Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: Signing Blanton, Ryu Update and Ethier Trade Rumors

The Los Angeles Dodgers are continuing to make moves this off-season, while still patiently waiting for things to fall into place.  One of those moves consists of signing free agent right-hander Joe Blanton.

The Dodgers signed the 35 year-old veteran to a 1-year deal worth $4M dollars, according to L.A. Times writer Dylan Hernandez. Blanton had an impressive showing last season posting an era of 2.84 in 76 innings.



The bullpen is of high emphasis this season with key players departing and recovering from injury. Blanton signing relives some pressure for the Dodgers pitching rotation and is a welcomed addition. Another addition would be getting pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu back at full strength.

That dream might turn into a reality soon as Ryu is well on his way to full recovery. Joseph Kim, who primarily covers/reports on all Korean MLB players, posted pictures of Ryu throwing on twitter. This is Ryu’s third pitching session at Camelback Ranch in Arizona.

Seems the Dodgers are pleased with Ryu’s progress posting a video of one of his sessions on instagram with the caption “recovery throw”.

While Ryu looks to be getting back on track, it seems the team hit a minor snag in third baseman Justin Turner’s recovery process. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says Turner might not be ready by Spring Training, but utility player Kike Hernandez and catcher Yasmani Grandal should be ready to go.

ICYMI: Dodgers News: Justin Turner Isn’t Expected Back for Start of Spring Training

With so many players set to return do the Dodgers need outfielder Andre Ethier? That’s the question that seems to be starting rumors about a potential trade.

Ethier is coming off one of his best seasons posting a .294 batting average average and bringing in 14 home runs for the boys in blue. Unfortunately, his performance on the field seems to have nothing to do with these rumors circling around. It seems to come down to the 10-five rights.

On April 10th Ethier will turn 34 years-old and 11 days after that he will earn his 10-five rights, which means he has been a part of the MLB for 10 years and with the same team for five years. Earning those honors means that Ethier also earns the right to refuse any trade the Dodgers propose. It’s good to note that Ethier still has two-years remaining on his contract worth $38M.

So to trade or not to trade? That is the question. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Elisa Hernandez

Sports enthusiast serving as DodgersNation.com host/reporter. Proud USC graduate in a CA state of Mind. Dodgers, Lakers, Broncos, Trojans and Kings fan! I have a million jobs, but you guys are my first priority <3 Tweet me @EHernandezTV. SUBSCRIBE: www.youtube.com/DodgersNationTV

24 Comments

  1. With respect to any potential Ethier trade, I would be in favor of a trade only if the Dodgers were able to package him with prospects for a legit #2 and/or lockdown 8th inning setup.  I would not necessarily be in favor of including a lot of cash unless the return includes players of immediate impact.  Think Jake Odorizzi and/or Jake McGee/Brad Boxberger.  If the Rays wanted to talk Logan Forsythe, that would be a worthy conversation as well.  Because the Rays cannot pay Ethier’s salary, I would include some cash if two of the player were available.  If no impact player, then no cash.  There is no reason to pay another team to take a player who can hurt you, just to reduce payroll, and/or eliminate an OF logjam.  For 2015, Ethier had offensive metrics comparable to Alex Gordon and Justin Upton, making his 2 year salary palatable to a team that needs offense.

    I would think that SVS would be a more logical trade option because of the presence of Trayce Thompson and Trayce’s ability to play CF.  SVS is also a far more affordable OF option for a young team.

    I have no idea what appetite the Rays have, but I do think they are willing to move a SP, and they know they have value in both McGee and Boxberger for late game relief.  They need a spot for Blake Snell.  They need offense.  It might be fun to try to configure a fair trade for both teams.

  2. I’m on board with you 100% where especially earlier in this off-season I loved the idea of trading an extra outfielder and getting back pitching made sense. But there is no way a team like Tampa trades young controllable assets and gets in return a 20m dollar 34 year old. I don’t care if he was Barry Bonds or Babe Ruth. Throw in a prospect but don’t include money? your proposed trade, while I love it as a Dodgers fan, would realistically take something more like SVS, Cotton, Barnes, and a top projectable top of the rotation guy like De Leon. Maybe you exclude De Leon but try and instead give them Wood, SVS, Barnes or Kike, and Cotton but I don’t think Tampa would do it. They’d want Urias or De Leon and they would never in a million years take Eithier unless the Dodgers paid 25-30m dollars of the salary he has left. I wish they would but no way.

