Dee Gordon: .352 AVG, .373 OBP, 14 2B, 2 3B, 17 RBI, 23 SB
Hanley Ramirez: .273 AVG, .319 OBP, 5 2B, 14 HR, 36 RBI
Matt Kemp: .248 AVG, .287 OBP, 14 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 7 SB
Those are the big guns the Dodgers gave up this past offseason, replaced in the batting order by guys like Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal, and Jimmy Rollins.
How's it working out? If these last three weeks are any indication, then the answer is "Not very well."
Before the season even started, I made mention of the Dodgers' new approach to offense in that they wanted to be "deeper" and not rely on a couple of names to do all of the damage. On May 22, they stood at 22-10 after an 11-1 shellacking of the Marlins. Things were looking good.
Now, they're still in first place in the NL West at 38-31, but are barely holding on. Their offense, once so vaunted up and down the order, is practically on life support.
Yes, the Dodgers definitely miss the threesome they let walk in Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Dee Gordon.
That's not to say their departures will leave a negative impact at the end of the season, but the Dodgers sure wish they had Dee's speed, Hanley's power, and Kemp's ability to put it all together when he's feeling good. That was the risk Andrew Friedman took when he got rid of them, and right now, they miss them.
Of the three, Gordon is the one enjoying the most success. He's first in the NL with hits at 101, a whopping 14 more than Paul Goldschmidt. He's second in both stolen bases (23) and batting average (.352). All he heard when he was traded was that last year was probably his peak, but so far, he's shutting everyone up.
The Dodgers have tried Rollins, Joc Pederson, and Yasiel Puig as leadoff hitters this year. Well, Rollins terrible no matter where he hits, so that obviously hasn't worked. Pederson and Puig are certainly impact hitters, but not in the leadoff spot. Simply put, the Dodgers have yet to find a true leadoff hitter. They certainly could use Gordon there.
Ramirez has only been one part of a disappointing Red Sox team, but the Dodgers could certainly use his 14 homers and 36 RBIs, which would put him second on the team to Pederson and Adrian Gonzalez, respectively. Even in a "down" year for him, he'd still be near the top of the leaderboard in LA.
The one who's struggled the most away from LA is Kemp, who's been healthy, but has yet to bust out in San Diego. He's been basically a singles hitter for much of the season. If you know anything about him, however, it's that he gets hot as the season wears on. For proof, take a peak at his splits between the first and second half of last season. He's hit two homers in his last five games, so there's signs he's waking up.
With the way the Dodgers have been playing, there's no doubt they'd love to etch in a lineup that has Kemp in left and Hanley at short. Dee is the only tough call, as Kendrick has played very well for the most part. The tough part is that this team desperately needs a solid leadoff hitter, and that's what Dee has provided. Who knows how it'll shake out in the long run, but right now, Dee at the top of the lineup looks pretty good.
When you look at the batting averages in June, you start to miss those three guys even more: Gonzalez (.211), Pederson (.234), Grandal (.232), Rollins (.200), and Ethier (.210). Chris Heisey hit .176, but he's already been sent down, thankfully. He was terrible. The other guys don't look a whole lot better. It's a lot of swings, a lot of misses, and a lot of weak little outs. It's been that painful to watch.
Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Dee Gordon won't be walking through that door, unless their teams visit Dodger Stadium. It's time for the guys on the team to step up and play with much more aggressiveness at the plate. It's also time to get rid of the dead weight and bring up Hector Olivera and Corey Seager.
Or, we can all continue to watch this team be outplayed night after night because their offense is pathetic.
Showing posts with label Ramirez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ramirez. Show all posts
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Sunday, February 15, 2015
2015 Season Preview: Infield
I've already gone through the pitching staff, so now let's focus on the guys behind them. Today will be all about the infield.
2014
C - A.J. Ellis
1B - Adrian Gonzalez
2B - Dee Gordon
SS - Hanley Ramirez
3B - Juan Uribe
Bench - Drew Butera, Tim Federowicz, Justin Turner, Miguel Rojas, Chone Figgins, Erisbel Arruebarrena, Darwin Barney
2015
C - A.J. Ellis/Yasmani Grandal
1B - Adrian Gonzalez
2B - Howie Kendrick
SS - Jimmy Rollins
3B - Juan Uribe
Bench - Ellis or Grandal, Justin Turner, Darwin Barney, Alex Guerrero
Then Compared to Now:
Obviously, there's a big change in the middle, as out go Hanley and Gordon, and in come Kendrick and Rollins. Other than Matt Kemp being traded to San Diego, the infield is the biggest story. Since A-Gon and Uribe stay the same, the major question will be whether or not the new is better than the old.
Let's not forget that Gordon started off the year as an afterthought, and barely even worth drafting in fantasy leagues. He then turned himself into an All-Star who led the league in stolen bases pretty easily. Hanley had a rough year for his standards by only playing in 128 games, but did hit .429 in the Division Series without a strikeout.
The other change is the addition of Grandal, who was part of the Kemp deal. There's no doubt he brings much more offense than Ellis. But defensively, he still has to prove he can handle a staff like Ellis can.
Individual Breakdown:
Ellis (2014 stats): .191 AVG, .323 OBP, 9 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 0 SB
He's never been a star with the lumber, but even with that said, he really struggled to generate anything on offense. About all he could give was a walk, which is why his OBP is so much higher. There's no doubt, however, that the Dodgers did the right thing in bringing in an offensive catcher in Grandal. As valuable as Ellis is behind the plate, especially with Clayton Kershaw, the offense just comes to a halt when he's up.
Grandal (with Padres): .225 AVG, .327 OBP, 19 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, 49 RBI, 3 SB
He's been busted for PED use, he's torn up his knee, and he's not even considered that great of a defensive catcher. But he is still young (26), and he's clearly shown good pop from behind the plate when he can stay on the field. Plus, he appeared in 37 games last season at first base, which is great since he hits right-handed and can spell Gonzalez if need be. There's a lot to like about him, but as I said before, he'll have to show he can stay on the field to really be worth the while.
Gonzalez: .276 AVG, .335 OBP, 41 2B, 0 3B, 27 HR, 116 RBI, 1 SB
I'll bet very few people, outside of Dodger fans, would be able to tell you that A-Gon led all of baseball in RBIs last season, even ahead of the mighty Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera. That's because he played in 159 games last season, and hit .333 with runners in scoring position. Plus, his defense improved, cutting down on his errors from 11 to 6. All in all, he's Mr. Reliable, and even as he turns 33 in May, has proven to be the rock in the Dodgers' lineup.
Kendrick (with Angels): .293 AVG, .347 OBP, 33 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 75 RBI, 14 SB
Two big reasons why the Dodgers preferred him over Gordon: he's consistently put up numbers at the plate since his debut in 2006, and the brass feels as though Gordon has already peaked with his best season in 2014. Time will only tell about that last statement, as Gordon will have lots of chances to show his worth in Miami. As for Kendrick, he's a clutch hitter who also brings the goods in the field, rating at an excellent 1.4 DWAR. He'll be playing for a new contract this year, so there's even more motivation for him to show his addition was a smart move.
Rollins: .243 AVG, .323 OBP, 22 2B, 4 3B, 17 HR, 55 RBI, 28 SB
Boy will this be weird seeing him in Dodger blue this season. It will be an adjustment for everybody, but after Hanley bolted for Boston, the addition of Rollins looks like a great move. He's won a ring once, lost in the World Series to the Yankees another time, and will be looking to provide the leadership the Dodgers need to bring them their first title since 1988. He looked completely washed up in 2013, but fought back for a much better 2014. He won't be the same hitter Hanley was, but defensively, he's light years better, and that's what the Dodgers want the most.
Uribe: .311 AVG, .337 OBP, 23 2B, 0 3B, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 0 SB
Entering the last year of his contract, he backed up his resurgent (and that's an understatement) 2013 with another good year at the plate. Most importantly, he gave Gold Glove caliber defense at the hot corner, barely losing out on the award again. He'll be 36 when the season begins in April, making him a little long in the tooth, so you have to wonder if this is his last year in LA. He needs to show that he can stay on the field more as well, playing in a low 103 games last season.
Turner: .340 AVG, .404 OBP, 21 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 6 SB
What an addition he turned out to be, as he constantly gave bit hits off the bench (.400 as a PH), and played all four infield positions. Heck, he could've probably been a better option out of the bullpen than the bums the Dodgers had last year as well. While it would be very hard to expect those types of offensive numbers again, they can expect him to provide a lift when needed, and play the role of late-inning sparkplug.
Barney (with Cubs and Dodgers): .241 AVG, .300 OBP, 11 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 1 SB
A deadline addition by the Dodgers last season, he only got 33 at-bats in LA, and was mostly brought in for insurance with Hanley constantly in and out of the lineup, and Gordon fading some in the second half. He'll probably resume that role this season, as he can spot Kendrick a day off here and there if needed.
Guerrero: .077 AVG, .077 OBP, no other stats to speak of
Who knows if he'll even be on the roster Opening Day, but considering his potential to be a good hitter, he's someone to remember. He only appeared in the beginning of the season and at the end with September call-ups, in between getting into a fight with Miguel Olivo and getting part of his ear bitten off. Let's just hope he avoids the drama this season and give the Dodgers a lift off the bench.
Is Now Better Than Then?
Defensively, absolutely. There's no question about that. Rollins and Kendrick are a huge upgrade over Hanley and Gordon as a double play combination. While Gordon I believe was a bit underrated for his improvements made with the glove, Hanley became a big liability at short. Perhaps we remember his error that cost Kershaw a chance at a perfect game? That's just one example of how bad he became, and now he's in left field for the Red Sox.
At the plate, it will remain to be seen mostly because of Gordon. If he shows that he's not a one-year wonder, then losing his speed at the top will definitely hurt. However, Rollins and Kendrick both stole their share of bases as well, and combined hit for more power. In the end, if those numbers stay the same, then the Dodgers are not only an upgrade in the field, but at the plate as well.
Grandal will be given plenty of chances to stay in the lineup if he can get his bat going. The Dodgers don't have that instant pop that Kemp and Hanley provided when healthy, so they'll be relying on a few guys do pull their weight instead. A power hitting catcher is one way of picking up the slack. I fully expect Ellis to be Kershaw's personal catcher, but after that, it should be Grandal's job to lose.
With two great, albeit older, fielders at the corners, the Dodgers are a more well-rounded, better team all across the infield for 2015.
2014
C - A.J. Ellis
1B - Adrian Gonzalez
2B - Dee Gordon
SS - Hanley Ramirez
3B - Juan Uribe
Bench - Drew Butera, Tim Federowicz, Justin Turner, Miguel Rojas, Chone Figgins, Erisbel Arruebarrena, Darwin Barney
2015
C - A.J. Ellis/Yasmani Grandal
1B - Adrian Gonzalez
2B - Howie Kendrick
SS - Jimmy Rollins
3B - Juan Uribe
Bench - Ellis or Grandal, Justin Turner, Darwin Barney, Alex Guerrero
Then Compared to Now:
Obviously, there's a big change in the middle, as out go Hanley and Gordon, and in come Kendrick and Rollins. Other than Matt Kemp being traded to San Diego, the infield is the biggest story. Since A-Gon and Uribe stay the same, the major question will be whether or not the new is better than the old.
Let's not forget that Gordon started off the year as an afterthought, and barely even worth drafting in fantasy leagues. He then turned himself into an All-Star who led the league in stolen bases pretty easily. Hanley had a rough year for his standards by only playing in 128 games, but did hit .429 in the Division Series without a strikeout.
The other change is the addition of Grandal, who was part of the Kemp deal. There's no doubt he brings much more offense than Ellis. But defensively, he still has to prove he can handle a staff like Ellis can.
Individual Breakdown:
Ellis (2014 stats): .191 AVG, .323 OBP, 9 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 0 SB
He's never been a star with the lumber, but even with that said, he really struggled to generate anything on offense. About all he could give was a walk, which is why his OBP is so much higher. There's no doubt, however, that the Dodgers did the right thing in bringing in an offensive catcher in Grandal. As valuable as Ellis is behind the plate, especially with Clayton Kershaw, the offense just comes to a halt when he's up.
