SAN FRANCISCO — The “Dodgers are ruining baseball” discourse that dominated final winter included pleas for a wage cap from the homeowners of the Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Congratulations, gents, your groups are in final place. For you, the Dodgers are a useful scapegoat.
However the discourse additionally included this take from the proprietor of the New York Yankees: “It’s difficult for most of us owners to be able to do the kind of things that they’re doing,” Hal Steinbrenner advised the YES Community. “We’ll see if it pays off.”
Thus far, it has not paid off.
The Dodgers will make the playoffs, however the assortment of gamers they purchased to fortify their World Collection title protection has fallen far wanting expectations.
What occurs in October may decide whether or not the spending spree that so aggravated rival homeowners may as an alternative be remembered as Andrew Friedman’s horrible, horrible, no good, very unhealthy winter.
Tanner Scott stood in entrance of his locker late Friday evening, on the newest low level in a depressing season. He had simply given up a game-winning grand slam to a good-fielding catcher who walked to the plate batting .217.
Scott, the Dodgers’ $72-million nearer, has an earned-run common of 5.01. He has pitched half as many innings as Clayton Kershaw and given up 4 extra dwelling runs.
“It’s terrible,” Scott stated. “I’m having the worst year of my life. I’ve got to be better.”
It’s not simply him. As an entire, the Dodgers’ signing class of 2024-25 needs to be higher.
After spending a billion {dollars} within the winter of 2023-24, the Dodgers dropped an encore price half a billion on the remainder of the league final winter.
Of 11 key gamers that signed new contracts to stick with the Dodgers or free-agent contracts to hitch them, none have a WAR of even 2, in keeping with Baseball-Reference.com. The Angels final winter signed two free brokers with the next WAR than any of these Dodgers signees: beginning pitcher Yusei Kikuchi and nearer Kenley Jansen.
Dodgers nearer Tanner Scott, foreground, watches a game-wining grand slam hit by the Giants’ Patrick Bailey (background).
(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Related Press)
Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, respectfully declined to overview his offseason.
“We’ll wait until after the season,” he stated. “All we’re focused on is these next few games and October.”
Probably the most invaluable of the winter signees by WAR, in keeping with Baseball-Reference.com: Hyeseong Kim, whom the Dodgers have bounced uneasily between the infield and the outfield, between the beginning lineup and the bench, between the key leagues and minor leagues.
Then comes Kershaw, who ought to prime 100 innings on Saturday. The one Dodgers pitcher to throw extra innings: Yoshinobu Yamamato.
When Friedman stated he believed in his gamers, it was not simply an compulsory quote. He actually did. He believed in them a lot that the Dodgers’ solely additions on the commerce deadline have been a backup outfielder and a setup man.
Past Kershaw, the Dodgers’ pitching signees final winter included Scott, Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Blake Treinen and Kirby Yates. It’s troublesome to examine the Dodgers together with all of them on a postseason roster, and never simply because Sasaki nonetheless is working his method again from damage.
“From a pitching standpoint, we have a very realistic chance to have the most talented 13-man pitching staff we’ve ever had,” Friedman stated. “We felt that way in July, coupled with that we were most likely — well, hopefully — going to be in position to have tough conversations with guys who have a legitimate chance to make it, but wouldn’t.”
He wouldn’t say which 13 pitchers he had in thoughts, and in equity that might change with the following damage.
“You could take any collection of them,” Friedman stated. “I’m just saying that, when we submit our playoff roster, I think those 13 arms will be the most talented — stuff, execution, talent, differing looks, right-left. I just think it will be the deepest, best staff we’ve had.”
Past Kim, the Dodgers’ place participant signees final winter included infielder-outfielders Tommy Edman and Kike’ Hernandez and outfielders Michael Conforto and Teoscar Hernandez.
Edman and Kike’ Hernandez spent a lot of the season on the injured record. Teoscar Hernandez fell from a 4 WAR participant final yr — when his one-year contract appeared sensible — to a 1 WAR participant this yr.
Conforto homered Friday for the Dodgers’ solely run. Nonetheless, of the 191 gamers with not less than 400 plate appearances getting into play Friday, he had the bottom WAR.
“On the position player side, our with and without [Max] Muncy numbers are crazy,” Friedman stated. “He’s a huge part of our lineup. But, even with that, the level of our offensive performance for two months is something that I would have said would have been an impossibility, even with an injury here or an injury there. What I thought wasn’t possible has been very possible, and has played out.
Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy reacts after being hit by a pitch during the eighth inning Friday.
(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
“Looking back, it has contributed to the situation we’re in right now, and the difficulties. I still look ahead and see the names in the lineup, and the depth, and feel really good about it. So we’re going to find out if that’s right or not.”
Throughout Muncy’s first stint on the injured record this season, the Dodgers ranked final within the majors in runs. Throughout his second stint, they ranked next-to-last within the Nationwide League.
It didn’t really feel good for the Dodgers when Muncy was pressured from Friday’s sport after a pitch hit him on the forearm. Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated X-rays have been detrimental, and the group will see how he’s Saturday.
Friedman assembled a championship roster final yr, his second in 5 years, so possibly this previous winter will rely as an costly blip.
Or, maybe, not even that.
The Dodgers rely October as a part of their schedule. They haven’t missed the playoffs in 13 years. Beneath Friedman, they’ve superior to the World Collection with a 92-win group and didn’t get out of the primary spherical with a 111-win group.
October is what issues, regardless of how poorly a participant may need carried out within the common season.
Of the Dodgers that threw not less than 60 innings final season, the one with the very best earned-run common made the ultimate pitch of the yr. Of all of the issues that Los Angeles remembers about Walker Buehler final yr, his 5.38 ERA isn’t one in every of them.
