You know a lot of people believe that I hate the front office and that I am anti analytics, which couldn’t be further from the truth. I am not anti-data as much as I am not anti-front office. I just happen to be pro-common sense and I think much of building a winning baseball roster revolves around common sense and basic logic.
I don’t think the front office is wrong all the time, but I don’t think they are geniuses. Not in any way shape or form. I think they are a bunch of overpaid executives that come from a non-baseball background. These guys are economics majors, and math gurus. They are terrific with numbers and know how to run small market franchises. The problem is that there is much more to baseball than just numbers on a graph and the Dodgers are a large market club. This doesn’t seem to be a fit to me.
But the Dodgers got to the NLCS last season you will say to me as we both drown our sorrows over the Dodger’s crappy start to the 2017 baseball season. The Dodgers are 8-10 I will remind you and have won only one series so far this year. But the NLCS you will remind me. Sure the Dodgers had an incredible ride last year, but the problems are still there festering away like an inside fastball that zips past your ribs.
The offense has been a problem because the Dodger hitters can’t hit left handers or plate runners that are in scoring position. However the way to improve the Dodger bats is such an easy thing to do. Just play the regulars. Seriously guys, the hitting would be so much better if the regular eight men were in the lineup every day. It’s just common sense to put your best hitters in the lineup each and every day.
I understand that there are injuries and occasionally players get hurt, of course, of course. Yet every game the Dodgers fill the lineup with career minor league nobodies and Mendoza line hitting utility bums. Meanwhile one or more of Joc Pederson, Corey Seager, Yasmani Grandal, Adrian Gonzalez, and Andrew Toles ride the pine every time a left hander starts. You’ll look me in the eyes as we reach for harder alcohol and tell me that most of the regulars aren’t hitting anyways so it’s ok to play below level replacement hitters that should be in double-A Tulsa.
Here’s the caveat to that….the regulars will hit. Seager will hit. Turner is hitting. Gonzalez will hit, his age be damned. Toles will hit. Joc and Grandal will hit. Those guys will hit. Since when does a supposedly championship caliber ball club playing in the largest market with the most abundant resources just give up entirely on most of their regular position players in favor of a bunch of scrub utility players? A 230 million dollar payroll and we are doomed to watch Brett Eibner hitting fifth for no apparent reason. It’s so stupid and such poor strategy that it makes my eyes burn. Fill my cup again!
Sure Kike Hernandez has showed some improvement over last year’s near historically awful season, but he’s still a bad hitter. Chris Taylor has shortened his stroke and seems to have gained some power. Scott Van Slyke has …. Wait no sorry Van Slyke is still putrid, but I tried. Yes the B-teamers have played admirably at times, but does that mean the Dodgers should give up on the regulars? You simply can’t win by putting out terrible lineups every day. You will not win with automatic outs in the lineup. It’s never going to work.
While the problems with the bats can be improved quite easily by just not putting out horrendous lineups, the problems with the pitching staff can’t be fixed that easily. Those problems will require help from the trade market, and I don’t see this front office deviating from their scripted plans.
There’s something very wrong with Kenta Maeda and it’s been happening since last summer. Perhaps we should understand that while some of these foreign imports can be talented, they can also break down quickly and never regain their form. Maeda allowed six runs and four home runs in five innings during the Dodgers pitiful 11-5 loss to the dacks on Saturday night. He’s been horrendous this year and giving him a week off is not going to solve the problem. I don’t know what that is unless throwing mediocre middle-middle fastballs is a main part of it for him.
Neither is just sitting back and doing nothing. The Dodger rotation is not giving the club any innings and it’s causing some major havoc on an already burdened bullpen. That’s the problem though. The lack of innings. This new fangled saber approach that starting pitching is “overvalued or overrated” is beyond moronic. Look, starting pitching is the name of the game. You won’t get anywhere without it, and the Dodgers definitely won’t go anywhere with their starters averaging 4 innings per game.
