The Dodgers lost the first of four games against the Pirates, and sent Kenta Maeda to the mound with orders to begin a new winning streak.
Although last night’s game was a loss, the offense did their job in scoring six runs. Among the big questions for tonight:Would the run scoring continue with the “righty” lineup that manager Dave Roberts will use against Jeff Locke, the Pirates’ southpaw pitcher? Will the bullpen recover and keep the Pirates scoreless when Maeda inevitably drops out after five or six innings? Can the Dodgers extend their HR streak to 15 games?
3rd inning
Scoreless through three. The biggest difference was the Pirates running up the pitch count on Maeda (46 pitches after 3), and the Dodgers going down nine outs in a row, mostly on only two and three pitches.
4th inning
Pirates
Andrew McCutchen got a home run to open the scoring. 1-0
Maeda pitch count:65
5th inning Pirates 1-0
Dodgers
15 men up, 15 down. A no-hitter was brewing.
6th inning Pirates 1-0
Dodgers
Scott Van Slyke got the first hit of the night with a double.
A.J. Ellis came up with a monster double high off the right field wall to score SVS and tie the game. 1-1
Pirates
The third time through the rotation proved troublesome once again for Maeda, as he struggled and gave up hits to two Bucs. Then Andrew Mccutchen did it again – a big blast. This time it was a three-run homer to put the Pirates up 4-1, and drive Maeda from the game.
Joe Blanton came in with no outs. He took forever to get two out, and then he gave up a two-run bomb. 6-1
7th inning Pirates 6-1
Dodgers
Two singles from Corey Seager and Yasiel Puig put men on second and third with two out. SVS struck out.
9th inning Pirates 6-1
Dodgers
Trayce Thompson: 6-3
Adrian Gonzalez: F7
Yasiel Puig: Arrived at second on a throwing error, because the pitcher was late to cover first base.
Joc Pederson: 4-3
Dodgers lose 6-1
Kenta Maeda was not the biggest problem for the Dodgers tonight, but he was sure one of them. He went five innings with only giving up one run, but he tired in the sixth, and allowed a rally for the Bucs that ended with him serving up his second home run to Andrew McCutchen. Joe Blanton then continued the bullpens’ skid back into mediocrity, giving up two more runs.
The Dodgers’ offense was completely switched up, as Roberts went for the dreaded “righty” heavy lineup. If the man is going to sit left-handed batters, it would be a better idea to sit the left-handed batter that isn’t hitting, no matter which arm the opposing pitcher uses – Adrian Gonzalez (0 for 4).
The Dodgers are making the Pirates look like the 1927 Yankees. We shall see what Clayton Kershaw has to say about that tomorrow.
Kenta Maeda (L 6-5) went five innings with 4 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 4 Ks. ERA 2.91
Doubles: Van Slyke, Ellis, Kendrick, Seager
Men with RISP: 2 for 10 Horrendous
Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
Follow Me:
1 – The Dodgers’ starters other than Kershaw still only averaging 5 ip/start in June.
2 – The refugees from the Braintrust Walking Wounded Pitching Staff (McCarthy, Ryu, Anderson, Wood) will not come back being able to throw a lot of innings.
3 – Any of the prized pitching prospects that come up from the minors will not be allowed to throw a lot of innings (like Urias).
4 – This means that no one other than Kershaw, (and once every 3 or 4 starts Maeda and Kazmir) won’t be pitching deep into games.
5 – I’ve never ever seen a team go with an 8 man bullpen as much as the Dodgers have this year – then you realize that they have actually had a 9 man pen at one point (leaving a 3 man bench, and since most teams won’t use their backup catcher except in emergencies, this means they actually had a 2 man bench)! You don’t give the team a chance to win with a 3 man bench.
6 – While the Braintrust didn’t want the team’s pitchers to be injured, this is the risk that it ran by signing or trading for the likes of McCarthy, Anderson, Wood and Maeda. They took the risk – it’s not a good one.
