DODGERS NEWS/RUMORS/INJURIES Thread

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe Hanley is scheduled to show up tomorrow. Or Corey Seager was invited to camp. Or maybe he was referring to Sandy Koufax. He had to know the media would run with it though... Right?

 

I don't know if his name is Harry, but I am referring to a Bums throwback.

 

hope it's Bonafacio. i can make due with FedEx behind AJ. we need some athleticism and versatility.

 

Bonifacio would be a good fit for our team (for any team really)... But wasn't he on waivers? And if so, wouldn't Kasten find out about him clearing to the Dodgers at the same time as everyone else?

 

That's why I think he may have been just pontificating or just talking. Agreed on Bonifacio. He would be this year's Skip.

 

that's one way of looking at it...the official way so to speak.

the other is maybe he'd just know that nobody's gonna claim him and that we will?

 

The thing is that the team has said they plan to make one more Int'l signing here soon and have been the most serious teams interested in the 3 Cuban fielders soon to be available. Each player suits a need for the team whether it be Bello(much needed C depth behind TFed and AJ), Castillo (4th OF, Super Utl) or Diaz (probably top 5 prospect in Org and a MIF). Man, it would be awesome to land all 3 and just 60 day Bills and DFA Baxter, Buss and or Butera.

 

Then again, what we do know is that, if trouble arises, there's apparently enough money in the checking account to fix it.


You damn skippy...

 

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw ready to pitch
Associated Press Sports -- 23 hours ago​

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GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will be ready wherever and whenever his manager wants.

With the Dodgers playing their opening series against Arizona in Australia March 22-23, there is a chance he can start three of the NL West champions' first six games.

"I'll pitch when they tell me to," Kershaw said Sunday. "I'll be ready."

The two-time Cy Young Award winner could start March 22 in Sydney, March 30 in San Diego and the Dodgers' April 4 home opener. But manager Don Mattingly thinks that might be asking too much from his ace who pitched 236 innings in the regular season last year.

"We have to be mindful of Clayton, the number of innings he pitched last year and the short winter," Mattingly said Sunday before Kershaw pitched batting practice for the first time this spring.

"It's not being cautious or babying. It's being mindful of him," Matting said. "He's a workhorse. He pitches deep into games. We have to take care of him, give him an inning off here and there when we can."

The Dodgers have yet to announce their rotation, and Mattingly said how many times Kershaw pitches early one depends on the makeup of the starting five.

"We want to keep other guys on schedule," Mattingly said. "Otherwise, you'll have guys who may not pitch for 12 days. Again, we look at all the options. This spring will tell us what's going on. Is Clayton going good, is Zack Greinke feeling good? How's the spring going on? Is it a little rough? Whatever it is, it factors into making our decision."

Kershaw worked a career-high number of innings last year, including 236 in the regular season and 23 in postseason.

"I felt good toward the end of the season, which is great,"Kershaw said after throwing 25 pitches during batting practice. "I didn't feel tired or anything all the way through the playoffs. Everything felt good. In the offseason, I take six weeks off regardless. Whenever the season ends, I take six weeks off from throwing. I started throwing right around December."​

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"My arm today felt great. I haven't been sore yet or anything. Everything feels pretty good," Kershaw added.

Kershaw said the number of innings is misleading. But long innings, he said, can take a toll.

"I think stressful innings are what you've got to monitor," he said.

Kershaw arrived at camp with a record-breaking contract. In January, he signed a seven-year deal worth $215 million. Big contracts can come with even bigger expectations.

"I would say that I put enough expectations on myself that I really don't have to worry about all of that other stuff. But I definitely understand that people's expectations are raised. I definitely feel a responsibility to live up to the life of the contract," Kershaw said. "But as far as my mindset, I don't think anything will really change."​

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I was reading this article and of course Clayton is spot on as always. But the end of article really struck home to me because I think this is where I differ from many of posters on this and other boards. It seems to me that when a player inks that big deal that expectations are raised, no matter how great the performance that got him that deal was, and fans expect the player to go to yet another level. In my mind, I don't make a connection between the number on the contract and the expected performance of the player. The player is being paid based on past performance, with the hope of continued performance. There are no guarantees-many players are one year wonders. It's a risk that management takes when they offer a contract. The more history of performance the lesser the risk. I was flabbergasted when fans started hating Juan Pierre because of his contract. If you look at his numbers he performed very close to his career average those years with the Dodgers, it was just that he got paid more to be the player he was. I actually think that some fans expected him to become a better player because he was making more money. It just doesn't work that way. I see the same thing happening now, more money is being infused into baseball from TV deals and players are making more money than they were for the same performance a few years ago. Their salaries are going up but their level of play is still the same, in some cases even lowered. You can't draw a chalk line for performance level based on dollars paid, so why expect a player to exceed their ability just because they signed a mega-deal?

:soapbox: Ok, I'm done.

 

Kershaw advanced to the final 8 in Face of MLB, will take on David Wright in the next round.

Other remaining players: King Felix, Joey Votto, Derek Jeter, Jose Bautista, Busted Pussy and either Troy Tulowitzki or Eric Sogard.

 

Jeter's gonna win

 

Fixed.

 

Eric Sogard lol.

 

Would just add to the proof of how this Face of MLB is just a lame gimmick by MLB Network. I don't know why people take it so seriously.

 

We should start that movement for next year. Dodger fans troll the contest and select Justin Sellers as Face of MLB.