In end-of-the-season news, Josh Beckett announced his retirement after the game. He did better for the team than most of us anticipated he would, I think: 6-6 with a 2.88 ERA and a no-hitter before going down for the year with a torn labrum in his hip.
The Dodgers have a passel of free agents led by Hanley Ramirez. The team has until five days after the World Series to extend what’s called a Qualifying Offer of $15.3M (a number set by the Basic Agreement as the average of the 125 highest contracts by average annual value). That ensures that the Dodgers would get a compensating draft pick if Ramirez rejects the offer and goes elsewhere. On the other hand, he could accept it. If so, he and the Dodgers would be committed to one another for next year.
Other free agents: Chad Billingsley (team option of $14M or a $3M buyout — after two surgeries the Dodgers may elect to buy him out); Paul Maholm, Roberto Hernandez, Kevin Correia and Jamey Wright. Dan Haren has earned a $10M player option but even after Tuesday’s game said he remained undecided whether to play or retire. Brian Wilson has a $10M option he’s expected to accept.
Further evidence of the strange nature of the playoffs, not to mention any stats about how often teams with the best records don’t win…
2014 postseason record in games started by Kershaw, Strasburg, Zimmermann, Lester, Price, Scherzer, Verlander: 0-8.
And, from the anything-can-happen-dept:
Gnats all-time postseason record in games started by Zito: 3-0.
If I had expected the season to end this early, I would booked my flight to Buenos Aires for tomorrow instead of November 2nd.
A note on the offense: the Dodgers trailed only the Rockies in runs scored. Scoring runs was not the problem.
A bit of sympathy for the Nat’s. They also had 3 one-run games and fourth with a 3 run margin (the one they won).
No sympathy for the Nats. Failing to eliminate the Gnats is inexcusable.
WBBsAs will be glad to know Wilson will be back next year. Naturally he exercised his player option, seeing as how no one else would pay him half that much. This team gives about as much incentive to be a fan as the Cubs give their long suffering fans.
Ned outbid himself on Wilson, but somebody else had to approve the expenditure. I would hope he’ll manage some sort of comeback.
I keep checking MLB Trade Rumors so I can be the first to celebrate when the Dodgers kick Ned’s whatever clear to Hawaii.
Well, at the deadline, he stood firm.
He was determined not to be the victim of ‘highway robbery’ and also, not to give up any of the ‘blue chip’ prospects…. (Who are these blue chip prosepects? 🙂 )
…..
Instead, Ned went shopping at Big Lots and the 99 Cents Store for some pitching help.
(no offense to these fine shopping establishments, but they have a certain business model, and they are well aware of it.)
One of the great things about baseball is all the stats, both basic and advanced.
From the basic dept.–Dodgers outhit Cards, 39-30, and in 3 of the 4 games. But definitely not at key times. Team BA .285 v SL .238. HRs favored SL, 7-3, the decisive stat.
From the advanced dept–Dodgers 351/394/ OPS .745. SL, 294/452/ OPS .746.
A big.001 higher.
But 8 for 41 with RISP for the Dodgers. The Cards may not look to be a lot better, but home runs don’t care what base the runners were on.
An August post at MLB Rumors had a take on Ramirez:
One I hope does NOT go is you, Link, and this site.
I have appreciated the insight and viewpoints and shared experience all year.
That, exercise, and St John’s wort have helped me cope with being a Dodgerholic!
Thank you!
I have no reason to believe I won’t be here for the remainder of the playoffs and next season. I’m going to post about the ALCS, the NLCS and the World Serious, no matter the Dodgers aren’t in them.
Is there a way the Orioles and Royals can both play in the Series? I really don’t want to see either the Giants OR the Cardinals in it. 🙂
Hey guys… Still kinda disappointed this morning…. More to come, but initial thoughts….
….
1. Bye, Bye: All above listed FA’s. (including Hanley)
2. Add Kirk Gibson to the coaching staff. (in some capacity)
3. 2015 MLB FA Class – just reviewed it – unimpressive.
4. Needs: (as I see them) Catcher, SS, 3B, Utility, Pitching.
….
For 2015…
1. Better defense. Better pitching. More depth.
2. Less emphasis on power, and more on just moving guys along the base paths.
3. Emphasis on playing smart (in every sense of the word) & unselfish baseball.
4. Increase population of more: young, hungry, “pre-big contract” players on roster.
IMHO.
We have one of the best fielding 3rd baseman in the majors who had an OPS+ of 120 signed for another year at $6.5 million and a young fellow in the minors who might easily slide over the third base the next year. Not sure how you arrived at us having a need there in particular.
