Mailbag Monday: No more Andy Pages!
Answering all your questions!
We have an insanely packed mailbag this week so we’re gonna get right into it! Thank you so much to everyone who asked a question this week.
Andrew Countis — I know, recency bias because of Sunday’s events against the Phillies, but: Does Tyler Glasnow pitch tentatively because of his extensive injury history? He seems easily thrown off by less than ideal circumstances like the mound conditions.
Yeah yesterday was really weird. For those who missed the game, Glasnow completely fell apart once it started raining and the mound got messy. While I understand his frustration, I do think a good portion of that falls on Glasnow. I get it, gripping a wet baseball must be tough and having a muddy mound isn’t ideal, but he just completely collapsed out there. He was clearly rattled as well and was showing a lot of frustration. I don’t think it had to do with his injury history, I think he just got rattled big time, which you definitely don’t want to see from your $100M starter!
Tom — Who will replace Snell in the rotation? Seems like Gonslin or Miller would be the top choices?
Tony Gonsolin isn’t ready yet and I don’t think the Dodgers trust Bobby Miller, at least as of right now. Justin Wrobleski would be my pick to replace Snell in the rotation, since he’s a lefty. It sounds like Landon Knack is already with the team in D.C., but maybe he’s there to help out with the bullpen game.
Rick Sapp — Why did Roberts fail to stop the game to get the poor condition of the pitching mound corrected so Glasnow could be comfortable pitching? The mound was redone before the Phillies pitched in top of the next inning. That was an unfair advantage.
Yeah that was really annoying to see the grounds crew come out when the inning finally ended. I have to imagine somebody asked for it when the inning was falling apart, whether it was Glasnow or Dave. I find it hard to believe not a single person asked for that mound to be redone. Maybe since the Dodgers were the road team, they unfortunately had no say in the manner, which would be a major issue considering the injury risk on that mound.
Adrian Minjarez — What do you think Bobby has this show in triple A to be in consideration to fill Snell spot while he’s in the IL?
Because there are a number of starters ahead of Bobby, I think it would have to be a lot. I think he’ll need at least a month’s worth of starts to prove he’s a viable option. Even then, it might not be enough unless there are a number of injuries. I don’t think the Dodgers want to rush him back to the majors after how poorly he did last season. If we get to June-July and he’s still shoving, he may become the No. 1 option in case there’s an injury.
Stan B — The bullpen appears overworked and tired. Usual stalwarts Treinen and Vesia let us down today. When do you think we can expect Gonsolin, Graterol, Phillips and Kershaw to be available? (Also: Any timeline for Charley Steiner to return to the broadcast booth?)
Yeah the bullpen usage has been a concern early on. Through 11 games only one starter has made it through six innings. When you’re having your bullpen give you 4+ innings every day, it’s eventually going to catch up!
I think Phillips returns this weekend. Gonsolin I’m guessing needs another start or two down in OKC, then he’ll be ready to go. All the reports from Kershaw have said he should be ready once he’s eligible to return from the IL at the end of May. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a little behind schedule, so I’ll put my prediction for early June.
Art Remnet — So how many more weeks and screwups will the Dodgers give Andy Pages before sending him down to AAA? It seems to me that if we bring up Kim, we can put Edman in Center and have a huge upgrade in defense and base running skills. Any average at all over .120 will be a bonus.
I’m holding out hope that the experiment ends this week, but I’ll believe it when I see it. We all know Pages is terrible in the field and on the bases. The reason he earned a spot on the roster was because of his bat, especially the fact he could hit lefties. Well, he’s done anything but hit this season. Obviously 11 games is such a small sample size, but Pages is hitting .118 with a 37 wRC+ this season. He’s actually been WORSE against lefties this year, as his wRC+ against them is -19! -19!!!
I agree, Edman should be in center field and they should call up Kim. With Kim, the bat might not be great but you’re at least improving your defense and adding speed and most importantly awareness on the bases.
Travis — Hope is 20, Depaula is 19. Both are in High-A. Neither is an answer for another 2 years or so. Pages is not a CF, but he has a track record of at least hitting lefties. Plus, he's only 24. I can envision an outfield of Pages/Depaula/Hope in a few years. But that's if they all continue to develop. And don't get traded to fix other issues. The only real options to fix CF are playing Edman there, which means a Kim/Kike platoon at 2B. Kike can play CF as needed. Outman is still not hitting at AAA, after a bad spring. But at least he would play a better CF. No one is making major trades a week into the season. Ultimately, what do you think the answer will be? And when do we see it?
I kind of just answered it with the previous question, but I think calling up Kim makes the most sense. You can put him at second base against righties and put Edman in CF. Or, you can try Kim out in CF and keep Edman at 2B. Then against lefties, you can put Edman at second base and put Kiké in center field. Kim is a Gold Glover, so your defense instantly takes a step up. Not to mention, there’s a chance he can be a .220 hitter, which would be a massive upgrade over Pages at the moment.
I also wouldn’t be opposed to giving Outman a shot. He’s fantastic in center field, and he also couldn’t be worse than Pages at the plate.
Travis — I saw that Kim was being congratulated down in AAA on Sunday. It would appear that he might be in line to get called up today? If so, I would think that Feduccia gets sent back down for him. That would delay a Pages move until Freeman comes off the IL on Friday. But is why bring up a 3rd catcher at all?
I think if Kim were to get called up, Pages would be the one being sent down. I think they want to keep Feduccia on the roster until Freddie returns. By sending Pages down immediately, he can start getting reps in OKC. If Kim gets called up, I can’t see Pages getting many starts. Maybe they’ll start him against lefties, if they decide to keep him up. Pages needs a change of scenery ASAP, so keeping him on the big league roster might not be a smart move. Plus, Feduccia can rake… give him some damn at bats!
Edwin Becker — Send Pages down or DFA him!!! His 2 hits aren’t worth the runs he’s given up with his subpar defense and his horrible base running, that’s another story! We might only have 1 lose, if not undefeated right now! That’s all I’ve got to say!
Haha I appreciate there is no question, just you voicing your frustration! I appreciate it as always, Eddie!
LifesEZ — What are the chances of sending down or trading Pages and bringing up Kim for 2nd and moving Tommy Tanks back to centerfield. if not that, bring back up Outman since there are typically twice as many RH SP & RP, or Ruiz, Hope, or De Paula if they have enough CF experience? [I am assuming Rushing is not CF material yet].
Dalton Rushing makes the most sense! However, the Dodgers ended his outfield experience so looks like we won’t see that. Unfortunately, Hope and De Paula are too young so we won’t see them either. I like that you mentioned Esteury Ruiz. At first, I questioned the acquisition, but now I’d really like to see him get a chance.
With the bat he’s not much of an upgrade over Pages, but his speed could be game-changing. Imagine hitting him ninth and having an automatic stolen base on the bases in front of the top of the lineup? I’d love to see him get a chance. Remember, he stole 67 bases in only 132 games back in 2024!
My wife doesn’t care so I have to let it out somewhere. I wanted to give you a break from the Pages questions! 🤣