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Looks like free agency may be heating up or at least teams are looking to meet with some of the bigger names.

My team isn't going to play in free agency so I have to live a little vicariously.

Surprised to hear Dodgers are looking at Rendon. Is hitting really the problem? I would have thought one way for the Dodgers to get over the top would be to add a dominant pitcher like Cole.

Meanwhile Twins are said to be looking at Ryu.

Looks like the Dodgers will have a lot of arbitration-eligible and free agents after the upcoming 2020 season. So players like Bellinger and Muncy would get big increases in salary.

Would that mean they might try to limit spending in this offseason? Or go for broke, trying to add the final pieces this year, worry about next year later?

In on Cole apparently...

Rendon and Ryu too apparently...

So Cole and Rendon gone... Not really sure what our plan is...
Shaping up to be another season that leaves me wondering if we really want to win a World Series or are just content to get deep in the post season every year.

At least we're going after Lindor...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/dodgers-talking-francisco-lindor-trade-with-indians/ar-AAK2bjP

I guess we want Bum too...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/dodgers-madison-bumgarner-reportedly-have-mutual-interest/ar-AAK4Roe

This is a flashy move but it would be nicer to get someone a little younger.

Goodnight sweet Ryu.

So I guess it's 'We don't give a **** about a WS win, Confirmed!" then... Such a disappointing couple of years.

I think it's going to take us missing the post season all together to get the Owners to start actually trying hard.

We need pitching and obp... We did nothing. So we'll have another mildly interesting regular season where we win as long as we hit homers, and then we'll limp through the NLDS and get bounced going for the pennant again.

Yawn.... On the plus side, I just found out they have Gluten Free Dodger Dogs and Beer at Dodger Stadium so I'll probably get to a couple games this season, I just won't worry about getting good seats... Why care.

Kilroy wrote:So I guess it's 'We don't give a **** about a WS win, Confirmed!" then... Such a disappointing couple of years.

I think it's going to take us missing the post season all together to get the Owners to start actually trying hard.

We need pitching and obp... We did nothing. So we'll have another mildly interesting regular season where we win as long as we hit homers, and then we'll limp through the NLDS and get bounced going for the pennant again.

Yawn.... On the plus side, I just found out they have Gluten Free Dodger Dogs and Beer at Dodger Stadium so I'll probably get to a couple games this season, I just won't worry about getting good seats... Why care.

Plastic straws as well.


https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2020-01-05/dodgers-ownership-defends-lack-offseason-moves-amid-fan-frustration
Stan Kasten giving BS for why we haven't made any moves.

Quake Griffin wrote:

Kilroy wrote:So I guess it's 'We don't give a **** about a WS win, Confirmed!" then... Such a disappointing couple of years.

I think it's going to take us missing the post season all together to get the Owners to start actually trying hard.

We need pitching and obp... We did nothing. So we'll have another mildly interesting regular season where we win as long as we hit homers, and then we'll limp through the NLDS and get bounced going for the pennant again.

Yawn.... On the plus side, I just found out they have Gluten Free Dodger Dogs and Beer at Dodger Stadium so I'll probably get to a couple games this season, I just won't worry about getting good seats... Why care.

Plastic straws as well.


https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2020-01-05/dodgers-ownership-defends-lack-offseason-moves-amid-fan-frustration
Stan Kasten giving BS for why we haven't made any moves.

I get that Cole may not really have been in play, but still... It's not just about Cole or the few other top tier guys... There has to be a few creative lower tier moves that could help us, right? Standing pat just moves us farther away from our goals, because our pitching keeps getting older... Need a top closer.... Need another Ace... Need some guys with tennis racket bats that can get on base, not just crank homers...

Not just Cole.

Hmm, I knew that name but couldn't place it. Ran the Braves and the Hawks. But this line is maybe damning:

When he says “year in and year out,” that makes fans worry that his priority isn’t the stars who can capture October, but the consistency he nurtured while running the Atlanta Braves to 14 consecutive division titles that resulted in only one World Series championship.

He gets quite defensive about winning only one WS.

