Here’s tonight’s news from Week 2 at Camelback Ranch:
Clayton Kershaw tossed live batting practice today. He threw two innings of BP (29 pitches), and according to Andy McCullough from the LA times, Kershaw looked “a lot like Clayton Kershaw”.
Alex Wood also threw live BP. Wood is returning from an elbow injury, so he appears to be ready for what will surely be an open competition for the last two spots in the starting rotation, after Kershaw, Kenta Maeda and Rich Hill.
“This day is always not the most fun. It’s about as low-adrenaline as you can, and you have to try to be competitive,” he said. “Overall, it went OK, and I got it out of the way and can pitch in a real game now. You’ve got to get your work in. It’s necessary. You can’t go bullpens into a game, you need to face hitters before a game. It’s the same progression since I’ve been here.” – Clayton Kershaw
Alex Wood had this to say: “Mechanically, it’s probably the best I’ve felt in years,” said Wood. “I felt like I made big strides last year being where I had always been. I strengthened my front side during the offseason and it’s helped my direction, and I think it could up my velocity a tick or two. I already see it.”
From the Good News Dept. : Hyun-Jin Ryu and Scott Kazmir are both feeling good after yesterday’s BP sessions.
Franklin Gutierrez, who was the man in camp without a home, signed to a one-year deal with the Dodgers. Good luck, Frankie!
Late news from Alanna Rizzo: The Dodgers will break camp with 12 pitchers (that’s 5 starters and 7 relievers) and 13 position players.
We’ll give staff ace Kershaw the final word: ” “We’re going to have a lot of competition around here, and someone is not going to be happy,” ace Clayton Kershaw said. “But it’s going to be good for us in the long run.”
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:
Alex Wood. Almost forgot about him. I wonder if he can pitch now. Another pickup that hasn’t worked out. A long list of those guys, but Wood still has a chance. At least he’s young.
JMF. Ever heard of him? Jose Miguel Fernandez. 29 year old (in April) Cuban second baseman. 8 year Cuban slash line of .319/.403/.423. Allegedly the third best player in Cuba. Hernandez, Taylor, Culberson, Utley, Forsythe, Fernandez, Calhoun and sometimes Barnes. I think second base is covered.
The mail wasn’t delivered yesterday. I wonder why?
I ran the numbers. Dodgers 91.9 wins, giants 88.8 wins, Rockies 80.1 wins, dbacks 78.6 wins, Padres damn near 100 losses. Cubs 99 wins. Nats same as the Dodgers. Red Sox and Cubs in the WS.
Ok, I didn’t run any numbers, I made it up. Nostrabadger sees things. I saw Rachel Maddow in a dream last night. She was in bed with my wife and I. We were talking baseball. She picked the Patriots and SF in the WS. I wouldn’t go with that pick if I were you. I need more coffee. Didn’t sleep all that well. You can probably figure out why.
I’ve got the Indians winning the World Series.
Their opponents could be the Dodgers, Cubs, or Giants.
From previous article, sounds like many have given up on McCarthy. Is it possible that if healthy, he could be a pretty good #4?
Yeah, he could be a #4, but the if on that is immense. He’s 33 and pitched 200 innings once in a 12 year career. That’s right, he came up in ’05. Pitched 67 innings for the White Sox, which is about the number we should expect out of him this year. Ok, fangraphs projects as much as 93 innings. I’ll take the under on that. The guy is a crystalline Twiggy.
That said, if by some miracle every pitcher we have stays healthy all year, we have enough of them for two starting rotations. Again HUGE IF.
13 position players = 5 bench players:
Barnes
Ethier
Utley
Gutierrez
Kike
Who “starts” in LF?
Artie – Ethier is my starting left fielder.
Toles not making the squad doesn’t seem right, but I understand the crunch and the options game.
They do not need another lefty on the bench. They have enough problems hitting LH pitching as it is, Toles is young, has options left and is better served playing every day at AAA. He will have a lot of company down there. Thompson, Eibner and probably Hernandez. Holt will get DFA’d
Rye
It isn’t written in stone!
If Toles was able to rise all the way from A ball last year, a little Competition, in spring training, or starting at AAA, is not going to bother him, or get in his way.
Roberts certainly liked what he saw in Toles last year.
Toles not only brings speed to this team, that helps him to take extra bases, but it also allows him to cut off balls in the outfield, that other outfielders wouldn’t get to.
And that is why he had 8 defensive runs saved in leftfield last year, in the short time he played, with the team.
And no other outfielder on the team, came close to the defensive runs, that Toles saved, last year.
He also made one of the biggest ERRORS of the season in the playoffs. And Joc is a much better outfielder than Toles. Toles has one thing going for him….speed…but he also has options left, and with the signing of Gutierrez, I see no spot for the kid. 5 outfielders make the team…SVS, Ethier, Puig, Pederson and Gutierrez.
Michael
Last time I looked, Joc played center, and he doesn’t have to move around, and play in the other outfields.
And he made a big error, in the post season, in 2015.
He got to close to the wall, and blocked out Kike, and the ball went over Joc’s head, and Kike was blocked because of Joc, and a run scored because of this.
