Two of the first four Dodgers’ games in 2018 will be on ESPN.
ESPN will televise the Dodgers-Giants opener on Thursday, March 29, a 4 p.m. PT start, and will also showcase the series finale on “Sunday Night Baseball,” a 5:30 p.m. PT start. Both will be exclusive telecasts by ESPN, which means no SPNLA broadcast of either game.
Hmm. Kershaw pitches Opening Day, Hill in Game Two, Maeda in Game Three and Wood in Game Four, I’m guessing.
Sales pitch: https://twitter.com/kikehndez/status/937489771592499201
If Dodgers are to go big FA route, article on why Stanton now better fit than Harper next year, money-wise. https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-dodgers-should-pursue-giancarlo-stanton/
That link contained this:
According to Cots, the Dodgers current CBT commitments for 2019 stand at around $101 million, but that doesn’t include any money for arbitration-eligibles or pre-arb big leaguers, who will cost the team about $35 million in 2018. So if we assume the team will spend similarly in arbitration next winter, they’d slot in at around $135 million based on current expenditures.
I would roll the dice that the current 40 man roster can get the Dodgers into the WS again and then if that approach proves embarrassing, go hard for Machado or Harper. The Dodgers got to the WS last year and while that whet the appetite of fans, it also will carry fans’ enthusiasm through 2018.
I would tweak the 40 man roster but the first goal for me would be to reduce the 2018 payroll.
Ok, but there is a scenario involving Stanton which would include staying below the luxury tax for 2018, involving salary dump and prospects, if that is the first goal.
Forsythe, McCarthy to Angels for C.J. Cron?
Grandal, Ryu to Orioles for Britton?
Gonzales, Puig, Kazmir, Alvarez to Marlins for Stanton?
Now your thinking! Guessing that AGon would be hard to move without having to swallow a chunk of his salary. Kaz as well. On the other hand, more prospects to the Fish could be used to help lower how much of Stanton’s salary would have to be assumed.
Marlins said to be not interested in Ohtani because of cost! Basically a $20 million posting fee. Also shopping Stanton to reduce costs. MLB approved sale to this group so that they could act line Bain and Company? They ranked 19th last year. I understand going the rebuilding route, but one would think that MLB would want owners brining in capital, and not sucking it out (see, McCourt, Frank)
Jeter does seem to be an awfully tight-fisted owner in his early appearances.
I think Jeter’s just there to put a famous face on the franchise. the Miami McCourts prefer to stay behind the scenes.
‘Tis the season for brining… https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dd68fab1d44ec17cab9204fd65ab301c274f6dd775da07c252666b3e47d5384e.png
Lots of sugar and salt.
Hendley asked for it…
Dodgers pursuit of Ohanti is almost a decade old. http://dodgersdigest.com/2017/12/01/shohei-ohtani-posted-and-his-history-with-the-dodgers/
Meter running on Ohtani, coaching vacancies filled, and eight players were tendered contracts:
Yanks and Dodgers said to be on the five-club shortlist for Ohanti. That would sure be a coup. Logan White said he had Klayton-like potential. Bat has been big in Japan and not sure how it translates, but probably adds another, at least, average bat to the 25-man without reducing number of pitching staff.
Pads, who Logan now works for, also said to be in the running.
I’d much sooner have him than Stanton.
Clock is ticking on Ohtani. 20 more days to reach a deal. Much cheaper. Perhaps both. Stanton is sitting there on a silver platter and hard to pass up. How else do they spend their money? Wait for next year? Or don’t go the big FA route at all?
Giancarlos has a history of fragility, and the length of his contract is Pujolsian.
Article invoking Pujols. http://www.ocregister.com/2017/12/01/miller-giancarlo-stanton-a-dodger-unlikely-and-unnecessary/ Shouldn’t underestimate the risks involved, nor overestimate them. Stanton has lost time in the past after HBP. Wouldn’t consider him to be “fragile” in the classic sense like, say, Harper, but point taken. The length of the contract is Pujolsian, but Albert was signed at age 32, whereas Stanton would be 28. If Pujols had been signed at that age, 2017 would have been his last year after putting up OPS+ 140 from age 28 through 37.
Length of contract is used to reduce annual average salary for luxury tax purposes and not necessarily an indication of what the club might think would be a player’s contribution in those later years.
Yesterday I realized that Vin Scully and my wife share a birthday (though she’s a bit younger).
Pursuant to Bob_Hendley’s comment below, here’s the latest column of rumors about Stanton from the local newspaper.
