Bleav in Dodgers

J.P. Hoornstra and Shawn Green discuss the debut of Bobby Miller, and having the Dodgers' top two pitching prospects in the rotation at the same time. ESPN's story on the 20th anniversary of the "Shawn Green Game" Extensive scouting report on Bobby Miller USA Today's coverage of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

J.P. Hoornstra discusses the struggles of certain pitchers with the pitch clock (1:18), Max Muncy's hot start (3:13), Juan Soto's struggles (4:05), and the Week In Old Friends (5:38). Then Shawn Green joins to discuss the reason for the Dodgers' six-game winning streak (7:15), the three-game series against the Padres (9:30), when it's safe to look at the standings (11:45), the effects of the balanced schedule manifesting early (17:05), the Dodgers' logic behind shuffling their starting rotation (18:05) and playing in the pre-paternity list era with a pregnant wife (19:25). Kevin Quackenbush signs with the Long Island Ducks St. Paul Pioneer Press story on Brock Stewart Willie Calhoun revives his career with the New York Yankees Trevor Bauer’s teammate doesn’t like how he’s celebrating Nathan Eovaldi shuts out the Yankees Brett Eibner retires Drew Maggi gets first career hit, sent back to minors Brian Cashman: ‘Don’t Give Up On Us’ St. Louis Cardinals win 17 games, New York Times curses them

J.P. Hoornstra recaps the bizarre ending to Drew Smyly's perfect game bid against the Dodgers in Chicago (0:50) and summarizes the week in transactions (2:39). Then, Dodgers reliever Justin Bruihl discusses the start to his season at Triple-A (5:35), his new slider grip (6:21), and how his game plan in Oklahoma City is different from his game plan in the major leagues (7:13). Shawn Green then joins to discuss Madison Bumgarner's legacy as the perfect Dodgers foe (11:22), why he enjoyed batting against Randy Johnson (14:20), the surge in stolen bases around MLB (16:30), the early perils of the Dodgers' bullpen (24:24), and the proven strategy of plucking an All-Star closer (Eric Gagne) out of the rotation (28:00). J.P.'s column on stolen bases surging across MLB Documenting the Dodgers' struggles against left-handed pitching Video of David Peralta's infield single to break up Drew Smyly's perfect game bid

J.P. Hoornstra discusses the most surprising statistics from the season's first two weeks (1:03), whether the Dodgers' bullpen (7:56) or the rotation (9:39) invites greater cause for concern, and checks in on former Dodgers Cody Bellinger and Edwin Rios (12:24) with the Chicago Cubs coming to town this weekend. J.P.'s weekly column on how the new rules are affecting MLB so far in 2023

J.P. Hoornstra discusses the Dodgers' last-minute decision to place Ryan Pepiot on the injured list. Then Shawn Green joins (3:47) to discuss his memories of Opening Day, Rickey Henderson, and how he expects the new rules to play out in MLB.

J.P. Hoornstra discusses the end of Cactus League play and the beginning of the Freeway Series (0:44). The just-completed World Baseball Classic (1:16) and the potential it showed to make baseball a more global sport (4:23). Can the WBC be part of baseball's long-term solution to overcome the crumbling RSN model (8:20) in MLB? The breakout springs by James Outman and Ryan Pepiot (12:50). What's the only 26-man roster question remaining? (15:20) The problem with acquiring Keston Hiura (16:50). James Outman's non-existent Rookie of The Year odds (17:20). The spring struggles of the Dodgers' outfielders at the plate (18:07). The Dodgers' questionable roster depth (20:06). Gavin Stone's strong spring (21:15). The best reason why the Dodgers will win the 2023 World Series (22:30). The great Shohei Ohtani pursuit (24:48). How do the Dodgers compare to the other top teams in MLB (26:18)? J.P.'s column about the World Baseball Classic James Outman makes Dodgers' Opening Day roster Ryan Pepiot is the Dodgers' fifth starter

