After Monday’s convincing 17-1 victory over the Pirates, not many fans of the Dodgers are in the mood to discuss any potential roster moves as the club readies themselves for the second-half of the 2018 campaign. However, there are a handful of players on the upper levels of the farm who are conceivably worthy of a spot on a big league roster, whether it be for the Dodgers or somebody else.
Continue reading “Dodgers 40-Man Roster: What Lies Ahead for Andrew Toles and Alex Verdugo?”
Heading into the final series of their current homestand, the Dodgers are still lingering in second place in the West division, currently sitting 2-1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks. In the first two contests against the Rockies over the weekend, the club’s offense was dormant; however, in the finale, the bats woke up and the Boys in Blue were able to salvage a 6-4 victory.
Continue reading “Series Preview: Dodgers Host Pirates in Final Leg of Homestand”
While some fans of the Dodgers believe the club should pursue offensive help as the summer trade deadlines approach, I’m still among those who believe that pitching—most specifically several upgrades in the bullpen—are necessary to make a run at the 2018 postseason. Yes, the team has struggled with the lumber in the weekend series against the Rockies, but I still feel there’s enough firepower on the 25-man roster to do the job scoring runs.
Continue reading “4 More Players Dodgers Could Pursue at 2018 Non-Waiver Trade Deadline”
While there have been many conversations this season surrounding the big league bullpen of the Dodgers, many fans have taken it upon themselves to scour the depths of the farm system in search of any rising arms that stand out. In the past, it was rare to find a true reliever who was developed in the bullpen, because most of the pitchers with the highest values are often groomed as starters regardless of their pedigrees. However, in the newest generation of prospects, pitchers like Joe Broussard, Shea Spitzbarth, and Marshall Kasowski have been developed as relievers since day one and have been rising to the top very quickly. Add Rancho Cucamonga reliever Zach Pop to the aforementioned crew, and it’s not difficult to see why the organization is extremely excited about the bullpen talent that’s ready to emerge.
Continue reading “Dodgers Prospects: A Conversation with Rancho Reliever Zach Pop”
The Los Angeles Dodgers are on another one of their infamous tears, having won 27 of their last 38 games after a six-game losing streak and season-low 10 games under .500 in mid-May. This is the stuff beat-writers dream of—a Dodgers team featuring an All-Star candidate in Matt Kemp that was considered a strong DFA candidate before the season began. Max Muncy is 2018’s 2017 Chris Taylor, and an almost entirely rebuilt rotation has filled in for injured stars, with Ross Stripling turning himself into Clayton Kershaw 2.0.
Continue reading “The Science of the Comeback: How the Dodgers Turned the 2018 Season Around”
Up until yesterday, there really hasn’t been much chatter linking the Dodgers to any prospective blockbuster trades with rival clubs anytime soon. Sure, there have been a few whispers about a bullpen upgrade or two, but for the most part, the juicy, eye-opening rumors have been non-existent. However, after Bob Nightengale of the USA Today published a story stating that the Dodgers are the favorites to land Baltimore shortstop Manny Machado, quite the stir began to circulate among Los Angeles fans everywhere.
Continue reading “Higher Trade Deadline Priority: A Starting Pitcher, a Reliever, or a Shortstop?”
For as long as the starting rotation of the Dodgers has been bitten by the injury bug so far this season, to say that it’s relieving to see the crew getting healthier would be an understatement. Furthermore, based on the current state of all the available starters in the organization, many fans are wondering if the front office will be searching for another starter to add to the mix as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaches.
Continue reading “Dodgers Roster: A Few Thoughts Surrounding the Starting Rotation”
If you’re guessing that we’re putting together a few extra minor league profiles during the first half of the 2018 season, you would indeed be correct. While there may not an overwhelming number of fringe players who are big league ready right now, there is a multitude of blue-chip prospects on the lower-level of the farm who have plenty of promise and could be there soon enough.
Continue reading “Dodgers Prospect Watch: Rylan Bannon Rising Quickly”
Fans of the Dodgers everywhere expect this team to make it to the postseason each and every fall. Like the Yankees, the Dodgers are not the kind of team that needs a full Theo Epstein or Jeff Luhnow-like rebuild. The Dodgers can rebuild without ever fully falling out of contention. That’s the kind of team the Yankees are, and it’s the kind of team the Dodgers are. The Dodgers, however, are far from rebuilding and are headed at full-speed towards October. This team, how they are now, I think, could beat the Nationals or the Cubs. They could even beat the almighty D-Backs. That’s not what I’m worried about. What I am worried about is the World Series. When it comes to this game, you can’t take it one series at a time. You have to plan for any outcome. The Dodgers’ goal is to win the World Series, so in order to do that, they have to be ready for it, even if they fall short in the end.
Continue reading “Breaking Down the Dodgers’ Roster Needs Heading into July”
If you’re a regular reader of the content here, you’ll recall when we put together a quick profile on Rancho righty reliever Marshall Kasowski just under two weeks ago. At the time, the 23-year-old Texas native had a 1.69 ERA and a 15.1 K/9 fresh off a promotion to High-A, and many believed it would be difficult for him to stay the course of having such success.
Continue reading “Dodgers Prospect Watch: Marshall Kasowski Continues to Dominate”
Think Blue Planning Committee 