The Dodgers were recently dealt a couple of significant blows, with both Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto slated for lengthy stays on the injured list. General manager Brandon Gomes addressed the injuries recently, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, saying that the club was unlikely to alter their deadline plans as a reaction. “I actually don’t think it meaningfully changes anything at this point,” Gomes said, “With the expectation that those guys are gonna be back for the postseason.”
Betts was hit by a pitch on his hand and suffered a fracture, with an expected recovery time of six to eight weeks. Yamamoto has a more nebulous timeline with his strained rotator cuff, though the club is expecting him back at some point this season.
Those are obviously significant losses. Betts has more walks than strikeouts this year and has ten home runs as well, leading to a line of .304/.405/.488 and a 158 wRC+. He has done all that while essentially learning shortstop on the fly, having just been handed the job during Spring Training. Despite limited big league experience at the position, he seems to be doing a passable job. Outs Above Average has him at -4 this year but Defensive Runs Saved puts him at +4. FanGraphs has credited him with 3.5 wins above replacement so far on the season, second in the National League to his teammate Shohei Ohtani. Yamamoto, meanwhile, has an earned run average of 2.92 through his first 14 major league starts.
Subtracting those two players from the roster will undoubtedly have an impact on the club’s overall talent level, but it’s understandable that the Dodgers don’t plan to panic and completely change course. The club currently sports a record of 46-30 and the only club above .500 in the National League West. Each of the Diamondbacks, Giants and Padres are just below .500, with each of those three being either 9 or 9.5 games back.
That gives the Dodgers plenty of breathing room and pretty strong odds of winning the division, even with the injury challenges. The Playoff Odds at FanGraphs give them a 92.5% chance of taking the West while the PECOTA Standings at Baseball Prospectus are even more bullish at 95.8%. Both of those outlets give the club around a 99% chance of getting some kind of playoff spot.
With that comfortable position in the standings, the club is likely going to be focusing on whatever moves put their club in best position to win games in October, as opposed to the interim. Going out to grab an innings eater for the back end of the rotation might stabilize things for the next few months but such a pitcher wouldn’t be a big factor in a playoff series when clubs can shorten their rotations to three or four pitchers.
Even without Yamamoto and Walker Buehler, who also landed on the injured list recently with a minor issue, the Dodgers currently have a healthy rotation of consisting of Tyler Glasnow, Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone and James Paxton. They have Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May and Kyle Hurt as options to come off the injured list later this year, as well as Yamamoto. Landon Knack is on the 40-man roster and pitching in Triple-A, potentially coming up to replace Buehler. River Ryan, one of the club’s top prospects, was recently reinstated from the minor league injured list and is pitching in Triple-A as well.
With all of those potential starters, they should be able to find a way to get through the regular season. The larger question will be whether there’s enough for a strong postseason rotation. Glasnow has been great this year but has a lengthy injury history. He’s never topped 120 innings in a major league season and is currently at 93. Yamamoto is now a question mark. Buehler has a 5.84 ERA on the year and is now on the shelf. Miller’s ERA is at 6.00 and he just came off the IL. Paxton and Stone have respective ERAs of 3.65 and 3.01 but less impressive peripherals.
While that group is likely enough to get the club into the postseason, their deadline moves will understandably be focused on how it will play once they get there. In his article, Harris suggests the Dodgers will be focused on high-impact starters, with Garrett Crochet of the White Sox and Jesús Luzardo of the Marlins listed as hypothetical examples. Though as he points out, both of those pitchers have multiple years of control and their respective clubs will set lofty asking prices.
At shortstop, the thinking is likely similar, as the club can get by for now with Miguel Rojas taking over for Betts. Rojas is an excellent fielder who has normally been unimpressive at the plate, with a career slash line of .259/.312/.357. He’s having a strong season, however, with a .288/.333/.449 line in 2024. Perhaps that will regress a bit as he moves from a part-time role to a full-time gig, but he could still be a serviceable shortstop with a numbers a bit lower than that.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the club monitor the middle infield market in the weeks to come while Betts is out, as plenty of other players are struggling. Gavin Lux has received plenty of playing time at second base but is hitting .212/.261/.283 this year. Chris Taylor has moved between the infield and outfield but is sitting on a dismal line of .115/.211/.177. Enrique Hernández has also been in a multi-positional role and has better numbers than Taylor but his .201/.277/.309 line isn’t great either. Cavan Biggio was brought aboard for some extra infield cover with Max Muncy out of action but he’s hitting just .197/.325/.276 on the year between the Blue Jays and Dodgers.
