“Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind
Memories, sweetened thru the ages just like wine
Quiet thought come floating down
And settle softly to the ground
Like golden autumn leaves around my feet
I touched them and they burst apart with sweet memories,
Sweet memories”
~Elvis Presley
With six weeks remaining before pitchers and catchers start filing into the clubhouse at Camelback Ranch, there’s certainly enough time to make a few roster upgrades heading into Cactus League play if the front office crew of the Dodgers decides to do so. But if the team brings an almost identical look from last year to the beginning of the 2017 regular season, will the club have enough firepower to win a fifth consecutive division title, and more importantly, have the strength to make a deep run into the playoffs in October?
Continue reading “Can 2017 Dodgers Succeed Without Major Upgrades?”
Happy New Year, TBPC readers! We’ve made it through the holidays — spring training starts next month, and the countdown to Opening Day is on. Most of the team has taken shape, and today we take a look at the state of the Dodgers bullpen.
Perhaps the Dodgers were hoping to make a trade with the Twins by now, clearing out a few spots on the 40-man roster in the process. Or maybe team representatives are waiting until the honeymoon is over, permitting time for a physical examination and allowing agents and lawyers to gather in one place to review the contract. Quite possibly, the front office could be mulling over which player to outright to the minors, creating one opening on the big league roster. Either way, at least one corresponding move will need to be made before star reliever Kenley Jansen officially signs his name to his new five-year, $80 million dollar deal.
Continue reading “Dodgers Roster: How to Make Room for Kenley Jansen”
“Ain’t it nice to be so lucky
Ain’t it nice to be so loved
Oh come on darlin’ won’t you let me
Won’t you let me drive you home”
~The Head and the Heart
Quite obviously, the Dodgers‘ ties to the Minnesota Twins and second baseman Brian Dozier have dominated most of the Los Angeles baseball news for much of the current offseason. In addition to Dozier, rumors surrounding Ian Kinsler of the Tigers and Brandon Phillips of the Reds swirled early during the Hot Stove, but ultimately lost any type of momentum due to the potential complexities of completing a trade.
Continue reading “4 Alternate Options to Fill Dodgers’ Void at Second Base”
Staying on pace with the tradition we began last winter, we thought that it’s about the proper time to jot down our initial 25-man roster projections for 2017, although there’s probably a very good chance the front office crew of the Dodgers orchestrates at least a handful of significant transactions between now and spring training.
Continue reading “Dodgers 25-Man Roster Projections: 2017 First Edition”
“And I know, and I know
And I know that you and me
And I know that you and me be happy
As happy as we can be
Cause I know, I know”
~The Kinks
If you’re a Dodgers fan of a certain age, you well remember the string of Rookie of the Year Awards that the Dodgers had won, starting in 1979 with Rick Sutcliffe and ending in 1982 with Steve Sax. The end of this string was the beginning of the Dodgers being on my radar, and Steve Sax was my first love (I was 6 years old). Later, LA had another string of Rookies of the Year starting in 1992 with Eric Karros and ending with Todd Hollandsworth in 1996. In fact, the Dodgers now have 17 ROYs, more than double of any other club.
Continue reading “Dodgers Predictions: Will Corey Seager Regress from Award Winning Year? “
While many fans of the Dodgers may think it’s entirely too early to think about secondary infield depth, it very well could be a significant issue for the management crew heading into spring training, as pitchers and catchers are officially scheduled to report in exactly eight weeks. Just imagine if the team had not yet reached an agreement with Justin Turner already—the void at the hot corner heading into 2017 would have been a jumble of mass chaos, especially considering the question marks at second base.
Continue reading “Dodgers Roster: Who’s Backing Up Third Base?”
Think Blue Planning Committee 