Is anyone still doubting the Dodgers are going to win the World Series?

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by JRX

Lets say they add Tucker a Diaz or Suarez from SD, and the latest imports from Japan. They can easily have a better lineup and a better bullpen.

Tucker sucked badly in the second half last season and has had health issues the last two seasons. He'll help by layering more talent onto the team, but how reliable is he is a question mark.

Boosting the bullpen is the clear number one priority. The rotation is the strength. The lineup is getting old and declining -- Freeman, Muncy and possibly Betts.

[JRX]

Originally Posted by BoSoxFan1999

They sign Tucker, they sign that big Japanese bat (forget his name), and buy/trade for 2-3 solid bullpen arms...boom, their weaknesses are addressed. Yes, an aging Mookie and Freeman may be a concern, but hell, if they fall of the cliff, they can buy a couple more bats too. Not saying they will 3-peat, but they got as good a chance as any other team in history that's had a chance to 3-peat.

Their biggest comp could be the Mets depending on how crazy Cohen goes. He could sign Tucker, Bellinger, Schwarber, half a dozen pitchers etc lol

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by BoSoxFan1999

They sign Tucker, they sign that big Japanese bat (forget his name), and buy/trade for 2-3 solid bullpen arms...boom, their weaknesses are addressed. Yes, an aging Mookie and Freeman may be a concern, but hell, if they fall of the cliff, they can buy a couple more bats too. Not saying they will 3-peat, but they got as good a chance as any other team in history that's had a chance to 3-peat.

They don't have as good of a chance due to the current playoff format -- there are six playoffs teams and four rounds versus four playoffs teams and three rounds when the Yankees did it in 2000.

[ThoseBackPages]

Shota is a free agent

[JRX]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

They don't have as good of a chance due to the current playoff format -- there are six playoffs teams and four rounds versus four playoffs teams and three rounds when the Yankees did it in 2000.

Injuries are going to happen, but they'll still likely go into the playoffs with over 1B of starting pitching.

[YouTheManNick]

Originally Posted by mfw13

Talk about counting chickens before they hatch.....the Dodgers haven't even won the 2025 World Series yet.....

Although it shouldn't need pointing out, the Mariners and Blue Jays are both much better than the Brewers.....the Mariners have solid starters, and the Blue Jays have three.

The Brewers had Fredy Peralta and a bunch of bullpen arms....that was NEVER going to beat the Dodgers.

Got a little hairy, but I held my bet. Didn't accept a cash out offer. And was rewarded.

Already put a chunk of the winnings on the Dodgers in 2026.

[ThoseBackPages]

how great is that?

[fabiani12333]

The Dodgers lineup is definitely getting on the old side -- here will be their ages next season:

Will Smith -- 31 (catchers usually decline fast in their 30s)
Freddie Freeman -- 36!
Mookie Betts -- 33 (old for a shortstop)
Max Muncy -- 35
Teoscar Hernandez -- 33 (frankly, he shouldn't be playing the field anymore)
Shohei Ohtani -- 31

The only one on that list that I'm fully confident in for next season is Ohtani, and he'll be pitching again, which is always a risk to his health.

The Dodgers used to be great at developing their own star position players -- the 2020 team had Cody Bellinger (2019 MVP) and Corey Seager (2xWS MVP) in the lineup.

The 2009 Dodgers (95 wins) had Matt Kemp and Andre Either.

The 1996 Dodgers (90 wins) had Mike Piazza, Eric Karros and Raul Mondesi.

The 90s dynasty Yankees had their core group of up-the-middle stars -- Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams. In fact, those were basically their only good position players when they won their third championship in a row in 2000 -- they only managed to win 87 games that season.

You can only throw money at free-agents for so long -- you've got to develop your own guys, too.

[ThoseBackPages]

thats why they play the games

[dodgerfanjohn]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

You can only throw money at free-agents for so long -- you've got to develop your own guys, too.

Will smith
Andy Pages
Emmit Sheehan
I dunno what happens to Tony gonsolin but if not for injury, him too.
Dalton Rushing

Not mlb…
Yamamoto
Sasaki
Kim

Not to mention Muncy is one of their well known reclamations.

It’s not like the Dodgers stopped developing guys.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by dodgerfanjohn

Will smith
Andy Pages
Emmit Sheehan
I dunno what happens to Tony gonsolin but if not for injury, him too.
Dalton Rushing

Not mlb…
Yamamoto
Sasaki
Kim

Not to mention Muncy is one of their well known reclamations.

