NEWS/RUMORS/DISCUSSION Thread

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by THINKBLUE, Oct 15, 2015.

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  1. carolinabluedodger

    carolinabluedodger DSP Legend

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    That's what I like about you Zoo, you "get it".

    We've been dealing with the bad, not so brilliant, long contracts for almost 3 decades and we have ZERO championships to show for it. Why change now?

    :sarcasm:
     
  2. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    fwiw :farhan:

    Dodgers’ ZiPS projections provide optimism for 2016
    by Matt Borelli | Dodger Blue — 16 minutes ago

    Despite a slow start to the offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the more active teams in baseball over the past few weeks.

    After losing Zack Greinke to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Dodgers’ starting rotation was reinforced with the signings of Scott Kazmir and Kenta Maeda.

    Organizational depth was also addressed, with the low-risk, high-reward additions of Brandon Beachy and Yaisel Sierra.

    Given it’s still mid-January and the Dodgers will surely continue improving the roster over the coming months, blockbuster moves appear unlikely at this point.

    With that being said, the current group of players compares favorably to other rosters in the National League West.

    Some of that is evident by ESPN and FanGraphs both projecting Los Angeles to win more than 90 games in 2016 and a fourth consecutive NL West title. FanGraphs went more in depth with their look at the Dodgers, recently releasing their annual ZiPS projections that are bullish on the club.

    Below are some of the projections and analysis of who may be primed for a breakout season. It’s important to remember they are only projections and not guarantees.

    Corey Seager will have a historic rookie campaign

    When Seager was promoted to the Majors last September, he immediately demonstrated why he was the best prospect in all of baseball by posting a .986 on-base plus slugging percetnage in 113 plate appearances and eventually becoming the team’s starting shortstop during the postseason.

    To no surprise, the ZiPS projections favor the 21 year old quite well in 2016, as he is pegged to post a four-win season (WAR) with 20 home runs and 63 extra-base hits at a premium position. More incredibly, Seager’s No. 1 comp according to FanGraphs is Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.

    The expectations are sky-high, but if last season was any indication, Seager will be the odds-on favorite to win the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year award and perhaps even more hardware.

    Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig will bounce back

    It’s almost absurd to consider Pederson a “bounce back” candidate after his amazing first half of the season in 2015 (.851 OPS, 20 home runs), but he looked completely lost at times from mid-July and on.

    After starting in center field on most days, Pederson was reduced to a platoon role and didn’t receive many at-bats against left-handed pitching.

    On the bright side, his on-base skills and superb defense remained consistent all season long.

    Puig, on the other hand, is deemed a bounce back candidate because of his inability to stay on the field due to multiple hamstring injuries last season. Limited to just 79 games, he posted career-lows in nearly every offensive category, including extra-base hits, walks and OPS.

    Even though the pair of outfielders ended 2015 on a disappointing note, the ZiPS projections are expecting both to rebound in a big way this coming season.

    The two are projected to combine for 6.6 WAR with 42 home runs and 108 extra-base hits. Needless to say if these projections come even close to being accurate, the Dodgers will have a revitalized outfield in 2016.

    The starting rotation is loaded with depth

    Yes, you read that right. Even with the departure of Greinke, the Dodgers have an abundance of starting pitching.

    Clayton Kershaw will anchor the rotation with Brett Anderson and Alex Wood returning for second seasons in Los Angeles.

    New additions Kazmir and Maeda join the mix, injured arms Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu are expected to return at some point, and there’s the potential for top prospects to contribute down the road such as Jose De Leon, Frankie Montas and Julio Urias.

    Others that could enter the picture are veterans Beachy and Mike Bolsinger and former top prospect Zach Lee.

    As for the ZiPS projections, they unsurprisingly expect Kershaw to post another dominant season, en route to his fourth Cy Young award (7.8 WAR, 2.01 ERA, 2.14 FIP, 265 strikeouts in 215 innings pitched). To no surprise, his No. 1 comp is legendary Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax.

    Next up is Japanese import Maeda, who is coming off his second Eiji Sawamura award (Japan’s equivalent to the Cy Young). In his first season stateside, Maeda is projected to post a 3.4 WAR with a 3.20 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 177 innings.

    Looking to fill the No. 3 spot in the rotation is newly-signed Kazmir, who is coming off a solid campaign. In his first season with the Dodgers, the southpaw expected to log 168 innings with a 3.37 ERA and 2.9 WAR.

    Two familiar lefties returning are Anderson and Wood, with one likely moving to the bullpen as a long relief arm. The pair is projected to post fairly similar numbers; the former with a 1.6 WAR and 3.74 ERA in 111 innings and the latter with a 1.9 WAR and 3.74 ERA in 169 innings.

    The wildcard here is Ryu, who is coming off surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He hasn’t pitched in a regular season game since 2014, so the expectations should be tempered.

