I’m back! To the critics who think I can be silenced at my own space, guess again. I’ve had a pretty busy winter so far. The Dodgers have too, letting long term Dodgers walk and signing old and busted veterans to replace them. As usual it’s super difficult to figure out what Andrew Friedman and Stan Kasten are doing with the Dodger roster. The bizarre moves make me and others scratch our heads. We keep hearing on an almost daily basis that the Dodgers have one of the best farm systems in MLB, yet when I challenge commenters at other blogs to name one productive position player prospect other than Will Smith and Gavin Lux that has reached the majors nobody can. One commenter mentioned Alex Verdugo, but he was drafted under Ned Colletti/Logan White. Another named Keibert Ruiz, whose talent has yet to translate to major league success. Otherwise I can’t name anyone else, I still challenge someone to name one other player. Willie Calhoun?
The Dodgers just traded another top rated prospect infielder Jacob Amaya to the Marlins for aging infielder Miguel Rojas. Yes that Miguel Rojas, the Mexican born player who saved Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter back in 2014. It’s hilarious to hear commenters and other writers a few weeks ago doting on Amaya’s superior talent and now reversing course touting how great it is that the Dodgers traded a young prospect for an aging 34-year old that’s had just one above average season in the majors.
That isn’t meant to discredit Rojas, he’ll be a fine addition to the Dodger’s bench this season. Honestly he can’t do any worse than Hanser Alberto, Luke Raley, or any of the other utility bums that Friedman has scraped off of the waiver wire to waste roster spots over the last couple of seasons. Seriously though if Amaya was as good as some people have claimed him to be then he probably wouldn’t have been traded to the Marlins for Miguel Rojas. Common sense.
But when I see my name pop up on other sites, I just have to respond. Keep my name out of your mouth! (There’s my Will Smith impersonation). The actor not the catcher. Some of the guys over at Ladodgertalk are some of the most ardent Friedman butt kissers you will ever talk to. Some, not all praise every move he makes as genius. I just don’t understand they tell me. I’ve never thought that Freidman is a terrible executive, just merely above average. It’s been a mixed bag for me. He’s made some smart moves, he’s made some great moves, and he’s made some awful moves. He’s built some great regular season clubs but his game management and baseball philosophies are horrible. The Dodgers could have won multiple championships over the last eight seasons but terrible game management and those god awful benches have contributed to postseason defeats that pile up year after year.
Getting back to the farm system and the Amaya for Rojas trade, the Ladodgertalk crew regularly boast about the Dodger’s top ranked farm system. They have the greatest farm system in baseball! They shout it from the mountain tops in every post. Yet as I predicted just a few weeks ago on this site, and do almost every year we see very few of them promoted. Earlier in the offseason I wrote about how Friedman would just go out and sign a bunch of old, busted and injured veterans to fill all of the holes on the roster and that’s exactly what he did. Do you think Friedman would be paying guys like J.D. Martinez, Noah Syndergaard, Miguel Rojas and others guaranteed major league money to not play? Those guys will be in the starting lineup on most nights.
If the kids were as good as people claim they are then they would be up at the majors playing and producing every day. The fact that they are not and Friedman’s busted veterans tells you all you need to know about what the Dodgers actually think about these young players. For the record I don’t have a crystal ball. We’ll probably see at least a few of the kids if there are injuries. I’ve never thought Friedman has drafted well. Producing only 2 (3 if you count Ruiz) major league position players over the last 3+ years is not a good track record of success. I’ve been told the excuse is that Friedman always has low draft picks, but there are thousands of amateur players to choose from every year. You would think more than a couple would work out. We’ll see how things go.
In regards to the haters, you can suck it. I’m not going anywhere. Here’s a quick insight from professional doofus Dodgerpatch.
Poor Scott. Just popped over to his site to see if there were any juicy “vile, unhinged posts.” I was disappointed. It was just dumb. He hasn’t posted in a month and had only one comment. ~ DodgerPatch
I’m regularly told by Patch and a few others that this site gets no comments and how dumb I am. Just to spout some facts for him, this site has gotten over 64,000 comments since its inception. The last post had 5 comments, the one before had 54, the one before that had 30. Not that the number of comments make a good site, but I think Patch needs to get his eyes checked the next time he goes to the doctor and stop being such a nasty hater. I hope everyone is having a successful new year.
