2015-2016 offseason thread

[duke1861]

What positions need to be addressed and what players do we target. Obviously we have the following holes given players electing free agency or ofting out.

2nd Base
#2 Starter
Bullpen arms

We need to get the rotation set and we need to address the set up man role and 7th inning arm. I still am not comfortable with the outfield situation as we have some tough decisions to make. It will be interesting to see the approach the team takes this offseason. I see some trades and depth signings this offseason for sure. Here is what we know
Catcher = Grandal
1st = AGone
SS = Seager
3rd = Turner
RF = Puig

That leaves 2nd, CF and LF still in the air. Rotation wise we have:

Kershaw
Ryu
McCarthy (June 2016)
Wood

Bullpen wise, I am not sure what we have. I would like to see at least two reliable arms added for sure.

From a minors standpoint, I am not sure any players are ready yet. Urias and De Leon are at least a year away and Verdugo, Bellinger and Holmes are two to three years away. Peraza is probably ready but I am not sure. Cotton might be ready for next year as well as Anderson if he converts to reliever.

Obviously we need to target Greinke and I would think Kendrick in bringing back. Outside of that, I am not sure what names are out there that we should target.

Thoughts?

 

[OutlawImmortal]

Resign Kendrick, Greinke. Try to trade Ethier and/or Crawford. Try to sign a top free agent pitcher to add to the rotation.

CF- Pederson
LF- Hernandez

Try to sign a couple solid bullpen arms and the Dodgers will have improved.

 

[Smed55]

Resign Kendrick, Greinke. Try to trade Ethier and/or Crawford. Try to sign a top free agent pitcher to add to the rotation.

CF- Pederson
LF- Hernandez

Try to sign a couple solid bullpen arms and the Dodgers will have improved.

Yes Pederson needs to figure it out and CF should be solid for years, I personally don't think Grienke is coming back, I would think that he would want the big money and be the ace for another team! If that is the case we have a huge hole in our starting pitching!

 

[Villain]

Bring in Jason Heyward and David Price please.

 

[Smed55]

We missed having a legitimate leadoff hitter all year!

Sure would be nice to have someone like, oh I don't know, say Dee Gordan! Great leadoff hitter who lead the league in hitting, on top of winning a gold glove!

 

[Villain]

Always helpful: Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Dodgers

 

[Villain]

 

[Smed55]

Yes Pederson needs to figure it out and CF should be solid for years, I personally don't think Grienke is coming back, I would think that he would want the big money and be the ace for another team! If that is the case we have a huge hole in our starting pitching!

Hmmm, imagine that?

 

[Villain]

Well that Chapman business really dumped some poop into everyone's cereal, didn't it?

 

[LASports96]

Well that Chapman business really dumped some poop into everyone's cereal, didn't it?

I'm pretty butthurt I must admit. I'm a huge Chapman fan and a Chapman/Kenley back end would've been amazing. In fact I still would be open to re doing the trade if he gets cleared here soon.

 

[trojanfan12]

This off season isn't looking too good so far. I don't care about losing Greinke, for the number of years and money that he wanted, it wasn't worth it. He's 32 and already is only good for 6-7 innings per outing. Granted, it's a Cy Young level 6-7 innings, but how long before age catches up?

Was really hoping they'd be able to land some bullpen help and another starting pitcher though. It can still happen, but pickings are getting slim.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

This off season isn't looking too good so far. I don't care about losing Greinke, for the number of years and money that he wanted, it wasn't worth it. He's 32 and already is only good for 6-7 innings per outing. Granted, it's a Cy Young level 6-7 innings, but how long before age catches up?

Was really hoping they'd be able to land some bullpen help and another starting pitcher though. It can still happen, but pickings are getting slim.

Outside of a horrific postseason for Baez, the bullpen was pretty solid overall. Don't think we're that hard up for relief pitching, in my opinion. We could use another starter to hold us over until Ryu and McCarthy are back.

 

[trojanfan12]

Outside of a horrific postseason for Baez, the bullpen was pretty solid overall. Don't think we're that hard up for relief pitching, in my opinion. We could use another starter to hold us over until Ryu and McCarthy are back.

I don't know man. I haven't felt comfortable with anyone in the bullpen outside of Jansen for the past couple of seasons. Just seemed like anytime they needed a bridge between the starter and Jansen, it was iffy at best and always seemed like they were flirting with disaster. Some of those guys looked like Charlie Brown out there.

I will say though, that I put some of that on Mattingly. I didn't feel like he was ever set on a bullpen rotation, so no one ever got to establish a role outside of Jansen being the closer. The question though is, was it a problem because the players just weren't good enough to earn his trust?

I'm wondering if waiting on Ryu and McCarthy was the true end game and they really wanted to just shore up the bullpen. Getting Chapman (which would have been great) blew up when the domestic violence thing came up and the Dodgers hit the brakes on that one.

 

[Villain]

They could still get Chapman. They could still get a lot of players. It's still December.

 

[Smed55]

I don't know man. I haven't felt comfortable with anyone in the bullpen outside of Jansen for the past couple of seasons. Just seemed like anytime they needed a bridge between the starter and Jansen, it was iffy at best and always seemed like they were flirting with disaster. Some of those guys looked like Charlie Brown out there.

