Thursday, March 28, 2024
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The Dodgers Need a Workhorse

Mike Bolsinger

Let me paint you a scenario. The Dodgers spend over 70 million dollars on two injury riddled pitchers with track records of mediocre pitching. Both hurlers predictably end up on the disabled list after suffering serious injuries that require surgery. One misses over an entire season because of Tommy John surgery after he blows out his elbow. The font office feels that the talented pitching prospects they have stockpiled in the farm system are not quite ready for big league action. So they call upon a veteran innings eater to fill out the last spot in the rotation.

The guy isn’t flashy and certainly isn’t spectacular. He’s not going to pitch shutouts, and he gives up too many home runs sometimes. However he is always healthy. He stays on the mound and allows less runs per start then the two injured pitchers that were signed via free agency.

This is almost reality for the Dodgers, except the part about having that steady veteran innings eater. That guy is not here, and the Dodgers will be forced to rely upon Mike Bolsinger again as their fifth starter for the second consecutive season.

Now don’t get me wrong here. I like Bolsinger. I’ve always thought he was the best choice to be the Dodger’s number five starter since it was clear to anyone with an ounce of common sense that Brett Anderson and Brandon McCarthy are undeniably unreliable. As a matter of fact, I have been in favor of Bolsinger since the beginning of spring training. I took a shine to the guy after he provided the Dodgers with reliable innings last season. He proved that he can pitch well in 2015. Bolsinger has looked good this spring too. Logic dictates the Dodgers have to use him.

So the Dodgers are right back in the same spot again. Unless they want to pitch the kids, which I would be all for by the way. If the Dodgers don’t feel that the kids (Jose De Leon, Julio Urias, Jharel Cotton) are ready than there is no other decent option but Bolsinger.

There is an outside chance that Zach Lee could make the roster, but it’s unlikely. Let’s not pretend that we actually think Brandon Beachy can be relied upon. So Bolsinger it is yet again. Boy did the front office make a huge mistake, and the Dodgers are still paying for it. Hey it sure would be nice to have a guy like Dan Haren around wouldn’t it?

I don’t mean the Dan Haren, I mean a guy like Dan Haren. He doesn’t have to be 35-years old. The Dodgers could use a guy who stays healthy and gives them some innings. The Dodgers need a workhorse. Maybe the Dodgers can acquire one at the trade deadline this summer. Otherwise it is time to let the kids pitch.

Scott Andes

Scott Andes: Longtime writer and Dodger fanatic

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Scott Andes
Scott Andes: Longtime writer and Dodger fanatic
https://ladodgerreport.com

75 thoughts on “The Dodgers Need a Workhorse

  1. I think I have more faith in what to expect from Bolsinger than from any of our Brett Andersons

    Kazmir will pitch like a 2 one day and like a 7 the next. Wood will be a bit worse than that, but he is 24, so at least he has a chance to grow into a solid 3

    Going back to the Ethier/Crawford talk from the last thread, I will offer a pushup bet (whatever the hell that is) that Crawford is waived before we head back to LA. Crawford won’t play against lefties, and he can’t play anywhere but LF. Trayce can play all over. SVS can play all over, and 1b. Ethier can play LF and RF, and hell, even CF at times. Crawford is a sunk cost. Just accept it’s 40mil down the drain. Nobody will take him, even if we paid 35mil of his deal. So let him go. Don’t look back. Move on.

    1. Right on Bobby. I have said the same thing dozens of times here — but some just cannot let him go because of the money. Win some, lose some.

      Built a roster that can play and win. Cut the minus dragging players.

    2. Bobby, I’ll put 200 push-ups on Crawford getting waived. I say he doesn’t. As Badger says, push-ups are on honor system.

      I just don’t see FAZ eating $60M ($40M + $20M luxury tax). They waive him their monetary destiny on Crawford is out of their hands. Someone will pick him up for the minimum and Dodgers on the hook for the $60M. It would be easy for us fans to waive him, but, it isn’t our money. Besides I think Crawford still has value, just not anywhere near $20M/year.

