MLB NEWS/RUMORS Thread

If another team makes a serious offer we should offer Verdugo, Alvarez, Brock, and Toles. The Marlins also agree to pay 20% of each yearly salary starting the year after the opt out year passes. These first few years the Marlins get huge salary relief by not paying anything. If Stanton opts out then they never have to pay anymore of his contract. But if Stanton does not opt out the Marlins would be on the hook for 20% of the remainder of the contract.
There is gamble on both sides but it would pay off big for either team depending on what Stanton does in a few years and how the MLB salaries will be by then.

The Marlins keep wanting people who look for Stanton to take Dee as well.
They are going to fire sale that team. If the nerds are going in for Stanton they should just start that fire up and take as much as you can from them now.
Taking Dee will probably save the Dodgers from having to give up a better prospect. That is how much they want to dump Dee.
We can take on Dee as part of the 2B situation with Logan. Between them we can have something decent and at least offer Dave some flexibility by having a fast baserunner.
Then we can give them that good prospect back and take Ozuna too.

SS: Seager
RF: Stanton
1B: Bellinger
LF: Ozuna
3B: Turner
CF: Puig
2B: Taylor
C : Barnes

Bench: Logan, Dee, Kike, Joc, catcher.

Probably get some decent relievers off them too.
After Ohtani that would pretty much end our FA needs and leave us with an abundance in case of injury.

 

Its the OF, its not really a position change all that much.

 

Marlins have no desire for Puig or Joc who will be demanding salary upgrades soon.
They want guys like Toles or Verdugo who will earn low wages for many more years of team control.

 

personally i'd put him in left
we have better rf and cf options imo

 

this has to make zach lee feel special lol

Mariners GM says trading Chris Taylor the worst deal he’s ever made
by Matt Borelli | Dodger Blue — 1 hour ago

When the Los Angeles Dodgers sent Zach Lee to the Seattle Mariners for Chris Taylor in a June 2016 trade, it was merely viewed as an opportunity for the two underperforming, former top prospects to get a fresh start elsewhere.

Then, at the suggestion of teammate Justin Turner, Taylor changed his mechanics at the plate last offseason — and the adjustments paid off, to say the least. Taylor, a lifetime .240/.296/.296 hitter with no home runs for the Mariners, set new career highs in nearly category for the Dodgers this season.

The 27-year-old tallied 148 hits, 22 home runs, 72 RBI and an .850 on-base plus slugging percentage during the regular season. All-in-all, his overall production translated to 4.7 WAR (FanGraphs) — good for 13th in the National League.

Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto recently expressed regret over trading Taylor, per Matt Calkins of The Seattle Times:

“It’s clearly the worst deal I’ve ever made,” Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said. “And it resonates every time he hits a home run. I whiffed. There’s no other way to categorize it,” Dipoto said. “He’s young, he was under club control — that was one I wish I could undo.”​

Taylor’s performance, which carried into the postseason has turned the super utility player into a household name around. In 59 plate appearances, he batted .254/.380/.508 with four doubles, one triple, three home runs and seven RBI.

Taylor earned co-MVP honors with Turner in the NL Championship Series, where he produced a .316/.458/.789 slash line with one double, one triple and two home runs in 24 trips to the plate against the Chicago Cubs.

While Taylor has excelled, a new setting didn’t amount to the same for Lee. He was designated for assignment by the Mariners in December 2016 and claimed off waivers by the San Diego Padres. The right-hander was then released by the Padres this past August.

Dipoto’s public dismay of dealing Taylor isn’t the first time a general manager has gone on the record to regret a trade with the Dodgers.

Former Atlanta Braves general manager John Coppolella admitted that parting with Alex Wood was a decision he regretted.

 

the next taylor?

Dodgers sign former Mets outfielder Travis Taijeron to Minor League deal
by Daniel Starkand | Dodger Blue — 90 minutes ago

In recent years, the Los Angeles Dodgers front office has done a tremendous job of finding diamonds in the rough, signing players like Justin Turner, Andrew Toles and Brandon Morrow to minor league deals, and they ended up turning into stars.

