DODGERS NEWS/RUMORS thread

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by Dodgers99, Oct 28, 2018.

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  1. fsudog21

    fsudog21 DSP Legend

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    Who cares? He hit well in the Brewer series, but totally blew (homo) in the first series and the World Series.

    Guess you could say he fit right in.
     
  2. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    It is his dad, so who knows how truthful he is being as he could be thinking that this could drive up offers. It also does make sense to me though. If he is actually cheaper than Bryce, he could be a better fit since as you mentioned, we are in desperate need of a RH bat. I would not be shocked if the plan was to potentially move Turner to 1B if they think Muncy can handle 2B well enough. We have a serious lack of a RH presence right now as Turner is the only real threat and as I have been saying, everything coming up in minors are LHH. I still think it is a big stretch, but it is an intriguing idea. Sign Manny, trade Pederson+prospects to the Tigers for Castellanos and have some dangerous L+R+L+R+L up and down the order.
     
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  3. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    interesting too
    because i hated all the bkitch shit he pulled
    but if his teammates/roberts like him, and he produces...
    would still prefer bryce though
    especially w/what colorado posted yesterday about swing changes/return...
    racist
     
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  4. rube

    rube DSP Legend Staff Member Administrator

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    All Manny needs is to have Utley as his coach.
     
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  5. THINKBLUE

    THINKBLUE DSP Gigolo

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    Just get both

    Muncy 2B
    Seager SS
    Turner 1B
    Harper LF
    Machado 3B
    Bellinger CF
    Realmuto C
    Platoon/Villar RF

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2019
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  6. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    if our guys wanted to, they could get both
    like steinbrenner's late 90's early 2000's yankees
    get the best, fuck what everyone else thinks
    sure the luxury tax was not as severe back then
    but i have no doubt steinbrenner still would have proceeded the same way
    harper would already be a yankee... george would have made sure of that
    guggenheim can posture all they like, but their profit margins well exceed any operating costs
    want to win, open your fucken wallet
     
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  7. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    Reds are closing in on a deal to get Sonny Gray from the Yankees. The Reds are by no means world beaters at this point, but they are going to be a pesky team in the central this year. It will be interesting to see with their MiLB depth(still expected to be well in tact after this) it they could still go after Keuchel to try and round out a solid rotation. Their payroll would be about $40M over the highest it has ever been, but that could put them in WC discussion.
     
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  8. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    a couple days old but...

    Dodgers are letting the luxury tax dictate their offseason, and it’s getting old
    by Dustin Nosler | True Blue LA — 15 January 2019

    [​IMG]

    I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of talking about the luxury tax. Yes, it’s a dumb rule that was collectively bargained for back in 2012, but it’s exhausting to have to keep referring to it.

    The fact that the Dodgers — the Los Angeles Dodgers — are treating it like a hard cap this winter is infuriating. I was OK with it last year — I even wrote a bit about it. But the stipulation in my mind was that they were resetting the tax so they could spend a little more freely. Not necessarily a $250-300 million payroll (which they could afford), but to at least not be scared of the defacto salary cap.

    Here were are on Jan. 15 and the two premiere free agents — Bryce Harper and Manny Machado — are still unsigned. Harper and Machado, both 26, aren’t your typical free agents because of their youth. Rare is the time a player in his mid-20s hits the open market. Yet, the Dodgers aren’t really in on either one. There were rumors and I’ve heard behind the scenes that Harper does want to play for the Dodgers, but it’s up to the Dodgers to pony up the dough. That doesn’t necessarily mean bending to Scott Boras’ whim, but the fact that they’re reportedly not willing to go beyond 5-6 years for one of youngest and best free agents in recent memory is a terrible look.

    There are pros and cons to a Harper or Machado signing, but there’s risk in every acquisition. And the Dodgers — unlike most willing teams — wouldn’t be hamstrung if Harper doesn’t live up to whatever contract he eventually signs. Side note: Folks like to focus on the negative. But, what if he’s good? No one ever says that when debating the pros and cons of signing Harper. But I digress.