7 – Before Mark reminds us all of how “great” the Dodgers’ pitching has been, who here thinks that over the long run, any team can survive with 4 5 inning starters?
7 – Does anyone think that the Braintrust will make a big trade to fix this?
8 – They still can’t hit. I believe that some of the hitters will have come around, but they still only average 4.2 runs/game. This won’t get it done.
9 – The new coaching staff certainly hasn’t fixed anything. Since you can’t trade the whole offense, why hasn’t the management fixed the coaching staff?
10 – So the rumor is that they are looking for “a big bat”. Will one big bat fix the offense? Who will they stop playing in favor of the “big bat”? What “big bat” is available?
11 – Does anyone think that the Braintrust will make a big trade for a “big bat”, given its track record?
12 – Since the Dodgers have mostly drafted right handed pitchers with early draft picks for several years, where is the help coming from in the minors? They only have a couple of blue chip prospects among position players in the minors.
I absolutely think they will make a trade for both a starting pitcher and a big bat. They have to. This staff isn’t good enough to reach the post season. Last years was. Which is why they didn’t make any major moves.
The question is when? The longer they wait the less time to make up lost ground.
The wild card has already been mentioned. NO! Even with Kershaw anything can happen in one game.
Well I disagree on one thing you say. Last years staff was an absolute quagmire after Greinke and Kershaw. Anderson was 10-10. Bolsinger was very pedestrian. Wood was a .500 pitcher after they got him from Atlanta. They got the job done because the offense was better and the defense was one of the best. McCarthy was 4-0 when he went down, but his ERA was almost 5 meaning the offense scored runs for him.
That’s the “beauty” of two wild cards: they don’t have to be that good. As long as they are in the race for a playoff spot the fans will keep showing up. Of course, that makes it harder for teams to pull the plug and trade away players as well. I’d like to have a catcher who could hit, but will they throw in the towel on Grandal?
I sure hope we’ve seen the last of Kike in the leadoff spot for a while. If you must have a right-handed lineup at least play your best hitters. Why Thompson was in cleanup and Kendrick on the bench mystifies me. I think any trades they make will be with an eye on next year.
Why is anyone following these morons?
Hitters still trying to pull every pitch. They all have weird batting stances to compensate for inadequate core strength that prevents them from having a normal batting stance, thus creating major holes in their swing,s and the all too frequent shifts.
Most of the pitchers are still throwers who can’t be taught by the coaches.
Ask any woman and they will tell you that neither a Jew or a Arab know anything about Depth!
I don’t know why race references are helpful, accurate or necessary here. There are lots of incompetent people – most are not Jews or Arabs.
The world has seen enough anti-Semitism.
That was a joke, BOB, and it went right over your head like the home runs Dodger pitchers give up so frequently…
My fear of today — if Kershaw gets in a 0-0 game for the first 6 innings, and then because of an error or a couple of bleeding hits, gets behind 1 or 2 to nothing, and the Dodgers lose the game — it will be till next month before they have a real crack of winning a game.
Maybe it is time to re-group. Hope for Kershaw to win another ERA crown, Cy Young Award, etc. And Seager to be ROY — and call it a season.
My final concern — who or which players from the minors can the Dodgers count on to come to the 2017 season and do what Seager is doing in 2016? Who is really going to make a difference?
This team might still need a Catcher, a 1st Baseman, a SS, and one outfielder — along with 2 or 3 guys in the pen — add to that at least 3 starters.
Now — are the Dodgers that loaded? I think not. The more I observe, the braintrusts are braindead. And they do this on the largest payroll in the majors. Unbelievable . . .
Are the Dodgers that loaded?