But the front office doesn’t seem too concerned with this. They are happy and content with losing. Because it’s still early they will say as we pound another drink to drown our miseries. Starting pitching is so overrated they will tell us. Anyone can have good starters that go deep into games. It takes a truly smart (or inept) executive to build a club around a bunch of injury riddled starters that can’t pitch past the fifth inning. April downers will most certainly bring May showers.
The decision to hold Julio Urias from joining the big club was a decision that would only hurt the Dodgers. The Dodgers desperately need some young healthy talent to infuse the rotation. But just adding Urias won’t fix the underlying issue. The front office doesn’t deem starting pitching very important .
But it is important and if the Dodgers want to go anywhere they will need to address this problem by adding starters that can give them some innings. Work-horses not wild horses are needed here, although we already have one wild horse in right field.
It’s going to take some wheeling and dealing as most of the Dodger’s young pitchers on the farm (except Urias) are a couple of years away from big league action. If the Dodgers don’t acquire innings and stop putting out stupid lineups then they will continue to lose. And man oh man will they lose.
I’m no math whiz here, but I would say this is just common sense.
You know how I feel by what I said on the last thread. Giving a 37 year old pitcher with blister problems a 3 year contract is insane. When does FAZ realize when players reach the age of 35, their skills start to decline. Utley and Romo are examples. Utley, SVS, Romo, and Hatcher should not be on the team. Some of these players may do ok this year. So far they look bad. Sometimes you just got to cut your losses. There is enough time to turn this around.
“When does FAZ realize when players reach the age of 35, their skills start to decline?”
Normally this would be true, which is why the front office is not generally throwing money at hard throwing starting pitchers who are nearing the 30 year old mark. Rich Hill is not that pitcher. His skills lie with his curveball, which is arguably the best in baseball, and he throws it in a myriad of ways, and this skill was a somewhat recent development in his career. He’s gotten better in his 30s because he’s not a hard thrower. When he pitches, he’s one of the best pitchers in the game, and because of his age and chequered history, the Dodgers got him more cheaply and for a relatively shorter deal.
Solid, well written post Scott.
“These guys will hit”. I agree. Soon would be helpful. As I’ve said many times, you have to hit with ’em to play with ’em. I said that to my teams in slow pitch for years, but when your staff is struggling it’s true here as well.
We’re favored again this afternoon. 8 1/2 O/U. Last time I took the over when McCarthy pitched and lost. Dbacks have some reserves playing today, so 8 runs sounds about right. Dodgers win, 5-3.
Go get ’em Blue.
A very well written piece. Thank You. One thing I think might be a problem is that I don’t think that the FAZ front office are baseball fans. I don’t even think they are Dodger fans as the great majority of us are. These executives are only interested in one thing. Making money. When I was working in industry I did not care whether or not people cared about my product, only how big a profit I could make. Of course you do have to do some things not to hurt your profit but you don’t spend anymore than you have to in order to turn a profit. This is what FAZ is doing. As long as they are filling the seats and we keep buying the BS, it will continue. My only question is what is the best way to let them know that we are not stupid and will not put up with stupid stuff by stupid executives which FAZ certainly qualify. Even the slightest fan with a little knowledge of baseball would not make the trades and other stupid stuff they do.
Dumb argument, and totally unsubstantiated by facts. The Dodgers will fill seats and also add to the book value of the franchise by winning.
Urias should have broken camp with the team but I understand why he didn’t. But – if he replaces Wood in the rotation, who replaces Ryu and Maeda? Kazmir on the DL throwing 85; Stewart still out. Where are the reinforcements?
Reinforcements? Why in our depth of course. Parts is parts.
I thought Urias was taking Hill’s start. Oaks and Jurrjens are at the top of the OKC stat chart. I assume they are next in the breech.
Liberatore back up, Eibner back down.
We traded the reinforcements because we thought the reclamation projects constituted depth.
I hope you’re not alluding to Jharel Cotton as “reinforcements,” because he’s currently mediocre rotation filler in Oakland. If you’re thinking is to place more value on a pitcher to go 7 even if it’s a mediocre 7, then this is the same thinking that signed Samardzija for 90 million. Have you checked his ERA recently?
Looking at our rotation, we could use a filler.