And Joc still hasn’t hit above 250, after two years in the majors.
And Joc didn’t just come up from A ball either, like Toles did.
And if anyone didn’t do there job against the Cubs, was Kershaw.
Joc didn’t have better defensive numbers or more defensive runs saved, then Toles.
That is a fact.
MJ, Joc played how many games? And how many did Toles play? Pederson played 132 games and made 2 errors. His fielding percentage was .992. He made 4 errors in 2015. Toles played in 32 games. 23 as a starter and made 2 errors. His fielding percentage was .967. Sorry, Joc is a far superior outfielder, and do not even start about him cutting Kike off. He was a rookie, and rookies make mistakes, just like Toles did. Kike played 62 games, and made no errors in the outfield. But he made 2 at 3rd base. Apples to Oranges, both Toles and Hernandez are scrubs. Pederson is the starter for a reason. Kike’s career fielding percentage as an outfielder is .983. I do not care about runs save, I care about a guy who goes out there every day and plays hard. Joc is a better outfielder period. He runs great routes. This love of Toles based on such a small sample is not warranted. Let the guy play as many games as Pederson, and we will see. His speed allows him to out run his mistakes. Kemp was the same way.
Book it…Kike is not making the cut unless he has a monster spring. He has options left and the guy is not that great with the leather. I would rather see Culberson or Taylor as the backup SS. Both are superior gloves. Fernandez not making the cut either, guy hits LH….and that 5th spot on the bench goes to SVS. Glad Kershaw looked like Kershaw,,,,,,,if he looked like Kazmir, we would really be in trouble.
But having SVS and Gutierrez seems redundant.
If Ethier starts in LF we end up with two guys on the bench in essentially the same role.
Oh well, depth can be a strange thing.
Artieboy
Really Scotty actually has more to offer, if he can finally make it through a season, without getting injured.
Because Scotty can play first, and he really does play pretty good defense, in the outfield.
And defense isn’t Guetierrez’s strength anymore.
Wrong, Gutierrez will mostly come off the bench to pinch hit with an occasional start in the outfield. Scotty can play 1st, and all 3 outfield positions so he is much more versatile than Gutierrez.
Michael
Who are you talking to?
No one said that Guetierrez was better or more flexible then Scotty.
Artie boy and his post that having both is redundant. I disagree
Badger: “Nostrabadger sees things. I saw Rachel Maddow in a dream last night. She was in bed with my wife and I. We were talking baseball. She picked the Patriots and SF in the WS. I wouldn’t go with that pick if I were you. I need more coffee. Didn’t sleep all that well. You can probably figure out why”.
You are in luck, Boxout7 can help!!
FIRST, Put the crack pipe down and step away from the keyboard!
SECOND, Realize that you had a HORRIBLE NIGHTMARE and your mind must be “scrubbed” of this terrible memory or you are doomed to a life of total misery!
THIRD, Remember that OCCASIONAL bad thoughts are normal. This is possibly the single easiest way to start addressing your problems. Too often you believe that you are the only one with problems, or that no one understands what you are going through.
Mad Dog Maddow? OK, forget this one, if Maddow virus has entered your brain, YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM! NO ONE understands what you are going through!!! Go to Fourth!
FOURTH, Think about what makes the thought “bad.” Why are you upset about this thought? What is making it stick in your head? Often times bad thoughts persist because you feel guilty, angry, or unsure about the future. So thinking about why you are caught on the same thought can help give it shape.
OK, you’re thinking she makes more sense as a sports commentator than a political commentator, you feel guilty! You probably don’t know it but this is Good!! Progress!! However, thinking about Maddow’s shape in your bed is too horrible, isn’t it?? Go to Fifth!
FIFTH, Slow down your thoughts with a few deep breaths.
Sorry! I know the last thing you want to do is “slow down” those thoughts. Maybe a couple “deep” bong hits right about now! Go to Sixth.
SIXTH, Talk through your bad thoughts with someone you trust.
OK, I know we haven’t always gotten along and this is very serious! You need a specialist, someone you trust completely!!! Contact Fraudy at Dodger Therapy and find out where he got his lobotomy. Do it. Problem solved!!!
Man, your glass is empty, but it sounds like a few minutes ago it was filled with Wild Turkey. Sober up and when you do, try posting again.
Boxout
All of these Russian connections, can easily short circuit someone’s brain, and make them wonder, how long is it going to take.
Take God baseball is begining so we have a good escape, almost everyday.
Gutierrez and SVS ARE redundant Artie. It’s what the FAZophants call depth. Same same as second base. We got a half dozen bodies that might add up to 3+ WAR at that position, which is a good thing. Our platoon in left looks like Ethier and Toles from the left side and SVS and Gut from the right side. Looks like another 3+ WAR out of that position. If we can get 3+ WAR out of every position, including all 5 starting pitchers and our bullpen we will win about 115 games, run away from the competition and breeze through the playoffs. Easy breezy, maybe like the 2001 Lakers – they finished 23-1. That would be a record.