Good question. I just read the OKC box score from last night. De Leon got clobbered. I thought he was supposed to be the Greinke to Urias. Jose and Julio down by the schoolyard type thing. He was so good last year I traded him, Blah-blah De Blahzio and a bag of balls for Hamels. In looking at the current MLB Top 100, yeah Urias is still up there, De Leon is still Top 25, but Verdugo and Bellinger, our only Top 100 position players, are in the 90s. We have pitching. We will need it, especially if Kershaw leaves.
How come our Cubans don’t show up in that Top 100?
Verdugo, Bellinger, Diaz, Heredia should all make it to the Majors. Not sure of Barnes. He’s 26. He should be here. Johnson? Doesn’t hit well enough. Thompson? Doesn’t even show up in top prospect lists. Why? Who knows. Maybe we aren’t as good as I thought. The overall feeling I have this morning is nobody in the minors is going to help this year. Not sure about next year. But ’18 looks promising.
The Dodgers lost. Let the bipolar depression begin.
De Leon had a bad game …..
…the farm ain’t all that….still no Hamels….bye bye Kershaw. Doom! All is lost!
What do the lyrics mean in the Paul Simon song?
I hate DeBlasio. Makes me miss Ed Koch.
I MIGHT have given up De Leon and some other pieces for Hamels. I’d still prefer to hoard prospects. What does Hamels do for the team in 18 and beyond? But, who knows. Maybe De Leon is a bust.
I’d still have signed Cueto with a 2 or 3 year opt out. I think there’s a good chance he’ll opt out in three. He’ll be 32…same age as Grienke was when he opted. If he pitches at that high level, and with the rate of baseball inflation, he might try for a payday through age 36 versus age 34. At 34, when his current contract is done, he’ll likely have no takers.
I’m not sure if signing Gurriel would help. He’s 30. Plays just 2nd ad 3rd, will need time in the minors, behind Turner/Utley/Kendrick in current depth chart. Maybe he helps in late August and is a hedge if/when Turner/Utley leave next year.
Ethier might be coming into form in late August…same with Ryu/McCarthy/Anderson/Montas/Wood. Maybe Agone is hitting better by then.
The Dodgers should be loaded and just about hitting their stride in time for that one game wildcard playoff. blah blah blah
Dodger patch
I sure hope that the Giants resign Cueto, if he opts out.
Because I don’t see him being the pitcher Greinke can be, for the next five years.
Greinke has very clean mechanics, and he looks like he keeps in much better shape, then Cueto.
Think Blue Planning Committee— https://thinkbluepc.com/2016/06/25/how-can-dodgers-improve-at-2016-trade-deadline/
Is FAZ’s lips moving while the Committee speaks?
That was interesting. How can the Dodgers improve at the deadline? By doing something. What? Well that’s up to management.
We’re crowded everywhere – outfield, infield, pitching. All this depth is confusing. You can never have too much mediocrity I guess. Kershaw is pretty good though, so, we got that going for us.
Bumgarner lost. Hellickson beat him. Didn’t see that coming. Rupp hit a home run for Phillies. Who’s Rupp? MadBum 8-4. But then, he’s a post season stud.
Per Doug Padilla at ESPN.com:
“Signs that the 41-35 Dodgers are destined to be a .500 club are everywhere. It’s in the once vulnerable bullpen that has turned dependable but now looks stretched thin. It’s in a starting rotation that can’t keep five suitable pitchers healthy. It is most definitely in an offense that has yet to find its way. Here’s another nugget of the mediocrity: Kershaw has made seven starts after a Dodgers’ defeat and seven after a Dodgers’ victory. In Kershaw’s 15 starts this season, the Dodgers have won 14 times. …The Dodgers have needed every bit of that excellence, for the most part. They have won a one-run game six times in Kershaw’s starts, including two of the past three.”
With the exception of the Braintrust fanboys at Dodgers Digest and a few who post here, it seems that most can see that the emperor has no clothes – that the Dodgers as currently constituted simply aren’t that good.
Quality is almost always better, then quanity!
