The winter meetings are wrapping up in the next day or so and as usual Andrew Friedman has done next to nothing. Yes the Dodgers did announce the signing of reliever Blake Treinen, but so what? As I stated before in a previous article, Friedman should no longer be allowed to make pitching decisions. He is no longer qualified.
Unsurprisingly the Dodgers once again have missed out on the top free agents available on the market. Gerrit Cole just signed a massive contract with the Yankees, a team who is not afraid to spend money on elite players. Anthony Rendon, the man who I was hoping the Dodgers would somehow sign (I still knew they wouldn’t, after all this is still Andrew Friedman) just announced a mega deal with the cross town Angels. After all expecting Friedman to sign a very good player to a long term contract is like asking a chicken to give you milk.
To be fair Friedman did reportedly make an offer to Cole. The Dodgers offer was 8 years for 300 million. The problem was the Yankees offer was for nine years and 324 million. Maybe it’s unfair to expect the Dodgers to go toe to toe with the Yankees, a club equally as powerful financially; however there is no reason the Dodgers can’t outbid the Angels. If you really wanted Cole, then you would have made a better offer.
It’s simple, if the Dodgers want to get better and win a championship then they are going to have to acquire or go after the top players in the game. If they are unwilling to spend money, or trade prospects for top level players, then how do they expect to recruit top level talent?
It makes little sense to me. You should be spending money on players. The majority of the money should be going towards the roster. Otherwise what are you spending your money on? If you refuse to spend money or prospects on elite players then that is a small market tactic.
Small market tactics don’t work in large market towns. It’s the same story year after year. The Dodgers are rumored to be in on every single top player on the market, yet the deals never materialize. Then the apologists and Friedman fans come out of the woodworks to praise him for doing nothing.
“They saved money!!!” (The richest team in baseball saved more money!!!!)
“They can’t sign these players, they are too expensive” (Way too expensive. The Dodgers, one of the richest and most powerfully profitable global brands in the world can’t afford to sign the best players on the open market)
“Do you want to waste money?” (Who wants to see star players coming to play for the Dodgers? Who wants to see championships? Let’s save some cash!)
“Free agency doesn’t work” (Nope it doesn’t. Better to sit out and hope the draft plays out)
“They won 106 games! They don’t need to do anything”
The excuses go on and on and on and on every year. But with every offseason of inactivity, and every fall of playoff failure more and more Friedman supporters are finally waking up. With each passing day another Friedman worshipper wises up and sees the light. The real problem lies with ownership.
It’s Guggenheim that brought in Friedman and his posse of penny pinchers with the singular goal of saving money. Awesome, the Dodgers had another offseason where they missed out or refused to sign the best players on the market. It’s doubtful they will even sign Hyun-jin Ryu.
The best possible outcome is for Guggenheim to sell the team. Friedman and his small market minions get run out of town and we start again with new ownership. Preferably new owners whose priority is to winning championships. Because the money the club saves on Friedman’s frugality is certainly not going back to the fans. And if it’s not going towards the roster and the players (where it should be going) then it’s only going to one place….directly into the owner’s pockets.
Well, no surprise here. The Dodgers are just not in it, to win it, and again walk away empty handed from the winter meetings. Baseball is all about the color of money. MLB salaries are way out of hand. Heck, it cost the Dodgers $10M for a washed up reliever, coming off a miserable season, following TJ surgery. A team of overpaid Dodgers who cannot earn their paychecks and achieve the ultimate goal…. like The Little Engine That Couldn’t.
Players do not care a out the fans. Forget loyalty to the fans who are ultimately the ones paying their salaries, by paying high ticket prices, wearing their jerseys, and T-shirts, and storming the gates for their bobbleheads.
Owners don’t care, as long as the loyal fans keep filling the stadiums, eating high priced hot dogs, and guzzling down expensive watered down beers.
It is all about the Green, no matter the outcome. Get real, baseball fans. Are players really worth the $300M-plus they are getting now? Is it right that Owners, like the Dodgers continue to pocket a half a $$billion$$ in revenues, year after year, while their fans drown in their tears in October…. who says it never rains in Southern California?
