In many of our conversations this winter, there’s no doubt that player depth has been a central part of the discussions. Several years ago, the catching department was one of the organizational strongholds before other positions finally started to catch up. In this column, we’ll take a look at how the catchers of the Dodgers shape up today and what to conceivably expect over the next season.
Continue reading “What Should Dodgers Expect from Catchers in 2021?” →
It’s hard to believe the difference a few weeks can make on the baseball field.
Over his first 25 plate appearances of the shortened 2020 season, Austin Barnes went a paltry 2-for-22 at the plate, leading many fans of the Dodgers to debate both the short term and long term solutions for the organization at catcher.
Continue reading “For Now, Austin Barnes Has Stronghold on Catcher’s Spot” →
The major league arrival of Keibert Ruiz on Saturday spurred many insightful discussions among fans of the Dodgers, specifically how the team might view its situation at catcher for the next several years.
Continue reading “Dodgers Roster: More Thoughts on the Options at Catcher” →
Not long after the Dodgers were eliminated from the 2019 postseason, one of the most popular topics of discussion was the team’s immediate plans at catcher, specifically which player would backup Will Smith.
As the 2020 roster conjecture is just beginning to heat up, one of the early conversations stirring surrounds how the Dodgers might handle the future duties at catcher.
Continue reading “A Glance at the Organization’s Catching Depth” →
Seemingly, there’s at least a little bit of controversy at the catcher spot for the Dodgers with each passing winter.
Continue reading “Better Backup Catcher Option for 2020: Austin Barnes or Russell Martin?” →
Once highly touted for his offensive prowess and his ability to field multiple positions, Austin Barnes gave the impression that he was in the big leagues to stay after a quality 2017 season campaign when he saw playing time in 102 games.
Continue reading “Dodgers Roster: What Lies Ahead for Austin Barnes?” →
A sickness has been sweeping the Dodgers clubhouse, causing as many as 25 players to be sent home from Camelback Ranch the last few days. Thursday’s scheduled starting pitcher Ross Stripling was scratched due to the as-of-now mysterious illness. Manny Banuelos instead gets the start, a pitcher this writer has never heard of.
Continue reading “Dodgers 2018 Roster: Making Sense of the Depth Chart at Catcher” →
Chase Utley is enjoying quite an offseason.
He’s hanging out at Disneyland, having a day with the singer from OneRepublic and their families. He’s in Dubai, talking about robot umpires. He’s on social media, celebrating the Hall of Fame induction of his buddy, Jim Thome. He’s out golfing at Justin Turner’s charity golf tournament (and outgolfing Turner, according to the host). He’s going viral, making Eagles hype videos with the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
From the moment that Austin Barnes overtook the primary catcher’s spot from Yasmani Grandal late last summer, speculation immediately began to swirl about how the club would handle Grandal moving forward, and many believed that a trade sometime during the winter months was imminent. However, with about a full month left before pitchers and catchers begin filing into the Camelback clubhouse, the rumors have quieted significantly, as it appears the Dodgers will stick with the duo, at least for the beginning of the regular season.
Continue reading “Dodgers Roster: Revisiting the Austin Barnes vs. Yasmani Grandal Debate” →