Looking ahead to the postseason, it’s possible that Betts and Rojas could be the primary middle infield tandem if Betts is back and Rojas stays in good form, but the club may not rely on Rojas like that on account of his career numbers. Perhaps that will lead the club to make some kind of middle infield move between now and the end of July, but that was likely the case even before Betts got hurt.
Per the piece from Harris, the Dodgers are willing to put Betts back at shortstop later in the year but haven’t made a final decision. If they want a more experienced option at the position and want to upgrade on Rojas, it’s unclear who could be available. Harris lists Willy Adames and Bo Bichette as theoretical fits but also notes the difficulties in acquiring each. The Brewers have a healthy lead in their division, which likely means Adames is staying. As for Bichette, even if the Jays fall out of the race, there are reasons not to trade him. He’s having a down year and is currently on the IL, so the Jays may not want to sell low. With another year left on his contract, they may prefer to hold if they can’t get what they feel is fair value.
Other speculative shortstop targets may not be too appealing. The White Sox will certainly make Paul DeJong available and he’s having a nice bounceback year, but he still strikes out a ton and has been prone to long periods of ineffectiveness in the past. The Marlins would love to get something from Tim Anderson but he’s performing even worse than he did last year. Ha-Seong Kim is an impending free agent but the Padres are hovering in the playoff race and surely would prefer not to trade him to their division rival.
Dodgers GM: Betts And Yamamoto Injuries Won’t Impact Deadline Plans
#Wanna-Bet? Just ask Ohtani and he will through in parlay action for free
You could have changed that to #Wanna-Bett.
I am just not that slick lol
No-going by your post-you are neither slick nor witty.
The only thing that can stop the Dodgers is the Dodgers.
And a hot playoff team
Well, the Mets fanatic could not just say “the Phillies.”
Or any NL wildcard team come October.
@Cohens_Wallet
The new playoff structure ensures the wild-card team will win. Dodgers are better putting up a team that will win 80-90 wins and getting that wild card spot than trying to win the regular season.
Who would actually believe him
Surely not most people posting here.
The guy won’t face facts.
This is not about human beings playing a sport. It’s about statistics – like Rotisserie League. My teams statistics vs. other teams statistics.
So what that MLB is a playoff league. That the objective is to qualify for a playoff spot, and be as healthy as possible when the post-season starts. So what that the teams record is 10-4 in their last 14 games. So what that they’re 9 games ahead of their top opponents in the division. So what that no other team in their division is playing .500 ball.
Obviously this guy is lying, because it’s a lot of fun as a fan to watch players be moved around from team to team. This guy is ruining our fun……..WHHHAAAAHHHHH!
In America, it’s all about rumor, gossip, and any made up statistical “fact” – no matter how obscure – that is not perfect means that someone else is dooming our lives and fun.
Don’t you just hate rational, grown up people? A bunch of friggin’ “Fact Deniers”! Cast them out!!!!
“…saying that the club was unlikely to alter their deadline plans as a reaction. “I actually don’t think it meaningfully changes anything at this point,” Gomes said, “With the expectation that those guys are gonna be back for the postseason.”
–
He said it wouldn’t alter their deadline plans. Where did he say he wouldn’t make a trade to upgrade the team?
You kids really need to learn the basic of critical thinking.
For 2025, Dodgers might be more interested in Hye Seong Kim than Ha Seong Kim. Close, but not the same.
So no Adamses or bo?
I think they needed shortstop help regardless of the injuries. But my guess is neither guy gets traded.
