Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
On this episode of “Dugout Blues,” Jared Massey (Dodger Blue) and I welcome Baseball America’s Ben Badler to talk all things international prospects.
The obvious question we ask first is if the Dodgers made the right decision in passing on Yoan Moncada to acquire the international haul they did during the 2015-16 period. Badler gives his thoughts on the situation.
We also run down some of the big international guys the Dodgers picked up and what fans have to look forward to over the next 3-5 years. He also gave the name of a guy whom the Dodgers might sign for the next July 2 signing period.
The Dodgers have struggled in Pittsburgh, and we recorded before last night’s game. So, yeah, not the best of weekend series. Nick Tepesch got one of those starts because of Frankie Montas‘ injury. Kenta Maeda look bad on Saturday, even with the extra day of rest. Wednesday’s starter is still unknown, but it looks like it’s down to Carlos Frias (would require a disabled list move) or Brock Stewart(!).
Update
I'm so incredibly fortunate to say that the dreams I've had since I was a young boy have come true. I got the call!!
— Brock Stewart (@Brock_A_Stewart) June 27, 2016
But Yasiel Puig is back and hitting. It’s nice to see him not scuffling immediately. Here’s hoping the time off with a hamstring injury helped him refocus and smooth out his swing. The Dodgers are going to need his bat in the second half.
There’s no other way to say it, but Adrian Gonzalez has been bad this season. He’s probably playing through an injury and should be placed on the disabled list. He didn’t start on Sunday or Monday in hopes of clearing his head. Like Puig, the Dodgers are going to need Gonzalez in the second half.
On the farm, Cody Bellinger is hitting well in Double-A as a 21-year-old. The power has dipped slightly (still well above-average), but the walk rate has increased and, most importantly, the strikeout rate has decreased. The aforementioned Stewart has a Kershawian 20:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his last two outings for OKC. Imani Abdullah put his name on the prospect map with a 10-strikeout, no-walk performance for Low-A Great Lakes. He’s one to watch going forward.
We close with a solid Q&A session. Please keep the questions coming.
Libsyn link
Direct link
iTunes link
And if you missed last week’s Dustin-free episode (No. 161), here are the links for it:
Libsyn link
Direct link
iTunes link
Look for new episodes of “Dugout Blues” every Monday. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we’re always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.
If you have questions you’d like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us ([email protected]) or send us messages on Twitter (@JaredJMassey or @DustinNosler). You can also “Like” the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.
