Editorials

Adrian Gonzalez Believes Dodgers Are Deeper After Offseason

Adrian Gonzalez
One of the players that will be returning to Los Angeles after the hectic offseason is first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

The left-handed slugger is coming off a season in which he won the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove at his position, and led the league in RBIs. Gonzalez will have new infielders throwing to him this season, as Juan Uribe is the only returning starter in the infield. Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi remade the team this winter in an effort to get the Dodgers over the playoff hump.



According to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times, the 32-year-old approved of the moves made by the new front office:

I think we’re deeper, so I don’t think we’re going to be so dependent on the middle of the order,” Gonzalez said Monday at Garfield High in East Los Angeles, where he worked with the school’s baseball and softball teams as part of the Dodgers’ week-long community caravan.

With the losses of Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez, the lineup will have a new dynamic that Gonzalez isn’t worried about:

They’re going to battle every at-bat,” Gonzalez said. “They’re going to be prepared. I’m not saying that we didn’t before, but I think the guys that we got are guys that are going to be tougher to game-plan for. From that end, it will be a deeper lineup.”

The Dodgers have won the NL West the past two seasons, but have fallen to the St. Louis Cardinals twice in the postseason. Former general manager Ned Colletti built those division champion teams, but it was not enough to keep him around. The new front office has taken a different approach to roster construction and 2015 will be the first test for their ideas.

One thing that is for sure is that the Dodgers will be able to count on Gonzalez to provide the same, consistent effort that they have seen since acquiring him in 2012.

Vincent Samperio

Vince is currently the Associate Editor and Social Media Manager for Dodgers Nation. Hailing from San Pedro, CA and a student at Cal State Long Beach, Vince has previously written for the Daily 49er and LASF Magazine.

71 Comments

  1. Are kidding me. This entire team will not have the 64 : SB’s that Dee would have with the exception of AD THE OVER THE HILL GANG WILL FALL FLAT ON THEIR ANCIENT FACES NICE MOVE U TWO MORONS #HATESFRIEMANANDFARALDI

      1. Brain transplant would be better…he knows nothing and has his facts totally skewed…….maybe we can find him the brain of a chicken…it will make him smarter

      2. All ready do that just can’t stand these morons in charge with their assholes moves trading Dee and MATT for bags of useless shit

  2. FREIDMAN IS STUPIDIER THAN ALL OTHER FORMER GM’s in DODGER history and believe me they have had their share dating back to that cheap bastard Peter Omalley THEN morons in succession like Campania, Claire, can’t remember the moron Aussie hired, then the TOTAL IDIOT COLITIS NOW TWO MORE RETARDS FREE-SHIT AND FARAKAN #HATESEVERYDODGERMANAGERANDGM

    1. Campanis was far from being a moron. The man knew his baseball….and Fred Claire was the last Dodger GM to lead a World Series champion team. There was a couple after those guys who were pretty bad,.,,,,Paul dePodesta, Dan Evans…Freidman is not the GM Zahdi is, Freidman is the President in charge of baseball operations. And excuse me….Peter O’Malley was the OWNER>…not a GM..get your facts straight..and he was far from cheap…….his dad was a cheap guy, but not Peter….when he owned the team they were a family and you will never hear any Dodger player who played during his tenure say a bad word about him….so the only stupid person here is you since you know nothing about anything you are talking about

      1. Peter was the GM before CAMPANIS BETWEEN THOSE TWO MORONS THEY TRADED AWAY 3 HALL OF FAMERS PEDRO,KONERKO,AND JOHN FRANCO FOR BAGS OF DOG SHIT LIKE DESHIELDS,LANDESTOY AND I FORGOT WHO THEY GOT FOR KONERKO. AND VERY GOOD RELIEVERS LIKE WETTELAND AND EVEN HOWE FOR THAT MATTER AND DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED OF THE GARBAGE THEY BROUGHT IN LIKE JASON SCHMIDT, TODD BLOW-rell, HE SUCKS CHOI AND A BEAVY OF OTHER PIECES OF TRASH THAT DONNED OUR UNIFORMS LIKE THAT DRUG ADDICT MANNY. BRANDON LEAGUE AND MANY MANY MORE MISFITS!!!

