*** OFFICIAL MLB 2018 Thread ***

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sanlmar

Braves Ronald Acuna to start today




Put down that snail Mulva. You’re usually on this shit, not me.

Braves 20 year old Acuna — plus plus five tool phenom was called up and will play today.

You know the five tools so I ain’t gonna bore you with the usual hyperbole.

You know what bores the shit out of me? Highlights only show home runs. Kid is so much more than that.

What I love about this kid is the Latin cockiness. He is so young and so good he naturally wants to show his stuff. It’s the speed on the bases that will make me smile the most. He is still only 180lb. Kid can fly. This is particularly where he is gonna embarrass and delight. He’s gonna take shots.

The joy of being so naturally talented reminds me of early Puig before the Dodgers (esp McGuire) ruined him. Another guy who took shots. Every day he wanted to test his limits and shock and awe. Now Puig is just a sad man.

Puig doesn’t have anywhere near the skill as Acuna. I’m just talking flash.

Buckle up. Braves now have 4 electric young stars. Now you gotta follow.

---

plus plus 5 tools? Not sure about that. They are gonna put him in left, ceeding to Inciarte in center...and Inciarte isn't exactly the greatest defender in CF. Doesn't seem like his speed is all too hot either, and at a young age, he'll only get slower. Fangraphs likened him to a young Justin Upton....which is a compliment, but this isn't like the second coming of Mike Trout or anything.

Who are the other 3 "electric young stars" on the Braves? I can name 1 that MIGHT be, 1 that is supposed to be but has been bad so far.....1 who isnt young (Freeman).....

the last "plus plus 5 tool" OF to come up is my guy Byron Buxton, and he's already killing it as the best CF and best baserunner (https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/byro...erfect-season/) in the game, but the bat has been slow to develop. Acuna might have to have the bat be there right away, or else he's gonna be a replacement level guy in LF.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR2HxtGpUPQ

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gut

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sanlmar

Braves Ronald Acuna to start today




Put down that snail Mulva. You’re usually on this shit, not me.

Braves 20 year old Acuna — plus plus five tool phenom was called up and will play today.

You know the five tools so I ain’t gonna bore you with the usual hyperbole.

You know what bores the shit out of me? Highlights only show home runs. Kid is so much more than that.

What I love about this kid is the Latin cockiness. He is so young and so good he naturally wants to show his stuff. It’s the speed on the bases that will make me smile the most. He is still only 180lb. Kid can fly. This is particularly where he is gonna embarrass and delight. He’s gonna take shots.

The joy of being so naturally talented reminds me of early Puig before the Dodgers (esp McGuire) ruined him. Another guy who took shots. Every day he wanted to test his limits and shock and awe. Now Puig is just a sad man.

Puig doesn’t have anywhere near the skill as Acuna. I’m just talking flash.

Buckle up. Braves now have 4 electric young stars. Now you gotta follow.

---

plus plus 5 tools? Not sure about that. They are gonna put him in left, ceeding to Inciarte in center...and Inciarte isn't exactly the greatest defender in CF. Doesn't seem like his speed is all too hot either, and at a young age, he'll only get slower. Fangraphs likened him to a young Justin Upton....which is a compliment, but this isn't like the second coming of Mike Trout or anything.

Who are the other 3 "electric young stars" on the Braves? I can name 1 that MIGHT be, 1 that is supposed to be but has been bad so far.....1 who isnt young (Freeman).....

---

Lol what? Inciarte has won back to back gold gloves and was rated 2nd best CF'er in all of baseball behind Buxton last year.

https://amp.mlb.com/260891924-2017-m...unced.amp.html

And Acuna is consensus #1 prospect in all of baseball and has actually gotten Trout comparisons although comparing anyone to Trout is ridiculous. He can fly though. Have you watched him? Replacement level? Lol. Kid is going to be the real deal. As is Ozzie Albies.

They are the two youngest players in MLB right now. And I'm assuming the one who has been bad so far you're referring to is Swanson? He was definitely bad last year but so far this year has been great, and was really good in '16 when he was called up. If anything it looks like last year was the outlier. With all the pitching prospects the Braves have their future is bright.