    3. Agree totally with philosophy but still think some other club would take $10MM of his salary, that’s $5MM a year. Even the Giants might go for that. If the Dodgers totally released him and ate the $40MM, that means the difference between having Crawford on the roster and Thompson is a whopping $500,000, a minimum wage for players. I think he’s worth that or more…

    4. Dream on.. they are NOT going to EAT 41 MILLION dollars in salary. Guererro’s 10 mil maybe, but no way they suck up that kind of a loss. To think they would is ludicrous. With Ethier limping around now, it is even less likely…maybe you want to throw 41 Mil away, but I would bet the owners are not of that mind.

  2. Nice article Scott. Makes one wonder just how these decisions get made?

    When I coached an Air Force Softball Team to the InterService Finals — one player with a leg injury talked me into carrying them on the roster for the last spot — and assured me they would be ready to play during the tourament. Well they were not. Unless to our team. We won the gold metal anyway, but I realized afterward — stay away from injured players. And surely, do not trade or sign them.

    But the Dodger brain-trust just loves to get to the injured barrel and open it up.

  3. A healthy Crawford can still hit, run, and chase down fly balls. There are teams like the Angels that still want an outfielder that hits from the left side. If the Dodgers paid Crawford’s entire salary and packaged him with other players there should be a team that would give the Dodgers something and including Crawford and his salary would make that something better.
    .
    I have said before that Crawford will not be on the team when the regular season starts and somebody has already replied each time I have said that, that because of his payroll he will be on the team.

    I would like to see Lee and Bolsinger be paired for the #3 spot with both being exclusively used every fifth day. One starting and going 5 innings and the other coming in at the beginning of the 6th and come hell or high water finishing the game unless it goes past 11 innings. That way they can warm up as starters and save the short inning bullpen every 5th game.

    1. Bum I will give you a different reply about Crawford. Crawford is going to stay, because he doesn’t a problem being on the bench. And because the Dodgers have great insurance on Crawford.

    2. He’s adequate at catching fly balls but he doesn’t know where to throw it after he catches it, and little Orphan Annie has a better arm…

    3. I’ve often wondered why a team didn’t do something sensible like that. This is misplaced. it’s meant to respond to Bumsrap’s idea to use two pitchers to split a game.

      1. 6 starters on the 25 man means 1 less bullpen arm. We are going to need more, not less, bullpen arms this year.

  4. What Scott proposed in his article yesterday, is kind of like what Orel said, that would be done with the young pitchers, in AAA.
    Orel said, that they would bring up a pitcher from AAA, when it was the best situation, for that young pitcher, to be successful. So that a young pitcher can see what he needs to do, to pitch successfully in the majors, and to be able to build off there success, to give them more confidence, to pitch, in the majors.

    For example, they would bring up a young pitcher, when the Dodgers are playing in a pitcher’s park, or when the Dodgers, are facing a team, that doesn’t have all of there core line up, and has utility players filling in, in the line up.

    And Orel said, that they would give different young pitchers in AAA, these type of chances, to grow to be major league pitchers, and to help fill in, at times. And this would be good for the moral in AAA, because these young pitchers, will know if they are pitching well, they will get there chance, to pitch a game in the majors. And if they have one bad game, at the major league level, they will be better equipped to know what they need to do, to come back, and pitch in the majors better.

    And this is kind of what this front office did, last year, when people said, that they are bringing another pitcher, off the trash heap, to fill in for the day. But instead of trash heap, they will give maybe Urias, or Del leon or Stripling, a chance.

    And they will probably give Beachy a chance too, if Bolsinger, is the number five, like everybody seems to think.

  5. I don’t see the Dodgers moving CC until Ethier recovers. Then maybe they should put Ned in charge of moving him. He might actually be able to do it.

