Category Archives: los angeles dodgers

2013 MLB Team Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are officially all-in on competing for a World Series win in 2013. The Magic Johnson-led ownership group are working on finalizing a TV deal that’s upwards of $7 billion dollars over the course of the deal. They have the money to sign every major free agent and they started with signing pitcher Zack Greinke.

Will the ex-Boston group of Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett bounce back from an ugly 2012 season?

Is Don Mattingly a lame duck manager or will the Dodgers sign him to a new deal soon?

Here is the 2013 MLB season preview for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Continue reading →

Red Sox-Dodgers Near Blockbuster Trade

In what could be the biggest trade this season, the Boston Red Sox are about to unload three of their biggest pieces to the Los Angeles Dodgers. According to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, the deal would send Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto to Los Angeles for James Loney, Jerry Sands, Ivan De Jesus and prospects Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster. Boston would also be kicking in money to complete the deal.

Los Angeles was awarded waiver claims for both Gonzalez and Beckett. Crawford and Punto previously went unclaimed and cleared waivers. Beckett has 10-and-5 rights, so he would have to grant permission to be traded. Crawford only has a partial no-trade clause.

The 2011 season has been a forgettable one in Boston. The turmoil that surrounded the 2010 squad that leaked to Terry Francona’s firing, has leaked into this season. To make matters worse in Boston, many players have had issues with new manager Bobby Valentine. Gonzalez was rumored to have sent a text to management wanting a meeting about Valentine. It was later said that former teammate Kelly Shopppach sent the text from Gonzo’s phone.

The Dodgers haven’t shied away from claiming big ticket players who were put on waivers after the non-waiver trade deadline. They claimed Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee earlier this month, but Philadelphia pulled him from waivers and no trade was made.

Los Angeles are neck and neck with the San Francisco Giants in the NL West race. They have new ownership and are able to open up the checkbook. The news owners want to make a splash and bring the Dodgers back to its past glory days under manager Tommy Lasorda.

Now, if only a team would claim John Lackey, Boston could start rebuilding the team from scratch.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Who Will the Cubs Get In Return for Ryan Dempster?

Going into the season, Matt Garza was predicted to be the prize of the trading deadline. He is still a major prize, but Ryan Dempster is the belle of the ball.

Dempster, who currently leads the Majors with a 1.86 ERA, is on the trading block and nearly every team has contacted the Chicago Cubs about acquiring him. He has the right to veto any trade and wants to pitch for a contender.

He is owed nearly $6 million for the rest of the season and the Cubs have said they would pick up most of the money if they receive an upgraded prospect in return.

Dempster has a short-list of teams where he would like to end up. Which teams are on that list and what are the Cubs looking to get in return for him?

FOX Sports is reporting that Dempster pinpointed the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves as his top destinations. He is rumored to be open to other destinations, which is good for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, and Washington Nationals.

The Cubs have made it clear they want young pitching and/or a third base prospect. These teams will be renting Dempster, since he’s a free agent at the end of the season. If they miss out on him, they will include many of these prospects in hopes of landing Garza.

Who can those teams offer? Let’s take a look at who may be involved.

Detroit Tigers
The Cubs would LOVE to trade Matt Garza, Darwin Barney, and Dempster in a package to Detroit. They would ask for third base prospect Nick Castellanos, top pitching prospect Jacob Turner, and a few other young pitchers from the group of Bruce Rondon, Drew Smyly, Casey Crosby, Andy Oliver, and Brenny Paulino.

Detroit has all the right pieces to trade for any player currently on the Cubs roster.

Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers have been very proactive on trying to acquire Dempster. They are rumored to have a deal currently on the table. No one knows which prospects are in the deal, but pitching is definitely the centerpiece.

The pitching prospects rumored in the deal begins with 20-year old Garrett Gould. He is the prospect most likely to be in the deal. Zach Lee, Nate Eovaldi, Allen Webster, and Chris Reed aren’t as likely to be included, since L.A. thinks too highly of them to part ways.

A group of secondary pitching prospects that could be thrown in could include Aaron Miller, Angel Sanchez, Matt Magill, Chris Withrow, and Ryan O’Sullivan. The Dodgers are also trying to acquire Aramis Ramirez from Milwaukee and Shane Victorino from Philadelphia, so this group could all find new homes by August 1st.

