Spring Training Game One and other thoughts

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Dodgers v. White Sox, 12:05 PM PST



I’m worried about Kershaw’s sudden shutdown just a week or so into spring training.

75 thoughts on “Spring Training Game One and other thoughts”

    • The long term downfall of the O’s, a team that I first began to follow in 1966 [sigh] and more personally after moving to the East coast in 1978, saddens me.

  5. Dodger pitching farmhand Tony Gonsolin is a cat guy.

    https://twitter.com/azfreedman/status/1100083471115005952

    He was also the Dodgers’ minor league pitcher of the year last year.

    His fastball has hit 100 mph. His breaking balls break. And he is new enough to this that more potential remains.

    [snip]

    Last spring, the Dodgers asked if he wanted to train as a starter. He said he did. He worked more intensely than he ever had, developed a routine and crushed the California League. He reached Double-A Tulsa and pitched even better.

  6. Kershaw may not start Opening Day:

    Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged for the first time Monday that Kershaw, recently set back by shoulder inflammation, might not have enough time to get stretched out for his team’s first regular-season game on March 28.

    “That’s fair,” Roberts told reporters from Glendale, Arizona, while adding that the ace left-hander is nonetheless “trending in the right direction.”

    In case you’re wondering, the record for consecutive Opening Day starts by a pitcher is 14, by Jack Morris. Kershaw has made 8 in a row.

  7. Today’s Times:

    EXTRA BASES: Closer Kenley Jansen will make his spring debut Sunday. He is scheduled to be followed by new setup man Joe Kelly, Josh Fields, J.T. Chargois and Tony Cingrani. … The Diamondbacks elected to start ace Zack Greinke in a B game instead of against the Dodgers Saturday. … Roberts said he has penciled infield prospect Edwin Rios, who has been out for about a week because of an illness, in the lineup for Sunday’s game.

    UP NEXT: The Dodgers will play a Texas split-squad team at Camelback Ranch at noon PST on Sunday. Right-hander Kenta Maeda will start for the Dodgers against Rangers right-hander Lance Lynn. TV: SportsNet LA.

    • He’s looking really good so far, including 3-for-3 today, two doubles and a single.

  11. Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic:

    The Dodgers offered Harper another option – a three-year deal with opt-outs and an AAV above Zack Greinke’s record $34.4 million but well below $40 million, according to sources. Harper could have stayed closer to his home in Las Vegas by joining the defending two-time National League champions – a team with much more recent success than the Phillies – and become a free agent entering his age 29 season. But to gain the increased flexibility, he would have walked away from nearly $200 million in guaranteed money – a tradeoff that was not worth the risk, especially when he had produced only one full monster season and was young enough to warrant a longer deal.

  12. The Harper contract was said to be front loaded.

    If the Phillies matched the Dodgers offer for the first 4 years at $45M that’s $180M.

    If the second 4 years is at $30M that’s $120M.

    If the last 5 years are at $6M that’s $30M.

    The AAV is $25.4M. But that is only significant toward the end of Harper’s contract if the CBT remains intact, which it won’t.

    Would that payout schedule be all that crazy?

  15. Harper reportedly signs 13-year deal (13 YEARS?!) with the Phillies. Even FDR didn’t last 13 years in the White House.

    • Guessing the Dodgers offer was much more generous with AAV, perhaps as much as $40m, but at least half the number of years.

  17. A modest proposal: Sign Harper, preventing the Giants from doing so, and then put together a package including Pederson and Verdugo and send it to the Indians for Kluber.

  18. Klayton’s playing catch session only lasted five minutes today! Color me extremely worried that he begins the season on the DL.

    • Friedman says it went well, however, and will be repeated tomorrow. At the very least, would seem to be behind schedule to start opener, one would think.

      • History has demonstrated that we rarely get an honest report from the club’s front office or Roberts, and the situation almost always is worse than what we were told.

      • Why won’t they do an MRI? Are they afraid what it might reveal?…(I just now saw the post below about why no MRI.)

  21. After three days of powerful production from the offensive scrubs, the regulars have done nothing against the Reales today, and the pitching scrubs need scrubbing.

  22. After three days of powerful production from the offensive scrubs, the regulars have done nothing against the Reales today, and the pitching scrubs need scrubbing.

  23. Uh oh. Arenado extension at $255 over 8 years, so Bryce will want a minimum of $33 AAV to be highest paid position player.

    • Many people who do not want to sign Harper, were hoping to go after Arenado, so I wonder if this changes their thinking.

      • Includes an opt out, and now they say that Bryce might demand the same. Just to muddle the situation more.

    • Arenado is all-around elite, especially on defense at a premium position – which Harper isn’t (though he’s certainly playable).

      • Bryce/Boras don’t care about such facts. Of course neither is the top player, probably not even top five.

  25. Team officials including Doc reportedly in Vegas. Harper? Or maybe they are gambling away the savings from coming in under the luxury tax.

  27. D.J. Peters, who homered twice off BadGums in one inning in a minor league rehab game, has homered twice against the Angles today.

  29. Looking at GameDay, it seems that BadGums has claimed his first headhunting victim of the season v. the Cubbies. Dodgers off to a 4-0 lead v. the Angles.

  30. In the great scheme of things, yesterday’s game was meaningless except, perhaps, to Ben Holmes, the 27-year-old minor leaguer who got the shaky save. One of the Chisox relievers was named “Vieira,” which means scallop in Spanish (though Chileans say “ostión”).

    • 6-0 Dodgers in the third, and Hill and Yimi each pitched a 1-2-3 inning with one strikeout by each. Hey, I’m saving up already for World Series ducats.