DODGERS NEWS/RUMORS Thread

I also blame you for making me think back on that series like a lot. So many memories I had repressed. We should have fucking won. Game 2 and 5 were both so fucking dumb. Fr0m Marwin Gonzalez's cheap ass HR to Cody smashing a ball that didn't go out for no good reason to piece of shit Laz Diaz running into a pick off throw that no one was backing up with Kiké on second base to Gurriel being a racist and MLB suspending him but not for the world series (like that was total bullshit) and him hitting a 3 run HR in Game 5 when he should've been suspended to Bill Miller completely rigging Game 5.

I can't shake the feeling.

That was our fucking year.

Fuck the Asstros forever and always. Fucking cocksuckers got every single fucking break that series and still barely won.

 

The chances that the team moves Muncy are 0.00000%. Turner would go to 1B is the scenario that they gave and the club would move Muncy to 2B for the year. The other talk is that in the event that the club does not get a player like Rendon or Arenado, Muncy is likely to slide over to 3B as his defense at the position is rated significantly better at this point compared to Turner.

 

Nah, you can't move a kid like Gonsolin into that role just yet. I think teams are starting to figure out the best method of preparing starters for relief roles in the PO's and we are just going to see more of that in the coming years. Gonsolin has the upside of a mid-rotation starter and those are too valuable to give up on early, especially when he has shown mostly success at the big league level. The names to watch for next year are Dennis Santana, Mitch White and Marshall Kasowski.

Santana finally got moved to a pen role late this year as it seems that his injury last season did have significant impact on him this year. He had a 70/80 Sinker that now sounds more like a 60/55 pitch that plays down due to command/control issues creeping up. His curve and slider were morphing into one awful pitch at times and his change took a step back after a significant jump at the end of 17 going into the start of 18. If another year from surgery can help his velo come back a bit and his secondaries play up in relief, he has the stuff to be an elite closer as his slider flashed ++ in years before and the change became a legit above average offering. There were scouts 2 years ago that said he needed to get moved to the pen then and there to be a wrecking machine alongside Kenley. The team elected to keep him as a starter and had the injury not crept up I saw plenty of reviews that had said his secondaries had taken such a dramatic leap forward that he was looking more like a mid-rotation starter or better with how every facet of his game continued to improve.

White is the other one that has the stuff to be legit closer at first glance. He has a larger repertoire than Santana, while also possessing 2 pitches that have landed 70/80 grades in past reports. Injuries and loss of mechanics have had major impacts on his career and it sounds like the club COULD finally be ready to move him into a relief role. He has been used exclusively in a relief role in the AFL and seems to be settling in, including a 3 K inning of work his last time out. He has a third potentially plus pitch and that could make him a very dominant force, especially when on. He will lose his mechanics at times and this has led some to believe that this is why he has struggled with injuries as well. Over the last couple of years, I have seen scouts say that he has the best pure stuff on the Dodgers farm with legit front of the rotation upside. After a dominant start to 2019 in AA, it all fell horribly apart in AAA where he was manhandled, but did still maintain a K rate over 1 per inning. His slider is a 70 grade pitch at times, but it used to be considered an 80 by some scouts. Even Keith Law thought it was one of the best pitches in MILB at the start of 2018. IF going to the pen gets his FB, SL and CB to play up, he would be a very dangerous weapon. Pitching on back to back nights is a question for him as White's velo varies start to start.

Unlike the other two above, Kasowski has one pitch and that pitch is 70 grade fastball that comes over the top like he's throwing an axe. His command/control is shit and the arm angle makes it tough to have good secondaries. He COULD be awesome if he can start to harness those items and gets a passable change/curve combo. He was good in AA and has settled in to have a solid run in the AFL. He is more likely a middle reliever that is not used in high leverage situations since he has a lot of work to do on some other parts of his game, but his FB is soooo good that even some marginal steps could return huge gains.

Other than those 3, I am not sure of really anyone else that is on the cusp. Sborz seems more like a middle reliever to me, Sheffield fell apart at the end of the year and his command is still awful and Victor Gonzalez is a name to watch, but it does not seem like he is all the way there yet. OKC had shit for relievers this year while Tulsa had a number of solid performances that should be interested to see how they look going forward.

 

Judas ... you should be blogging for $$$, bro. I don't get intel like this from plaschke or the mooks over at OCRegister ... thanks. Great stuff, CKid.