And by the way, I don’t know of anyone here who thought Samardzija was a good idea, but, last year he was paid $10+mm and put up 2.8 WAR. That’s a decent return. He’s off to a crap start this year but it’s early. He isn’t the one most wanted. Most were more interested in Cueto.
When the Giants signed him, you referred to him in approbation as a “stud.”
I did? I think he’s an innings eater capable of putting up positive WAR numbers, but if I called him a stud I was mistaken. He’s a solid #4 in my book.
Well, let’s see if I’m still a non-person..
Looks like I’m off the computer banned list, for the first time in 20 hours. These things are just too confusing. Thanks, Scott, for telling me how to clear it.
Giants are running short of outfielders, couldn’t we send them SVS?
Sure we can. For some garlic fries and a hamburger to be named later.
Well written Scott…and that’s a pretty funny line there Badger! Giants are in worse shape than we are. Eibner is proof that AAA numbers mean squat in the bigs. He was well over 300 down there with 3 dingers, Taylor was in the .260’s. As for the FO, well they have no sense of Dodger tradition. They have not been in baseball or with the organization long enough to understand what that means to us, the fans who have watched this team most of out lives. The guys in the FO who are seeped in that tradition, Lasorda, Newcombe, really have no voice or outlet to make any kind of suggestions. FAZ pulls out their graphs and stats and risk assessment, and says, we will sign Hill for 3 years. He should be good for 150 innings and 12 wins a year and be our #2 starter. Oh yeah, he had a blister problem last year, and a history of injury’s, but that should not be a problem this year……….WRONG. Kenta is stronger than last year when he won 16 games, and should have more stamina and be able to pitch deeper into games. …….WRONG. …. Kazmir has had all winter to have his hip problem and his back issue to clear up, and it does not matter that his velocity has dropped 4 MPH………..Wrong. …Ryu has shown he is ready to be reinserted into the rotation, and give us innings. …….WRONG………The players we have brought in should make our record against LHP much better and that problem should go away……….WRONG…..Our depth is our biggest strength, we have MLB ready players at AAA, and they should be able to seamlessly step in, quantity over quality………WRONG…….they just do not get it. They would not need quantity if they had more quality.
Scott, this is how the team is built. Their rotation outside Kershaw consists of two guys coming off major injuries in Ryu and McCarthy, Hill who makes 15-20 starts a year, and Meada who is frail and can’t pitch more than once a week. Alex Wood is a quality reliever turned low inning starter with Hill on the DL. Expecting anyone outside Kershaw to go 6-7 innings every night isn’t reasonable.
As for their hitting, Pederson hasn’t hit this year, lefty or righty. Toles isn’t an everyday LFer. Puig is getting the shot everyday. Gonzalez is looking long in the tooth and 2nd base is a platoon with Forsythe out.
This team claims depth, but we know their depth has always been a lot of quad A junk and pitching with a long list of injuries.
It worked last year, they were lucky and the division wasn’t good. They won’t be as lucky this year.
Dodgers need to go out and get Ryan Braun, who can still hit a ton and solve their awful LF situation. They then need to acquire a solid starter.
Depressed Egg, I agree and since nothing will change then they will continue to lose.
Hey D Egg. I’m Badger. Have we met before?
A stick and another quality arm. Most agree we do need both. I agree in principle regarding Braun. Who you gonna offer for him? Milwaukee will want all we got. Another arm? Yeah, that too. Got any suggestions?
DE
Toles hasn’t got a chance like Joc has.
But he is doing decent, considering how he has been played, he just needs a chance to play.
Apt username. Your post reeks of melancholy pessimism.
I don’t know patch, of all the new posts in here this morning yours are the most negative. Lighten up man.
One man’s negative is another man’s hard dose of reality.
Poking sticks at pessimists with bad arguments is one of life’s simple pleasures.
