DODGERS NEWS/RUMORS thread

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by Dodgers99, Oct 28, 2018.

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  1. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    Still all quiet on the MLB front. Kinda surprised that nothing happened this weekend as it is kind of an MLB tradition for someone big to sign on or around Thanksgiving. The rumors aren't really all that plentiful...
    • The feeling around baseball is that Paul Goldschmidt has played his final game with the D'Backs. There is word that the Backs have had substantial enough talks to feel that they will get a return suitable to move Goldy. The Cards and Astros are said to be the two teams going hardest after the star 1B. Something else of note is that the feeling is that the return will likely be pretty weak for a player of his caliber since 1B is not the prime position it once was, this being his final year and him having prolonged slumps in 2017 and 2018 with some struggles against power pitching to boot. I still find it hard to believe that he will be had for anything less than a teams top 3 prospect as his numbers over a full season are still substantial.
    • One reason the belief that the return for Goldy is going to be weak is that the D'Backs are said to be exploring the option of pairing the all star 1B with RHP Zack Greinke to lessen the long term financial burden. Though Greinke has not been the dominant ace he was before signing his large contract 3 years ago, he has still been one of the of the league's more productive pitchers even with a rapidly diminishing FB velocity. With 3 years and a $34.4M AAV the rest of the way, it could be hard to move him on his own without eating a substantial amount of his remaining contract. The Astros are said to be interested as they have the financial space to take on a Greinke and Goldschmidt, with also a need at each position.
    • I said the other day that Yusei Kikuchi had been posted though there had been a total lack of evidence and it looked like some sites just twisted words(including Rosenthal!). It looks like he will actually be posted in December. This could mean that we see a slow down in the FA market for at least starting pitching until then. There are multiple teams around the league that find him somewhat comparable to the talent on the market currently with less of a financial burden.
    • The Yankees and Indians talked about a Justus Sheffield led package for one of their 3 starters, but felt the Yankees could not put something together that would help them still compete. The Yankees then turned their focus to the Mariners and closed the James Paxton deal. The Indians are said to be dead focused on continuing to be the dominant force in the AL Central and are not going to consider down the road packages for their starting pitchers (Trevor Bauer is in fact also being floated in deals). This is going to be the team to watch as the Dodgers are likely one of the best suited orgs in baseball to pair with for MLB ready talent.
    I'm off to the mountains for the rest of the day and night, so I fully expect something to happen on the Hot Stove. You're welcome.
     
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  2. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    wonder if friedman could get involved in a multi team deal to get greinke
    and then ship goldy wherever
    could try to include kemp
    maybe get the pirates involved and get cervelli for wood (as was hypothesized a couple days ago)
    okay, dreaming
     
  3. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    Should the Marlins trade J.T. Realmuto this offseason?
    by Connor Byrne | MLB Trade Rumors — 32 minutes ago

    Entering the offseason, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Marlins would trade their best player, catcher J.T. Realmuto, prior to the 2019 campaign. Not only is Miami a rebuilding team whose control over Realmuto is dwindling (he’s due to become a free agent after 2020), but the 27-year-old has shown no desire to sign an extension with the club.

    At this point, a trade of Realmuto hardly seems imminent, but considering the offseason’s still in its infancy, there’s ample time for a deal to come together. However, in order for that to happen, the Marlins may have to lower their asking price for Realmuto, as Buster Olney of ESPN reported Nov. 16 that the Fish are seeking a “beyond staggering” return for the All-Star backstop. Since then, National League East rival Washington – a well-known Realmuto suitor – may have taken itself out of the sweepstakes by signing Kurt Suzuki to a two-year, $10MM contract in free agency. The Nationals could still try for Realmuto, who’d form an elite tandem with Suzuki, but there’s clearly less of a need for them to pay a bounty for a catcher than there was at the outset of the offseason.

    Certainly, should talks between the Nationals and Marlins end or continue to stagnate, there would still be a slew of teams interested in Realmuto. As arguably the majors’ premier catcher, Realmuto would easily improve other prospective 2019-20 contenders such as the Astros, Rockies, Mets, Athletics, Brewers, Braves and Dodgers, to name some. As of now, though, the sense from other clubs is that the Marlins will retain Realmuto heading into next season, per Olney.