What is with the TV deal, the team gets huge TV money even though a lot of local fans can't tune into Dodgers games?

wco81 wrote:Hmm, I knew that name but couldn't place it. Ran the Braves and the Hawks. But this line is maybe damning:

When he says “year in and year out,” that makes fans worry that his priority isn’t the stars who can capture October, but the consistency he nurtured while running the Atlanta Braves to 14 consecutive division titles that resulted in only one World Series championship.

He gets quite defensive about winning only one WS.

What is with the TV deal, the team gets huge TV money even though a lot of local fans can't tune into Dodgers games?

Only people with TIme Warner Cable can watch. If you have DirecTV, you cant because some snag in the deal. I can't even remember anymore.

My dad, who had DirecTV, ended up just buying Time Warner too in order to make sure he could watch the Dodgers.

This deal is about 4 years old at this point btw....It's like 3 or 4 seasons of half the city not being able to watch.
It's truly a **** joke.
_______________________________

He needs to be defensive. We're the Dodgers. I watched your Giants win 3 WS. I don't want 1 WS in 15 years. I want multiple. I want to get my first....but I want multiple. Our fans deserve it.

Glad Plaschke put him on the spot for that.

Man. Dodgers have been unlucky.

Matt Kemp loses his mvp to a steriod cheater

Dodgers lose 2017 World Series to sign stealing cheaters

Actually the Red Sox may have cheated the year they won the WS too.

Cora is likely to get disciplined as well.

Dodgers avoid arbitration on Bellinger by giving him a 1-year $11 million deal. Very cheap if he keeps producing like he has. So is he a FA after next year or still arbitration?

Several other players going to arbitration. Surprised Muncy was only asking like $9-10 million. Or that he's still arbitration-eligible at his age.

ESPN alert says Betts and Price to Dodgers.

No word on what’s going back.

Oh great.

Two choking pitchers.

They're saying prohibitive favorites to at least win the NL now.

Trade finalized, Dodgers had to add a couple more prospects, Jeter Downs and some catcher prospect.

The main story seems to be the Red Sox wanting to get out of the luxury tax this year and not wanting to face having to decide whether to re-sign Betts after this upcoming season.

Some estimates of a $400 million contract, assuming Betts continued with the career trajectory of an MVP-level season.

ESPN said Dodgers wouldn't have made this deal if they didn't plan to re-sign Betts. But it doesn't sound like Dodgers had to give up their top prospects.

So maybe whether they re-sign Betts has to do with how they do this upcoming season and what the market is like for Betts about a year from now.

We signed up for two pitchers who traditionally do this.
This front office is so damn smart its stupid.

Unreal.

Crossing my fingers that Price can help Shaw get over his fears of the postseason and overcome them like Price did in '18 but keep in mind....the Sox mayhave cheated and Price closed out the Dodgers against....you guessed it...Peyton Kershaw.

We have a chance. My thoughts against keeping chokers around doesn't mean that we have zero shot. We obviously did in 17 and 18. This is just not the offseason move I wanted. I wanted Strassy - another tough minded postseason pitcher behind Buehler....not two chokes.

What happens if there's no season?

Mookie Betts is eligible for free agency next Jan/Feb. Dodgers have no choice but to give him $300 million plus since they gave up assets to get him even if he doesn't play this season?

Or will teams try to say if there's no 2020 season, then 2021 starts like 2020. Betts is under contract that year and all the arbitration-eligible players don't gain another year in service and get closer to free agency?

You'd think the player's union will litigate that. They will also want the full salaries paid, even if there's not a single game played?

Also, I would think have-not teams like the Giants would want to see the have teams like the Dodgers not only get nothing out of the Betts trade but also count this year towards arbitration and one more year accrued towards free agency for teams with young stars like Bellinger.

Price plans to help out minor leaguers in the Dodgers farm system.

David Price has yet to throw an official pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he has already made a profound impact throughout the organization.

The All-Star left-hander will give each minor league player who is not on the Dodgers' 40-man roster $1,000 for the month of June, sources confirmed to ESPN. The act of generosity will impact just over 200 people facing unprecedented difficulty during the coronavirus pandemic.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29241547/pitcher-david-price-pay-los-angeles-dodgers-minor-leaguers-1000-help-coronavirus

Very generous, especially when MLB is reportedly offering steep salary cuts to do a curtailed season.