        1. Correction bub……Peter was the owner by the time Pedro was traded and he never was the GM…..He was the president of baseball operations. Campanis was the GM, then Fred Claire who was on the job for many years….Franco is not a hall of famer. He wasn’t even a major league player when he was traded…..get your facts straight. the GM who traded Konerko…, who by the way is not in the HOF yet,,,,,Tommy Lasorda. They got a closer from the Reds for Konerko…How can you rag on people when you cannot even remember who did the dealing? Or the correct people in charge….Walter O’Malley died in 1979. That’s when Peter became Owner and CEO. Fred Claire was the GM from 1987 to 1998…..he was the one who traded Pedro. Campanis was the GM for 21 years prior to Claire. The only time Peter O’Malley was a GM was in the minors…..Jeff Shaw was the pitcher they got for Konerko. Wettleland was part of the trade for Eric Davis. Howe was gotten rid of because he had a drug problem….You have no baseball knowledge and even less reason to rant because you do not know what the hell you are talking about….Every team makes a ton of moves during the year…not all of them work…….read a little history before you open a mouth that does no know shit.

          1. Thank you very much for your knowledge and history of the Dodgers! I always appreciate someone who knows what they are talking about when they speak of our beloved Dodger organization.

        2. Oh and just so you know…these are the guys who have been GM in LA. Bavasi 58-68 Thompson 68 Campanis 68-87 Claire 87-98 Lasorda 98 Malone 98-2001 Wallace 2001 Evans 2001-2004 De Podesta 2004-2005 Colletti 2005-2014 Zahdi 2015 Prior to 1950 when Bavasi was named GM..the Dodgers never had a GM …the owner handled all transactions…..little baseball history for you there since you have no clue….and by the way….No Manny in 2006, they don’t win the division. He carried the team that last 2 months and had probably the greatest 60 day run in baseball history.

          1. Don’t forget that Al Campanis was a racist cunt too…don’t forget why he was replaced!

          2. And the GM for the Dodgers have made some serious blunders….biggest i remember was the Eric Davis trade…we got him healthy and paid him so he could leave and play elsewhere.

          3. Davis was traded to Detroit, but he was damaged goods when they got him..he never really recovered from his accident in the 90 WS.

          4. Right and he did less than that for us the few years we paid him very well.

          5. Davis played 184 games for the Dodgers over parts of 2 seasons. He hit 19 Hr’s as a Dodger with a batting average around .230…….so yeah,. he was pretty much worthless in LA

  3. Interesting Adrian says new batters” will be better prepared, tougher to game plan for. ” A persons words are always telling you what they really mean. Adrian is one helluva baseball player and takes his job very seriously, he has a lot of pride in being prepared and mentally tough. So his comments are really telling I think.

    1. You are right, Adrian is a serious player and a leader, and I think it was pretty obvious Hanley and Kemp were toxic team chemistry guys. Hanley played when he felt like it, and I remember Kemp following Puig down the dugout screaming at him, the same Kemp who lost 2 years when he loafed home and destroyed his ankle with a late slide.

      1. Yes Jackson I actually feel better about the changes with Adrian’s comment. I have a lot of respect for him as a leader. Better chemistry, preparation, defense and hopefully bullpen. We can all HOPE.

      2. Again…please get your facts straight……Toxic guys maybe…..but..Kemp did not lose 2 years due to his ankle…..his first injury was in 2012 when he crashed into the wall in Coors. Ok? He tried to comeback and played, but his swing was not the same and he finished with 23 HR’s and a .303 average. That was the year after he was robbed of the MVP. He had surgery that winter and in 2013 he had a strained hammy….when he came back from that injury he was playing in Wash, I know I saw the game on TV….He had hit 2 doubles and a HR in that game….he was on 3rd and hesitated coming home and twisted his ankle on the play…..basically ruining him for the rest of 2013. He had ankle and shoulder clean up surgery that winter…which is why last spring he played very little and was on the DL when the season started….He lost parts of 2 seasons, not 2 full years to his injuries……after the all star break he became the old Kemp again..And nobody ever said why Matt was screaming at Puig….as many times as he has made boneheaded plays, that could have been the reason…..