Blanton’s Dugout workout: https://gfycat.com/UnawareRealisticKatydid
I love Blanton’s passion. He will be fine.
Kike Hernandez and Yasmani Grandal worry me. I know Kike has options and I thank Yasmani does too. I would send both to AAA for at least a month to get their swings and confidence back. Call up Barnes and Segedin (let’s see if he has ANYTHING at the MLB level or if he is just a AAAA player). Give Barnes a month of playing 4 or 5 times a week and see what he does.
I am mystified as to the hitting woes. Turner Ward did well with the D-Backs and was highly thought of in baseball circles. The Dodger hitters have struggled since his arrival… all except Corey Seager! As a rookie, Seager leads the Dodgers in BA, HR, 2B, RBI, OB% and OPS. The next closest player is 33 points below Seager’s batting average! WOW!
What has happened? Everyone else on the team is hitting DRAMATICALLY BELOW their career averages. You either have to believe that they have all just lost their ability to hit due to age or inability or something else is wrong. As much as everyone moans and groans about the pitching, it will ultimately be OK. It’s the utter lack of hitting outside of Seager that is a concern.
I find that extremely curious – will it even out the second half and will the Dodgers just go Bat$hit crazy the second half? I have no explanation. I just have NEVER seen such a TOTAL breakdown by the offense EVER!
On Jose De Leon getting hit last night: Maybe it was a bad night. Maybe it was that he was working on a different pitch or something. You don’t know so to blast him for one bad game brands you as a novice.
By the way, many of you defended Carl Crawfish and Alex “The Ear” Guerrero. MLB teams are lined up vying for their services. (sarcasm) It’s pretty bad when you have 2 players on your roster that are owed millions and yet no one wants them for basically FREE!
How will the pitching be OK? Who among the refugees on the DL will return and who will be able to throw more then 5 innings/start upon their return? IF they call up one of the kids (a move that I am still in favor of),they will suffer the same innings limitation that Urias and Stripling have, so I ask again, who other than Kershaw will reliably be able to pitch into the 7th inning? Or even the 6th?
Yes, Kike and Grandal should have gone down long ago; maybe that hitting coach at Rancho who helped Puig can do something with them. They need to find out if Barnes can hit at the major league level and it’s hard to imagine him being any worse.
De Leon’s problems this year are mystifying. Instead of letting him pitch, they held him back and now he’s struggling. Hopefully it’s nothing serious.
Mark
That sounds more like a fallacy then a cogent argument.
It sure looks like Puig got some very good instruction in Rancho, when he was on the DL.
If they can help Puig recognize the spin on the ball better, he just might suprise everyone.
Maybe he should be moved up a little in the line up.
Mark
You know that Crawford just retired. He is to beat up to play.
Why would he be trying to get on a team?
And I saw what you wrote about Guerrero, and it wasn’t bad.
Basically Maeda had a bad day yesterday.
He was behind the count on most of the hitters, he pitched against.
And a pitcher like Maeda can’t be sucessful pitching that way.
But he didn’t have his good command from the begining, and he payed for it.
He just needed to get his fastball, up a little higher on McCutchen.
And because Maeda didn’t do that, McCutchen made him pay.
Like I said yesterday, they need to stop the almost all right handed platoon, against lefties, because it is just not working.
It sure isn’t working, when the Dodgers offense, is 29th in baseball, when they face a leftie starting pitcher.
And when the Dodgers face a leftie, they need someone to step up for Turner, because Turner once again, has reverse numbers against lefties.
But I would always want Turner playing against all pitchers, over a part time player like Kike.
Because Turner is getting consistent at bats, unlike Kike.
The Dodgers just need someone else, to step up and get big hits, because Turner might not be that big bat that day, against lefties.
Platoons are suppose to make a team have an advantage that day offensively, but not all right hand hitters, that play very little, are always going to give the team more offense, then the mostly everyday line up.
