for a playoff push which then clogs up the pathway for younger prospects and the cycle continues on another year…..which will and is leading to mediocrity.

  8. Maeda did not have his A-Game last night, but he studied videos of the opposing hitters and used his experience and moxie to pitch well. According to MLB.com, Maeda did see tape of Thor and had no idea how to pitch him. That’s on the scouting staff. I’ll bet someones butt is sore today. That should show you how important advance scouting is. What a blunder! However, that shows what kind of guy Maeda is – he is obviously a very cagey pitcher.

    So much for blaming the bullpen. You will have to get a different whipping after the Dodgers’ bullpen has not allowed an earned run in its last 15 innings over five games, striking out 21. Joe Blanton (who many of you have maligned) struck out four Mets in two innings in this game. Chris Hatcher inherited two runners from Maeda and stranded them, while Adam Liberatore handed a bases-loaded jam to Louis Coleman and he struck out Campbell to end the seventh inning.

    Dave Roberts says: “The ‘pen is hitting their stride right now.” The Dodgers are 7th in all of MLB in pitching (starters are 6th and relievers are up to 13th – without Hatcher they would be 8th). So all of the moaning and groaning about the pitching may very well misplaced anger. I am even going to go so far as to say that if McCarthy doesn’t have a set-back, by the end of the year, he may considered a “bargain” by baseball standards! Hell, Bret Anderson could even be a nice addition. Look at the state of pitching in the majors right now! Guys are making crazy money.

    On MLB Radio today, they said Jake Arrietta will be a free age at age 31 and that he would break the bank – they also said that Theo would likely do what Friedman did with Greinke and let him walk. They said that it’s just bad business, but that at least one GM would make that dope-fiend move!

    Now, the Dodgers have to figure the hitting problems. I get that this is a new culture, but it’s time to get it in gear. It’s a long season and I am going to say that Seager needs to hit at #2 or #3 EVERY GAME! This kid is the franchise! You can see him growing every game.

    1. Mark the bullpen pitched well, but the Dodgers didn’t have the lead, but the bullpen, has done better lately. The main reason, that the Dodgers lost this game, was because Maeda didn’t have his good stuff, and he put runners on, and allowed the Mets pitcher, to hit two HRs. And if the Met pitcher, didn’t hit those HRs, the Mets wouldn’t have scored any runs.

      The other reason is because the Dodger hitters, were facing a pitcher, that probably has the best fastball, in the game, and also has a 91 mile slider. And really, they hit much better against this Mets pitcher, then they did, in all the other games, when they faced him, last year.

      And this will give the Dodger hitters, more confidence, that will help them, through the rest of the season. This lost was more about how well, the Mets pitcher pitched, not that the Dodgers didn’t hit. Because they were still in this game, in the ninth inning, and scored a run in the ninth, by manufactoring a run.

      And I think this team is playing better, then they did last year, and I can see improvement with almost every game they play. And they have done all of this, without there number three hitter, really hitting, or driving in, many runs.

      And all of the young players, are not only improving with every game they play. They are also contributing much more, then we would have thought, before the season began.

      I really saw a lot of positives, in this game last night. And the Dodgers beat the Mets number one picher, on Tuesday, and they have there number one pitcher, pitching to night. So they have a good shot, of splitting this series. And if they do that, they are already doing better, then they did, last year. And they are doing all of this, without, much help, from there front office.

    2. The scouts didn’t say it was okay to pitch an 85mph fastball waste high down the middle of the plate either though.

      1. Bums did you see that coming, like I did? I didn’t think it would be a HR. But I knew he was going to swing, after he didn’t attempt, to bunt, that easy pitch. I was worried with two runners on base, because what he did before, but I thought he was going to butcher boy, not just swing. He really used good restraint, to hit that pitch out. I only wish some of our position players, could use that restraint, when they have a good pitch to hit, or a 3 0 count.

  9. I agree that Seager is GOLDEN. Whether he becomes ‘special’ I don’t know but he is a player that you can win with. Now they need a few more.

    It is way too early to say what Theo will do with Arrietta. Tell me what Arrietta does this year and next. Do the Cubbies win a WS this year or next? You do realize that Theo signed Heyward to a 8 year, $184M deal, of course Heyward has a couple of Op-outs but Theo committed a lot of money. Theo signed Lester to a 6 year, $155M deal. Also signed a 37 y/o John Lackey. Theo has money and is attempting to win a World Series. No comparison to the MONEYBALL group running the Dodgers.