J.P. Hoornstra discusses the season-ending ACL injury to Gavin Lux (1:20), takes a gander at the Dodgers' thin depth chart at shortstop (2:10), then looks at the thin group of remaining shortstops (2:50). Shawn Green joins to discuss the typical hitter's routine at the beginning of spring training (10:00), why exhibition games offer a weird dynamic between pitchers and hitters (13:00), why some great spring training hitters can never translate their success to the regular season (14:30), the love being showered on the Dodgers by the prospect-list makers (16:25), and the odds-on favorites to meet in the World Series (19:20). Details of Gavin Lux's season-ending knee injury Link to "Sit Behind The Nets" by Jana Goldbloom Brody Keith Law's farm system rankings and top 100 prospects FanGraphs Top 100 prospects MLB.com Top 100 prospects Baseball America Top 100 (subscription required) Baseball Prospectus Top 101 prospects (subscription required)

J.P. Hoornstra discusses the Dodgers' signings of David Peralta, Alex Reyes and Jimmy Nelson (1:20), two odd things about Peralta joining the Dodgers (4:46), and how it makes the outfield off-season plan make sense (7:09). The episode concludes with a deep dive (11:11) into the decision to retire Fernando Valenzuela's number 34. Link to J.P.'s column about the new rules coming to MLB in 2023 Contract details for Peralta/Reyes/Nelson Report about Peralta’s injury in Tampa Bay

J.P. Hoornstra compares this winter to the winter of 2014-15 (2:24), and the deluge of prospects that followed then and are coming now (3:25). After a quick recap of the Dodgers’ Top 30 prospects of 2020 (7:54), J.P. brings on Shawn Green (10:02) to discuss Scott Rolen (12:04) clearing the Hall of Fame bar by 11 votes. Which player on the ballot would Shawn induct before Rolen and Harold Baines (15:51), and what was he like as a rookie teammate? (16:40) JP and Shawn hype the WBC (18:00) before Shawn breaks up Team USA (23:38). Lastly, Shawn recalls getting heckled by a high school student during the Dodgers’ off-season community caravan tour (27:38). Links: Dodgers’ top 30 prospects of 2020 2015 Dodgers vs. 2014 Dodgers Hall of Fame voting results (sorry, Andre Ethier) 2023 WBC schedule J.P.'s stories on OCRegister.com

J.P. Hoornstra discusses the Dodgers' decision to designate Trevor Bauer for assignment, and the subsequent reaction (8:30). Then Shawn Green joins to discuss the Dodgers' off-season moves: letting Justin Turner walk as a free agent (15:45), how a team navigates a change in clubhouse leadership (18:20), replacing Turner with J.D. Martinez (21:45), adding Noah Syndergaard to the starting rotation (25:05), letting Craig Kimbrel and Kenley Jansen sign elsewhere as free agents (27:40), and the impact of the San Diego Padres' big moves (33:35). Links for suggested further reading: News story on the Dodgers designating Trevor Bauer for assignment My original story on Trevor Bauer receiving a 324-game suspension from MLB USA Today story about the Dodgers' meeting with Trevor Bauer in Arizona Justin Turner discusses leaving the Dodgers for the Red Sox

J.P. Hoornstra breaks down the Dodgers' luxury tax situation (1:31) and the possible impact of lifting Trevor Bauer's suspension on the payroll (5:08). Then Shawn Green joins (9:20) to discuss the busy Winter Meetings, teams' bias against older players (16:19), the Dodgers' anticipated youth movement (21:10), and the Padres' big payroll push (22:50). Spotrac's 2023 luxury tax payroll calculator J.P.'s Winter Meetings recap column

J.P. does a quick Hot Stove roundup (1:44) before welcoming Shawn Green (5:15) to discuss the new Hall of Fame ballot – including the player who gave the most intense high fives (6:43) of anyone he played with. Then, J.P. analyzes the obvious implication of the Dodgers' signing Shelby Miller (19:53) to a 1-year, $1.5 million contract and letting Chris Martin leave for Boston on a two-year, $17.5 million contract. The Dodgers' ring ceremony prior to their 2021 home opener Link to the new ballot mailed to Hall of Fame voters this week Link to J.P.'s Hall of Fame column Shelby Miller/Chris Martin news