      1. I’m sure Zaidi could caddie for Kasten after Ned leaves. That’s the great thing about having the deepest front office in baseball. But I was thinking about the time he traded Andy La Roche for Manny.

    1. Uh, are you nuts? Phillies just traded Utley, and they want youth, not age….sheesh the crap you guys come up with

      1. Perhaps I am nuts but are you really so damn smart? PHD, Phi Beta Cappa, 7 digit income, or just someone with an opinion, just like the rest of us? It is not impossible Philadelphia might not like to get a long time star back for a very cheap price, might be worth it to them in attendance. Over and above that, baseball teams make dumb decisions all the time. Look at the Dodgers…

  6. Crawford might start the year slowly, again, and we can make a 500 push up bet, again, whoever bets against Crawford will lose, again, and the push ups will not be done, again, and we can tee it up, again, next year. Crawford is likely going nowhere because he represents skilled depth on a team made of glass and his contract doesn’t hurt the Dodgers anymore than that extra bowl of ice cream hurts the guy not doing his push ups.

    The final 25 man in a couple of weeks will look like the final 25 man from last October, with the Diamondbacks ace replaced with a 3 of fine goat hair (think about it) and our own 5 of clubs, Mike Ballslinger. Nice work FAZ. While it’s true much spinning of plates has been going on since last July I see very little improvement on this 2016 ball club., but oh that minor league system. And that leads me to what I’ve been saying for months now – “wait ’til the year after next year”

    1. Badger I forgot that Faz got Bolsinger from the Dbacks! So your saying great trade Faz. Now the Dodgers have Bolsinger, and the Dbacks have Greinke.

  7. Some have posted extensively here and elsewhere about the obvious flaws in the starting rotation. The Braintrust’s theory is to avoid paying good money for good pitchers but instead, to sign as many injured or injury-prone pitchers as possible for little money (and short term) in hopes that one or more of the injured guys will survive the season. Last season, they got lucky with Anderson but not with McCarthy or Beachy.

    This year, McCarthy, Anderson and also Beachy (apparently) are no-gos.

    Injured pitchers do not equal depth! It isn’t depth if they can’t pitch!

    Maeda – his arm may fall off according to his MRI, but hopefully not – but they got him for cheap and that’s what matters.
    Kazmir can’t throw a fastball through a paper bag yet this spring. Hopefully he will be ready for the season – he’s not as expensive as a genuine ace (Greinke, Zimmerman, Price, Cueto) and that’s what matters.

    So we have a rotation of Kershaw and the Dwarves. Hopefully Maeda and Kazmir are competent and healthy. Hopefully, Wood stays healthy and is more effective than last year. Hopefully, the flotsam that the Dodgers have in reserve (Bolsinger, Beachy, Lee) will be enough to comprise a semi-effective 5th starter and will be able to step into the breach in the event that one of the other 3 Dwarves is unable to pitch or is ineffective.

    A frail reed upon which to rest championship hopes.

    All of those who believe that the Braintrust will fork over big bucks to trade for or sign another pitchers are likely to be disappointed. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. What have they done thus far? Have they traded for or signed a top-flight starter? NO.

    There are some innings eater type pitchers who are probably available, but the Braintrust won’t want to spend what it will cost to acquire one.

    The team’s hope is that the Dodgers do what the Mets did last year and ride their young stud pitchers. Syndergaard and DeGrom were probably further along then Urias and DeLeon, but one or more of the kids could be ready by mid-season for the big time. Replace some of the flotsam and wounded with genuine talent. Otherwise, I do not believe that the season will go as well as hoped.

