MLB 2020-2021 OFF-SEASON NEWS AND RUMORS

That's what I'm doing? Look I definitely value the guys that level up or at least sustain their level of play when it matters most over those guys that don't. There has to be a separator. Just watched a Jeter interview earlier today where he talks how postseason baseball is a different game and some guys just don't adjust very well or stay within themselves. I'll go to my grave preferring Koufax over Kersh and wouldn't give a rat's ass if all of Kersh's counting stats were to surpass Koufax's. It's not close for me either. But I'm also concerned about Seager's ability to make it through 162 and have said that plenty....and I wouldn't be concerned at all if I didn't give a damn about the regular season. It has it's place

Should cite another example, though, so let's go back to Cey. And this is no shot at Cey because he's not up for best hitter, but I need a mark and he's flavor of the week....anyway Cey's best single season at the plate was when had an .888 OPS in '79..which was about 80 points better than what he did for his career in LA and also 80 points better than what he did in the postseason. Justin Turner - for his career in LA - is an .888 OPS guy. And that's regular season alone. Now, combine Turner's .900 OPS in the postseason with that .888 career OPS in LA and what do you get? If someone wants to argue that player x was better than Turner at the plate, be my guest..I'd like to see it just for sport. Nothin else going on this offseason. May as well entertain ourselves

 

Not to say that Lemahieu's a bum. He just looks like a mirage to me. Lopsided career splits are one thing, but this thing was in full bloom just last season

Yankee Stadium - 1.265 OPS
Away - .759
VS Tampa's power arms in the postseason, 25 plate appearances - .273 average/.320 OBP/.273 slug

How Lemahieu's even asking for all these years and money is beyond me. Guess you have to push the line as far as you humanly can to end up with a deal you feel OK about. But to deny what Turner's been in LA, and also feel as though Lemahieu is this great hitter....what am I missing? I mean it's decent theatre for DSP but other than that

 

• Great news to start the New Year, the Dodgers will not be losing Joe Davis to the Cubs as the team announced Jon "Boog" Sciambi as their new PBP guy.

• Multiple reports over the weekend have the Dodgers as a finalist for the services for DJ LeMahieu. I'm still torn on this one and had a long write up I was working on over the weekend about our RH bat options that got erased before I had a chance to finish. There are reasons to really like him and things to worry about. That's all I am going to say for now.

• Expectations are that Spring Training will start on time and the league has just announced that they are preparing for a full 162 game slate. Maybe now that this is expected they can make a decision on the UDH one and for flipping all.

• The Padres are closing in on a long term extension with superstar SS Fernando Tatis Jr. The team is hoping to have a deal completed before training camp. There was a rumor during the Padres rapid trading barrage that something else big was coming down the pipeline and this seems to be it.

• Sources close to Mets insiders feel that the team is close to signing Astros FA CF George Springer. Springer signing should begin a domino effect that gets this pathetic FA market going.

• This offseason's big Japanese import is running out of time to make decision on whether or not to come to the state in 2021. RHP Tomoyuki Sugano is apparently weighing options and considering returning to Japan on an incredibly player friendly deal if offers do not improve from MLB teams. The Yorimuri Giants have offered him a chance to return on a 4 year deal with 3 opt outs. This would be a way for him to circumvent the posting rules in the years ahead. Sugano has been comped as somewhere between Maeda and Tanaka when they came over which is kind of funny. Maeda was viewed as a 3.5-5 while Tanka was an ace and they've been basically the same pitchers which has been a solid 3 with a couple better years tossed in. Sugano has been a very good pitcher throughout his career, but there is worry with his lack of whiffs and heavy pitch to contact skillset in this day and age. He is also one year removed from the worst season of his career and will be entering MLB for his age 31 season. He has been linked to the SF Giants, Padres, Blue Jays and Mets, but the Mets are telling people that they're out and Padres are assumed out after their acquisitions a week ago.

 

I think there is too much panic going on in here for a team coming off of a World Series title and all but one of their impact bats from that season returning(and he still may return). While the Padres have done a great job improving, they are still a bit behind us and while they have acquired some solid pitching, the Dodgers still likely have the better rotation top to bottom and bullpen as well. The Padres also finished 5 games behind us with multiple guys having unexpected MONSTER seasons, while our lineup had two of the best hitters in the league just kind of take the year off. If the season started today and this was our team, I would be ok with it as we would still rightfully be the favorites to win it all again... Except the season is not starting today and the team has said that there are two key positions that they are working on. I would not be shocked if the Padres actually take a bit of a step backwards next year(yup, I said it) while we start to see the next gen of our young players take a step forward. Getting over the hurdle with this many young guys can be a huge boost to players self esteem and comfort level in the big situations. Should be fun fight in 2021.