J.P. Hoornstra discusses the Dodgers' non-tender decisions: Luke Williams (2:12), Edwin Rios (2:41), and Cody Bellinger (8:17). Then, Shawn Green jumps on (13:50) to discuss the all-time greatest performance by a non-MVP in baseball history that we just witnessed, and the runners-up finishes by Julio Urías and Dave Roberts in their respective award categories (21:03). For further reading The Dodgers’ 2023 projected payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/payroll/ The Dodgers’ depth chart on Roster Resource: https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/dodgers My final dad-joke take on the American League MVP race: https://www.ocregister.com/2022/10/06/hoornstra-closing-arguments-in-shohei-ohtani-vs-aaron-judge-and-other-mlb-awards-races/

J.P. Hoornstra kicks off a busy off-season week: Clayton Kershaw re-signs, Tyler Anderson leaves for Anaheim, and Dave Roberts finishes second in the manager of the year voting. Pressing questions remain, like how will the Dodgers fill out their starting rotation, and will Cody Bellinger remain a Dodger? Links: SCNG's "Inside the Dodgers" Newsletter Trea Turner free agent analysis Clayton Kershaw free agent analysis Andrew Heaney free agent analysis Tyler Anderson free agent analysis Justin Turner free agent analysis Other free agent analyses: Chris Martin, Joey Gallo, Hanser Alberto, David Price, Craig Kimbrel, et.al.

J.P. Hoornstra returns (from losing his voice!) to discuss the Dodgers' season-ending loss to the Padres in the NLDS. Shawn Green joins (2:02) to reflect on the remarkable end to the 2022 season, the lack of emotional intensity at the end of the season (4:50), how to make the playoffs more fair (8:15), how long it takes a player to get over a postseason loss (12:45), how the Dodgers' season will be remembered (14:38), the kind of offensive approach that works in the postseason (17:40), the best lineups of the 1990s (21:28).

J.P. Hoornstra and Shawn Green discuss the start of the postseason (1:35), the Dodgers and the Padres splitting the first two games of the NLDS (2:00), the missing mystique when two division rivals play each other in October (7:15), pinch hitting Austin Barnes for Cody Bellinger in Game 2 against Josh Hader (11:20), the goose that interrupted Game 2 (13:09), fans running onto the field and trying to grab Shawn's hat (13:50), the budding rivalry dynamic between the Padres and Dodgers (17:45), and the star-studded playoff field (20:05). Link to JP's column about the star-studded playoff field

J.P. Hoornstra recaps the Dodgers' 111-win regular season by the numbers (1:25), then Shawn Green jumps on to discuss what stood out to him about 2022 (5:35), potentially using a closer committee in the playoffs (7:30), Julio Urias' turn as the Dodgers' ace (9:30), the potential pitfalls of a 5-day layoff before the NLDS begins (14:35), Dave Roberts' role in the Dodgers' best regular season ever (19:35), then look forward to the postseason (24:30). Link to Statcast's team-by-team leaders in performance vs. 96+mph pitches

J.P. Hoornstra breaks down the Dodgers' growing list of question marks heading into the postseason. Can the lineup support a slumping Chris Taylor and Cody Bellinger? (6:00) Should Trayce Thompson start over Taylor? (8:14) Should Craig Kimbrel be on the NLDS roster? (10:10) Projecting the 8-man bullpen (12:02), planning on the worst-case scenarios (14:16) for the pitching staff, and a quick shoutout to Albert Pujols (18:31) Link to Joe Sheehan's Mookie Betts newsletter

J.P. Hoornstra and Shawn Green discuss the Dodgers' ability to maintain its franchise-record win pace (3:00) after clinching the National League West, whether this is the best Dodger team of all-time (5:10), the Dodgers' ability to sustain their success with different star players (10:45), the ideal number of September call-ups (13:05), and the visitors' clubhouse at Wrigley Field (17:40).

J.P. Hoornstra breaks down the Dodgers' 2023 schedule (1:20), then Shawn Green joins to discuss his experience playing under a balanced and unbalanced schedules (3:58). Then J.P. and Shawn discuss the future of MLB with a universal DH and every team playing every other team (6:00), the Angels being put up for sale (9:18), the Dodgers' prowess at keeping their best prospects (16:08), and Walker Buehler's pending Tommy John revision (20:50).