    ZiPS projects Ryu to post a 3.52 ERA in 126 innings — ultimately being worth two wins. If all goes well, he could easily exceed those numbers, and vice versa if his shoulder flares up again.​
     
  3. carolinabluedodger

    carolinabluedodger DSP Legend

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    A little bored so I thought I'd check out Cot's Contracts, which if you don't know is a good source for contract info. It was updated yesterday and here's where our payroll stands right now, minus Yasiel Sierra and arby players.

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a-yEinFNc24xoTlGAH-S_1DRsZuGtx1yZOXsBpWNuSU/pub?output=html

    $226 mill and change, so...so much for calling the FO cheapskates. Although that includes paying Kemp $3.5, Micheal Morse $8.5, Arruebadoobadoo $5.5, and Olivera's $4.667 bonus. So the OD roster as it stands will probably be somewhere around $215 mill., a substantial reduction from last year. As the team gets younger it stands to reason that payroll will continue to go down. And that's not a bad thing as long as the level of play remains high.
     
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  4. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    An executive for an NL team says Tim Lincecum is generally seen as “inventory” around the league.
    [​IMG]
    Lincecum was said to be hoping to hold a showcase this month to prove his health following September hip surgery and enhance his stock. Perhaps given this health concern, only two teams (the Marlins and Giants) have been linked to Lincecum in recent months. “For the moment, ties with the Giants have been severed,” Cafardo writes, though “who knows” if the two sides could agree to a reunion.
     
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  5. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Yeah Lincecum and Kylo Ren there were separated at birth
    Tim Hudson is gramps/Lord Vader
     
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  6. Bluezoo

    Bluezoo Among the Pantheon

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    That's how I feel...life's a motherfucker, ain't it? I was comparing if AZ and/or SF get there instead of us, but I guess we all should feel like you do about things? Lol.
    What long contracts are you talking about? Greinke? Kershaw? Who you whining about
    I'd be more than overjoyed to see Greinke with the extra year, wouldn't give a flying fuck who didn't like it, if it meant a WS championship. I don't give a fuck how much it cost them, either. That's for the Junior GMen to fret.
    As usual, as long as it bothers you, which it always does, I'm OK.
    Like you "get it".
     
  7. carolinabluedodger

    carolinabluedodger DSP Legend

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    SEE!

    I told you he "got it."

    :rolleyes:
     
  8. Bluezoo

    Bluezoo Among the Pantheon

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    YAWN-N-n...excuse me...but you take up so much oxygen...tedious, man.
    Don't worry...you'll have a 30 post back and forth with someone again very soon to sustain you.
     
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  9. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    • “The Dodgers want the draft pick they would get if (Howie) Kendrick signs elsewhere much more than they want to bring back Kendrick,” Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times writes. Since Kendrick rejected the qualifying offer, the Dodgers will receive a compensation pick if he signs elsewhere, but only if Kendrick signs before the June draft. It’s not really clear who might make a play for Kendrick at this point in the offseason — teams like the Mets, Angels, Nationals and Diamondbacks have been linked to him, though some have since addressed second base needs in trades and others (such as the D’Backs) are balking at giving up another draft pick for a QO free agent. With Chase Utley, Enrique Hernandez and Micah Johnson all lined up to handle second base, Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi said last month that the team “feels pretty set” at the position.
     
  10. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    There’s “more momentum” growing towards the designated hitter rule being adopted by the National League, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak tells reporters, including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The issue has been more heavily discussed in front offices and ownership levels within “the past year…I’m not suggesting you’re going to see a change but I definitely think the momentum (has changed),” Mozeliak said, noting that he doubts the DH would be implemented by 2017 in concert with the new collective bargaining agreement.
     
  11. Shack

    Shack DSP Regular

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    Always thought it should be both leagues or neither. Never really made any sense why only one league has the DH.
     
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  12. jpldodgers

    jpldodgers DSP Legend Staff Member Moderator

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    We have to call Olmedo Saenz out of retirement if the NL gets the DH.
     
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  13. Shaw

    Shaw DSP Legend

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    Holy shit, bringing back the Tomato would be epic.
     
  14. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    never been a fan of the dh
    but that's just me
     
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  15. Bluezoo

    Bluezoo Among the Pantheon

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    Sports change...evolve as it were. But usually, it at least attempts to for the better.Is a DH in the NL an improvement on what we have now?
    I surely hope it doesn't happen, as imo, bb is the most perfect game...to bastardize even further, like the AL has, is an unneccessary blasphemy.
     
  16. mugs

    mugs DSP Regular

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    It's not just you...
     