One more thing - I've read y'all in here describe pitches as 80 or 65 or what have you. I assume that is a 100-point scale, yes? Is there a chart of what constitutes great/good/average numbers, like a grading scale of sorts?

 

Hah, thanks! I used to have a Dodgers blog years ago, but once life got crazy, I didn't have time for it. I also was a lot more hot headed not nearly as much of a level thinker like I am now. I will provide a link that has much more in depth understanding of it, but it is the 20-80 scale that we are referring to when it comes to prospects. 50 is an average tool, 80 is elite. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/scouting-explained-the-20-80-scouting-scale/

 

Wow, pretty cool. Thanks. I wonder why 80 is considered 100? Very odd ...

As a teacher, we were forced to change the six-point scale of grading back in the late 80s, and convert (briefly) to an eight point scale, which has now been a ten-point scale since about 1995 or so. The scales looked like this when I grew up ...

A - 94 to 100
B - 85 to 93
C - 76 to 84
D - 68 to 75
F - 67 and under

Then it went to 92-100, with 63 and under as the new failing, and then, or NOW, it was a straight ten point system:

A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
59 or lower is failing ...

So, in the fangraphs world, I could have a 60+ fastball and still bring it at 93 mph. The fastest I ever threw on the radar gun was in high school, when I damn near blew my elbow out at 87mph. That made me a meager 35 pitcher, or a .230 hitter .... damn, I really sucked ...

 

Realistic Players that could be on the market this Winter:
The talk this winter is going to be the Dodgers and the Yankees, whether we like it or not. The media will be hounding the Dodgers about potential moves and the FO already stirred the pot with Andrew Friedman's recent comments. I have looked at some potential FA targets, and let's do the same for the trade market. Remember, these are players that are realistically available, would fit a need and not unrealistically push a player out of a role.

"Big Game Hunting"

Nolan Arenado, 3B Colorado Rockies, Signed Through 2026 $32.5M AAV - This one is only realistic due to their ownership saying some incredibly idiotic things to kick off the offseason. Arenado would not be an easy get, but he has said in the past that he wants to be a part of a winning franchise and if the Rockies are about to enter a rebuild, he may want out. He could use his NTC to come back home to SoCal making the Dodgers and Angels two threats for his services. The Dodgers have the prospects to make such a deal work and they covet the Rockies star 3B more than they do most others in the sport. If the team misses on Rendon, this would be a great consolation prize. Whether the Rockies move him or not is the biggest question mark as their ownership may just be happy to keep towing him along even if they don't project to be competitive. Arenado would be interesting to see away from the Rockies somewhat ancient methodology of game preparation. DJ LeMahieu surprised a lot of folks by taking off after his exit last season. Chances: Very Slim if only due to utter hatred for Dodgers franchise.

Mookie Betts, RF Boston Red Sox, Signed Through 2020, Arb Control $27M+ Projected - This would be a gigantic get and unlike Arenado, this player is much more likely to be moved. Betts is unarguably one of the best players in baseball on both sides of the ball. Adding him to an OF with Bellinger already in place would put the Dodgers as one of the top teams defensively out there. The Sox have removed him from 2020 marketing pieces and taken him out of team events. He would cost a lot, but there are not a lot of teams with the means of nabbing Betts in both MiLB talent + available funds. Would think the only way the Dodgers do this is if they were to re-sign him long term and this would likely not be paired with much else. Betts also has the versatility to play CF and 2B, but he seems much better suited in RF where he is one of the best players at the position. This would likely not cost nearly in prospects what Arenado would, but it would still cost some hefty pieces. I could very well seeing the FO saying no chance for them getting Lux or May since he has one year left, but probably anybody else is attainable. Chances: Better than people think. The Dodgers have the pieces, the money and aren't a divisional/league rival.

Francisco Lindor, SS Cleveland Indians, Signed Through 2021, 2 yrs of Arb Control $16M+ Projected - Compared to the last two, this would set off a big ripple effect through the franchise as it would mean the end of Corey Seager in Dodger Blue. Both Lindor and Seager have 2 years remaining, but Lindor offers more versatility and has not yet shown an apt talent for shitting all over himself during the playoffs. The Indians owner made some poorly received remarks about his star SS when he said, "enjoy him while you can" in regards to how expensive he was getting. The Dodgers would pair up nicely with the Indians as they would likely want to continue to compete in the years ahead. A potential prospect haul could be reduced with the inclusion of an OF'er or hitter along the lines of a Joc Pederson or Alex Verdugo. Lindor would offer more stability than Seager and is a better all-around player so a 1-1 swap is not realistic. Lindor would also add a bit more flair that was missing in the 2019 after Puig's exit. Chances: Slim. While rumors rumbling that he could be available, the Indians in no way need to trade him now.

