The Los Angeles Dodgers have been on one of the greatest runs ever seen in baseball, and currently have the best record in the league. However, the team that finishes with the best records doesn’t always go on to win the World Series, so the Dodgers still have a lot of work to do to achieve their goal. If you want to bet on the Dodgers, check out our online sports betting odds for all LA Dodgers games.
Before the trade deadline, team ace Clayton Kershaw suffered a back injury, which caused many Dodgers fans to worry about the team’s postseason chances with Kershaw on the bench or not at 100 percent when the playoffs start.
Dodgers’ management seemed to feel the same way and the team acquired Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish at the trade deadline to give their starting rotation some depth and serve as insurance in case Kershaw doesn’t return this season.
Four days after joining the team, Darvish led his new team to a 6-0 victory over the New York Mets. After the game, Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal said he didn’t think Darvish can pitch any better than he did against the Mets.
The 2017 Dodgers have been clicking on all cylinders, their pitching has been great, their defense exceptional, and their bats have been hot for most of the season. During a recent stretch, the team won 43 of 50 games, which was a feat that had never been done in the history of Major League Baseball.
As with any dominant team, there are some who wonder if the team is peaking right now, or if this is something they can maintain for the rest of the season including the playoffs. The team is currently 18.5 games ahead in the NL West, and are all but guaranteed a playoff spot.
Despite being a lock for the playoffs, the Dodgers still have a chance to add their names to the record books. If Los Angeles maintains its current pace, the team can set the mark for most wins in a season, which is currently held by the 1906 Chicago Cubs and the 2001 Seattle Mariners, who won 116 games.
Even though the Dodgers have the highest payroll in baseball and have blown through the competition, they are still a very likable team, which is a contrast to the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox when they were dominating the league.
Despite the hype surrounding the team, manager Dave Roberts, who is also the reigning NL Manager of the Year, said his players aren’t getting caught up in all the hoopla. Roberts said the accolades and records they are breaking are nice, but his team has only one goal in mind, which is to win the World Series.
Roberts also added that even if his team breaks the record for most wins, it wouldn’t mean anything without a championship, and pointed to the Golden State Warriors, who broke the regular season record in the NBA last year but failed to win the championship, and the New England Patriots, who finished 16-0 but lost the Super Bowl.
If the Dodgers break the record and win the World Series, they will be considered the greatest baseball team ever.
The only way the Granderson deal makes sense is if there is a bigger deal underway that aligns with it. Granderson is an older, slower, more expensive Joc. Perhaps another deal is happening that would remove Joc from the roster? And don’t say Stanton is impossible. FAZ loves a challenge. Joc, Hill, McCarthy, Kazmir and ???
You can say that again, oh wait you did, lol.
Granderson brings experience and some proven post season experience at that. O’Foc really can only point to very disappointing results when the pressure is on and he is facing higher caliber pitchers (yeah like the kind you see in other playoff teams). Does it really matter what it costs the bank account or is it more important that no “proven stars” had to be traded to acquire Granderson? If Farmer is the PTBNL, that would suck but really Farmer is a prospect, a damn good one, but still a prospect for tomorrow, the Dodgers are trying to do something for today, tomorrow be damned, it’s time to get a ring after many years in the wilderness (does 1988 ring a bell for anyone?). Damn Moses wandered around for 40 years in the wilderness, I think the 29 years for the Dodgers is long enough. Way to go FO you are really trying to end the drought, damn it has been a long time in coming.
The more I read, the more I think this is just a salary dump for the Mets. I don’t think we are losing Farmer for this.
The reason we got Granderson:
his OPS vs Arrieta: 1.070
his OPS vs. Scherzer: .920
his OPS vs. Tanner Roark: .933
And there it is. Bobby has access to FAZ’s balls. You know, the ones I mentioned earlier. Good call Bobby.
Thank u Brother Badger. I credit the Dodger beat writer Bill Shakin for those stats, and I credit my lack of a life to be able to read his tweet.
Filler
Filler
Starting lineups
Pos Dodgers Pos Tigers
CF Taylor 2B Kinsler
SS Seager (L) RF Mahtook
DH Turner LF Upton
RF Bellinger (L) 1B Cabrera
CF Granderson (L) 3B Castellanos
C Grandal (S) DH Martinez (S)
1B Gonzalez (L) C McCann
3B Forsythe CF Jones
2B Utley (L) SS Iglesias
Time: 1:05 p.m. PT TV: SportsNet LA, Fox Sports 1
Jonah, there is no bigger deal in the works because that makes no sense at all. There is no way they are going to make a huge deal that might upset the chemistry that this team has. Stanton is not coming to LA. And I will give you 300 million reasons why.
