2016 Regular Season Thread

[Ranma]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/DodgerInsider/status/739313245488480257[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/DodgerInsider/status/739313672443437056[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/DodgerInsider/status/739313943089319936[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/FlyByKnite/status/739325986655731712[/tweet]

[Quake Griffin]

Carl Crawford designated for assignment.


REJOICE!!!!!!!!111111

Austin Barnes will be called up in his place.
**** yes.

[Neddy]

finally!

and this gives us a 3rd catcher who can be yet another flexible piece of our progressing bench. SVS is OF/1B, **** is everywhere, and now Barnes.

[Ranma]

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[Quake Griffin]

Nice to see Trayce emerge.

Of course you want to see it sustained and there are some questions since he wasn't a decorated hitter in the minors but it's still cool to see the thump and to see him produce from the 3 hole today.

Time for Justin to turn it around and get hot going into the ASB.

[Ranma]

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[Ranma]

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[Quake Griffin]

What does Byrnes mean got caught in the numbers game?

Who got caught in it?

[Ranma]

It took less games for the Dodgers' Doc and front office to streamline their lineup in order to play their best players than it did for the Clippers' Doc, who is both coach and GM, since he still hasn't figured it out despite being on the job for 3 seasons now (and counting). For all the criticism Dave Roberts has gotten this young season, you have to applaud the fact that he played Trayce Thompson enough to warrant finally cutting Carl Crawford. Don Mattingly didn't do that and it is doubtful he would given his initial preference of Jimmy Rollins over Corey Seager.

I, myself, had some doubt about some of our front office's trades, but by and large, those deals have proven to be prescient in hindsight at this point. From the Dee Gordon trade to the deal that netted us Montas, Thompson, and Johnson (over Todd Frazier). While I was also disappointed with our attempt to hide using laser positioning, I read somewhere that the Dodgers' defensive alignment (including the shift) is among the best in baseball right now. Our leadership seems to be hitting all the right buttons.

Even with our offensive struggles, I've always had faith that our offense would figure things out as long as we got rid of dead weights like Guerrero and Crawford. Even our bullpen seems to be getting it together of late, though I have less confidence in that area than I do with our offense. Our starting pitching has done an admirable job after Kershaw when you consider the spate of injuries we've faced. Wood, Maeda, and Kazmir have been providing some solid pitching despite some ups and downs.

I'm ecstatic to have Barnes and Urias up with the big club. Urias getting Guerrero's #7 jersey number is fitting. Maybe the number change will get him going. Given his innings limit, we were not going to get much out of Urias this season regardless. He may be struggling now, which is not to be unexpected, but his competitive makeup will have him right the ship once he's got the benefit of a regular routine as an established starter. Seager similarly has a tendency to adjust to new levels of competition before taking off.

While it is expected to deal with inconsistencies for Urias, I actually have relatively high expectations for Barnes as the older rookie. I personally think he's good enough to start for a lot of MLB teams including even possibly over Grandal. His versatility is a godsend for a team with a shortened bench. He may have put up measly numbers during his brief stint in the Majors for now, but I think he'll get going in short order with the confidence of knowing that he should be up with the Dodgers for the rest of the season barring any unexpected turn of events.

I'm glad the Dodgers finally came to the realization and acceptance that eating the remaining amount of money owed to both Guerrero and Crawford was in the best interest of competing. You don't have the highest payroll in baseball only to squabble over a relatively paltry $40-or-so million just to keep ineffective players when roster spots are at a premium. It's funny that it took the Padres eating $30-some-odd million on Shields' deal for the Dodgers to act on making the sensible move.

[Ranma]

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[Ranma]

Seager goes yard again for another multiple-homer game. I believe that makes 3 such games this season for the kid. Man, I didn't think he'd have such a power surge this young.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/alannarizzo/status/739591218321981440[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/DodgerInsider/status/739591219546726400[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/ChadMoriyama/status/739591306205265921[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/ScottWarner18/status/739591559612485632[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/molly_knight/status/739591890530500609[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/ChadMoriyama/status/739592103643078656[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/ChadMoriyama/status/739574353025605632[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/ChadMoriyama/status/739591859115196416[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/status/739603156972240896[/tweet]

[Ranma]

What does Byrnes mean got caught in the numbers game?

