Bleacher Report has the latest reactions to the Astros’ sign-stealing. Justin Turner wonders why Dallas Kuechel “apologized” since he didn’t hit during the Series in question.
Bleacher Report has the latest reactions to the Astros’ sign-stealing. Justin Turner wonders why Dallas Kuechel “apologized” since he didn’t hit during the Series in question.
It looks as if Mookie will become a Dodger after all, at the cost of Verdugo and Jeter Downs. https://twitter.com/mlbtraderumors/status/1226637466813288448?s=20
Further details… https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1226641372712665088?s=20
Vinnie on Letterman:
https://twitter.com/BSmile/status/1226321044060983297
There’s some interesting analysis of the Astros’ trash-can banging at this site:Sign Stealing Scandal.
I got the link from this article at The Athletic.
Charts follow.
If you see a subscription offer from The Athletic, I’d say look into it. If you subscribe to Sports Illustrated and are annoyed that it’s now a monthly rather than a weekly, use that subscription money for The Athletic instead.
I have seen articles that suggest that part of the decrease was due to a turnover in their lineup. If you just take a look at BF pages for 2016-17, you can eyeball that change.
“BF?”
Oops. BR
Lotsa arb news today… https://twitter.com/mlbtraderumors/status/1225885524499554309?s=20
Puig to giants? Pence also possible. Grant is chomping at the bit.
You misspelled “Gnats.” If so, ideally he hits a liner that breaks BadGums’s left wrist.
You capitalized the “g”.
Out of respect…
https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1225849260039720961?s=20
I do not understand why the a Dodgers did not delay the hearing.
Is it up to them, or both parties? Or MLB?
Would be interesting to know more about this specific case. I had read someone where it was to be an MLB representative arguing the case, and not one from either the Dodgers or Angles. These things are well studied, however, so Dodgers may have passed over their briefing book.
That was from a tweet that Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. He had heard that in cases like this MLB would have a third party lawyer present the team side.
“Of course, the ultimate price point will in some ways impact how the two
teams value Pederson. It’s highly unlikely that the outcome of the
hearing will torpedo the trade, but it could determine which secondary
pieces the Angels send to the Dodgers to finalize the arrangement. Given
that additional layer of complexity, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County
Register tweets
that an exec with another club “suspects” that MLB is having a
third-party lawyer present the other side of Pederson’s case, thus
entirely removing the Dodgers and Angels from the equation.”
This is from MLB Trade Rumors/
Just have to guess that the teams worked out the two different outcomes beforehand and how they might deal with them.
A long, admirable life… https://twitter.com/BillShaikin/status/1225838588333477888?s=20
That’s a shame. Time for a reread.
I still can’t figure out the Angels deal. Joc is in there as a salary dump, so ok, but if all you’re gonna get back is Luis Rengifo (OPS+ of 84 in 400 AB, which is in line with his performance in the minors) why does Stripling (a cheap, yet serviceable pitcher with some upside) have to go, too? Two good to very good players for Luis Rengifo? What am I missing?
Rengifo is a young player (22) who’s barely played in the majors.
400 AB is more than a cup of coffee, though,
His market value seems to have declined very rapidly. Just last season he seemed like someone who might fetch an MLB regular (that Pirates catcher for example). Internally his value has certainly gone down with the rise of Gonsolin and May on starting depth chart. Plus Nelson is seen with a higher upside, if he pans out. There would seem to be a place for him in the pen, where he might be the 5th-6th option from the rightside, depending on how he compares with Floro, but then again they might want Gonsolin/May out there. He does have options, so flexibilty. A head scratcher for sure. FO won’t be able to share their thinking on this until the deal is official, if they are so inclined.
According to MLB TradeRumors Joc’s arbitration hearing is scheduled for today. That would be awkward. The story states that in similar situations a representative from MLB represents the team.
Yes, very strange situation.
Max Munster gets a payday. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/02/dodgers-extend-max-muncy.html
Jeopardy answer: Two hitters in 2019, 29 dingers OPS+135; 35 dingers OPS+ 133. One will be paid $27 million for one season, the other $26 million over three seasons. Question: Who are Mookie Betts and Max Muncy?
There’s a snag in the Betts deal: the Sox are worried about Brusdar Graterol’s medicals
There’s a snag in the Betts deal: the Sox are worried about Brusdar Graterol’s medicals
You misspelled “Sawx.”