  3. ChrisTerrell 

    Chris, it’s
    easy to poke holes in trades.I do it
    all the time.Every fan rips the GM for
    their actual trades.Look at the
    heartache Zaidi got for his trades, starting with Dee Gordon.It’s easy to do, but none of us understand
    what all of the considerations going in to making the trade are.Are you willing to take less in trade value
    to open up a logjam or eliminate an obstacle to get a prospect moved up a
    level?As an example, the Dodgers have 8
    ML ready SP, not part of the projected 5 man LAD rotation, (Wood, Lee, Cotton,
    C Anderson, Stripling, Thomas, Bolinger, and Frias – 6 RHP and 2 LHP) with 3
    right behind (Urias, De Leon, and Montas).All three will be in LA at some point this year.Montas is ML ready as a reliever.You need to move some of those 8 in order to
    push Urias, De Leon, and Montas to the OKC rotation.Cotton, Anderson, and Stripling can make the
    change to relief.But doesn’t that
    diminish their value?I do not know what
    you do with Bolinger and Frias.Doesn’t
    Lee going back to OKC after doing exceedingly well in 2015 diminish his
    value?And don’t forget Brandon Beachy.I do not worry too much about him because his
    contract is not guaranteed, and unless he shows that he is the Beachy of a
    couple years back, he will be released before the contract gets to that
    level.That is why I was against
    Blanton.It increased the logjam, not
    diminish it.If Blanton had signed a
    non-guaranteed contract, and proved his value in ST, then I would have been
    fine.
    Now getting
    back to the premise of the question that was posed…Would I trade Ethier?I said I would, under a couple of possible
    scenarios that would need to be considered.Do you include cash or not?But
    you have to look at possible trade partners.The Rays have 5 SP and need to make room for Blake Snell.They are not moving Archer, and Odorizzi will
    bring more in return than Ramirez, Smyly, or Moore.The Rays also have two quality back end
    relievers; Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger.McGee is more expensive and closer to FA.The Rays also have Logan Forsythe at 2B, a
    position the Dodgers probably covet.Would the Rays like to have Ethier?Yes, but not with the contract.As a GM would you be willing to pay a large portion of the contract to
    move Ethier to get any of the players identified?I would.I would get a player that helps LA now, and I remove one of the OF
    obstacles so that Trayce Thompson at least gets on the 25.Zaidi did it with Matt Kemp.The Rays have Kiermaier in CF, but not much
    else (probably Souza and Guyer…maybe Mahtook and Motter getting full years at
    ML).All four of those OF are RHH, and
    Ethier would be a great platoon for them against RHP.
    The Rays
    would need additional to make the move; probably Austin Barnes or Kike’
    Hernandez, and probably Baez if McGee or Boxberger is the player.The Rays love utility players; always looking
    for their next Ben Zobrist.Probably
    Micah Johnson if Forsythe.Probably a
    Holmes or a Buehler if Odorizzi.NO to
    De Leon or Urias.Somehow you can make
    it work.Just how much cash are you
    willing to pony up?
    If not the
    Rays, who else needs LHH?The Orioles
    and Angels both do, but I do not see them as trading partners with the
    Dodgers.But Friedman and Zaidi are
    masters at designing multiple team trades.
    Back to the
    original query, yes I would trade Ethier.I might get something in return.If going to a team with more cash, maybe I can eliminate most of the
    salary.If going to a team that is cash
    strapped, I would expect more impact return.But most importantly the organization is better with only 5 OF and not
    6, forcing Trayce Thompson back to OKC where neither he or the Dodgers gain any
    benefit.And regardless as to what may
    or may not actually transpire, someone (many) is going to rip the transaction.

  4. AlwaysCompete ChrisTerrell  Before you even think of any trade you need to look at the roster as it stands right now…overloaded with outfielders, and pitchers, and short on infielders. They want to trade Ethier before he reaches 10-5, so pretty much any deal they feel is reasonable is in play. And that would also mean sending a lot of cash to the other team. SVS is pretty much the only backup who hits RH for Gonzo, who is going to need a few more off days as he gets older. CC is untradeable. If they opened the season today, I would almost bet they carry 12 pitchers. I prefer 11, but that’s me. If they do that means only 13 position players. Guys like Blanton, Avilan, Howell, Jansen, Hatcher are locks to make the team barring a trade. so that leaves 2 open BP spots, and my guess is that they go to the guys who were there last year….Garcia and Baez, that is of course barring some earth shattering trade. So my guess is that if Ethier is traded, it will be for infield help, or younger guys to fill the minors. They will have 5 starters, and barring an injury or trade those guys will be Kersh, Kazmir, Maeda, Anderson, and Ryu……if not Ryu, then Wood. Of course they have enough pitchers to package a couple  for a RH starter. Urias, Frias, Deleon, Cotton, Bolsinger will all start the year at OKC. They ar not going to trade Kike or Barnes. Kike is part of their master plan to platoon 2nd basemen….So unles a solid full time 2nd baseman appears out of no where……Kike stays….barnes will be the backup catcher next year……