        1. OK, thanks for the correction on the timelines, but the point is the same. If you yourself have a history of loafing, then if you want to be a leader, lead by example, not by embarrassing. He also made a stink about being moved out of CF, when everybody in baseball, including his teammates, see that he is the worst CFer in baseball, either by metrics, or eyeballs. Look, I don’t want to put the guy totally down, I actually liked him for the most part as a player when he was productive. But I think the management was smart to address the chemistry, they brought in ultra professional types in kendrick and rollins, and I think AG senses these parts will work together better, I feel the same way as a fan.

          1. By the way Michael N, I just read your other comments on this story, and think pretty much the way you do, agree with what you wrote.

          2. I appreciate that……My biggest bugaboo about the whole thing is this. As fans, we have no clue just how good or how bad a clubhouse guy a player is unless you openly see the guy dogging it or not playing hard. I would have been concerned had Kemp not complained about being moved. That showed me that he was really trying to get back on his game and wanted to play. I have watched Kemp since his rookie year. He was a RF when he came up.. He never was a natural CF. He was the best option at the time… The few games he played in LF last year, he looked very uncomfortable. After he moved to right, his whole game improved. Has he lost speed? Yes, He used to be able to outrun his mistakes. Not anymore. But my real complaint is this. They did NOT get value back. Basically it was a 2 for 2 trade since the P they got was traded to the Phillies. So it was Fed-Ex for the other P and Kemp for Grandal. Excuse me, that is a bad deal. Grandal has knee issues, is a known PED user, and even though he has power, His lifetime average is lower than Ellis’s. So to me, it was a lousy trade. And they are going to regret sending Matt to a team in their own division…trust me….

          3. I am wait and see on Grandal as well, he has the potential to break out, or be below average. I am looking forward to checking him out. I also am skeptical about Pederson. I have a sense Schebler will be a better hitter [though he is no center fielder and doesn’t have Pederson’s peripherals]. But also excited to see what he can do. I agree as a straight baseball deal, they did not get back full value for Kemp. But I’m OK with that, especially if they then sign a guy like Moncada with the money they saved on Kemp. And I don’t share your concern about trading him within the division. I think you focus on making your team better, and don’t worry about the other teams. Maybe Kemp has a few monster years for SD, maybe he gets injured, declines, or degrades their defense. I way rather see Puig in right, which I think is his natural position, and since Kemp looked sick in left, and incompetent in center, keeping him would mean pieces that don’t fit. I can’t wait for the season to start, both major and minor leagues, I think this is going to be a fun year.

          4. Old baseball proverb…never give your closest rivals help…They will rue making this trade….Schebler is at least 2 years away. Seager, next year. Sweeney is probably 2 years out also. And do not forget that if Pederson wins the job..Andre is not going to be a happy camper….they should have addressed that a long time ago….And where is this money they saved? First off the payroll is now 264 million up from 242 last year. They still have to pay 31 million over the next two years for Kemp…so they are paying a Padre to beat them….They spent 48 million on McCarthy……and that is an iffy deal. He was good after he joined the Yankees, but that is not his track record. And giving Anderson 10 million…..that is just stupid. The guy has never thrown more than 170 innings in his entire career…an injury waiting to happen….oh by the way….Pitchers and Catchers report in 3 weeks

          5. Why do you say Schebler is two years away. He has almost 2000 plate appearances, and has dominated both A and AA the last two years. He went from a hitters league to a pitchers league last year, and not just produced a virtually identical season, leading the league in triples and HRs, but significantly cut down his strike outs while increasing his walks. I don’t see why he needs two years of AAA. Yea, I know, with all the money the D’s throw around, its silly to say Kemp money goes to Moncada. But they did save something around 70-80 mil on Kemp, and that’s probably around what Moncada will cost. I can’t believe 10 mil wasn’t enough to sign Anderson, they needed to give him 4 mil in performance bonuses. I would have valued him around 5-6 mil. The McCarthy signing also didn’t thrill me for 4 years, but I’ll give him a chance to show he is worth it. What pitchers are getting is absurd. Schertzer for 210 mil is insane, they’ll be lucky to get two good years for that. I agree they may not win 94, that is a high bar to repeat or beat, and a lot of things have to go right. But I like their chances, and I think they’ll be more fun to watch, with much better defense, hopefully a deeper line up, and hopefully better relief. You just have to pray their main starters don’t go down with injury, that is always the wild card that has the potential to mess up the best laid plans of mice and men.