By the way where is Sanimar to lol at Kershaw losing as a -450 favorite last night to the Marlins?

Well, the...let's say 4-5 best defensive CF's are all in the AL, so the golden gloves don't really mean anything

The point remains the same. If Acuna was a true 5 tool phenom, theyd move Inciarte.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sheesfaced

By the way where is Sanimar to lol at Kershaw losing as a -450 favorite last night to the Marlins?

---

Seeing this post has made my day. It is gratifying to see my brand is strong.

I was lulz’ing up -380 (okay -450) in the Stupidity Wagering thread for a couple of days as the Dodgers battled mightily against the Marlins.

I left last night knowing I just witnessed the birth of a new rivalry - Todgers v Marlins.

We were asking how many units we’d be up if we autofaded the Dodgers since Opening Day. The great Gookenheim replied you’d be up 6 units and after last night you’d be up 9 plus. Unless you have issues with the stigma of being nouveau riche I suggest you get on the train.

Unless the MLB expanded the season to 200 games this was a mortal lock.
MOBILE - MLB SEASON PROPS - REGULAR SEASON WINS - LOS ANGELES DODGERS - UNDER +96½ WINS -115

MOBILE - MLB PLAYER FUTURES - REGULAR SEASON WINS BY PITCHER - CLAYTON KERSHAW (DODGERS) - UNDER +17½ WINS -140
Lol look at the -140 juice. I wasn’t alone

Madison Bumgarner has 2 years left on his contract and I am worried the Giants & Dodgers might begin talks. A wheel barrow of Druff’s precious prospects for one last shot before the Dodgers go into tanking & rebuilding mode. I just have to todge this bullet.

Fans and players complain that baseball is too long. No, you can never have too much schadenfreude

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sanlmar

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sheesfaced

By the way where is Sanimar to lol at Kershaw losing as a -450 favorite last night to the Marlins?

---

Seeing this post has made my day. It is gratifying to see my brand is strong.

I was lulz’ing up -380 (okay -450) in the Stupidity Wagering thread for a couple of days as the Dodgers battled mightily against the Marlins.

I left last night knowing I just witnessed the birth of a new rivalry - Todgers v Marlins.

We were asking how many units we’d be up if we autofaded the Dodgers since Opening Day. The great Gookenheim replied you’d be up 6 units and after last night you’d be up 9 plus. Unless you have issues with the stigma of being nouveau riche I suggest you get on the train.

Unless the MLB expanded the season to 200 games this was a mortal lock.
MOBILE - MLB SEASON PROPS - REGULAR SEASON WINS - LOS ANGELES DODGERS - UNDER +96½ WINS -115

MOBILE - MLB PLAYER FUTURES - REGULAR SEASON WINS BY PITCHER - CLAYTON KERSHAW (DODGERS) - UNDER +17½ WINS -140
Lol look at the -140 juice. I wasn’t alone

Madison Bumgarner has 2 years left on his contract and I am worried the Giants & Dodgers might begin talks. A wheel barrow of Druff’s precious prospects for one last shot before the Dodgers go into tanking & rebuilding mode. I just have to todge this bullet.

Fans and players complain that baseball is too long. No, you can never have too much schadenfreude

---

who gets more LOLz, san? you when the dodgers shit the bed or me when the evil empire does?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GambleBotsChafedPenis

who gets more LOLz, san? you when the dodgers shit the bed or me when the evil empire does?

---

When you consider these are two things Druff loves? Tough call.

Remember when you had to shred your printed documents at the evil empire? Like, why?

Remember when the Cardinals hacked into the Astros computers? The Cardinals hacked into the Astros
analytics not Dodgers Friedman & Zaidi.

Like who in the fuck would want to know what the evil empire was up to? Inflated opinions about their importance

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sanlmar

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GambleBotsChafedPenis

who gets more LOLz, san? you when the dodgers shit the bed or me when the evil empire does?