Noah Syndergaard, RHP New York Mets, Signed Through 2021, 2 yrs of Arb Control $10M+ Projected - This one is really really REALLY up in the air. The Dodgers have been linked to Thor for the last year+ and there was a lot of talk around the deadline that he was as good as gone. This was pushed mostly by Syndergaard poking the bear with things he was saying and doing on social media, paired with a frustrated GM it seemed all the more likely that he was gone. Then the deadline passed and now he says he's a Met for life and BVW said he envisions something similar. SO WHO FUCKING KNOWS. With that said, if he is available, Syndergaard has the track record and stuff of an ace, but he has been anything but the past 2 seasons as he battled injuries and put together his worst season yet in 2019. It makes little sense for the Mets to move him now as the fears over injuries that plagued him in 17 and 18 were not quelled with what results we all saw in 2019. He would not be on the level of a Strasburg or Cole if they were acquired, but being removed from what is said to be a toxic environment could have a major impact. He has not lost anything in terms of velocity, but movement has taken a hit and he had a 5% drop in his slider usage which is his most elite pitch. There was a lot of criticism of his catcher, but they refused to go away from Ramos due to his bat. I think he is a great change of scenery candidate and though he may not be an ace, he should still be a valuable pitcher for a team with WS aspirations and is cheap enough that the club could still add a big FA alongside of him. Chances: Moderate. If the Mets wise up and move him, the Dodgers would likely make for a great partner with a mix of players that can build up their farm and impact the MLB roster immediately.

"Welp, They're Improvements"

Mychal Givens, RHP Baltimore Orioles, Signed Through 2021, 2 yrs of Arb Control $3M+ Projected - Givens is another change of scenery guy and he seems like someone that could really benefit from getting the hell out of Baltimore. His K numbers jumped in 2019, but saw more damage done in a very tough division and tough home ballpark. I have seen more than a couple folks that think him getting into a much more forward thinking franchise could escalate him into legit closer status. He is cheap and should not be impossible to pry out of Baltimore, though it is said the Astros really like him too. This is a problem as the GM of the O's is a former Astros assistant. Chances: Moderate. The Dodgers are said to have been kicking around him for a couple of years and were trying hard around the deadline.

Tommy Pham, OF Tampa Bay Rays, Signed Through 2021, 2 yrs of Arb Control $8M+ Projected - This is only here as Pham is starting to get pricey and the Rays don't like expensive players. The Rays farm is also loaded at the top, but depth drops off a good bit after their top 10. Pham is a good player at a good value, but the Rays could look to cash out early and get more pieces for what could be an interesting roster in a year or two. They would probably be able to land a solid OF piece from the Dodgers or piece together a 3 team trade where one of the Dodgers many pieces go somewhere else and spects go to Tampa. The Dodgers have been heavily linked to Pham in the past and his postseason performances should be intriguing. One knock on Pham is his attitude can sometimes get in the way as he can be a cranky dude at times and he will absolutely speak his mind. This is one of those deals you make in unison with a couple others (i.e Pollock and/or Pederson being shown the door).
Chances: Weak. I think Pham is an absolute upgrade, but he may not be that in the eyes of the Dodgers FO. He has a checkered injury history and is likely not viewed significantly better than AJ Pollock.


There really aren't on the surface a whole lot of reasonable targets. Whether we like it or not, they probably are going into the winter with a similar idea as the trade deadline of adding needle movers and not just middling guys. The farm and roster is loaded with enough players like that. For the guys that would immediately impact the 25-man roster, they are going to look for guys that are going slot in the rotation in the Top 3, be a Top or Middle of the Order Bat or a Bullpen arm for the back end. If they start to swing and miss behind the scenes, it will probably make for a VERY boring winter. Let's hope they hit on one of the first tier of players above and one of the FA's too!