Caca de Toro! There may or may not be another deal working. Neither you or I would be privileged to that information. And your statement about it makes no sense doesn’t hold water either, because this deal really didn’t make any sense either. Granderson is a very marginal upgrade over Joc that is very much more expensive for very little gain. Yeah, I agree it’s probably not Stanton, may not be anybody, and a GOOD relief pitcher would be far better. But it is ALWAYS foolish to positively say FAZ will or won’t do something. Look up “unpredictable” in the dictionary, this the picture you see:
Well Jonah, judging by history, there is no way FAZ pulls off a huge August trade. His predecessor maybe, but not Friedman, and the deal does make sense because of Granderson’s success against pitchers we most likely will be facing in the post season. As for me crying in my beer about Joc’s demotion, that in no way will happen, because A. I still think the kid has a future in LA and demoting him to work on his swing with a hitting instructor he respects makes total sense. B. I do not drink beer all that often anyway. And for 4 million dollars, about what Grandy is due, and the fact that the Mets also sent the Dodgers cash, he is not all that expensive. And he brings a lot of playoff experience to the team. So I may not be privy to what the FO is planning, but I would almost bet the farm they are not making a major move, and I am also pretty sure they are happy with their bullpen the way it is.
Joc sent to AAA
Granderson starts in LF today
Couple of people here will be crying in their beer for awhile…
Oscar called it. I don’t think the minor league season runs through all of September but by moving him now, he gets about a month to work on his swing. We have an 11 game lead over Houston for the best record in baseball, so we can stick whoever we want in CF. Should be interesting come September.
In the wake of yesterday’s acquisition of Curtis Granderson, the Dodgers appear likely to demote fellow outfielder Joc Pederson. There hasn’t been any official confirmation of the move, but various beat writers noted earlier today that Pederson’s locker was empty, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has seemingly confirmed the decision, telling reporters (including the Los Angeles Times’ Andy McCullough on Twitter) that a stint in the minors will give Pederson “a chance to reset.”
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/08/dodgers-likely-to-option-joc-pederson.html
I find it fascinating the Granderson has already been guaranteed a playoff spot.
Oh well, welcome aboard. Reminds me of when we traded for Jim Thome.
O’Foc maybe can take advantage of this opportunity to get his swing going, other guys like turner, taylor, Puig have been listening to some coaching and fundamentally changing their swings and approach to hitting, maybe O’Foc can learn and listen finally. However, he likely isn’t on the post season roster, he is going to need at least a whole off-season to get his head (swing) right.
Ganderson is not guaranteed anything but an opportunity, if he sucks I don’t think they go Reddick-stupid with him this year. They have the depth this time around the they don’t have to just throw someone out there and hope and pray, like in years past. Ganderson performs he makes post-season, if he don’t then he don’t. (sorry to my grammar teachers of years gone by)
And Brutus.
True
I tend to agree with what you said, about learning , and listening, that is why they are there for.
But you would think that Joc might try someone new, since this has been an on going problem.
One thing for sure: with Agone and Grandy we have suddenly got a lot older!
Artieboy
I love you, but what really matters, is did we get better.
And Agone has already hit in 3 runs, in these first two games, that he has played in.
And the run he hit in today, was the deciding run in this game.
AGon is just an old school RBI machine. Man on third, one out, that run is usually coming in with AGon at the plate.
OKC has 16 games left. Bat Joc leadoff and that gives him plenty of at bats to right what is wrong. He can also lose about 10 pounds between now and then. Won’t matter if Granderson hits. He’s here to take Joc’s spot.
SATURDAY: The Dodgers have agreed to take on some of the salary on what’s left of Granderson’s contract, but not the entire amount, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The Mets agreed to take on the remainder in exchange for the player to be named. The Mets will get some of that money back if the two sides can’t agree on the player, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets.
$3.6 MM still due.
Just heard Darvish will miss a start due to back spasms. The missed start is no biggie. Back issues could be. Hope not.
Dodgers add more salary. Again, no surprise to me. Money is not the object, the object is the object. The object this time was a veteran to replace Joc. The object next time might be Stanton. Ok, I doubt it, but if it happened? Sweet…..
I knew those guys have been listening to me, Darvish on the DL only makes total sense. Get him right, get him back, then tear it up!
Saw a little of Ganderson on TV before the game, that dude is grinning ear to ear. He just got plucked out of hell and inserted in the Promised Land. I hope he doesn’t go on the DL with torn cheeks. (Not homophobic reference Brutus, lol)
a look at a recent international signing, Shakir Albert:
http://baseballcensus.com/2017/08/19/los-angeles-dodgers-shakir-albert-scouting-report-baseball-video-august-2017/
Some people here actually can analyze a swing, so I’d love some constructive analysis…
Zero chance of Stanton now. Zero. Maybe in the off-season (read ‘maybe’ as above zero but under 5%,) but the team is replete with corner OF at almost every level of the system.
I watched the video. I think the first paragraph in the scouting analysis is spot on.
Darvish to DL, Paredes recalled. Got my Gil Hodges bobblehead today!
Retro to Thursday. Basically 1 start unless they extend it. We want him strong for Ocober. He could miss 2-3 starts as far as I’m concerned.
Is Hodges in a Mets, Brooklyn, or LA uniform? He had all 3.
Badger
I agree Granderson is here to replace Joc. There is no other deal. Joc was my major concern. Forsythe looks like he is starting to warm up. Again, I would just platoon Forsythe and Utley.
Let Joc figure it out in AAA. I am concerned that he will never figure it out. I hope I am wrong. He needs to start over like Chris Taylor did. Joc seems to have so many ideas floating through his brain, that nothing is working for him.