I find this site as the most interesting and informative of Dodger Nation.
I remember young interval talent transition starting in 1963/64 resulting in helping win championship in 65/66. A handful of young and talented internal players filled holes starting in 60/63 teams.
Again transitions of Dodger with internally developed youth starting in 73 resulted in the great teams of 75/76/77 with young internal talent.
Couldn’t agree with you more…
It’s been years since there was a youth movement at the major league level of homegrown players….well before the current administration.
Freidman is overrated. Dodgers should have signed Jose Iglesias and kept Amaya to use in a trade for an impact player. I was hoping the Dodgers would sign Andrew McCutchen.
It was a weak return for a supposed top prospect.
But Scott. I love you!!
I’m your biggest advocate there on LADT. Didn’t you see me tell Mark that he needs to invite you back over there … for diversity? … That, and there’s something deliciously entertaining about your unhinged rants.
And Scott, you’re mostly dumb because I think you’re a millennial, which makes you dumb by default. At least you’re not a malicious a-hole like Nosler.
Now, the fact that you’re also totally insane is a little bit of a problem, but we all have obstacles we have to overcome in life, and I have every confidence you will overcome this one.
Take, for instance, the recent poll of baseball executives who nearly unanimously voted the Dodgers as the best run organization, with one of the best farm systems, and one of the best talent evaluation systems, with an unmatched ability to find diamonds in the rough. This last part is especially rare for a team that also has a lot of money. The As, Orioles and Rays have to do this because scarcity demands. The Dodgers are just good.
One need only look at the results:
Best record in the last 10 years in Dodger history
A top 3 or top 5 farm system in spite of the worst draft position
A recognized ability to turn players careers around for the better. (it’s one of the reasons Syndergaard even signed with the Dodgers)
You’d have a hard time arguing that the Dodgers are not the best organization in baseball. … but still somehow you do …. constantly … over and over again. Oh yeah! That’s the insanity talking.
Patch,
It’s hard to tell via written text if you’re being condescending or not. Judging by the history of your nasty insulting posts I would assume that you are not my biggest advocate. Although I am glad you enjoy my rants. I’ll have many more for you as the years go on.
I’m actually at the very tail end of gen X, but not exactly sure. I think I can be considered a very old millennial.
I don’t know why you love polls so much but I don’t take much stock in those. I like to look at results as well. I never said the Dodgers weren’t a good organization. They are, of course its a lot easier to be so when you have a billion dollar hedge fund corporation that owns the club and the biggest financial resources in baseball. But here are some facts.
Theyve suffered some of the most embarrassing and pathetic postseason defeats in franchise history over the last 8 years, none due to bad luck.
The farm system is vastly overrated, producing only 2 regular productive position players (Smith Lux) over the last 8 years.
You have a huge man crush on Andrew Friedman. It’s disturbing.
I love the Dodgers and love Dodgers Baseball
I see you bullying the latest crop of new posters over at Mark’s site. You speak of diversity but there isn’t much going on over there when mob think mentality takes over. You are the biggest Timmons minion at that site and THAT is dumb. Until you can pull your lips off of Mark’s ass (and Friedman’s ass) I wouldn’t be calling anyone dumb.
BTW, you can take your polls and internet bullying and cram it right up your ass. Then take your baby boomer head, bend over and stick that right up your ass as well since they are both one and the same.
Go fuck yourself Patch.
Love you too dickhead!
LMAO. Touche’.
A little condescending, but mostly in jest and not really to be mean-spirited. I’m teasing because you’re extremely easy to tease because your over-the-top rants about Friedman, or me, or Timmons are pretty ridiculous and I don’t take you seriously.
“Go fuck yourself Patch.
Love you too dickhead!”
See! How do I even get upset about that?
So, I provide an example of the near universally high esteem Andrew Friedman’s colleagues have for him and your counter argument is that I “love polls.” I think that’s about the closest you came to even addressing the points I made, which means, you didn’t come close to addressing the points I made. Oh well!
