11:08 am: Smith has been activated from the IL, the team announced. Ruiz was optioned to the alternate training site to clear roster space.
9:27 am: Dodgers catcher Will Smith is likely to come back from the injured list and start behind the plate in this afternoon’s game against the Rockies, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Ken Gurnick of MLB.com) last night. The 25-year-old successfully caught a bullpen session yesterday, Gurnick adds.
Assuming he is indeed activated today, it’d make for a brief absence. Smith went on the shelf last week with (seemingly minor) neck inflammation. In the interim, Austin Barnes has gotten the lion’s share of starts behind the plate, with top prospect Keibert Ruiz getting his first couple games of big league action. The return of Smith, owner of a career .243/.338/.545 line (128 wRC+) over his first 237 MLB plate appearances, only lengthens a lineup that has been among the best in baseball this season.
In his piece, Gurnick also provides updates on a handful of other injured Dodgers. Most notably, left-hander Alex Wood and corner infielder Edwin Ríos are eyeing returns of their own within the next week or so.
Looks like the Dodgers are doing okay in the catching department with Smith, Barnes (who looks like he’s got his batting stroke back) and Ruiz. And Cartaya on the way. They just keep pumping out young talent.
Ruiz had a cool debut but he’s still a work in progress and Cartaya is several years off most likely. What Barnes has been doing for the last couple of weeks is probably unsustainable but he’s certainly earned more than a backup role. He and Smith will likely be splitting time behind the plate for the rest of this season and maybe the next one too.
Another catcher, Connor Wong, was instrumental in making the Betts trade a reality. It was really smart of the Andrew Friedman-led front office to make signing and developing young catchers a priority. It’s the same with starting pitchers. While other teams overspend on free-agent catchers and pitchers, the Dodgers develop their own. This makes it possible to spend the big bucks on other needs. Dodger fans should thank their lucky stars for Andrew Friedman.
Oh, thank you lucky stars!
I think you overstate your case just a tad. Most teams prioritize starting pitching and high-value position players and the Dodgers have been making starting pitching a high priority since at least the days of Al Campanis. The Dodgers have arguably been more successful in picking good ones, but that’s more down to scouting than anything else.
Bsla, I think he’s talking about catching more so than pitching. In reality, they were prepared to pay Kershaw 30M, Price 16M, and either wood or Nelson some reasonable money if they stayed healthy. They haven’t cheapened out on pitching in a long time
Meanwhile, how many other franchises have 3 home grown catchers even close to MLB, capable of being at least a backup, with Smith hinting at much more? Some of course have one great prospect, but 3?… having just traded one too?
I agree with the above who said it’s a Clearly been an organizational focus to strengthen the catcher position throughout. They quite possibly will continue to use that strength as potential trade capital, even if it’s “just” Barnes that ends up moved. I think the hope is to have a Smith:Ruiz tandem in 2021/2022
Friedman oversees baseball operations, which includes scouting. His first Dodgers draft pick was Walker Buehler, even though Buehler was headed for TJ surgery. He drafted the vaunted class of 2016 and has continued to stockpile talent despite picking near the end of every round. Friedman has also upped the level of player development in the organization, just as he did in Tampa Bay. The Dodgers are well-stocked at catching, starting pitching, and middle infielders. If most teams value starting pitching, how come Friedman’s team does a better job of cranking out MLB-ready pitchers? He’s on his way to becoming the best FO person in franchise history. Thanks to him, the Dodgers figure to be serious contention for years. The Betts trade is an example of Friedman’s sustained brilliance. The three-player package included an outfielder he refused to include in the Machado trade, a middle infielder acquired in a savvy deal with the Reds, and a surplus catching prospect. And when the Red Sox balked at Graterol, Friedman scooped him up because he could afford to part with Maeda. Top-to-bottom, the Dodgers have gotten better every year since Friedman took over.
Commonsense, since Smith can also play 3B, there is a possibility that he and Ruiz will occasionally be in the lineup together if they hit enough to warrant it. Other teams dumpster dive and overpay for catchers and starting pitchers. The Dodgers are set in those areas for the foreseeable future. When Friedman goes dumpster diving, he invariably comes away with useful players like Muncy, Taylor, and Kolarek. Dodger fans complained about the lopsided trade with the Reds prior to the 2019 season. Oh, it was lopsided alright…in the Dodgers favor. Downs and Gray greatly improved their stock under Dodger tutelage. Downs’ development helped land Betts, Gray is yet another prospect who will soon drop off the conveyer belt to Dodger Stadium. In more than 50 years as a Dodgers fan, this is the best shape I’ve ever seen the organization in.
My point to both of you is all teams or at least most of them understand the value of the drafting/amateur signing of premium position players and starting pitching. Some teams do a better job of accomplishing that, no argument there. Scouting operations are costly and fortunately Friedman has the money to spend on scouting and development that a team with their resources should be spending. Two prior owners ransacked the once-vaunted Dodger scouting and development side of the operation that was created by Al Campanis in the 1950s. That was never normal, a crime against baseball in fact, and getting back to it wasn’t inventing something new, so much it is back to the future, a return to the “Dodger way.” So I am not arguing the basic point, just pointing out some of the history. Sometimes old is new again.
Your stretching the word instrumental pretty far there
Wong will be lucky to ever garner 500 career abs in the bigs
HRD, id say “instrumental” is fair, in that fact that he kept May/Gonsolin/Lux etc out of the deal
LAD having Wong as 4th or 5th on the organizational C chart allowed them to dangle a young catcher as a sweetener. That’s something most franchises are starving to add. And it did in fact close the Mookie deal…
I was stunned that Boston didn’t land a pitcher in the deal. Out of May, Gonsolin, Ferguson, and Gray, they should have landed one of them (along with perhaps Stripling to take Price’s slot in the rotation). But Friedman stuck to his guns, knowing that he wasn’t insisting the Red Sox take a Wil Myers off his hands. It was comical reading posts by Dodger fans who wanted Friedman to hurry up and get it done by dealing two of May/Gonsolin/Lux. Patience is a virtue when assembling a team. I am reminded of this every time I see Angels fans demanding that Eppler trade Adell in exchange for pitching. The guy has played 13 games. These same people were moaning back in 2011 when Trout started out 8-for-51.
Downs made the deal common- Wong is pure foddler
Like I said O/U 500 career abs lets put some skin in the game!
May or Lux were never going in the deal with Verdugo already in it-
I do agree RS should have tryed and gotten Stripling Maeda Gonzo Ferg etc etc but they have to be pretty happy with Verdugo so far
Andrew is the best GM we’ve ever had, no question.
just in time for his completion of Men in Black 4
Welcome back Fresh Prince
Now is the fresher prince .
Was fun getting to see Ruiz so early –
Roster construction is so important and a big player in that is $$
The Dodgers look to be paying arb year money to their catcher tandem for the next 6-7 years !
The Dodgers just need competent backstop play from they’re group of catchers and won’t have to make a significant commitment for many years.
Yep. Reality is Posey/Mauer level deals, even R. Martin’s tier, are real tough for catchers past 30 to stay at the position for the length of the deal and be productive
Realmuto is going to have to do some selling to show he won’t break down too soon. Lad will happily sit that one out. Just seems likely from history the end of that deal will be rough
Some Dodger fans wanted “Fraudman” fired because he wouldn’t trade “banjo hitter” Verdugo for Realmuto. I’d say hanging onto Verdugo a while longer worked out pretty well. Alex was a big favorite of mine. But all things considered, I’m happy he’s in Boston :) And he’s playing very well.
I agree penny saved is a penny earned –
I really want Belli/Buehler to be lifers ….this helps so so much