2015/16 Offseason: More active than Shakira's hips

[Ranma]

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[Ranma]

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[Quake Griffin]

Fine. I'll live with Kershaw's wishes. Just go out and win the world series.

Phantom injury for Alex Guerrero.
Color me unsurprised.
This means he's still on the 40 man roster and we can just add one in his place like Barnes right?

[Ranma]

Phantom injury for Alex Guerrero.
Color me unsurprised.
This means he's still on the 40 man roster and we can just add one in his place like Barnes right?

Yeah, Guerrero should be flat-out waived, but I guess it buys us more time to maybe find a taker for him in trade. I'd literally take a bag of baseballs for him.

I really do hope Barnes makes the club. It's such a waste that we haven't already employed his skills at the major-league level. I'm admittedly jumping the gun, but he's even my preferred choice as the starting catcher over Grandal, especially if we could deal Yasmani for a big return. Grandal is obviously more proven, but seems injury prone. I just have a lot of faith in Barnes, but he'd probably be best used as the backup C and utility player at other positions for now.

[Ranma]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BillShaikin/status/715771378897657857[/tweet]

[Quake Griffin]

I havent seen Ross throw this spring. I just know we were pretty big on him filling in that role a couple years ago before he got that zipper on his arm.

anybody who actually saw him throw have an idea of whether he would work out?

[Quake Griffin]

Kenley said he's not discussing an extension during the season.


I think this makes him as good as gone.
When he gets to free agency, some team will give him $60 million over 4 years. We won't match it and he'll be elsewhere.
He's good enough for a team to take him on even with the qualifying offer hanging over him.

I don't think it's impossible to move on from him and be successful but he has been pretty good for our organization and it would be pretty neat for him to finish his career here, piling up a bunch of saves etc. etc. and setting the bar for the next guy who thinks he can take on the task. It's rare for closers to last this long.

[Quake Griffin]

TF Fredrik: Is it, whats the right word, spoiled, maybe even MLB-centric, to say I so wish I could see Otani over here in the majors now. Is there a certain etiquette about talent abroad that we can’t watch. I know youre a pitch dork, so figure it burns ya to not be able to watch best non-MLB pitcher.
9:42
Jeff Sullivan: Baseball has an important presence here, but it also has an important presence in Japan. While we have the most prominent league, I don’t want for Japanese baseball to be destroyed, and it just wouldn’t be a successful league if all the good talent just up and bolted for North America. So I like having some semblance of balance, where elite talent can play there for a stretch. It’s not in ideal alignment with my own selfishness, but the way I figure, Otani will still find his way over here at some point. Best of both worlds



Reading Sullivan's chat.
I know Neddy pays attention to Japanese baseball a lot. I didn't know people felt that way about keeping talent in Japan....that they want a balance.

[Quake Griffin]

Ross Stripling gets the nod.

[Ranma]

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[Ranma]

I havent seen Ross throw this spring. I just know we were pretty big on him filling in that role a couple years ago before he got that zipper on his arm.

anybody who actually saw him throw have an idea of whether he would work out?

I haven't seen Stripling, but I've been hearing his stuff has been coming back. I believe the team likes his versatility as both a starter and reliever once the ailing arms start coming back. The same could be said of Frias as a swingman option, but his stuff hasn't been impressive with lowered strikeout totals. Lee apparently continues to be middling. I was personally hoping for Zach Lee to see him show his wares at the MLB level, but Ross Stripling has the better upside and has been the better performer this spring. Carlos Frias seems like the bullpen arm I pegged him for.

Kenley said he's not discussing an extension during the season.


I think this makes him as good as gone.
When he gets to free agency, some team will give him $60 million over 4 years. We won't match it and he'll be elsewhere.
He's good enough for a team to take him on even with the qualifying offer hanging over him.