Einstein’s definition of insanity, or a corollary to it – making the same bad argument over and over again in spite of all evidence, hoping that it will suddenly be true.
I’m not offended by Mark because I don’t take him all that seriously, either. He stimulates discussion and has takes – some of which I agree with, other’s not so much, but they don’t offend me. He is what he is.
Somehow, the fact that people like me think AF did a pretty outstanding job just really .. really bothers you. Are you bothered by the fact that I think AF has made the Dodgers an outstanding organization and actually cite evidene? Does it offend you? Does it make you so triggered and upset that you lash out with profanity and name-calling? Do you toss and turn at night muttering about Dodgerpatch and his opinions?
I’m most definitely Gen X.
Everything I say is the truth Patch, whether you can handle it is a different story.
I already did address the points you made, which you seem to think that polls prove. I wasn’t saying that Friedman was terrible, he’s been above average, not oustanding like you are claiming. Again I can go back to previous points I made, and I will post them below again. You can acknowldge them, or ignore them. I am willing to engage in discussion with you.
The Dodgers have built some great regular season clubs over the last 8 years.
Theyve consistently failed to win in the postseason, winning only 1 title in 8 years.
Theyve suffered some of the most embarrassing and pathetic postseason defeats in franchise history over the last 8 years, none due to bad luck.
The farm system is vastly overrated, producing only 2 regular productive position players (Smith Lux) over the last 8 years.
You have a huge man crush on Andrew Friedman. It’s disturbing. -this is fact
I love the Dodgers and love Dodgers Baseball-This is also fact
It doesnt bother me that you or other people think Friedman has done an outstanding job. What bothers me is the hoards of crushing and humiliating postseason defeats year after year and the Dodgers winning only 1 title in 8 years when they had the talent to win more. That’s what bothers me most, and this is where our disconnect lies. If the Dodgers are an oustanding organization, (I believe they are very good, not sure I would say outstanding though) why would that bother me? I want the Dodgers to win, which is why I get so frustrated when they don’t. That is the definition of a passionate fanatic, not insanity.
Speaking of name-calling, didn’t you call me dumb, and insane? Isn’t that name-calling? Don’t be calling the kettle black Patch, or however that saying goes.
I totally agree with you about the prospects. If they are so good, why haven’t they played in the majors yet? Seems like pretty straightforward logic to me. Also remember that Friedman’s formative years were spent pinching pennies in Tampa Bay. Hard to lose habits that made you what you are. I hope I’m wrong about the rookies but my gut tells me that Dodger ownership cheaped out this season. Ten-year contracts are indeed stupid but if that’s how you compete in todays game, then you must do it. Honestly, 111-win seasons are nice and all but I’d rather have a memorable World Series victory. 1988 sustained us for decades. What’s wrong with going all in for a year? I’m good with that. Hoping for the best but my expectations for 2023 are lower than they have been for a while. Oh, and Rojas will be the starting shortstop; I think you’re wrong about that.
Agree with you about all of it. They definitely cheated out somewhat this year. You might be right about Rojas starting at short. I don’t see Lux as a Shortstop either. He seems more comfortable at second. Friedman loves to pinch pennies, its one of the reasons he’s there, to maximize profits for guggenheim.
Glad to see you’re back. Couple of things:
Rojas will be the starting SS. If they’d thought Lux was the SS answer, they wouldn’t have gotten Rojas. I’m actually optimistic about him in 2023.
Friedman got caught with his pants down with all these crazy ten-year contracts. However, when it becomes clear that that will be the new norm for MLB stars, the Dodgers will have no choice but to play that game.
I believe that it’s Friedman’s ego that is the root cause of postseason playoff collapses. Roberts clearly follows a script written by AF, and for example, AF believes (mistakenly IMO) that a starter cannot face an opposing lineup three times, and he believes his data first approach to in-game strategy is brilliant. This will always be a problem unless the Dodgers get offensively hot in a postseason series, thereby negating AF’s influence.
If these prospects were so good, why haven’t we seen them before? I hope they surprise me and perform really well.