Who got caught in it?

Obviously, Byrnes is just trying to justify keeping Crawford on the roster so long. I know you know given your sarcasm, but really who doesn't at this point? The thing is the wasted money spent on players who are no longer on the ballclub has been easily offset by the contracts of the young players who are regularly contributing to the team: Pederson, Seager, Thompson, Hernandez, and hopefully now Barnes. Even Puig and Kendrick are on bargain contracts along with Turner. There was no excuse to keep Guerrero and Crawford around as long as they did. Now we only have to deal with Ethier if and when he ever comes back.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BillShaikin/status/739516519357370368[/tweet]

[Quake Griffin]

It took less games for the Dodgers' Doc and front office to streamline their lineup in order to play their best players than it did for the Clippers' Doc, who is both coach and GM, since he still hasn't figured it out despite being on the job for 3 seasons now (and counting). For all the criticism Dave Roberts has gotten this young season, you have to applaud the fact that he played Trayce Thompson enough to warrant finally cutting Carl Crawford. Don Mattingly didn't do that and it is doubtful he would given his initial preference of Jimmy Rollins over Corey Seager.

I, myself, had some doubt about some of our front office's trades, but by and large, those deals have proven to be prescient in hindsight at this point. From the Dee Gordon trade to the deal that netted us Montas, Thompson, and Johnson (over Todd Frazier). While I was also disappointed with our attempt to hide using laser positioning, I read somewhere that the Dodgers' defensive alignment (including the shift) is among the best in baseball right now. Our leadership seems to be hitting all the right buttons.

Even with our offensive struggles, I've always had faith that our offense would figure things out as long as we got rid of dead weights like Guerrero and Crawford. Even our bullpen seems to be getting it together of late, though I have less confidence in that area than I do with our offense. Our starting pitching has done an admirable job after Kershaw when you consider the spate of injuries we've faced. Wood, Maeda, and Kazmir have been providing some solid pitching despite some ups and downs.

I'm ecstatic to have Barnes and Urias up with the big club. Urias getting Guerrero's #7 jersey number is fitting. Maybe the number change will get him going. Given his innings limit, we were not going to get much out of Urias this season regardless. He may be struggling now, which is not to be unexpected, but his competitive makeup will have him right the ship once he's got the benefit of a regular routine as an established starter. Seager similarly has a tendency to adjust to new levels of competition before taking off.

While it is expected to deal with inconsistencies for Urias, I actually have relatively high expectations for Barnes as the older rookie. I personally think he's good enough to start for a lot of MLB teams including even possibly over Grandal. His versatility is a godsend for a team with a shortened bench. He may have put up measly numbers during his brief stint in the Majors for now, but I think he'll get going in short order with the confidence of knowing that he should be up with the Dodgers for the rest of the season barring any unexpected turn of events.

I'm glad the Dodgers finally came to the realization and acceptance that eating the remaining amount of money owed to both Guerrero and Crawford was in the best interest of competing. You don't have the highest payroll in baseball only to squabble over a relatively paltry $40-or-so million just to keep ineffective players when roster spots are at a premium. It's funny that it took the Padres eating $30-some-odd million on Shields' deal for the Dodgers to act on making the sensible move.

One question.
Why were you disappointed with us trying to hide the laser positioning? You're saying we should have been more upfront with it?



We're on the same page everywhere else. Barnes hitting numbers are pedestrian so far but we haven't really given him a chance to adjust at the major league level. I think he will.

Moreover, I want him working with AJ. For everything AJ lacks as an every day hitter and athleticism, he has a great baseball mind and is tops in the business at studying and working hitters. Even better, AJ is a great teammate and there's a greater benefit to Barnes IMO of having AJ be his mentor and going over what he did well/ his mistakes inning after inning than being top dog in AAA.


Oh and no rush....but if you could find that defensive shift stat/ article you mentioned...it would be great.

[Ranma]

One question.
Why were you disappointed with us trying to hide the laser positioning? You're saying we should have been more upfront with it?