---

When you consider these are two things Druff loves? Tough call.

Remember when you had to shred your printed documents at the evil empire? Like, why?

Remember when the Cardinals hacked into the Astros computers? The Cardinals hacked into the Astros
analytics not Dodgers Friedman & Zaidi.

Like who in the fuck would want to know what the evil empire was up to? Inflated opinions about their importance

---

druff definitely loves the dodgers, I just think he tolerates the evil empire because of the free shit he gets...

lol at inflated opinions of importance...great line...I don't think caesars has a level of inflated importance...think they want to make sure that nobody on the outside can see on paper what a true bunch of incompetent monkeys they are...

sorry to derail the MLB thread, but just for you san...

http://www.nj.gov/lps/ge/docs/Financ.../March2018.pdf

I must say I looked at this (go to the last page and look at the YOY comparisons) and opened up my bottle of woodford, poured a glass, smiled, and then laughed my mother fucking ass off...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sheesfaced

By the way where is Sanimar to lol at Kershaw losing as a -450 favorite last night to the Marlins?

---

:lol3

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gut

the last "plus plus 5 tool" OF to come up is my guy Byron Buxton, and he's already killing it as the best CF and best baserunner (https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/byro...erfect-season/) in the game, but the bat has been slow to develop. Acuna might have to have the bat be there right away, or else he's gonna be a replacement level guy in LF.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR2HxtGpUPQ

---

Found myself saying “oh shit” during this video.

I have spent today texting fair warning to Sawks fans.

Quote:

---

"Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you ..."
- Satchel Paige


I'm curious how Red Sox fans are spending their last days in first place?

It is hard for most folks except the most enlightened sports fan (me) to see. But it's there.

Perhaps you have some insight?

---

They are my friends and knowing now what is to be will make it sting less

I have proved my worth fading Sawks but having said that the greatest outfielder I have ever seen over time is Jackie Bradley Jr. Not a huge bat but so effortless and heroic with the glove

I needed the Buxton reminder though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gut

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sanlmar

---

Who are the other 3 "electric young stars" on the Braves? I can name 1 that MIGHT be, 1 that is supposed to be but has been bad so far.....1 who isnt young (Freeman).....

---

Albies
HR last night
Most XBH in MLB during April.
8 HR this season


Acuña
416’ HR & game winning hit.
Showed speed on base path
.444 avg

Swanson
Space avail for rent

Albies & Acuña are the youngest duo to homer in same game since 1978.

So who is the 4th??????

Aaron Blair obv.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gut

So who is the 4th??????

Aaron Blair obv.

---

Hickey Freeman.

The fact I know that brand informs you why I see Freeman as young. FML.

Is there no room for hyperbole any more?

No hyperbole in this thread. NONE

Was having a discussion with someone yesterday regarding the future of baseball, from a fan/revenue standpoint.

The Dodgers TV standoff is just the beginning.

The days of huge money from local cable channels is over as soon as those contracts expire.

The days of expensive but mediocre free agents are already coming to a close.

No more $48 million for 3 years of washed up Scott Kazmir or others like him.

Further down the line, MLB's refusal to get into the 2020s regarding mobile device viewing will be their downfall. Their blackout rules, in place to appease the cable companies, are archaic and will kill the sport. People will stop watching TV and want to watch on their phone. And they can't.

The game is skewing older and older, much like poker. How many dedicated 20-something MLB fans are there? What about teens? And what if we compare those numbers to 20 years ago?

Things are going to look very different by the time Benjamin is an adult, and drastically different by the time he's my age.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dan Druff

Was having a discussion with someone yesterday regarding the future of baseball, from a fan/revenue standpoint.

The Dodgers TV standoff is just the beginning.

The days of huge money from local cable channels is over as soon as those contracts expire.

The days of expensive but mediocre free agents are already coming to a close.

No more $48 million for 3 years of washed up Scott Kazmir or others like him.