    Because the Marlins seem unlikely to contend in the next two years, it’s fair to wonder whether they’d be mistaken in holding Realmuto this winter. In the Marlins’ view, Realmuto’s value actually increased in 2018, according to Olney, though it may be unrealistic on their part to expect a repeat in 2019. Even if the well-rounded Realmuto continues his run as a top-tier catcher next season, his diminishing team control isn’t going to do his trade value any favors. Plus, by keeping Realmuto, Miami would run the risk of a decline in performance and/or a significant injury – either of which would be disastrous from its perspective.

    While many are tired of seeing the Marlins sell off proven veterans, as they did last offseason with Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna and Dee Gordon, they may not have a choice with Realmuto. Even after last winter’s firesale, the Marlins continue to feature a below-average farm system, according to both FanGraphs and Baseball America. Moving Realmuto would immediately better their outlook on that front, and if they’re going to trade him, it may be in their best interests to do so in the next few weeks. After all, with bona fide No. 1 options Yasmani Grandal and Wilson Ramos headlining the free-agent catcher class, Miami could soon have two fewer suitors for Realmuto if it doesn’t act quickly.
     
  4. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    farhan looking for another diamond in the rough
    • The Giants have signed righty Kieran Lovegrove to a minor league deal, per Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com. San Francisco’s the second organization for the 24-year-old Lovegrove, who had been in Cleveland’s system since it selected him in the third round of the 2012 draft. The hard-throwing, South African-born Lovegrove spent most of last season at the Double-A level, where he pitched to a 3.46 ERA with 8.77 K/9 and 6.23 BB/9 in 39 frames. FanGraphs’ David Laurila profiled and interviewed Lovegrove earlier this month.
     
  5. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    Latest on Indians’ Top Starters
    by Connor Byrne | MLB Trade Rumors — 2 hours ago

    [​IMG]

    The Yankees and Mariners pulled off a blockbuster trade on Monday, when New York sent three prospects – including left-hander Justus Sheffield – to Seattle for southpaw James Paxton. But before that deal went down, there was a possibility of the Yankees returning Sheffield to the Indians, his first professional organization.

    Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com reports the Indians likely could have accepted a Sheffield-fronted package for any of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer, whom they’ve discussed with the Yankees. In the end, however, the two sides couldn’t match up, as Hoynes writes that the Mariners placed a higher value on Sheffield than the Indians did. According to Hoynes, Cleveland still likes Sheffield, whom it chose in the first round of the 2014 draft but later traded to the Yankees in a 2016 deal headlined by reliever Andrew Miller. Still, it’s no surprise that the Tribe elected against trading any of its ace-caliber starters to reunite with the 22-year-old Sheffield.

    If Cleveland’s going to move Kluber, Carrasco or Bauer, Hoynes relays that it’ll need to receive a return that would unquestionably help the club stay atop the American League Central, a division it has won three years in a row. Conversely, the Mariners don’t figure to contend in 2019, so they were more willing to accept a future-oriented package for Paxton. In addition to the well-regarded Sheffield, Paxton brought back a pair of non-elite prospects in righty Erik Swanson and outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams.

    Even if the Indians were to subtract one of Kluber, Carrasco or Bauer, starting pitching wouldn’t be a weak point for the club, as it also counts Mike Clevinger, Shane Bieber, Danny Salazar and Triston McKenzie among its rotation possibilities. The team’s outfield is an obvious concern, on the other hand, and as Kyle Downing of MLBTR pointed out in previewing the Indians’ offseason, it would make more sense for a Kluber, Carrasco or Bauer trade to net them a cheap, controllable solution in that area.

    If the Indians do part with any of their three right-handed stars this offseason, each would warrant a greater return than Paxton. The Big Maple, who’s down to his final two years of arbitration eligibility, hasn’t been as durable as any member of Cleveland’s trio. There’s also a rather strong case to be made that he simply isn’t as good as Kluber, Carrasco or Bauer.

    Few have been able to combine dominance and durability like the 32-year-old Kluber dating back to his 2014 breakout. The two-time AL Cy Young winner also comes with up to three years of team control. Kluber’s due $17MM next year, and after that, his employer will have decisions to make on a $17.5MM club option in 2020 and an $18MM option in ’21. Barring major injury issues or a noticeable downturn in performance, those options will be exercised.