    1. Of course there is no comparison. Theo tanked the Cubs for 4 years. Friedman was given the edict of building the farm while trying to win now. I cannot comprehend why people can’t see the difference!

      Theo signed Heyward because he did not have Six (count ’em 6) players who were owed more than $20 million a year when he started! The Cubs had ONE player making over $20 million a year. The Cubs payroll is $100 million less than the Dodgers – you can’t compare apples to cornflakes.

      1. ‘they also said that Theo would likely do what Friedman did with Greinke and let him walk.’…..realize these are not your quoted words but you typed them cause you ‘kinda’ agree. All I’m saying is that they or you or I do not know what Theo will do. If Arrietta wins 20+ games this year and next and/or helps them win a WS, then I think he gets signed no matter what. Why not? The question at that time will be who’s better in the market to replace him……oh wait, there could be another pitcher available. Maybe you should hope that Theo sticks with Arrietta cause Theo will outbid Friedman for the services of you know who.

        And Friedman did not just let Grienke walk! Made him an offer but would not give him that one extra year. Everyone knows that Grienke is a hire hand. Friedman had planned on signing Grienke, hence all of the talk from Management about Grienke staying up until hours before he signed with the D-Backs. $50 says that if you hear Theo say he will sign Arrietta that it will happen.

  10. Was at game last night, very boring team these idiots assembled. Howie Kendrick in the 3 spot? That has to be a joke. Kenta Maeda will come back to reality as well once the scouting reports on him circulate the league and he faces teams for a second time. This is a .500 team at best.

  11. Today is Bartolo v Kersh. We should take this. 2-2 vs the Mets at home isn’t the worst thing in the world.

    The good thing is that as bad a we are, we’re still the best of the mediocre NL West. Guys on our team will wake up. Meanwhile, Cueto v Greinke tonight.

    1. Dodgers aren’t the best team in the division, Cueto and Shark have done very well for SF and with with Bumgarner, will have a formidable top 3 in the rotation, which the Dodgers do not possess. Their bullpen and hitting have struggled, but they have a legit heart of lineup with Belt, Posey and Pence, the Dodgers do not. When Howie Kendrick is batting third, you don’t have a set lineup. The SF bullpen also has a better track record.

      Arizona also has a much more formidable lineup and if they get anything from Miller resembling what he was and Greinke returns to form, they’re better than LA as well.

  12. The Dodgers are currently playing .500 baseball (17 – 17). Yeah, that puts them in a tie for 1st as the Giants are also .500. The last place Pads are only 2 1/2 games out so in theory every team in the division has a chance to win, at least right now. The Dodgers are the only team in the division to have a positive run differential, so there is that.

    The Cubs, Pirates, Cardinals, Nationals, Mets, Phillies and Marlins all have better won-loss records in the NL; in the AL, the Orioles, Red Sox, White Sox, Indians, Mariners and Rangers are all better. That puts the Dodgers squarely in the middle of the pack.

    The problems that some posters here have been complaining about all season are still problems – if they weren’t, the Dodgers would be playing better than .500 baseball.

    1 – Hitting with RISP. The Dodgers are 26th out of 30 teams in the number of runners left in scoring position per game.
    2- Back end of rotation. Kazmir, signed to be #2 starter, isn’t good enough so far to be #5. Stripling has shown flashes but is not consistent. Wood can only pitch in Dodger Stadium, but this is not an option.
    3 – All non-Jansen relievers are inconsistent. (Except Hatcher and Howell, who have been consistently bad.)

    The Braintrust didn’t want to spend the $$$ on big name players – all of them come from small market teams so the Dodgers are going to become the Oakland A’s South or the Tampa Bay Rays West. You draft prospects, hope that they become Major Leaguers, and once they get good and expensive, trade them away – for more prospects. I live in Northern California – ask any A’s fan what it’s like to see all of your favorite players traded for prospects every 2 or 3 years.

    Do you think that the Dodgers will resign their one really good reliever, Jansen, now that he’s going to be a free agent? Some posters have talked about trading Puig or Gonzalez – but Puig is team controllable. What if they trade Jansen? That’s what a Moneyball management team would do. Don’t be surprised if it happens.