The game of baseball has just become a big money pit, and nothing more. If anything, I cry for happy, that the Dodgers did not give in to these greedy free agents. But I still cry in sadness that they will probably not bring the World Series back to Los Angeles, once again.
You expected maybe some other outcome? With Fried Brains at the reins? Ha, not happening in this life time There are no excuses this time. He had better pull off some miracle of a trade, because right now the natives are extremely restless and highly pissed off.
they simply are running yhr Dogers franchise the way all business schools teach today. Maximize all possible revenue centers, spend as little aa possible on employees who, when they get too costly just beat the mud hut countries for those who are just good enough to keep that revenue rolling. It’s no different than any CEO in Silicon Valley functions. Ni risks because they are taught to be, above all, risk adverse.
And to give the customer juat thw right modern day condescending cookie cutter CEO double speak. Why spend more if it won’t constanty accelerate profit quarter/year over year (a very inflationary practice)? Just find new ways to get deeper into the wallet of the customers…they’re all conditioned to our shady practices…
It simple stop going to the game
Jerry,
I have stopped going, 7 years ago. I also refuse to bow to Spectrum. I have had it.
Problem is, there are too many fans with blue colored goggles, who continue to storm the turnstiles and spend money on this mediocre display of overpaid baseball talent. So, nothing will change.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the game, but it is sad to see which direction the Dodgers and MLB baseball is spiraling into.
Everyone points fingers at Friedman, Roberts, FO, Owners, and rightfully so.
But it really boils down to the stupid fans who year after year, continue to buy into this nonsense. the majority of the blame goes to the fans.
The Dodger failures in the post season are definitely not hurting the owners, who continue to rake in Millions upon Millions.
The Dodger failures are not hurting the players. The players may shed a few tears, but at the end of the day they know that even if they fail to win the World Series, they can rest easy. They will still demand millions in raises, and still be able to pay their bills. If the Dodgers do not resign them, some other idiot owner will. They will never have to worry where their next mortgage payment will come from…. these players make enough in one year, that most loyal fans make in a lifetime.
Wise up Fans… take a stand. STOP feeding these predators.
Really disappointing.
Come on. We’re not the Pirates. I think we are in pretty good shape here.
I look for Seager and Pollock to have good years. I look forward to a full year of Verdugo and Smith. We’ve still got Bellinger, Turner and Muncy. I think May, Urias and Gonsolin are ready to step forward. I think Lux will compete for ROY. I. believe Ruiz, if not traded, will push his way onto the roster this year. He’s got All League potential.
It’s still early December. Winter doesn’t start for another several days. Relax.
In the National League, they are all still chasing us.
My faith in this team has been destroyed. With Roberts dumb manager decisions. Friedman failing at the trade deadline. Lets not spend and lets not give up prospects. Buts lets raise ticket prices. Guggenheim, Friedman, and Walters failing to add a marquee free agent. Nobody wants to deal with them. Your supposed to excite fans with the product. No one wants to hear rich people whine about not being able to spend. Greed always wins.
James
I have been down on Freidman, the owners, Dummy and rest of the management for years to the point where everyone was down on me. That is right, kill the messenger. Anyhow, I do not what it will take to change this crowd because they won’t change.