Grandal (with Padres): .225 AVG, .327 OBP, 19 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, 49 RBI, 3 SB
He's been busted for PED use, he's torn up his knee, and he's not even considered that great of a defensive catcher. But he is still young (26), and he's clearly shown good pop from behind the plate when he can stay on the field. Plus, he appeared in 37 games last season at first base, which is great since he hits right-handed and can spell Gonzalez if need be. There's a lot to like about him, but as I said before, he'll have to show he can stay on the field to really be worth the while.
Gonzalez: .276 AVG, .335 OBP, 41 2B, 0 3B, 27 HR, 116 RBI, 1 SB
I'll bet very few people, outside of Dodger fans, would be able to tell you that A-Gon led all of baseball in RBIs last season, even ahead of the mighty Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera. That's because he played in 159 games last season, and hit .333 with runners in scoring position. Plus, his defense improved, cutting down on his errors from 11 to 6. All in all, he's Mr. Reliable, and even as he turns 33 in May, has proven to be the rock in the Dodgers' lineup.
Kendrick (with Angels): .293 AVG, .347 OBP, 33 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 75 RBI, 14 SB
Two big reasons why the Dodgers preferred him over Gordon: he's consistently put up numbers at the plate since his debut in 2006, and the brass feels as though Gordon has already peaked with his best season in 2014. Time will only tell about that last statement, as Gordon will have lots of chances to show his worth in Miami. As for Kendrick, he's a clutch hitter who also brings the goods in the field, rating at an excellent 1.4 DWAR. He'll be playing for a new contract this year, so there's even more motivation for him to show his addition was a smart move.
Rollins: .243 AVG, .323 OBP, 22 2B, 4 3B, 17 HR, 55 RBI, 28 SB
Boy will this be weird seeing him in Dodger blue this season. It will be an adjustment for everybody, but after Hanley bolted for Boston, the addition of Rollins looks like a great move. He's won a ring once, lost in the World Series to the Yankees another time, and will be looking to provide the leadership the Dodgers need to bring them their first title since 1988. He looked completely washed up in 2013, but fought back for a much better 2014. He won't be the same hitter Hanley was, but defensively, he's light years better, and that's what the Dodgers want the most.
Uribe: .311 AVG, .337 OBP, 23 2B, 0 3B, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 0 SB
Entering the last year of his contract, he backed up his resurgent (and that's an understatement) 2013 with another good year at the plate. Most importantly, he gave Gold Glove caliber defense at the hot corner, barely losing out on the award again. He'll be 36 when the season begins in April, making him a little long in the tooth, so you have to wonder if this is his last year in LA. He needs to show that he can stay on the field more as well, playing in a low 103 games last season.
Turner: .340 AVG, .404 OBP, 21 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 6 SB
What an addition he turned out to be, as he constantly gave bit hits off the bench (.400 as a PH), and played all four infield positions. Heck, he could've probably been a better option out of the bullpen than the bums the Dodgers had last year as well. While it would be very hard to expect those types of offensive numbers again, they can expect him to provide a lift when needed, and play the role of late-inning sparkplug.
Barney (with Cubs and Dodgers): .241 AVG, .300 OBP, 11 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 1 SB
A deadline addition by the Dodgers last season, he only got 33 at-bats in LA, and was mostly brought in for insurance with Hanley constantly in and out of the lineup, and Gordon fading some in the second half. He'll probably resume that role this season, as he can spot Kendrick a day off here and there if needed.
Guerrero: .077 AVG, .077 OBP, no other stats to speak of
Who knows if he'll even be on the roster Opening Day, but considering his potential to be a good hitter, he's someone to remember. He only appeared in the beginning of the season and at the end with September call-ups, in between getting into a fight with Miguel Olivo and getting part of his ear bitten off. Let's just hope he avoids the drama this season and give the Dodgers a lift off the bench.
Is Now Better Than Then?
Defensively, absolutely. There's no question about that. Rollins and Kendrick are a huge upgrade over Hanley and Gordon as a double play combination. While Gordon I believe was a bit underrated for his improvements made with the glove, Hanley became a big liability at short. Perhaps we remember his error that cost Kershaw a chance at a perfect game? That's just one example of how bad he became, and now he's in left field for the Red Sox.
At the plate, it will remain to be seen mostly because of Gordon. If he shows that he's not a one-year wonder, then losing his speed at the top will definitely hurt. However, Rollins and Kendrick both stole their share of bases as well, and combined hit for more power. In the end, if those numbers stay the same, then the Dodgers are not only an upgrade in the field, but at the plate as well.
Grandal will be given plenty of chances to stay in the lineup if he can get his bat going. The Dodgers don't have that instant pop that Kemp and Hanley provided when healthy, so they'll be relying on a few guys do pull their weight instead. A power hitting catcher is one way of picking up the slack. I fully expect Ellis to be Kershaw's personal catcher, but after that, it should be Grandal's job to lose.
With two great, albeit older, fielders at the corners, the Dodgers are a more well-rounded, better team all across the infield for 2015.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Jimmy Rollins: Dodgers shortstop
With Hanley Ramirez gone, the Dodgers had a big hole to fill at shortstop. Sure, they have in-house replacements like Alex Guerrero, Erisbel Arruebarrena, and Justin Turner. Then there's the 20-year-old top prospect Corey Seager, who is indeed the future, but not necessarily the current.
What did the Dodgers decide to do? Trade for a three-time All-Star, MVP, and World Series champion.
That man is Jimmy Rollins, who has been acquired from the Phillies. He's entering the final year of his contract paying him $11 million, which is practically chump change to the rich Dodgers. What is not yet known is whom the Dodgers gave in return, but stay tuned for that.
Right away, a few things come to mind when seeing this trade. There's no disputing that the Rollins of 2007 is not walking through that door, as that guy hit .296 with 30 homers, 94 RBIs, and 41 stolen bases on his way to an MVP, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove awards. Not a bad season, to say the least.
This version of Rollins is past his prime, no doubt. But even with that, I think there's plenty of things to like about this deal. Last season he hit .243 with 17 homers, 55 RBIs, and 28 steals in 126 games. Hanley hit .283 with 13 homers, 71 RBIs, and 14 steals in 128 games. Those are surprisingly even numbers, with Rollins getting the edge in the speed department. That will come in handy for a team that doesn't rely on the long ball to score the majority of their runs.
The other major difference is on defense. Simply put, Rollins is good, and Hanley is not. Last season Rollins had a .988 fielding %, seven errors, and a 1.1 Defensive WAR. Hanley had a .961/16/-0.6 line. It's not hard to figure out that Rollins is clearly the better choice at short.
When this deal went down, one of the first things the baseball reporters were saying is that Rollins still has something left in the tank, and is still a very good defensive player to boot. He brings instant credibility to a team that is on the verge of taking the next step, and getting a second ring while leading a new team has to mean a lot to him.
Of course, if Rollins starts off the year slowly and isn't getting any big hits, then I'm sure plenty of fans won't be afraid to express their displeasure at not re-signing Hanley. I can understand that. But everyone needs to remember that Hanley made a very smart decision for his career as well, as going to the American League and getting his big money contract is exactly what he wanted to happen. Good for him.
In the meantime, let's enjoy the top shortstop in Phillies' history coming to the Dodgers for a year (or more, who knows), while Seager continues his climb to the Majors.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Seven years ago Saturday...
An anniversary of two sorts took place on Saturday, and they both had to do with the same thing. One I like, and the other still sends shudders down the spines of Dodger fans everywhere.
For starters, it's the anniversary of me starting this site seven years ago. I grew up a Dodger fan, I love to write, so I figured, What the heck? Combine them both. Seven years later, here I am, and I still love doing this.
The flip side? It's also the anniversary of the Dodgers' infamous free agent deal with Andruw Jones. It's a marriage that was supposed to last for two years, but thanks to one of the worst seasons anyone has ever seen, he was mercifully sent packing after the 2008 season. No worries, as he still pocketed $36.2 million in a deal that was deferred through last season.
Yes, that's right - the Dodgers were STILL paying off Jones's contract through this past season. At least that finally ran out.
Oh by the way, the Jones signing was my very first post on this site. Looking back now, it's just laughable at some of reasons why I was excited:
* "the big bat to fill the middle of the order has hopped on the train"
* "Hopefully Jones can right some of his hitting holes and get back to his old self. It's a chance definitely worth taking."
* "it's nice to see the Dodgers sign someone in his prime"
OK, so like Jones in the '08 season, that commentary was a giant swing-and-a-miss. If you recall at the time, the Dodgers had young players like Matt Kemp, James Loney, and Russell Martin looking to take the next step. They also still had Jeff Kent, Juan Pierre, and Rafael Furcal. So there was reason to be excited with Jones coming in to add more pop.
Instead, he hit .158 with three homers, 14 RBIs, and 76 strikeouts in 75 games. He was just so, so, so, so, so, SO bad.
Which leads me to this point: signing Jones was a great move by the Dodgers. Why? Because that led to a trade later in the season for some guy named Manny Ramirez, who went on to have one of the best end of season runs in baseball history by hitting .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs and in 53 games.
Granted, he may have had a little help in getting those numbers... but it was sure fun to watch while it lasted.
For starters, it's the anniversary of me starting this site seven years ago. I grew up a Dodger fan, I love to write, so I figured, What the heck? Combine them both. Seven years later, here I am, and I still love doing this.
The flip side? It's also the anniversary of the Dodgers' infamous free agent deal with Andruw Jones. It's a marriage that was supposed to last for two years, but thanks to one of the worst seasons anyone has ever seen, he was mercifully sent packing after the 2008 season. No worries, as he still pocketed $36.2 million in a deal that was deferred through last season.
Yes, that's right - the Dodgers were STILL paying off Jones's contract through this past season. At least that finally ran out.
Oh by the way, the Jones signing was my very first post on this site. Looking back now, it's just laughable at some of reasons why I was excited:
* "the big bat to fill the middle of the order has hopped on the train"
* "Hopefully Jones can right some of his hitting holes and get back to his old self. It's a chance definitely worth taking."
* "it's nice to see the Dodgers sign someone in his prime"
OK, so like Jones in the '08 season, that commentary was a giant swing-and-a-miss. If you recall at the time, the Dodgers had young players like Matt Kemp, James Loney, and Russell Martin looking to take the next step. They also still had Jeff Kent, Juan Pierre, and Rafael Furcal. So there was reason to be excited with Jones coming in to add more pop.
Instead, he hit .158 with three homers, 14 RBIs, and 76 strikeouts in 75 games. He was just so, so, so, so, so, SO bad.
Which leads me to this point: signing Jones was a great move by the Dodgers. Why? Because that led to a trade later in the season for some guy named Manny Ramirez, who went on to have one of the best end of season runs in baseball history by hitting .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs and in 53 games.
Granted, he may have had a little help in getting those numbers... but it was sure fun to watch while it lasted.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Hanley bolts for Beantown
The Hanley Ramirez era in Los Angeles is officially over.
Wanting a big money contract that the Dodgers were not willing to offer, Hanley has signed a four-year, $88 million deal with the Red Sox, going back to the original team he made his professional debut with in 2005.
For the Dodgers, it's an obvious blow to the offense, as it will be hard to replace the damage he can cause at the plate.
As for his defense and health? Well, his departure equals an immediate upgrade, quite frankly.
This is no knock on Hanley, who came over to the Dodgers in 2012, then put together a fantastic 2013 campaign by hitting .345 with 20 homers and 57 RBIs. Had he not been beaned in the ribs by the Cardinals' Joe Kelly in Game 1 of that season's NLCS, then it may have been the Dodgers who advanced to play the Red Sox in the World Series.
The problem? He got those numbers in only 86 games, as the injury bug just never seemed to leave him. This past season he played in 128 games, but his numbers dipped to .287/13/71. His Defensive Wins Above Replacement (DWAR) also went down from 0.7 to -0.6.
Simply put, he's a much better fit for the American League at this point. The Red Sox can keep his bat in the lineup at DH when he's banged up. Well, that may be tough with David Ortiz there, but perhaps they would be more comfortable giving Big Papi more rest with a lefty on the mound. Already, Hanley has been introduced as the team's new left fielder, which makes sense.