  5. Michael Norris AlwaysCompete ChrisTerrell 

    As I said,
    every trade proposal can and will be ripped.Do you think that the Dodgers are the team to beat in the NL?I don’t.They will compete, and they can win if everything goes right.But they are not the team to beat.So how can you improve them?I agree that Ethier is the logical OF to be
    moved, but how much salary are you willing to eat.By himself you are not going to get anybody
    of any value.Wood is tradeable, but he
    would have to go to a team that needs a #4 or #5 pitcher and has something in
    return to LAD.Baltimore needs SP and
    LHOF. But they have nobody to trade back.The Angels need LHOF and can afford Ethier, but they have no tradeable
    players or prospects that the Dodgers need.Ethier and Wood are not going to get Carlos Carrasco or Danny
    Salazar.Maybe the Mets, but they would
    prefer a RHOF, and they certainly do not need Wood.I look at the Rays because they do have trade
    components that the Dodgers could use.The Dodgers need a lockdown 8th inning setup reliever.The Rays have McGee and Boxberger, so they
    could probably move one as long as they got back a reliever in return.The Rays are not going to trade either
    reliever for Ethier even with his salary paid. The Dodgers could benefit from a
    full-time 2B.The Rays have Logan
    Forsythe.Isn’t he worth at least a
    discussion?If they get Forsythe, do
    they need Kike’?The Rays are also
    looking to trade Jake Odorizzi to make room for Blake Snell.The Rays are the logical trading
    partner.That doesn’t mean they will.But you cannot get any of those players
    without giving up something in return.Besides Urias, De Leon, Barnes, and Hernandez, what do the Dodgers have
    that they can trade that someone else wants?Urias and De Leon are about as untouchable as you can get.Maybe Pederson.Thompson can play CF.But how do you value him?Are you going to give up on him as Zaidi and
    Friedman did Dee Gordon?If you are the
    opposing GM, are you going to trade anything back in value based on what he did
    for the whole 2015?Scott Van
    Slyke?You want to keep him to spell
    AGon. As far as RH 1B who can spell AGon here and there, Justin Turner can do
    that.He is no worse defensively than
    SVS.
    Bottom line,
    if you are satisfied that the 25 man is okay and is the best team in the NL,
    then there are no moves that have to be made.But if you think the roster can be improved, be prepared to move someone
    of value.All Dodger fans would be happy
    if they could trade Zach Lee and Pedro Baez for Jake McGee.I doubt if any Rays fans would be too
    thrilled.So instead of ripping a trade
    proposal, make one that you think is fair.Or maybe you do believe the Dodgers are the best team in the NL right
    now, and cannot be improved.That’s okay
    too.

  6. AlwaysCompete Michael Norris ChrisTerrell  No,  I do not think they are the best team in the NL West. First off you are thinking the FO is not satisfied with the BP as it now stands, which may or may not be true. But the fact is they signed Blanton to be the long man. So, he is a lock for the roster. So are Jansen, Hatcher Howell, Avilan. That is 5 spots right there. They go with 6 bullpen guys, 1 spot left…they go with 7…2 spots left. My thinking is that they stick with the young hard throwers they already have in the organization. Baez, and Garcia…low cost, high return. Then there are the guys who could fill that role that are already in the organization. Frias, who could be converted, Cotton, and the new guy they signed from Cuba, Sierra. Plus you have some pretty good arms down there that we have not touched on, Thomas and Liberatore. So I think IMHO< that they feel they have the arms already….Now you said use Turner to spell Gonzo,.,,,,well then who plays 3rd? They are short on infielders already, and Kike and Utley are going to share 2nd. Besides it has been reported that Turner is pretty iffy about being ready for the start of spring. And Faidi has said over and over, that they feel comfortable with a platoon at 2nd….so unless a competent replacement is found that is your 2nd base tandem. And as far as Forsythe, is he an upgrade? Kike should be what he was last year…a super sub. Barnes is the closest thing that they have to a MLB ready catcher in the system. Deleon and Farmer are a couple of years away at best, and with Grandal coming off major surgery, they are not going to trade the only real MLB ready backup. They could trade a lot of people. I for one think this is Lee’s last shot, and going back to AAA serves no purpose for him….so he is moveable. But the focus is on moving Ethier. I think that is what they want to do most. And they need to act soon, or they will be stuck with him for the season at least, because you can bet he will block any trade that might be proposed. We as fans can speculate at will and propose trades, most of them ridiculous, but it is ultimately up to Fried Brains and his buddy Zippo…..