It’s not like the Dodgers stopped developing guys.

They didn't stop, but they went from being a team with mostly homegrown stars with veterans sprinkled in, to a team filled with veterans who were drafted and developed by other teams.

2020 Dodgers -- homegrown All Stars:
-- Will Smith
-- Corey Seager
-- Cody Bellinger
-- Joc Pederson
-- Clayton Kershaw
-- Walker Buehler
-- Kenley Jansen

2025 Dodgers -- homegrown All Stars:
-- Will Smith
-- Clayton Kershaw
-- Yoshinobu Yamamoto (dubious, considering he was a professional star in Japan)

The homegrown stars this past season were just carryovers from the 2020 team or former Japanese professionals.

[PLB9eight]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

They didn't stop, but they went from being a team with mostly homegrown stars with veterans sprinkled in, to a team filled with veterans who were drafted and developed by other teams.

2020 Dodgers -- homegrown All Stars:
-- Will Smith
-- Corey Seager
-- Cody Bellinger
-- Joc Pederson
-- Clayton Kershaw
-- Walker Buehler
-- Kenley Jansen

2025 Dodgers -- homegrown All Stars:
-- Will Smith
-- Clayton Kershaw
-- Yoshinobu Yamamoto (dubious, considering he was a professional star in Japan)

The homegrown stars this past season were just carryovers from the 2020 team or former Japanese professionals.

who cares?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by PLB9eight

who cares?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The discussion is about the ability of the Dodgers to three-peat next season. That takes a team of players performing at a high level. A team of older players in decline isn't conducive to winning championships. Therefore, you need younger players entering their prime to replace older players in decline.

[eastbayak]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

They didn't stop, but they went from being a team with mostly homegrown stars with veterans sprinkled in, to a team filled with veterans who were drafted and developed by other teams.

2020 Dodgers -- homegrown All Stars:
-- Will Smith
-- Corey Seager
-- Cody Bellinger
-- Joc Pederson
-- Clayton Kershaw
-- Walker Buehler
-- Kenley Jansen

2025 Dodgers -- homegrown All Stars:
-- Will Smith
-- Clayton Kershaw
-- Yoshinobu Yamamoto (dubious, considering he was a professional star in Japan)

The homegrown stars this past season were just carryovers from the 2020 team or former Japanese professionals.

I wouldn’t consider Yamamoto and Sasaki homegrown. The Dodgers have a lot of money and spent it on the right players. Basically a successful version of the Yankees.

Their big brain move was their massive deferral deal with Ohtani-sama.

[jdandns]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

They didn't stop, but they went from being a team with mostly homegrown stars with veterans sprinkled in, to a team filled with veterans who were drafted and developed by other teams.

2020 Dodgers -- homegrown All Stars:
-- Will Smith
-- Corey Seager
-- Cody Bellinger
-- Joc Pederson
-- Clayton Kershaw
-- Walker Buehler
-- Kenley Jansen

2025 Dodgers -- homegrown All Stars:
-- Will Smith
-- Clayton Kershaw
-- Yoshinobu Yamamoto (dubious, considering he was a professional star in Japan)

The homegrown stars this past season were just carryovers from the 2020 team or former Japanese professionals.

This theory discounts the fact that all players who come to play for Los Angeles are taught the Dodger way. This is superior instruction to any they've previously received in their entire span as baseball players and is literally priceless. Indeed, teams that get former Dodgers often themselves become immediate contenders, such is the value of the knowledge those players bring with them, as was the case with the former also-ran teams: the Texas Rangers (when they signed Corey Seager) and Atlanta (when they acquired Joc Pederson). Why, even the eventual acquisition of Alex Verdugo from LA actually propelled the hapless Yankees to a World Series berth.

[base set]

Makes sense to me. The Dodger$ Way is the way to Go. The Cardinal Way sure hain’t been goin’ anywhere lately.

[fulltritty]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

The Dodgers lineup is definitely getting on the old side -- here will be their ages next season:

Will Smith -- 31 (catchers usually decline fast in their 30s)
Freddie Freeman -- 36!
Mookie Betts -- 33 (old for a shortstop)
Max Muncy -- 35
Teoscar Hernandez -- 33 (frankly, he shouldn't be playing the field anymore)
Shohei Ohtani -- 31

The only one on that list that I'm fully confident in for next season is Ohtani, and he'll be pitching again, which is always a risk to his health.