          6. One year at AAA is ok for some guys. Others need at least 2. SVS has been there 3 times. Lee who has no shot at making the 25 man will be starting his 3rd year there….and it is obvious, at least to me that Pederson really needs one more year to work on cutting down his K’s. Also, since they have moved the AAA team to Okie City, you are going to get a true picture of a guys potential. No elevated stats because of the altitude…Schebler has never faced AAA arms, many of whom have been in the bigs…..wait until you see how he does against guys who have an actual arsenal of pitches.

          7. I think Schebler may be close to ready right now. He’s 24, has 2000 minor league ABs behind him, has improved at every level, and dominated his league the last two years. He wouldn’t be the first guy to jump quickly from AA to the Bigs. But yes, we’ll follow how he does against more advanced pitching, and I’m glad they got out of that park where the stats mean nothing when FedX is like .350, .420, .580 line for 400ABs.

          8. Jackson, he won’t crack this team. He will start at AAA. Now if there managed to be a Ethier trade, then he might have a shot. Since he is older than Joc, he must be a late bloomer. And raking at AA is not the bigs as you well know. Hitting against guys who have maybe 3 pitches in their arsenal is a lot easier than guys who know how to set you up and get you out.

          9. One more thing. It is my firm belief that this team will not match last years 94 wins….I think the Padres are much better than last year, Colorado will have a healthy Tulo and Cargo….their P sucks…but they still play well in Coors….The Giants have been a problem the last few years…..although they will miss the Panda and Morse…..The wildcard is the D Backs…they have made almost as many changes as the Dodgers, so how that all fits together is a mystery

          10. I’ve been saying the same thing…that Rockie team is young and scary…i predict my Dodgers will lose 100 games this year even with the best pitcher in baseball, #66, Kershaw winning 25

          11. Kersh wears #22,,,,,,66 is Puig….and no they will not lose 100 games..

          12. Then Gonzalez will have to drive in 200 runs so we can break even and win 81 games cuz our bullpen looks as bad as last season.

          13. That’s the part that i couldn’t believe the stupidity of these moneyball jerkoffs…trading an MVP, and he did get it that year cuz Braun’s a cheater, in the same division! ?!?! Gonna see him at least 16 times in LA and another 16 times in San Diego, who the Dodgers have had a hard time beating since Gary Templeton retired, and he knows the pitching staff and players and stadiums….just bad form…that and trading away the MLB leader in stolen bases last, not the NL west not even the NL the ENTIRE MLB! And what did we get in return? Nobody!

          14. He did not get the MVP..Braun still has it and the writers who vote for the award said if it as returned no one would get it..and it has not been returned

          15. Oh that would be 9 times in one venue and 10 in the other……they play 19 times

          16. Ok and the point is? 19 games where this guy is gonna own us.

          17. The point is this….get your facts straight and know the game a little before you type stuff and make yourself look totally moronic.

          18. I know the game much better than you do Sir, I’m only calling you that because I, unlike you, have manners and was taught to respect my elders. Have you EVER played this game? I don’t believe you have ever let yoursget wrapped up in the dirt and blood and sweat and chatter of the best game in the world hands down.

          19. Bud I have been watching this team and baseball a whole lot longer than you. If you knew the game better than me, you would not make such asinine statements. And yes, I played baseball all through school and in the Army. I have manners, I said you make yourself look moronic because when you make statements that have NO basis in fact you are a moron. I have played the game when I had a strained Achilles’ tendon, with jammed thumbs, and a broken arm. So do not sit there and try and preach to me that you have any knowledge when you do not even know how many games they play against interdivision opponents. Makes you look even more stupid….