Yep. I love Juan Uribe !
…
However…. age, injuries, really hot/really cold offensive nature….
I definitely want him on the roster, and playing 3B very often…. but, I’m not convinced he’s my 162-type guy.
Sure, he can always falter, but how much are you willing to spend and who exactly would you get to replace him? What is the priority here as regards your other wants?
Blockbuster deal : Even if it means trading away a Puig ….
….
Target: Elite prospect (s) – plural : An arm and a SS or 3B.
I want somebody hungry who is playing for their first big contract….
Ha! Joc was so hungry that he struck out almost 30% of his PAs.
Granted they need to retool a bit in the face of possible FA depatures, but that is crazy talk for a team that after all won its division and lost 3 games by a total of 4 runs. Can you really identify guys on the team that were not hungry for it?
Turner makes a fine backup for Uribe. That position is set.
Not clear what you mean by “less emphasis on power.” Dodgers did not hit all that many HRs. Ranked # 16 in MLB with 134. OTOH, St. L was 29th with 105.
Then SL hits an insane 7 HR in 4 playoff games, off same-handed pitching.
Linked to an article yesterday about how some of baseball is just plain dumb luck. Yep.
Cubs had most NL HR with 157. AL clubs lead the HR parade every year due largely to bandbox stadiums. Orioles this year with 211; no one else very close.
Dodgers #3 in all of MLB in OPS with .738. Hard to grasp after watching the struggle offensively all year in key situations. IIRC, worst in baseball with bases loaded, which stretches credulity of that OPS ranking and makes the offense “seem” much worse than it really was.
Seems to me most teams have a power guy or two. The Dodgers have had the luxury of 6 between ‘Dre, Kemp, Gonzalez, Crawford, Ramirez, Puig. (Not to mention Uribe) Always seemed odd that when even 1 or 2 were out due to injury, that many commentators/media sounded like there was a big ‘power outage’…. Or, at least … the lineup was depleted. Really?
Needless to say, the Stats did not match up with their ‘power pedigrees’ this season. However, having a lineup where one guy after the next could go deep at any time didn’t play out as quite the advantage that I anticipated. To me, each and every one of these guys should have wanted to become ‘Top Dog’… None seemed that competitive to me. I would have like to have seen that. IMHO.
With Kemp at 27 dingers and Gonzalez at 25… that’s great.
However, injuries aside, it could be said that these guys are either in or close to their ‘prime’…. I’m surprised that looking around that clubhouse, that somebody wasn’t inspired to ‘go off’ for 40. You know, kinda like when guys go to an All Star game and want to show they more than belong.
Could be they did a lot of scoring when it didn’t matter, a blowout one way or the other.
They were involved in 46 blowouts and won 28 (blow out defined as margin of 5+). Not sure what you mean by one way or the other.
I have not posted in what seems like forever. But here goes. I have never been a Mattingly fan. The game just seems too fast for him as manager, and he can’t quite figure out the nuances during the game. I am not sure why the infatuation with Puig. This is the second year he has had that deer in the headlights feel. He is all or nothing, and takes no instruction or guidance from anyone. Granted, Ethier does not have his raw talent, but I had a sense of relief when he was inserted into game 4. And Mattingly’s handling of the pitching staff, don’t get me started. And it is not just what happened against the Cards, this was a team flameout. He has mishandled them all year.
As far as the player makeup of the team, that is more on Coletti. We will see what is done for 2015, but I fear that Hanley is gone. He and Ellis were the only two who seemed to have a clue at the plate. And in the field, much was made on the radio after yesterday’s game about Hanley’s defense and not catching that little looper in the 7th. Well, he didn’t allow the Adams home run. Or the 3 to Carpenter. Or the one to Wong. Or strike out 7 straight times. Or go from RBI leader to easy out killing rallies. I could go on and on, I am a Hanley fan. I know we won’t keep him, and that is a mistake. Ned will replace him with a veteran presence who will impede the progress of someone young.
Mattingly and Coletti, someone should have them study up on baseball history…pitching defense and 3 run homers. That is what wins games.
I have consistently wanted to trade Puig starting in August 2013. Initially I proposed a trade for Miami’s Fernandez and then for Stanton.
I hear the Dodgers may be in talks with the Cubs re: Puig.
Goodbye to Josh. I am agonizing over Hanley and Billz already.
If Hanley really wants to stay in LA he might accept the one year $15.3 offer. If Seager stays at short in 2016 and 2017 before moving to third, Hanley could play short in 2015 and third in 2016 and 2017 if he accepted a 3 year contract.