    1. Nearly every major league team not named the Mets has flaws in their starting rotations. That just goes with having a major league starting rotation. I don’t think the Dodger theory is just to avoid paying money for good pitching. That implies that management is cheap for the sake of being cheap and has no interest in fielding a quality team. That’s needlessly negative. Look at it in a slightly more positive light. Understanding the the likelihood of starting pitcher injuries, the FO chooses to sign a higher quantity of pitchers with higher upside yet higher injury risk. I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again, you need to look at value. The FO seeks out comparative value. Friedman, remember, is a Wall Street guy. You know the buy low, sell high concept, right? ….similar idea.

      I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: there’s risk involved in every type of player transaction. I’ll use the Smarjidja example again. The Giants paid a premium for that guy based entirely on one particular attribute he has: durability. The problem with this strategy is that there is very high risk involved signing him for big money, namely, the fact that, although durable, he’s been pretty mediocre performance-wise. I personally think that the baseball market overvalues that particular attribute – durability – in a starting pitcher. The Giants now are saddled with the RISK that this expensive free agent they signed to a multi-year contract will be another Barry Zito…..that he’ll suck….again. What is it about the past predicting the future? That’s almost more of a drain on a team; to have a starting pitcher you need to start because you’ve committed to him continue to pitch poorly and hurt the team. Some have said he could pitch well up in SF. Maybe Bochy can work some magic. Maybe. Maybe he’ll continue to suck. That’s the risk.

      Greinke is a huge risk. Yeah, the likelihood that he’ll give exceptional performance is high, but so is the possibility that he’ll start declining soon. That’s the risk. Do you tie up all your money there in hopes he bucks every historical statistic about pitchers over 30 beginning a precipitous decline, or do you pin your hopes that “he’s learned to pitch like Greg Maddux, therefore he’ll be effective for a long time.” That’s the argument I’ve heard…and it’s tempting. Statistics don’t support the likelihood of this happening. So, if Scott and the naysayers who criticize the McCarthy or Anderson signings want to talk about risk, well, there’s that.

      The strategy is spreading out risk and increasing the likelihood of an overall better performance from those whose performance exceeds their current value – buying that stock that got hammered because of some bad news but has good fundamentals, and seeing it rebound. Think of the organization as sort of like a hedge fund. Some stocks go up, some go down, but in the aggregate performance should exceed the price. Anderson got injured, but the team wasn’t necessarily relying on him, either. For the Anderson they signed, who worked out pretty well last year for the money they paid, they also have a Bolsinger, who they also got on the cheap, filling the void if Anderson gets injured. You Monday morning executives want to criticize when the injuries happen

      Signing pitchers with a depressed market value due to injury: not all of them are going to work out. A few, though, will rebound and flourish.

      Stockpiling prospects: high risk. Even Urias is not a sure bet. He’s been projected to be an elite #2 down to a #5 as his floor. Most of these guys are not going to meet expectations. However….if you stockpile enough of them, based on just the law of averages, enough will meet or exceed expectations to give your team a competitive edge. More specifically, a team that is consistently excellent year over year as opposed to the normal boom and bust cyclical nature of most teams.

      Outspending other teams for Cubans: there’s a risk. Most of these guys might turn out to be Israbuennas (no, I’m not looking up that dude’s correct spelling) and complete duds. You do it enough times, though…….

      You get the idea – cheap FA pick ups, signing pitchers with depressed market value, stockpiling prospects, stockpiling Cubans.

      KEEP CALM
      FAZ ON

      1. If Friedman was so good at finding value on Wall Street, why doesn’t HE own the Dodgers? This reminds me of the guy who owns four or five beater cars and hopes that he can keep one or two of them running. I understand selling high if you can get something better but it seems like we’re trading down. I think they should have a lot more to show for what they’re paying McCarthy, Anderson, and Kazmir this year.

      1. Lot’s of team have pitchers with health issues. SF has Cueto, Cain and Peavy.

        I mean, this is a major problem with most teams. The Cards have 3 pitchers coming off major surgery. It’s not just the Dodgers.

        BTW, if I were Alex Guerrero and wanted to win a spot, I would not be so fat!