Further down the line, MLB's refusal to get into the 2020s regarding mobile device viewing will be their downfall. Their blackout rules, in place to appease the cable companies, are archaic and will kill the sport. People will stop watching TV and want to watch on their phone. And they can't.

The game is skewing older and older, much like poker. How many dedicated 20-something MLB fans are there? What about teens? And what if we compare those numbers to 20 years ago?

Things are going to look very different by the time Benjamin is an adult, and drastically different by the time he's my age.

---

the thing with baseball is this:
1. this game was built in the 1860-70s when there was nothing to do, so sitting around for 5 cents and being entertained was a pretty good deal...it passed the time during the summer...the game is structurally meant to be a game played for 2-3+ hours...
2. all these bullshit time changes of mound visits and time between innings aren't gonna solve shit with 3.5 hour games...you want to get the games down in length, you eliminate the pitching changes...it's pretty simple...each team having 5-7 guys pitch in a game adds A TON of fucking time...to change that obviously requires putting restrictions on the game...but now if you make a rule on maximum pitching changes you run into the fact that starting pitchers for the most part are pussies compared to 30 years ago when they could routinely get out there and pitch 250+ innings year after year after year...

Completely agree about archaic mobile blackout nonsense.

I watch kids who played college etc. I know kids who love the game so much they play serious adult league baseball. No matter how much you like baseball everyone watches on their phone. They skip from game to game in a manic style.

Once I got the MLB package on the phone I often don’t turn on the cable television. Fuck them with local blackout.

The length of game issue is the wrong issue. Nobody is watching one game end to end. It’s there for me all night every night. I walk around and go out and have a life - all the while catching highlights and skipping around.

Just smarten up about how it is consumed on mobile and allow wagering

This AL Central is delightfully horrible to this point.

Dodgers 3 losses in a row now...back under break even again

looks like a long boring summer is ahead...but at least recreational is legal now

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BCR

This AL Central is delightfully horrible to this point.

---

Twins have just been LOLbad this last week. Bullpen imploding, SNAFU.

Still too early to judge this new wunderkid regime in the FO, but they gotta fix this issue of developing pitchers. We went like 12 years in between actually developing a frontline starter (Liriano to Berrios). The LOLMets have had like 8 in that time. Twins fan is a hard life.

Those Terry Ryan/Ron Gardenhire years were the worst. Build a team that can win in a large sample size, but not in a short series. Pitch-to-contact. Blah.

Dodgers taking the steam out of summer trash talk. We’ll always have Kershaw no matter what their record

Dodgers Dave Roberts benches Bellinger

Quote:

---

Dave Roberts pulled last year's rookie of the year, Cody Bellinger, in the fifth inning for what the manager described as a lack of hustle.

"I felt there wasn't hustle on the play -- the ball that he hit 421 feet into right-center field, and he cruised into second base," Roberts told reporters, referring to a ball Bellinger smacked into the area called Triples Alley. "He plays every day, and there's certain expectations for the way we have to play the game. When you don't abide by that, we'll get somebody in there that will. It's pretty simple."

---

Idk who has less heart the dodgers or their fans

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by big dick

Idk who has less heart the dodgers or their fans

---

During last weeks Fraud Show at the point where Drexel first called in - Druff was discussing his fleek StubHub game. He discussed his moves and observations during the 2017 World Series. Druff said something to the effect that he forecast game 7 prices would be rather low because the Dodger fans were depressed. Drexel asked him to repeat thinking he had heard Druff incorrectly. What fans would lose heart in a game 7? Priceless, but Druff was accurate - he foiled his narrative about the Dodger fans but Druff had boxed himself in.

I need to relisten.

Druff often cited attendance as a measure of popularity. In a market where most can’t watch the home team, buying cheap Dodgers tickets happens but nightly and collectively fewer people follow Dodgers live than most teams.

The Angels have to be killing the Dodgers in viewership.

This really isn’t as big an issue with me as the Dodgers perpetual over valuation in the national conversation. They were still in the top 10 of everyone’s power ranking a week or two ago. They were ahead of teams with much better records. I think reality is settling in to those less insightful as I.

