(Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)
I’ve never looked at the roster of a playoff contender and seen any tough choices to make. I’ve never had to look at a teams outfield, and figure out who should play left field because usually there’s a clear answer. Not for the 2017 Dodgers. In the postseason, managers want to put their “A-Team” on the field, the problem is, the Dodgers have quite a few combinations of a championship caliber team, but it’s the best problem to have — it’s why they’re likely to succeed in the 2017 playoffs.
The Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday evening acquired outfielder Curtis Granderson and cash considerations from the New York Mets in exchange for a player to be named later and/or cash back.
While most of the recent injury news surrounding the Dodgers has been centered around the prospective return of staff ace Clayton Kershaw, there are a few other players close to activation who may impact the squad down the stretch of the season — most specifically veterans Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier.
Last year, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years. Last year, they proved that they were a force to be reckoned with. They were the best team in baseball, but a lot can change in a year. The Cubs are still strong — there is no doubt about that — but ask any baseball fan and they’ll tell you that this year the best team in the bigs is not the World Champion Cubs, but rather the Boys out West. This year, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the best team in baseball. This year, they’ve become one of the best teams in the history of the game.
Amid a rough point of offensive woes, every time Joc Pederson begins to drift into the doghouse of the Dodgers fan base, he seemingly does just enough to slide back into good graces for just a little while longer. Wednesday night was no different, as Pederson and right fielder Yasiel Puig were the offensive catalysts in what turned out to be a 3-2 victory in the middle contest of a three-game series against the Diamondbacks in Arizona.