The hand-wringing over this move is admittedly confusing. Heyward had regressed significantly this year, to the point of being almost unplayable. And with Mookie back in RF (the right move all along), there were going to be no more opportunities for Heyward moving forward, outside of a very occasional pinch-hit spot. I get that he's a good dude and he's Freddie's BFF, but those aren't reasons to keep him on a roster that he's simply not good enough to crack.
Sure, CT has been lousy for most of the year, but LA was never DFA-ing a player to whom they owe $13M next year. If you're going to split 26th-man hairs between CT and Heyward, CT's defensive versatility still wins out there. And sure, Kike has been lousy for great stretches of the year, but he's still preferable to Heyward.
And finally, there's a reason the Dodgers made the moves for both Edman and Kiermaier. Both play ELITE defense in CF (while Edman is also an above-average defensive infielder), and the defense at premium positions takes precedence, particularly at this time of year.
This move really wasn't shocking, at all. Someone had to go--and they made the right call.
I slept on this because my initial reaction was anger. I was there in 2017 for CT3s Game 1 magic but dude just doesn't have it anymore. Same for Keke. I don't care what kind of glasses you put on him. I just don't get it...
Makes sense to jettison him 9 days before rosters expand since no Dodger will ever get hurt again.
The hand-wringing over this move is admittedly confusing. Heyward had regressed significantly this year, to the point of being almost unplayable. And with Mookie back in RF (the right move all along), there were going to be no more opportunities for Heyward moving forward, outside of a very occasional pinch-hit spot. I get that he's a good dude and he's Freddie's BFF, but those aren't reasons to keep him on a roster that he's simply not good enough to crack.
Sure, CT has been lousy for most of the year, but LA was never DFA-ing a player to whom they owe $13M next year. If you're going to split 26th-man hairs between CT and Heyward, CT's defensive versatility still wins out there. And sure, Kike has been lousy for great stretches of the year, but he's still preferable to Heyward.
And finally, there's a reason the Dodgers made the moves for both Edman and Kiermaier. Both play ELITE defense in CF (while Edman is also an above-average defensive infielder), and the defense at premium positions takes precedence, particularly at this time of year.
This move really wasn't shocking, at all. Someone had to go--and they made the right call.
Chris Taylor sucks too, but I guess they kept him because he can play multiple positions.
I slept on this because my initial reaction was anger. I was there in 2017 for CT3s Game 1 magic but dude just doesn't have it anymore. Same for Keke. I don't care what kind of glasses you put on him. I just don't get it...
Really bummed about this. Will miss his LH bat. And aren’t Kike, Edman and CT3 the same guy?
Brutal is the word. I can see Coach Hayward in the future - just don't know if it will be in Dodger Blue