        1. Mark you are right. He moves better and still
          Hits with power, when he slimmer. He got like that, by sitting on the bench last year. I don’t think he is fat, but he should lose some weight, maybe ten or 15 pounds. He isn’t like some of the other Cubans, but he should lose a little.

        2. Big difference. Cain wasn’t hurt when he was signed – either was Cueto. Same with the Cards – the pitchers coming off of surgery weren’t injured or injury-prone when they were signed. I don’t complain that Ryu is hurt – you’re right, pitchers get hurt. The difference is that the Dodgers sign guys who are already hurt or are hurt often. Peavy meets these criteria; so do McCarty, Beachy, Anderson, et al. This is the Braintrust’s strategy to avoid paying money to pitchers.

  8. Anybody see that Bumgarner lasted 2.2 innings today after giving up 5 ER’s. He looks awfully good with his 10.57 spring ERA. I know, I know, its Spring Training.

      1. I don’t know MJ, but, it sure would be a shame if he has the same rib problem as Montas. Wouldn’t it?

  9. They need that Coleman in the bullpen. He is not the typical submarine type of pitcher. He is quite the weapon!

  10. Dodgerrick mentioned Syndergaard above.

    Now, I know you can do this with any player and any team, especially in baseball because there’s so many rounds in the draft, but just for kicks: we took Zach Lee and gave him $5 mil 10 picks before Toronto took Syndergaard. I know, everyone else passed on him too. …..

  11. Saw 5 innings of Rockies at Padres today. Rockies B+ v Padres B. My take: the Rockies will hit the snot out of any of our pitchers not # 1. Just good young, smart, aggressive hitters. Maybe we need to buy their hitting coach. We better plan on 8+ runs to win those games. A pretty well played game. Finally.

    1. Bobbie 17 I would rather have the Rockies former GM , then the Padres. At least he drafted, or traded for, good position players.

  12. It seems clear right now — that the Dodgers will not pitch themselves into the World Series in 2016.

    The only way to the fall classic is by fielding and hitting.

    If Ethier continues his strong hitting and in the clutch.
    If Pederson finds his stroke and bangs out 40 shots.
    If Puig becomes the Great Puig — and is the MVP of the league..
    If Seager is ROY and everyone knows it by his play.
    If Adrian finds a bottle of youth and is the key guy in the lineup.
    If the trio of catchers all hit above .290 and call great games behind the plate.
    If the 16 guys playing 2b over the season average .290 or above together.

    If the other role players contribute at the right time in timely way — then the Dodgers will win in a cake walk.

  13. It sounds like Beachy is toast. I think he pushed it too hard after his first TJ and has never really recovered. I think the Dodgers are doing the opposite to Stripling. They want to make sure he is completely recovered before they pitch him in their rotation. Unless Bolsinger coughs up a hairball, he has the 5th spot, but if he falters, look for Ross Stripling!

    I still think that the Dodgers will acquire a #1.5 or #2.0 starter in July. They have a glut of players to trade now, unlike last year! If a team like Cleveland, Rays, A’s or the ChiSox drop out of the race, you can look for some 3 or 4 way deal to get a Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Danny Salazar, Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi or Sonny Gray. The Dodgers have the firepower to do that and I think they will.

    They will hang in there until the trade deadline and make their move. At the end of the season, this could be the rotation:

    1. Kershaw
    2. Archer
    3. Madea or Kazmir
    4. Ryu
    5. McCarthy or De Leon

    This is going to be fun. I know that some of you grumpy old men disagree – just take your Geritol and get back with me in the morning! 😉

    1. Agree about Stripling, he said he really felt good toward the end of last year, and he has pitched the best of the young pitchers, in spring training. He is also a little older, and a little maturer. I don’t know about Beachy over doing it, because I think Chris Medlen, was probably on about the same schedule, as Beachy. I wish they would have gotten Medlen, because he has always been the better pitcher.