Atlanta Braves
Even though Dempster would like to pitch in Atlanta, I don’t see this deal happening. The Braves were looking hard at Zack Greinke, but Milwaukee’s asking price was too high.

Atlanta is in a bad situation in the present day. They are finding it hard to trade for a veteran pitcher, since every team is asking for their stud pitching prospects in return. The group of Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino and Sean Gilmartin are asked about in nearly every deal. If the Braves want Dempster, they would need to part with someone from that group. Using that reasoning, they could focus on cheaper talent, like Francisco Liriano or Jason Vargas.

Washington Nationals
Washington is in need of a veteran pitcher to fill-in for Stephen Strasburg, since he’s on a innings limit this year. Their farm system isn’t what it used to be. They have already called up most of their top-tier young talent.

Third base prospect Anthony Rendon is the only Nationals prospect in the Top 100 list that the Cubs would be interested in. The only pitching prospects they could include would be second-tier. Alex Meyer, Matt Purke, and Robbie Ray are those pitchers.

Boston Red Sox
The rumor out of Chicago is that Boston is scared to trade with Theo Epstein, because he knows their farm system so well. I would assume that Ryan Lavarnway would be asked about right away. Epstein isn’t sold on Geovany Soto as the long-term catcher for the Cubs. There are big question marks about Lavarnway’s defensive ability behind the plate, but he could be worth the risk.

The pitching prospect cupboard is pretty bare in Boston. Matt Barnes is the best pitcher in their farm system. If the Cubs trade with Boston, Epstein will get the most out of the trade. They may not get the young arms they covet, but other holes will be addressed.

If a mystery team ends up with Dempster, they will have given up a lot to leapfrog these teams.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Six Pitchers Combine for Seattle Mariners No-Hitter

The Seattle Mariners were victims of a perfect game earlier this season. No-hitter karma paid it forward tonight when six Seattle pitchers combined to pitch a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was the franchise’s third no-hitter and its first since Chris Bosio’s no-hitter in 1993.

Seattle barely avoided being one of the few teams to lose while throwing a no-hitter. They squeaked out a victory and won the game 1-0.

This is the fourth no-hitter thrown this season. Has any other MLB team threw a no-hitter and used more than six pitchers? Are we going to see more no-hitters in 2012?

Kevin Millwood started the game and pitched six innings without giving up a hit. Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League, and Tom Wilhelmsen combined to pitch the final three innings. Pryor received the win while Wilhelmsen earned his third save of the season by closing out the game.

This was the second time Milwood was part of a no-hitter. He threw a complete game no-hitter as a member of the Phillies in 2003.

Kyle Seager drove in the only run of the game by singling in Ichiro Suzuki. Seager is now batting .275 on the season. Ichico had three hits and a stolen base in the game.

Dodgers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi pitched six innings of shutout baseball. He now has an ERA of 1.93 on the year. Scott Elbert, who allowed Seager’s RBI single in the 7th inning, was credited with the loss.

This no-hitter is not without scandal. Dee Gordon hit a slow roller to Brandan Ryan. He made a great throw to first base and was called out. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly thought Gordon beat out the throw and argued with the umpire.

This was the 10th combined no-hitter in MLB history. It’s the first since six Houston Astros pitchers combined for a no-hitter against the Yankees in 2003.

Jared Weaver, Phillip Humber, and Johan Santana have already pitched no-hitters this season. Humber pitched a perfect game against the Mariners earlier this season.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

MLB 2012: Grading Early May Transactions

The first month of the season is in the books and teams are starting to find out what kind of team they have. General Managers start to clean house and cut some the dead weight on their rosters. They start to bring up their top prospects, since they stalled to keep them from becoming Super 2 eligible. When they bring up a player from the Minors, they have to make a roster move, which usually means that either a veteran is put on waivers or a younger player can be sent down.

Veterans are starting to be smart when they sign a minor-league contract in the off-season. They have started to put an opt-out clause that if they are not on the Major League roster by May1st, they can opt-out of their deal. Not all of the players have this clause, but it’s becoming more common.