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  17. Bluezoo

    Bluezoo Among the Pantheon

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    But why? If the AL chooses to dilute the game, why does the NL have to? Actually, the move should be to remove the DH from the AL, not the other way round.
    If everything should be equal ( or the same) in the AL/NL, then there should be a move to have standardized measurements in every park...BB being the only sport I can think of that has different size playing fields for every team. All different, all the time.
    And that's another thing that makes BB great, I think.
    Just my tuppence...
     
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  18. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Wonder if AA agrees with this kinda bullshit...

    Will Jays' stance over $450K ultimately cost them their MVP?
    Toronto's policy of not negotiating away from arbitration number puts it in puzzling spot with Josh Donaldson
    by Ken Rosenthal | FOX Sports — 90 minutes ago

    Baseball teams do dumb things all the time, but I can’t think of many dumber than going to arbitration with a newly crowned MVP over a difference of $450,000.

    That’s where the Blue Jays are headed with third baseman Josh Donaldson, straight to a hearing. The Jays, as a file-and-trial team, will not negotiate further on a one-year contract after arbitration numbers are exchanged. But now they very likely have damaged their relationship with Donaldson, a proud, emotional sort who will not forget this slight.

    It has been a quarter-century since a team went to an arbitration hearing with a reigning MVP, according to bizofbaseball.com -- the Pirates beat Barry Bonds in 1991, paying him $2.3 million instead of his requested $3.25 million. The Phillies went to a hearing with Ryan Howard and lost in 2008, but that arbitration season was a year after he was MVP.

    The Jays beat Donaldson in arbitration a year ago, beat him just months after acquiring him in a trade. Donaldson bears responsibility for that dispute ending up in a hearing -- he overreached by asking for $5.75 million, and the Jays won the case at $4.3 million. But considering how small the split is this time, it’s the Jays who look small-minded, taking a business-first approach to an extreme.

    The solution would be for the two sides to negotiate a multi-year deal before getting to a hearing; Donaldson has three years of arbitration remaining, including this one. The first-year number would be easy -- $11.575 million, the midpoint between the Jays’ offer of $11.35 million and Donaldson’s request for $11.8 million. Think everyone involved could figure out the rest?

    Maybe not; the Jays barely moved off their initial offer of $11.275 million, according to Rogers SportsNet. Their final offer was for exactly the same $7.05 million raise that the Orioles gave first baseman Chris Davis before the 2014 season, a record for a second-time eligible player.

    Donaldson was not going to make the same mistake again and ask for say, $14 million; the advantage of the file-and-trial system is that it generally forces both sides to be more realistic with the numbers they exchange, knowing that the arbitration panel will pick one or the other. So, why weren’t the Jays more flexible?

    Yes, Davis had more home runs and RBI in 2013 than Donaldson had in ‘15. But Donaldson is a better defender, was the leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game, helped lead the Jays to the playoffs and -- need I repeat myself? -- won the freaking MVP!

    That award alone should have persuaded the Jays to go higher; virtually all long-term contracts include MVP bonuses. But the suspicion on the players’ side is that Jays assistant GM Andrew Tinnish, who handles the team’s arbitrations, was trying to prove a point, and perhaps impress his new boss, team president Mark Shapiro.

    If that is the case, Tinnish need not have worried; the Jays’ success in arbitration is well-known throughout the industry. But now the team is in a box with a popular player who will remain part of the team’s core if right fielder Jose Bautista and first baseman Edwin Encarnacion depart as free agents at the end of the season (The Jays avoided arbitration with six eligible players, but also failed to settle with newly acquired right-hander Jesse Chavez).

    Why not just settle with Donaldson at the midpoint? Because Shapiro would establish a dangerous precedent if he made an exception in a club policy so soon after taking over on Nov. 3. He eventually might abandon the file-and-trial policy, which his former team, the Indians, does not employ; the Indians, in fact, went 23 years without going to a hearing before participating in two in 2014, and have not gone since. Such a change, however, would occur too late for the Jays to avoid a hearing with Donaldson.

    The Jays are not going to attack Donaldson before the three-person arbitration panel; how, for heaven’s sake, do you tear down an MVP? The dispute will simply be a question of which salary represents a fairer measure of Donaldson’s value, $11.35 million or $11.8 million.

    No matter, the dispute should not have even reached this point. With apologies to Jim Croce, you don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit into the wind and you don’t go to arbitration with an MVP.
     
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  19. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    that's a very, very good point
    and taking it a step farther, i wonder what his relationship with donaldson was
    if he were to demand a trade the jays could get a lot in return for him
    we've discussed/hypothesized what we would offer and what it might take to land fernandez
    what would you give up to get an elite 26 year old mvp 3rd baseman with 3 years of team control still remaining
    and donaldson plays every day, not just 5 or so days

    great article by rosenthal
    he's absolutely right; should have never gotten this far
     
  20. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Dee's deal officially announced today, my man, good for him...the next Harold Reynolds :D
    He'll be back
     
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