          20. And chemistry is over rated. Unless a guy is flat out a clubhouse leper…..see Gary Sheffield….it is not that big a deal. The A’s in the early 70’s pretty much hated each other and won 3 straight Series. And remember, It was Kemp who came up with the bubble machine. I think the real clubhouse culprit last year was Ramirez…..Upset because they did not give him a long term deal. And believe it or not, Garvey was pretty much hated by most of his team mates…

          21. I think chemistry is super important in baseball, and transcends just guys liking each other and getting along. I think the 70s As had great chemistry, even though they were fighting or whatever. Chemistry means parts that fit together well, and the whole is better than the sum of the parts. Despite winning 94 games, I don’t think the D’s parts fit that well last season. Take away Kershaw, and they might not have been much better than a .500 team. Their defense was poor. Their 8th inning relief was a vulnerability. They had too many guys who strike out a lot. Their situational hitting was overall poor. I’m still not sure about the 8th inning, but I think a lot of these weaknesses were addressed.

          22. They are replacing Kemp with a kid who has a higher K ratio than he does. They have added a bunch of BP arms, but is it better? Who knows…I know what chemistry is, and I know how it is supposed to work. But every time I watched that team on TV, I saw a bunch of guys having a great time and enjoying the game….especially when they started winning and gaining ground..

          23. I bleed dodger blue. However, the mark of a great team is resilience and the dodgers were not able to effectively mount a comeback after the 7th inning all last year.

          24. The year fore they did, and had the same result..a playoff loss to the Birds…..every year is different….as last year proved….

          25. don’t disagree, the media overblows a lot of controversy just for a story, not necessarily what is really going on behind the scenes. We only speculate. Overall, I feel this team will be very close to last years, the total sum of part added seem close to total sum of parts subtracted. There are plenty of question marks, probably some work out good, and others don’t. I like the upgrade in defense, that could be a difference maker especially in the post season.

          26. I agree that on paper, they have improved in some areas, regressed in others. But if Ethier does not beat out Pederson in spring, He is not going to be happy sitting on the bench…and there goes your positive chemistry cause it only takes one.

    2. Hey T……Nice to hear positive vibes from one of the guys. I admit that Rollins and Kendrick are solid pro’s. I am not so sold on Grandal….We will see….I think he brings more power than AJ..but the rest so far is hype. And then there is CF. I noticed Joc changed his # to 31. Well lets hope he hits like Piazza and not Shelby. That would be John Shelby who wore 31 many years ago. My concern for every one on the team is the fact that except for Puig, Pederson, and Grandal….the projected line up is all north of 30….Crawford, Uribe, Gonzo, Kendrick and Rollins are all over …..injuries and skill erosion have to be a concern……Kendrick I am not to worried about….but this team has very little speed….

      1. Yes I agree the comments from Adrian were really good to hear. As big as he is don’t you think Seager ends up at 3rd? I know they keep saying he is a SS but he is a monster for a SS. And there doesn’t seem to be anybody on the Farm that can come up for Uribe. I figure they will bring up Seager, sign Kendrick and then not sure. Maybe trade for a SS or 3rd baseman depending on where Seager ends up. Van Slyke can play first so that would help. I think Gonzalez has a couple of years left but who knows. If Pederson sticks then the team is set up for Seager next year and a young replacement for Uribe or Rollins depending all of a sudden not too old. Kendrick should have 3-5 years left. He has never had an injury issue that I remember. He keeps in great shape and has a short swing should be good for awhile if they sign him. I just got my Time Warner TV deal. It is so good to hear Vin Scully and all the Dodger stuff on TV. Love it.

        1. The front office has stated more than once that Seager is staying at SS. Hey Ripken was a big guy too and so is Tulo. 3rd base is a quandary, they have a couple of short term solutions in house….Turner, and Barney……If Uribe gets injured like he has the last couple of seasons, they might have a problem,,,,one that they will either fix with a trade or free agent.. You should see a lot of Seager at SS the first couple weeks of spring.