Stanton to Dodgers talk really heating up among writers. Not so much as regards actual talks taking place between the teams, but in terms of what Stanton is said to want (West Coast contender) and Dodgers ability to absorb a good chunk of the contract and provide prospects relative to other potential suitors.
Dodger fans could be moaning about Stanton’s contract like they have done with Crawford’s, Ethier’s, Gonzales’ when they were no longer contributing. The last 3 years of his contract could be painful.
There is moaning and then there is moaning (see Hatcher). Issues is whether it hamstrings the franchise (Pujols comes to mind). Only three years would be great, depending on the contributions in the previous eight.
There is the larger issue of whether the owners want to go this way. CW was that they were moving to get under luxury tax to be in a position to grab one or more of the FAs next year (Harper, Machado, etc) and that Stanton becoming available now might accelerate the process. Perhaps they don’t go that way at all.
An excellent article about Yu Darvish in SI.
Enjoyed his short stint with the Dodgers (though not the short stints in games 3 and 7).
Grant is pessimistic (or perhaps optimistic, if you’re a Dodgers fan)… https://twitter.com/mccoveychron/status/935618340793540609
Relevant quotation… https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/73a29866492b28b4143062563df515e87e140d13719c8a02857fb4f15d3b5af3.png
I guess you could make a case for the ‘Stros, but… https://twitter.com/BaseballAmerica/status/935610024675676160
Grant on Stanton and Dodgers. https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2017/11/28/16710344/giancarlo-stanton-trade-rumors-dodgers-marlins
With the possibility of getting him and staying under luxury tax.
I beat you to it.
Certainly doesn’t seem beyond the realm of possibilities. Salary dump could keep them under luxury tax, but trade off would be more prospects and maybe a current 25-man player.
Grant seems to fear that Giancarlo will become a Dodger… https://twitter.com/mccoveychron/status/935584929710305281
It’s early in the Hot Stove League and that is when I throw out ideas that are more unrealistic than probable.
The Angels need a third baseman.
Stanton, Forsythe, Verdugo, Hill/Ryu to Angels.
Trout to Dodgers
Grandal, McCarthy, Puig, Heredia to Marlins
2b Taylor
ss Seager
CF Trout
3b Turner
RF Bellinger/Toles
LF Pederson
C Barnes
1B Ohtani/Bellinger
Dodgers Ohtani proposal would apparently put him at first and shift Cody to the outfield.
Giancarlo quiere ir a los Dodgers… https://twitter.com/elnuevoherald/status/935300709469143041
Can’t blame him.
In bittersweet news, he’s going out as a Dodger… https://twitter.com/mlbtraderumors/status/934861474618597377
Good ol’ 3.5!
Dre’s agent now denying report.
Yes, somebody spoke too soon… https://twitter.com/kengurnick/status/934877875529924608
I am more than happy if the Dodgers were to start the season with this lineup:
Taylor, Seager, Turner, Bellinger, Puig, Pederson, Barnes, Forsythe.
Kershaw, Wood, Maeda, Ryu, Buehler/Stewart or hopefully Ohtoni.
I like having Toles and Verdugo as young inexpensive talent available as needed.
I would give Grandal playing time as he seems to be a much better player in the first half than he is in the second half. His value would increase for a mid-season trade if he hits early in the season. That would give Barnes more rest that would help him be strong in the second half and give Smith more time to develop and be Grandal’s replacement after the trade.
It would be great if Morrow were re-signed and I would like to trade for Britton.
I have always gone back and forth with Puig. My main concern with him is his threat to the center fielder. He will be a free agent soon enough anyway. Now might be a good time to use him to help get a team to take on Gonzales’ contract.
I would love if the Dodgers could dump the contracts of McCarthy, Kazmir, and Gonzales.
I am curious if Toles could be converted to a middle infielder like Russel and Lopes were. He could be the lefty hitting compliment to Forsythe.
In summary, I think the Dodgers could improve by subtraction more than addition other than relief pitching and adding Ohtoni.
I would like to trade for Thousand Oaks native Christian Yelich. I would offer Verdugo and Puig and one or two pitchers from Ryu, Santana, Oaks, Stripling, McCarthy, May.
The righty bats that would have to carry the Dodgers against lefties would have to be Barnes, Forsythe, Turner, Hernandez. Puig didn’t help against lefties last year anyway.
Then what do you do with Taylor? He played a very good CF for us, and that’s Yelich’s position too.
I don’t think we particularly need outfielders.
