DODGERS NEWS/RUMORS Thread

For the 1st time, during this shitfest - I'm intrigued.

 

That's not even that high. For reference the Mets were HBP 95 times last year and the Rays were hit 100 times in 2018.

Over is an easy bet. The only thing working against it is if MLB cracks down hard with suspensions in between changing the Astros' diapers and applying Desitin to their sensitive little booties.

 

This would be around average with the most HBP by a team in a season, so I would take the over. The real issue is whether Manfred will act like a douche and give long suspensions for HBPs and bench clearing brawls.

I’d prefer well timed and well aimed pitches to vulnerable parts, spiking players, high slides, and full contact home plate plays.

 

The ghost of Rodney King agrees.

 

So much for freedom of speech. Fucking hypocrites.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2020-02-18/aubrey-huff-2010-giants-reunion

 

The gnats believe in freedom of speech, they just exercised it.

 

Is he asking for unrealistic amounts of money?

 

I made a post a couple weeks ago about the things that could go wrong for each player in our starting lineup, I thought I would post the best case scenario numbers for each player:

RF Betts - .340/.430/.640, 32 HR's, 1.070 OPS - Going into what is considered to be the prime age for most players, and surrounded by one of the best lineups in the league, he posts numbers similar to his 2018, MVP, season.

1B Muncy - .265/.380/.580, 36 HR's, .960 OPS - After signing a multi-year contract, Muncy is able to relax and get to work, posting a similar season to his breakout season 2 years ago.

CF Bellinger - .335/.430/.690, 53 HR's, 1.120 OPS - Proving that the start to 2019 was no fluke, Bellinger puts up early 2019 numbers for the whole year.

3B Turner - .320/.415/.530, 24 HR's, .940 OPS - While most players decline in their 30's, Turner has proven consistently steady when healthy. In 2020 if he stays healthy the whole year, there's little reason to believe he doesn't post strong numbers.

LF Pederson/Pollock - .270/.350/.560, 40 HR's, .910 OPS - Playing the platoon perfectly, the Dodgers get the best out of both of these guys. This might be the most likely prediction to be correct on this list.

SS Seager - .300/.375/.500, 26 HR's, .875 OPS - Fully healthy Seager picks up where he left off before his arm issues, and fulfills the projections of a perennial MVP candidate.

C Smith - .260/.335/.520, 25 HR's, .855 OPS - Will Smith avoids the sophomore slump, and continues the brilliant start to his career.

2B Lux - .300/.365/.570 , 26 HR's, .925 OPS - Gavin Lux shows us all why he was considered "untouchable" by the Dodgers front office, completely tearing the cover off the ball from the low-pressure #8 spot. Showing patience, he will post a strong OBP from walking in front of the pitcher's spot.

On the < 1% chance that everything hits, the starting 8 would average a .960 OPS. The 1927 Yankees starting 8 averaged a .925 OPS.

 

Red Sox, Padres Reportedly Still Negotiating Wil Myers Swap
February 18th, 2020 at 12:05pm CST • By Jeff Todd
Spring Training is now upon us. Prior talks failed to result in a deal. And yet the Red Sox are still holding talks with the Padres about a potential deal that would send first baseman/outfielder Wil Myers to Boston, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Details are about as firm as you could ever hope to see them in a rumor of a potential swap. As before, the Friars want the Sox to take over about half of Myers’s salary (total guarantee of $61MM) over the next three years. Young talent would go to Boston to sweeten the pot. Players that have been discussed include Cal Quantrill, Luis Campusano, and Gabriel Arias, though it’s not clear which would be included and the Sox wouldn’t be able to obtain all of them just to take on half of what’s owed Myers.

That leaves out one major component of the as-yet-uncompleted trade talks: what would come back from the Red Sox? The original chatter between these teams involved Mookie Betts, who is no longer in the Boston stable. There’s no real indication just yet as to what current Red Sox might pique the interest of Padres GM A.J. Preller.

Yet more intriguing? The real goal, per Acee, is to swing a blockbuster for a high-level talent. He notes Nick Senzel of the Reds and Francisco Lindor of the Indians as longstanding targets, but it’s not really clear whether either is realistically available at this point. There aren’t many other conceivable candidates to be acquired who’d meet the description of a “difference-making” performer.

It’s fair to hold some skepticism here, especially as to the possible second prong of this scenario. Then again, Preller once pulled off a trade for Craig Kimbrel just before the start of a season, so it’s tough to rule out any mid-spring fireworks.

 

Damn skippy

 

Fuck Comissioner Manpendejo