Which deal deserves an A+ grade? Is bringing up 21-year old Jordan Lyles too early? We grade this past week’s MLB transactions.
Houston Astros called up RHP Jordan Lyles
In 2011, then 20-year old Lyles started 15 games for the Astros. They tried to keep his innings down and finished the season in the bullpen. Houston is in rebuilding mode and he’s the best pitching prospect in their farm system. He has been working on his curveball in the off-season and he will test in against MLB hitters. I like this move because the Astros have nothing to lose. They aren’t playing for a pennant, they are trying to build a team and Lyles needs experience. – Grade: A

Tampa Bay Rays signed OF/DH Hideki Matsui to a minor-league contract
Matsui played in Oakland last season and mostly played DH. He started out poorly, but he had an above average second-half of the season. I don’t see him playing the outfield in Tampa Bay, so he is an insurance policy for Luke Scott. Matsui would come in handy if Zobrist or Joyce had injury issues. I like this signing because the risk is low and he could be a piece that you need during the playoff push. – Grade: B+

Oakland Athletics signed 3B Brandon Inge to a one-year contract
Since 2009, Inge hasn’t had a very good year at the plate. He benefits a team as a utility player and that’s about it. He moved all around the field for Detroit, he even played catcher.When the Tigers moved Miguel Cabrera to third-base, Inge had to know that his time was up. Eric Sogard is batting .140, which is lower than Inge, so he will actually be an offensive improvement at that position. – Grade: C+

San Diego Padres called up RHP Jeff Suppan
The Padres needed a starting pitcher to pitch in place of Cory Luebke. They didn’t expect much from this move because he might only start a few games. In his first start, he gave them five solid innings and probably earned him a second or third start to see what’s left in Suppan’s arm. – Grade: C

Cleveland Indians called up OF/DH Johnny Damon
Damon was one of those veterans with the May 1st opt-out clause. Cleveland has a surplus of outfield talent with Shin-Soo Choo, Shelly Duncan, Michael Brantley, and a few on their minor-league team, the Columbus Clippers. Damon had an excellent 2011 season with Tampa Bay and he could be very useful. If Cleveland sees themselves out of the AL Central race at the trading deadline, he could be a trade chip. In the meantime, I liked this move in the off-season and I still like it. – Grade: A-

Cincinnati Reds signed RHP Michael Wuertz
Wuertz had a few good seasons, but shoulder and finger issues derailed his pitching career. He had an astronomical ERA in 2011(6.68 in 39 appearances). This move is another low risk/high reward, but his upside isn’t very high. – Grade: D+

Boston Red Sox called up RHP Aaron Cook
Cook had already said that he was ready to opt-out, but Boston waited until the last second and called him up. Josh Beckett has a lat injury and they needed a starting pitcher. I’m not sure how long he’ll hold on to a roster spot. It all depends on how his first start goes and if he shows them that he has something left in his arm. – Grade: C

Los Angeles Dodgers signed OF Bobby Abreu to a one-year contract
Abreu has always been a slow starter. He has a sub-par batting average in April and May. The Dodgers picked him up at a discount and will use him to rest Matt Kemp, Andre Either, or Juan Rivera/Tony Gwynn platoon. On days that he’s not in the field, I expect that Don Mattingly will use him at a pinch-hitter. I love this move and it’s all reward for the Dodgers. – Grade: A

Texas Rangers traded Cleveland Indians for OF Ryan Spilborghs in exchange for cash
I don’t get this trade, other than the GMs were bored. Texas has an excess of outfielders and/or guys that could occupy left field (Mitch Moreland). The Rangers must be collecting assets in hopes of trading for either bullpen depth or a fifth starter at the trading deadline. – Grade: D-

There was a potpourri of deals made this week. A few of them could make a big difference, but it’s too early in the season to know. Cleveland’s GM will have a busy year. Their Triple-A team in Columbus has won the Triple-A Championship the past two years and it is fulled with trade chips. Stay tuned and play ball!

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 MLB: What We’ve Learned in April

The baseball season is only a month old and fans are already making instant judgments about their teams. They are either booking tickets for possible World Series games or looking ahead to 2013. You have already witnessed “Red Sox Nation” call for the head of their brand new manager after a small sample size of the season. No one can say that baseball fans aren’t passionate about their teams.

