Already Benefiting From Two Key Trade Deadline Acquisitions, Dodgers Continue To Add Players
Clayton Kershaw and Danny Duffy transferred to 60-day IL to make room for new catcher, RHP.
Andrew Friedman is a busy man. The Dodgers’ president of baseball operations has continued to operate without a break since the July 30 trade deadline, making a grand total of 35 moves in the nine days (up until press time) since. Thirty-five.
Sure, a bunch of them are injury-related, fake or otherwise, but subtract those and AF has signed five free agents, lost two players to competing clubs via waivers (including DJ Peters to Texas) and promoted two minor leaguers you may not be familiar with and who have already appeared with the big club; one doing quite well (Justin Bruihl) Sunday, the other not so much (Kevin Quackenbush). Add to that, and to the organization, two new waiver pickups (catcher Anthony Bemboom and right-hander Conner Greene) this morning and you have a dizzying display of 40-man roster moves which I cannot even begin to review thoroughly here.
But here’s what you need to know.
The key free agents are left-hander Cole Hamels and righty Nick Tropeano, both of whom are eligible for postseason play and whose progress to major league action this season is worth tracking. Hamels has already appeared on the Dodger Stadium mound, throwing one-inning of a sim game yesterday. Best if you follow me on Twitter to get that kind of info earlier. If you don’t have a Twitter account and don’t want to get one, you can always click on my handle and scroll. Please do so for analysis in real time as events unfold as well. If you like.
This morning’s waiver claims are for catcher Anthony Bemboom (from the Angels) and right-hander Connor Greene (Baltimore). Los Angeles has been exceedingly lucky to have experienced near-perfect health from Will Smith and Austin Barnes the last three seasons. We might have Buster Posey to thank for that, but with Keibert Ruiz lost to Washington in the Max Scherzer/Trea Turner trade, L.A. better pray that neither of the current backstops goes down at any point the rest of the 2021 season (and postseason). Bemboom gives them insurance behind the plate and is a real, professional, big league catcher — defensively. He’s had a couple of good seasons with the bat in the minor leagues, including in 2021, in which he’s put up a .255/.364/.482 slash line. He managed to hit .222/.250/.222 for the Halos while in the majors this year.
To make room for Bemboon and Greene on the 40-man roster, Clayton Kershaw and Danny Duffy were moved to the 60-day IL. The Kersh move is no big deal, because he wasn’t expected back from his bout with forearm/elbow soreness until early September anyway. Now it’s official that he won’t return prior to September 5. As for Duffy, it’s likely that he won’t throw a pitch for Los Angeles in 2021 and will file for free agency the day after the World Series. Which I warned might happen the minute the trade went down. I’ll be happy to be proven wrong on that point.
Here’s what you know already without me having to tell you (probably):
Trea Turner is a speed merchant. While he may not be faster than a locomotive, he can score from first base on a grounder to shortstop. And I’m reminded of Kirk Gibson scoring from second on a passed ball). This Turner steals bases. He scores the somewhat traditional way from first base on a double to left field. He’s a better shortstop than Corey Seager, but until such time as he moves to the position full-time, he’ll have to settle for making plays at second base. Like this one. And this one.
The above is an incomplete list of early Trea Turner accomplishments. And he’s started just two games, remember. Wait till you see him rake (he’s 2-8 so far).
Scherzer was inspiring in his first game versus the cheating Astros (7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K), will make his second start vs. Aaron Nola at Philadelphia Tuesday at 4:05 p.m. and is scheduled to go at the Mets Sunday at 4:00 p.m.
The Phils have won eight straight games to take first over first place in the National League East from the now third-place NYM, losers of four straight and eight out of 10. Which comes as no surprise to this observer, who predicted the 2021 demise of the Metropolitans in March: “Team pegged most likely to improve enough to make the postseason that doesn't? The New York Mets.”
The Dodgers catch a break in the schedule and will miss Philly ace Zack Wheeler, who is every bit the Cy Young Award candidate Walker Buehler is, and who tossed a brilliant two-hit, 11-strikeout shutout over the Mets Sunday. Of course, the Phils are also lucky to miss Buehler, who pitched six innings of one-run ball in a win over Anaheim yesterday.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is a prepositional phrase.