Yes in the old days the ball plays had to work in the off season now they go on their big boats and get free cars instead of giving it to fan
Well another winter meeting has come and gone. Good news? The Dodgers for one of the few times the last few years did not lose a single player in the Rule 5 draft. They actually added a player in the AAA phase. Infielder Carlos Sepulveda from the Cubs. Good field no hit player. A switch hitter with a decent glove. 23 years old and placed on the OKC roster. The other big news is the naming of their coaching staff. 2 changes, Mark Prior is now the pitching coach and Josh Bard takes over in the pen. The bad news? The only addition made by the man most of us have come to despise was Blake Treinen. A former all star reliever who was pretty bad last year. Another Fraudman reclamation project that he felt was worth a 1 year 10 million dollar deal. Let’s hope he does not pull a Koehler and get injured in spring and be out for the year. I am not going to berate AF right now. He did nothing he has not done every winter meeting since he took over. He has never signed a impact free agent, and although you give him credit for at least trying to sign Cole, you scratch your head over the news that they did not even make and offer to Rendon, because they felt he had no desire to play in LA……which I find weird because now he will be playing right down the 5 from Dodger Stadium. Still a lot of rumors about them being very aggressive in their pursuit of Dellin Betances, They are also supposedly still talking to the Indians, and the Indians are still insisting on Lux and May. There is also a rumor, and this one I hope is true, that they are in contact with the Brewers about Hader. The Arenado, Donaldson rumors are just that right now. I doubt the Rockies would trade Arenado in division without securing some of the Dodgers better prospects and at least 1 MLB ready player. Donaldson would only cost them money, and it seems like he only wants a 3 year deal. So in all likelihood, if AF does anything now, it will probably not be until after Christmas or New Years. I have grown accustomed to his modus operandi, and I know there is nothing we as fans can say or do that will change the fact that this guy has got to be the most exasperating GM type in Dodger history. I have never heard more frustration or anger from fans. Not even in the bleak years following the retirement of Koufax, when the Dodgers were pitiful for a 4 year period. He is what he is and for those of us who despise his methods, he is going to be here a lot longer…….
Michael, I can simply copy what I posted on another blog which sums up my reaction to this yet another FAILED Winter meetings despite being bounce in the NLDS :
Folks, I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dodgers were not going to sign any of those top FA’s , despite how they got bounced in the 2019 NLDS on their home field. And I also told you one of the main reasons why Rendon and most other FA’s don’t view the Dpdgers as a desirable team to come to is mainly because of manager Roberts and how he handles the lineups and the pitching and especially how he has to be the worst October manager in baseball history. I am fed up with this FO and I may not even renew the MLB Extra Innings package to me as of now the Dodgers are not worth it!
In summary here;
The Angels showed up the Dodgers big time because their ownership goes out and does what it takes to get the players they need, while Freidman and Kasten just have excuses!!!!
Rendon and other players do not feel the Dodgers are a good team to play for and it’s mainly because of Roberts. Now this team will be once again too LH hitter friendly and their ‘lefty’ offense will once again be exposed all year and should they make it to October, expect the same pitiful results.
Paul, I think it is because of the FO, and Managers mind set. It is not just DR. He pretty much sticks to the script dictated by the analytics that AF believes in so much. And in my mind, Roberts does not really trust his players, especially the pitchers, to get out of trouble. In that sense he reminds me a lot of Sparky Anderson, who when he was with the Reds was known as Captain Hook.
The only pitcher that DR trusts is Kershaw and GasKanley, we all know how that has turned out
Well, DR had faith that FO would make blockbuster deal for a top free agent at winter meetings. He ends up being stuck with a bag of stale donut holes from last year. Wonder how he feels now. Now there are rumors that the hated Madbum will possibly be added to the clubhouse? Why don’t they put him next door to Muncy. Also, rumors of Lindor in, Seager out. What a mess.
Hey Bluefan, if Dodgers continue to keep guys like Lux and May from being available, no deals because as I see it teams are insisting of at the very least Lux IN ANY trade talks with Dodgers.
Paul,
The way I see it, if the Dodgers are reluctant to give these kids up, then they should stop playing games with their careers, and “Let The Kids Play!”… Stop picking up these washed up, high priced veterans, who are stealing playing time from them.
Platooning them and limiting their young pitcher’s innings is not doing them any good. Show the kids that you have confidence in them. Don’t turn them into one dimensional players like they did with Pederson, or limit their Pitcher’s pitch counts, turning them into mediocre, 5-6 inning pitchers, who run out of gas.