I guarantee you that fading the Dodgers every game this season returned more units than if you had done this with any other team. Even people who bet their own money don’t get it. Shit dies hard.

When I heard Giants fans chanting “beat LA” my first reflex is that this is Boston’s domain. Celtics v Lakers. But I adjust. Join the club. Enjoy the win. I do.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sanlmar

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by big dick

Idk who has less heart the dodgers or their fans

---

During last weeks Fraud Show at the point where Drexel first called in - Druff was discussing his fleek StubHub game. He discussed his moves and observations during the 2017 World Series. Druff said something to the effect that he forecast game 7 prices would be rather low because the Dodger fans were depressed. Drexel asked him to repeat thinking he had heard Druff incorrectly. What fans would lose heart in a game 7? Priceless, but Druff was accurate - he foiled his narrative about the Dodger fans but Druff had boxed himself in.

I need to relisten.

Druff often cited attendance as a measure of popularity. In a market where most can’t watch the home team, buying cheap Dodgers tickets happens but nightly and collectively fewer people follow Dodgers live than most teams.

The Angels have to be killing the Dodgers in viewership.

This really isn’t as big an issue with me as the Dodgers perpetual over valuation in the national conversation. They were still in the top 10 of everyone’s power ranking a week or two ago. They were ahead of teams with much better records. I think reality is settling in to those less insightful as I.

I guarantee you that fading the Dodgers every game this season returned more units than if you had done this with any other team. Even people who bet their own money don’t get it. Shit dies hard.

When I heard Giants fans chanting “beat LA” my first reflex is that this is Boston’s domain. Celtics v Lakers. But I adjust. Join the club. Enjoy the win. I do.

---

:wrong

You do need to re-listen.

1) I didn't say the Dodgers fans were demoralized about the team when Game 7 came. Why would they be? They had just won Game 6 and were at home again. I said they were demoralized about Game 6, being down 3-2 in the series. This sent the insane-priced World Series tickets tumbling to high-but-not-quite-so-insane levels, allowing me to grab an $800 ticket at the last minute in the front row of the second level (Loge) between home and 1B. That same $800 wouldn't have gotten you in the door for Game 7.

2) I didn't cite attendance numbers as a measure of fan interest during that radio segment. However, it is true that Dodgers fans are the least fairweather of MLB fans. The same force that drives fans in "sports towns" (read: a place where the weather is shitty most of the year) to abandon their team when it sucks is the force which causes Dodgers fans to show up whether the team is losing or winning. The only difference tends to be the price the tickets will go for on the secondary market.

3) Angels are beating the Dodgers in viewership, but only due to the ongoing cable channel fiasco. That's like saying that my house is better than yours because I have electricity, while you're currently sitting in the dark during an uncommon power failure.

4) I don't know why you are mocking the Dodgers' power rankings "a year or two ago". They made the NLCS in 2016, and they made it to Game 7 of the World Series in 2017, and also had baseball's best record. You're treating it as if they were pumped up by the media, and then finished under .500.

5) Fading the Reds, among others, would have resulted in more money made than fading the Dodgers. But even ignoring that, the comparison isn't fair because teams expected to be big favorites are frequently the biggest money losers for bettors when they don't go as well as expected. Also keep in mind that, prior to this year, if you got an automatic +200 on all Dodgers opponents playing at Dodger Stadium, regardless of pitching matchup, you'd be down money if you bet all 243 regular season games from 2015 and 2017. You gotta admit that's impressive.

Corey Seager having Tommy John surgery.

Fucking ouch.

He was clearly hurting this month and they wouldn't admit it.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/2...y-john-surgery

With that said, the Dodgers do have some real issues which may hold them back this year:

1) Seager was injured and they wouldn't admit it til now. And now he's out for the remainder of 2018.

2) Chris Taylor has regressed somewhat, which isn't a shock, given that he wasn't good prior to 2017, and he was never highly ranked as a minor league player. He's not awful, but he probably doesn't belong in the leadoff spot.

