NEWS/RUMORS Thread

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by irish, Dec 12, 2013.

  1. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    taking down all the individual (uribe, tanaka, et al) threads
    :mods:
     
  2. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    [​IMG]
     
  3. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    [​IMG]
    The Island Of Misfit Closers
    by Mike Petriello | Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness -- December 12, 2013

    [​IMG]

    We all know the Dodgers need another reliever and possibly two or three. Maybe that’s Jamey Wright. At least one of those figures to be a lefty, and it seems likely that J.P. Howell is holding things up there, because he’d be a nice fit. (Why have we heard nothing about Oliver Perez? He’d be fun.)

    There’s so many free agent relievers out there that it’s somewhat difficult to profile them all, but maybe we can narrow things down a little further based on this quote from Mark Saxon today:

    The other figures to be a higher-profile move as the Dodgers have their sights set on landing another pitcher with closing experience.

    With the usual caveat of “just because they want someone doesn’t mean they’ll get him,” who fits that description? Using the FanGraphs free agent leaderboards, we can see who is out there that has “closing experience”. It’s almost certainly going to be a righty, because over the last three years, only Scott Downs has even 10 saves total among lefties, and he’s hardly “high profile” these days.

    Among righties, there’s 19 different guys with at least 10 saves over the last three years… sort of. Joe Nathan, LaTroy Hawkins, and Edward Mujica have already signed, and Mariano Rivera clearly isn’t an option. Ryan Madson, Rafael Betancourt, Andrew Bailey (not included) and Joel Hanrahan aren’t healthy. Jose Valverde‘s career is probably over. We’ve been down the Carlos Marmol path already. Casey Janssen seems to be mistakenly included on that list, probably because his option hadn’t been technically picked up when it was generated, but we can replace him with Chris Perez, who was released afterwards (John Axford, too). Jon Rauch, Brett Myers, Frank Francisco, and Kyle Farnsworth don’t seem to fit the criteria.

    That’s 13 guys gone, so we’re left with 7, with the obvious point being that list may not be 100% complete:

    John Axford
    Fernando Rodney
    Grant Balfour
    Chris Perez
    Kevin Gregg
    Joaquin Benoit
    Jose Veras

    Balfour, Benoit, and Rodney have been the hottest names today. Three teams reportedly have offers out to Balfour, with only Baltimore known, and while there’s been no link between him and the Dodgers, maybe it’s not the worst idea in the world to replace Peter Moylan with another Australian for the trip down under. Benoit sounds like he’s headed to Cleveland or San Diego; Rodney is reportedly holding out for $10m annually. I wonder if Gregg left camp last year with a bad taste in his mouth, so who knows about that. The declining Perez terrifies me in every way, while Axford is much more appealing.

    There’s also the possibility that the target is a trade acquisition who we’re not thinking about, like a Steve Cishek or Glen Perkins, though that seems less likely. But from what we know today, it certainly seems like one of these guys is going to be a Dodger next year. Unsurprisingly, that’s more scary than exciting. Saves!

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  4. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    After quiet winter meetings, Dodgers turn to infield
    The situation remains fluid, beginning with who ends up playing third base in 2014
    By Bill Plunkett | Orange County Register -- 1 hour ago

    LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – A year ago, the Dodgers made no moves during the winter meetings. But in the span of a few days after leaving Nashville, they committed over $200 million to two front-line starting pitchers – Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

    Dodgers GM Ned Colletti again spent this year's annual gathering meeting with agents and fellow GMs without consummating any deals. But there might not be any big moves in the immediate future either this time.

    [​IMG]

    "This club is in a decent spot," Colletti said. "We had a tremendous second half (in 2013) and certainly didn't do it at full strength. If we get guys healthy, that's an improvement, in my mind. If we have Matt Kemp for a full season? He was one of the best players in the game not too long ago. If Zack doesn't break a collarbone and miss five to six weeks? If we stay away from the major things, we'll be better than we were. And we were good enough to win the division and get to Game 6 of the NLCS."

    The starting rotation led by Clayton Kershaw and last December’s two big acquisitions was a major reason for that.

    A handful of front-line starting pitchers could be available this winter. The Tampa Bay Rays are known to be shopping their ace David Price. There has been speculation that the Philadelphia Phillies might move Cole Hamels or Cliff Lee. And, Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka remains a tantalizing option as a potential free agent if his team chooses to post him.

    "That's not where our concentration is right now," Colletti said of pursuing front-line starters to add to a rotation that was already the best in baseball last season with an MLB-low 3.13 ERA.

    Colletti's concentration is more likely focused on an unsettled infield. The Dodgers would still like to bring free-agent third baseman Juan Uribe back but have been unable to find common ground with his agent. Colletti said he has also been in contact with the agents for Mark Ellis and Michael Young, also free agents the Dodgers might want back.

    Early in the week, Colletti said there has been no discussion with Hanley Ramirez about changing positions. But it is clear acquiring a shortstop (or playing Cuban infielder Alexander Guerrero there) and moving Ramirez to third base is one of many infield options the Dodgers are keeping in play.

    Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he has spoken with Ramirez more than once about a possible position switch since Ramirez was acquired from the Miami Marlins in July 2012. That includes early in the 2013 season when the Dodgers were using a combination of Nick Punto, Luis Cruz, Jerry Hairston Jr. and Uribe at third base and getting little offensive production from the position. Uribe eventually emerged as the primary third baseman.