You can take the boy out Tampa Bay but you can’t take the Tampa Bay out of the boy.
It’s becoming obvious that the Guggenheim owners want more profit and to spend less money. The only way things change he is if the Dodgers suck so badly that fans stay away.
If winning the World Series is the goal, then Stan Kasten is a hack.
Go Dodgers!!!
Thanks Shmolnick,
One of the worst parts of Friedman is his terrible game management scripts. Those horrendous scripts are a big reason they’ve sufferred so many pathetic and embarrasing postseason defeats. The scripts revolve around heavy middle relief usage, and stupid lefty/righty match-ups. The scripts call for Roberts to ignore what’s actively going on in the game, like if a starter is pitching a shutout, or a hotter hitter being pinch-hit due to a lefty/righty advantage. The cheetah never changes his spots.
As for the prospects, looks like most will stay in the minors to start the year, unless there are injuries we might not see many. Vargas is the exception, but Syndergaard blocks, Pepiot, Stone, Miller. Martinez blocks Anyone at DH, Thompson, Taylor, blocks Pages, and Busch is blocked at second by Lux. Cartaya is blocked by Smith, Barnes. Wanted to see the Dodgers get younger, but they got older by signing so many busted vets, Martinez (35), Syndergaard (30), Rojas (33), Heyward (also old) Dugger, etc.
Nobody silences Scott as well as Scott silences Scott.
I don’t think this question/statement is phrase correctly:
I challenge commenters at other blogs to name one position player prospect other than Will Smith and Gavin Lux that has reached the majors nobody can.
Hi Bluto,
Sometimes your comments are annoying and confusing. They make little sense sometimes. Other times you provide good perspectives. You are entitled to your opinions, but the difference is I will not ban you and ridicule you like Mark and others over at his site. The drama over there is hilarious. All because people disagreed with the tyrant and his minions. lolz. I guess this site isn’t the landfill that him and his minions claimed it to be.
Oh. I am decidedly PRO-banning. In fact, honestly? If You Had banned that Melton guy or whoever was a self-important dodo way back when, i bet it would be more robust here.
Its your blog. Ban away! Sculpt the community to be what you want!
Even if it’s just a bit of weird anti-Friedman folk.
People’s egos are way too much. Its the internet. People take it way too seriously.
There were a few. Mexivin, something like “true blue thru and thru” … it was a juvenile mob.
Speaking of Juvenile Mob, I saw what went on recently at Mark’s site with people being banned and kicked off the site for disagreeing with him. People are regularly called Morons and idiots over there for having different opinions. THAT IS A JUVENILE MOB
don’t agree, it’s a nice, vibrant community there.
So people got banned? Who gives a fuck?
I’m still perplexed at how Scott considers the Dodgers farm system over-rated. One odd data point (productive position players after only 8 years) is a very odd one.
So your definition of nice and vibrant is different than mine Bluto. I think there is a big hypocrisy going on with this. My blog gets disparaged by Mark, patch and a few others for some of the same stuff that is happening on the other community you’re talking about. If people disagree with Mark, Patch or any of the other minions that toe the line they are called morons, idiots and then banned and ridiculed.
“Have a take and don’t suck” translates to “if you disagree with us in any way, mob think and Mark’s ego takes over and you are a moron and will be called one by Mark, Patch or others, then you will be banned and ridiculed later on”
I dont consider that a vibrant community.
As for the Dodgers overrated farm system, isn’t the whole point to developers productive major leaguers? If there are only 2 position players over the last 5, 6 ,or 7 years, that can’t be good right?
vibrant in terms of volume and frequency.
The Dodgers farm system is and has been very good. I don’t think there’s much debate, but you seem to be unable to move beyond drafted and developed position players.
Think Scott. Think.
They used the farm system to trade for:
Betts, Scherzer, Darvish, Turner and Machado.
That’s good right?
They used the farm system to develop:
Gonsolin, Buehler, May, Ferguson, White and Grove. Who are pitchers, but you don’t count them.
They also used their player system to develop, but not draft:
Bellinger, Muncy, Taylor, Barnes and Thompson.