Kike just hasn’t been good this year, and I just think when the Dodgers are facing a team where they have not seen there pitcher that much, like the pitchers, they see in the western division.
It is harder for Scott, and the other part time players, to be able to hit as easily, against pitchers, that they have just not faced enough.
Because it is hard enough to contribute offensively, when a player, isn’t getting consistent at bats.
Dodger report as of June 26, 2016. Team has integral pieces from 2015 champs playing well below their career numbers. Kendrick, Gonzo, Turner….a key reserve is well below what he accomplished in 2015…Kike Hernandez….below the Mendoza line. Their starting catcher has not shown he is capable of being an every day catcher and is also below the Mendoza line. His backup not much better hitting a little over .200. Puig has shown flashes the last couple of games that he might be turning things around. Pederson still over swing’s sometimes, and has trouble making consistent contact. Thompson slumping and striking out more. Pitchers seem to have found his weakness. SVS is rusty, but still has power, and with more playing time he should get better. The bull pen has been better of late, but still prone to giving up HR’s late. The starting pitching behind Kershaw is abysmal. One good outing, then maybe 2 not so good. Urias has maybe 2 starts left and what happens after that is anyone’s guess. They are waiting for Ryu, and McCarthy, but neither of them will be able to go very deep into games at first, so the bullpen will be pushed to the limit. This is not a championship caliber team. This team is very lucky that it is where it is at this point in the season. Unless a couple of major additions are made, there is no chance they make it to the playoffs. The onus is on the underperforming players and a front office lacking the guts to make a major move to make this team a solid contender.
You have hit it squarely on the head.
Michael
Stop your predictions!
Sorry MJ, just telling it like I see it. I plan on going to a couple of games when I go out to LA next month. I went to 2 in Denver when they were there and they won both….so maybe I am good luck. One of those games was that amazing 9th inning 5 run burst to win the game. Oh by the way Mark, trading for Bruce? Why would they want another OF who strikes out a lot? And where would he play? RF? That is Puig’s domain. CF? He is not that great a fielder, now they could slot him in LF, but that cuts down on playing time for Kendrick and SVS……..
Exactly Michael! Why trade Kemp, and get Bruce? Kemp is a much better hitter, and I don’t think Kemp is that bad in right.
Michael, I was going to suggest that you should take another fishing trip, so the Dodgers can get going again.
I would love to. But right now just is not possible…have to get ready to see family in Cali
I think it might be time for Roberts to move Puig up a little in the line up, because he has been hitting lately unlike, some of the Dodger’s other hitters.
I looked at the schedule to see when we face the Pirates again, because I want the team to beat them at Dodger stadium, as well, in these last two games.
And I think that Maeda will beat them, the next time he faces them, at Dodger stadium.
I just got sick of that National broadcast, favoring the Pirates, everytime we play them, so I want the Dodgers and Kershaw, to take back the two games the Pirates gained on the wildcard.
I want the Dodgers to win these two last games, to put the Pirates, right back, where they were!
If De Leon was “working on a pitch” – it needs more work.
patch I traded De Leon, DeBlahsio and those balls for Hamels, who won 3 Game 3’s, and we have a Championship. And since I also re-signed Greinke, finished the trade for Chapman and added a bat, we are in first place now looking for a repeat so who cares how Hamels fits in ’17-’18. And if you were to ask, the color of the sky in my world is Blue. Always. Blue.
You miss Koch? Try Bernie.
I hear the Dodgers are in serious talks about Jay Bruce. I have a Cincy connection…
The Reds are asking a lot! Bruce is controlled through 2017, so that would be a fit, He’s 29 and would be 32 in his walk year. He hasn’t been happy in Cincy for a while.
I hear the Reds are asking for De Leon, Thompson and Barnes. I think a deal could get done, but not with Thompson or De Leon.