1. Joc Pederson (L) CF
2. Corey Seager (L) SS
3. Justin Turner (R) 3B
4. Adrian Gonzalez (L) 1B
5. Yasmani Grandal (S) C
6. Andrew Toles (L) LF
7. Yasiel Puig (R) RF
8. Chase Utley (L) 2B
9. Brandon McCarthy (R) P
Interesting conundrum. If “baseball” wants it’s players to be of the highest quality and at their peak, inevitably that means a larger number of people being cycled through the system. That means ever increasing owner contributions to the player’s retirement benefits, billions and billions of dollars… Could there be a thought to keeping already qualified players (like Utley) on the rosters to delay qualifying ever more players to be supported for life? Hypothetical question, not picking on Utley or the Dodgers, just using him as an example…
I think they get a minimum of about $34,000 a year after serving only 43 days in the bigs.
https://www.soa.org/Files/Research/Projects/research-2015-mlb-stats.pdf
I think you need not worry about the funding. Baseball is swimming in money. I read Big Papi will make 6 figures on his pension plan. After making only $159, 522,500 I’m sure the money will come in handy.
I’m sure a lot of Social Security recipients were worried for him…
Jonah
I had trouble coming to this site too, today.
I was able earlier, and then it wouldn’t go through, so I didn’t see this new site up, until now.
But it is good to see you here!
MJ,
Remember to clear cache and reboot if that happens again.
Jonah
I wonder have many push ups Badger would do, if Agone hit one out?
Ok Scott!
I would love to see Timmons counting cadence for Badger’s push-ups… Come to think of it, I’d just like to see Badger’s pushups. His wife could take a video on his cell phone and he could post it on YouTube and post a link here. There are probably those who don’t think he can actually do it…
Why you dissin me Jonah? I would never lift a finger for Felonious Mark, let alone do push-ups for him. I can do 25 push-ups whenever I want. Any more than that I have to sets. I’m actually in decent shape for a near 70 year old.
Badger
It will be interesting to see what Puig will do, against Miller today.
Puig has had trouble hitting real good fastballs, and Miller throws, pretty hard.
Miller looks better this year.
“billions and billions of dollars…?” LOL! Where do you get this stuff? Why not a trillion why you’re at it?
I doubt that factored into the Utley signing.
Did you read the article posted?
Utley 1 for 25? He’s due for blooper.
He’s due for retirement. Finished. Done. Toast. He’s still willing but Father Time takes his toll over the years. He knows what to do but the muscles are just a small fraction of a second in doing it, and it just don’t work right. I know he can walk into a job the day he retires so money is not the excuse. He needs to quit embarrassing himself.
On that note… From TV I see in my Doctor’s waiting room (the only TV I see), Vanna White is still turning letters on Wheel Of Fortune. At 60 years old! I am embarrassed for her. She used to be a young very beautiful woman. She too should have retired 20 years ago…
Utley is only a year older than Hill.
Wait … that’s not a good thing is it.
Gonzalez is a mess.
I know Badger thinks give him until June 1, but can the team wait that long?
Who do they have that’s better?
Good question. Perhaps really good.
I don’t know. Maybe someone smarter than I can answer.
Turner can play 1st. Forsythe at 3rd?
Segedin at his return?
Who else is on the 40?
Cody Bellinger
Bellinger? Nope. Bellinger has struck out 11 of his last 33 at bats. Major League pitchers would eat him alive. Someday, yes. This day, no.
Bellinger’s not on the 40, and it’s like Seager when Rollins was here.
Once he’s up, he’s got to be up and playing.
Anyone who can play baseball can play first. It requires the least defensive skill of any position on the field. Why do you think they require first basemen to be near the best hitters on the team? Put Grandal there and trade for a good catcher. Remember Lucroy? Maybe this kid second baseman everyone is worried about his fielding? Loney is surely available. If you’re ready to give up on Agon, getting a first baseman is not a problem at all. Look at Colorado: They signed Ian Desmond and he’s never played first before.
Again, who do the Dodgers have that’s better?
Whoever makes the decision to trade him will have to decide that…
Jonah
Agone almost hit it out, but he did hit in a couple of runs, because he had a double against the wall.
Did you see that Bluto?
Maybe Agone is coming out of his power slump.
MJ,
I did see it.
The first time he drove a ball all year.
I could say that it should have been caught, as it bounced on the track.
