In news breaking across the wires, the Los Angeles Dodgers have retained Kenley Jansen, to the tune of five years and $80 million. He has an option to leave after three years.
Over the past couple of weeks rumors have had Jansen and the Dodgers far apart as he weighed very attractive financial offers from the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals. There was even speculation he would reunite with his former manager, Don Mattingly, in Miami. However, I never really bought into that Marlins rumor.
Other rumors are frantically flying about that Justin Turner will be the next to sign and stay in Los Angeles. Who says Mondays are all bad?
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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Merry Christmas to all!!
Turner looks like he is next at 4 years 64 million…..yes, a present for our stockings…….TAKE THAT GIANTS!!!!!!
I predicted 4/72 for Turner with an option for 5th and a $3m buyout. If 4/64 is true then good job by Faz for waiting out the market. i predicted 5/80 for KJ and who’s says there isnt a hometown discount? Nats offered more money.
Nice job Chris Camello who really broke the story not all the mlb guys who are trying to take credit now.
yes, whoever Chris is. I never heard that name until yesterday!!
But big props to him
Hawkeye
And the Marlins also offered more money.
Time to hang up those crying towels for a couple of days.
Let’s go through some of the negative prognostications said here and elsewhere over the past 6 months:
1. Trading AJ Ellis will ruin the team’s chemistry.
2. Pulling Rich Hill from a perfect game will cause him to never resign here.
3. The only way for Kasten and company to shake the cheap label will be to sign a free agent to a big contract. “See, we’re NOT cheap!” This may be the only way that Jansen or Turner return to LA next year.
4. My guess is that Turner and Jansen think they are not appreciated by the Dodger front office.
5. let Jansen walk – get a – wait for it – draft pick…. Sounds like Oakland to me.
How about we try a little optimism here going forward?
Bluto
And see we aren’t upset with any deal this front office makes, like some think!
Barring a trade, someone will have to be outrighted off 40-man. Wonder who?
Could be a Culberson move, with Van Slyke or Hatcher. Maybe that is why FAZ signed them.
Hopefully, everybody here at least agrees FAZ is masterful how they handle maximizing roster depth by using roster manipulation. I for one, loved how they “expanded” the 25 man roster by shuttling players between LA and minors. I anticipate seeing more of this in 2017.
By the way, I have seen many posters claim the bullpen was tired because starters only went 5 innings. But, I disagree!! By shuttling players nobody in bullpen was overworked. If disagree with me, specifically who was overworked? Not Blanton, if you look at number on innings he pitched.
Boxout
Blanton threw more then any other pitcher, in the bullpen.
Hoping its Hatcher..
Watford Dodger: “Good news everyone. Now I would try and get Braun to play LF . I wonder if we could do a deal that doesn’t involve Puig.”
Like who? I can’t see a trade for Braun unless it is along the lines of Puig and McCarthy or Kazmir. Payroll neutral!! Getting out of luxury tax in 2018 just became even more important with new labor agreement. Better to get below the threshold in 2018 and be a player in post 2018 free-agent market, Lots of young studs.
Besides, FAZ has to be pretty excited about young, left handed outfielders, Toles, Pederson, Verdugo, Bellinger (and there is Ethier in 2017) on the roster. FAZ can pay these four for about $2M total in the 70% of games started by a right-handed pitcher and get some right-handed platoon guys for the 30% of games started by a left-hander. Can’t see giving up any highly regarded prospects for old, expensive Braun.
Agree. Think it’s all payroll sensitive now.
It’s being reported the Dodgers won’t go beyond 1 year deals with any subsequent bullpen help.
Pluto–where is that reported…sounds like a good source.
Reported here:
https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/808433061797003264
As reported, it probably takes them OUT of the Greg Holland sweepstakes.
Bluto
Maybe they will take a chance on Holland for one year.
If he can come back strong, he could be a good set up guy.
I am a long time reader and first time poster. Now that we have committed to Jansen and Turner, lets trade Puig, Deleon, Mccarthy to the Brewers for Braun and Villar…The negative is that we lose a possible great player and pick up salary. The positive is that we gain a consistent left fielder and a very good leadoff man and second baseman. Let me know what you think.
Turner’ contract, is like a three year contract, considering that Mark heard, that the front office was initially offering Turner, 60 for three years.