3) Bellinger isn't crushing the ball. He's hitting for average and getting on base, but 3 HR in over 110 plate appearances isn't what people were expecting. He's not the scary hitter he was in 2017 -- at least not right now. Unlike Taylor, he was very well regarded in the minors, so there's a good chance he turns this around at some point.

4) Justin Turner still hasn't stepped to the plate in 2018, and his injury is healing slower than expected (perhaps as a result of being 33?)

5) Kershaw isn't dominant. He hasn't been bad, but he hasn't been the unhittable regular season pitcher we've seen for the past 10 years.

6) Kenley Jansen isn't the same guy this year. I am actually seeing signs that he's becoming the real life version of Ricky Vaughn from Major League 2. Seriously. It does seem the money and fame has gone to his head.

7) Middle relief is terrible. It also started with letting Morrow leave for the Cubs, and then the ill-advised decision to replace him with LOL Tom Koehler, who hasn't yet thrown a pitch. But they continued on with Pedro Baez (who sucked in the second half of 2017, and literally everyone could see was going to come back and suck this year). They also let Tony Watson go. So their middle relief is basically shit, with the exception of Josh Fields. Maybe Cingrani improves, maybe he doesn't.

I think the reality is clear.. Dbacks are winning the NL West this year.. Dodgers are turning into a dumpster fire quickly.. Dbacks have the best start serieswise since the 1907 Cubs in the NL.. (I believe the Mariners also started the same way back about 15-20 yrs ago).. Im going to the game Thursday day game here in AZ which wouldn't surprise me could be a 4 game sweep in this series (realistically I think the Dbacks win 3 of the 4 giving Dodgers a punchers chance to win a game especially since Bracho is going to have to start since Dbacks have lost Robbie Ray for possibly 2 months with a Grade II oblique injury)

Why does big dick red rep me when I admit the Dodgers letting go of Morrow was a mistake?

Bitterness over last year's NLCS?

He will be happy to read that, despite it being early and the Dodgers being 12-16 (bad, and unexpected, but not buried), I think they are screwed this season, barring some front office moves.

The team right now has Puig, Turner, and Seager out of the lineup due to injury. Rich Hill is already battling his own injury issues. Kershaw isn't quite Kershaw, Jansen isn't quite Jansen, the middle relief sucks, Chris Taylor has regressed, and the Diamondbacks are off to a very hot start. Even Matt Kemp is back to having hamstring issues.

I just don't see the Dodgers recovering from this. Too many injuries, too many holes, and too many degraded performances versus last year.

Maybe they will right the ship and start winning again, and surprise everyone. The 2013 Dodgers looked horrible through June and then ran off a 42-8 streak in the summer. The 2017 Dodgers looked underwhelming during April's first few weeks, and then they ran off an even-better 43-7 streak midseason.

But you can't count on the team playing .850 ball over a 50-game stretch to rescue failstarts.

The Dodgers also had unexpected offensive sparks in both of those years who were driving those streaks. In 2013, Yasiel Puig and a returned-from-injury Hanley Ramirez did it. In 2017, it was Taylor and Bellinger, who combined with the expectedly good performances from Turner and Seager to create a super-productive 1-4.

I think this will end up being a down year, perhaps missing the playoffs, and the team will reassess in the winter. Supposedly they spent nothing in the 2018 offseason in preparation for the big 2019 free agent class.

We shall see.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dan Druff

Why does big dick red rep me when I admit the Dodgers letting go of Morrow was a mistake?

Bitterness over last year's NLCS?

He will be happy to read that, despite it being early and the Dodgers being 12-16 (bad, and unexpected, but not buried), I think they are screwed this season, barring some front office moves.

The team right now has Puig, Turner, and Seager out of the lineup due to injury. Rich Hill is already battling his own injury issues. Kershaw isn't quite Kershaw, Jansen isn't quite Jansen, the middle relief sucks, Chris Taylor has regressed, and the Diamondbacks are off to a very hot start. Even Matt Kemp is back to having hamstring issues.