  7. AlwaysCompete Michael Norris ChrisTerrell  They keep Wood as insurance in case Ryu is not ready to start the season..

  8. Michael Norris AlwaysCompete ChrisTerrell  Who plays third when Turner spells Gonzo?  The same player that spells Turner when he needs a break at 3B.  Turner is not going to play 162 games in 2016 (or ever).  So someone has to replace him.  My guess is that someone will be super-sub Kike’.  And while I am not a fan, and I do not know if there is room, they also have Guerrero who can play 3B.

    I also do not believe that Utley and Hernandez will be a true platoon.  I think Utley gets most of the starts.  That makes sense as you do not want different styles around the bag every other day when trying to break in a 22 year old rookie SS known more for offense than defense.  No matter how good he is projected to be.  I am one of the few who believes that Utley is not done.  But more important than his playing ability, he is the perfect mentor for Seager.  He is a true professional.  If your Dave Roberts, would you rather have Chase Utley mentoring Seager around the bag, or having Seager and Kike’ learn on the job.  Kike’ is more offensive than defense as well.

    I like Barnes.  I have no objection to him being the back up catcher.  He can also play 2nd and 3rd, so he can spell Turner on occasion (as he did in 2015).

    IMO, the Dodgers will go with 7 relievers, and I agree as it now stands those 2 would be Garcia and Baez.  You seem fine to have Garcia/Avilan/Baez in the 7th, and Hatcher in the 8th.  I would prefer McGee or Boxberger or someone similar in the 8th inning, and moving Hatcher to 7th.  I have no desire to see Pedro Baez come in the 7th inning to face D Wright ever again.  I prefer a Madson to Davis to Holland bullpen than Baez to Hatcher to Jansen.  Depending on how many IP you project the starters, I think the stronger the bullpen the better.  I do not believe that FO is satisfied with bullpen.  From Dave Roberts to Andrew Friedman they have said that the bullpen needs to be improved.  And I do not believe that they think that it is resolved because Joe Blanton MAY have found a slider.  What will happen when he loses that slider and Ray Searage is not there to help him? 

    If you are only holding Wood as a “just in case” for Ryu, I am not in favor of that.  I think his trade value has already been hurt, but just to make him insurance, your just asking to give him away.  This is a 25 year old who is one year removed from a 2.78 ERA.  Trade before he becomes a throw in.  Zach Lee is already that throw in. 

    You brought up a lot of additional pitchers that I have used in the past.  There are too many pitchers at the same level and they cannot all be used.  Figure out who you want, and move the others for infield prospects at all levels.  The Dodgers do not have any.  The job of the GM is to balance the roster (25 man and 40 man).  Neither roster is balanced and we are 4 weeks and 1 day from pitchers and catchers reporting.

    Finally it is fun going back and forth.  Nobody has all the right answers, including those who get paid to have them.

  9. AlwaysCompete Michael Norris ChrisTerrell  I agree to disagree….I think, and most do that they are vastly over rating Utley. Personally, I think both his range and his bat speed have decreased to a point that he is no longer anything close to an everyday, or even a 5 games a week player. Guererro is worthless. I think they will play the beans out of him in spring to try and facilitate a trade. He is not their sign, so they have no loyalty to keep the guy, and as a fielder, he is pretty pathetic….That is why he is listed as an outfielder. I also think you are way off base about trading Wood. Which makes no sense what so ever. If Ryu, and McCarthy are less than 100 % when they come back, he is the perfect choice to be ready to do the job. His funky delivery, plus his taste of success a few times translates well into what they need in the future. With Anderson on a 1 year deal, I do not think they go trading the kids except those like Lee, who have never quite made it. I also think you underestimate Hernandez. Kike is a pretty good defender. Utley as a mentor, I have no problem with, but I do have a problem with the glut of outfielders, and the lack of middle infielders. You also failed to mention Johnson, who also by all accounts will be given a chance to make the team. If he can defend decently, and hit, his speed makes him suited for the top of the lineup, which brings another issue. The total lack of a proven leadoff hitter….it sure is not Pederson, nor Kike, and it sure is not anyone else except maybe Crawford. But he does not thrive in that role. Frias, and Bolsinger are basically 5 inning guys who put a lot of stress on the pen, that’s why I cannot see either of them making the team. They are paying Blanton 4 million…so he is there no matter what…..Honeycutt is a pretty good pitching coach, and since Blanton is now a BP pitcher, his routine will be different. By the way, Serage used to be a Dodger. I have a lot more faith in Baez in the 7th, and think Garcia will be used there too. Until he shows them other wise, Hatcher will be the 8th inning guy, no matter what fans think. As far as Turner goes, well they know he will not play 162, but you can bet they want at least 135-140 out of him. I also think a lot of this will play out in spring…..Pederson has options left, so if he has a bad spring, AAA is not out of the question. Thompson will get a shot to push Joc in spring.