And from last year’s roster the following players were all drafted and developed:
Rios, Outman, McKinstry and Vargas.
If you look at the top 10 players from last year’s regular line-up:
Taylor (swing redone by Dodgers system of current regime)
Muncy (swing redone by Dodgers system of current regime)
Smith drafted and developed by current regime
Lux drafted and developed by current regime
Betts acquired by prospects from current regime
Turner acquired by prospects from current regime
Bellinger NOT drafted, but developed by current regime
Trayce Thompson acquired and developed by current regime
JT inherited
Freeman signed.
So, if you limit defining a farm system to:
position players drafted and developed within 5 years who have made an impact, you don’t really have a point, but it’s your best one.
If you think about the farm system on the whole, it’s fucking awesome.
Also, the 2016 draft is widely considered historically great.
There is debate from people who can read between the lines. There’s a difference between the coaching, player system, and player development. Each is different. Friedman was able to trade a bunch of the overrated crap prospects and con other clubs into taking them. I admit, that is good, but that’s not the development system. McKinstry was a sub .220 hitting utility player with little power. Outman has played in 4 major league games, and Vargas has yet to do anything in the majors. Rios was a power bat with a ton of potential but couldn’t stay healthy. Yes, Buehler is awesome, May is talented, Gonsolin had a great year last year. All acknowledged. White was serviceable. Grove is atrocious. Ferguson was drafted in 2014 under Colletti/White. Bellinger was drafted under Colletti/White and was already really good when Friedman took over. Muncy Taylor, Barnes, and Thompson are all Friedman, and all good acquisitions. Try not to use the overrated lineup from their 111-win disaster season as an example of anything other than failure here. The middle parts of the lineup were some of the most unproductive in baseball. It was a top heavy linuep and not balanced. That’s why they got booted out of the playoffs in mere hours.
2016 was a pretty good draft, but to say it was historically great? You know which draft was historcally great? 1966, the Dodgers drafted Charlie Hough, Bill Russell, Ted Sizemore. In 1968 the Dodgers drafted Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Davey Lopes, Joe Ferguson, Bobby Valentine, Bill Buckner, Tom Paciorek, Doyle Alexander. In 1977 the Dodgers drafted Bob Welch, Mickey Hatcher, Ron Roenicke. In 1988 the Dodgers drafted Eric Karros and Mike Piazza. Those were historically great drafts. You gotta stop saying everything Friedman does is the best ever. There is work to be done.
Joke or serious?
It’s super-hard to tell.
Like this line:
Friedman was able to trade a bunch of the overrated crap prospects and con other clubs into taking them. I admit, that is good, but that’s not the development system
How did they get to be over-rated if not through development? Did Friedmen just tell another team they were good, and was believed? Perhaps other teams in MLB evaluate the Dodgers system as do those like Eric Longenhagen do?
What a silly statement.
And, oh look, another silly statement right after that one:
Try not to use the overrated lineup from their 111-win disaster season
The Dodgers lineup had a run differntial that was 93 runs more than the 2nd place team. 93 RUNS! That’s over-rated? What would be the properly rating term be from you?
Whooo, boy the silliness continued:
I really, really, really liked your draft analysis:
1966, 1968, 1977, 1988.
They drafted Mike Piazza in the 62nd round. Let’s pretend the draft ended there. It didn’t. Two quality players in 62 rounds. HIstorically great? Gosh, I hope not Scott.
Be better, Scott.
Question for you then. If the prospects are so good. Then why sign a bunch of over the hill players this winter? These are the players the Dodgers signed or acquired, Miguel Rojas, age 33, Noah Syndergaard age 32, JD Martinez age 35, Jason Heyward old as fuck. Shelby Miller, Steven Dugger, and now David Peralta. All of those players are old, injured and past their primes and most (almost all) are signed to major league guaranteed contracts.
Do you think the Dodgers would sign those guys to guaranteed major league contracts to NOT play them? All of them are blocking young prospects. Peralta, Heyward, and Thompson are blocking Andy Pages and James Outman. Syndergaard is blocking Miller, Pepiot and Stone. Martinez is blocking Michael Busch and possibly Vargas. My hope was that since JT left that they would move Muncy to DH permanently and free up third base for Vargas. They’re telling us he’s going to get time at second, but I don’t think he’s ever played there. He may not even make the roster and Rojas starts at SS with Lux staying at second and Muncy playing third.