I don't think it's impossible to move on from him and be successful but he has been pretty good for our organization and it would be pretty neat for him to finish his career here, piling up a bunch of saves etc. etc. and setting the bar for the next guy who thinks he can take on the task. It's rare for closers to last this long.

Yeah, I've been resigned to expecting Kenley Jansen to move on during the next offseason. The front office has a reputation for not valuing relief arms at high prices. The pursuit of Aroldis Chapman before his controversy came to light will not have Jansen feeling any sense of loyalty to return at a hometeam discount. Like you said, he's a rarity, so there is a chance the team will retain his services given his value, but odds are the front office will balk at his price tag and years commitment in the open market. This is why I've been looking to our prospects to be groomed as closer options. Chris Hatcher seems like the lead candidate, but Grant Holmes, Frankie Montas, Jharel Cotton, Josh Sborz, Chris Anderson, Josh Ravin, and Jacob Rhame are also viable projects down the road.

Reading Sullivan's chat.
I know Neddy pays attention to Japanese baseball a lot. I didn't know people felt that way about keeping talent in Japan....that they want a balance.

It's funny you mention that comment in Jeff Sullivan's chat. Ben Badler discussed a similar sentiment with Cuban baseball in a recent Baseball America podcast with John Manuel and J.J. Cooper. The gist is that with the depletion of talent on the island, MLB is not only inclined to limit the monetary cost of acquiring Cuban talent but also the amount of players coming over at a time through a posting/draft system. The reason was that destroying Cuban baseball would rob the league of a resource for talent development. Plus, it would also limit the amount of jobs lost by American-born veterans.

[Ranma]

I havent seen Ross throw this spring. I just know we were pretty big on him filling in that role a couple years ago before he got that zipper on his arm.

anybody who actually saw him throw have an idea of whether he would work out?

Dave Roberts via DodgerInsider.com (4/1/16)

He’s gonna be on an innings limit (as far as the entire season goes), but where we’re at as far as the state of our rotation, it’s more of a necessity for him to start the season with us.

All three guys are more than capable. But I think that overall it was Ross’ ability to command a fastball, and have a good curveball and a plus changeup, and also the slider. I think that he’s got weapons, so now when you couple that with a game plan, that gives us the best chance to win on that fifth day.

I think that the Major League Baseball average against the curveball, a real true curveball, is the lowest batting average against, and he’s got a real true curveball. And so (with) the plane of his fastball, his fastball command, at 26 years old, he’s right where he’s supposed to be. I know he’s thrilled, and I think he can be as good as he wants to be.

Ross Smiling: Stripling Describes His Big-League Arrival


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[Ranma]

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[Quake Griffin]

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It's a great day to be a Dodger fam.

Barnes!!!!!!1111

[Ranma]

Jon Weisman, DodgerInsider.com (4/3/16)

Starting pitchers (5): Scott Kazmir, Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda, Ross Stripling, Alex Wood

Relief pitchers (7): Pedro Baez, Joe Blanton, Louis Coleman, Yimi Garcia, Chris Hatcher, J.P. Howell, Kenley Jansen

Catchers (2): Austin Barnes, A.J. Ellis

Infielders (6): Charlie Culberson, Adrian Gonzalez, Kiké Hernandez, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Chase Utley

Outfielders (5): Carl Crawford, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Trayce Thompson, Scott Van Slyke

Disabled list (10): Brett Anderson (60-day), Mike Bolsinger, Andre Ethier, Yasmani Grandal, Alex Guerrero, Howie Kendrick, Brandon McCarthy(60-day), Frankie Montas(60-day), Josh Ravin, Hyun-Jin Ryu

Dodgers Announce 2016 Opening Day Roster


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[Quake Griffin]

I think we'll make a move for another lefty in the pen.

Luis Avilan isn't impressive whether or not he gets out of the funk he is in this spring.

[Ranma]

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[Ranma]

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Matt Eddy, Baseball America (4/12/16)

2016 Big League Debuts and Their Signing Scouts