  10. I agree with Michael Norris on every point except one no way a high ob% and 25 home run potential who is your best defensive outfielder (by far) goes to AAA. Do I love his second half (@ Joc) no, obviously not but rookies go through worse. He’s our starting CF regardless barring a major trade. I happen to really like Kike and think he’s starting 2B. Utley is the vet that helps bring along the kids in the middle infield and has already received time backing up 3rd. He backs up two key spots for 7m and does it with championship experience and hits left handed when 2B and 3B are both righties. I like the lineup up and down and think Eithier is the best hitting LHO on the roster… CC can’t stay healthy and Joc is a kid who will come along.
    The move IMO is to get that 7-8th innings lined up. We’ve got Jansen in the 9th. Avilan and Howell LHRPs and Hatcher. The rest is a guess. I’d like to see one more guy get the ball to Jansen from the others I just mentioned. I love the depth in the rotation. The average team needs 9 starters in a season. Wood will play a lot if he’s not traded, in one capacity or another. He’s funky and who knows about Ryu or if another starter goes down. SP is very volatile at this level.
    Barnes backs up the catcher spot and has some ability in the infield as well. You’re right Michael, he stays unless we add another catcher.
    Crawford in unmovable and if he’s healthy he can run and hit so why trade him for peanuts? We need Puig to be what Puig is capable of being and trading him after a down season where he missed time hurt isn’t smart. SVS had a down year and we need him to hit lefties.
    I wasn’t suggesting a trade. I was saying what it would take. The biggest problem with us fans is we always expect more in return than what is possible. And the deal that does get done isn’t good enough for us.
    Don’t touch the farm. At least not the top of it. Don’t overextend for a couple years of a former star.
    Ok I’ll throw something out there:
    Garcia, Lee, And Cotton to the Rays
    Eithier, Johnson, Bolsinger, and Frias and $15m to the Orioles
    Dodgers get Johnathan Shoop and Darren O’Day from the O’s and Jake McGee from the Rays

  11. ChrisTerrell  One little flaw with your proposed trade with the O’s. They just signed O’Day to a 4 year deal. No way Fried Brains goes after that. They could have signed him in free agency and did not because they felt the price was too high. Now you want to trade Garcia, Lee, and Cotton to the Rays for McGee. Doubt that is a real deal either. First the Rays might like Lee, but the Dodgers like Cotton and Garcia. I also think you are under rating Garcia. The kid has electric stuff, and at the beginning of last year both he and Baez were lights out. They both hit a rough patch in the middle of the season, which I think was more due to overwork and a lack of experience…..Both should be better this year. The roster as it sits right now has close to 25 pitchers. Here is a list of the relievers on the roster. Avilan, Baez, Garcia, Jansen, Hatcher, Liberatore, Howell, Blanton, Cotton, Montas, Ravin, Stripling and Thomas….and that does not even include the 2 Cuban pitchers they signed in the last few weeks, Sierra and Mejia. That is 15 guys right there, not counting Bolsinger and Frias, who if not starters are long men. I also think you are vastly under rating CC. When healthy, and that is a big if, he is a pretty solid player….As far as Pederson goes……I am sorry….a .210 batting average and all those strikeouts are not going to cut it. I know he has a high OBP, but he was pretty much useless in the 2nd half, and the holes in his swing need to be addressed. And Thompson is almost as good a CF as Joc. Might not have his power, but he makes contact more often and has as much speed. I also think using Tampa as a constant trading partner is because Fried brains used to work for them. So far no one they have gotten from the Rays has been all that good. I wait and see, try as hard as I can to move Ethier before the 10-5 deadline, and maybe find a solid backup infielder who plays SS and 3rd…