BUT I AM HAPPY. Gonzalez showed power.
what’s wrong with Gonzo and his 2 doubles today?
I keep getting messages here that there is no server available at this site, (503 Error) then it’s on, then off again. That should be affecting all of you since it’s the server Scott’s signal comes through. Nothing anyone can do about it, I’m just curious no one else mentioned it.
I’m getting the same message.
Jonah and Badger
I was getting that too.
I got it about two hours ago, and just before right now.
What do you guys think of McCarthy and his very solid 7 frames today ?
QS. Just what we needed
How bad is Pederson’s injury. He’s gonna have to go on some kind of hot streak to get those 30 HRs.
Rye
He has tightness in his groin.
I know his girl friend is on this road trip, she might have something, to do with it.
I couldn’t believe that they brought Joc’s dog to the game, the other day.
I bet Jonah was appalled, to see that dog at the game.
Great, keep it up. Maybe we can get two years of honest return for the four years we paid him.
For him the difference has been his ability to pound the strike zone and challenge hitters. He’s also regained his control.
Another out or two and Utley’s BA will be smaller than his pant size.
Don’t start thinking we’ve won this game yet. Bullpens are not to be trusted.
Dodgers is.
At last someone other than Kersh goes 7. Impressed with what he did after that 1st inning. The offense wakes up for 1 inning at least. Scary collision between Puig and Kike. Puig actually caught the ball and Kike’s ankle knocked it loose. Roberts in a long conversation with Maeda in the dugout with his arm around his shoulders…….Oh to be a Japanese speaking fly on the wall for that one.
Yes I guess Maeda is going to be acted upon. This is a double hit – his pay is tied to his innings.
Orel and Joe have to be the two biggest spin doctors on the air. This broadcast was almost unbearable to listen to. Joe repeats story lines almost every game…….on another note, nobody on this team save Turner and Seager, and Taylor in a small sample size is doing squat for the most part. And I do not want to hear Toles gets less a chance to play than Pederson, and Joc is a favorite of mine and I like Puig more than this guy. It is what you do when you have an opportunity. Puig right now is 2 for his last 24 at bats. But he has only struck out 4 times in that span including the 1 today. He hit a couple of balls right on the nose today, but also right at somebody. But what I noticed was that did not keep him from hustling in the OF, and he did not throw a temper tantrum and slam his bat. Both improvements in my book. He will hit, too talented not to. Joc had a better approach at the plate today than yesterday. First two balls he hit were scorched. Double on the second one, and then a walk before the groundout in his last at bat. Also his heads up base running got them a run when AZ went to sleep on Corey’s double. Gonzo had 2 doubles, Utley looked old, Grandal finally cranked a HR after he had not hit any since opening day. Nice hit by Kike going to RF. Turner a clutch hit. And for Romo a little redemption after his meltdown the other night. Now it is on to SF, who is coming off being swept, are banged up and sinking. Need at least 3 of 4. A sweep would be better. By the way, Toles has played in exactly one game less than Joc and has only 3 less at bats…..so he is getting his chances.
Michael
You may not want to hear that Toles doesn’t play as much as Joc, but that is the truth.
He has never started against a leftie.
And earlier you said you didn’t care if this was Toles first year, you wanted a major league at bat.
And if anyone says anything about Puig or Joc, you don’t like it, and you make excuses for them.
When I said this was Joc’s third year, you put qualifier about Joc.
This is his third year, that is a fact.
And you actually used that same excuse about Joc, not getting consistent at bats, just the other day.
And because he hasn’t adjusted when people are on base, or when he has two strikes, after three years, people get tired of it.
And 16 strike outs, with no power, isn’t good.
And remember when a player walks, that isn’t an at bat.
The truth is that this is Toles first year, and this is Joc’s third year, and Puig fifth year.
And most people expect more from players, that have played longer.
And a lot of players hit a ball hard into shift.