        2. Oh yeah…that Moncada guy from Cuba is a SS……they are seriously looking at signing him….Arruebarenna and Guererro are trade bait

          1. I noticed when the D’s had 27 of their best prospects for that little winter gathering, both Arruebarenna and Guererro were not invited. I thought that basically revealed these guys are not in their plans, present or future. Aruba looks like he may not be major league, but it’ll be interesting to see what they can do with Guerrero, who has complicated clauses in his contract, they can’t send him to the minors without his approval, and if they trade him, he can opt out. Looks like 50 mil thrown out on those two.

          2. Eri was DFA’d and has been invited to spring training. He is ins at AAA in case of injury. Guererro is 27….He has to be on the 25 man roster or he is a free agent…..Neither is considered a prospect….that is why they did not get invited….that was for the kids….

      2. John Shelby is a 2x world series champion. I will take one of those right about now.

  4. I will defer to Adrian’s experience in these matters…..but I am also a wait and see kind of guy…….getting too hyped up is not always the best thing to do…..on paper it is a better team…on the field….??? we will see

    1. The front office is sure they made all the right moves…all they have talked about is improved defense and a more solid lineup 1-8…me, I am not convinced…..we will see

  5. I live in Albuquerque, NM and have seen Joc a few times and he’s a monster in AAA but nithing much yet in the bigs….he doesn’t seem to have the physical tools to be a great player in the bigs just good at best….

    1. He has exactly 38 big league plate appearances. I do not think you can judge him until he has close to 500

  6. I do think Adrian is trying to look on the brighter side…he can’t bash his new teammates and expect to have any kinda chemistry. Nor can he bash the GM, moneyball fucks, or risk being traded to say ohhhh i don’t know the Mets?

  7. I have a question that i can not answer…in this quest for chemistry why was the caddy for the BEST pitcher in baseball traded? The catcher hitting is a bonus not the only reason he’s there….Piazza was a fantastic hitter but a butcher behind the plate. Catchers are involved in every single pitch thrown…why have this kid, who I’ve never wvwn heard of, start over AJ Ellis who called the games to win 94 for two seasons? This just seems to me to be Earl Weaver bullshit stand around and wait for a homerun instead of actually playing baseball.

    1. Again you are wrong. Kershaw’s favorite C is Ellis. Who is still on the team. Butera and Fed Ex were traded. I do not like Grandal either, but Ellis will start when Kersh pitches….and another error you made….they won 92 in 2013…not 94 and Ellis was injured a large portion of last year so Butera and Fed Ex got some starts….so did the guy who bit Guererro’s ear.

      1. Wow so i don’t spend my entire life on google or the stats site…it’s wanks like you that continue to take the fun outta baseball year after year…stat lawyers and moneyball twits…this is baseball not chess…

        1. Obviously moron. I am not a stat lawyer and far from being enamored with moneyball. What I am is someone who knows what the hell I am talking about and does not come on here and rant about stuff when I have no clue what the hell I am talking about, like you. What I do know is Dodger history and a whole hell of a lot more about the game than you do. It would be wise for you not to argue or get into a war of wits with me since you are obviously unarmed in the brain department.

          1. Wow and yet with all this grand wisdom you continue to attempt to assail my intelligence…not one factual statement about me or ky poiny in your entire “rant”. We can both agree that you’re right and high and mighty and the all knowing all seeing Dodger fan….so bloody childish…you win lol

      2. I admit when I’m wrong and i thought they traded Ellis…so for Matt Kemp we got a backup catcher with PED issues and 2 middle bullpen pitchers , in a few years. …wow great trade…and for Gordon we got what a case of beer?

        1. The actual Matt Kemp trade ended up being a 2 for 2 trade because one of the pitchers was turned around and traded to the Phillies in the Rollins deal. So it was Kemp and FedEx for Grandal and Wieland. And I also think that is a lousy trade,. Gordon and Haren and Rojas to the Marlins for Hatcher and 3 prospects….Then the traded the P prospect to the Angels for Kendrick.

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