Most likely another Amed Rosario type move like last season. DeJong or Anderson could probably be had for little return or wait and see if anyone gets released mid-season (i.e. Brandon Crawford, Nick Ahmed, Kevin Newman)
“No Adamses or Bo”…When GMs speak you may as well ignore the substance of what they say, because there’s always going to be major misdirection, obfuscation and spin. Losing two of your best players will obviously ALWAYS alter your deadline plans, but speaking the truth could undermine a team’s ability to acquire coveted players or cause their price to drastically increase.
Easiest way to know when one’s statement is wrong? When one uses absolutes, eg: always or never.
They clearly are sufficient as is to win the weak West. Betts will require some time once he starts playing to get into game shape. The bottom of their line up is awful. Friedman keeps trotting out journeymen to manage high leverage situations so they will have to get their pen sorted. Either the Phils or Braves are just as likely to advance as the much hearalded Dodgers.
Dodgers are 1-6 in the past two postseasons and reasons for optimism should be minimal. This is a team built to win in the regular season and they haven’t seen Glasnow or Paxton go down YET.
Dodgers will be promising to trade top prospects from 20 years from now
Can’t have too many high prospect catchers whose development is blocked by Smith & Barnes.
“Blocked by Smith & Barnes”..Smith maybe, but if you’re being “blocked” by Barnes, you’re not that great of a prospect.
or LA has a a decision – making problem. Dalton Rushing #1 in the system; Diego Cartaya # 7 in the system.
Yeah, no. Smith is a forever Dodger and Barnes is a backup catcher. Smith’s longterm contract means nobody who might be a first string catcher is coming up to play once a week. If Barnes isn’t the backup then someone else just like him gets the job. Both Rushing and Cartaya will be traded. This decision was made when Smith was extended.
If Cartaya’s bat picks up, he could be moved to a different position. Rushing will stick at catcher, not necessarily with Dodgers.
I think that’s the point. If the Cartaya and Rushing are blocked by Smith then why hold on the them, use them as trade pieces or find anothe position for them. I think Rushing can play OF.
It is. Catcher is a premium position so either player, if they can prove themselves defensively, will be more valuable if traded at that position than moved to another position just to unblock their progress on the Dodgers. Dollars to doughnuts both of these players are traded for something the Dodgers need more, possibly as soon as next month.
You can’t just get rid of all your younger catchers. What if Smith goes down with a career ending injury? What if he fails to perform next couple of seasons? You can certainly move some pieces around and temporarily switch positions. But both Cartaya and Rushing are not close to being MLB ready this year. At the earliest at some point in 2025, but 2026 is more likely. Rushing looks like he’s bat over glove and could be a position switcher.
The weakest link is the back end of the batting order/bench but that won’t get upgraded because Barnes, Muncy and Taylor know where Friedman buried a body.
It doesn’t matter how clutch a player is if he bats .100 all year. I know they probably think they’re doing Chris a favor by letting him play through his slump but it’s ineffective and brutal. Friedman did the same thing to Belli, let him flounder for years instead of sitting them and getting them the instruction to fix the hole in their swing
The bench/bottom of lineup is fine. Could they add a bat at the deadline to upgrade the bench. Absolutely. But people are overly fixated on this topic. Yeah, they have had a poor season overall. But what’s most important is not season numbers or regular season wins, but getting these bench players fixed. Can’t turnover the entire bench as some Dodger fans suggest.
CT3 has been swinging the bat better. Still some hard luck. And Bellinger “only” won the 2019 NL MVP. Some fans think it’s easy to dump these guys. I think the Dodger timeline was fine. It’s too bad that it took that for him to change his approach at the plate to make more contact and take more walks.
They’re still not going to give Andre Lipcius a look?
Just a question: Have you ever seen Lipcius play? Granite glove and looks about as clueless at the plate as anyone in the organization at times. I have no idea how this guy hits, but it’s not hard to see why he is constantly passed over by those who use the eye test at least a little bit with regards to promotion. The definition of a pure guess hitter. Not sure he will ever get an extended look anywhere since he’s mostly a 1b/DH.
I’ll have to give him a look, as Baseball America has pretty good things to say about him:
“Lipcius has proven to be a productive infielder who knows how to pester pitchers and hit for average. Scouting Report: Lipcius is a lean, athletic 6-1, 190 pounds with advanced hand-eye coordination. He’s a polished contact hitter who knows how to spray the ball and get on base.”
