1. Juan Soto isn't coming to LA for a four-year AAV-demolishing deal, period. LA is a stalking horse in these negotiations, and because Steve Cohen is involved, Soto's market will NEVER soften to the point where the Dodgers can do their patented late-game swoop. And while he's a great hitter--full stop--the Dodgers are arguably the one team that doesn't NEED him to be a WS contender--and thus, that $600M would be much better spent elsewhere. The only way I could envision it would be if the LADs think Soto can be taught to play 1B, where they can hide his glove in a few years when Freddie is done. Short of that, DH is spoken for, and that's where Soto is headed, (much) sooner rather than later.
2. Teo on a two-plus-club-option is a no-brainer. Pay the man and let's get on with it.
3. Signing an elite starting pitcher is a no-brainer; thinking Corbin Burnes is worth seven years at north of $200M is just silly. With his plummeting K rate, Burnes' juice just isn't worth the squeeze.
Meanwhile, Snell might be a swell dude, secretly beloved by teammates, etc. But he does not give that vibe at all, and even when he was good last year--the great second half, the no-hitter--he still just doesn't seem a personality you want to add to LA's elite clubhouse feel. The Cy Young seasons were good enough, but all the others mostly weren't. And when he finally pitched into the 8th inning in that no-hitter, his post-game attitude--as though he silenced the doubters of his very questionable mettle--was bush-league garbage. And since you know he's going to miss some starts (something of an LA scourge, at this point) and since you don't really know what you're paying for, let a West rival pay that price.
Fried, on the last hand, is the kind of pitcher whose stuff figures to age well. He's not completely dependent on swing-and-miss, and a pitch-to-weak-contact guy who nevertheless has an ace ceiling (all coming from the left, which is needed balance with the essential reduction of Kersh's role) AND is a close friend of Freddie's (who's actually good, as opposed to JHey) AND is a local kid is...well, he's clearly the guy.
(Also, I realize it's fun to write "Ohtani, Yamamoto, Glasnow and Free Agent TK--imagine how tough that would be in October!" But Ohtani is coming off a second TJ...Yamamoto hopefully stays healther in a six-man rotation this year...and Glasnow, at this point, simply cannot be counted upon to make it that far in any one season, to the point that, while I'm not ready to throw dirt on the deal itself, Glasnow has something to prove over the next SEVERAL seasons if he wants to be remembered as something other than a luxe sports car forever in the shop.
So the Dodgers NEED another frontline arm--period.)
4. Willy Adames just makes too much sense, for all the reasons mentioned and because--should his defense at SS prove increasingly bad over the next two-ish seasons--he can always move to 3B in Max's place, and we can solve the SS problem again. But Adames bat in the 6-hole and his by-all-accounts phenomenal clubhouse rep makes him a MUST-sign.
5. Can take or leave both Kike and Treinen. October Kike is worth so much that I could live with his declining regular-season production, though we can always just trade for him again at the deadline. And Treinen's stuff is the best on the team when he's healthy, but that's not a sure thing and age at some point comes for all of us (and Devin Williams and Ryan Helsley are both out there and available, and the LADs have LOTS of movable assets). So...yeah, OK--but if not, that's OK too.
And frankly, if Buehler is looking at pillow deals (one-plus-option, say) from multiple teams, I say bring him back and let him rebuild his value as a Dodger. Because what more does he have to do, when it matters most?
Man, it would be easier to land one of the big-time starting pitchers (and resign Buehler too) if we were paying Ryan Pepiot $800k instead of Tyler Glasnow $30 million...they literally had the exact same season last year - 130 innings, 3.50 ERA, 2 WAR, and 111 ERA+
Oh, and the reason Pepiot's innings got cut short was a freak infected spider-bite (unusual, unlikely to repeat), whereas of course Glasnow's arm melted down again and so he was completely unavailable for the playoffs (foreseeable, highly-likely to repeat).
Now I don't think Glasnow *wants* to get hurt; I don't think it's his fault he gets hurt either. Getting injured isn't a moral failing. I'm sure Tyler's way more cut up about it than we fans could possibly be - after all, he's the one who not only has to deal with the pain of the injury, but has to deal with being a hypercompetitive professional athlete who time and again is kept away from competition in the biggest moments.
But purely from a team-building perspective, why are we paying such a huge premium for minimal upside (Glasnow's career numbers are actually a tick worse than his 2024 season) and a huge known injury risk? Like, I get the peripherals love Glasnow - he had a whole run better on Pepiot in FIP, and nearly double the SO/BB ratio, and I'm sure he blew Pepiot out of the water on Stuff+. But at the end of the day, they both got the EXACT SAME RESULTS on the baseball field, and Pepiot at least would have been available to pitch in the playoffs, for $30 million less!
It was a hard summer. Yet, despite all the arms, hands, and shoulders injuries the Boys were good and won a World Series. In a full season!
Here is my under the tree wish list for my friends this Christmas.