Ken Gurnick over at Dodgers.com takes a look at potential replacements for Hanley, albeit short-term ones. Right now on the roster there's Justin Turner, Miguel Rojas, and Erisbel Arruebarrena, who are hardly considered the future. The guy who gets that distinction is Corey Seager, who might not be quite ready for the everyday role yet.
There's also free agents such as Asdrubal Cabrera and Stephen Drew, and trade possibilities like Jimmy Rollins and Alexei Ramierz. We shall see.
In the meantime, I truly believe Dodger fans should be grateful towards Hanley and all he brought to the table for a little over two seasons. Yes, I know it was frustrating watching him miss so much time to injuries, and his defense left something to be desired of late. But, when everything was clicking and he felt right, he was a lot of fun to watch. The ball would jump off of his bat, which was a beautiful sight.
And THAT'S what I'll remember most about him.
Wanting a big money contract that the Dodgers were not willing to offer, Hanley has signed a four-year, $88 million deal with the Red Sox, going back to the original team he made his professional debut with in 2005.
For the Dodgers, it's an obvious blow to the offense, as it will be hard to replace the damage he can cause at the plate.
As for his defense and health? Well, his departure equals an immediate upgrade, quite frankly.
This is no knock on Hanley, who came over to the Dodgers in 2012, then put together a fantastic 2013 campaign by hitting .345 with 20 homers and 57 RBIs. Had he not been beaned in the ribs by the Cardinals' Joe Kelly in Game 1 of that season's NLCS, then it may have been the Dodgers who advanced to play the Red Sox in the World Series.
The problem? He got those numbers in only 86 games, as the injury bug just never seemed to leave him. This past season he played in 128 games, but his numbers dipped to .287/13/71. His Defensive Wins Above Replacement (DWAR) also went down from 0.7 to -0.6.
Simply put, he's a much better fit for the American League at this point. The Red Sox can keep his bat in the lineup at DH when he's banged up. Well, that may be tough with David Ortiz there, but perhaps they would be more comfortable giving Big Papi more rest with a lefty on the mound. Already, Hanley has been introduced as the team's new left fielder, which makes sense.
Ken Gurnick over at Dodgers.com takes a look at potential replacements for Hanley, albeit short-term ones. Right now on the roster there's Justin Turner, Miguel Rojas, and Erisbel Arruebarrena, who are hardly considered the future. The guy who gets that distinction is Corey Seager, who might not be quite ready for the everyday role yet.
There's also free agents such as Asdrubal Cabrera and Stephen Drew, and trade possibilities like Jimmy Rollins and Alexei Ramierz. We shall see.
In the meantime, I truly believe Dodger fans should be grateful towards Hanley and all he brought to the table for a little over two seasons. Yes, I know it was frustrating watching him miss so much time to injuries, and his defense left something to be desired of late. But, when everything was clicking and he felt right, he was a lot of fun to watch. The ball would jump off of his bat, which was a beautiful sight.
And THAT'S what I'll remember most about him.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Don't expect to see Hanley back in 2015
The days of Hanley Ramirez in Dodger blue appear to be over.
On Monday, the Dodgers extended a qualifying offer to their shortstop, which is for one year and $15.3 million. The reason the Dodgers did this was so they could be awarded a supplemental draft pick in case he rejects the deal and walks.
And guess what? It looks as if Hanley will walk.
Accepting this deal would not only represent a pay cut from $16 million, but would obviously be less than the multi-year deal he is seeking. The Dodgers have made it clear that while they would welcome him back next season, his history of injuries and defensive liabilities is simply too much to ignore anymore.
Never say never, but consider this: in the last two off-seasons, 22 big league players have been given qualifying offers. All 22 of them rejected it.
I wouldn't expect Hanley to be any different. He still has plenty of talent at the plate when he's healthy, and can at least slide over to third if a club wants, a position he's played in the past with the Marlins.
We will have to wait and see what Hanley ultimately decides to do, as he has seven days to decide whether or not to accept the one-year deal. What should also be noted is that he's still eligible to sign with the Dodgers even if he rejects the deal.
The chances of that happening? Slim and none.
On Monday, the Dodgers extended a qualifying offer to their shortstop, which is for one year and $15.3 million. The reason the Dodgers did this was so they could be awarded a supplemental draft pick in case he rejects the deal and walks.
And guess what? It looks as if Hanley will walk.
Accepting this deal would not only represent a pay cut from $16 million, but would obviously be less than the multi-year deal he is seeking. The Dodgers have made it clear that while they would welcome him back next season, his history of injuries and defensive liabilities is simply too much to ignore anymore.
Never say never, but consider this: in the last two off-seasons, 22 big league players have been given qualifying offers. All 22 of them rejected it.
I wouldn't expect Hanley to be any different. He still has plenty of talent at the plate when he's healthy, and can at least slide over to third if a club wants, a position he's played in the past with the Marlins.
We will have to wait and see what Hanley ultimately decides to do, as he has seven days to decide whether or not to accept the one-year deal. What should also be noted is that he's still eligible to sign with the Dodgers even if he rejects the deal.
The chances of that happening? Slim and none.
Friday, August 29, 2014
5 questions the Dodgers face down the stretch
Here we are at the end of August, and there's a month left of regular season baseball on the schedule. The Dodgers find themselves up 4 1/2 games over the Giants in the NL West, and it's a race that doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
With that said, here are five key questions the Dodgers face for the September pennant run.
1) Will Clayton Kershaw win the MVP award?
There's certainly little reason to doubt that he not only can, but he will. After another masterful performance on Wednesday in Arizona, a place where he was pounded in May, his numbers look like this: 16-3, 1.73 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 6 CG, 2 SHO, 194 K's in 161 1/3 IP. I'm not sure how he keeps topping himself, but he does.
We all know how rare it is for pitchers to win the MVP, as they only appear in around 20% of the games, and that's with really good health. Kershaw was hurt for over a month at the start of the season, so his percentage will be lower. But in addition to his awesome numbers, what he also has going for him is that there aren't many other strong candidates. Troy Tulowitzki was, but he's done for the season already. Andrew McCutchen has good numbers again, but he's been banged up a bit and the Pirates aren't as good as last year. Guys like Anthony Rizzo and Justin Upton aren't getting the buzz.
The only guy who is in strong contention with Kershaw is Giancarlo Stanton. He leads the NL in homers, RBIs, OPS, SLG, and BB. The Marlins aren't that good, but are still hovering around that final Wild Card spot.
In my mind, if Kershaw continues to do his thing, and the Dodgers claim the top spot in the NL, then the award is his. If he slips up at all, and the Dodgers do as well, then I'd lean towards Stanton getting it.
2) Will Yasiel Puig regain his power?
Puig was the starting right fielder in the All-Star Game, has been moved to the important position of center field, and is still one of the most exciting players in baseball. What he doesn't have going for him right now, however, is power.
He's currently leading the Dodgers in batting average (.301) and OBP (.388), and is eighth and fifth in the NL in those stats, respectively. He also has greatly improved his plate discipline, with higher walk totals this year. Unfortunately, since the end of May, he only has two home runs. Two. That's it.
While his game shouldn't be measured just on homers, it's still a shockingly low number for such a strong guy. He certainly swings for the fences quite often, but is settling for choppers or simple fly balls. He's pressing to make things happen, and it just isn't.
Even though he hits in the #2 spot, if he can start driving in more runs, and hitting more out of the park, then the Dodgers are so much better. It would be no different than what Mike Trout brings to the Angels, as he has 30 homers and 92 RBIs in that spot (with the other 2 RBIs in the #3 spot). Puig isn't as good a hitter, but is such a big talent that he can definitely make more happen.
3) Will the setup role ever be settled?
Ugh... the eighth inning for the Dodgers. Whether it's Brian Wilson, Brandon League, or anyone else who has been given a shot, the results have not been pretty. It's been an adventure, to say the least.
Ned Colletti was unable to secure a top reliever before the trade deadline, and in the waiver period he went for starters in Roberto Hernandez and Kevin Correia. Who knows how close the Dodgers were to getting a reliever, but the bottom line is that they are stuck with who they have at this point.
One thing I know for sure, and that's Wilson and League are NOT the answers, and should NOT be given more chances to pitch in the eighth. Wilson's ERA is 5.05, and League continually chokes in big situations. Guys like Jamey Wright and Chris Perez haven't been able to do anything either.
About the only guy who has been solid is J.P. Howell, but even he has his bouts of wildness. He still has a 1.97 ERA, and lefties are hitting .133 against him, so that's someone you want to pitch in the setup role. Right now, that's it. Maybe someone like Pedro Baez steps in and fills the role. Hey, why not? The Dodgers have limited options, so this is an area I can definitely see haunting them in October.
4) Will Dee Gordon run out of juice?
Gordon has had a great year, as he more than earned his All-Star berth at second base, and is leading baseball with 58 steals. He's been a huge boost to the Dodgers in the leadoff spot, a role that was questionable coming into the season.
He also has slowed down in August, and is clearly showing some wear and tear of playing the long baseball season.
In a way, this should be expected. Right now he's played in 127 games. Want to know what his career high was before this season? It was 87 in 2012. Wow, that's a big jump. He made headlines coming into this season for "bulking up" in his words, and it most certainly paid off. But, August has seen his average dip, his strikeouts go up, and his OBP go down. Not a good formula for a leadoff hitter.
Don Mattingly has been giving him days off here and there, which is a good move. The best thing that can happen for Gordon is that the Dodgers run away with the division, and he can afford to take more rest towards the end of September. That way he'll be as fresh as he can be going into the playoffs. If he's forced to play too much and his numbers continue to tumble, he might not be able to do much in October. And that hurts the Dodgers a lot.
5) Which Hanley Ramirez shows up?
Hanley can go one of two ways. There's the MVP talent who drives the ball and leads the Dodgers in the heart of the lineup. Or there's the broken down guy who grounds out, strikes out, and continues to be awful defensively at short. What's is gonna be?
That's a major question for the Dodgers. It's also a major dilemma for Mattingly. If Hanley can't hit, there's little reason to play him, other than being a threat based on past success. Clearly guys like Miguel Rojas and Erisbel Arruebarrena are better options at short, and considering the Dodgers want to win with pitching, it makes more sense to play them despite their offensive shortcomings.
I wrote about Hanley and his big September ahead earlier this week. Basically, if he can be that guy in the #3 spot (or around that) to get big hits, the Dodgers will be hard to stop in the postseason. Plus, he'll earn a big payday next season, whether it's with the Dodgers or some other team. If he looks old and broken down, it's hard to imagine him getting the money he thinks he deserves. He'll look more like yesterday's news.
As you can see, despite the Dodgers being almost 20 games over .500, there are still questions that remain that could hold them back from their ultimate goal of being world champions. September will be a fun month to watch, so let's see what unfolds.
With that said, here are five key questions the Dodgers face for the September pennant run.
1) Will Clayton Kershaw win the MVP award?
There's certainly little reason to doubt that he not only can, but he will. After another masterful performance on Wednesday in Arizona, a place where he was pounded in May, his numbers look like this: 16-3, 1.73 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 6 CG, 2 SHO, 194 K's in 161 1/3 IP. I'm not sure how he keeps topping himself, but he does.
We all know how rare it is for pitchers to win the MVP, as they only appear in around 20% of the games, and that's with really good health. Kershaw was hurt for over a month at the start of the season, so his percentage will be lower. But in addition to his awesome numbers, what he also has going for him is that there aren't many other strong candidates. Troy Tulowitzki was, but he's done for the season already. Andrew McCutchen has good numbers again, but he's been banged up a bit and the Pirates aren't as good as last year. Guys like Anthony Rizzo and Justin Upton aren't getting the buzz.
The only guy who is in strong contention with Kershaw is Giancarlo Stanton. He leads the NL in homers, RBIs, OPS, SLG, and BB. The Marlins aren't that good, but are still hovering around that final Wild Card spot.