They also made a trade for a utilityman in the Seattle Mariners organization by the name of Chris Taylor, a trade that went under the radar at the time but Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto is now calling it the worst deal he’s ever made.

It’s possible that the Dodgers have found their next under-the-radar talent, as they have reportedly made their first free agent signing of the offseason, inking for New York Mets outfielder Travis Taijeron to a minor league deal, via Michael Mayer of MetsMerized:

Taijeron was an 18th round pick by the Mets in 2011 out of Cal Poly Pomona. He made his Major League debut on Aug. 28 of this season, and in 26 games with the big league club, he hit .173/.271/.269 with a home run and three RBIs.

The 28-year-old had a very productive season with Triple-A Las Vegas though, slashing .272/.383/.525 with 25 home runs and 78 RBIs in 125 games. The San Diego-area native has hit 135 career minor league home runs across seven seasons in the Mets organization.

One thing that has become apparent with the Dodgers front office is that they value depth, particularly in the pitching staff and outfield, and that is exactly what signing Taijeron provides.

 

Dodgers-Giants 2018 opener to be televised by ESPN
ESPN will exclusively televise two games of opening weekend series
by Eric Stephen | True Blue LA — 8 hours ago

LOS ANGELES — When the Dodgers open their 2018 season against the Giants at Dodger Stadium, two of four games will televised exclusively on ESPN, including opening day.

ESPN will televise the Dodgers-Giants opener on Thursday, March 29, a 4 p.m. PT start, and will also showcase the series finale on ‘Sunday Night Baseball,’ a 5:30 p.m. PT start. Both will be exclusive telecasts by ESPN, which means no SportsNet LA broadcast of either game.

The games are part of 10 games televised by ESPN or ESPN2 over the first six days of the season, including four games on opening day. The first game of the 2018 season will feature the Marlins hosting the Cubs on March 29, a 9:30 a.m. PT start.

The 2018 season opens on a Thursday as part of the new, expanded regular season, now 187 days up from 183 to account for more rest days built into the new collective bargaining agreement.

The Dodgers were on ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ three times in 2017, and were 2-1.

 

an argument against

Why the Dodgers Should Pass on Giancarlo Stanton
by Brian Robitaille | Dodgers Nation — 7 hours ago

The Dodgers’ interest in MVP and possible trade candidate, Giancarlo Stanton, has many fans excited. They envision adding Stanton to an already solid Dodgers lineup and imagine themselves gazing at mammoth home runs hit over the left field pavilion on a nightly basis.

It’s hard to blame anyone for dreaming about this. Undoubtedly, Stanton is a beast. His 59 dingers last year were the most in baseball since Barry Bonds’ record-setting 73 back in 2001. However, we all know there are many who think that records set by Bonds (as well as marks set by McGwire, Sosa, or anyone else in that era) are tarnished due to PED allegations.

So, you could argue that Stanton’s power display last year was one of the most impressive in MLB history, perhaps only topped by Roger Maris (61 in 1961) and Babe Ruth (60 in 1927.)

Regardless where you place Stanton’s achievement, there’s no doubt he’s a great player. His performance this past season just earned him the N.L. MVP Award. He leads all active MLB players with with one home run every 14.3 at-bats. Also, at only 28 years old, he’s still in his prime.

Who wouldn’t you want a guy like that? Even my counterparts here at Dodgers Nation seemed to have got on board the Stanton train. Well, not to sound too much like the party pooper here, but if it were up to me, I’d prefer the Dodgers pass on Stanton.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. How in the world did the Dodgers lose Games 2 and 5? They had those games in the bag, and if they had just pulled out one of them, the entire series would — oh… you weren’t thinking that? Maybe that’s just me then. Sorry… still having occasional flashbacks. I digress.

Getting back to Stanton, perhaps you’re actually thinking why in the world I wouldn’t want his services on the Dodgers. Let me explain.

That $295 million contract

Obviously, any protest to acquiring Stanton has little to do with him as a player, and more about his hefty contract. Stanton is due $295 million over the next 10 years, and in 2027, he’ll still be getting paid $25 million at the age of 37.