Following the Scherzer/Nola matchup tomorrow, the probables for the rest of the week-long road trip are as follows: David Price vs. Kyle Gibson Wednesday at 4:00 p.m., Julio Urias vs. Undecided Thursday at 10:05 a.m., Buehler vs. Tylor Megill Friday at 4:10 (at CitiField, New York), Undecided vs. Taijuan Walker Saturday at 4:10 p.m. and Scherzer vs. Carrasco Sunday at 4:00 p.m.
The Dodger return home Monday for three games with the Pirates and four with the Mets before heading to San Diego the following Monday.
Not to minimize reliever Quackenbush’s contributions to the game (and the Padres, primarily) in any way unnecessarily, I must say that every time I’ve heard his name since his San Diego debut in 2014, I’ve thought of nothing else but the glorious performance of Groucho Marx as Dr. Hugo Hackenbush in “A Day at the Races.” And in the scene below in particular, about which no context is at all necessary.
This issue qualifies as a free post, which I publish from time to time. Obviously, I’d love it if you subscribe.
The good.
“Sorority student LA Dodgers ball girl, 24, who tackled field invader and knocked him over a barrier after SEVEN security guards failed,” via the Daily Mail.
The bad:
Justin Turner exited Sunday’s game with groin discomfort after making this great play and may be out a few days. Or more. He’s managed to avoid the IL so far this year, appearing in 105 of 112 games, but will have to be monitored closely during the roadie. Handle with care, please, medical staff.
And the ugly:
ICYMI:
Gavin Lux, out since July 18 with a hamstring, started his minor league rehab with the AAA-Oklahoma City Dodgers yesterday, going 0-3 in a 15-10 OKC win at Albuquerque. Matt Davidson continued his hot hitting with his 18th home run and is hitting .283/.347/607 in the Pacific Coast League. He can play third base, a little first and can pitch in a pinch (2.84 in six innings lifetime). I’m sure we’ll see him when the rosters expand September 1, if not sooner. I assume we’ll see Lux on 9/1 as well, but I’m not overly excited about it.
Cody Bellinger has perked up. He’s hit .294 over the last week, with a double, two homers (here and here) and a 1.039 OPS. It’s a small sample size, obviously, but you have to start someplace. And that Bellinger has done. For what it’s worth, the 25-year-old center fielder has fared well against the teams he’ll face this week, hitting .284/.356/.481 with five homers in 81 at bats lifetime vs. the Phils and .307/.381/.813 with 11 homers in 75 ABs vs. the Mets.
Media Savvy:
Bill Shaikin thinks Corey Seager should be the Angels shortstop come 2022, and well into the future, at the Los Angeles Times.
Three writers — Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra — recommend one prospect from each of the 30 teams that should receive a callup soon at MLB.com.
Here is a good read, “Team USA baseball, a ragtag, charming bunch, comes up just short in quest for gold,” by Dave Sheinin at the Washington Post.
From baseball historian Bill Arnold: “The Dodgers are attempting to join the 1936-39 Yankees as the only teams to lead the majors in most runs scored and fewest surrendered in four consecutive seasons; however, this season the team is trailing the Astros in runs scored by 24 (591 to 567) but are tied with the Brewers and Giants for the fewest run allowed (403) through Thursday.”
Also from Arnold: “The Braves ended their record-setting streak of the longest streak of alternating wins and losses (17-games) in major league history on Wednesday when they won back-to-back games for the first time since July 9-10 - the record-breaking, 17-game streak began on July 16 with a loss and each day since, the team had alternated wins and losses; the previous record for alternating wins and losses was 15 straight, shared by the 1974 Phillies, the 1981 Dodgers and the 2010 Rockies.”
Baseball Photos of the Day:
Dick Allen.
Yankees and Reds, 1976 World Series.
Bobby Murcer (5’ 11” and 160) and Frank Howard (6’ 7” and 255.).
Ted Williams.
And remember, glove conquers all.
Howard Cole has been writing about baseball on the Internet since Y2K. Follow him on Twitter. Follow OBHC on Twitter here. Be friends with Howard on Facebook.
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