    "I look at Hanley as obviously an unbelievable player," Mattingly said of Ramirez, who was not happy with a move to third base during his final days in Miami. "He's been up front and I think we've been up front with him about what the possibilities are. He's always expressed and obviously we'd like to let him know as soon as we could if something was going to change. But the biggest thing he's asked is not going back and forth."

    Guerrero was primarily a shortstop in Cuba. But the Dodgers consider him more suited to second base, the position he has played most in winter ball the past month.

    "The most important thing for him is to play, to get at-bats," said Colletti who traveled to the Dominican Republic last week to watch Guerrero play. "Once we get to that point, we can decide if it's the left side of the bag or the right side of the bag."

    Meanwhile, Colletti summed up the Dodgers’ infield situation in one word.

    "It's fluid," he said. "It's always fluid and we'll make adjustments when we have to make adjustments. … We're having conversations about four or five different variations of what the infield is going to look like."

    NOTES
    The Dodgers did not select or lose anyone in the Rule 5 draft of minor-leaguers Thursday. But they did acquire right-hander Seth Rosin from the New York Mets after the Mets selected him from the Philadelphia Phillies in the draft. The 6-foot-6 Rosin, 25, was a fourth-round pick of the San Francisco Giants in 2010. He was 9-6 with a 4.33 ERA in Double-A last year, primarily as a starter. … The Dodgers also signed right-hander Sam Demel to a minor-league contract. A third-round draft pick out of Texas Christian in 2007, Demel is 4-4 with a 4.95 ERA in 72 relief appearances with the Arizona Diamondbacks over parts of three seasons. He spent last season with the New York Yankees' Triple-A team.

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  5. CapnTreee

    CapnTreee Guest

    yeah "fluid" ... that's nice...

    sort of like how Colletti's brain has rotted into fluid...
     
  6. baocun

    baocun Guest

    my vag itches
     
  7. blueplatespecial

    blueplatespecial DSP Legend

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    Dodgers Notes: Kemp, Phillips, Gordon, Kasten
    By Mark Polishuk [December 12, 2013 at 10:26pm CST]

    Matt Kemp and Brandon Phillips have been two of the offseason's biggest names rumored to be on the trade market, and there was a chance the two could've been dealt for each other in a blockbuster. The Dodgers and Reds "briefly spoke about" swapping the two All-Stars earlier this winter, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, but the Dodgers didn't have much interest. L.A. wasn't keen on adding an older player (Phillips is 32) who is owed $50MM through 2017, plus the Dodgers felt the deal wouldn't have been a fair swap if Kemp returned to full health.

    Here are some more items from Chavez Ravine...
    • There isn't any truth to rumors of a Dodgers/Royals trade that would sent Dee Gordon to Kansas City in exchange for Justin Maxwell, ESPN Los Angeles' Mark Saxon reports (via Twitter).
    • The Dodgers fully intend to rebuild their minor league depth, team president Stan Kasten said tells Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, and while they've moved some minor leaguers in trades, Kasten is pleased that "we kept adding pieces while keeping the guys we valued the most." Speaking in general, Kasten said "what would have interested us — and might still — is to trade one of our veterans if we can get back young, controllable players and prospects." In addition, while Kasten says the Dodgers don't plan to trade any of their key youngsters, "there are deals on the table that include top prospects."
    • The Dodgers could consider trading pitching prospects in order to obtain more position player prospects, Kasten said, as the club is lacking in youngsters who can play the field.
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  8. CapnTreee

    CapnTreee Guest



    I dunno but most times someone quotes Stan he makes a lot of sense.

    Nice to know he's in the wheelhouse

    to wield the dull sword that is NedCo...
     
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  9. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    anyone else see this?
    wonder if there's something to it, or if it's just rosendouche hypothesizing...

    [​IMG]

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  10. Doughty8

    Doughty8 DSP Legend

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    Horse hockey!!!!!!!!!
     
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  11. BigDaddyKaine

    BigDaddyKaine DSP Legend

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    If Kemp is Kemp again then the guy who is pissed off with Kemp will get fired.
     
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  12. blueplatespecial

    blueplatespecial DSP Legend

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    Oh, I could see Kemp being a whiny bkitch (even with his mega-contract) and ticking off Ned, who calls him a whiny bkitch (over the phone). And Dave Stewart getting in on it (you can't talk to my whiny bkitch like that) , and Ned sending an anonymous tip to Rosencrap (someone's being a whiny bkitch). Oh, I could see it, alright: :bitchfight:
     
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  13. IBleedBlue15

    IBleedBlue15 DSP Stud

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    I could see Ethier getting traded for the overrated Phillips, but not Kemp.
     
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  14. CapnTreee

    CapnTreee Guest

    does he do something else?
     
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  15. carolinabluedodger

    carolinabluedodger DSP Legend

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    fkixed it.
     
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  16. chris

    chris Guest

    That would suck either way.
     
  17. KOUFAX0000

    KOUFAX0000 DSP Legend Damned

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    Considering Dave Stewart's voice, he would easily be considered a whiny bitch all the time.
     
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  18. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    Just saw the closing of the individual threads message, so I will post it again... Multiple reports out of Japan are saying that the Eagles have decided not to post Tanaka. Great, here comes all the Price rumors again.
     
  19. IBleedBlue15

    IBleedBlue15 DSP Stud

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    I just hope we can get something... anything, for Crawford lol.
     
  20. MZA

    MZA MODERATOR Staff Member

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    Maybe we can pull a fast one on the Rays and give them their old star back.
     

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