    The Dodgers have lost about 10 wins of production this offseason. They’ve lost Yasmani Grandal, Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood and added Joe Kelly, Russell Martin and a couple prospects who are a few years away from contributing. They opened up a spot for Alex Verdugo, but there’s no guarantee he’ll out-produce Puig in 2019. Because the NL West projects to be not great, the Dodgers could probably go out and win the division with the squad they have presently. But after having a championship slip through their hands in 2017 and being outclassed last year, you’d think the prevailing thought would be to go all-in. Instead, Andrew Friedman — via ownership mandate or not — is treating the Dodgers like they were his Rays. And that doesn’t work in Los Angeles.

    We know the Dodgers stated they weren’t going to run a league-high payroll every year and it’s hard to truly complain about a nearly $190 million payroll, but when you almost literally print money and don’t use that to your advantage, that’s when you get folks to really start questioning your methods.

    ———

    Since the Dodgers reset their luxury tax penalty, they should be spending a little more than they have so far. Let’s look at the Red Sox last season. The World Series champs ran a $239.5 million payroll. They had to pay $11.95 million in luxury tax penalties. They paid that tax and ended up with a championship, but the Dodgers won’t even consider going over the tax again? That doesn’t seem right. Of course, spending money doesn’t automatically ensure a title, but it definitely doesn’t hurt, either.

    We don’t know for sure that the Dodgers aren’t willing — they extended Clayton Kershaw for more than $30 million a season and gave Hyun-Jin Ryu the qualifying offer — but their moves since then, coupled with the report from the LA Times that they might stay under the luxury tax the next four years, makes it look like they won’t make a big financial splash this winter.

    One benefit the Dodgers have is their payroll. They can use it in a way that most teams aren’t willing to. They did so when they made the Nick Punto trade in 2012 and in other deals in the past that saw them take on and/or eat a lot of money to reduce the prospect price (Hanley Ramirez). Yet, they don’t seem willing to do it now.

    If the Dodgers had won one of the last two World Series, this might be a bit more palatable. But as it stands now, the Dodgers aren’t the best team in the NL. They had to go to Game 163 to win the NL West last season. They might be OK to make the playoffs and we know it’s a crapshoot, but when the premiere free agent has either already played for you (Machado) or wants to (Harper) and you’re not interested because of some artificial/self-imposed salary restriction is the wrong message to send fans.

    The Dodgers want to build the farm system and win that way. That’s fine. That’s a good strategy. But they don’t have any truly impactful prospects due up anytime soon. Verdugo is nice, but he won’t likely carry an offense. Keibert Ruiz is a stud, but there are questions about his power developing. Best-case scenario for him is a Grandal/Victor Martinez type. While good, those guys aren’t/weren’t true impact players. There is no Walker Buehler, Cody Bellinger or Corey Seager coming anytime soon. This is the prime time to supplement the lack of impact potential on the farm with one of the biggest potentially impactful free agents in recent memory.

    Pitchers and catchers report in a month. The Dodgers are worse now than they were at the end of the season. Here’s hoping that changes in the next 30 days because if the reason they don’t get Harper is because of the luxury tax, it’s going to be hard for ownership and the front office to live that down — especially if they fail for a third consecutive season in their quest to break the now 30-year championship drought.

    It’d be nice to never have to write the words, “luxury/competitive balance tax” ever again. Unfortunately, it isn’t going anywhere and the negotiations for the next Collective Bargaining Agreement promise to be eventful.
     
  9. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    could easily see gray, roark and wood shutting down our offense [as currently constructed]
     
  10. THINKBLUE

    THINKBLUE DSP Gigolo

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    Honestly, screw K. Ruiz.
    He's good relative to his position and how shitty catchers are league-wide. But he ain't moving the needle for a championship any time soon, if ever.
    We have enough high floor prospects.
    It is time to go all-in.
    2017 grows more devastating by the day.
     