Sammy Outfield is his usual all Offense with a "What Me Worry?" Defense. He is hoping for a Juan Soto bat bookend. But if too expensive, I think he would settle for a less expensive Teoscar one. However, if you can find a left and a right in the bottom of your bag, he would definitely take the matching set.
Donnie Arms kept falling off his bike and getting injured all summer. But like the trooper he is, he kept getting back in the saddle and doing just enough. He really deserves a new set of tires since those have several patches. A front Burnes trail tire or rear Snell mountain one would help. Donnie is not picky.
Don't forget Donnie's sister, Sally Arms. She said if you have a spare Max Fried doll, she would like one in blue.
Tommy Infield likes action and elastic toys. He wants a Stretch Adames who arms can reach from deep in the hole in left all the way to first base--wrapping paper and a bow are optional.
Do you remember Bobby Bullpen? He was amazing last summer. Every time someone was in trouble, they could just call for Bobby and he'd come running. Well, he ran so much he wore holes in every pair of his shoes. He'd really like a pair of Tanner Scotts. But if you could find a pair of Blakes and a couple new shoestrings for his Graterols, I think he'd be happy. PS- The Tanner Scotts would sure help Bobby come to the aid more often next summer if you could make that work.
Billy Bench is his old sentimental self. He still has his Kiki baseball card taped to his grandmother's Walker. Funny how little things make Billy smile all day long.
Last, but certainly not least, I feel bad for picking on Davey On-D-Ropes so much last summer. He was just so annoying to watch at times. It seemed like he always directed people to the wrong spot at the wrong time. But were amazed when things still worked out right the way he did it.
Could give Davey my gift and make it a trash can. No, not one with an Astros logo on it. Make it Dodger Blue with no banging dents and in the shape of a heart and put it in the dugout. Why the dugout? So when things got tough and his gut disagreed with the analytics, Davey could toss the paper in the trash can and follow his heart like he did in Game 5.
Finally, thank you so much for the Ohtani bat and the Yamamoto ball last year. However, we played with the Ohtani ball so much it is now in tatters. The cover got knocked off it several times and Yamamoto could sure use a new one.
If you could deliver a Roki Sasaki ball to the clubhouse, we promise to buy the biggest Christmas Goose in Ol's Scrooge's Shop Window and invite all Dodger fans around the world to enjoy Christmas Dinner with us.
Love to you, Mrs. Claus, the elves, all the reindeers including Rudolph (love that red nose),
(Assume health) I think we see Dustin May step into a bullpen role for us this year. He's got Treinen type stuff.
1. Juan Soto isn't coming to LA for a four-year AAV-demolishing deal, period. LA is a stalking horse in these negotiations, and because Steve Cohen is involved, Soto's market will NEVER soften to the point where the Dodgers can do their patented late-game swoop. And while he's a great hitter--full stop--the Dodgers are arguably the one team that doesn't NEED him to be a WS contender--and thus, that $600M would be much better spent elsewhere. The only way I could envision it would be if the LADs think Soto can be taught to play 1B, where they can hide his glove in a few years when Freddie is done. Short of that, DH is spoken for, and that's where Soto is headed, (much) sooner rather than later.
2. Teo on a two-plus-club-option is a no-brainer. Pay the man and let's get on with it.
3. Signing an elite starting pitcher is a no-brainer; thinking Corbin Burnes is worth seven years at north of $200M is just silly. With his plummeting K rate, Burnes' juice just isn't worth the squeeze.
Meanwhile, Snell might be a swell dude, secretly beloved by teammates, etc. But he does not give that vibe at all, and even when he was good last year--the great second half, the no-hitter--he still just doesn't seem a personality you want to add to LA's elite clubhouse feel. The Cy Young seasons were good enough, but all the others mostly weren't. And when he finally pitched into the 8th inning in that no-hitter, his post-game attitude--as though he silenced the doubters of his very questionable mettle--was bush-league garbage. And since you know he's going to miss some starts (something of an LA scourge, at this point) and since you don't really know what you're paying for, let a West rival pay that price.
Fried, on the last hand, is the kind of pitcher whose stuff figures to age well. He's not completely dependent on swing-and-miss, and a pitch-to-weak-contact guy who nevertheless has an ace ceiling (all coming from the left, which is needed balance with the essential reduction of Kersh's role) AND is a close friend of Freddie's (who's actually good, as opposed to JHey) AND is a local kid is...well, he's clearly the guy.
(Also, I realize it's fun to write "Ohtani, Yamamoto, Glasnow and Free Agent TK--imagine how tough that would be in October!" But Ohtani is coming off a second TJ...Yamamoto hopefully stays healther in a six-man rotation this year...and Glasnow, at this point, simply cannot be counted upon to make it that far in any one season, to the point that, while I'm not ready to throw dirt on the deal itself, Glasnow has something to prove over the next SEVERAL seasons if he wants to be remembered as something other than a luxe sports car forever in the shop.
So the Dodgers NEED another frontline arm--period.)
4. Willy Adames just makes too much sense, for all the reasons mentioned and because--should his defense at SS prove increasingly bad over the next two-ish seasons--he can always move to 3B in Max's place, and we can solve the SS problem again. But Adames bat in the 6-hole and his by-all-accounts phenomenal clubhouse rep makes him a MUST-sign.