I just don't see the Dodgers recovering from this. Too many injuries, too many holes, and too many degraded performances versus last year.

Maybe they will right the ship and start winning again, and surprise everyone. The 2013 Dodgers looked horrible through June and then ran off a 42-8 streak in the summer. The 2017 Dodgers looked underwhelming during April's first few weeks, and then they ran off an even-better 43-7 streak midseason.

But you can't count on the team playing .850 ball over a 50-game stretch to rescue failstarts.

The Dodgers also had unexpected offensive sparks in both of those years who were driving those streaks. In 2013, Yasiel Puig and a returned-from-injury Hanley Ramirez did it. In 2017, it was Taylor and Bellinger, who combined with the expectedly good performances from Turner and Seager to create a super-productive 1-4.

I think this will end up being a down year, perhaps missing the playoffs, and the team will reassess in the winter. Supposedly they spent nothing in the 2018 offseason in preparation for the big 2019 free agent class.

We shall see.

---

Or if they have a good May/June, you could see Machado coming to town.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gut

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dan Druff

Why does big dick red rep me when I admit the Dodgers letting go of Morrow was a mistake?

Bitterness over last year's NLCS?

He will be happy to read that, despite it being early and the Dodgers being 12-16 (bad, and unexpected, but not buried), I think they are screwed this season, barring some front office moves.

The team right now has Puig, Turner, and Seager out of the lineup due to injury. Rich Hill is already battling his own injury issues. Kershaw isn't quite Kershaw, Jansen isn't quite Jansen, the middle relief sucks, Chris Taylor has regressed, and the Diamondbacks are off to a very hot start. Even Matt Kemp is back to having hamstring issues.

I just don't see the Dodgers recovering from this. Too many injuries, too many holes, and too many degraded performances versus last year.

Maybe they will right the ship and start winning again, and surprise everyone. The 2013 Dodgers looked horrible through June and then ran off a 42-8 streak in the summer. The 2017 Dodgers looked underwhelming during April's first few weeks, and then they ran off an even-better 43-7 streak midseason.

But you can't count on the team playing .850 ball over a 50-game stretch to rescue failstarts.

The Dodgers also had unexpected offensive sparks in both of those years who were driving those streaks. In 2013, Yasiel Puig and a returned-from-injury Hanley Ramirez did it. In 2017, it was Taylor and Bellinger, who combined with the expectedly good performances from Turner and Seager to create a super-productive 1-4.

I think this will end up being a down year, perhaps missing the playoffs, and the team will reassess in the winter. Supposedly they spent nothing in the 2018 offseason in preparation for the big 2019 free agent class.

We shall see.

---

Or if they have a good May/June, you could see Machado coming to town.

---

Friedman & Zaidi run the Dodgers as if they are the A’s.

Are the Dodgers willing to rent Machado? If they go tits up without trying then Kershaw will definitely hit the exit. Machado keeps the Dodgers viable and shows an attempt to win.

It might heal the colossal fuckup they committed with Morrow & Watson. Relief is a dumpster fire now. I mean it shows they are trying.

Machado has said he is going to test free agency. It’s a no brainer for him. He’s taking no long term deal from the Dodgers.

What happens when Seager comes back? Machado wants to play shortstop. You drop a huge contract he might play nice and go to third. Dodgers are the A’s. That ain’t happening

I have no earthly idea what Dodgers are thinking except that they want to prove how cutesy smart they are with value. They had their chance. Now all they have is prospects.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sanlmar

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gut

Or if they have a good May/June, you could see Machado coming to town.

---

Friedman & Zaidi run the Dodgers as if they are the A’s.

Are the Dodgers willing to rent Machado? If they go tits up without trying then Kershaw will definitely hit the exit. Machado keeps the Dodgers viable and shows an attempt to win.

It might heal the colossal fuckup they committed with Morrow & Watson. Relief is a dumpster fire now. I mean it shows they are trying.

Machado has said he is going to test free agency. It’s a no brainer for him. He’s taking no long term deal from the Dodgers.