In my mind, if Kershaw continues to do his thing, and the Dodgers claim the top spot in the NL, then the award is his. If he slips up at all, and the Dodgers do as well, then I'd lean towards Stanton getting it.
2) Will Yasiel Puig regain his power?
Puig was the starting right fielder in the All-Star Game, has been moved to the important position of center field, and is still one of the most exciting players in baseball. What he doesn't have going for him right now, however, is power.
He's currently leading the Dodgers in batting average (.301) and OBP (.388), and is eighth and fifth in the NL in those stats, respectively. He also has greatly improved his plate discipline, with higher walk totals this year. Unfortunately, since the end of May, he only has two home runs. Two. That's it.
While his game shouldn't be measured just on homers, it's still a shockingly low number for such a strong guy. He certainly swings for the fences quite often, but is settling for choppers or simple fly balls. He's pressing to make things happen, and it just isn't.
Even though he hits in the #2 spot, if he can start driving in more runs, and hitting more out of the park, then the Dodgers are so much better. It would be no different than what Mike Trout brings to the Angels, as he has 30 homers and 92 RBIs in that spot (with the other 2 RBIs in the #3 spot). Puig isn't as good a hitter, but is such a big talent that he can definitely make more happen.
3) Will the setup role ever be settled?
Ugh... the eighth inning for the Dodgers. Whether it's Brian Wilson, Brandon League, or anyone else who has been given a shot, the results have not been pretty. It's been an adventure, to say the least.
Ned Colletti was unable to secure a top reliever before the trade deadline, and in the waiver period he went for starters in Roberto Hernandez and Kevin Correia. Who knows how close the Dodgers were to getting a reliever, but the bottom line is that they are stuck with who they have at this point.
One thing I know for sure, and that's Wilson and League are NOT the answers, and should NOT be given more chances to pitch in the eighth. Wilson's ERA is 5.05, and League continually chokes in big situations. Guys like Jamey Wright and Chris Perez haven't been able to do anything either.
About the only guy who has been solid is J.P. Howell, but even he has his bouts of wildness. He still has a 1.97 ERA, and lefties are hitting .133 against him, so that's someone you want to pitch in the setup role. Right now, that's it. Maybe someone like Pedro Baez steps in and fills the role. Hey, why not? The Dodgers have limited options, so this is an area I can definitely see haunting them in October.
4) Will Dee Gordon run out of juice?
Gordon has had a great year, as he more than earned his All-Star berth at second base, and is leading baseball with 58 steals. He's been a huge boost to the Dodgers in the leadoff spot, a role that was questionable coming into the season.
He also has slowed down in August, and is clearly showing some wear and tear of playing the long baseball season.
In a way, this should be expected. Right now he's played in 127 games. Want to know what his career high was before this season? It was 87 in 2012. Wow, that's a big jump. He made headlines coming into this season for "bulking up" in his words, and it most certainly paid off. But, August has seen his average dip, his strikeouts go up, and his OBP go down. Not a good formula for a leadoff hitter.
Don Mattingly has been giving him days off here and there, which is a good move. The best thing that can happen for Gordon is that the Dodgers run away with the division, and he can afford to take more rest towards the end of September. That way he'll be as fresh as he can be going into the playoffs. If he's forced to play too much and his numbers continue to tumble, he might not be able to do much in October. And that hurts the Dodgers a lot.
5) Which Hanley Ramirez shows up?
Hanley can go one of two ways. There's the MVP talent who drives the ball and leads the Dodgers in the heart of the lineup. Or there's the broken down guy who grounds out, strikes out, and continues to be awful defensively at short. What's is gonna be?
That's a major question for the Dodgers. It's also a major dilemma for Mattingly. If Hanley can't hit, there's little reason to play him, other than being a threat based on past success. Clearly guys like Miguel Rojas and Erisbel Arruebarrena are better options at short, and considering the Dodgers want to win with pitching, it makes more sense to play them despite their offensive shortcomings.
I wrote about Hanley and his big September ahead earlier this week. Basically, if he can be that guy in the #3 spot (or around that) to get big hits, the Dodgers will be hard to stop in the postseason. Plus, he'll earn a big payday next season, whether it's with the Dodgers or some other team. If he looks old and broken down, it's hard to imagine him getting the money he thinks he deserves. He'll look more like yesterday's news.
As you can see, despite the Dodgers being almost 20 games over .500, there are still questions that remain that could hold them back from their ultimate goal of being world champions. September will be a fun month to watch, so let's see what unfolds.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
September is a big month for Hanley
Hanley Ramirez was activated off the 15-day DL on Sunday and started at shortstop against the Mets. The Dodgers were trying to close out their homestand on a positive note by getting the sweep, one week after the Brewers swept them.
Well, things didn't go so well, as Kevin Correia was bombed, the defense committed another error, and the bats went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
As for Hanley, he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts hitting in the #5 spot. The error was also partly his fault, as a low throw to Adrian Gonzalez got away.
Not exactly the type of impact the Dodgers were hoping Hanley would make.
That is why I'm looking at the home stretch of September (and hopefully beyond) as being huge for him. Right now he's appeared in 101 of the 132 games the Dodgers have played, once again showing how injuries have kept him off the field, just like last year.
Unlike last year, when he has played, it hasn't been at an MVP level. He's hitting .274 with a .363 OBP, 12 homers, 58 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases. Those numbers certainly aren't bad, but the combination of Hanley and Puig last year really propelled the Dodgers into the postseason. That version of Hanley hasn't showed up this year.
Keep in mind that this is Hanley's contract year, meaning he's free to test the free agency market after this season. There's no doubt in my mind he would want to stay in LA, where he can play with a contending team and make a boatload of money. But, as has been brought up many times already this year, how badly do the Dodgers even want him back? Enough to break the bank to keep him? I'm not so sure.
The scouting report on him probably looks something like this: injury prone, good hitter but not as impactful when he's banged up, and one of the worst defense shortstops in baseball. The Dodgers are willing to overlook those defensive shortcomings when he's hitting. But when he's not hitting? It's a tricky situation.
If Hanley can step up in this last month plus, be the run producer in the middle of the order the Dodgers need, and at least hold his own at short, then the team as a whole is so much of a bigger threat. He's shown in the past he can do it, so maybe he's about to breakout at any moment.
If he continues to just kind of tread water, then this could be the last season we see him in Dodger blue.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Dodgers hit a lull, so what's the problem?
For anyone who thought the Dodgers might be able to run away with not only the NL West, but the National League as a whole, think again.
The Brewers came into Dodger Stadium and showed why they're a legit contender with a three-game sweep, finishing off the Dodgers with a 7-2 shellacking on Sunday. Couple that with last weekend, and the Brew Crew have to feel good about taking five of six from LA. And that's with both Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke starting four of the six games.
After getting the lead in the NL West up to over six games, the lead over the Giants has dropped to 3 1/2. Washington and Milwaukee are now ahead of the Dodgers in the race for #1 seed in the NL.
Simply put, like the headline says, the Dodgers are in a lull, dropping three straight and four of five. So what's the deal? Here's the deal:
* In those four loses, the offense has scored nine runs, averaging 2.3 per. Even with great starting pitching, it's hard to win many games like that.
* Hyun-Jin Ryu was placed on the DL with a sore glute muscle. Kevin Correia will fill in, and while he had a great opening act, isn't the caliber of Ryu over the long haul.
* Juan Uribe was placed on the DL with a strained hamstring. Justin Turner will see action at third, but his glove has been shaky to say the least of late.
* Greinke hasn't been as sharp in August. In three starts, he's 0-2 with a 3.50 ERA. He walked five in only five innings his last start, running his pitch count way up to 99.
* The bullpen completely imploded on Friday night, as Jamey Wright and Brandon League combined to give up five runs in the eighth. The eighth inning, as I recently wrote about, has been a huge disappointment.
* Even Kershaw was off his normal dominant self, giving up a couple of home runs in losing on Saturday. Of course, he still went the distance and only surrendered three runs, but his offense gave him nothing.
* Dee Gordon still has his big games, but has seen his numbers dip a bit after the break, and one has to wonder if he's slowing down a bit just from the grind of the long season.
* Matt Kemp was red hot in July, but in August he's back down to hitting .219. He's actually hit safely in 12 of 17 games, but most of those are 1-for-4 or 1-for-5.
* The defense is much-improved since the start of the season, but is still middle of the pack in fielding %. Losing Uribe at third does nothing to help, either.
* All the good vibes Dan Haren had coming into Sunday may have come to screeching halt, as the Brewers smacked him around.
Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com wrote a good article about how this is not a time to panic, and to instead "keep the faith." It makes a lot of sense, as every team is bound to go through peaks and valleys over the course of a 162-game season.
But, for the many reasons listed above, it's also realistic that the Dodgers need to figure things out in order to keep that first place standing in the NL West. When one of their key starting pitchers and starting third baseman get hurt, then they get swept at home, there's reasons to be a little nervous.
There is some good news, as Hanley Ramirez looks like he'll be ready to go when he comes off the DL next Sunday. As a bonus, it looks like he might play some third, something he did in his Marlins' days when they acquired Jose Reyes. That will get his bat back in the lineup, and keep the better fielding Miguel Rojas at short.
That's still a week away, and in the meantime the Dodgers will welcome the Padres and Mets into town starting Tuesday. Even though they both stink, with the way the Dodgers play at home, they can't afford to overlook anyone. If they do, they might find themselves in second in no time.
We'll see what the Dodgers' depth can do, as they will go deep into their 25-man roster to stay afloat. It would be great if guys like Kemp, Gordon, and Adrian Gonzalez have a big week, and the Dodgers can get rolling again. They are the stars, so now they need to step up and play like it.
Oh ya, and not blowing more leads in the eighth inning would help too.
The Brewers came into Dodger Stadium and showed why they're a legit contender with a three-game sweep, finishing off the Dodgers with a 7-2 shellacking on Sunday. Couple that with last weekend, and the Brew Crew have to feel good about taking five of six from LA. And that's with both Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke starting four of the six games.
After getting the lead in the NL West up to over six games, the lead over the Giants has dropped to 3 1/2. Washington and Milwaukee are now ahead of the Dodgers in the race for #1 seed in the NL.
Simply put, like the headline says, the Dodgers are in a lull, dropping three straight and four of five. So what's the deal? Here's the deal:
* In those four loses, the offense has scored nine runs, averaging 2.3 per. Even with great starting pitching, it's hard to win many games like that.
* Hyun-Jin Ryu was placed on the DL with a sore glute muscle. Kevin Correia will fill in, and while he had a great opening act, isn't the caliber of Ryu over the long haul.
* Juan Uribe was placed on the DL with a strained hamstring. Justin Turner will see action at third, but his glove has been shaky to say the least of late.
* Greinke hasn't been as sharp in August. In three starts, he's 0-2 with a 3.50 ERA. He walked five in only five innings his last start, running his pitch count way up to 99.
* The bullpen completely imploded on Friday night, as Jamey Wright and Brandon League combined to give up five runs in the eighth. The eighth inning, as I recently wrote about, has been a huge disappointment.
* Even Kershaw was off his normal dominant self, giving up a couple of home runs in losing on Saturday. Of course, he still went the distance and only surrendered three runs, but his offense gave him nothing.
* Dee Gordon still has his big games, but has seen his numbers dip a bit after the break, and one has to wonder if he's slowing down a bit just from the grind of the long season.
* Matt Kemp was red hot in July, but in August he's back down to hitting .219. He's actually hit safely in 12 of 17 games, but most of those are 1-for-4 or 1-for-5.
* The defense is much-improved since the start of the season, but is still middle of the pack in fielding %. Losing Uribe at third does nothing to help, either.
* All the good vibes Dan Haren had coming into Sunday may have come to screeching halt, as the Brewers smacked him around.
Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com wrote a good article about how this is not a time to panic, and to instead "keep the faith." It makes a lot of sense, as every team is bound to go through peaks and valleys over the course of a 162-game season.
But, for the many reasons listed above, it's also realistic that the Dodgers need to figure things out in order to keep that first place standing in the NL West. When one of their key starting pitchers and starting third baseman get hurt, then they get swept at home, there's reasons to be a little nervous.