 

Liam Hendricks was seen at the Blue Jays spring training complex today. No sign of a deal coming, but this is usually a sign that a guy is getting closer to a decision. Other teams are said to still be interested, Dodgers being one of those teams.

 

Every offseason too much is made of the one team that makes the biggest moves, and this year it's the Padres. They have so many players due for regression. Hosmer, Myer, and Cronenworth being the most worthy on the offensive side. Lamet and Davies also had amazing seasons, and Davies was traded and Lamet is a question mark right now. AT BEST Snell and Darvish can replicate the 2020 production of Lamet and Davies, but it's much more likely they will be a step below that. Clevinger is out for 2021. If Lamet is out for a major part of the season, it's likely their pitching won't be as good as 2020. Gore has a lot of hype, but I have to question why they didn't bring him up last year.

I'm not writing off the Padres by any means, but I think there's still a BIG gap between the Dodgers and Padres. Of course you wouldn't think it if you were following the media.

 

We have got a couple more updates coming in, including a dump from Jorge Castillo of the Times.

• Robert Murray is reporting that the Dodgers are strongly pursuing Liam Hendricks.

• According to the Times piece by Castillo, Turner is seeking a 4 year deal and the Dodgers are not interested in doing anything beyond 2.

• Turner is still their first choice, but if they can not make it work, DJ LeMahieu is their #1 choice to replace him. He also is looking for 4 years and at a significantly higher price. The Yankees are still seen as the overall favorite for his services.

• There are multiple 3B that are said to be on the market according to the piece and that the Dodgers may have varying interest in both Kris Bryant and Eugenio Suarez. Others said to be on the market are Mike Moustakas and Kyle Seager, though them being left handed has them out of the plan. Suarez would be a really interesting addition as he is a big time power hitter and signed to a super team friendly deal.

• Yasiel Puig is apparently getting a lot of interest on the FA market.

 

We won one, this is now the time to just sit back and enjoy the games again without stressing over results

 

EXACTLY! The thing that always scared me about the Padres was that they had these young guns coming... but they've traded away a lot of their MLB ready prospects and while it has netted them MLB talent, it hasn't worked out amazingly for them yet. Their farm is still super strong, but something that has been interesting to watch has been how those kids have adapted to the MLB level and outside of Tatis, it has not been great. Cronenworth did good this year at first, but he was from outside the org and he fell off a cliff once teams adjusted to the kid that was not all that highly touted as a prospect entering the season. Paddack continued his struggles from the second half of 2019, which may not be a mirage as he too was seen as an ok prospect. Snell and Darvish are not coming in as surefire aces either. Both have had their struggles in recent seasons and I have seen a good bit of Rays fans that said Snell was being overvalued for the way he performed against us in the WS. There is a lot to the fact that he does struggle a 3rd time through the order and that the Rays protected him as much as they could. Are these guys going to come in and be bums? Almost certainly not, but like you said they are going to be replacing guys that had great seasons. Lamet is trying to avoid TJ surgery. That is a huge deal for their rotation cause if he is healthy they will have as strong a front 3 as anyone, but if not, they are going to be searching for help to fill out that rotation again. Something else to watch is that Mackenzie Gore was supposedly very underwhelming at the Alt site. Whether it was just struggling to get up for the competition or there are more underlying issues, that could be a big blow to the future of this franchise if he falls off. I think the Padres are going to be good in 2021, but it took everything going perfectly in 2020 for them to finish in second place by 2 games.

 

Best news is keeping Joe Davis for me...thanks for that beau coup info.

 

Damn, Vin Scully’s wife Sandra passed away yesterday at the age of 76 from ALS. Super sad about this. Had the chance to meet her and she was a very sweet person.

 

Damn. He's outlived two spouses.

 

Never.

 

You lost me when you said there were people who rooted for the Rays.

 

RIP Sandy

 

You are not paying for DjL's power. Well, he's asking to be paid for his power but he won't get it. His bat is as good as it gets in any park.
Again, those home runs we're almost all line drives. Take away 10 home runs due to the short porch but those are still great at bats for a team like the Dodgers. Dodgers have big pop all over. They need a contact guy to change the mindset of a pitcher.
If you want to make him a power guy you can add launch angle. Just like Turner did. He's everything Turner was when he came to the Dodgers but better.
Elite defense from 3 positions. Universally loved in his clubhouse and by fans.

Again, don't give him 25 million. Don't give him 4 years but if you want the next Turner DO sign him.