The Dodgers used to be great at developing their own star position players -- the 2020 team had Cody Bellinger (2019 MVP) and Corey Seager (2xWS MVP) in the lineup.

The 2009 Dodgers (95 wins) had Matt Kemp and Andre Either.

The 1996 Dodgers (90 wins) had Mike Piazza, Eric Karros and Raul Mondesi.

The 90s dynasty Yankees had their core group of up-the-middle stars -- Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams. In fact, those were basically their only good position players when they won their third championship in a row in 2000 -- they only managed to win 87 games that season.

You can only throw money at free-agents for so long -- you've got to develop your own guys, too.

The Yankees had the highest batting average in the AL in 2000 at .277. Paul O'Neill and Chuck Knoblauch both hit .283 and they had 8 players hit double digit homeruns. It was the horrible ERAs of the pitching staff that was the main reason for them only winning 87 games.

[fulltritty]

Originally Posted by jdandns

This theory discounts the fact that all players who come to play for Los Angeles are taught the Dodger way. This is superior instruction to any they've previously received in their entire span as baseball players and is literally priceless. Indeed, teams that get former Dodgers often themselves become immediate contenders, such is the value of the knowledge those players bring with them, as was the case with the former also-ran teams: the Texas Rangers (when they signed Corey Seager) and Atlanta (when they acquired Joc Pederson). Why, even the eventual acquisition of Alex Verdugo from LA actually propelled the hapless Yankees to a World Series berth.

Alex Verdugo sucked on the Yankees and contributed very little.

[BoSoxFan1999]

Originally Posted by fulltritty

Alex Verdugo sucked on the Yankees and contributed very little.

Verdugo can at least go to bed each night knowing he has as many World Series rings as the great Aaron Judge.

[fulltritty]

Originally Posted by BoSoxFan1999

Verdugo can at least go to bed each night knowing he has as many World Series rings as the great Aaron Judge.

And Ted Williams.

[JRX]

Originally Posted by eastbayak

I wouldn’t consider Yamamoto and Sasaki homegrown. The Dodgers have a lot of money and spent it on the right players. Basically a successful version of the Yankees.

Their big brain move was their massive deferral deal with Ohtani-sama.

The idea that they're home grown is laughable, they're free agent signings.

[hotcalsun]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

The discussion is about the ability of the Dodgers to three-peat next season. That takes a team of players performing at a high level. A team of older players in decline isn't conducive to winning championships. Therefore, you need younger players entering their prime to replace older players in decline.

The Dodgers have the #1 ranked farm system in MLB - at least as of mid-season rankings, which will either be used to promote from within or acquire pieces for championship runs. They have continually done this over the past 10 years whether for big trades that worked out well for the longer term (Mookie Betts) or ones that didn't (Trea Turner and Max Scherzer).

This will clearly be the plan for 2026 before expiration of the current CBA, with of course a few being called up and playing on the team like Rushing and Pages, or in other cases being traded like May, Outman, and Vargas.

https://www.mlb.com/news/farm-system...2025-midseason

[vinson24]

Originally Posted by hotcalsun

The Dodgers have the #1 ranked farm system in MLB - at least as of mid-season rankings, which will either be used to promote from within or acquire pieces for championship runs. They have continually done this over the past 10 years whether for big trades that worked out well for the longer term (Mookie Betts) or ones that didn't (Trea Turner and Max Scherzer).

This will clearly be the plan for 2026 before expiration of the current CBA, with of course a few being called up and playing on the team like Rushing and Pages, or in other cases being traded like May, Outman, and Vargas.

https://www.mlb.com/news/farm-system...2025-midseason

Really will be interesting to see how front offices approach this offseason with the potential for a lockout in 2027.

[hotcalsun]

Originally Posted by vinson24

Really will be interesting to see how front offices approach this offseason with the potential for a lockout in 2027.

Some of my friends have joked they'll do a deal for Skenes and offer him $1B in deferred to get it in before the lockout and CBA reset -- whatever it is.

[JRX]

Originally Posted by hotcalsun

Some of my friends have joked they'll do a deal for Skenes and offer him $1B in deferred to get it in before the lockout and CBA reset -- whatever it is.

Pitt is dumb, but I would think they wouldn't just want prospects they'd want some major league talent under team control.