Are the Dodgers better this year....

[Stradling]

...than they were last year?  Obviously they just brought on Betts which makes them better on the offense and defense side, but will they be better than last year?  Ryu was really good for them last year and he was healthy.  Price could very well be really good for them this year, but I can’t imagine better than Ryu was last year.  Plus I still think they will trim back their payroll and trade one or both of Pederson and Stripling.  

I guess technically they are projected to be worse since PECOTA predicts 103 wins when they won 106 last year.  The real reason I am posting this is the Dodgers are projected to be 16 games better than the next closest team in the NL.  No chance in the world that happens.  

 

[Lou]

Question: Who platooned with Pederson in LF last year?

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, Lou said:

Question: Who platooned with Pederson in LF last year?

The one I remember from the playoffs was Chris Taylor.  

[Lou]

Did Verdugo play LF?

 

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, Lou said:

Did Verdugo play LF?

 

14 games.  Most were in CF where I’d assume Betts or Bellinger will be this year.

[Lou]

Pederson is f*cked. 

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, Lou said:

Pederson is f*cked. 

Pederson in LF, Bellinger in CF and Betts in RF.  Unless I am forgetting someone.  

[Stradling]

I was forgetting someone, Pollack.  So yes Joc is still be traded.

[tdawg87]

Yes. They have the best offense in baseball and the deepest pitching staff as well. 

They'll still lose in the playoffs though because fuck em.

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Yes. They have the best offense in baseball and the deepest pitching staff as well. 

They'll still lose in the playoffs though because fuck em.

Deepest pitching staff?  I’ll personally take the Nats over them.  The Dodgers have Buehler who is amazing, Kershaw who is really good and Price.  They also have Stripling, Wood and May.  It’s a really good staff but not as good as last years.  

[floplag]

Yes, they are.
Basically they upgraded from a platoon in RF to Betts.  Even though that platoon was solid, Pederson, Taylor, Hernandez, Betts is obviously still an upgrade.
Lux taking over as full time 2B.
They have a lot of guys without spots to play that could.should be starters elsewhere.  Taylor, Hernandez, even Pederson as a bench?  They are loaded AF. 

[floplag]

Just now, Stradling said:

Deepest pitching staff?  I’ll personally take the Nats over them.  The Dodgers have Buehler who is amazing, Kershaw who is really good and Price.  They also have Stripling, Wood and May.  It’s a really good staff but not as good as last years.  

Dont forget Urias 

[Stradling]

Just now, floplag said:

Dont forget Urias 

I didn’t.  

[Lou]

7 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Yes. They have the best offense in baseball and the deepest pitching staff as well. 

They'll still lose in the playoffs though because fuck em.

 

And then, we . . . 

[kevinb]

I’d say they’re better but it might not show in the record. Arizona could be better this year as could the Padres. Which could take some wins away from the Dodgers. But either way they should be favored to win the division and the league. Nationals losing Rendon and Dodgers gaining Betts is huge. 

[Claude]

50 minutes ago, Stradling said:

...than they were last year?  Obviously they just brought on Betts which makes them better on the offense and defense side, but will they be better than last year?  Ryu was really good for them last year and he was healthy.  Price could very well be really good for them this year, but I can’t imagine better than Ryu was last year.  Plus I still think they will trim back their payroll and trade one or both of Pederson and Stripling.  

I guess technically they are projected to be worse since PECOTA predicts 103 wins when they won 106 last year.  The real reason I am posting this is the Dodgers are projected to be 16 games better than the next closest team in the NL.  No chance in the world that happens.  

 

You can ask their fans at our Opening Day game. 

[Erstad Grit]

Losing Hill, Maeda, Ryu, and Kershaw/Jansen not aging well  might hurt them. We'll see how price and the young kids do

[Justin]

No, I don't think they're better this season. But they seem to be genuinely pissed off about the cheating scandal. I doubt that matters in October, but I could see it being a unifying theme over the course of the regular season. I would be surprised if they are challenged for the Division title.

[Angel Oracle]

51 minutes ago, Stradling said:

I was forgetting someone, Pollack.  So yes Joc is still be traded.

Pollack can't stay healthy though.   Only twice in the past four years has he played more than 86 games. 

People worry about Upton's health, but next to Pollack, he's Cal Ripkin Jr.

[Warfarin]

I think they will likely platoon Joc and Pollock in LF.  Joc is fantastic against RHP and platooning Pollock will likely help him stay healthier, since he isn't playing day-in, day-out.

They are a loaded team.  Their SP might be a tad worse, but adding Betts is, obviously, a very big deal.