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  11. Sauce

    Sauce Troll

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    Something just doesn’t seem right. Every team is treating the luxury tax like a hard cap. And it is incomprehensible that such few teams are interested in either Harper or Machado (both 26 year old generational talents). Isn’t it odd that all 30 teams came to the same conclusion at the same time that they prefer profits over winning? Feels ... collusive.
     
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  12. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Yeah I'm gonna say we have different definitions of " totally blew ", at least in regards to the Braves' series. I'm pretty sure Machado put a couple Ws in the win column in that series, Game 2 and Game 4. Hard to say somebody that slugged nearly .600 " totally blew "

    As for the WS, he totally blew


    Not yet. 1 meh run doesn't qualify him. LAD has set a standard here Lol
    I say sign him so he gets another couple/few runs, so we can really see if he fits in
    Also sign him because Turner's defense at 3B is showing cracks
     
  13. THINKBLUE

    THINKBLUE DSP Gigolo

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    Ah, the luxury tax.

    The league incentivizes tanking and punishes success. The players and fans suffer with below market salaries (by $ / WAR) and a mediocre product.

    All in the name of "leveling the playing field".

    And at the end, "crap shoots" aside, there are only 2-3 super teams at the end with a realistic chance. Usually those teams are the ones who were rewarded for tanking.

    And the owners have an excuse to line their pockets while peasants like us subsidize it with our tickets and cable subs.
     
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  14. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Steinbrenner was so overrated, god rest his soul if he hasn't fired him yet.
    The second that MLB banned him for his Winfield escapades, and he was no longer allowed to push his execs to make shitty trades, the Yanks were able to build a great core through their farm..then Steinbrenner returns from being banned and basically just hops on for the ride after the course is set.
    Commish Vincent basically saved the Yankees by banning Steinbrenner from day to day management.
    But I will say this on his behalf..he would've fired Roberts' cornball ass a long time ago Lol
     
  15. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    absoluetly reeks of collusion
    a big fuck you from the owners (collectively) to boras, lozano and whoever else
     
  16. blazer5

    blazer5 DSP Legend

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    Yankees pen is ridiculous
     
  17. BlueMouse

    BlueMouse 2020 World Champions

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    I don't know if I'd go as far as saying it's collusion, but treating the luxury cap as a hard cap seems somewhat arbitrary. If you go $10 million over the cap as a first-time offender, the resulting penalty is such a small percentage of your overall payroll that it's hard to claim it's a devastating blow to the business. If staying under the cap is the goal, then why not $10, $20, or $30 million under the cap? That's even more profitable.

    I get having a rough operating budget. You can't go nuts all the time. But one season over the cap to sign a transcendent talent? Arguably the biggest free agent to hit the market in nearly 20 years? And the way teams are locking up talent nowadays, he could be the biggest player to hit free agency for the next 20 years.
     
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  18. rube

    rube DSP Legend Staff Member Administrator

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    slow down Kap
     
  19. LAdiablo

    LAdiablo descarado

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    wonder what the numbers are on how many of these large contracts turn into shit are?
    have to figure any team would hate to take that first year injury/never was the same again shot to the gut
    destroys your team for a fucking decade
    not like either of these guys is the greatest to play the game
    i wouldn't say collusion at all
    looks more like fiscal sanity
     
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  20. Gebbeth

    Gebbeth DSP Legend

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    I'm not convinced it's collusion. Even last off season, the wait was long before teams started to pay for players, but did end up paying. But when you look at the contracts for Darvish and Arrieta and how those turned out, any wonder teams are again thinking over the metrics of what a fair contract really entails.

    Look at the Angels and AP. I'm pretty sure the Angels would not give that kind of contract again....which will make the Trout negotiations pretty interesting.

    That being said, our FO has not addressed the SP, BP, 2nd base, and now the hole in RF and RHP. So what is the deal?

    Platoon RF? Pray for 2nd base? Hope Martin has an extraordinary year? Cross fingers that CK and KJ suddenly grow a pair of balls in the off season into the playoffs?

    I'm just not clear what this FO plan is for the team. After 2 WS appearances and failures, you would think we would go all out before this team becomes a huge reset and rebuild project.
     
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