Semantics’ MJ…..they have played in almost the same number of games. 17 to 16. Toles has like 4 less at bats. Neither is tearing the cover off the ball. But both are getting opportunities to play. Joc is starting his 3rd year that is true, but MLB wise, they all are still babies. And MLB at bats, that means, and you obviously missed this point because I have said it a bunch, not swinging at pitches you have little or no chance of driving, being patient and making the pitcher pay when he makes a mistake. You can be aggressive with out being stupid. Joc infuriates me sometimes. He takes pitches right down the pipe and swings at balls 7 inches off the plate. Puig has been guilty of the same thing. His approach this year is better, but the results are not there yet. Joc played the entire season his rookie year for one reason. His defense. It was said over and over again, they would sacrifice a little offense because he was making a lot of plays out there that nobody else could. Toles is a good player, but kind of an unknown quality. No body knows how he would play if he was out there every day, and OBVIOUSLY, Roberts and the front office, who know more about these things than you or I, do not trust him enough to play him against all comers. And I do not have favorites on this team save Kershaw and Seager, and Turner. Those guys are pro’s, or at least they play like it. I get irritated when someone says the same criticism over and over. Same old story, and it happens after any of those guys has a bad game, or makes a gaff. Puig has been raked over the coals the last 3 years. Most of it was his fault. If Puig had played 5 FULL years in the majors, I would expect a lot more out of him. If Joc had 3 full years under his belt, the same thing. They are all close to the same age. Toles still has rookie status. I think he will do fine. But he is no leadoff man, and at this point in his young career he is not an everyday player. But, he will probably get a lot of time the next week or so since Joc has a groin strain, and from what I read this morning, it has been bothering him since spring training. So, if Adrian’s elbow is still a problem, maybe Joc is experiencing the same thing. Toles does not play as much as Joc might be the truth, but the fact is, they are not that far apart in at bats or games. You keep on defending your boy, that’s your privilege. I have no problem with what you post or say. You base years in the majors on the fact that Joc got here in 2015, and now it is 17. Same thing with Puig. But MLB calculates it different than you. I go by what they calculate not when the guy got here. Oh and one other thing. Toles has not started against a left handed pitcher because the manager and the Front Office do not think he is the best option against them and you and I both know they play the percentages. So if you are mad they are not letting him play against lefty’s, complain to Dave ok?
And if you don’t like when others say stuff, don’t use the same excuses yourself.
Like when you said Joc wasn’t getting consistent at bats, like Corey is.
And when I was talking about chances, I meant the fact that Joc was allowed to almost play the entire season in his first year, even though he never hit above 200, after the first month of the season.
Run for cover, Michael. Hell hath no fury….
Jonah
I didn’t start this!
And I didn’t think that everyone else, couldn’t express there feelings.
If someone is going to criticize other players they don’t like, they need to deal when others, who feel differently, especially concerning there quote, favor players.
I personally don’t have a favorite player, and most people here, are not to critical, about most players.
But most people don’t have double standards either.
I didn’t say a word about you doing it, I’m just laughing at and commiserating with Michael, and being glad it’s not me…
Of course I have double standards. In spite of what you think, I expect all those guys to play better. They have talents I wish I would have had. I could always hit, but I had a bad arm, and was not that fast. I loved and played the game to win. I hated losing. Now I am to old, slow and tired to play. But it does not mean I have any less passion for my team or its players. I expect them to produce, and when they do not, I get frustrated as much as you or anyone else. We totally look at the game differently. I am extremely critical. Always have been. I see something I think is totally out of whack, I get my 2 cents worth. I have been critical of FAZ since they made their first trades the winter they got here. I criticize players when I think the have made bone head moves. I usually try to give rookies a little room for error, but that does not always work. Other people can say what they like about what I post, I have absolutely no problem with it. I just knew you were going to say something about that post because you are very predictable, so I baited you and you took it..
Never met a woman yet who could make me run for cover…..MJ is a pussy cat………
I am not making excuses for anything. It is my opinion and nothing else. Joc may not have hit over 200 the rest of the year, but he had 26 homers, and was driving in runs and was out there for his defense as much as his power. If you knew anything about baseball at all, or had read any of the stories that year, you would know that was the reason. I have seen 10 year veterans kept on a team while batting close to the Mendoza line for one reason only…POWER…and I can name 2 of them off the top of my head, Dave Kingman and Rob Deer. Both were huge strikeout guys, but they could mash. Joc at least has defensive skills along with his power. Toles is a babe in the woods and may get there sometime, right now he is a reserve and if that offends your senses you need to take it to a higher power.