  14. Mark, some of us grumpy old men — are just wishing the Dodgers had a top notch General Manager. One that made moves that made sense in the baseball world. Not this, grab some 200 players over a year, up and down them, hide the kids, and sign almost every injured player who can X their name on a contract.

    Other than that, have a nice day.

    Gee, we could even in out in Arizona right now — in a riot on the highway as Trump folks meet the enemy.

  15. Roger,

    See – this is where we disagree. I think they do have a top notch GM. The Front Office is rebuilding the team while being competitive. Last season could have ended much differently if not for the injuries, especially to Grandal and Ryu… to say nothing of all the hammys!

    The Dodgers will be competitive again, but now have no more bad contracts (other than the ones they inherited), and they have put themselves in a position to go after a top starter at the trade deadline – not a guy with an expiring contract, but rather a young, difference maker.

    I remember the last time the Dodgers won the World Series and so do you. Was there a more “rag-tag bunch” than that team? I don’t have to go down the list, but this year’s Dodger team is dramatically better. However, there is one thing that is eerily similar: The Stuntmen! Back then it was Anderson, Hatcher, Dempsey, Guerrero and Davis. Now it’s Hernandez, Van Slyke, Barnes, Utley and Thompson.

  16. Here is my pitching staff:
    1 Kershaw
    2 Bolsinger for 5 innings and Lee for 4 innings
    3 Kazmir
    4 Maeda
    5 Wood

    Jansen, Garcia, Howell, Coleman, Blanton, Avilan

    That’s 12 pitchers and that leaves 13 position players which would be:
    13 Grandal
    14 Ellis
    15 Agon
    16 Kendrick
    17 Turner
    18 Seager
    19 Ethier
    20 Pederson
    21 Puig
    22 SVS
    23 Hernandez
    24 Utley or Guerrero or Barnes but only one of them. My guess is Barnes
    25 Thompson or Crawford and I think it will be Thompson

    1. No Hatcher? No Baez? No Frias?

      Though your effort is appreciated and your thoughts well founded, the roster is already set and Thompson and Barnes aren’t on it.

      1. Badger I totally agree with what you have said. There is no room on this team for Barnes. It would either have to be Barnes, or one of the other catchers, would have to go down, and that is not going to happen.

        He plays second, so he is not going to help the Dodgers. The Dodgers have way to many players, that can play second. Barnes doesn’t give the Dodgers any flexibility. None! So I don’t see why they are looking at him, at second, unless they are showcasing him. And the same goes for Thompson.

        I think the Dodgers should keep Coleman for the bullpen. He is a pitcher, that many big leaguers don’t see. I almost wish that JP was not on the bullpen. I know he has had a good era, but he has had a bad whip, the last couple years, and has tended to walk his first hitter, a lot it seems, in the last two years. I could be wrong. And about Baez, I think that Frias might be better, then Baez, in the bullpen.

        And Badger, what you wrote, way above yesterday, was hilarious! I had to read it again, to truly appreciate, what you wrote! When you said, good for Faz, the Dbacks now have Greinke, and poof, the Dodgers now have Bolsinger, what a trade, and what magic, in so many words, was just funny, and is the blunt truth, if you think about it.

        I was thinking about how everyone said that Barnes gave the Dodgers flexibility, and that too, is a joke, because he plays second. The one position, that the Dodgers have a glut of players, that can play second.

        I hope Ryu can be able to pitch this year, hopefully before the Allstar break, but he may not make it by then. It sounded like Orel, had an even tougher surgery then Ryu, and he really explained that with the shoulder, there is no pricise time schedule, so maybe Ryu will slowly, be ok.

      2. Okay, I forgot Hatcher. To start the season I would replace Avilan with Hatcher and go with only one left side releiver. Avilan or Liberatore would replace Blanton and or Coleman when and if they show they can’t get it done.

        Frias and Baez get to do it in OK.

