The rumors from within the organization are that the Dodgers cheaped out this year so they could reset the luxury tax and then drop a heap of cash on Ohtani in 2024.
Of course, not wanting to drive away fans during 2023, they aren't publicly saying this. Just "we have faith in our young players", blah blah. I did not have high hopes for 2023, and so far they are about the team I expected them to be.
"Ohtani hits 14th homer in June in Angels loss", the present ESPN headline, is so 2020s Angels, it's not even funny.
By the way, I remember as a 13-year-old cheering on Pedro Guerrero in 1985, who hit 15 June homers to help propel an expected mediocre Dodgers team into contention. That was also a breakout year for Orel Hershiser, who somehow was unheralded despite an excellent 1984 rookie season. Hershiser still didn't get the credit he deserved until his monster 1988 year.
1985 would have been an exciting year in Dodgers lore, and still spoken of positively today, had it not been for one horrible Tommy Lasorda decision.
He walked a then-mediocre Andy Van Slyke to pitch to fearsome Jack Clark -- the only Cardinal with power, in the 1985 NLCS. Clark hit a home run, the Cardinals won, and the Dodgers 1985 hopes were destroyed.
That's what people remember about 1985, not the exciting summer where Pedro Guerrero, Mike Marshall (the outfielder, not the pitcher), and Orel Hershiser carried a not-so-great team to an NL West title.
Yeah sorry, I should have said "trading for Ohtani with the assumption he is signing an extension"
Take out the Soto comp and the question still remains...how much is half a season + playoffs of Ohtani worth? I think it would be shockingly close to the Soto haul, actually.
Angels probably won't trade him. They are in contention for a (crowded) AL wildcard spot, and also have a shot at the AL West title if Texas collapses and Houston never gets it fully together.
If the Angels collapse out of contention, then they try to ship Ohtani.
If they can at least get a playoff berth, they have a chance at riding a hot run to the World Series, and that can erase a lot of the feelings of fail regarding the Trout/Ohtani era which literally produced nothing thus far.
I was just thinking about Prior. I was wondering when he might be fired, given the Dodgers' uncharacteristic pitching woes this year. Admittedly some of the pitching fail has been due to both injury and front office frugality (see the bullpen), but the pitching has really dragged the Dodgers down in 2023, despite an offense which has performed better than expected.
Maybe they will let him go in the offseason. This year it seems like they're content to just ride it out and let the chips fall where they may.
It appears gut and I have an understanding that you may not be privy too.
The injury is kinda the Dodger way.
Prior’s max effort approach may not be healthy or a successful long term strategy. Personally, I think they believe there is a unlimited supply of kids they can wind up to 11 for a while.
The “fail due to injury” is a corporate strategy. Maybe a moneyball (frugal) idea held by Fraudman.
Every single pitcher is in the surgeon’s waiting room or dead arm
Aaron Judge might come back soon.
Yankees really need it, because honestly their lineup is pretty bad without him.
They also keep running .143 hitting Josh Donaldson out there. Braves were smart to let him walk after the 37 HR in 2019.
If Elly De La Cruz is not put on the All Star team I will continue to not watch the ASG.
Big Red Machine
Might be. He's working out with the team now, which is a positive sign. These foot injuries can stay painful with no progress, and then abruptly get better. I had that myself 8 years ago.
Somehow they walloped the Cards 14-0 yesterday, and got rained out today, but fading them in general wouldn't be the worst idea, as the offense is pretty awful.
I seriously wonder if, 2 years from now, ESPN moguls are still like "Yeah, lets keep the Yankees vs Sox battle for 4th place in the division on Sunday night....cause EAST COASSSSSSST!"
You might be too young ….
There was once a day when the second place team in the AL East might not make the playoffs. These games mattered. There were no hugs when you reached first base.
There were 90+ win Sawks teams who went straight home after the regular season. Life and death.
Now the regular season is just an exhibition and the games mean almost nothing. Gimme the Reds, Braves or Ohtani. Some kinda Globetrotter shit
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