The Giants have won with a great #1 and #2 and little else. I have my doubts Cueto will keep it up. I look for him to get gassed in the second half. Samardzija has a 6.00+ ERA in June and Peavy and Cain are over 5.22 for the year, but the Giants have kept winning thanks to timely hitting when the pitching falters. That’s the key.
It looks to me that Brock Stewart will start next Wednesday. McCarthy or Ryu will be back a week later. You are going to see some rotating pitchers soon.
By the way, the Reds don’t see Jose Peraza as a SS at all. He is playing very little there. They see him as a utilityman like Kike.
I am anxious to see Chris Taylor.
Jose De Leon: He’s just working back into pitching shape. He likely needs another month to build arms strength. I see him in early August!
By the way, my “source” tells me that he thinks A-Gon will be a bench player and pinch hitter next year. Just his opinion…
TOP 100 MLB Prospects – Watch for the Mid-season re-rankings!
Agree about Agon. And I hope he is grounding into double plays for some other team…
Who would you replace him with? Part timers? Bellinger? I think A-Gone has something left, he is a pro and he will sort it out…..20 HR hitter>? Probably not, but he can still drive in runs.
We will see on that!
Ron Cervanka has a great read on The Untouchables:
http://www.thinkbluela.com/index.php/2016/06/26/the-untouchables/
Everyone is untouchable except for the prospects that no one wants. Great.
Jharel Cotton appears on that list. He seems always to appear on that type of list. Someone is going to have to clue me in as to why. He doesn’t jump out in the stats and I never see anybody praising his “stuff.”
And while I am here, I don’t see what the Dodgers could lose by playing Barnes. I like Grandal, but something seems to be wrong that needs fixed.
You have to love Willie Calhoun:
https://mlblogsdodgers.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/056-059_hs06.pdf
I do love him. He has cooled off the last 2 or 3 games after several games at a torrid pace. I look for him to come back like gang busters.
Yeah…if he could field worth a damn they would call him up. He can hit, that is for sure….
1. Last year we won with a great #1 and #2 and little else.
2. More churn in the rotation: how exciting!
3. For a guy they don’t see at short, they’ve sure played him there at Louisville a lot.
4. At this rate I see the peanut guy in August.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/06/dodgers-interested-in-jay-bruce.html
I will endorse the trade for Bruce only if one or more of these players go to Cincy;
Kendrick; Hernandez; SVS.
Plus how about we throw in Agon and a pitching prospect and they add Joey Votto?
Bruce hits .230, strikes out a ton, doesn’t hit lefties well, plays bad defense. A perfect fit!
I would rather have Harper or McCutcheon or half a dozen other guys. I speak of Bruce only because FAZ gives some indication of leaning that way.
I rather have Mike Trout then Harper.
Trout has had three straight MVP like seasons, and
Harper, has had that one great year, last year. But he isn’t on the same pace yet, this year.
Trout has the same temperment that Cory has.
They both don’t let there emotions, get in the way of there play.
And they stay on the field.
Dodger rick
Why trade Kemp, and get Bruce? Kemp has as many HRs, in SD, as Bruce has, hitting in that small hitters park.
And Kemp is a much better hitter, and I believe Kemp even moves better, now that he has been well, these last two years.
Bruce is having a career year and then they could let him walk and get another precious draft pick. I think we need a right-handed bat and an innings-eater, but I’m not holding my breath.
Snider
I think you are exactly right. We have been needing a right hand power bat, since the front office traded away Kemp for Grandal, and that third rate pitcher, that they got rid of I believe last year.
and he”s a lefty. we don’t need another one
Excuses excuses excuses, this team is just not any good , leave fantasy land until maybe 2018 so they are saying.
Jay Bruce? That’s the FAZanswer? Last year his WAR began with a 0. In the Cincinnati ballpark.
He is not the answer.
Stay the course. We must trust the process. We must have patience. And faith. And pitching. And a real live thumper. And a leadoff hitter.