Other than Vargas, I don’t realistically see any of the other prospects making the opening day roster and I dont see them cutting any of the veterans that they signed to guaranteed contracts.
If you have this vaunted top rated farm system with all these great young players as everyone is saying then why not play the young guys? Whats the excuse for signing all these veterans?
Either these prospects are not as good as advertised, or Friedman is just arrogant. These guys are crushing minor league pitching, they’re beyond ready to graduate. Why gold them down there?
My guess is that Friedman sees these young players as fodder, depth in case of injuries or just doesn’t think much of them at all. Even if Outman for example has a great spring, do you see the Dodgers eating money to make roster space for him by cutting Peralta, Heyward, Thompson etc?
If the Dodger’s goal was too get younger this winter, that didn’t happen. Actually they got older. So again I ask, why not graduate these prospects and see what they got?
#FreeOutman
#FreeMiller
#FreePages
#FreeBusch
#FreeStone
#FreeVargas
You’re overrating of Friedman’s drafting ability is silly. 2016 had one good player (Smith), one pitcher who hasn’t shown full potential yet (May) and another player (Lux) has barely been above league average.
That’s historically great? Come on Bluto. Be better.
This is a team coming off a 111 win season! You think they are going to insert 2-3 everyday (or rotational) rookies into that mix?
Was that a joke?
From what I read Vargas will be a key component. Busch and Outman more joining by osmosis.
If you follow the team at all, you would know the team traditionally uses what? eight to nine starters a season?
Kershaw, Urias, May, Gonsolin, Syndergaard, Pepiot, Miller, Grove.
There, see how easy it is to use well-regarded prospects and still have the best team in MLB?
That’s a sign of great management.
So you’re basically telling me that all of these well-regarded highly touted prospects should be used not as every day Major league regulars, but as injury depth fodder? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? Other guys in the organization can be used for those roles.
Join by osmosis??? Is that a joke?
The farm system is raved about and touted by you and other Friedman fan boys. Yet those prospects are rarely ever called up, or only called up if there is an injury, or never called up at all and then traded. They don’t have to call up everybody at once, but the top 2 or 3 should be called up and allowed to play every day. This goes for the pitchers too. Please stop saying that everything Friedman does is genius, even when that goes against what you and others claim.
Friedman fan boys “The Dodgers have the best farm system in baseball, loaded with top talent! Keith Law says so! They are ranked in the top 5. If you can’t see this, then you are stupid!
Me: Ok, cool, let’s call up those top rated prospects and play them. Let’s see what they got!”
Friedman Fan Boys “No! You can’t just call up young top rated prospects and play them! Friedman is way too smart for that! You need depth! instead you keep those prospects at AAA and get out there and sign over the hill, and injury riddled veterans on Major League guaranteed deals. J.D. Martinez, Miguel Rojas, Noah Syndergaard David Peralta, Other injury riddled pitchers who just had majo arm surgeries! The more injured the better! This is how great management runs a team!
Me: If the prospects are never used for more than injury depth, then why not go out and sign the best free agents on the market every winter? Why not re-sign Trea Turner, or sign the top players on the market every offseason? I mean the Dodgers are the richest and most powerful team in baseball because they are owned by a multi-billion dollar investment firm.
Friedman Fan Boys :NO NO No! You’re not getting this. You don’t sign the best players on the free agent market each winter! That doesnt equate to winning! You have to sign mediocre players, injured pitchers and sub .200 hitting utility players! Guys like Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson, Danny Duffy, Luke Raley, Sheldon Neuse, Steven Souza Jr. all have to be signed!
Me: Ok so you are saying that very few if any of the top rated prospects should be every day players at the big league level, be praised as top rated prospects yet never play for the Dodgers. All the while the front office should rarely ever shop for the best players on the free agent market, but overspend on mediocre, or injured players?
