Remember when we were all hyped up last summer and talking about Yu Darvish? Things change pretty quickly don’t they. Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Cubs have signed Darvish. The financials reported are for 6 years and 126 million dollars. No way the Dodgers were touching that kind of salary, sorry.
Clarification: Darvish six-year guarantee with #Cubs is $126M with ability to get to $150M, according to sources.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 10, 2018
The Dodgers did offer Darvish something but it was reportedly well below the Cubs offer and it didn’t have the extra year. There was not a chance on this Earth that the Dodgers were going to be offering that kind of money. Especially after they’ve made it well known that they wanted to stay below the luxury tax threshold while holding payroll below 197 million.
After two disastrous World Series starts we had soured on Darvish. He had expressed interest in returning to Los Angeles despite the front office publicly refusing to open their wallets.
I was hoping he would go to the twins (who were rumored to have offered him a deal as well) if nothing else, but feared he would sign with the Cubs and well here we are. The Dodgers will have to just make do with who they have now. I tell you this, they better get Clayton Kershaw locked up soon. Anyways, we will have more later. Discuss.
You know, I just realized that my problem with FAZ is that they never just get in the game. They let everyone else in and then do nothing. I do not think the Dodgers will be as good as they were last year as they lost too many players and have not so far replaced them. They would cause a good fan to just give up. They are not an LA group. They care nothing about the team chemistry and nothing about the tie between the fans and the team. Winning is important to them but how is not important. I think the team and fans need to be together. FAZ will not build a team for the future. I give up.
Time to move on. He is a Cub….good luck with that………One of my all time favorite Dodgers just passed away….RIP Wally Moon. He of moon shot fame. Traded to the Dodgers in the winter of 1958 for Gino Cimoli……thanks for all the memories Wally..
Yeah, Moon shots. What a great time to be a Dodger fan.
You would not believe how hard it was to get a 1959 Topps Wally Moon. He was in the 7th Series which was hard to find since they were issued so close to football season and football cards were now in the stores. The LA on his cap was airbrushed and the cap was actually a St Louis cap. The Gino Cimoli card was issued earlier and he was not wearing a cap. The did the same thing with the 59 Rip Repulski who the Dodgers had also acquired that winter…..
McCullough joined the great Effectively Wild podcast to preview the Dodgers.
It’s worth a listen.
https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/category/effectively-wild/
He touches on most of everyone’s favorite subjects:
Depth, Kemp’s value and potential upcoming DFA, Grandal, Chris Taylor’s potential regression, Joc…
He also says the front office likes “optionality” which is a Wall Street term. They like having many options.
The big thing that I had not comprehended was just how heavily the deck is stacked against Kemp.
There’s Toles, who performed very well before his injury.
Verdugo, who is a top 25 prospect.
Pederson, who the front office likes.
and
Kike, who crushes LHP.
So Bluto, when we were talking about 5 left fielders you didn’t comprehend what that meant? And when I said we had a basketball team in left field and I would trade all 5 of them for Yelich it didn’t register?
Yeah man, it’s a crowded house in left field. Just like AGon, Matt Kemp will find a job somewhere. What that means is should we DFA him, somebody will pick him up. Maybe that’s what the White Sox are waiting for. Add that Kemp $ to the long list of not Dodgers the Dodgers are paying. What that means is for a few years the Dodgers have been paying players who are no longer playing for them. Almost $100 million last year, $114 million the year before. They could use some Magic Pelinka beans in their pockets. What that means is ….. ah forget it. You figure it out.
I feel your pain pack.
Don’t pay attention to what a few people here write. Present company excepted.
Bluto
The front office will tell everyone they like all of their players.
They have said they really like Toles, and Friedman drafted him, so that is the spiel for all the players.
And they haven’t said a bad thing about Kemp either.
And I like Toles a lot, but if Kemp is adequate on defense, he won’t be platooning with any of these outfielders.
He hits lefties and righties better, then all of our outfielders.
He hit better against righties, then Joc did last year, even though he is a rightie hitter.