We're on the same page everywhere else. Barnes hitting numbers are pedestrian so far but we haven't really given him a chance to adjust at the major league level. I think he will.

Moreover, I want him working with AJ. For everything AJ lacks as an every day hitter and athleticism, he has a great baseball mind and is tops in the business at studying and working hitters. Even better, AJ is a great teammate and there's a greater benefit to Barnes IMO of having AJ be his mentor and going over what he did well/ his mistakes inning after inning than being top dog in AAA.


Oh and no rush....but if you could find that defensive shift stat/ article you mentioned...it would be great.

Yeah, while I'm more in favor of the personal touch over the computer-driven alignment, I'm not against using laser-positioning as long as it is allowed by baseball. Nothing wrong with innovation in most cases, especially since I've been advocating for computerized strike-zone judgment over umpires. Like you said, I just wish we were upfront about it from the start so as to avoid opening up ourselves to criticisms of being a Bellicheat Patriots' team. Maybe the Dodgers wanted to hide their advantage, which is understandable. My only concern was whether it was legal and, since MLB didn't punish us, I guess it is.

Oh, I also misspoke about our defense being among the best overall. I went back and found that our outfield was arguably the most improved in baseball in hit prevention and that was with Crawford still on the team. Also, our pitching leads in BABIP and wOBA when the defense is shifting. Sorry about that and thanks for continuing to keep me honest, Quake.

Also, great point about A.J. mentoring Austin.

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Mike Petriello, MLB.com (6/1/16)

The Dodgers may have improved the most this year, but that doesn't make them No.1 in hit prevention here. The Rays were the best last year, and even despite Kevin Kiermaier's injury, they're still the best this year. But Los Angeles, by this accounting, has gone from below average to above. Why?

While the cast of characters has changed somewhat with Andre Ethier and Scott Van Slyke injured, and Joc Pederson has remained constant, the big difference here appears to be Yasiel Puig, who has managed to markedly increase his defensive game even as he struggles to do the same with his bat. To choose just one data point of many, he's made four catches this year where he had to travel at least 95 feet, after not doing so once all of last year.

Which Outfield Defenses Took Biggest Steps Forward?

[Neddy]

I find it ironic that Ned Colletti's bad deals are finally getting removed from the club house and yet he is still around to make the same idiotic comments on pregame shows.
from Jason Schmitt to Carl Crawford, Ned is only at the level of trader Z the ex Mariners GM.

[Quake Griffin]

I find it ironic that Ned Colletti's bad deals are finally getting removed from the club house and yet he is still around to make the same idiotic comments on pregame shows.
from Jason Schmitt to Carl Crawford, Ned is only at the level of trader Z the ex Mariners GM.

I hate it tbh.

There's no way deep down he isn't sour grapes about being "Reassigned" for a whole new front office that uses a ton of data and information and kind of hoping they come up short.

[Ranma]

Doug Padilla, ESPN.com (6/5/16)

“It’s great,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “Obviously they’re incredibly talented players. But behind the scenes, the work, watching them gravitate to the veterans, learning from them -- that whole dynamic is a lot of fun to watch.”

Seager, Thompson and Pederson are likely to learn a lot about each other in the coming months. They are all roommates at a local home, placing much of the Dodgers’ future under one roof each night.

“Some of these guys have a chance to play together for a really long time and also help in continuing that culture, when they have a few more years under their belt, and when that next wave of young players comes to continue that cycle, to really create that culture that takes hold,” Friedman said. “We see that right now and it fits in very well with the forward-looking vision that we all have.”
...

"Sometimes as a young player you feel that the veterans aren’t quite clicking yet and you take it upon yourself and not wait back,” Roberts said. “To see these guys come out there and have those at-bats, it just shows their willingness to take the lead. They’ve had some big hits for us. There’s some good things happening with our offense.”

Youth Movement Continues to Make Changes for Dodgers

[Ranma]

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[Quake Griffin]

What a great performance coming off of our sweep of Atlanta.

Friedman, Zaidi, Byrnes....time for these guys to quit waiting for Ryu and McCarthy to fall out of the sky.
Go get us a pitcher and let's win.

[Ranma]

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