The Dodgers have the money to pick up a top free agent, without sacrificing their young talent in a ridiculous trade. Start weeding out the high dollar, veteran dead weight, and lets these young prospects grow and mature.
Michael, that what ya say is a reason why many consider Roberts simply as a puppet for Andy. If Dodgers cannot somehow adjust their mindset then forget any WS appearance or perhaps even a PS appearance because other teams ARE at least some of them anyway, are trying to get better.
Japan Star Tsutsugo signs with Rays. 12M/2 years. Dodgers could have got him and dump/trade Pollock, but they chose to waste 10M on a one year experiment with damaged goods. Will Pryor have the expertise and knowledge to resurrect Trienen’s career? I have no faith in Pryor.
Since the Dodgers don’t want to give up prospects or spend any money. They can get some players from my softball team to the roster to get them over the hump. Just pay them at a couple hundred dollars or so. Even that might be to expensive for them. Very frustrated with this ownership and front office. I usually don’t feel hate towards a team I love. But these money hungry bastards are killing my love for the team. Be bold stop being a bunch of scared sissies. It’s baseball jeez you aren’t curing cancer.
James, I am sure most here are in full agreement with how you feel here 100%
James. Here are some “facts.” You just need to watch and learn…But take off the wool from over your eyes first. You need to get help. To see the unseen. To use the force. I will bet you that the Dodgers win the series before the Detroit Tigers’ AAA squad. The Dodgers have spent more money and dated more women than any team west of Pasadena. Use your inner eye. Start the reactor, Quaid.
Teams like the Yankees will regret they signed the Cy Young and a bunch of all-stars. They should have signed Cole before he was Cy Young. In fact they should have signed him during Pony League. I would sign no one for $36 million with incentives and bring up the Single A team to fill out the roster.
Look, I am an 8′ – 3-1/2″ manly man with real experience in managing. I managed a hot-dog cart on Grand Ave. for 3 days before I ran out of franks. My son is training for Mr. Universe and I know Logan Paul.
So let me finish by telling you that if you don’t like what’s going on, you are a Maroon.
(Does this cover everything, or did I miss anything? Let me know soon because I am flying down to meet with Ellen Pompeo on the set of Gray’s Anatomy this weekend)
Finally, I will say this: If yous dosen’t get no steak, just drop dead….
PSA. These posts may be a parody of someone we all know. Or maybe not.
I know him. At least I used to. He threatened to shoot me, I thought he was demented enough to actually do it, so I decided to move to Idaho and change my identity.
Maroon. Bugs Bunny. Nice touch.
You need to learn how to spell Moron. I think that makes you a moron. Your a loyal sheep. To me that is someone who needs help.
James . These posts have been channeled from my alter ego, Shark Seamans. I was the first blog commenter to sit at the bar at Tommy Lasordas Italian eatery. I was the one who started glendaledodgertalk.com, glendaleramschat.com. I run a successful air dealership in Montana selling only the freshest of air. My scientists have been taken away from their duties so that they can find out who hacked my tiger brand handheld street fighter video game. So watch and learn. I have already traded Turner and muncy for 4 prospects currently on the IL.