I don’t think defense is what’s going to keep Kemp the roster. It starts with an eye and rhymes with hinjuries.
So MJ, do you like Kemp in left for the long haul? The Dodgers are paying him anyway. I think all the potential left fielders could develop but I like the idea of Kemp coming up with ducks on the pond. To let Kemp go means that he has no value and I do not think that is the case. I also think he will want to put effort forward to silence the naysayers.
Enough SABR reading to keep you busy til Opening Day
http://sabr.org/latest/announcing-finalists-2018-sabr-analytics-conference-research-awards
Package
I truly think Kemp can help this team.
If he has the motivation to make himself better on defense, like it seems like he wants to do, I don’t see anyone playing in leftfield, over Kemp.
Have you heard anyone say Kemp can’t hit, I haven’t!
And if Kemp plays adequate defense, he is the best hitter in our outfield, and by quite a bit.
And if he can hit like he did in 2016, when he was protecting Freddy Freeman, in the Brave’s line up, he might bring great protection, for Cody.
And Cody didn’t have great protection last year, yet he hit 39 HRs.
I have seen some say that Joc will platoon in left, with Kemp.
But Kemp is a far better hitter against righties, then Joc is, and against lefties, too.
Question. Do the Dodgers, who at this point are committed to having Kemp in camp, cut him if he has a monster spring? We know he can hit. If he is really as in shape as they say and can play adequate defense do you think they would really just DFA the guy? I think if they were going to DFA him, it would have already been done. I think their thinking is still a trade and eating some of the contract. Not just DFA’ing the guy and eating all 43 million. That’s just stupid. If he plays well in spring, his value goes up especially if he reports in shape and ready to play.
Mr. Norris
All very good points. They need to have patience for sure. As I said earlier, they are paying him anyway so it makes sense to wait and see what he has before turning him loose. I think he might be better than any of our other options.
Package
Every time you see someone make a comment about Kemp, just look at what Kemp did in 2016, on a team, that is rebuilding.
And imagine how good he can make this line up, with that type of season.
Turner wasn’t just blowing hot air, when he said Kemp, could carry a team!
It costs nothing extra to keep him in camp. He doesn’t even really need to hit a lot of live pitching. If he’s in shape, everyone will know it.
How many here have ever watched him put on a show in batting practice? There are few I’ve seen that can do what he does. Light tower power. If he’s taking it seriously, and is injury free, he has value. Of all the guys we will have him camp working their asses off to win the LF job, think what it would mean if he wins the job.
If Kemp is serious, there is no contest!
I agree with you MJ. Kemp is the man!
Package
Don’t worry so much about Kershaw.
I really don’t think Kershaw will be eager to go pitch, in Texas.
Because as you already know, both the Astros and the Rangers, play in hitter’s parks.
And you saw what happened to Kershaw in Houston, the balls fly out of that park.
And the Ranger’s Park, would be even harder to pitch in.
I think the front office will try to work with Kershaw more, then they would, with other players.
They did sign both Turner and Kenley, and not everyone thought they would do that.
And I think the front office respects Kershaw a lot, so I think they will try to make this happen.
And this front office resigned Kershaw, the last time he opted out.
But I think Kershaw is going to have to remember where the Dodgers are coming from, especially with the issues Kershaw has had, with his back.
I really think Kershaw’s back will be fine, if he takes better care of himself, because he never had a herniated disc, like middle age people have.
They caught Kershaw’s problem so early, his disc is healed, and his back problem last year, was not in that same area.
I think his back was sore last year, because he was carrying one of his kids, and bending over, and picking up back packs, to give to kids, at a Dodger function, a day before he pitched.
And you know how we are when we are young, we think we are invincible, but I think Kershaw realized what caused his issue, and he will take better care of himself, in the future.
The Dodgers are predicted to win 99 games by PECOTA, the semi reliable predictor of baseball wins (they did well last year, picking the Dodgers to win more than the then World Champion Cubs). That’s 10 more wins than any other NL team.
Fangraphs projects 94 wins. Badgerdamus predicts neither PECOTA nor Fangraphs will be right.
I do too!