What happens when Seager comes back? Machado wants to play shortstop. You drop a huge contract he might play nice and go to third. Dodgers are the A’s. That ain’t happening

I have no earthly idea what Dodgers are thinking except that they want to prove how cutesy smart they are with value. They had their chance. Now all they have is prospects.

---

80% of the guys in MLB want to play SS, but they can't. Orioles are a dumpster fire now so why not let him go back there. He'll be a 3B wherever he goes next.

Dodgers don't need a 3B. Turner will come back, and provided this injury hasn't derailed his career (probably won't, since it's just a wrist injury, albeit a slow-healing one), he should be fine. Unlike Chris Taylor, Justin Turner has proven since 2014 that he wasn't a fluke, despite being a 29th round pick (look it up) and a career reserve prior to coming to LA.

So Machado would be just a rental if the Dodgers are willing to part with prospects to get him. I'm guessing they won't, unless the prospects they give up are mediocre, or unless the Dodgers play better ball and it seems a second World Series is possibly in the cards.

The bullpen just chunked off another game tonight, and they're 9 behind the Diamondbacks -- their worst division deficit on May 1 since division play began in 1969. Ouch.

It might be wiser for the Dodgers front office to chalk the season up to fail, let the team finish .500 or whatever, and then buy some nice free agents in 2019 to make the fans feel better.

Right now the experts have the Dodgers at 84 wins, but "81 or 82 is more likely if Taylor doesn't become a productive leadoff hitter again", said one.

Sometimes it's tough to win after a big year, because that big year was likely fueled by overachievement of various players, and it's hard to just tell those players, "Thanks for all the help last year, but we think you overachieved, so adios..."

So you basically have to stick with what worked last year, and hope regression won't bite you in the ass.

Of course, the Dodgers are still somewhat at fault here. They let their best two middle relievers walk, and you see what happened. They were in denial about Corey Seager, despite the fact that his elbow hurt literally every time he threw the ball in the second half of the 2017 season. The reserve list was so thin that Chase Utley has been starting a lot of games (and done surprisingly well, but that won't last).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dan Druff

Sometimes it's tough to win after a big year, because that big year was likely fueled by overachievement of various players, and it's hard to just tell those players, "Thanks for all the help last year, but we think you overachieved, so adios..."

---

Yankees did just as well as the Dodgers last year.

Took Astros to game 7.

Yankees aren’t regressing. They’ve battled early injuries

I think the comparison will serve as a helpful reminder about which side of curve you are on.

Think about those geriatric Cubs fans who got to see their team win. Longevity continues to increase. You have a very decent shot at seeing a parade.

I'm still pissed that the big money Dodgers, of all teams, claimed a young Twins reliever we DFA'd....and of course he's been good. Shaky good....but still good thus far. Enjoy JT Chargois.

jesus, ryu down until after the all star break...tore the muscle off the bone...

I get that the dodgers mighta been a little overrated coming into the year, but Christ this injury thing this early in the year is nuts...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GambleBotsChafedPenis

jesus, ryu down until after the all star break...tore the muscle off the bone...

I get that the dodgers mighta been a little overrated coming into the year, but Christ this injury thing this early in the year is nuts...

---

All 5 starters have injury histories, yet they only have one pitcher in the minors (Buehler) who can step up and be competent. That's one of many depth criticisms the Dodgers faced this year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GambleBotsChafedPenis

jesus, ryu down until after the all star break...tore the muscle off the bone...

I get that the dodgers mighta been a little overrated coming into the year, but Christ this injury thing this early in the year is nuts...

---

The Dodgers were playing some interesting games with light pitcher work in spring training. Obv some advanced analytics that is far beyond my understanding.

How’d that all work out? At best we can say everyone had a slow start.

You ever follow the Nationals or the Yankees injury list during this season?

No tears for tears.

much like the NBA this season, and the NFL for the past 10 years, injuries be piling up. hmmmmm....maybe this theory of reduced practice time and limited exertion on off days/offseason doesnt work too well.

I just sprained a finger typing this. I should post more.