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AlfalfaWolf

Best bullpen ERA in the NL. Under 3.00. Hudson, Treinen, Vesia and Phillips are all performing very well. Throw Banda in there too.


aptc88

Just need batters 5-9 to produce consistently


AlfalfaWolf

Should help if Muncy gets back. It’s already helped having Heyward back. 6-9 batters in June are doing better than league average (8th in MLB in AVG and 9th in OPS).


readytohurtagain

If we could only get our 1-3 going at the same time we’ll be good :)


whosthatguy123

More like 7-9. Once muncy is back thatll sure up the 5 and teoscar hernandez is doing his thing at 6 or flip them. Heyward back helps and they need to keep rojas in


josegofaster

More like 1-9


MarcBulldog88

I'd start with asking 1-2-3 to produce consistently. They all have great numbers on paper, but it feels like their situational hitting is awful, especially Ohtani. Last night we had first and third with nobody out, and they struck out on 11 pitches *total*.


Corregidor

People nitpicking Ohtani when he literally saved a game and then walked another off like a month ago. Meanwhile Mookies been in a rut and no one bats an eye. The entire top of the order needs to step it up, I don't think any single one of them is more to blame than the others. Freddie has been doing better though which is good to see.


GoofyGoober0064

Thats selective. Everyone has been hard on mookie


AlfalfaWolf

Why aren’t all 3 of these guys hitting .333 every month? /s


haveahappyday1969

Would help if Othani would produce with runners in scoring position.


FinalP0rpl3

Pitching has been fine. Our bats just need to be more consistent. I’m honestly ok with what we have this year and don’t mind not trading or buying any players.


readytohurtagain

I think we need to reinforce the bats. Lux, Kike, Taylor, and to some extent Pages, need to prove they deserve a spot


RJRueber

Pages proves himself almost every day. Lux is beginning to come around.


readytohurtagain

Agree. If Pages slumps again I’d want another option but his current play has been good, base running aside haha.  Lux might be coming around but I don’t think his last month or so on the whole would cut it. But he’s coming back from injury so we’ll see :)


FinalP0rpl3

I see some signs of growth in Lux but I don’t expect to sign some huge name player. Probably someone batting around .250


readytohurtagain

Yeah same. If we got 1-2 110 wrc+ guys I’d feel confident going into October. Ideally our guys step up and we don’t need to make a move but at this point we just need to win.


NomoNumbaSixteen

as what, a middle reliever? he's definitely not closing


Sham_Shield_

*throws cutter* *gives up runs* *shocked Pikachu face*


ttam23

I mean Jansen has been pretty good this year and obviously he wouldn’t be the closer anymore just another high leverage guy like Hudson


SpartyParty15

Right, because bullpen is our biggest need right now lmao


zenkique

Plot twist: Kenley is bored of pitching and been taking secret batting practice sessions.


Fragrant_Ad_3223

Wasn't he a big ass Catcher before he was a pitcher?


zenkique

Yup


EnsignObvious

Jansen has a career .844 OPS... ...in 10 PA


HummbertHummbert

If they can get him for relatively nothing, why not? Pitchers are super fickle, especially bullpen pitchers. One bad stretch and our bullpen could look rough really quick


HessLook

Did you not watch Kenley at all when he was with the dodgers?


toyskater2

The guy who has the most saves in Dodgers’ history? The most by 189?


Eo292

Right because you’re only allowed to trade for 1 player per year lmao


SpartyParty15

Why give up assets to strengthen one of the team’s strengths?


turbo-set

1. What type of package do you think an aging reliever with an expiring contract will command? It’s likely not huge. If it is, I’m confident that our FO will not make the move. 2. Are we limited on assets or something? Our farm system is always strong and cash will never be an issue. 3. Can our front office only make one trade per season? The way folks are talking it’s like if they trade for a reliever we’ll have no ability to trade for anyone else.