Friedman Fan Boys: Now you understand the genius of Friedman!
Or maybe these prospects aren’t that good, and that’s the real reason why they are not given the opportunity to play with the big club.
It’s no longer “be better, Scott”. It’s now be much better.
You start off by putting fake words into “my mouth” and then descend from there. “So you’re basically telling me that all of these well-regarded highly touted prospects should be used not as every day Major league regulars” No. I never said that. Not once.
You seem, for whatever reason, to think that everything has to happen immediately or when your argument would benefit most from it and if it doesn’t it means…. Well, I’m not sure what it means but you think it means something.
111 win teams aren’t built in an off-season, nor are they massively over-hauled in one.
Lux, CT, Muncy, Smith, Freeman, Betts are returning. Vargas is being inserted. That leaves one (1) open spot. Would I be shocked if Outman gets it? No. Will it be an indictment if he doesn’t? No. Will it mean he’s not a very good prospect? No.
Same thing with Busch as a DH. Be patient Scott. It’s a great team, with great management that will continue to be great.
So now, let’s get to the fun part. Who, in that inane imaginary conversation:
Is/are Friedman Fan Boys
Ever defined prospects as “injury depth fodder” (which I agree sounds ridiculous)
Ever say, “that very few if any of the top rated prospects should be every day players at the big league level.” If you replace one (1) starting lineup position a year then over 4 years you’ve nearly replaced half your lineup. That’s probably rash and un-necessary for a team this good, but the point is you don’t need to replace multiple positions every off-season when dealing with a very good team with this many resources.
Finally, don’t frown on competition. It’s the key to a meritocracy.
I feel like you’re kind of making excuses here. “You think they are going to insert 2-3 everyday (or rotational) rookies into that mix?” isn’t that the pont of developing top rated prospects? If the prospects are not there to graduate and become every day Major League regulars, then what’s the point of the farm system? (other than using them as trade chips) Are they just there to exist to provide depth in case of injuries? For the record, the Dodgers can actually do whatever they want. They have the financial resources to take many different paths. I’m told by people on a daily basis about the rich and talented farm system. then when I ask why those prospects aren’t called up and getting regular playing time, I get comments like yours …..You think they are going to insert 2-3 everyday (or rotational) rookies into that mix?”…. Um yeah, they can, especially during an offseason when the Dodgers were entering with several holes on the roster. Let’s review here,
The Dodgers let Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Trea Turner, Tyler Anderson, Chris Martin, all walk in free agency. They entered the winter with no regular shortstop, third baseman, DH, center fielder, fifth starter, and closer. They supposedly had the farm system to replace most if not all of those positions. Who did they replace them with? J.D. Martinez, Noah Syndergaard, Miguel Rojas, David Peralta, Jason Heyward, Shelby Miller, among other veterans.
Wasn’t the goal this winter to get younger? The Dodgers instead got older, much older. If the only prospect that is going to make the opening day roster is Vargas, the rest are going to start the season in triple-A. Is the plan to just waste these prospects in triple-A until there are injuries? Almost all of those veterans I mentioned above are signed to Guaranteed contracts. They’re going to play every day, which means the prospects start the year in the minors, wasting away until there is an injury to one of the veterans.
There was open spots at Short, Third, DH, fifth starter, closer, center field, left field. Wouldn’t you rather see those spots go to young players instead of old veterans who we know likely won’t stay healthy?
To be fair, I’m not very patient, but would rather see some young guys get looks, instead of seeing old busted veterans that won’t stay healthy, or raving about a sub .250 hitting utility player. This isn’t a meritocracy, this is a baseball team. Although I do agree about competition being good for all. I just think it’s a bad look for the richest team in MLB to not put the best players on the field every year, or not shop for the best players on the open market. This isn’t Tampa Bay or Oakland. If you’re not going to sign some of the top free agents every winter, then call up the prospects and see what they got, instead of signing old and injury riddled players.
I feel as if there are people (not saying you specifically) that want to rave about the farm system but don’t want to see any of those guys come up and play. When I say “great! Let’s see those prospects come up!” I’m told things like “Do you really want Jacob Amaya as the starting shortop? TM® DodgerPatch” or “You can’t just call up all the prospects! Friedman is way too smart for that! You don’t get it! It’s not linear!”