He also has a .939 OPS, 10.2% BB%, and 21.8% K%, all very good. not saying you’re wrong at all, but just makes me want to give him a watch.
The issue with SP is not so much quantity but rather quality SPs as you’ll need at least 3 or so top end SPs for the playoffs. Lots of question marks on Buehler and Miller performance wise, and Yamamoto’s health. And heck, Glasnow will shatter single season innings pitched so add him to health concern list. Stone is a young one and you’d think that they’d need to slow his innings pitched at some point to preserve him for the postseason.
With all these uncertainties you’d think that the Dodgers are almost forced to take a top end SP even with guys like Kershaw, May and Hurt coming back who are likely not key postseason SP options.
Every team has the same issue. There is never enough pitching. Injuries hit almost every staff especially these days. LAD is set up as well as any.
Agreed but I think the Dodgers may be extra sensitive to it given what happened last postseason.
You simply can’t get caught with a gimpy old Kershaw, a clearly not mature enough Miller and a not close to good enough postseason option in Lance Lynn.
Dodger fans won’t be ready for excuses, legitimate or not, if the postseason rotation ends up anything like 2023.
There’s no way a team can overcome this many injuries and still win a championship. Can they? If they do, everyone else should be ashamed.
Any team that spends $300 million dollars on their payroll should have plenty of depth….and the Dodgers do.
As soon as ‘everyone else’ plays with the same payroll and spending largesse, THEN we’ll see just whose front office is the best.
#SPENDINGCAPANDFLOOR
They also have depth due to their scouting department. Heck, in 2020 alone, their draft haul included Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, and Landon Knack
I don’t believe the focus at the trade deadline will be on SS simply because nobody worth having is going to be available. They will be much better off upgrading at 3B. I am keeping my eye on the Cardinals.
BTW, Rojas retooled his swing this year. This accounts for his better success at the plate — so there’s less reason to believe that he will regress.
You still want Arenado? The Cardinals should trade him if they can, no matter where they are in the standings. I hope and pray the Dodgers front office thinks the way you do.
Why not? He’d be a substantial upgrade over any other options the Dodgers have available at 3B. Muncy could move back to 2B where he’s defensively better whenever he gets well again and take Lux out of the lineup.
35 million reasons per year thru 2027. But hey, the Dodgers have money to burn.
The Cardinals would have to buy down his contract significantly if they want to move him. This kind of thing is done, you know. Anyway I am not the Dodgers CFO I am just a fan thinking about ways they can fix roster problems. Upgrades at SS are all but off the table.
Can’t say I blame him.
I might have thought the Pads might have had a chance to get back to relevance in the division picture. Then they got swept by the Angels.
Is what it is. Watching Waldron and Merrill’s rookie seasons play out makes the rest of the slate worth watching, however it goes.
No, I’m not inferring the Giants or Dbacks can’t do it. I haven’t paid attention to them enough to form an opinion.
Come on
..Javy Baez is available…..no mention of Javier Baez?
Lol……
First-world problem, but it’s frustrating being a fan of a team that is already prioritizing trying stuff out for October over winning games today. I can kind of see giving Taylor a chance to straighten himself out because of his past service to the team, but picking up Biggio on a flyer and giving him lots of playing time to kick the ball around the infield and strike out looking is maddening.
I hear you. It’s even more annoying to haul your butt all the way down to the ballpark to sit through one of their throwaway games. Granted we’re all anticipating October, but what about the six months of game play before that fercrissakes? I understand why the fans of many if not most teams will have zero sympathy, but just because a team can walk away with the division doesn’t mean they should punch the cruise control in June and play indifferent baseball and plug in a bunch of nobodies all summer long.
Betts and the injured pitchers must be the “deadline” pickups. Wouldn’t take much for LA to get Paul DeJong. Just don’t give up what you gave up for Josh Fields.
That comment deserves this response – giphy.com/gifs/sweaty-hvq8ONQhQ1XLq
Gomes doesn’t have any authority to do any moves he’s just a puppet
“Meanwhile” has to START the sentence. As a conjunctive adverb, it can’t come in the middle between commas.