And we get Turner for that additional year, for only 4 million more.
And we all know that Kenley is probably the best bet of the three closers.
Chapman probably won’t be throwing 100 plus in five years, and Kenley has so little miles on his arm, compared to the other two big closers.
Kenley is getting a little to much per year, but his deal isn’t that bad.
I think they did a good job!
With all the software glitches lately I thought I would ask if anybody noticed that the ads that appear in the comment string always seem to follow one of MJ’s comments. Is that only on my computer or have others noticed that phenomena?
Bum
Maybe because I am on a phone, not a computer.
But once Mark took out those likes, dislikes, it has been fine here.
I did not touch them. Someone else removed them. I only freed the comments. I would not mess with the blog itself!
Bum
See if you can find out if the Astros have a good second
baseman, in there farm system, who is being blocked by Altuve.
They need starting pitchers, and they seem to have good position players in there farm system.
We can trade one of our young pitchers, that are not Stewart or JDL.
I use an ad-blocker, so I see nothing.
Sorry site admin.
I noticed that also with MJ’s comments. Think she’s getting “paid under the table” and not sharing with us?
Richie
No I one of Mark’s fronts.
Why do we need help for the BP? As it stands now we have: Jansen, Ravin, Fields, Dayton,Avalian, Liberatore and Blanton(resign him).
Gone are: Howell, Chavez, Coleman, and Fien. I hope we can trade Hatcher and Baez.
Plus all the young arms. I agree 100%.
As far as Braun is concerned, it would take more than McCarthy and Puig and while we are at it, if we could also get Villar we would have our LHP masher(.336 BA lifetime) and leadoff 2B. Braun is getting older but his bat and baserunning is still young.
I love Toles but I have to see more of him before I make him our leadoff hitter. Pitchers will adjust to him. Will he readjust to them? Maybe or maybe not.
So what will it take to get Braun and Villar? Who knows? Perhaps we start with Puig, Calhoun(don’t need him because of Villar) McCarthy, Verdugo, Stewart, Estevez and even Kazmir(pay 1/2 his salary).
Just a shot in the dark scenerio.
Say what you will but that would be an awesome lineup. If they insisted on Bellinger and/ or Urias, I would nix the deal.
I for one am pleasantly surprised that the Dodgers have resigned Jansen. (I more or less expected Turner back.) Essentially, the team that the Dodgers have now is still a little weaker than the team that trotted off the field at the end of the post-season: No Utley, Kendrick, Blanton et al.
I don’t expect the Braintrust to stand pat. I do expect:
Some salary relief by way of trading one of the pitchers (mostly likely Kazmir) or outfielders (most likely Puig)
Some addition to the bullpen
A second baseman
Maybe another right-handed OF bat
An upgrade at 2B along with the improvement by some of the young starting pitchers will make the 2017 Dodgers stronger than the 2016 version. Plus, if Hill can stay healthy (a big if) he will be an upgrade too.
In general, this is welcome news.
How are they weaker?
The young players should improve.
They can’t do worse at 2B. Pitching will be better with Hill for the entire year.
They can’t get less from McCarthy/Kazmir/Wood (consider they keep at least one).
They can’t get less from Puig.
I don’t think that a 2B combo of Kike, Johnson, Calhoun & Taylor are the equal of Utley and Kendrick. I don’t think that’s what they’ll go into the season with – that’s why they are weaker now but I expect change between now and the beginning of the season.
Bullpen – they are now weaker then they were at season’s end without Blanton but again I expect an upgrade from somewhere. (Unlike some I have little or no confidence in Hatcher or Baez.)
I do agree that some/most of the kids will be better next year, especially Urias and DeLeon (if he breaks camp with the team).
I expect one of Kazmir or McCarthy to be traded, probably Kazmir. I expect Wood to stay in the pen.
I don’t know what to expect from Puig to be honest. His performance has declined each of his 4 years in the majors. With that type of trajectory, I am unwilling to expect improvement. I half expect him to be traded.
The point of my post was to say that I expect the team to be better next year than in 2016, but not if they stand pat. I don’t expect the Braintrust to stand pat though.
Trading Puig off a team that has trouble hitting LHP is not a smart idea, and his salary is very team friendly. Who in their right mind, except FAZ, would want Kazmir? I think the guy has very little trade value unless the Dodgers pony up major money and package the guy with someone else…
I dunno. I think it’s pretty barren out there looking at the landscape for Pitching. Obviously Boston has excess, but who else is out there?