        I would give Utely an “office” next to Maddux and put Barnes on the 25 in his place and Thompson just beats out Crawford or Crawford is injured, or Crawford is part of a trade.

        The only way Crawford makes the team is if Puig is traded.

        Puig, Grandal, De Leon, and Wood for Sale. That puts platoons in RF and LF composed of SVS, Ethier, Crawford, and Thompson.

  17. Interesting. So you think there will be more injuries that will force Barnes and Thompson onto the team. I can see that happening.

    Archer? You do know that Archer is signed to a team friendly contract until 2021, right? He’ll be 32 then. Don’t know why the Rays would do us any favors before that. And what makes you believe that FAZ will suddenly do something they’ve not done in the past? I think Roger and Rick are spot on regarding the FAZ modus operandi. We sign cheap veterans who are injured and draft big strong arms. It might work eventually, but not this year. When Urias, De Leon, Holmes, Montas, Alvarez, Bellinger, Verdugo, Diaz, et al are finally on the club we might have some success, even with the signing of M.A.S.H.ers, but I don’t think a deadline move this year is wise. An Archer would take 2-3 of the guys mentioned above if FAZ won’t do that with Greinke as the number two, they sure as hell won’t do it with Goat Hair (nobody get that one yet?) as the number two. On the parabola I’m looking at we are still at least one year away. Now that could change if the Chicago, San Francisco, New York, St Louis and Pittsburgh teams all come down with mono or the zika virus, but, you know, I don’t wish that on them…. Ok maybe mono….. but I wouldn’t count on it.

    1. Badger, do you mean Rick Angora?

      I remember last year some people told me not to worry because we would have Hamels and/or Price by the end of July. I don’t see any teams helping us out; they hate our free-spending, smarty-pants, left-coast attitude. They won’t give up proven major-league talent for untested Cuban prospects.

      1. You should have listened to me. I said no Hamels or Price. Now, I am saying that we will likely make a desk this year for that guy.

        1. Badger If you think about it, Faz got two for one. They not only got Bolsinger, they also got the other bad former Dback’s pitcher, MCCarthy! And for four years!

    2. Actually I got the goat hair the first time and didn’t get a chance to say something. Last montas I maeda kazmir sweater but it didn’t fit so I maeda it into a kershawl.

      1. Bums maybe you should take Faz’s place. You like to make deals, and you can make a lot, with not much, like you did, above.

      2. I like it. Bum must be jelly cuz he’s on a roll. Who Wood have thought you could get them all in there? Doh!

  18. I mean Scott Cashmere.

    I guess it ain’t that clever if it needs to be splained.

    Sitting here this morning I’m not that impressed with our rotation. Maybe they will surprise me.

    I wonder if the phone is ringing regarding Guerrero. He sure looks different physically than he did in that scouting video a few years ago. Eating at fine restaurants might be the cause. He does have a few hundred million more pesos now than he did then.

    1. I wish Guerrero would get back down in weight, because that would give him more range, and make him quicker. In that scouting tape, he was a lot smaller, like you said, but he still had that power. He is shorter, so if he loses ten, fifteen pounds, he would look quite smaller. Maybe he thought he would slim down, from spring training. He probably feels that he doesn’t exist. That is kind of the way, that the Dodgers treat him, or think about him. When Howie got a hit, yesterday on the broadcast, they acted like he has did so much, and when Guerrero hit that HR, to tie the game, they didn’t say much.

  19. Just back from a week in Glendale and a few observations. Camelback is great. Free parking, but plan on a long wait getting out after a game. One enterance and exit doesn’t make sense. We went to a SD game and the seats were small and little leg room. Avoid that stadium.

    Saw Wood pitch after being out with in injury and he looked good. Bolsinger looked good too and I think both will be in the rotation. Lee was in command for a couple of innings but lost it in inning 3, not sure if he will stick, if he doesn’t I think he will be gone in a trade. He has been in our system long enough. JP was hit hard in the two games I saw. The Royals took it to him, he couldn’t get an out. BTW, the Royals looked really good and so did the Cubs (even though it was against SD who are really bad).