    I would be very surprised if the Braintrust fixed any of the problems that all Dodger fans know that the team has. They will nibble around the edges, churn the roster with other teams’ cast-offs, and maybe trade for a reliever or 2, but don’t look for the team to make any big splash at the deadline or next off-season. This team will improve only if they bring up some of the kids in the minors and they make good.

    1. Dodger rick isn’t there one big difference between the Dodgers, and the A’s? The A’s are not a big market team, and don’t have the money, that the Dodgers have.

      1. But that’s the point, isn’t it? The Braintrust isn’t signing plum free agents or trading for high profile guys at the trade deadline. They are shedding payroll instead. This year’s payroll is down from $315 MM to $235 MM and this includes money that they are paying to former players (like Matt Kemp) and guys on the DL (like Brett Anderson).

        I will bet you anything that you want that the payroll will be lower next year than it was this year. I will bet you that this is Kenley Jansen’s last year in Dodger blue. (That is if he isn’t gone before the season’s end.)

  13. Maeda wasn’t good, but not horrible. I give him a pass for last night. The Mets are good. Take a look at the road records vs home records throughout baseball. Road records are better in many cases. Home cooking is not great right now for a lot of teams. Hard to figure. Not much has been said about Seager because the team has been so bad, but I agree with Mark that his season is right where it is supposed to be and will only get better with experience. Pederson is also quietly becoming serviceable. Re Agon: he has been a streaky hitter since forever, and I expect he will be where he is supposed to be at the end. But he has no protection in the lineup: Puig, Turner, Kendrick? A pathetic bunch so far. Re the bullpen: I know that innings are innings , but much of the success has come on losing efforts. Pitching behind in the game is easier, I think, than pitching to protect a lead. Let’s get more mid game leads and see what this group is made of. Still can’t complain. And confidence is the most important thing with these guys who only play in flashes and have no real time to recover.

    1. Bobbie 17 I agree with almost everything that you said. Maeda didnt have good stuff, and the Mets pitcher, pitched a good game, but without his HRs, the Mets wouldn’t have scored a single run. Our hitters, were facing a really good pitcher, that has probably best fastball in baseball, and a slider, that is probably the hardest thrown slider, in the game. Our hitters hit this Mets pitcher better last night, then they did before, in other three games, that they faced him, last year. That is why I think everyone is being a little hard, on our hitters. I don’t like Howie batting third, and playing over Turner, at third either. But Turner needs to start hitting, and driving in runs. Was anyone suprised with Cory’s first two at bats, like I was? Cory sure suprised me, with his first two at bats. He never swung his bat, in his first at bat, and struck out. And in his second at bat, he hit the first pitch, out. It looked like Cory set the Mets pitcher up, with those two at bats, and it looked almost the same, with Grandal’s first two at bats.

  14. You guys are on your game today. Good analysis by all. And though I don’t believe McCarthy or Anderson will help, you never know.

    I wish I could believe management would be willing to go for it, but why would they? There are other teams peaking with their talent THIS year. We sure as hell aren’t. Like Rick said, they’ve nibbled the edges, made no real big moves, and appear to be ok with it. McCarthy, Anderson then Latos at the deadline told me all I needed to know. These guys don’t believe in the core group they inherited and are setting about to do it their way. And yes, their way is the Tampa Oakland model, but they also have about $100 million more than those two franchise with which to work. It will be interesting to see how they eventually use it. In the mean time, we could make the playoffs with 88 wins this year.

  15. From Scott’s next post, up now:
    Alex Guerrero has begun his rehab assignment as he continues his recovery from a left knee injury. Guerrero can only be on assignment for 20 days before the Dodgers have to figure out how to fit him on the roster or DFA him.

    1. Alex was a SS in Cuba and if you look closely at last year’s stats you will see where he had trouble was in left field. His play at third base was actually above league average. If he was given third base job somewhere I think he could learn to play it well. But his prime years are slipping by, he’s now 29, and I don’t believe his future is here. I say again, he is not a FAZ pick, he was signed by those guys that were fired.

      This will sort out eventually but I still believe this roster has an odd structure to it. Too many ML outfielders for a few years now, too many second baseman, plenty of pitchers not enough ML starters, bullpen question marks, you know, all those depth issues. When everybody gets back, what are they going to do? Maybe more injuries will answer the questions.

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