NEWS/RUMORS/DISCUSSION Thread

Roberts praises Seager and Gonzalez
by Daniel Starkand | Dodger Blue — 6 hours ago

This offseason has far gone as planned for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who at one point were more recognized for their failed trades and signings than actual acquisitions.

After getting through the qualifying offer process with their three eligible players, the Dodgers were shocked by Zack Greinke making a late change to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Los Angeles has since rounded out their starting rotation nicely with the additions of Scott Kazmir and Kenta Maeda.

As it currently stands, the core group from the 2015 club remains intact. Outside of Greinke, another notable exception is Howie Kendrick being unlikely to return.

A significant change will be at shortstop, where Corey Seager is expected to pick up where he left off after finishing the season as the starting shortstop. Joining Seager as a mainstay in the lineup will be Adrian Gonzalez.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently spoke highly of the young shortstop and veteran first baseman, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:

“What I did see of Corey, there’s a lot to like,” Roberts said. “Adrian is just the billboard for consistency. He’s at the park all the time; he looks great. What he brings to a club for a manager is just very low maintenance. He knows what to do at the plate. He just has to continue to be Adrian. As a first-time manager, it’s nice to have a guy you can pencil in every day and know what you’re going to get.”​

Along with praising Gonzalez and Seager, Roberts went on to share his belief as to how Greinke’s presence will still be felt on the team:

“I really believe as a manager, your job is to manage the players that come to you,” he said. “Any team that had Zack Greinke is better for it. I do believe there’s a lot of carryover. Although he’s in Arizona, the impact he made on his former teammates — his work ethic, his competitiveness, his preparation — the 2016 Dodgers team will be better for it. But when I look around the league, I love our club and our rotation more than any.”​

Seager hit .337/.425/.561 with four home runs, eight doubles and 17 RBIs over 27 games with the Dodgers. At times suffering from a pinched nerve in his back, Gonzalez hit .275/.350/.480 and was named to the All-Star Game for the first time since 2011.

While they will return with the club for the 2016 season, it will take a collective effort for Los Angeles to replace Greinke’s production as he went 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA, 225 ERA+ and 0.84 WHIP — leading the Majors in those categories.

 

MLB discussing rule change for 2B slides
by Daniel Starkand | Dodger Blue — 4 hours ago

With the Los Angeles Dodgers trailing the New York Mets, 2-1, in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 2 of the National League Division Series, they were threatening to tie the game with runners on the corners and one out.

Howie Kendrick hit a grounder up the middle that had the makings of a potential double play ball, only for Chase Utley to spark a ally and controversy.

Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy flipped the ball to Ruben Tejada, who attempted to spin, jump and throw over to first base. He was upended by Utley, and suffered a broken left fibula.

The tying run scored on the play and the Dodgers went on to plate three more runs in the inning, en route to a 5-2 win that evened the best-of-five series.

Many people considered Utley’s late slide dirty, while some considered it clean and a byproduct of postseason baseball. Above all else, it raised questions as to whether a change was needed.

Modifying the rule on slides into second base has been a talking point between Major League Baseball and the Players Association, and reportedly will be among the topics discussed during the owners meetings that begin Wednesday, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports:

MLB officials raised the possibility of a rule change in the aftermath of Ruben Tejada’s broken leg suffered in the National League playoffs on Chase Utley’s controversial slide. Representatives of MLB and the MLB Players Association have had productive discussions on the matter throughout the offseason, sources say, but so far the union has been reluctant to approve a mandate that baserunners slide directly into second base on potential double-play balls. Still, a compromise remains possible that reduces the chances of a violent collision while more clearly defining to runners — and fielders — what constitutes a legal slide. On a related note, club representatives also are expected to discuss possible modifications to interpretation of the “neighborhood play” rule at second base.​

While Utley’s slide was the most recent, Chicago Cubs utility man Chris Coghlan’s hard slide last September broke Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang’s leg, ending his season.