People just love talking like they are working in a lab. Baseball can be a really simple game in a lot of ways. if a young prospect is mashing triple-A pitching for several years, call him up and see what he has. You can call up more than one prospect at a time. But if you lose a ton of major league talent, some all-star level talent, No need to wait years to replace them if you’re the Dodgers. Either call up the prospects, or go shop for top players on the market. Don’t sign old injured players and wait.
I’m sorry. I can’t.
Maybe you can make a better point (or just a point) but this is just pointless.
You don’t have a point, or a line of reason. You just put words in other people’s mouths, and then create false binaries.
If you want to think the Dodgers are poorly run, don’t have a top farm system and are not committed to that system, then I wish you nothing but the best.
I tried and got nowhere.
Now you’re putting words in my mouth. I didn’t say they were poorly run. I dont agree with the direction they’re going in this year. I think they have some promising young players that haven’t done anything at the major league level yet, because they haven’t been given the chance to play. Understand?
Shit. I tried to post and forgot to hit send.
I’m not sure if Scott meant to write this:
I challenge commenters at other blogs to name one position player prospect other than Will Smith and Gavin Lux that has reached the majors nobody can.
Because everybody can if that’s taken as written.
I meant to type “productive position player prospect” so that was a typo. But you know what I mean.
Thanks for pointing that out Bluto, that was a total typo. Sorry, I misread your original post. I got a little defensive.
The posting system here is very broken.
Are you having issues posting?
Yes.
What kind of issues are you having posting, so I can get it fixed.
I post on Day X, it appears Day X+1
I think that may be the spam filter. Sometimes it thinks certain comments are spam when they are not. I’ll check the settings.
Friedman is overrated. Roberts is overrated. They are both good to very good but I would not call either of them, Great. Hard to tell about our farm system as no one gets a chance to show what they can do. Signing all these broken down players and reclamation projects that block the kids does not signify that the Dodger brass is all that high on their prospects. If the Dodgers are not going to let their highly rated prospects have a shot at the MLB level, then trade them for impactful MLB ready talent and stop the dumpster diving.
Thank you Ohio,
THIS sums up what I’ve been saying
All the talk every year about the Dodger farm being one of the best in MLB, yet they continue to not trust these kids to play. They prefer to scout the dumpsters for tired, injured, and washed up, DFA’d veterans, signing them to hundreds and millions of dollars, while their kids get bumped back down to wilt away in the minors.
Open tryouts at Camelback in 2023. All you wanna’-be’s still have a chance to don the Legendary Dodger Blue and earn a good handful of cash too!
I think it is time to diss the Dodger diapers, and let the kids play! Come on Dodger Brass, you have nothing to lose.
So, now the Dodgers hire former Bosox video coordinator JT Watkins, who was instrumental in the Red Sox signal cheating scandal in 2018, which robbed the Dodgers of World Series Championship.
So, JT jumps ship and joins Cheater Alex Cora in Boston, and LA now has former cheaters Betts, JD Martinez, and Watkins on the payroll. Exchanging cheaters for their love of money.
So, this, unfortunately is what professional baseball and sports has become.
Well, PGA has caved in the the Saudi-backed LIV. Soccer has already done so.
Saudi “Blood Money” has won. PGA and MLS has no morels. Players greed wins out over human rights, and dignity. Oil rich oligarchs will soon own the world.
So we have heard that several former MLB players have already joined forces with the Saudis to start a Saudi Professional Baseball League, which may eventually take over Major League Baseball. Will Baseball in America cave in and bow to the oligarchs too? Knowing Manfred, he probably will. Manfred has no morels, nor does he love the game of baseball. Knowing today’s overpaid ballplayers, they have no morels…. All they see is green.
HehHeh…. If so, all the old, overpaid, washed up veterans will jump ship and head for Dubai. That might mean there will be more playing time for the youth stranded in the Minors. America can create a new league, with salary caps, base pay with performance incentives, and return to the original rules of baseball. Play baseball the way it was intended to be played.