  12. Is it obvious why most of Freidman’s trades and proposed trades are with the Rays. Maybe it isn’t a bad thing, but again it may be. If we think that the Rays are trying to rebuild  themselves, are they going to give our FO their young and talented guys or unload their waste. Freidman knows their talent pool, but trying to get players that he drafted yrs ago and seeing them as he thought of them when he drafted them and still hoping they reach their potential is silly. He has already proven that. We have to realize that we will never see what our system has unless we play them. The Royals didn’t know what they had until they put that young talent on the field. The young makes mistakes and we have to live with that….But some will blossom.

  13. There was a deal on MLB last night where the panel discussed the reason that the Pirates had done so well in winning 98 games and being very good in a division with the Cards and Cubs the last few years. And their collective answer was like Tampa was with Friedman that they kept players in the system developing until they were ready to succeed on a regular basis in the show.

  14. I don’t know if I’m under valuing anyone necessarily but more making the point that it takes more than most are willing to concede. Both teams have to look at it and think they won and in today’s game with all the numbers analyzed the way they are, it’s getting harder and harder to do that unless it’s an old school – he looks like a player – way of thinking team like the Dbacks. Not that ex-players can’t do the math or look up war, I just think the science has had an evolution over the FOs the last decade or so and more and more of these teams look and value players much the same way and its when teams view players differently that a clear winner and loser is more possible.

  15. Michael Norris ChrisTerrell 

    I do not
    think I am under-valuing Garcia or Baez.I think you are over-valuing them.You THINK Baez and Garcia can be back end bullpen, while Jake McGee and
    Brad Boxberger have already proven they are.Maybe your right, but I would still rather have Jake McGee in the 8th
    and Chris Hatcher in the 7th.Let Garcia/Baez/Avilan prove themselves in true middle relief
    opportunities.Howell is true
    situational lefty, and I increased my position to Blanton to ambivalent.Yes, I know he is in the pen.He is going to be my 2016 version of Davey
    Lopes…someone I will never root for individually, but will root for as a member
    of the Dodgers.
    As far as O’Day,
    I have no idea what the Dodgers were going to or did offer.But he was not coming to LA because of his
    wife’s job with Fox on the East Coast.Some people are just East Coast…think Andrew Miller.
    You are
    willing to risk the season on an unproven bullpen with increased
    responsibilities, but are unwilling to give Joc Pederson another shot, and give
    up on a 24 year old plus defensive CF, who does have power.He has holes in his swing, but you think
    Honeycutt can fix Baez and Garcia, but Ward cannot fix Joc.I am sure that KC is glad that they did not
    give up on Moustakas, whose true ability clicked in at 26.
    I do not
    think anyone undervalues CCs ability, but I think you overstate his ability to
    stay off the DL.If CC can stay healthy
    he helps offensively.He adds speed at
    the top of the order.But he is a poor
    defensive OF even for a LF.If Ethier is
    still with LAD, LF is his too lose, and he can platoon with SVS or Thompson
    (whoever is still with the team).When
    Puig needs a break, Ethier can move to RF, and CC can play LF.
    You have
    provided a litany of relief pitchers on the 40 man.And yet the pitchers on that list were not
    considered good enough, so Zaidi had to go out and get another former A’s
    pitcher who has put together 31 decent innings for the1st time in his career. By the
    way, I know Zito and Hudson have not yet come out of retirement, so maybe Zaidi
    can make a call.Maybe Jason
    Isringhausen.What the heck, offer Lincecum
    a $5M guaranteed and give him a shot.On
    that list, Ravin is the next one off the 40 man when Sierra actually
    signs.Thomas and Liberatore are not
    going to see LA.Cotton and Stripling are
    not considered good enough that the FO went out and guaranteed a $4M contract
    on a pitcher with 31 innings and a slider that may or may not be good.They will be in the OKC bullpen.These are top 30 starting pitcher prospects
    in the supposed #1 farm system in MLB, but not good enough to make the Dodgers
    suspect bullpen ( I know… I am undervaluing them).Montas is not considered a reliever by the
    FO.He is going to OKC to be a
    starter.Perhaps the best starting
    rotation in all of minors and maybe multiple ML teams; Urias, De Leon, Montas,
    Lee, and Alex Wood.I have not checked
    all of the rosters, but this has to be the most unbalanced roster in all of
    baseball.They have 24 pitchers and 5 infielders.With no infielder in the pipeline after
    Johnson.Bellinger at least 2 years away,
    and probably not until Gonzalez is gone.Calhoun is going to go to the OF with the other 8 in the top 30 prospects.
    Brendon Davis who will be switched to 3rd and is at least 3 years
    out, and Estevez who is 16 and nobody knows how he will turn out.
    But what
    chaps me more than anything is what they have done to Alex Wood.I have liked Wood since he was a rookie with
    ATL.He is one year removed from at
    least a mid-rotation starter with a 2.78 ERA as a 24 year old.Now he is considered nothing more than
    insurance for Ryu and McCarthy.
    Maybe the
    Dodgers will give Ethier to the Halos for a low A prospect, and the Dodgers can
    re-sign Torreyes. You continue to knock proposed transactions that may help the
    bullpen, but only say that the Dodgers need a backup infield who can play SS,
    but have not said who you think is available.The top 4 teams last year in the NLCS and ALCS…The Royals had the best
    bullpen in MLB and a great clutch hitting team.The Mets have a killer rotation, and only going to get better with a
    full year of Syndergard and Matz, and Wheeler available at mid-year.They also have Conforto for a full year and
    lead for Cespedes.Toronto had the best
    offense, and the Cubs have a strong rotation and a far better offense that
    LAD.So how do the Dodgers get past
    those teams?They were one of the worst
    clutch hitting teams in MLB and have done nothing to improve.There bullpen is still mediocre because there
    is no emphasis on the 8th inning.I know Kershaw has to be extremely pleased with how that is
    progressing.The Cubs go out and get
    Lackey to back up Arrieta and Lester, add Zobrist and Heyward, and still have
    Bryant, Baez, Soler, Rizzo, Russell, and Schwarber.The Giants get Belt and Panik back for the
    full year.The have replaced Blanco with
    Span.They have added Cueto and
    Samardzija to replace Hudson and Leake.And they still have Madbum.Yeah,
    I like what the Dodgers have done.Added
    Kazmir (who I like), Maeda (who is probably a pitch away from TJ), Blanton and
    traded three prospects for three better overall prospects.I am thinking champagne in October now.

