Hello, and welcome to a different version of Dodgers Dugout. My title is Houston Mitchell, and what is going to the Dodgers do on the commerce deadline?
The commerce deadline is Tuesday, and except you’ve been off the planet the final week, many of the hypothesis facilities on the place Juan Soto of the Nationals will find yourself. Oddsmakers on Tuesday made the San Diego Padres the favorites to get him, adopted by the Dodgers, Cardinals and Mets. Soto reportedly turned down a 15-year, $440-million extension supply by Washington, which later introduced it might hearken to commerce provides for him. After all, Soto stays below workforce management for a pair extra seasons, so the Nationals don’t should commerce him this 12 months, however the common consensus is they'll.
Earlier than we discuss in regards to the Dodgers buying Soto, let’s take a look at what makes him such a giant deal.
Soto got here up as a 19-year-old in 2018 and hit .292/.406/.517 with 25 doubles and 22 homers in 116 video games, ending second in rookie-of-the-year voting to Ronald Acuna Jr. of Atlanta (Walker Buehler completed third).
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Since then:
2019: .282/.401/.548, 142 OPS+, 34 homers, 110 RBIs, ninth in MVP voting, hit three residence runs within the World Sequence, which Washington received.
2020: .351/.490/.695, 217 OPS+, led the league in batting, on-base share and slugging. 13 homers in 47 video games (60-game season), fifth in MVP voting
2021: .313/.465/.534, 177 OPS+, led league in OBP and walks (145). Had 29 homers, 95 RBIs. Completed second in MVP voting
2022: .248/.404/.491, 158 OPS+. Leads league in walks (83). On tempo for 33 homers, 74 RBIs.
Profession: .292/.427/.540, 159 OPS+
Because the begin of the 2018 season, listed here are the gamers with one of the best OPS+ (minimal 1,500 plate appearances):
1. Mike Trout, 184
2. Juan Soto, 159
3. Aaron Choose, 154
4. Bryce Harper, 149
5. Mookie Betts, 147
6. Freddie Freeman, 144
7. Paul Goldschmidt, 143
8. José Ramírez, 141
9. Christian Yelich, 140
10. Alex Bregman, 140
11. Pete Alonso, 140
Others of be aware:
14. Shohei Ohtani, 137
26. Justin Turner, 128
27. Max Muncy, 128
30. Corey Seager, 127
35. Trea Turner 126
As traditional, Mike Trout is on a distinct stage than everybody else, however Soto is second. And if the Dodgers get him, they might have three of the highest six offensive gamers during the last 5 seasons.
Any workforce would like to have Soto. However is he definitely worth the worth? The Nationals, in accordance with studies, are asking for 4 or 5 high younger prospects. Which means the Dodgers must hand over no less than a few the next: Diego Cartaya, Dustin Could, Bobby Miller, Andy Pages, Miguel Vargas, Michael Busch or Ryan Pepiot. Actually, they might most likely have to surrender three of their high 10 prospects and a few others.
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo stated on a Washington radio station Tuesday that, regardless of rampant hypothesis, the Nationals received’t demand a workforce tackle the contract of struggling pitcher Patrick Corbin in a deal for Soto.
“We’ve by no means contacted groups and talked about Juan Soto and attaching any contract to any participant,” Rizzo stated. “We’re not going to dilute a return for any participant by including a nasty contract. That’s not the place we’re at in our group at the moment. We need to get essentially the most for each commerce that we do, so we definitely aren't going to tack on anyone’s contract to anyone’s deal, together with Juan Soto’s or Josh Bell’s or anyone.”
So, are the Dodgers prepared to raid their farm system to get Soto, who wouldn't be eligible free of charge company till after the 2024 season? They may put him in proper area and transfer Betts to middle, benching Cody Bellinger. They may put him in left and have an outfield of Soto, Bellinger and Betts.
The query is, does Soto fill a necessity for the Dodgers, or is he so good, it doesn’t matter if he fills a necessity or not, you simply get him anyway? The Dodgers have already got an important offense, although this might make it even higher. It seemingly would imply fewer at bats for Bellinger and Max Muncy. It could imply fewer at-bats for Trayce Thompson and Jake Lamb, who've been unlikely contributors.
The guess is the Dodgers don't get Soto. The asking worth will simply be too excessive. Nevertheless, the one factor we now have realized within the Andrew Friedman period is that you simply by no means can safely predict what he'll do.
Right here’s the query for you although. Ought to the Dodgers purchase Soto, even when it means buying and selling away three to 5 high prospects? Click on right here to vote.
Who else is obtainable?
So, if the Dodgers don’t get Soto, who's on the market? Listed here are a number of the high names (a few of whom may have been traded by the point you learn this):
Hitters
Willson Contreras, C, Cubs: The Dodgers actually don’t want a catcher, however with the NL now having a DH, nothing is inconceivable.
Brandon Drury, INF/OF, Reds: Cincinnati’s greatest hitter this season, he's batting .268/.329/.512 with 19 homers whereas enjoying first, second, third, brief and proper.
J.D. Martinez, DH, Crimson Sox: He's hitting .295/.363/.471 and is within the ultimate season of his contract.
Beginning pitchers
Frankie Montas, RHP, Athletics: As soon as upon a time he was a Dodgers prospect who was traded to Oakland for Wealthy Hill. Now he’s a strong starter who obtained Cy Younger votes final season and strikes out greater than a batter an inning.