    The battle for CF between Thompson and Pederson (two Swedes :)) could be interesting even though Joc seems to have the edge. None of our relievers look especially sharp in the games I saw, including Jansen.

    Lots of fun at the park, but bring lots of sun block

  20. After watching a couple of Dodger games, I’m not impressed with:SVS; Barnes;Kike. SVS seems like he is about 30 pounds overweight. He might me a trade piece. Kike just doesn’t look like a ballplayer. To me he belongs in the minors. Barnes looks like a high school player. We must have a better backup catcher than that. How about Zarraga? At least he looks like a catcher. Utley still has a place on this team. A real pro, who acts like he belongs. Thompson, too, looks like a major leaguer. He stays. Guerrero does look big, but he still has flashes of power, and can be a 4th backup at third, behind Turner, Kendrick, and anyone else. Generally, from what I have seen, our prospects aren’t any better than any of the other teams’ prospects. At least on the offensive side. I’ll get another look tomorrow.

  21. Seems that ‘the plan’ wasn’t written in detail or ‘plan B’ is a coin toss. Where they say “a chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link”, I ask which link is weak? A better question is which are strong? At the moment I have to admit perhaps I’m the weak link as I won’t tolerate failure with this ownership, F/O, management and team beyond this experiment. They ain’t shit without me and they’re not paying me enough, but they keep expecting more and more from me all the way. It’s the fans who have the rope burned hands and mud on our faces but we’re the one’s who keeps getting tested all the while of them stuffing more and more middlemen to pick our pockets. Damn I’m getting grumpy in my old age! But good for me!

    1. Quas they say when people get old, they either get sweeter, or meaner, of course the depends on what day of the week, it is, and who it is.

  22. We just have to hope that Ryu can come back, at least before the Allstar break, unless we are in good shape, in the division. Ryu might just be fine, but we will have to be a little more patient.

    Orel had a shoulder injury, that was worse then Ryu, and he was able to come back, and pitch. And just think, how much farther, medical technology has come, since Orel was hurt.

    Orel said that Ryu didn’t really have a set back. He said that the shoulder, takes much longer, to recover from, and there is no real time schedule. They have to monitor every step of the recovery, and adjust the recovery effort, to where a pitcher is, at that moment.

    Orel said the all of the mucsles in the shoulder, must work in unison, so it can take more time, with a shoulder, then a elbow, but Orel felt that Ryu would be ok. If Ryu comes back ok, the rotation, won’t look so bad.

    We would have a good number one, and two, and number three, in the rotation. Kershaw, Ryu, and Madea. And this, would make Kazmir, look a little better, as a four.

    I don’t like that the front office, goes for quanity, and not quality, with proven major league pitchers. And after this year, they better stop signing these subpar, injury ridden pitchers. Most major league pitchers, have a good enough history, that tells you enough about them. And these two pitchers, they brought to the Dodgers, have done almost exactly everything, that there history revealed!

    Maybe when it comes to young prospects, it is ok to go with quantity, but with tendered major league pitchers, and players, it is better, to go for quality. Greinke was expensive, but he is still pitching, after these two pitchers, have already went down.

    And he is more well, worth his risk, because he is a much better pitcher, and player, and throws his 200 innings, every year, unlike Anderson, and MCCarthy!

    I am giving the front office this year, because of the transition, to the young pitchers, but once the young pitchers, are here, I don’t want to see anymore transactions, for these injury prone, mediocre pitchers, especially to fill the pitching rotation!

    And I know almost every pitcher, carries a risk, but not all pitchers, carry the same risk, or the same reward. Maybe a couple of these risks, are ok to have, in case the rotation starts to crumble, but not to depend on, to be in the rotation, and to pitch 200 innings. You almost always, pay for what you get.

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