There is some good news, as Hanley Ramirez looks like he'll be ready to go when he comes off the DL next Sunday. As a bonus, it looks like he might play some third, something he did in his Marlins' days when they acquired Jose Reyes. That will get his bat back in the lineup, and keep the better fielding Miguel Rojas at short.
That's still a week away, and in the meantime the Dodgers will welcome the Padres and Mets into town starting Tuesday. Even though they both stink, with the way the Dodgers play at home, they can't afford to overlook anyone. If they do, they might find themselves in second in no time.
We'll see what the Dodgers' depth can do, as they will go deep into their 25-man roster to stay afloat. It would be great if guys like Kemp, Gordon, and Adrian Gonzalez have a big week, and the Dodgers can get rolling again. They are the stars, so now they need to step up and play like it.
Oh ya, and not blowing more leads in the eighth inning would help too.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Whenever Kemp and Hanley hit, it's a good thing
Saturday night was a struggle for the Dodgers. They just come off getting slapped around 8-2 by the Cubs the night before, the offense couldn't get anything going against a bunch of no-name pitchers, and it actually started raining at Dodger Stadium.
So whom did the Dodgers need to turn to in order to get some scoring? Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez. And it worked.
Kemp continued his scorching run in recent days with a two-run homer in the fourth, and Hanley hit his first career walk-off home run in the 12th to give the Dodgers a 5-2 victory. The Mets beat the Giants, so the lead in the NL West is back up to 3 1/2.
Both Kemp and Hanley were especially needed on a night where Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig didn't start and each pinch-hit. A-Gon predictably struck out, and Puig singled only to be picked off of first after a replay review. So their contributions to the offense were pretty much nothing.
Their injuries were another reason why the bats of Kemp and Hanley were sorely needed. Kemp is hitting .367 with four homers since the break, and looks like a guy who is finally ready to quit making excuses and sulking about where he's playing in the field, and just freakin' play. What a sight that is.
Hanley hasn't exactly been torching the ball of late, as he entered this game 1-for-15 in the last four games. In this one, he went 3-for-5 with two runs, a double, three RBIs, and the walk-off blast. If the Dodgers absolutely needed someone to step up and be the man to get a win, it was him, and he did just that.
Taking a look at the lineup, it was Hanley at #3, and Kemp right behind him cleaning up. In a perfect lineup, the top of the order would be Dee Gordon, Puig, Hanley, Kemp, A-Gon, and Uribe. Might as well ride Kemp while he's hot, put him in an RBI situation, and see if he keeps responding.
Above all, it's just good to see the Dodgers get a win because their two big dogs led the way on a night of injuries and rain.
Other thoughts from the game:
* Hyun-Jin Ryu seemed to struggle at first, as the Cubs probably left some runs off the board. But as Ryu typically does, when he's settled in, he's really good. He lasted seven innings for nine hits, two runs, one walk, and six strikeouts. He did have a chance to exit with the lead, but a two-out RBI double by Arismendy Alcantara tied the game at two.
* The bullpen combined to pitch the remaining five innings and didn't give up a run. It was a complete reversal from the night before, when that clown Chris Perez pitched. On Saturday it was Brandon League (2/3 IP), J.P. Howell (1/3), Kenley Jansen (1), Brian Wilson (1), and Jamey Wright (2) who closed the door and allowed the offense a chance to win it.
* It's a good thing Hanley got the big hit when he did, because most of the night was lifeless baseball for the second straight night. I think it's fair to say the Dodgers play to their competition. They smacked around the Braves, always a solid team, and let the Cubs make them look pretty foolish. Thankfully they came through when needed.
* We should all be especially thankful even more to Hanley, because if you took a close look at the bullpen as his homer was leaving the yard, there was Perez warming up. If that guy entered the game, Vin Scully may as well have just gotten on the PA system and announced to everyone that the game was over and to go home.
Sunday afternoon is a big start for Josh Beckett, as he's really looking to get back on track after his hip injury. Another poor start probably means he's hurt worse than he's letting on, and we can forget about seeing the Beckett from the first half. Let's see how he responds.
So whom did the Dodgers need to turn to in order to get some scoring? Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez. And it worked.
Kemp continued his scorching run in recent days with a two-run homer in the fourth, and Hanley hit his first career walk-off home run in the 12th to give the Dodgers a 5-2 victory. The Mets beat the Giants, so the lead in the NL West is back up to 3 1/2.
Both Kemp and Hanley were especially needed on a night where Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig didn't start and each pinch-hit. A-Gon predictably struck out, and Puig singled only to be picked off of first after a replay review. So their contributions to the offense were pretty much nothing.
Their injuries were another reason why the bats of Kemp and Hanley were sorely needed. Kemp is hitting .367 with four homers since the break, and looks like a guy who is finally ready to quit making excuses and sulking about where he's playing in the field, and just freakin' play. What a sight that is.
Hanley hasn't exactly been torching the ball of late, as he entered this game 1-for-15 in the last four games. In this one, he went 3-for-5 with two runs, a double, three RBIs, and the walk-off blast. If the Dodgers absolutely needed someone to step up and be the man to get a win, it was him, and he did just that.
Taking a look at the lineup, it was Hanley at #3, and Kemp right behind him cleaning up. In a perfect lineup, the top of the order would be Dee Gordon, Puig, Hanley, Kemp, A-Gon, and Uribe. Might as well ride Kemp while he's hot, put him in an RBI situation, and see if he keeps responding.
Above all, it's just good to see the Dodgers get a win because their two big dogs led the way on a night of injuries and rain.
Other thoughts from the game:
* Hyun-Jin Ryu seemed to struggle at first, as the Cubs probably left some runs off the board. But as Ryu typically does, when he's settled in, he's really good. He lasted seven innings for nine hits, two runs, one walk, and six strikeouts. He did have a chance to exit with the lead, but a two-out RBI double by Arismendy Alcantara tied the game at two.
* The bullpen combined to pitch the remaining five innings and didn't give up a run. It was a complete reversal from the night before, when that clown Chris Perez pitched. On Saturday it was Brandon League (2/3 IP), J.P. Howell (1/3), Kenley Jansen (1), Brian Wilson (1), and Jamey Wright (2) who closed the door and allowed the offense a chance to win it.
* It's a good thing Hanley got the big hit when he did, because most of the night was lifeless baseball for the second straight night. I think it's fair to say the Dodgers play to their competition. They smacked around the Braves, always a solid team, and let the Cubs make them look pretty foolish. Thankfully they came through when needed.
* We should all be especially thankful even more to Hanley, because if you took a close look at the bullpen as his homer was leaving the yard, there was Perez warming up. If that guy entered the game, Vin Scully may as well have just gotten on the PA system and announced to everyone that the game was over and to go home.
Sunday afternoon is a big start for Josh Beckett, as he's really looking to get back on track after his hip injury. Another poor start probably means he's hurt worse than he's letting on, and we can forget about seeing the Beckett from the first half. Let's see how he responds.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Dodgers lacking a true Big Bopper
If you're looking strictly at box scores and standings, then you saw that the Dodgers beat the Padres 1-0 on A.J. Ellis's sac-fly RBI in the ninth inning on Saturday, putting them back in first place of the NL West. You also saw that with the win, the Dodgers have the best record in the National League.
If you're someone who watches the game closely like I do, then you know the truth - the Dodgers are very fortunate to be in this position because their offense is practically on life support. Those guys better be buying the pitching staff a whole lot of gifts.
Right now, the Dodgers don't have that one guy who strikes a whole lot of fear in the opposing team. Last year it was Hanley Ramirez and Yaisel Puig, and even Adrian Gonzalez at times. Before that it was Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier at various points. Even before that, it was all about Mannywood.
Outside of MAYBE Puig, the offense is really struggling to find that one guy to step up and lead the way. And even though Puig is starting in the All-Star Game and is in the Home Run Derby, he's hit one home run since the end of May and has seen his average dip from .344 to .307. So he's on the list of struggling players as well.
How about the other guys? Well, let's take a look:
Kemp? He continues to look like a shell of his former self more and more each game. Two more strikeouts last night, including one in the ninth when Gonzalez led off with a double, making it nine K's in the last five games. Before that, he walked leading off the seventh, but was quickly erased on a stolen base attempt. There's no life in his bat, as he can't catch up to fastballs and is constantly tricked by breaking balls. What a waste.
Gonzalez? He was hitting .337 with eight homers and 24 RBIs through April, but that has dramatically changed. In the three months since then, he's hit six homers with 36 RBIs. So while you look at the bottom line and see that he's fourth in the NL with 60 RBIs, the truth is that he did most of that damage at the start of the season. A .182 average against lefties has really hurt him.
Ramirez? Last year he was able to perform at a MVP level when he was on the field for half the games. This season he seems to be getting hurt every two minutes, and when he does play, it's a nothing special. He's hitting .275 with 11 homers and 48 RBIs, which aren't bad numbers, but again, nothing great. It's his contract year, so I'm sure that's weighing on him heavily. But the bottom line is that his injury history and lack of production is not giving him a good outlook for that huge contract he's seeking this offseason.
Ethier? Let's just say that the days of "Andre the Giant" are long gone. Much to his credit, he plays hard each time he takes the field, which is why he's claimed the starting job in center field. But at .252 with four homers and 34 RBIs, there's barely any magic left in that bat. Plus, he's just as lousy against lefties as A-Gon is, hitting .190. Wow.
With all of this talk about the Dodgers trading for guys like David Price or Cole Hamels, I think it's only a matter of time before we start hearing about upgrading the offense. Why not? The guys I just listed above are either hurt, past their prime, or both. They're certainly not showing any signs of turning things around. Maybe they can, but most likely it wouldn't be anything drastic.
At what point does Ned Colletti decide to bring up young studs like Joc Pederson or Alex Guerrero? They'd clearly add some life to an offense that lacks punch and consistency. I'm sure that would lead to hard feelings if some of the rich boys have to sit, but so be it.
I have all the confidence in the world the Dodgers will make the playoffs. They have a starting rotation that can give them plenty of chances to win. But do they have the offense? That's the part that really concerns me.
Without the big threat on offense to get the job done, then it will be another year without a ring.
If you're someone who watches the game closely like I do, then you know the truth - the Dodgers are very fortunate to be in this position because their offense is practically on life support. Those guys better be buying the pitching staff a whole lot of gifts.
Right now, the Dodgers don't have that one guy who strikes a whole lot of fear in the opposing team. Last year it was Hanley Ramirez and Yaisel Puig, and even Adrian Gonzalez at times. Before that it was Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier at various points. Even before that, it was all about Mannywood.
Outside of MAYBE Puig, the offense is really struggling to find that one guy to step up and lead the way. And even though Puig is starting in the All-Star Game and is in the Home Run Derby, he's hit one home run since the end of May and has seen his average dip from .344 to .307. So he's on the list of struggling players as well.
How about the other guys? Well, let's take a look:
Kemp? He continues to look like a shell of his former self more and more each game. Two more strikeouts last night, including one in the ninth when Gonzalez led off with a double, making it nine K's in the last five games. Before that, he walked leading off the seventh, but was quickly erased on a stolen base attempt. There's no life in his bat, as he can't catch up to fastballs and is constantly tricked by breaking balls. What a waste.
Gonzalez? He was hitting .337 with eight homers and 24 RBIs through April, but that has dramatically changed. In the three months since then, he's hit six homers with 36 RBIs. So while you look at the bottom line and see that he's fourth in the NL with 60 RBIs, the truth is that he did most of that damage at the start of the season. A .182 average against lefties has really hurt him.
Ramirez? Last year he was able to perform at a MVP level when he was on the field for half the games. This season he seems to be getting hurt every two minutes, and when he does play, it's a nothing special. He's hitting .275 with 11 homers and 48 RBIs, which aren't bad numbers, but again, nothing great. It's his contract year, so I'm sure that's weighing on him heavily. But the bottom line is that his injury history and lack of production is not giving him a good outlook for that huge contract he's seeking this offseason.