  16. AlwaysCompete Michael Norris ChrisTerrell  No where did I say give up on Joc, what I said, and what I know is that you cannot have a player hitting .210 in the lineup everyday. Joc has huge holes in his swing. He walks a lot, and he crushes homers, that part is great, and he is a fantastic defensive outfielder. But you show me one team that has a starting OF hitting that low and playing everyday. He has to improve, and he is young enough that a short stint in the minors would not hurt him at all. Yeah, I have faith in Baez and Garcia, because I have seen what they are capable of… lights out stuff, and as far as Cotton goes, I think you are way off base. The kid is a prized prospect who almost got a September call up. He might not be ready right now, but he is close, And who is to say he is not the back end guy? He is on the roster for a reason. I think Boxberger and McGee are good pitchers, and they would be assets. But I am not trading the future for an 34 year old O’Day. Again I agree to disagree…..I have been a Dodger fan for over 60 years. I have seen the good the bad and the very ugly. This is to me a very flawed team with a lot of holes. Questionable signings, and for probably the first time in modern baseball a rotation that will be 4/5ths lefthanded. I have eyes and I can see what other teams have done the last few years. Hell the Giants won in 2014 with a team that had a very impotent offense. But they got hot at exactly the right time. As far as Crawford goes, yeah it is probably wishful thinking, but when he has been healthy, he has produced. Ethier is a solid player, but he cannot hit lefty’s anymore. They do not want him being a 10-5 guy. But the chances they trade him are getting slimmer unless something develops in spring. You have 2 soft tossing lefty’s in the pen…Avilan, and Howell. Liberatore throws heat. Now he might not be on the opening day roster, but at some point he will probably be up. We look at things from a different prospective, does not mean that either of us is right. But a team with this many flaws will be home in October.

  17. Michael Norris AlwaysCompete ChrisTerrell  Michael, for the record I never said I wanted O’Day.  All I said was that he was never going to come to LA as a FA.  I do not want him, and really never did.  You may be right about Liberatore.  I am not convinced Avilan is the answer, but I do know that he is a Friedman and Zaidi guy and Liberatore is not.  Thus Avilan makes the team.  Howell is strictly going to face the tough lefty. That is all he is there for.  I know…that is not much for $6M.