 

We certainly don't need any cranky guys. Lol Mother hen DR won't know how to reach a no-nonsense type like Pham..oh wait, that's actually a positive. Loved Pham's intense post game interview after Game 4. Guy has an eye disease called keratoconus, is already doing postseason charity work. He's fine

I'd expect the FO to be as interested as ever in Pham. Hell, get both Betts and Pham. Move on from Joc and clear out the other corner as well. Pham, Belli, Betts in the OF works.

 

Dream free agent signings: Anthony Rendon, Will Smith and Gerrit Cole

Who we'll actually sign: Todd Frazier, Drew Pomeranz and a trade for Trevor Bauer with a dash of Houston Asstros Gerrit Cole seasoning on him

 

Fuck Dave Roberts

Fuck Corey Seager

Fuck Cody Bellinger

 

You forgot Gaspar Gomez and the fucking Diaz brothers.

 

Another qualude, you gonna love LA again, mang ...

 

Put Kershaw in any Mookie deal. Hell put him in any Mychael Givens deal.

 

That piece the other day where Turner said he would be happy to move positions for the club was interesting. The Dodgers had supposedly told him that he was getting moved off 3rd prior to 2016 as the team was bringing in Todd Frazier in what eventually became the 3 team trade with the Reds and White Sox. What was weird is they said the Dodgers were not the ones that made that call in the end for him not to come to LA. Not sure how that all works out since it was Sox=>Dodgers=>Reds=>Sox with player movement. I have heard mentions of this in the past by Bowden with everyone under the impression that the Dodgers had gotten Frazier. The lineup that year would have been a lot more interesting if Frazier had been on board with a much more analytically friendly club and I guess Turner at 2B.

 

Oh I would love Pham, was just pointing out the main thing that has gotten him in trouble in the past. With his contract coming up in a couple years, that could only intensify concerns for prospective clubs. He told the Cards FO that he wanted out(can't remember why, but I thought it was contract related) and then still burns them and their fans on occasion to this day. While we as fans go, "haha, I love his attitude, fuck the Cardinals!" the rest of the league looks at it as a potential risk as that could be them next. The new age FO's around the league are filled with risk averse pencil pushers. The last thing they want is some toxic dude coming into the clubhouse and blowing things up. With that said, I WOULD welcome his attitude into the Dodgers clubhouse. Too many nervous Nancy's with no spit or fire. Since Hernandez is more quirky these days, the only ones with any fire seem to be Verdugo and Hill, one if not both may be gone before the next season starts.

 

Think potentially one, MAYBE two of those guys we're lucky.

 

Rumors galore this morning

- The Mets supposedly have some "Bombshell" candidate for their coaching search that has not had their names released to the public. It is not David Wright or AJ Hinch, so speculation is off the charts. The only guys that cause a legit "whoa!" that I can think of are Bochy, La Russa or Torre if it is not someone currently managing somewhere else and two of those guys are too old to manage anymore, imo.

- The Astros have once again found a way to make them hated just in time to win a World Series. The Astros AGM repeatedly yelled at 3 female reporters that he was so glad they signed Osuna just after winning the ALCS. The club came out and said "fake news!" before multiple other reporters came forward to corroborate the SI.com report. This brought to light a story that had been gotten buried over the summer that revealed that the Astros were the only team to have shown considerable interest in OSU's pedophile pitcher, Luke Heimlich. From the sounds of it, it took multiple FO personnel threatening to leave the club before they decided not to sign him. This is becoming par for the course for a franchise that has a growing reputation to do whatever it takes to win even at the expense of their own moral values... but it's Texas and I know they don't give a shit about that stuff anyway.

- The Phillies are said to be split on a coaching decision as the FO wants Buck Showalter while the owner wants Joe Girardi. Personally think both of those are not great choices, so have at it Phill's!

- Forgot this a week or so ago, but most of the Dodgers FO has already had interview requests for positions with other orgs. Friedman alluded that if they lose a big chunk of these people, it could hamper the early part of the offseason as they have lost a number of upper management positions in recent years.

 

Isn't MLB able to dictate policy on such things? The commish can make executive decisions, no?

I mean, if players guilty of drug abuse can be held accountable for that, or spousal abusers as well, can't clubs be punished for signing players with pending or even former crimes of a sexual or violent nature?

Or has the commissioner's position just become totally emasculated since the days of Bud Selig?