Ethier? Let's just say that the days of "Andre the Giant" are long gone. Much to his credit, he plays hard each time he takes the field, which is why he's claimed the starting job in center field. But at .252 with four homers and 34 RBIs, there's barely any magic left in that bat. Plus, he's just as lousy against lefties as A-Gon is, hitting .190. Wow.
With all of this talk about the Dodgers trading for guys like David Price or Cole Hamels, I think it's only a matter of time before we start hearing about upgrading the offense. Why not? The guys I just listed above are either hurt, past their prime, or both. They're certainly not showing any signs of turning things around. Maybe they can, but most likely it wouldn't be anything drastic.
At what point does Ned Colletti decide to bring up young studs like Joc Pederson or Alex Guerrero? They'd clearly add some life to an offense that lacks punch and consistency. I'm sure that would lead to hard feelings if some of the rich boys have to sit, but so be it.
I have all the confidence in the world the Dodgers will make the playoffs. They have a starting rotation that can give them plenty of chances to win. But do they have the offense? That's the part that really concerns me.
Without the big threat on offense to get the job done, then it will be another year without a ring.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Dodgers in no rush to extend Hanley... if at all
Before this season started, it seemed like an absolute certainty that Hanley Ramirez would get a monster contract extension to stay with the Dodgers. When he would ink it was the question.
Now, the question isn't so much if he'll ink it, it's if he'll even sign one at all.
Ten days ago Hanley told FOX Sports' John Morosi that there are no current discussions about extending his contract. On that day, he went 0-for-3 to lower his average to .257 in 4-1 loss to the White Sox.
And there's the problem - Hanley's not hitting, and the Dodgers aren't winning. Not exactly a recipe for rushing out and handing over millions of dollars to someone.
On the season, he's hitting .255 with a .345 OBP, 10 homers, 38 RBIs, and 8 stolen bases. Among his fellow National League shortstops, here's how he ranks in each of those categories, respectfully: 5th (tied), 3rd, 3rd (tied), 3rd, and 4th.
Not bad, but here's how he ranked in those same numbers last season: tied for 2nd in homers, 5th in RBIs, and 6th in steals. He did not receive enough at-bats to qualify for the batting race, but taking that away, his .345 AVG and .402 OBP would've ranked him first in both categories by a long shot.
In other words, he was really good. He only played in roughly half of the games, and wasn't much of a running threat like in the past, but boy could he hit the ball.
Now we're in 2014, and this guy clearly isn't the same. His power numbers aren't too bad, but the ball just isn't leaving his bat with the same amount of force and drive as in the past. That's evident by his 5.4 WAR last season, and 1.2 this year.
And then there's the issue of his defense. Let's just say that he's never been known as the slickest guy with the glove, but he did have a 0.3 Defensive WAR last season, so at least it was in the positive after three straight years in the negative. This year? Back to the negative with a -0.8.
Look, Hanley is no dummy. He looks around his club and sees the bloated contracts from guys like Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Adrian Gonzalez, and Matt Kemp, and he knows he should be right up there with them based on his past numbers. The Dodgers lead baseball with a nearly $239 million payroll, about $30 million more than the second place Yankees. Hanley knows he should get his.
However, I have to give the Dodgers credit for taking the cautious route with this. The guy they see on the field right now is too banged up, too weak with the glove, and too inconsistent at the plate to warrant a lot more years and a lot more money tied up in future payrolls. At some point, enough is enough, and it appears as if the Dodgers are at least looking out for tomorrow instead of just today for a change.
For Hanley, the biggest step isn't so much just being on the field, but being PRODUCTIVE on the field. And that comes with playing at full health. We all saw how much time he missed last season, but when he was healthy and playing, he was at an MVP level. This year he's played in 63 of the team's 68 games, but looks to be about 50% of his normal health. And it shows.
I'm sure he's trying to gut it out and show everyone that he's not just an injury prone player who can't be counted on. But, I think it would do him a lot of good to spend some time on the DL just to make sure his nagging injuries (shoulder, ribs, hamstring) have time to heal. Then he can come back at full strength, or at least close to it, and be the great player that he's capable of being.
I think it's safe to say that there won't be any contract extension during the season. That's the right call to make, as Hanley needs to show he's the superstar he claims to be before the Dodgers really commit to him. I can see this back-and-forth going well into the offseason as well.
With the All-Star break a month away and less than 100 games left in the season, the success of Hanley will be a much talked about news item the rest of the way. I just hope it's for the positive, not the negative.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Hanley embracing the 2-hole
The Dodgers took care of the Reds on Monday night 6-2, the same night the Kings took a commanding 3-0 lead over the Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final. Scott Van Slyke was awesome with two homers, and Jonathan Quick was even better with one spectacular save after another. Not a bad night!
The win makes three of four for the Dodgers, who desperately are trying to find any sort of consistency to make a run at the Giants. One move that's been made by Don Mattingly to do just that was moving Hanley Ramirez to the #2 spot in the lineup four games ago. So far, it's been working. Let's take a look at the numbers:
Dodgers 7, Rockies 2: 2-for-4, BB, 2 RBI, 2 SB
Rockies 5, Dodgers 4 (10 inn.): 0-for-3, 2 BB, SB
Dodgers 6, Rockies 1 (6 inn.): 1-for-2, HR, BB, 2 R, RBI
Dodgers 6, Reds 2: 1-for-4
Totals: 4-for-13, HR, 4 BB, 2 R, 3 RBI, 3 SB
It's not like those numbers are going to wow you, as he still is hitting only .192 in June. But, his OBP has gone up to .385, as evidenced by his four walks of late. He's keeping it simple - swing at strikes, don't swing at balls, and let the guys behind him hit him in.
I never thought I'd be writing about Hanley hitting #2, as he's best suited at #3 or #4 if he's on. But, that's the problem right there - he hasn't been on. In fact, he's looked anything but "on" this season. Give him credit for accepting another spot in the order that's less likely to drive in runs.
Combined with Dee Gordon hitting leadoff and Yasiel Puig in the #3 spot, I think the lineup at the top is finally starting to settle in. Maybe the guys behind him are as well. Matt Kemp is hitting much better in June, and Van Slyke showed how good he can be if given the chance like Monday. The only guy who still stinks is Adrian Gonzalez, who looks as lost as ever. There's a guy who needs to slide down in the lineup, not stay at cleanup.
Even though Hanley has played much better in the #2 spot, I would think if he really does find his swing, then he'll be back in the cleanup spot over time, with Puig staying at #3. For now, it's fun to watch Hanley show his complete game of hitting and running at the top of the lineup. I'm not sure how much longer it'll last, but it's fun while it does.
The win makes three of four for the Dodgers, who desperately are trying to find any sort of consistency to make a run at the Giants. One move that's been made by Don Mattingly to do just that was moving Hanley Ramirez to the #2 spot in the lineup four games ago. So far, it's been working. Let's take a look at the numbers:
Dodgers 7, Rockies 2: 2-for-4, BB, 2 RBI, 2 SB
Rockies 5, Dodgers 4 (10 inn.): 0-for-3, 2 BB, SB
Dodgers 6, Rockies 1 (6 inn.): 1-for-2, HR, BB, 2 R, RBI
Dodgers 6, Reds 2: 1-for-4
Totals: 4-for-13, HR, 4 BB, 2 R, 3 RBI, 3 SB
It's not like those numbers are going to wow you, as he still is hitting only .192 in June. But, his OBP has gone up to .385, as evidenced by his four walks of late. He's keeping it simple - swing at strikes, don't swing at balls, and let the guys behind him hit him in.
I never thought I'd be writing about Hanley hitting #2, as he's best suited at #3 or #4 if he's on. But, that's the problem right there - he hasn't been on. In fact, he's looked anything but "on" this season. Give him credit for accepting another spot in the order that's less likely to drive in runs.
Combined with Dee Gordon hitting leadoff and Yasiel Puig in the #3 spot, I think the lineup at the top is finally starting to settle in. Maybe the guys behind him are as well. Matt Kemp is hitting much better in June, and Van Slyke showed how good he can be if given the chance like Monday. The only guy who still stinks is Adrian Gonzalez, who looks as lost as ever. There's a guy who needs to slide down in the lineup, not stay at cleanup.
Even though Hanley has played much better in the #2 spot, I would think if he really does find his swing, then he'll be back in the cleanup spot over time, with Puig staying at #3. For now, it's fun to watch Hanley show his complete game of hitting and running at the top of the lineup. I'm not sure how much longer it'll last, but it's fun while it does.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Dodgers still searching for offensive consistency
What's the best way to follow up a season high, 12-run explosion?
Apparently by not coming anywhere close to doing it again the next night.
That was the story of the Dodgers on Sunday night, as they were held to a three runs in a 5-3 loss to the Pirates. That handed the Bucs three of four in Dodger Stadium, a place where the Dodgers don't seem to like playing at a whole lot with a 12-17 record.
Zack Greinke was not his normal self, scuffling through six innings of four-run ball. Andrew McCutchen just owned him with a long double and an even longer 435-foot solo homer.
Despite all of that, the biggest culprit, once again, was the sorry offense. Not even the sight of washed up Edinson Volquez could make them put more runs on the board.
Let's take a look at this four-game set. First we'll toss away Saturday's outburst. The other three games (all loses), saw them score 3, 1, and 3 runs. That's about 2.3 runs a game, which makes it hard to beat anyone, even with the great starting pitching.
If you're looking for positive signs from the offense, it's that they somehow scored 139 runs in May, good for third in baseball. The problem is that their runs have come at a pretty uneven rate. Take a look at the last week in May (25-31). They scored 6, 4, 6, 3, 3, 1, and 12 runs. And then yesterday it was back down to 3 runs. It seems like the second they start showing consistency, they then trend the opposite way.
Obviously, it will be hard to win if some of the big guns don't contribute. I've covered this ad nauseam, but here I go again. One day after Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Matt Kemp combined to go 9-for-12 with 8 RBIs, they go 1-for-10 with no RBIs. Lo and behold, one day is an easy win, the next day a close loss.
Right now the Dodgers' offense looks like Yasiel Puig and a bunch of other guys not pulling their weight. Here's my evidence to back that up, looking at Puig and the three others I just mentioned in the month of May:
Puig: .398, 8 HR, 25 RBI
Kemp: .266, 1 HR, 7 RBI
Ramirez: .255, 6 HR, 21 RBI
Gonzalez: .231, 4 HR, 13 RBI
About the only positives, other than Puig, are the high power totals from Hanley, and some decent pop from A-Gon. Kemp... well he hasn't done a damn thing, other than bury a hole for himself deeper and deeper each plate appearance.
One other guy who's cooled off, maybe a bit under the radar, has been Dee Gordon. He was awesome in April by hitting .333, but that went way down in May to .244. In fact, he's only had one multi-hit game in his last 19. That's not exactly getting it done from the leadoff spot.
What Don Mattingly has to hope will happen is a couple of things. One, that Puig will continue to lead the way with his bat and not cool down drastically. Even if he slows down a little, he's still having a great year. Two, that the other four guys I mentioned just plain get more hits. Turning it on and off one game to the next gets them to right about where they are, hovering around .500.
With the starting rotation finally healthy, it's time the offense backs them up some. Getting more guys on base will only help.
Apparently by not coming anywhere close to doing it again the next night.
That was the story of the Dodgers on Sunday night, as they were held to a three runs in a 5-3 loss to the Pirates. That handed the Bucs three of four in Dodger Stadium, a place where the Dodgers don't seem to like playing at a whole lot with a 12-17 record.
Zack Greinke was not his normal self, scuffling through six innings of four-run ball. Andrew McCutchen just owned him with a long double and an even longer 435-foot solo homer.
Despite all of that, the biggest culprit, once again, was the sorry offense. Not even the sight of washed up Edinson Volquez could make them put more runs on the board.
Let's take a look at this four-game set. First we'll toss away Saturday's outburst. The other three games (all loses), saw them score 3, 1, and 3 runs. That's about 2.3 runs a game, which makes it hard to beat anyone, even with the great starting pitching.
If you're looking for positive signs from the offense, it's that they somehow scored 139 runs in May, good for third in baseball. The problem is that their runs have come at a pretty uneven rate. Take a look at the last week in May (25-31). They scored 6, 4, 6, 3, 3, 1, and 12 runs. And then yesterday it was back down to 3 runs. It seems like the second they start showing consistency, they then trend the opposite way.