    Like Paxton, both Carrasco and Bauer have two years of team control left. Carrasco will earn $9MM in 2019 and perhaps another $9.5MM by way of a club option in 2020, though that figure could increase based on AL Cy Young voting. Bauer’s future salaries are less certain than his two teammates’, but he’s projected to earn an affordable sum – $11.6MM – in his second-last year of arbitration eligibility. Although the 27-year-old doesn’t yet have the long-term track record of Kluber or Carrasco, Bauer may have been better than both of them in 2018, when he logged a 2.21 ERA/2.44 FIP with 11.34 K/9 and 2.93 BB/9 in 175 1/3 innings.

    It’s unclear whether the Indians will trade any of their three No. 1 starters in the coming months, but their futures will undoubtedly be among the majors’ most interesting storylines this offseason. Kluber, Carrasco and Bauer, along with Noah Syndergaard (Mets), Zack Greinke (Diamondbacks), Madison Bumgarner (Giants) and free agents Patrick Corbin and Dallas Keuchel, appear to be the best starters who have at least some chance to end up on the move prior to the 2019 campaign.
     
  6. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    problem is...
    you don't give him the position, and maybe someone else whisks him away a la zaidi

    Friedman reluctant to have Josh Byrnes replace Zaidi as GM
    Cites importance to Scouting and Player Development
    by Daniel Starkand | Dodger Blue — 25 November 2018

    The Los Angeles Dodgers lost a key member of their front office this offseason as general manager Farhan Zaidi was hired to be the president of baseball operations of the rival San Francisco Giants.

    Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has not yet hired a replacement, or even said if the plan is to hire one person to be the club’s new general manager.

    Friedman did say the trio of vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes, farm director Brandon Gomes and director of development and scouting Alex Slater are assuming expanded roles for the time being.

    Byrnes has prior experience as a GM but Friedman explained that while he’s qualified for the role, removing Byrnes from his current post may not be in the best interest of the organization, via Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:

    Friedman noted Byrnes’ comfort with a role aiding the team’s scouting apparatus and player-development machine. “Those are two areas that are really highly functioning, performing at very high levels, that he is a big part of,” Friedman said. “So I’m not sure if that makes sense. But obviously, he’s been a big part of what we’ve done, and will continue to be.”

    Byrnes has been a member of the Dodgers’ front office since Friedman took over after the 2014 season, so he is very familiar with the roles that Zaidi vacated.

    Additionally, he was general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2005-10 and the San Diego Padres from 2010-14.

    The Dodgers also have a number of coaching vacancies to fill, which Friedman said should be taken care of in the next week. He has not given a timetable for a permanent plan for the front office opening.​
     
  7. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    a couple days old but an interesting read...

    Play him or trade him: It’s decision time for Dodgers on Alex Verdugo
    by Dustin Nosler | True Blue LA — 19 November 2018

    The Dodgers have not been shy about challenging their prospects in recent years. Julio Urías debuted at 19. Corey Seager came up at age 21, as did Cody Bellinger. Alex Verdugo also debuted at 21. The only difference here is, Seager and Bellinger were brought up to be starters, while Verdugo has only been up so far in a part-time role.

    As a pure hitter, Verdugo is more advanced than either Bellinger or Seager, yet he hasn’t been given a full opportunity yet. Not because he’s not good enough, but because of space/playing time issues. And the way the roster is currently constructed, there isn’t a clear path to playing time for him.

    He has a .321/.389/.452 in 874 Triple-A plate appearances over the last two seasons. Verdugo has nothing left to prove in Triple-A, which is why the Dodgers either need to play him or trade him. While he still has options, there really isn’t a justification for the Dodgers to send him back to Oklahoma City. Also, he has a skill-set that isn’t prevalent with this Dodger team — contact ability. That is something that might make him more valuable to them than to other teams, and might make it worth opening a spot for him.

    For him to remain in LA, the Dodgers will have to make a trade to open up a spot for Verdugo. The most obvious trade target is Joc Pederson. He’s in his second year of arbitration and will only get more expensive from here on. Pederson is coming off a 126 wRC+ season, the second-best of his career. He also hit 25 home runs while being strictly a platoon player. He has value to anyone looking for offense against right-handed pitching. He acquitted himself well defensively in left field, which should make him a bit more attractive to an acquiring team.