Luis Castillo, RHP, Reds: In all probability one of the best beginning pitcher out there, Castillo has a 2.86 ERA and has given up solely 63 hits in 85 innings, with 90 strikeouts.
Tyler Mahle, RHP, Reds: He has struck out 107 in 98 innings, but additionally has a 4.48 ERA.
Bullpen
Andrew Chafin, LHP, Tigers: The most effective left-handed reliever in the marketplace, he's pretty much as good in opposition to right-handers as left-handers. Since final 12 months, he has given up solely 69 hits in 100.1 innings, putting out 103.
Michael Fulmer, RHP, Tigers: Has a 2.96 ERA because the begin of final season, with 16 saves and 109 strikeouts in 107 innings.
David Robertson, RHP, Cubs: He has bounced again from all his accidents and has a 1.83 ERA with 14 saves, putting out 50 in 39 innings. The disadvantage is his 19 walks. He additionally has postseason expertise, with a 3.11 ERA in 39 video games.
These are only a handful of the numerous gamers out there. For a extra complete record, test MLB Commerce Rumors’ record of the highest 50 gamers out there.
Muncy continues to battle
Max Muncy went one for 5 within the Dodgers’ opening-day victory over the Colorado Rockies on April 8. That left him with a .200 batting common and that’s the best it’s been. On the finish of April he was hitting .136.
On July 5, he went two for 2 with a double and a homer and lifted his common to .171, his excessive level since opening day.
Since then, he has gone 5 for 49 with 22 strikeouts, hitting .102/.233/.204 in that span.
Loyalty is a good factor. But it surely’s time for Muncy to take a seat. He appears utterly misplaced on the plate. You are feeling for him as you watch him swing at dangerous pitches and let good pitches go proper down the center. Give him a psychological break. It’s time.
Muncy has 321 plate appearances and is hitting .158. Right here’s an inventory of the worst Dodgers batting averages in a season with a minimal of 300 plate appearances:
Invoice Bergen, 1909, .139
Max Muncy, 2022, .158
Invoice Bergen, 1906, .159
Cody Bellinger, 2021, .165
Invoice Bergen, 1908, .175
Mickey Doolin, 1918, .179
Tony Smith, 1910, .181
Invoice Bergen, 1904, .182
John Shelby, 1989, .183
Mike McCormack, 1904, .184
Invoice Bergen was a catcher with the Reds (three seasons) and Dodgers (eight seasons) from 1901-11. He's the worst offensive participant who had any form of profession in main league historical past, ending with these numbers: .170/.194/.201 with 67 extra-base hits in a little bit greater than 3,000 at bats. There isn't any different participant in historical past with no less than 2,500 at bats who hit much less than .210.
So why did he play? He was thought of one of the best defensive catcher of his period. In accordance to this nice SABR bio of him, “And whereas solely seven catchers within the Corridor of Fame (by way of the 2021 season) ever amassed as many as 100 assists in a single season, Bergen completed that feat in 9 of his 11 major-league campaigns, failing solely in 1903 and 1907, the 2 seasons he caught fewer than 60 video games.” You couldn’t run on the man.
If we restrict the record to solely L.A. Dodgers:
Max Muncy, 2022, .158
Cody Bellinger, 2021, .165
John Shelby, 1989, .183
A.J. Ellis, 2014, .191
Mike Davis, 1988, .196
Zoilo Versalles, 1968, .196
Alfredo Griffin, 1988, .199
Steve Yeager, 1983, .203
Cody Bellinger, 2022, .205
Todd Hundley, 1999, .207
Two issues stand out right here: This 12 months’s workforce has two gamers on the record. So do the 1988 Dodgers (in fact, by the point the postseason got here round, Davis wasn’t enjoying a lot). Perhaps that’s a very good omen. Griffin was the shortstop in 1988 and was backed up by Dave Anderson, who hit .249.
Weird
The Dodgers are 4-8 in opposition to the Pirates and Nationals, two of the worst groups within the NL. They're 61-24 in opposition to everybody else.
Up subsequent
Thursday: Dodgers (*Tyler Anderson, 10-1, 2.79 ERA) at Colorado (Jose Ureña, 1-2, 3.13 ERA), 5:30 p.m. PDT, SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Friday: Dodgers (*Julio Urías, 9-6, 2.72 ERA) at Colorado (Chad Kuhl, 6-5, 4.48 ERA), 5:30 p.m. PDT, SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Saturday: Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 7-2, 2.49 ERA) at Colorado (*Kyle Freeland, 5-7, 4.64 ERA), 5 p.m. PDT, SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Sunday: Dodgers (Tony Gonsolin, 11-1, 2.26 ERA) at Colorado (German Márquez, 6-8, 5.25 ERA), midday PDT, SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
*-left-handed
Tales you may need missed
Dodgers ought to commerce for Juan Soto and keep away from mistake Angels made with Mike Trout
Baseball gamers union rejects MLB’s proposal for a global draft
How a lot would a workforce hand over for Juan Soto? In all probability greater than you suppose
And at last
Members of the 1969 Mets react to Gil Hodges being inducted into the Baseball Corridor of Fame. Watch and pay attention right here.
Till subsequent time...
Have a remark or one thing you’d wish to see in a future Dodgers publication? E-mail me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and observe me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this text in your inbox, click on right here.
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