Obviously, it will be hard to win if some of the big guns don't contribute. I've covered this ad nauseam, but here I go again. One day after Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Matt Kemp combined to go 9-for-12 with 8 RBIs, they go 1-for-10 with no RBIs. Lo and behold, one day is an easy win, the next day a close loss.
Right now the Dodgers' offense looks like Yasiel Puig and a bunch of other guys not pulling their weight. Here's my evidence to back that up, looking at Puig and the three others I just mentioned in the month of May:
Puig: .398, 8 HR, 25 RBI
Kemp: .266, 1 HR, 7 RBI
Ramirez: .255, 6 HR, 21 RBI
Gonzalez: .231, 4 HR, 13 RBI
About the only positives, other than Puig, are the high power totals from Hanley, and some decent pop from A-Gon. Kemp... well he hasn't done a damn thing, other than bury a hole for himself deeper and deeper each plate appearance.
One other guy who's cooled off, maybe a bit under the radar, has been Dee Gordon. He was awesome in April by hitting .333, but that went way down in May to .244. In fact, he's only had one multi-hit game in his last 19. That's not exactly getting it done from the leadoff spot.
What Don Mattingly has to hope will happen is a couple of things. One, that Puig will continue to lead the way with his bat and not cool down drastically. Even if he slows down a little, he's still having a great year. Two, that the other four guys I mentioned just plain get more hits. Turning it on and off one game to the next gets them to right about where they are, hovering around .500.
With the starting rotation finally healthy, it's time the offense backs them up some. Getting more guys on base will only help.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
The NLDS Hanley makes a return
The Dodgers scored early and often against the Pirates on Saturday night, got strong appearances from Hyun-Jin Ryu and Jamey Wright, and MAYBE got the benefit of a few calls (maybe). It all resulted in a 12-2 win, snapping a three-game skid.
But, the biggest story of the night was the guy hitting in the cleanup spot. That was Hanley Ramirez, and a 4-for-4 night with two home runs put him back on the map for the time being.
It's no secret - the Dodgers are a heck of a lot better when HanRam is swinging the bat and mashing the ball. Two games ago he was hitting .245 and looked to be about as lifeless as one could be. In only two games that average has shot up to .265. Of his six hits, two were homers, one was a double, and he's gathered six RBIs (five last night).
All I kept thinking about while watching this game was that this is the version of Hanley we haven't seen since last year's NLDS against the Braves. In those four games, he hit .500 with four doubles, a triple, a homer, four runs, and six RBIs. Quite simply, he was unstoppable. Of course, it would've been nice if he wasn't drilled in the ribs in Game 1 of the NLCS, as he only had two hits that whole series and clearly wasn't the same player.
Fast forward to 2014, and it hasn't been a fun ride to say the least. His defense at short has been so poor that it's been suggested he slide back over to third while Juan Uribe is healing his hamstring injury. The Dodgers could probably live with his mediocrity at short if his bat was doing damage, but up until last night, it hasn't. Sure, he's had a couple of three hit games, including one where he hit two homers against the Giants on April 6. But this season has mostly been a disappointment of one little groundout after another.
What got him going on Saturday night were a couple of hard hit grounder that found room for RBI singles. It was a little lucky, but he'll take it. After that, it was a couple of 412-foot bombs (strangely measured the same exact distance, which seems a little hard to do...) that showed everyone just how good he can be.
If you're Don Mattingly, you keep hitting him at cleanup and hope for the best. It was in June of last year when the Dodgers started to get healthy and play a little bit better before taking off in July. A healthy, confident Hanley can be that guy to lead the way again.
Other thoughts from the game:
* If you're wondering how in the world Jamey Wright can pick up a save in a game where his team jumped up 11-1 after four innings, it's because he went the final three innings in relief. Even I'm not positive what the exact rule is, but I guess no matter what the score, three innings out of the bullpen to finish out a win is a save. So hey, he'll take it.
* The other guy who DESPERATELY needed to get going was Matt Kemp, and he did by going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. He also found some luck like Hanley with hard hit grounders that found spots. He came into this game in a pathetic 0-for-20 slump, so any hit will be a welcome sight.
* Ryu picked up the win with six innings of two-run ball. He gave up 10 hits, which is high, but didn't walk anybody. It's probably a little weird pitching in a game where he's up by so much, because let's face it, it rarely happens. He pitches with leads, but not that big. He improved to 6-2 with a 3.09 ERA and 1.22 WHIP.
* All in all, it was a season high in runs scored. Considering they dropped the first couple of games against the Pirates with four runs total, they have to be very happy about this.
Zack Greinke leads the National League with eight wins, so he'll look to increase that by one on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. He'll be taking on old friend Edinson Volquez, who made a few starts with the Dodgers last year to so-so results.
But, the biggest story of the night was the guy hitting in the cleanup spot. That was Hanley Ramirez, and a 4-for-4 night with two home runs put him back on the map for the time being.
It's no secret - the Dodgers are a heck of a lot better when HanRam is swinging the bat and mashing the ball. Two games ago he was hitting .245 and looked to be about as lifeless as one could be. In only two games that average has shot up to .265. Of his six hits, two were homers, one was a double, and he's gathered six RBIs (five last night).
All I kept thinking about while watching this game was that this is the version of Hanley we haven't seen since last year's NLDS against the Braves. In those four games, he hit .500 with four doubles, a triple, a homer, four runs, and six RBIs. Quite simply, he was unstoppable. Of course, it would've been nice if he wasn't drilled in the ribs in Game 1 of the NLCS, as he only had two hits that whole series and clearly wasn't the same player.
Fast forward to 2014, and it hasn't been a fun ride to say the least. His defense at short has been so poor that it's been suggested he slide back over to third while Juan Uribe is healing his hamstring injury. The Dodgers could probably live with his mediocrity at short if his bat was doing damage, but up until last night, it hasn't. Sure, he's had a couple of three hit games, including one where he hit two homers against the Giants on April 6. But this season has mostly been a disappointment of one little groundout after another.
What got him going on Saturday night were a couple of hard hit grounder that found room for RBI singles. It was a little lucky, but he'll take it. After that, it was a couple of 412-foot bombs (strangely measured the same exact distance, which seems a little hard to do...) that showed everyone just how good he can be.
If you're Don Mattingly, you keep hitting him at cleanup and hope for the best. It was in June of last year when the Dodgers started to get healthy and play a little bit better before taking off in July. A healthy, confident Hanley can be that guy to lead the way again.
Other thoughts from the game:
* If you're wondering how in the world Jamey Wright can pick up a save in a game where his team jumped up 11-1 after four innings, it's because he went the final three innings in relief. Even I'm not positive what the exact rule is, but I guess no matter what the score, three innings out of the bullpen to finish out a win is a save. So hey, he'll take it.
* The other guy who DESPERATELY needed to get going was Matt Kemp, and he did by going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. He also found some luck like Hanley with hard hit grounders that found spots. He came into this game in a pathetic 0-for-20 slump, so any hit will be a welcome sight.
* Ryu picked up the win with six innings of two-run ball. He gave up 10 hits, which is high, but didn't walk anybody. It's probably a little weird pitching in a game where he's up by so much, because let's face it, it rarely happens. He pitches with leads, but not that big. He improved to 6-2 with a 3.09 ERA and 1.22 WHIP.
* All in all, it was a season high in runs scored. Considering they dropped the first couple of games against the Pirates with four runs total, they have to be very happy about this.
Zack Greinke leads the National League with eight wins, so he'll look to increase that by one on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. He'll be taking on old friend Edinson Volquez, who made a few starts with the Dodgers last year to so-so results.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Just when you think the Dodgers are healthy...
They get bitten by the injury bug... again.
This time it's A.J. Ellis, who is back on the 15-day DL with a right ankle sprain. Tim Federowicz is back. Look for Drew Butera, who caught Josh Becket's no-no on Sunday, to get the majority of starts behind the dish.
Currently not on the DL, but not in the lineup against on Monday is Hanley Ramirez, who continues to rest his sore right calf. At least that's what he's saying it is, but it's also feared to be an Achilles' injury. And if you're a sports fan in LA, then you know how dangerous that injury can be (see: Bryant, Kobe). Maybe I'm fearing the worst, but that word makes me shake.
Juan Uribe is the only other Dodger on the 15-day DL right now, as he hurt his hamstring running the bases in New York, and is still about 10 days away from being eligible for activation. I have no idea if that will happen right away, but we should soon find out. Justin Turner and Chone Figgins will continue to man the hot corner.
At least the starting rotation is fully healthy, as Hyun-Jin Ryu makes his second start on Monday against the Reds after missing nearly a month with left shoulder inflammation.
This time it's A.J. Ellis, who is back on the 15-day DL with a right ankle sprain. Tim Federowicz is back. Look for Drew Butera, who caught Josh Becket's no-no on Sunday, to get the majority of starts behind the dish.
Currently not on the DL, but not in the lineup against on Monday is Hanley Ramirez, who continues to rest his sore right calf. At least that's what he's saying it is, but it's also feared to be an Achilles' injury. And if you're a sports fan in LA, then you know how dangerous that injury can be (see: Bryant, Kobe). Maybe I'm fearing the worst, but that word makes me shake.
Juan Uribe is the only other Dodger on the 15-day DL right now, as he hurt his hamstring running the bases in New York, and is still about 10 days away from being eligible for activation. I have no idea if that will happen right away, but we should soon find out. Justin Turner and Chone Figgins will continue to man the hot corner.
At least the starting rotation is fully healthy, as Hyun-Jin Ryu makes his second start on Monday against the Reds after missing nearly a month with left shoulder inflammation.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Dodgers have a Southpaw problem
Yesterday I wrote about the Dodgers' continual problems with defense, as evidenced by their 5-3 loss to the Phillies on Saturday in which four of those runs could've easily been avoided with better D.
Then I remembered a comment made during the game by either Charlie Steiner or Orel Hershiser (forgive me, I forgot which one), and that's their inability to hit left-handed pitchers. So I checked the stats. Boy were they not kidding.
Coming into today's games, the Dodgers are dead last in all of baseball with a .217 average against lefties. Ouch.
Here's a look at how some of the key left-handed hitters are doing against Southpaws:
Andre Ethier: 4-for-22, .182
Adrian Gonzalez: 11-for-59, .186
Dee Gordon: 8-for-41, .195
Carl Crawford: 5-for-24, .208
Totals: 28-for-146, .192
And now, here's a look a some of the key right-handed hitters:
Matt Kemp: 8-for-51, .157
Juan Uribe: 6-for-32, .188
Justin Turner: 8-for-37, .216
Hanley Ramirez: 9-for-39, .231
Scott Van Slyke: 11-for-35, .314
Yasiel Puig: 14-for-41, .341
Totals: 56-for-235, .238
Team Totals Overall: 99-for-457, .217
For some guys, this is surprising. A-Gon is obviously better against righties, but also has a career .276 average against lefties. Kemp has long pounded lefties for a .333 average. Hanley is at .306.
For others, it's not a surprise. Ethier has been saddled his whole career with the stigma of not hitting lefties (.234), and he's once again proving why he can't quite be considered an everyday player with numbers that pathetic. Crawford (.258) and Gordon (.216) also are much worse against lefties.
The bottom line is everyone on here, with the exception of Puig and Van Slyke, has to perform more to their career averages against Southpaws. Not only are most of these numbers down, but in some cases, not even on the same planet as to where they've been in the past.
There's really no excuse for guys like Kemp and Hanley to continue to look so lost against lefties. They've both feasted on these types of pitchers in their careers, and now is the time to step up and perform to that level again. If not, then expect the rest of the National League to load up on lefties whenever they play the Dodgers. The numbers prove it works.
Then I remembered a comment made during the game by either Charlie Steiner or Orel Hershiser (forgive me, I forgot which one), and that's their inability to hit left-handed pitchers. So I checked the stats. Boy were they not kidding.
Coming into today's games, the Dodgers are dead last in all of baseball with a .217 average against lefties. Ouch.