No to Bruce for all the reasons above. Saw the Cevanka article on our “untouchables” and agree with some of the content but not all. He mentions that in order to get Lucroy we would have to give up at least DeLeon, Cotton, Stewart and DeJon. Maybe if we took on most of Braun’s contract, was able to extent LuCroy and they also gave us Jeremey Jeffress I would do that.
We could also include Baez, Hatcher SVS and Grandal in the deal. It certainly wouldn’t gut our farm system as we would still have Urias #1, Holmes #3. Montas #4, Buehler #7, Alverez #9, Anderson #14, etc. etc.
To get them to take Hatcher and Grandal you’d have to throw in Urias. “But seriously folks,” I’d sooner give up Holmes and Buehler than Stewart and DeJong.
We already have a much better version of Jay Bruce in Joc; do we really need another one of those??
Nope, we sure do not…….
It is a shame that CK’s extraordinary years do not have any championships to show for them. The Dodgers, to me, are like a jalopy being held together by duct tape. While I wouldn’t be surprised if they make he playoffs as a WC, I don’t expect any championship banner either.
What the team has is a lot of former stars/superstars that know how to play the game, but Father Time has/is catching up with them. Gonzo has a bad back and a herniated disk would not surprise me. The youth is something to be excited about as a fan – I would not like to hear CK’s real thoughts. If this rebuild continues for a couple more years, would it behoove LA to get a kings randsom for CK? I would hate it, but he is owed the right to at least have a chance to win a ring and the Dodgers FO can officially come out and reveal their true intentions. Probably will never happen. Anyhow, I will support this team; however, the Friedman, Farhan and GMs model is wearing thin on me.
If Lucroy is available I trade for him he is what I think Mark has described Grandal to be and he is young. Also with an eye on the future, the guy I wish the FO would target as a FA in ’18 is Manny Machado. He would complement Seager well and could give the team a premier 3rd baseman for the next 6-8 years. Apparently 400m will be the asking price.
Trading for Jay Bruce is a dumb idea. He is a career .250 hitter. He is 3 years removed from the last time he hit 30 homers, he is a below average OF who already has 7 errors this season. And giving up any of our young talent for this guy would be crazy. Where would he play? He is a natural right fielder. Are you going to move Puig and plug this guy in out there? I doubt it. Besides, the Dodgers have plenty of outfielders, and are having a hard enough time finding playing time for them all….LH power they have….RH power is in short supply…
Kemp was a salary dump – pure and simple.
Kemp is two year older than Bruce.
Bruce has triple the WAR of Kemp!
Bruce and Kemp are both horrible outfielders. I would put Bruce in LF.
Anyone can have Matt Kemp if they pick up his salary!
Bruce has reverse splits – he hits lefties a little better than Righties so he’s not a platoon player.
With the right deal, I would take him. I would offer Holmes and Micah Johnson or Kike and take all his salary.
Lineup:
1. Utley/Kendrick 2B (platoon)
2. Seager SS
3. Turner 3B
4. Bruce LF
5. Puig RF
6. Van Slyke/A-Gon 1B
7. Pederson/Thompson CF (strict platoon)
8. Barnes C
Bruce would give nice balance to the lineup. He has changed his approach at the plate and is walking more. While I don’t think he’s a superstar, he could be a nice addition.
I would just like to point out that we’re already paying a good part (and will continue to do so) of Kemp’s salary. If it meets your approval, we could just take him back from San Diego for the salary they are now paying. Is he worth that?
Bruce might have three times the war of Kemp this year, but he hasn’t done that consistently.
And he is hitting in a hitters park. How much power would he really have at Dodger stadium?
3x the WAR? Not sure how that was figured. Whatever. He can run into one now and then, but in the NL West it would be more of then than now. I don’t see him as an answer. What we need is for those we already got to get it going.
Good to see you Gonzo. Hot down there?
Machado? Urias, and the Tulsa Drillers might do it.