Baseball fans and analysts had some questions going into the 2012 season. How would Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder fare in the American League? Can the Red Sox bounce back from their late-season collapse in 2011? Is this the year that the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals finally make the playoffs? I do my best to explain what we have learned so far this season and what to keep your eye on in May.

April is such an odd month because you can’t trust your team’s record or the players’ statistics. It is rare that a team ever leads their division from April to October. My favorite reaction is when a player gets a home run in the first game, you’ll always hear, “he’s on pace to hit 162 homers this season.” It is one of my pet peeves and I’m sure that I’ll hear it every year.

Here are some things that we have learned in April…

– Matt Kemp is really good. You already should have known that, but some analysts that he couldn’t match his stats from 2011. They are partially correct since he’s on pace to blow those numbers out of the water and contend for the triple crown.

– Stephen Strasburg is fully recovered from last season’s Tommy John surgery. He currently has a K/9 of 9.56, which means that he averages over nine strikeouts per nine innings. He may have had a higher K/9 at this point during his rookie season, but he should have increased velocity by June.

– This is not the year for the Royals or Pirates. These teams are stocked with young talent, but they are off to bad starts. In 2011, Pittsburgh was contending for the NL Central division at the trade deadline, but hit a wall and lost most of their remaining games. The Royals are 6-16 and the Pirates are fairing a little better at 10-13. A lot of people thought that the NL Central would be a coin flip this season, but the St. Louis Cardinals are off to a hot start and the rest of the division isn’t as bad as predicted.

– Bobby Valentine might survive the season. After the first two weeks, the fans wanted him out of Boston. The Red Sox have played well since and currently have a 11-12 record. It’s not great, as long as they stay within five games of first place, Valentine will stay out of the hot seat.

– Bryce Harper is a future star. He has only played a couple of games in the Majors, but everyone has seen flashes of what Haper will be in a few years. He has a good bat and a cannon for an arm. I’m excited to see what he does the rest of the season, even if the Washington Nationals send him back to Triple-A for awhile.

– Yu Darvish could end up being the best signing in the off-season. I am skeptical of pitchers coming from Japan and adjusting to Major League hitters. Dice-K started off hot, but the second time a team faced him, they started to figure him out. The Texas Rangers have a powerful offense, so he doesn’t need to be perfect to win games. As long as his ERA hovers around 4.00, he’ll win double-digit games by July. He already has four wins, so he’s on pace to have an excellent rookie campaign.

– The Cardinals might be a better team this year than in 2011. They lost Albert Pujols, but they added Carlos Beltran and they are getting more out of David Freese. Adding Lance Lynn to their starting rotation was a smart move. Chris Carpenter will probably miss the season and Adam Wainwright doesn’t look like himself. Pitching could be an issue later in the season, but they are currently 15-8.

– It’s impossible to hit homers at Wrigley Field in April. When the temperature hovers around 50 degrees, the ball dies in the outfield. The wind is usually blowing in and teams can’t drive the ball over the ivy. The Chicago Cubs only had nine home runs in April. They are at the bottom of the league and it’s bad when individual guys are leading your entire time.

– Bryan LaHair is not a 4-A player. The Cubs made a bold move this off-season and declared that LaHair would get a fair shot at being their everyday first-basemen. They traded for Anthony Rizzo this off-season and most assumed that LaHair would be keeping first-base warm. He is currently 2nd in many offensive categories behind Matt Kemp. He’s batting nearly .400 and slugging almost .800, so he has earned his spot in the starting lineup.

– When the Cubs trade Matt Garza, they will get a lot in return. He is currently 2-1, 2.76 ERA, and a K:B ratio 3.6. MLB added an extra wild-card spot in the playoffs this season. The commissioner did a Cubs a huge favor, since more teams will still be in the playoff race. The price for pitching will be at a premium and the price will be driven up. Detroit, Boston, and Los Angeles need pitching and they’ll have to give Chicago a king’s ransom to get Garza.