Excellent Mexvin, I love the humor of your post. The point is that AF continually has disappointed the fan base by saying he is going to do something, and then not delivering. Yes Paul, I too believe Roberts is more of a puppet than a manager in total control of what happens as far as the lineups go. Once the game starts though, he is the one who has to make the instant decisions that the game requires, and we all can agree that he is pretty inefficient in that sense. He does not have confidence in some of his pitchers and it shows. Or he makes snap decisions without consulting the guy who is actually throwing the ball, hence the pulling of Hill against the Red Sox when he was throwing a 1 hitter up to the point he was yanked. As far as play the kids goes, I think over the last couple of years that has happened a lot. Look how many rookies made contributions this year alone. They were not regulars maybe, because that is not the way AF likes things done, but Verdugo, Smith, Beaty, Rios, Gonsolin, May, and even Garlick made some contribution to victory’s. And who can forget the 3 game sweep of the Rocks where each game was decided by a walk off homer by a rookie. Smith, Verdugo and Beaty accomplished that. It had never been done before. I would not expect anything dramatic made by AF until the new year, unless he pulls of a deal in the next week, which he has done each of the last 3 seasons. A couple of notes. Old friend Brett Anderson signs a 1 year pact with Milwaukee, one of the worst of AF’s free agents. Peraza signs with the Red Sox. And the Mad Bum and the Dodgers have a huge interest in each other. My take on this is that I think he would be a much better pitcher in LA than he has been in SF with that offensively challenged team. And he is a ferocious competitor. Puig has been contacted and had talks with the Marlins, which I find a little strange since he and DM are not the best of friends. And finally, I am having a little argument with a guy on twitter. He prefers Greg Maddux over Bob Gibson. I take Gibby every time. Most intimidating pitcher I have seen this side of Randy Johnson. Hell, I would take Big D over Maddux. He might not be a better pitcher, but he damn sure was an enforcer. You hit one of his guys, both you and your best hitter are eating dirt the first time after the incident that you are at the plate.
Mex,
You have me cracking up over here. James, Mex is doing an impression of someone we all know and do not love.
Ya Think? Mex is channeling his inner George Lopez.
This place is more interesting with Mexivin in it.
Glendale? My ex was from LaCanada. She was kinda snooty. She told me that when La Canada flushed, it went down to Glendale. I never believed it of course, but then she flushed me and I ended up in Glendale. Weird huh.
My sis lives in LaCanada now. I have never been that impressed with it.
It was La Cañada Flintridge back then. Maybe it still is. It was the Flintridge part that was the most toney.
How about living in some obscure town in Southern Orange County called foothill Ranch. I lived there from 1997 to January of 2004 and then I had to move out of what was becoming land packed full like a can of sardines.
Old friends Brock Stewart and Jharel Cotton will be with the Cubs this spring, so we might see them in a game. A lot of chatter on twitter about a potential deal for Lindor and Clevinger, but no real truth seen in that yet. I do know that the Indians are pretty much insisting on Lux and May in any deal for Lindor. I just don’t see why we need 2 short stops. Of course, getting Lindor, and Seager not being in the deal would probably move Corey to 3rd.
No deal unless Clevinger is in it. As much as I like Lindor, we don’t really need the offense and he will no doubt cost a lot of future WAR. PITCHING first, then tinker with position potential.
I would tend to agree with that. Clevinger would be a really nice addition to the rotation, and I am not giving up both unless he were in it. And Lindor is better from the left side than the right and the Dodgers are lefty heavy as it is.
And that is why the offense NEEDS a bit of attention. Just as ya said the Dodgers are way too LH heavy and THAT WILL NOT get it done come October.
Obviously leading the league in scoring is not enough for you. Balance is more important than scoring. Me? Leading the league in runs scored is enough to say we got something going on.
I just want guys who can hack. We have them. Last count had 39% lefties pitching in MLB. If we get a RH thumper, great. If not? So what?
Agree Badger,
The offense is obviously there. BUT they did not show up in the playoffs. I don’t think adding Rendon, or Lindor would have helped that much.
Pitching is the biggest problem. Unstable starters who can barely get through 5 innings before they give up early leads, fizzle out, or get yanked by a Manager who has no confidence in them and relies on playing the matchups too much.
Then, they are forced to go to an abused, overused, and tired bullpen, and a closer who cannot close.
They do not need another outfielder or infielder. Get some pitching… way too many holes in that pitching staff.
“ They do not need another outfielder or infielder. Get some pitching… way too many holes in that pitching staff.”
I’m with you on that. Kluber out, but I don’t know Friedman was in on him. I am curious about the Lindor + Clevinger rumors circulating. That sounds like something Andrew would try to pull off. I don’t know how it happens without Lux going over. I’m not crazy about that idea but could live with it. I guess.