    I am good with Garcia, who I think was totally mismanaged and lost confidence.  That is why he is not yet the 7th inning guy.  As far as Baez, I was at Game 1 NLDS and the entire crowd around me groaned when Mattingly brought Baez in to face Wright.  Kershaw had to be cursing Mattingly.  Everyone in the stadium knew what was going to happen…and it did.  The feeling in the stands,…Oh NO not again.  You want to bring Baez in at the beginning of an inning Ba, okay.  But a solid reliever needs to come in with runners on base and be expected to shut them down.  Baez has not proven that he can do, not even close.  He gave up 47 hits in 51 IP.  McGee was hurt part of last year but in 2014 he had 71.1 IP and 48 H with 19 saves.  2015  – 37.1 IP and 27 H.  .897 and .938 WHIP for 2014 and 2015 respectively, and Baez had 1.137 last year.  I will take Jake McGee over Pedro Baez every game.  If that costs me a utility or back up player, so be it.  If Baez is valued by other organizations as you do, then it would not take that much more to get Jake McGee.  Micah Johnson, Lee, and Baez?

    With Cotton, you are misreading me.  I like Jharel Cotton.  He just has no place on the Dodgers except for the bullpen at OKC.  In 2017, Urias and De Leon take the place of Anderson and Kazmir (I think he opts out).  But they also have Chris Anderson who they are high on, and he has no place to go.  They have Grant Holmes and Walker Buehler right behind.  And Yadier Alveraz the next year.  Stripling is also liked and he is going to the OKC bullpen.  They have at least 3 and probably 4 picks out of the 1st 40 in next year’s draft.  Zaidi being a Beane protégé will undoubtedly use 3 of those picks on top college pitchers.  You cannot use them all.  At what point does the law of diminishing returns kick in?  It has come and passed for Zach Lee.  If he is still in the Dodger organization next year, he will not be considered a prospect, and will have absolutely no trade value.  It will be a total and complete waste.  The Dodgers used Peraza to get Montas.  I liked the trade, others did not.  We will see how that turns out.  You have to be willing to lose something if you want to gain.  Some investments work, some do not, but you have to try.  As long as the team is balanced you can always make logical moves, and some will work.

    You are right that we do not look at the game the same way, and that does not make either one of us correct. Nobody has been correct for the Dodgers for 27 years.  I am running out of years.  I just believe in a solid bullpen and balance on the 25 man and 40 man roster, and in the farm.  The Dodgers as they are currently configured are not there.

  18. Soft tossing lefties? I know you have eyes but get them checked Michael, Avilan brings hard lefty heat at 95. Hitters hit .224 against him in a Dodgers uniform while he struck out 27% of the batters faced. At .07 runs based on hitters faced for the Dodgers, he had the 4th highest Dodgers win probability behind only Kershaw, Greinke, and Jansen.

  19. Soft tossing lefties? Howell yes but Avilan brings it at 95. Hitters hit .224 against him as a Dodger, while striking out 27% of the time. He at .07 runs was the 4th of Dodgers pitchers in win probability behind only Kerahaw, Greinke, and Jansen!

  20. AlwaysCompete Michael Norris ChrisTerrell  Liberatore is a Friedman guy, he came from Tampa in the Peralta deal…and you are right, there are more holes in this team than Swiss cheese…

  21. ChrisTerrell  Avilan can hit 95 it is true, but he does not live there, and occasionally he does throw that hard. But Liberatore is 98-99, and has hit 100. He throws serious cheese, and if they decided to keep 3 lefty relievers, he would be my choice..

  22. Yeah let them all compete and let the results speak to who can do what not the old fashioned “eye test”. I know you can see that Greg Maddux barely threw 90. Greinke lives at 91. Big and strong doesn’t mean you can consistently drive the ball like Ruth. 7 feet tall doesn’t mean you’re Wilt Chamberlain. A car salesman can talk a million miles an hour and appear to be as polished as a cue ball but if the stuttering guy sells 20 cars a month and the Mr. smooth sells 10, the stuttering salesman makes twice as much money, period.

  23. @AlwaysCompete Johnson, Lee, and Baez is not enough to get McGee but I like the way you’re thinking. An upgrade is needed in the 7th/8th IMO too. Teams want controllable talents with high upsides and they value MLB proven ones at double the rate. You need another player to make them pull the trigger unless it’s a pending FA that they don’t want to pay and even then they want a sure thing and a good prospect: Cotton, Lee, or Montas along with Baez and a mid-level innings eater like Lee might do it. Or Johnson,

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