Jonah
I could never be upset with you!
Strong opinions by fans of the same team. I like them all – Toles, Joc, Michael and MJ.
Badger
You forgot Puig’
This article totally misconstrues what was actually meant by saying starting pitching was overvalued. Friedman never said it was “overrated.” That’s just deliberately misquoting to make a spurious point (the point that somehow the front office is “content to lose” is not even worth rebutting) Friedman is right in observing that organizations currently overpay for star starting pitchers.
Is Greinke currently being overpayed for the value he provides?
Did the Dbacks give away too much for Shelby Miller?
Is Samardzija worth 90 million?
What’s Cueto’s current ERA?
Is David Price on the DL yet? How much is his contract and how old is he?
The much bemoaned Brandon McCarthy and his relatively paltry 48 million contract is pitching better than all of those guys.
I think someone is probably still paying Roy Halladay’s contract.
I understand what you’re saying Patch. But let me explain what I am talking about. Yes clubs overpay for starting pitching but getting innings from your starters is super important. Otherwise you put a crazy workload on your bullpen which can lead to injuries and poor performances.
it’s just a bad strategy for a long season and starting pitching is the name of the game which is why some teams overpay for it. Just because some teams do overpay doesn’t mean it’s a good strategy to ignore the need for innings in your rotation.
Dodger patch
The front office have over paid pitchers that don’t really have much of a upside, that have long injury histories.
And all of these pitchers, are not young either.
I thought they knew more then us fans, concerning the obvious thing about Hill, and the fact he mainly throws curves, which cause the friction, that cause his blisters.
But right now a year later and after they have given Hill a three year multi year contract, and payed him 48 million dollars, they don’t have an answer to his blister problem.
And I don’t think they just discovered Hill’s problem, because he wasn’t pitching well in spring training, and why would they go to Hill pitching in the bullpen, so quickly?
Don’t you think they should have explored or checked in, about Hill’s problem first, to see if there is an answer to his on going blister problem, before paying another pitcher with a long injury history, that has an on going blister problem?
Even us non baseball people understand the concept that Hill mainly throws curves, and it is the friction he uses to throw curves, that causes his blisters.
Between McCarthy, Kazmir and Hill, this front office has paid just under 150 million dollars, for these three pitchers, and this doesn’t include the Anderson debacle.
And it is like having only one pitcher, with the way they can’t stay on the field, or pitch in the pitching rotation.
But it is like one pitcher that isn’t very good, and isn’t very reliable.
When you add the money that was given to Anderson, they have spent about 170 million dollars for starting pitchers, but how many of these signings, been viable?
Anderson did pitch for one year in the regular season, but he didn’t pitch better then Haren, who they traded, and he was terrible in the post season.
Kazmir never pitched well, from the begining of spring training, and he finally went on the DL.
And McCarthy is finally pitching in the pitching rotation, two years later.
And the choice in starting pitching isn’t only someone like Greinke, or these guys.
There are pitchers, that are not top tier pitchers like Greinke, that can pitch decently, and are more reliable then this bunch, they have choose to sign.
I think this 170 million dollars, could have been spent much better.
Maybe you only sign two starting pitchers, or one, but you need to sign pitchers that have been more reliable to fill your starting pitching rotation, because starting pitching, is one of the most important things, in the long baseball season.
How much of the 170 million dollars, was put to good use?
Of course that is a rhetorical question.
All it looks like, is that they didn’t learn from all their other bad starting pitching deals, that flopped.
And the reason the Dodgers went as far as they did last year, is because the young pitchers, from the minors, stepped up, and did there jobs.
Along with Roberts and the players, playing there hearts out, is what made the team go as far as they did, and this was inspite what the front office gave the team to pitch, in there starting, pitching rotation.
Even the deal you would have done, makes much more sense, then what the front office did, and they have a lot more info then you do, to make these deals.