Toles being left out just seems wrong, but I think he’ll have at leasts 200 ABs in the majors this year even if he starts in AAA.
If SVS is healthy, he helps a lot as he plays all 3 OF positions and first base as well as being RH. Regardless of what happens in spring training, I think Kike needs to start in the AAA and prove that he can hit AAA pitching at a decent clip, before he takes a valued bench spot.
If Gutierrez can hit consistently as a pinch hitter, I can see Toles called up to replace SVS if SVS can’t cut it.
Toles was only there because Ethier wasn’t. If ‘dre is whole, and by all accounts he is, Toles ain’t needed.
MJ: “All of these Russian connections, can easily short circuit someone’s brain, and make them wonder, how long is it going to take”.
Yes, Dr. MJ, all those imagined “Russian Connections” could definitely cause a “short circuited brain”. Perhaps that is why Badger fantasizes about Randy Maddow. Do you agree with my lobotomy treatment plan for Badger? He seemed quite hostile to my treatment plan by viciously attacking ME the messenger. If WE can get Maddow out of his bed, perhaps, he can have a better result than Randle McMurphy did in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”.
What is your fixation on Maddow? Does her Stanford education, Rhodes Scholarship and PhD from Oxford frighten you? You prefer the dropout Hannity no doubt. He speaks to your level?
I made a joke and you get stupid about it. Lighten up. It’s just a blog.
And by the way, those connections are not imaginary. You might want to check your sources.
I like your posts today, Boxout. They’re funny but Badger probably won’t think so.
You think he’s funny?
Funny is funny, no matter who does it. Hell, anything is an improvement over repeating the Dodger “news” for the tenth time. The game is on the field, not in the talking about it.
Funny is funny. Catbox ain’t funny. He’s mean spirited.
We’re close to seeing some action. There will be more to analyze soon.
Jonah
I just read that the power ball is at a very large sum, should we get a quick pick?
Badger
I hope Austria helps us out.
There is way to much stuff, and connections out there.
Justice Department neutered MJ. Austria help won’t matter.
Boxout
I am not no nurse Ratchet!
Was Boxout the young fellow that stuttered?
No, and Billy Bibbit only stuttered because he wasn’t getting laid. As soon as he did, no more stuttering, but, then MJ, err I mean Nurse Ratchet spoke with him, very sad. Just kidding Dr. MJ.
I picture myself more like the Chief. Remember how he rescued Randle McBadger after his treatment from a horrible life? Like the Chief, I just wanted to help Badger find solice from the obvious horror he was experiencing from finding himself in bed with Randy Maddow. I gave him good advice, but NOOOOO he didn’t appreciate it! Oh well, some people insist on living in misery! I should have expected it!!
There isn’t very many actors, like Jack Nicholson, anymore.
I can still hear him saying pick the dam thing up Chief, and just toss it, at the window.
That was terrible time in history, when they thought a lobotomy, was the answer.
And that one Kennedy girl was given, a Lobotomy, when she was just a young women.
Will Sampson
Sadly, Dr. MJ, sometimes a lobotomy is the best option and I don’t say this lightly! I think old Joe Kennedy was a monster to get his daughter one.
However, I worry in Badger’s case, without that treatment plan, he might come home, pound a hole in the door, stick his head through the hole and holler, “Here’s Johnny!”.
Of course, he would have to be institutionalized after that, requiring only a typewriter and a ream of paper, so he could type endless forms of “All work and no play makes Badger a dull boy”!
Not much of a life, perhaps a lobotomy is this case would be for the best. Do you concur Dr. MJ?
Catbox is Ellis
Michael Berryman. Handsome devil, isn’t he?
Badger
But all of these things, might push the rebubs in senate, to ask for an independent prosecutor.
Truth, Badger. Would you trade CatBox straight up for Mark Timmons?
Nope.
I’d trade him for Bum. Brooklyn. TODave. SLOTim. friddo. wrecks. Venice Glen. A lot of knowledgeable posters done disappeared.
Now, MJ, we all know there are people who would be better off with a lobotomy, and others who should have them anyway.
If you believe this, you probably voted for Hillary or Trump…
https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/834154592736858113
Isn’t Vegas a Dodgers market? And an Angels market? Dbacks. giants. Rockies. I think all of them are blacked out there. And no, I didn’t.
I looked it up sometime ago when I was thinking of streaming. If I remember correctly, they’re all blacked out except the Rocks. I just can’t see a lot of people buying tickets, the gambling and floor shows, the heat. I think it’s just a threat to scare Maricopa County into buying them a new stadium…
I think the Raiders would work in Vegas. Not baseball.
I think you could be right about that…
Magic takes over the Lakers. About damn time. Buss was a total bust and Kupchak is one of the worst GM’s ever…….oh how I long for Jerry West!
Zeke from Cabin Creek!!!
I saw him and Baylor at the Sports Arena not long after the Lakers moved to LA> The center that night was a guy named Rudy LaRusso…..Hot Rod Hundley was on that team too….
Kupchak was good for a long time. He lost whatever magic he once had.
The interference of Jim Buss led Mitch astray the last few years. Hate to see Lou go, but it was the right move.