Say what you will Kazmir took the ball. He’s only on the hook for two years, that’s very digestible.
I’m not saying they’ll get Gleybar Torres back, but he should have a market.
Maybe?
I’m not so sure we could even get back Salomon Torres for Kazmir
Bluto
You are forgetting that Kazmir has a chronic condition, that affects his control.
And he hasn’t pitched well, for almost a year and a half.
I do hope we can move him, because he doesn’t like being on the Dodgers..
McCarthy has value, but if the Dodgers are forced to put one in the rotation next year, I’m sure they would prefer it be McCarthy because he pitched okay early in his return this year and they’re stocked full of lefties.
You are right, I did forget that.
And I couldn’t find anything about it online. What chronic condition is it?
Bluto
Thoracic spine inflamation.
Hey, isn’t that the same thing future Hall of Famer, Frankie Montas has?
Boxout
No Montas had that thoratic condition that hits a nerve, that they have there rib taken out.
That’s not a chronic condition as far as I can tell
You should maybe look it up. It often isn’t, but it most certainly can be chronic.
Ha! I thought my comment implied that, of course, I did.
I did look it up, saw nothing in any report dealing with Kazmir that claimed it was chronic.
Bluto
You need to read what that condition is about, not about Kazmirhimself.
Because they don’t elaborate on his condition, they just name it.
MJ,
As per Badger’s post, and my intended implication, just because it can be chronic doesn’t mean it is. And this condition definitely isn’t always chronic.
Is it really too much to expect the people who cover the Dodgers to have reported a condition as chronic if it is? I’m going to assume since nobody is calling it chronic, it’s not chronic.
I could be wrong, but assuming a duck isn’t a frog seems rationale to me.
Sorry. Because you said “That’s not a chronic condition as far as I can tell” I assumed you were saying thoracic spine inflammation was not chronic. It can be. And Montas had thoracic outlet syndrome.
No worries. All good.
Are Bluto and Boxout joined at the … Oh, never mind…
Huh?
Yes hip to hip!
I’m really daft, but what does this mean?
Badger
It only bothers Kazmir when he pitches.
He wasn’t pitching well in spring training and they initially said he hurt his hand hitting, but he pitched like that all year.
Having the best pitcher in baseball helps skewer SP stats, but that still won’t help the innings pitched totals of this starting staff. There is one horse in the stable, and I sure hope he can run all year. None of the others will.
If Jose De Leon, at age 25 next year, is not considered ready to step into the starting rotation then maybe it’s time to move him. Maybe HE is Zach Lee – along with others we have drafted. The list of busts is long.
don’t say it too loud
Badger
When JDL came up, he wasn’t using his slider, which is one of his best pitches.
He didn’t get enough time to improve, like Urias and Stewart got, so I wouldn’t judge what he did last year, to much.
As you know, I am a JDL fan. I’ve said put him in the rotation for a year now. But all the projected rotations I see have him backing up for all the holes that will present themselves as soon as the season starts. Heck, he might get 20+ starts as a replacement with this staff.
YES!
Keep as many pitchers as possible. Last year proved as much.
Maeda is perennially a question. Urias has innings limits. Hill will need time off. Who knows if Stewart/Stripling/DeLeon regress. Kazmir/McCarthy (if here) will need time off intentionally or not.
Maintaining the 40 will be difficult, but starting pitching is and always will be a premium.
We finally get to open our own presents, no longer looking from the outside-in. no more sharp stick in the eye either, you prick
You opened a lot of presents, didn’t you, Ray? What was it, twelve children by ten different women? But you have a good excuse, don’t you? You couldn’t see the women, they took advantage of you….
He felt them up first.
I can’t tell if he was just being sarcastic or ….. not.
The facts regarding last year’s starting rotation are there to read. Roberts got them outta there early to minimize damage. 29th in innings pitched. That’s major suckage. Having Kershaw back for 32 starts should help, but, is there anyone else that will get 30 and 180 innings?
Hopefully Kenta Maeda
He’s the one guy that might. But I see them giving him a lot of days off to help with that tender elbow business. I’d be thrilled with 28 starts.
Test