Bill Buckner would have been 70 years old today. We lost Billy Bucks back in May. I remember him well and was in Dodger Stadium when he hurt his ankle severely. It really affected his game after that. He was not as fast as he once was. I was very sad the day he was traded for Rick Monday. He did win a batting title while with the Cubs. But he is most remembered for his error that allowed the Mets to win in the World Series. RIP and Happy Birthday Bill,,
I am beginning to believe that Ol Andy is not going to make any moves until after the New Year. It is pretty quiet on the baseball front right now. Even MLB trade rumors has been posting less. The biggest news has been the tiff going on between the Commissioner and the minor leagues and that is turning pretty nasty. He has threatened to go on without them. MLB wants to cut 40 teams.
Kluber traded to the Indians for Delino DeShields Jr, and a relief pitcher. One more name off of the board. Treinen signing now official, some one needs to be taken off of the 40 man. And Babe Ruth’s 500th homer bat sells for more than one million dollars.
A million for a bat. Proof that some people have more money than common sense.
LMAO…. just as stupid as Dodger Fans who continue to waste money going to outrageously expensive games at Dodger Stadium. Make no sense at all, unless you have money to burn, to watch a team of “also rans” choke in October.
Put it this way, would you rather have a Babe Ruth bat, or a bunch of worthless bobbleheads and a belly full of $7 Dodger Dogs and $13 watered down beers?
I guess I would take the bat!
Badger, about your comments on the offense, well correct on what they were able to do in the regular season playing almost half their games against a sub par division. So we won’t mention, as others already have about what happens when they face elite pitching in October. And in case ya might have missed it, I believe it was Freidman that indicated his displeasure with how that LH hitter friendly offense performed when it mattered the most. But I will give ya this much credit in saying that when it comes down to it pitching, especially starting pitching that is how WS are won, along with a BP that can get outs when needed the most. But even with that, Roberts has shown time and time again that he is not capable of managing the pitching very well at all in October.
I agree with you about Roberts. We got to the World Series twice and a few key players let us down. This year we were short changed by some bewildering moves by Roberts. We had that Game 5 and we gave it away. Yes, it was the players who f’d it up, but Roberts’ fingerprints were all over the loss.
You got that one right for sure. But again, many others have pointed out how Dodgers don’t match up against the elite pitching come October. But in the case of game 5, Dodgers had only 6 more outs to get but the pitching, managed by Roberts let it get away. Part of that was having to depend upon CK to bail them out in the late innings and if Dodgers had the reliable BP pieces, this conversation would be a lot different. But I also know that no matter LH or RH, if the offense strikes out 64 times in only 5 games, that will end up as a big loss more than anything else.
Well Bear
Looks like it wasn’t over till next year. With Kluber going to the Rangers for almost next to nothing you would think the Dodgers could have picked him up. I mean Delino Desheilds?, really? Freidman and company suck.
Yep, I say that what ya said about Freidman and Co. is really the bottom line here.
I believe Friedman wasn’t targeting Kluber. His projections, if you believe in such things, kinda suck. I think Andrew is looking elsewhere.
Hey, what about signing Donaldson that won’t mean any prospects trade butjust some $$.. The way I see it, yes Donaldson is 34 years old but who is to say we would not be able to use him like we did with Freese in those later years?
Well, it looks like Bumgarner to the Dbacks. Guess Friedman and company didn’t have enough money to sign him. I know he is a Giant but business is business. Just another opportunity lost by the idiots in the Dodger front office as well as ownership.
Package206, I agree and it looks like it will be one of the worst FA off seaons in dodger history. Not much more to be said about but after what happened in the 2019 NLDS, to have an off season that is such a bust is just horrific. I can’t say anymore
At least last year he signed a couple of guys who actually contributed something. Treinen is it so far. Not many options so far as starters go. There are some relief options.
Mad Bum to Az for 5 years 85 million dollars with 15 million of that deferred. Now AF has only Ryu left as a logical FA target. But I still believe he is going to try and trade for a starter…maybe I am wrong, but he is fast running out of options, and it looks like it is getting late early.