– Moving the walls in at Citi Field hasn’t solved the Mets offensive issues. The team has hit 18 home runs this season, but only 7 of those came at home. Lucas Duda is leading the team with four dingers and David Wright has regained his All-Star form, but the rest of the team needs to step up. Ike Davis is batting lower than the Mendoza line and isn’t looking like a future All-Star.

– Albert Pujols is still adjusting to the American League. He has yet to hit a home run and he’s not drawing as many walks. I don’t believe that he’s stressed out or that his skills are diminishing. It is difficult for a player to go from the National League to the American League. He is still adjusting to AL pitchers and to a new city. He’ll have a much better May and you’ll start to see his numbers multiply as it gets warmer.

– Terms like “Grady Sizemore shirtless” and “Tim Lincecum shirtless” still brings me thousands of hits a month. I thought that the Sizemore search queries would taper off, but it hasn’t happened. I am looking forward to weird Google searches that involve Bryce Harper, Evan Longoria, and Matt Kemp…it’s only a matter of time.

– The Yankees should have hired Don Mattingly as their manager. I’m not saying that Joe Girardi is a bad manager, but Mattingly has personally improved Kemp, James Loney, and Andre Ethier. I watched an interview during Spring Training about what he has done to help each of them. He seemed to be a better developmental manager and would work well with the new crop of Yankees that are bound to play over the next few seasons.

– Jake Peavy and Johan Santana are pitching like it’s 2008. The White Sox are looking very smart by signing Peavy. His career looked to be nearing its end, but he’s had his best month in a few season. Santana is also out to a great start because his pitches look alive. Peavy and Santana are great stories and I hope they continue to dominate.

– Philadelphia Phillies are really missing Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. They are Philly’s best two hitters and they have struggled this year. It doesn’t matter if you have the league’s best starting rotation, you need to score runs. It doesn’t help that Jimmy Rollins is off to a bad start. The NL East will be one of the most competitive races this year. Washington and Atlanta are legit contenders and this could turn into a two team race if the Phillies can’t manufacture more offense.

– The Tigers aren’t a lock to win the AL Central. On paper, Detroit is the best team…by far. They started off hot, but they are currently 12-11. Their starting rotation has been a mess with Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, and Adam Wilk all having an ERA over 5.50. Miguel Cabrera and Austin Jackson have been most of the team’s offense. Prince Fielder is a second-half player, so he’ll help carry the team down the stretch.

April was an exciting beginning to the 2012 season. I can’t wait for what transpires in May and to see which teams prove their worth. You’ll start to see the hitters catch up with the pitchers in May. Players who haven’t found power this season (Pujols, Alfonso Soriano, Nelson Cruz), expect them to bounce back next month.

The following pictures are a treat to my female readers. You have all be very kind to this site and here’s a little eye candy for you. (The first photo is the funniest picture that I’ve seen in a long, long time)

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Manny Loves L.A.

Manny Ramirez made his Los Angeles Dodgers debut last night, and the normally quiet Dodger fans were loud for a change. Every fan from the front row to the All-U-Can-Eat Dodger Dog section, was chanting “Man-ny Man-ny” every time he was up to bat. Could Manny change the dynamic of being a regular, non-caring Dodger fan?

If I have learned something about Manny Ramirez during his career is that he has a way of making fans actually care about the team he is on. If you look back to his days in Cleveland, the team was a lowly basement dweller that was relying on Albert Belle for cheers. Manny changed the dynamic of the team and carried them into the playoffs year after year. His arrival in Boston was roughly the same, the Red Sox had a decent team, but could never win a championship, Manny helped them win two. The Dodgers could easily win the NL West, since no other team seems to want it. The Diamondbacks looked like another trip to the playoffs was a lock, but then June and July came and Justin Upton decided that he couldn’t hit the baseball. The Dodgers has a really good shot at winning the West and even a better chance if Brad Penny starts pitching up to his talent and if they can pull off a waiver trade to pick up Greg Maddux.

The acquisition of Manny made a lot of things happen. Andruw Jones is now expendable and possibly Juan Pierre could see his way out of L.A. during the waiver period. Manny might have the defensive abilities of a bored little leaguer, but his offensive abilities cannot be over-shadowed by anyone in the game.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.