5. Can take or leave both Kike and Treinen. October Kike is worth so much that I could live with his declining regular-season production, though we can always just trade for him again at the deadline. And Treinen's stuff is the best on the team when he's healthy, but that's not a sure thing and age at some point comes for all of us (and Devin Williams and Ryan Helsley are both out there and available, and the LADs have LOTS of movable assets). So...yeah, OK--but if not, that's OK too.
And frankly, if Buehler is looking at pillow deals (one-plus-option, say) from multiple teams, I say bring him back and let him rebuild his value as a Dodger. Because what more does he have to do, when it matters most?
Man, it would be easier to land one of the big-time starting pitchers (and resign Buehler too) if we were paying Ryan Pepiot $800k instead of Tyler Glasnow $30 million...they literally had the exact same season last year - 130 innings, 3.50 ERA, 2 WAR, and 111 ERA+
Oh, and the reason Pepiot's innings got cut short was a freak infected spider-bite (unusual, unlikely to repeat), whereas of course Glasnow's arm melted down again and so he was completely unavailable for the playoffs (foreseeable, highly-likely to repeat).
Now I don't think Glasnow *wants* to get hurt; I don't think it's his fault he gets hurt either. Getting injured isn't a moral failing. I'm sure Tyler's way more cut up about it than we fans could possibly be - after all, he's the one who not only has to deal with the pain of the injury, but has to deal with being a hypercompetitive professional athlete who time and again is kept away from competition in the biggest moments.
But purely from a team-building perspective, why are we paying such a huge premium for minimal upside (Glasnow's career numbers are actually a tick worse than his 2024 season) and a huge known injury risk? Like, I get the peripherals love Glasnow - he had a whole run better on Pepiot in FIP, and nearly double the SO/BB ratio, and I'm sure he blew Pepiot out of the water on Stuff+. But at the end of the day, they both got the EXACT SAME RESULTS on the baseball field, and Pepiot at least would have been available to pitch in the playoffs, for $30 million less!
Ugh.
Dear Santa,
It was a hard summer. Yet, despite all the arms, hands, and shoulders injuries the Boys were good and won a World Series. In a full season!
Here is my under the tree wish list for my friends this Christmas.
Sammy Outfield is his usual all Offense with a "What Me Worry?" Defense. He is hoping for a Juan Soto bat bookend. But if too expensive, I think he would settle for a less expensive Teoscar one. However, if you can find a left and a right in the bottom of your bag, he would definitely take the matching set.
Donnie Arms kept falling off his bike and getting injured all summer. But like the trooper he is, he kept getting back in the saddle and doing just enough. He really deserves a new set of tires since those have several patches. A front Burnes trail tire or rear Snell mountain one would help. Donnie is not picky.
Don't forget Donnie's sister, Sally Arms. She said if you have a spare Max Fried doll, she would like one in blue.
Tommy Infield likes action and elastic toys. He wants a Stretch Adames who arms can reach from deep in the hole in left all the way to first base--wrapping paper and a bow are optional.
Do you remember Bobby Bullpen? He was amazing last summer. Every time someone was in trouble, they could just call for Bobby and he'd come running. Well, he ran so much he wore holes in every pair of his shoes. He'd really like a pair of Tanner Scotts. But if you could find a pair of Blakes and a couple new shoestrings for his Graterols, I think he'd be happy. PS- The Tanner Scotts would sure help Bobby come to the aid more often next summer if you could make that work.
Billy Bench is his old sentimental self. He still has his Kiki baseball card taped to his grandmother's Walker. Funny how little things make Billy smile all day long.
Last, but certainly not least, I feel bad for picking on Davey On-D-Ropes so much last summer. He was just so annoying to watch at times. It seemed like he always directed people to the wrong spot at the wrong time. But were amazed when things still worked out right the way he did it.
Could give Davey my gift and make it a trash can. No, not one with an Astros logo on it. Make it Dodger Blue with no banging dents and in the shape of a heart and put it in the dugout. Why the dugout? So when things got tough and his gut disagreed with the analytics, Davey could toss the paper in the trash can and follow his heart like he did in Game 5.
Finally, thank you so much for the Ohtani bat and the Yamamoto ball last year. However, we played with the Ohtani ball so much it is now in tatters. The cover got knocked off it several times and Yamamoto could sure use a new one.
If you could deliver a Roki Sasaki ball to the clubhouse, we promise to buy the biggest Christmas Goose in Ol's Scrooge's Shop Window and invite all Dodger fans around the world to enjoy Christmas Dinner with us.
Love to you, Mrs. Claus, the elves, all the reindeers including Rudolph (love that red nose),
Little LifesEz
Where does Kersh fit into this conversation? Or, is he done?
No mention of Buehler— think he’s gone-gone?
Yeah I think he's gone, unless they strike out on landing a big name and don't make a trade
If winning the WS was his final pitch with us, I can live with that.