Here's a look at how some of the key left-handed hitters are doing against Southpaws:
Andre Ethier: 4-for-22, .182
Adrian Gonzalez: 11-for-59, .186
Dee Gordon: 8-for-41, .195
Carl Crawford: 5-for-24, .208
Totals: 28-for-146, .192
And now, here's a look a some of the key right-handed hitters:
Matt Kemp: 8-for-51, .157
Juan Uribe: 6-for-32, .188
Justin Turner: 8-for-37, .216
Hanley Ramirez: 9-for-39, .231
Scott Van Slyke: 11-for-35, .314
Yasiel Puig: 14-for-41, .341
Totals: 56-for-235, .238
Team Totals Overall: 99-for-457, .217
For some guys, this is surprising. A-Gon is obviously better against righties, but also has a career .276 average against lefties. Kemp has long pounded lefties for a .333 average. Hanley is at .306.
For others, it's not a surprise. Ethier has been saddled his whole career with the stigma of not hitting lefties (.234), and he's once again proving why he can't quite be considered an everyday player with numbers that pathetic. Crawford (.258) and Gordon (.216) also are much worse against lefties.
The bottom line is everyone on here, with the exception of Puig and Van Slyke, has to perform more to their career averages against Southpaws. Not only are most of these numbers down, but in some cases, not even on the same planet as to where they've been in the past.
There's really no excuse for guys like Kemp and Hanley to continue to look so lost against lefties. They've both feasted on these types of pitchers in their careers, and now is the time to step up and perform to that level again. If not, then expect the rest of the National League to load up on lefties whenever they play the Dodgers. The numbers prove it works.
Friday, May 2, 2014
If Kemp and Hanley don't hit, then forget it
The road weary Dodgers dropped the first game in Miami on Friday night 6-3. It was only a 2-0 game heading into the bottom of the seventh when the Marlins scored four. The Dodgers somewhat woke up with a few late runs, but it wasn't enough.
I'm not surprised about this result, as you can understand the Dodgers being tired from their long day in Minnesota on Thursday. At least that resulted in two wins.
Regardless, even with the lack of sleep, one thing became more than obvious to me in watching this: the Dodgers are heading nowhere if Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez don't hit. They can still win games, but you can forget about a World Series run. That's how valuable they are.
Last season the Dodgers came withing two games of playing for a championship, and that was with Kemp on crutches and Ramirez practically useless from being beaned in the ribs during Game 1 of the NLCS. So, the talent is obviously there from the guys around them to at least compete.
But, "compete" and "contend" are two different things. In order to contend, these two guys should be right in the heart of the order doing damage. Tonight Ramirez went 0-for-4, lowering his average 10 points to .261. He's actually hit safely in 8 of his last 10 games, but is in a 3-for-18 slide after peaking at .280.
Kemp didn't start, but did pinch-hit against the left-handed Mike Dunn, who entered this game with a 6.17 ERA. The result? Kemp struck out with a runner on to end the eighth. He now has 28 strikeouts in 24 games and is hitting .205.
Nearly a month ago, both of these guys hit two home runs in the same game on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball to beat the Giants. It sure looked like at the time they were ready to go on a run. That just hasn't happened.
So why hasn't it happened? There could be a couple of reasons in particular. You always have to start with the injury factor with these two. Ramirez was beaned in the hand two weeks ago, and clearly hasn't been the same since then. Kemp has an injured... everything, at least at some point or another. I don't think either one will ever by 100% again, but maybe they're hurt worse than they're letting on right now.
The second issue, fair or not, is the contract situations. Kemp has his, but ever since he extended a couple years back, it's been more time sitting and watching than playing MVP-type baseball. Ramirez wants his, but the early lack of pop in his bat combined with mediocre defense at short leaves even the cash happy Dodgers a little leery of giving a huge extension. Any player in his contract year feels the pressure, and Ramirez maybe even more so.
Perhaps the Dodgers only need one of these two to get hot, as they showed last season that winning the division and in the playoffs can be done that way. However, just the mere thought of having two big bats in the lineup makes this team so much deadlier. They've done it before, now we need to see if they can do it again.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Dead spots in the order
The Dodgers are off on Monday as they fly to Minnesota to prepare for a three-game set against the Twins. Even though the Twins have horrible pitching, their offense has been surprisingly good with the fourth most runs in baseball. As a result, they're only one game in back of the AL Central leading Tigers.
Lately the Dodgers have been spinning their wheels at the plate for a variety reasons. Here I'll take a look at three spots in the order that have been holding this team back. I'll give a stat, and in (parenthesis) I'll list their ranking in the 15-team National League.
#2 - 13 R (7), 42 TB* (5), 12 RBI (3), .229 AVG (13), .294 OBP (11)
* Total Bases
Some of the power has been there thanks for Yasiel Puig, but the overall averages are way too low. Carl Crawford and Justin Turner have played most there behind Puig and have been awful. This is exactly why I like Puig in back of Dee Gordon at the top. Puig can give you an instant big hit, and even if he doesn't, he's not nearly as dead at the plate as Crawford and Turner.
#3 - 14 R (7), 48 TB (8), 10 RBI (12), .260 AVG (11), .336 OBP (9)
This is the spot that has belonged to Hanley Ramirez for nearly every game. While he hasn't been terrible, he hasn't lit the world on fire like he's capable of. Then again, he did suffer a thumb injury recently, and whether he wants to admit it or not, it's definitely affected his play. The result has been a lot of ground balls and not much else. He should be hitting third, but not if he can barely grip a bat.
#8 - 6 R (14), 23 TB (14), 4 RBI (13), .204 AVG (11), .275 OBP (12)
There have been a variety of players in this spot, led by Tim Federowicz and his blistering .119 average in this spot. The other two catchers, A.J. Ellis and Drew Butera, are both under .200 as well. Coming into this season, I thought the Dodgers would use Gordon here, but because of injuries and his hot bat, that hasn't been the case. Either way, the Dodgers either need to trade for a better hitting catcher, or just pray that Ellis returns healthy and can start to rake.
Spots that have been good are leadoff and cleanup thanks to the success of Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez. So it's not like everything has been off.
It's probably a good time to remind everyone that the Dodgers have only played 26 of their 162 games this season, so it's not like these three spots listed above will stay low all season. If you want further proof, then go back to last season around the end of June and look at the next two months. You'll see how quickly things can turn around when the bats get hot.
But then again, if the bats don't get hot, then the pitching will have to post a whole lot of zeros for this team to get back into the postseason.
Lately the Dodgers have been spinning their wheels at the plate for a variety reasons. Here I'll take a look at three spots in the order that have been holding this team back. I'll give a stat, and in (parenthesis) I'll list their ranking in the 15-team National League.
#2 - 13 R (7), 42 TB* (5), 12 RBI (3), .229 AVG (13), .294 OBP (11)
* Total Bases
Some of the power has been there thanks for Yasiel Puig, but the overall averages are way too low. Carl Crawford and Justin Turner have played most there behind Puig and have been awful. This is exactly why I like Puig in back of Dee Gordon at the top. Puig can give you an instant big hit, and even if he doesn't, he's not nearly as dead at the plate as Crawford and Turner.
#3 - 14 R (7), 48 TB (8), 10 RBI (12), .260 AVG (11), .336 OBP (9)
This is the spot that has belonged to Hanley Ramirez for nearly every game. While he hasn't been terrible, he hasn't lit the world on fire like he's capable of. Then again, he did suffer a thumb injury recently, and whether he wants to admit it or not, it's definitely affected his play. The result has been a lot of ground balls and not much else. He should be hitting third, but not if he can barely grip a bat.
#8 - 6 R (14), 23 TB (14), 4 RBI (13), .204 AVG (11), .275 OBP (12)
There have been a variety of players in this spot, led by Tim Federowicz and his blistering .119 average in this spot. The other two catchers, A.J. Ellis and Drew Butera, are both under .200 as well. Coming into this season, I thought the Dodgers would use Gordon here, but because of injuries and his hot bat, that hasn't been the case. Either way, the Dodgers either need to trade for a better hitting catcher, or just pray that Ellis returns healthy and can start to rake.
Spots that have been good are leadoff and cleanup thanks to the success of Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez. So it's not like everything has been off.
It's probably a good time to remind everyone that the Dodgers have only played 26 of their 162 games this season, so it's not like these three spots listed above will stay low all season. If you want further proof, then go back to last season around the end of June and look at the next two months. You'll see how quickly things can turn around when the bats get hot.
But then again, if the bats don't get hot, then the pitching will have to post a whole lot of zeros for this team to get back into the postseason.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Signing Arruebarrena sends a message
The Dodgers have officially inked Cuban shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena to a five-year, $25 million deal on Saturday, with a $7.5 million signing bonus. He's still in the Dominican Republic working on getting his visa, then is expected to start the season somewhere in the minors.
After that? It's full speed ahead in LA and into the future.
Ned Colletti made no bones about it - he sees Arruebarrena as the starting shortstop of the future. The praise for his defense has been high, and he also brings some pop with his bat. It's acknowledged that his offense does need some work, but they're hoping he can hold his own at the Major League level while providing great defense up the middle.
So, what's the message that is being sent? It pertains to Hanley Ramirez. He needs to prove he can stay healthy over the full course of a season in order to get the extension he's looking for, and he needs to be willing to move to third in a year or two.
As great as Ramirez has been since becoming a Dodger towards the end of 2012, he definitely has had his injury issues (thumb, hamstring, back, ribs...). I can certainly understand his desire to get a huge deal worked out, but from the Dodgers' point of view, that will only happen if he spends more time on the diamond and less in the trainer's room.
Juan Uribe is currently etched in at third for the next two seasons, but that doesn't mean it will stay that way. Suppose Uribe goes back to his old ways of... well, doing a big pile of nothing. Then it's not out of the question to see Ramirez slide over to third, while Arruebarrena becomes the everyday shortstop.
If Colletti is serious about promoting Arruebarrena to the big club sometime in 2014, then his signing is also a message to Uribe, so has been benched plenty of times in the past. Is it possible to see an all international infield of Ramirez, Arreubarrena, Alexander Guerrero, and Adrian Gonzalez starting in the playoffs? It certainly could be.
On a side note, in order to make this signing official, someone had to be the odd man out on the 40-man roster. That guy is Justin Sellers, who went from starting shortstop in 2013 to DFA'd a year later. Ouch. Unfortunately, it's really not a surprise. He simply never showed an ability to hit Major League pitching, so it's the right call.
After that? It's full speed ahead in LA and into the future.
Ned Colletti made no bones about it - he sees Arruebarrena as the starting shortstop of the future. The praise for his defense has been high, and he also brings some pop with his bat. It's acknowledged that his offense does need some work, but they're hoping he can hold his own at the Major League level while providing great defense up the middle.
So, what's the message that is being sent? It pertains to Hanley Ramirez. He needs to prove he can stay healthy over the full course of a season in order to get the extension he's looking for, and he needs to be willing to move to third in a year or two.
As great as Ramirez has been since becoming a Dodger towards the end of 2012, he definitely has had his injury issues (thumb, hamstring, back, ribs...). I can certainly understand his desire to get a huge deal worked out, but from the Dodgers' point of view, that will only happen if he spends more time on the diamond and less in the trainer's room.
Juan Uribe is currently etched in at third for the next two seasons, but that doesn't mean it will stay that way. Suppose Uribe goes back to his old ways of... well, doing a big pile of nothing. Then it's not out of the question to see Ramirez slide over to third, while Arruebarrena becomes the everyday shortstop.
If Colletti is serious about promoting Arruebarrena to the big club sometime in 2014, then his signing is also a message to Uribe, so has been benched plenty of times in the past. Is it possible to see an all international infield of Ramirez, Arreubarrena, Alexander Guerrero, and Adrian Gonzalez starting in the playoffs? It certainly could be.
On a side note, in order to make this signing official, someone had to be the odd man out on the 40-man roster. That guy is Justin Sellers, who went from starting shortstop in 2013 to DFA'd a year later. Ouch. Unfortunately, it's really not a surprise. He simply never showed an ability to hit Major League pitching, so it's the right call.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)