    With Bellinger penciled in as the starting center fielder, it doesn’t seem like Verdugo has much of a future there. So, that brings us to Yasiel Puig. He’s projected to make $11.3 million via arbitration this year — his last controllable year before free agency — and Verdugo does profile quite well defensively in right with his plus-plus arm. The Dodgers have tried to trade Puig in the past, but never when his value was actually on the positive side. There could be a team willing to take a chance on him, as he’s a guy who doesn’t necessarily need to be platooned (despite his poor splits against left-handed pitching the last two season) because he has good power potential and is a double-plus defender. Still, the idea or notion of trading Puig just doesn’t feel right. But if Verdugo is in this organization’s long-term plans, moving Puig to make room for him wouldn’t be the most surprising move.

    I’m assuming Matt Kemp will be traded at some point. Seeing as he played primarily left field last season, that would help open up the position for Verdugo. Kemp’s $21.5 million is a bit prohibitive, but if the Dodgers can package him in another deal or knock down his financial commitment for another team by paying half (or more) of his contract, a team might be willing to take him on for the 2019 season.

    Since Andrew Toles has, seemingly, fallen behind him on the depth chart, he won’t need to be moved. That leaves guys like Enrique Hernandez and Chris Taylor. But since they’re good at multiple positions and have some offensive upside, they’re probably safe. Honestly, though, the fact they hit right-handed is the biggest reason they’re safe.

    If the Dodgers want to trade Verdugo so he doesn’t have to wade through another Triple-A season, they could. He could be a headliner for an above-average MLB player. He won’t land a controllable, young stud by himself, but you could see him being the main piece in a deal for a James Paxton, Marcus Stroman or someone of that caliber. But that would also require trading other quality pieces, so Verdugo might have more present value as a Dodger than as a trade chip.

    One way or another, the Dodgers have to do right by Verdugo. He has long since earned a shot at an everyday role in the majors. They either need to find a spot for him in the outfield or move him to a team that will play him (and an acquiring team would do just that).
     
  8. 1988Blues

    1988Blues DSP Legend

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    Kid you should apply for the opening position your knowledge would be of great use. You got my vote of confidence as a fan and as a knowledgeable fantasy baseball fanatic. I always said all these years you would make a good one in the upper management
     
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  9. VRP

    VRP DSP Legend

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    I was hoping Muncy took this offseason as a time to get into shape but I just looked at his Instagram and I don’t think that’s happening
     
  10. TuborgP

    TuborgP DSP Legend

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    I would agree. It is just so complex and much not publicly disclosed. Doubt anyone fully knows who bears the greatest risk. It seems from the article to be a great deal for the insurance companies.
     
  11. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    "I'll start working out after Thanksgiving" *3 weeks later* "ok, after Christmas" .... "New Years?".... "fuck it, there is always 2020"
     
  12. VRP

    VRP DSP Legend

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    Yeah I know it’s not a direct correlation and athleticism is sometimes unrelated to fitness but, doesn’t it seem like if he lost some weight he could get more time at 2B? Especially in the regular season where his defense there is less important? Would’ve been nice lol
     
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  13. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    That is kinda what I assumed was on the docket for this offseason as well. The team had said that him at 2B was an option they were considering, but if he is not getting in shape yet than it is not likely something that is truly on the table. Damn shame, that bat with even league average D at 2B would be huge.
     
  14. BigDaddyKaine

    BigDaddyKaine DSP Legend

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    It's a direct correlation with the desire to be the absolute best. If he doesn't want to eat properly, he doesn't want to be his best.

    Even if the FO told him 2B wasn't an option, he should do everything in his power to make them rethink.

    Disappointing.
     
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  15. BigDaddyKaine

    BigDaddyKaine DSP Legend

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    Josh Donaldson to the Braves, 1/23
     
  16. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    might not necessarily be a direct correlation
    but quickness and agility would certainly improve
    endurance too
    nothing good is going to come from him pounding stuffing [no homo]
     
  17. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    m's trying to unload cano
    owed $24MM each of the next 5 years
    good luck
     
  18. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    also signed mccann for 1 year too
     
  19. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    • The Dodgers are expected to hire Dino Ebel as their new third base coach.
    hope his depth perception is better than woodward's
     
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  20. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    • The Dodgers have had preliminary talks with DJ LeMahieu, the free-agent 2B who had a down year offensively.
    was about to say i don't get this at all
    then i saw the rumor came from morosi
     
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