Andrew Friedman, and the rest of the Dodgers front office, has shied away from long term contracts so far during their tenure. Kenley Jansen’s 5-year deal last off-season was the longest one given out under their regime. Taking on a contract as massive and lengthy as Stanton’s doesn’t really fit in with Friedman’s style.

Of course, the Marlins could always pay a portion of the contract in a trade. However, the more salary that Miami remains on the hook for, the more likely it is that the Dodgers would have to include some top prospects in any deal. In other words, the Dodgers will end up paying one way or the other – either in money or in prospects.

Stanton’s health could also be something to consider before any deal. Last year was only the second time in the last six years that he’s played at least 125 games. While it would be a little premature to slap the “injury-prone” label on him, it does raise some concerns.

Other contract particulars

In addition to Stanton’s contract being expensive, it also has a couple of particulars that make it less appealing. For one, Stanton has an opt-out clause which will allow him to become a free agent after the 2020 season. That only gives three guaranteed years of his services.

Perhaps the Dodgers wouldn’t mind if Stanton opts out at that point, or they might even prefer it. Still, Stanton would have control over what happens either way, which is not ideal.

Stanton’s contract also has a full no trade clause, allowing him to veto any deal he doesn’t approve of. That would really limit the Dodgers’ flexibility with him in the future, and they could find themselves in the same situation as the Marlins are currently in, where they’re at the mercy of Stanton’s desires in any negotiations.

The Dodgers’ current outfield is pretty good already

The Dodgers had one of the better offenses in baseball in 2017. Although Stanton’s addition would definitely be a boost, it’s certainly not a necessity. Assuming no other moves are made, the Dodgers will have Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor, Joc Pederson, Andrew Toles, and Alex Verdugo as primary outfield options going into next year.

Sure, there are some questions around a few of those options. Pederson’s career has been filled with ups and downs, and any kind of consistency has eluded him. There’s no way to tell what version of Joc the Dodgers will get next year. Toles is coming off of a serious injury which sidelined him almost all of last year, so his health may be a question mark. Verdugo will be a rookie, albeit a highly touted one, so some might caution expecting too much from him right away.

Even with these questions though, it seems like the Dodgers will have enough options to field a very productive outfield, and the money they would fork out for Stanton could be spent elsewhere. Perhaps to bolster the bullpen. Maybe adding another starting pitcher or two.

Or, if you really want to think big, maybe saving up for even greater things to come…

2018 free agents

This year’s free agent class is nothing great. Next year’s, however, is shaping up to be one of the biggest ever, in terms of top tier players.

Here are just some of the top free agents for the 2018-2019 off-season:

• Clayton Kershaw (opt-out option)
• Bryce Harper
• Manny Machado
• Josh Donaldson
• Charlie Blackmon
• Andrew McCutchen
• A.J Pollock
• Daniel Murphy
• Brian Dozier
• D.J LeMahieu
• Adam Jones
• Dallas Keuchel
• David Price (opt-out option)
• Zach Britton
• Andrew Miller
• Craig Kimbrel
• Cody Allen​

“Holy Schinkes” you say? Exactly. And that’s only the top 15 or so. This will be one of the deepest free agent classes in recent memory, with many superstar players on the market.

Topping that list is the Dodgers’ own, Clayton Kershaw, who can, and assuredly will, opt-out after next season. It would seem that the Dodgers’ first order of business would be to bring back the best pitcher in the game and that, of course, won’t be cheap.

Moving along down the list, you can pick any number of great players who would be great to see in Dodger blue. Bryce Harper? Manny Machado? Maybe Zach Britton or Andrew Miller? There’s plenty of options, and all of them will cost a pretty penny.

With so much money coming off the books for the Dodgers at the conclusion of the 2018 season, they’ll have some money to play with. Adding a contract like Stanton’s wouldn’t necessarily cripple the Dodgers in free agency, but it could limit them. And if there’s ever a year where you don’t want to be limited, it would be next year.

There’s no doubt that Giancarlo Stanton is a great player with phenomenal power. That said, it might not be in the Dodgers best interest to add a contract like his when you look at everything involved.

 

Nerds are thieving the league.
Then planting their spies in their front office.

 

much pull the dark side has

 

i'd hold onto puig
up to 7 months ago i never would have said this