Utley was suspended for two games, though appealed and remained eligible to play during the postseason. However, he didn’t appear in Games 3, 4 or 5. Utley’s appeal hearing is expected to take place during Spring Training.

He re-signed with the Dodgers on a one-year deal in December. In 34 games with Los Angeles he hit .202/.291/.363.

 

lol at the "cool thing is mehcarthy and anderson are watching him throw" quote
no, the cool thing is neither was injured watching him throw
bet those those asshats can't wait for practice to end so they can tweet themselves

Anderson, McCarthy watch Ryu bullpen session
by Justin Russo | Dodgers Nation — 6 hours ago

It seems like there’s a Hyun-jin Ryu update nearly every single day, mainly because there is one, but these are important updates because of what they represent.

Tuesday at Camelback Ranch in Arizona, which is where the Dodgers spend their spring training, the talented South Korean left-hander threw another bullpen session. This time, though, he was graced by the presence of two teammates.

Joseph Kim (@blackwings2011) covers and reports news on all the Korean MLB players, so he was able to take some pictures of Ryu throwing a bullpen session:

The cool thing here is that teammates Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson are watching Ryu throw.

In McCarthy’s case, he’s coming off of season-ending Tommy John surgery last April and he’s also on a recovery path. Seeing them hanging out, giving support to each other, and trying to get in shape as they get ready for the season is a really big deal.

This isn’t a small thing. Ryu continues to throw, continues to build up arm and shoulder strength, and the others are there to do the same. If this leads to them being healthy sooner and being ready for the season earlier, then you can’t argue with what you’re seeing here.

Hopefully, these early results pay dividends as spring training (and the season) go along. The Dodgers, and the players, certainly hope that they do.​

 

Lucroy wants to win, hopes Brewers trade him
ESPN.com news services | 12:30 PM ET

Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Tuesday that he would like to be traded to a contender.

There are several teams that could use a 29-year-old catcher who's signed for two more years, and a smart trade could help the rebuilding Brewers too.

The Brewers are in full rebuilding mode under new general manager David Stearns, and Lucroy told the newspaper that he wants to play for a winner.

"I'm not going to sit here and say we're going to compete for the playoffs this year," Lucroy told the newspaper in a telephone interview. "If I did that, you'd call me a liar. I'd lose credibility and respect. I want to win, and I don't see us winning in the foreseeable future. I want to go to a World Series. That's what all players want. Rebuilding is not a lot of fun for any veteran guy."

Stearns has traded closer Francisco Rodriguez to the Tigers and first baseman Adam Lind to the Mariners this offseason after the team finished 68-94 last season.

Lucroy, 29, is scheduled to make $4 million next season, while the Brewers hold a $5.25 million club option on the catcher for 2017.

With his birthday coming in June, Lucroy wants to win sooner rather than later.

"It's not guaranteed that I'm going to win if I am traded, but I'm going to be a 30-year-old catcher," he said. "I can't put numbers on how much longer I'm going to play, but as players, we want to win. I don't care about the money. I just want to win. That's the bottom line."

Lucroy made it clear he isn't demanding to be traded, and if he's with the Brewers next season, he vows to give the team his all.

"If I stay with the Brewers, I'm not going to go out and dog it," he told the newspaper. "I'm not going to be a bad teammate. I'm not going to be a bad clubhouse guy. I'm not going to be bitter. It's just part of the game."

Lucroy was an All-Star in 2014, when he posted a .301 batting average and hit an NL-best 53 doubles, 13 home runs and 69 RBIs. A broken toe and concussion limited him to just 103 games last season, when he batted .264 with seven homers and 43 RBIs.

He told the Journal Sentinel he has "been getting after it" in offseason workouts and is "a lot stronger than I've been in a long time."

"I have a chip on my shoulder, and I plan on going out and showing people I'm perfectly fine," he told the newspaper.