Trust Jon:
https://twitter.com/jonweisman/status/1225154126704545792
Meanwhile, Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe says:
And,
Is this true? Mookie said he wanted to test FA market and wouldn’t sign an extension, so really no sweepstakes for them to enter at this point. Nothing keeps them from going after him next season. In fact, by dumping Price they are in a better position to do so.
All eyes on his Rengifo kid. Did manage WAR 1.6 in 101 GS as a rookie at 22 yo. Don’t see any room at the inn, so OKC bound I suppose.
The Jackie Robinson Dodgers now have 2 African American players. Awesome.
…and a manager.
I think that 2019 was their first season since Jackie broke in in 1947 that they had no a single African-American player….First exhibition game is on February 22!
Edwin Ríos might qualify.
LA Times coverage:
Dylan Hernandez column
Bill Plaschke column
Bill Shaikin column
I was never opposed to trading Joc in the right deal (like Joc instead of Alex for Mookie),but the return here seems awfully light. It’s not like they couldn’t afford him (even considering the tax). Rengifo only hit 238/.321/.364. I gotta believe he’s headed for OKC.
Edited to add: The Dodgers apparently also threw in prospect Andy Pages, who hit .298/.398/.651 as an 18 year-old in rookie ball last year. That’s nuts.
Certainly strange on the face of it. Expecting FO to be questioned on this. I just assumed it was a luxury tax move.
Moreover, there is still talk about a pitcher also going over to the Angles. Chicken Strip!?
Trying to find rhyme or reason, don’t know what role it played but just realized Joc is an FA after this season, as are Justin, Petey and Quique.
Bye bye, Chicken Strip. I hope he gets a full shot in the Angels’ rotation.
https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1225102485712523264
Likable guy, but always seemed an in-betweener – too good for the pen, not quite good enough to go deep into games.
I dunno. Remember that in his ML debut he went 7 1/3 innings of no-hit ball.
Quite a game against the stupid giants. Listened to in in a cabin in the Shenandoah Valley.
I plan to watch more Angel games now that Joc may be going there and that means I will see more of Trout. Let’s have a Dodger Angel World Series.
Angels Working To Acquire Joc Pederson
By Connor Byrne | February 5, 2020 at 10:40am CDT
TODAY: The deal is expected to send righty Ross Stripling to the Halos and also involves other prospects going to the Dodgers, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). It has yet to be finalized, though, and “a lot of moving parts” remain.
YESTERDAY, 10:30pm: The Angels will also acquire outfielder Andy Pages, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN reports. The 19-year-old Pages slashed a phenomenal .298/.398/.651 with 19 home runs in 279 plate appearances at the rookie level last season. FanGraphs rated the Dominican Republic native as the Dodgers’ 29th-best prospect last May.
Rotation:Urias, Price, Buehler, Kershaw, Stripling/Wood?
Apparently no Stripling, but May and Gonsolin are around.
I will miss Verdugo and Joc, since I saw them play in the minors for a couple of years, but getting a player with enough confidence to go by the name Mookie, will ease the loss.
Joc to Angles it appears for an infielder. A switch hitting infielder, who doesn’t ring a bell, but puts them under luxury tax.
Joc as well as Verdugo gone?
Now they are saying Kenta to the Twins. Trade appears to be 62% completed.
That number seems familiar to me.
Final result of trade has been slowed by an Ap issue.
Wow. Mookie!
Wow! Some good news for this caucus weary Iowan.
Heroes, all of you.
Never buy software from a company called Shadow, Inc. It never ends well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoN6AKPGkBo
Such a decision will follow you whereever you go.
Going from Iowa to Iowu.
Well I guess Roberts and the FO was right when they said there would be some roster turnover this off-season.
I will miss Joc and Maeda – and wonder what might have been in terms of Verdugo. He seemed like he was a spark plug kind of player. Different sport but reminded me of Fred VanVleet from the Toronto Raptors. Not the leading star but a key cog in the machinery.
However, getting Betts is amazing and Price might still have some use.
Complicated!
https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1224885381960740864
I wonder whether Verdugo, with his back issues, will pass the physical.
Guessing the FO did a dry run on this.
Betts be a Dodger!
https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1224876311065264128
Third team included, apparently:
https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1224882016925241344
Rumor beginning to be fact:
https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1224877820406648835
I really like Casey Sadler.
https://twitter.com/sadler_squared/status/1224446509506187264
I don’t understand Southern California’s obsession with burger chains, which I avoid like the plague. That said, he performed pretty well as a Dodger but was the victim of the roster crunch.