I will say though, that I put some of that on Mattingly. I didn't feel like he was ever set on a bullpen rotation, so no one ever got to establish a role outside of Jansen being the closer. The question though is, was it a problem because the players just weren't good enough to earn his trust?

I'm wondering if waiting on Ryu and McCarthy was the true end game and they really wanted to just shore up the bullpen. Getting Chapman (which would have been great) blew up when the domestic violence thing came up and the Dodgers hit the brakes on that one.

Getting Chapman would have caused problems in the closer role! You cant have two of the best closers in baseball "sharing" the closing duties, one or the other would get butt hurt! Im fine with Jansen, maybe Chapman was going to be a trade piece? The dodgers would be foolish to pursue Chapman with a possible suspension hanging over his head?

I think our bullpen was a little better toward the end of the season, and as you said, I think Mattingly didn't manage the BP very well?

 

[trojanfan12]

Getting Chapman would have caused problems in the closer role! You cant have two of the best closers in baseball "sharing" the closing duties, one or the other would get butt hurt! Im fine with Jansen, maybe Chapman was going to be a trade piece? The dodgers would be foolish to pursue Chapman with a possible suspension hanging over his head?

I think our bullpen was a little better toward the end of the season, and as you said, I think Mattingly didn't manage the BP very well?

It definitely would have required an understanding between Chapman and Jansen that they'd share the duties. If it didn't work out, then one or the other could have been trade bait.

I agree re: the possible suspension and I'm sure that's why they are no longer pursuing him. As for the bullpen, I was never comfortable with anyone but Jansen over the past couple of seasons.

I agree they showed some improvement towards the end of the season and I think it coincided with Mattingly finally using the bullpen where guys knew their roles a little better. But I'm still not sold on the bullpen.

I did think though that there were too many times where a guy would be pitching well, but then Mattingly wouldn't send him back out and the next guy would get shelled. Maybe Roberts allows guys to settle into their roles, they'll perform better.

The problem though, is that if Mattingly wasn't the issue, then the bullpen is going to be in trouble and the Dodgers will have to try to improve it on the fly.

 

[trojanfan12]

They could still get Chapman. They could still get a lot of players. It's still December.

I don't know. Seems like a lot of the guys who could help the most (or at least the "big ticket" guys) are gone already.

Gotta say, it feels weird talking about pitching being a possible issue for the Dodgers. I've been a fan for 45+ years and can't recall very many times where pitching was a concern.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

It definitely would have required an understanding between Chapman and Jansen that they'd share the duties. If it didn't work out, then one or the other could have been trade bait.

I agree re: the possible suspension and I'm sure that's why they are no longer pursuing him. As for the bullpen, I was never comfortable with anyone but Jansen over the past couple of seasons.

I agree they showed some improvement towards the end of the season and I think it coincided with Mattingly finally using the bullpen where guys knew their roles a little better. But I'm still not sold on the bullpen.

I did think though that there were too many times where a guy would be pitching well, but then Mattingly wouldn't send him back out and the next guy would get shelled. Maybe Roberts allows guys to settle into their roles, they'll perform better.

The problem though, is that if Mattingly wasn't the issue, then the bullpen is going to be in trouble and the Dodgers will have to try to improve it on the fly.

They aren't really well known names but the really well known names don't always work out or live up to their expectations. Friedman and the rest in the front office have done a really good job of going into the bargain bin and finding cheap serviceable gems. That's where my confidence comes from when talking about the team. These guys haven't been perfect, but they've been pretty damn good so far. Greinke was overpriced and I hear the Dodgers weren't sold on Cueto due to a flexor issue he has. Gone are the days of Colleti where he would just spend and spend on well known commodities. This group doesn't make hasty decisions. They turned down Iwakuma after a failed physical and they backed off Chapman after his issues came to light, which were pretty serious.

 

[trojanfan12]

They aren't really well known names but the really well known names don't always work out or live up to their expectations. Friedman and the rest in the front office have done a really good job of going into the bargain bin and finding cheap serviceable gems. That's where my confidence comes from when talking about the team. These guys haven't been perfect, but they've been pretty damn good so far. Greinke was overpriced and I hear the Dodgers weren't sold on Cueto due to a flexor issue he has. Gone are the days of Colleti where he would just spend and spend on well known commodities. This group doesn't make hasty decisions. They turned down Iwakuma after a failed physical and they backed off Chapman after his issues came to light, which were pretty serious.

Yeah, I agree. I had no problem with losing Greinke. As I posted earlier, he's 32, only good for about 6-7 innings and wanted a long term (6 years?) deal. It's pretty unlikely that he's going to start pitching 7-8 innings like Kershaw does, this late in his career. I really liked him, but he just wasn't worth his asking price, imo.

I trust the FO for the most part. I especially like that they are getting the farm system back in order. That used to be what the Dodgers were known for. When they would lose a guy, they always seemed to have the next guy ready to go, plus they had bargaining chips for trades. I'd love to see them get back to that.

 

[Silas]

I think the Dodgers have had some bad luck, but I'm optimistic the club will be pretty squared away come April. Don't think the FO is going to war with what they have right now and I think they've been sensible in what they haven't done. Expecting some sort nice moves over the next 30 days.