Yelich has been primarily a left fielder until last year. Trading Puig and Verdugo opens a spot in the outfield for Yelich. 2018 will probably be Forsythe’s last year with the Dodgers at which time it seems like Taylor and an unproven Lux alone are the only good in-house replacements.
If Forsythe again fails to hit righties which is what he will see 70% of the time, Taylor could be the second baseman in 2018.
The Dodgers rather unceremoniously released Fernandez, the Cuban left handed hitting 2nd baseman. Wonder what happened. He hit pretty well in AA and was supposed to be on the fast track to the Bigs when they signed him last year.
Speculation about Fernandez here.
Seemed to be producing with the bat, perhaps fielding was questioned. Maybe the nature of the injury was it.
You have been yearning to get Yasiel out of RF (either to another team or to 3rd base) for quite some time. Seems like a lot of value to give up for Yelich, particularly given that our current CF had a better season than he did. Donnie Baseball would be fit to be tied if Puig landed with the Fish.
That yearning comes and goes and right now it is based only on his take-no-prisoners approach to chase down balls into right center. He still has a need to try to make the super play or throw.
Puig to third seemed like it would fulfill a need at third but Turner is now signed there. The Dodgers have long-term possibilities for the outfield but not with the infield.
As you know I will through out trade scenarios that stretch my imagination and most replies seem to say something like the other team would never do that trade so I try to eliminate that reply. I agree, it is more than should be needed to get Yelich.
Miami can always flip Puig if Mattingley is in the way.
Puig at third is an absurd idea. He’s a born RF. Turner’s contract runs three years more, IIRC.
He is a great right fielder. He could also be a great third baseman. Reggie Smith was a good right fielder yet he also played some third base.
Try to find an exit from that small box your imagination lives.
So, what would you do with Turner? He would have no position.
Please read what I actually said.
Or, to play your game, I should ask why you want Puig at shortstop when Seager is already there.
You said nothing about Turner’s displacement under your scenario.
Bumsrap Bob_Hendley • a day ago
That yearning comes and goes and right now it is based only on his take-no-prisoners approach to chase down balls into right center. He still has a need to try to make the super play or throw.
Puig to third seemed like it would fulfill a need at third but Turner is now signed there. The Dodgers have long-term possibilities for the outfield but not with the infield.
Turner has three years left on his contract, and he’s a 3B only. Possible Seager will move there when Turner’s contract is up.
Always invigorating to start the season off with the giants at home.
And against Stanton as well?
Walk him!
Every time
If the Gnats acquire Giancarlo – highly unlikely given their lack of anything to offer for him – he will lead the league in walks. They would have absolutely nothing else in the lineup.
It only took Bob two words to say all that 🙂
Thanks franchise not in a good position to upgrade. Lot of older guys on the downside with big contracts. Maybe they spend a bundle on J.D.?
J.D. would cost them less than Stanton, but he’d be a huge defensive liability at TPBTBNL. With Pence, they’ve already seen how fast things can go bad in the OF.
You are the anti-Boris. They did win a championship with Pagan patrolling CF after all. Heck, they had Pence in RF and Morse in LF, both with dWARs worse than what J.D. put up last year.
You’d prefer the real Boris? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ce43333d9cb6078bef9ac3a4887dd5a1da32465c51aff55730bb3a00815a787b.jpg
Or perhaps Boris Badenov?
Happy Turkey Day, everyone.
Turkey’s hard to find in Buenos Aires, so I had a seafood risotto tonight (though, personally, I do like turkey).
Dry-brining is the bomb. Who knew?
Huh?
Turkey-talk.
Sure. Is it like a dry rub?
Probably. You apply the kosher salt and herbs in between the skin and flesh of the turkey as well as on top and inside two or three days ahead and leave it uncovered in the fridge. Cooked SO fast! 2 3/4 hrs for an 18 pound bird. But absolutely delicious!!!
Grateful for all of you, my fellow asylum inmates, friends, and fans of the Blue.
Cheers back at ya RBI and to all who hang here.
Lemme have that embalming fluid.
Meanwhile, in travel news… https://twitter.com/Fahrenthold/status/933448055206096896
I don’t quite understand this list. Is it a list of teams that have formerly used Trump Hotels but no longer do so? Is that what the “left after” part means?
Also – this list looks about as official as the lists I make about different sports related things. That is, not very.
Farenthold won a Pulitzer last year for reporting on Trump’s charitable “giving”. He’s legit, even if his list is scrawled on spiral notebook paper.
Turns out that page was part of his working notes for this article in October.
Somebody thought running for president would be good for business. Ha.
So, the season’s entire first weekend will be a blackout.