That was just the Bronx though other notable games occurred around baseball (not just the Albert Pujols 700 Show), and some had ramifications on the pennant run. No, it did not have any Aaron Judge heroics, but that’s okay! A win is a win, and it’s also probably a win for our collective psyches that No. You would always do something differently if it doesn’t play out in your favor.The Yankees continued their resurgent September and march toward the AL East crown last night with a 5-4 victory keyed by Aaron Hicks, Jose Trevino, and Jonathan Loáisiga. “Obviously out bullpen was a real strength for us…Always the benefit of hindsight. Los Angeles is absolutely going to do everything they can to lure him to the bright lights of Hollywood.įreidman also mentioned that the front office had considered using an opener or a bullpen approach to the postseason, with their relief arms being a strength of the team heading into October. He’s the best player on the market, and the best player in baseball. If you were on the fence about the Dodgers pursuit of Ohtani, this may have sealed the deal. It doesn’t mean that there weren’t successes and a lot of things to grab on to, and a lot of special memories that were created this summer…That being said, out goal was to win 11 games in October, and we didn’t win one.” “When we don’t do that, I think it’s fair to say that it’s an organizational failure. Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORKĭuring Tuesday’s press conference, Andrew Friedman said that their goal each and every year is to win a championship. Either option would represent an upgrade, but they would also cost a little bit to sign. The other option in this scenario is Jeimer Candelario, who posted +2 Outs Above Average and a 121 wRC+. He also grew up in Southern California, so the Dodgers could appeal to him. The first is Matt Chapman, who put up +5 Outs Above Average, which ranked tied for eighth among third basemen, and a 108 wRC+. If this is the way the Dodgers end up going, there are two third basemen that they could consider. That would allow Betts to go back to right field where he has won six Gold Gloves. The team has also deployed Muncy at first, second, and DH in the past, but first is occupied by Freeman and DH is hopefully filled by Ohtani, so that leaves second. Getting him off the hot corner should have a positive ripple effect on the entire roster. The Dodgers overall were a middle of the road team defensively, and Max Muncy was one of the worst defenders in all of baseball with -8 Outs Above Average at third base per Statcast. Highest paid MLB players in 2023: MLB salaries by position, average MLB salary Improving the Los Angeles Dodgers defense Related: Top 2024 MLB free agents, including Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers rotation returns When asked how strongly the team plans to pursue Ohtani on Tuesday, Andrew Friedman joked, “who?” He couldn’t talk about free agents or pending free agents specifically, but he did say, “We’re extremely angry, disappointed with how these last two off-seasons have gone, and we’re going to do everything that we can to put ourselves in position for it not to happen next year.” But if you have the resources to secure all three, and the Dodgers do, then it’s fair game. Adding Ohtani would give the Dodgers three of the top six hitters in baseball, which on paper is borderline unfair. Ohtani ranked first in wRC+ with a 180 (100 is league average) while Betts ranked fourth with a 167. But offensively it’s like adding another Mookie Betts to the lineup. Ohtani had an elbow procedure in September and will not be available to pitch in 2024, which doesn’t necessarily help the Dodgers address on issue they had in 2023. While two of the losses to Arizona were by two runs, Game 1 was an 11-2 beat down. Even last season when they were eliminated by the San Diego Padres three games to one there wasn’t a loss by a greater deficit than two runs. In this span of 11 straight playoff appearances for Los Angeles, this postseason was the first one in which they didn’t win a single game, and they looked completely overmatched by Arizona in the process. The Dodgers starters combined to go just 4.2 innings and allowed a combined 13 earned runs. Their pitching was going to be a big question mark, and not only did Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller, and Lance Lynn underperform, so did Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, who combined to go 1-for-21 with three walks. It’s never fun to think that your team doesn’t have a shot if they make the postseason, but this year’s Dodger team had big flaws heading into October, which we talked about before the playoffs started. Was the 2023 squad necessarily their best chance to win a World Series? Not really. Should the Dodgers and their fans be disappointed that this season ended much the same that previous years have? Of course.
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