Cool Ranch Doritos has the best commercial so far.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OpuHa2vwdk&feature=youtu.be
Is beer a source of coronavirus? https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2020/01/30/coronavirus-is-not-the-corona-beer-virus-what-people-are-googling/#6a7ae1605884
Old friend Logan Forsythe is now a Filly.
Looking forward to the end of handegg season…
It’s going out with a contest between the best two teams, which is good.
There’s always a sports drought that extends from late October to mid-February. Now, as the time approaches, there’s this. https://twitter.com/latimes/status/1224136168444452866?s=11
Old acquaintence Curtis Granderson has retired.
One memorable plate appearance that I can recall, but he had a fine career.
Grandy! Came up short for us, but always liked him.
The hits keepa coming. Dodgers landed 6 on the Baseball Prospectus top 101: Lux-3, May-8, Gray-61, Vargas-65, Ruiz-79 and Gonsolin-81. Vargas is a newbee for me. 20-year old 3b, who rose from Rookie ball to Cucamonga during 2018-19
Top 101? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HaCy_rxM18
Hershiser on the Astros. He doesn’t mince words.
You misspelled “Asterisks.”
You misspelled **
According to several reliable sources, Betts talks heating up. Price (David, that is) apparently the issue.
The Athletic has this to say about a Betts trade:
https://theathletic.com/1571208/?source=twitterhq&redirected=1
The article offers two lineups. One with and one without Betts. They say the one w/o Betts is so strong that it mitigates how much Friedman will offer.
Here is a lineup the Dodgers could unveil on Opening Day:
Mookie Betts, RF
Max Muncy, 1B
Justin Turner, 3B
Cody Bellinger, CF
Joc Pederson, LF
Corey Seager, SS
Gavin Lux, 2B
Will Smith, C
“The Dodgers are not incentivized to take on Price’s money just to land Betts. Want to know why? Let me show you something else. Here is another lineup the Dodgers could unveil on Opening Day:”
Pederson, RF
Muncy, 1B
Turner, 3B
Bellinger, CF
Seager, SS
Lux, 2B
Verdugo, LF
Smith, C
“The lineup featuring Betts is better. Obviously. But either lineup would be the most dangerous in the National League West. Either lineup would likely be the best in the entire National League.”
Verdugo in RF, he has the better arm.
The Price is Wrong?
Dusty gets just one year to straighten out the Asterisks.
He is set up to manage the AL in the ASG at DS. Sure to get a warm greeting. Asterisk players, not so much.
Set up to fail. Baker has not been well-treated by several of his employers, in my opinion. The Nats fired him despite winning two consecutive division titles for not getting further in the playoffs than they did. Getting one year for this job smells like a fig leaf to me.
Bryant lost his suit against the Cubbies. Expect trade talks on him to heat up. He is no Arenado, but for the right price…what you say Bums?
He might be the left fielder for 2020 and then move to 3B in 2021 if Turner isn’t re-signed. That adds to the crowd in the outfield so Dodgers might want to trade an outfielder. Cubs might prefer Verdugo due to his cost and control plus prospects.
On the plus side, he has three years before FA (which is what he was fighting about).
I suspect that, in the coming years, Turner will assume the David Freese role, and he will excel at it.
Old friend Dusty B appears in line to manage the Asterisks’ attempted return to respectability.
I feel bad for Dusty. Tough spot.
From a Red Sox pundit re Price and Betts:
In order to exchange salary, the Red Sox would likely take on the contract of A.J. Pollock and potentially Joe Kelly. The return would also likely feature a major league arm such as Ross Stripling or Kenta Maeda, as opposed to the promising right-hander Dustin May.
https://dodgerblue.com/mlb-trade-rumors-david-price-may-not-be-included-in-mookie-betts-trade-talks-between-red-sox-dodgers/2020/01/27/
Betts trade still alive. If Price or Evaldi included it would seem $$ wise, Pollock would be too.
That would be Eovaldi, aka U-less!
https://theathletic.com/1562407/2020/01/26/reports-kobe-bryant-killed-in-helicopter-crash-in-southern-california?source=shared-article
Terribly sad for his family, his fans, and our city.
Absolutely.
Great player RIP, but the incident in Colorado turned me off from him.
Yeah, me too. Although I’m not all that much of a pro b-ball fan anyway. Never have been.
If they actually played defense, I might have followed pro ball.
Dodgers Fanfest elicited a lot of comments on the matter from the players.
Apparently the Angles have invited Dodger fans to come boo the Asterisks in Anaheim this year.
Very neighborly.