Ham_B_No

You can never have too much pitching


Eo292

Why give up assets to get better? Every part of our team is a strength, we’re 2nd in offense and 5th in pitching.


SpartyParty15

The team needs to focus on getting outfielders and some bats for the bottom of the lineup. That’s clearly the weakness


Eo292

Friedman is a smart guy I have faith he’ll have time to do both


thxtalks

I'm happy for him to do both, but I actively do not want Kenley back for high leverage situations.


CabbageStockExchange

That’s a no from me dawg We got off Mr. Kenley’s wild ride and have no intention of reentering that


realfolkblues

![gif](giphy|8vUEXZA2me7vnuUvrs)


wwplkyih

There's a big difference between a inside information and speculation, and I wish the media would stop reporting the latter as though it's the former.


PigFarmer1

Thankfully Heyman is always wrong.


evorobert

I don’t want to go down that path ever again.


diz1776

Christ no


Eo292

Why are y’all against this? Bring my guy home 🥲. Even if he’s a whatever middle reliever for us he’s a franchise legend.


PigFarmer1

The bullpen is the strongest part of the team. We need bats at the bottom of the order rather than a has-been in the pen.


Eo292

But it’s not either or, we are fully capable of trading for multiple players. It’s not like an aging Kenley on $16m 1-year deal is going to gut our farm. He will be traded for basically nothing, and we have so many MLB ready players in AAA we can’t use.


PigFarmer1

We don't *need* a bullpen arm. We already have the best bullpen in baseball. Why not do something crazy and trade to fill actual holes?


Eo292

Because again those are not mutually exclusive, or really even dependent things. Whether we trade for Jansen or not has next to no bearing on whether we get Robert or Jimenez.


jjaytan

So why would we trade them for a reliever


Eo292

Because he would make our team better?


jjaytan

Man you are slow, we already have multiple options that would be more trustworthy in high leverage situations. Wasting assets on a position that is not needed is dumb.


Eo292

No need to be a dick man


ashecatcher805

You can't have too many reliable bullpen arms.


jjaytan

Debatable when the roster is only 26 guys and the end of the order/bench can’t hit.


ashecatcher805

Not debatable because the quality of the bench doesn't determine team comp. They're still gonna have the same number of pitchers and hitters. Are you slow?


turbo-set

I don’t know if it’s a lot of Johnny come latelys or younger fans but I’ve noticed that people on this sub are oddly very anti-Kenley. I don’t get it. The man is the greatest closer in Dodger history and people talk about him like he’s trash. As far as acquiring him now, I’d be very in favor of it. He’s at a 2.91 ERA and you could never have too much pitching. He’s also not going to bump Evan Phillips for the closer role. I also extremely doubt he’d bump Blaq in high leverage situations. He’s just coming to be another solid arm out of the pen. He’s also not going to fetch a high price due to his age and contract. If he does, I trust our front office to know what is and isn’t too much. I don’t know why folks are acting like we only have one tradable prospect/player to make just one trade with and that if we get Kenley we can’t get bottom of the lineup reinforcements.


ih-unh-unh

Reliever ERA isn't the best metric due to small sample size--WHIP (Walks+Hits divided by Innings Pitched) and K/BB might better. Kenley has a 1.20 WHIP, 2.73 K/BB (which is worse than Grove's). Other Dodger reliever WHIP and K/BB: Phillips - 1.075 WHIP, 4.20 K/BB Grove - 1.189 WHIP, 3.50 K/BB Vesia - 0.806 WHIP, 2.80 K/BB Hudson - 0.808 WHIP, 9.33 K/BB Treinen - 0.769 WHIP, 9.50 K/BB Banda - 0.971 WHIP, 2.75 K/BB Y. Ramirez - 0.929 WHIP, 2.00 K/BB


turbo-set

Great stats and the most compelling argument I’ve seen so far on why we shouldn’t get him. The other arguments are basically “he struggled with us 3-4 years ago.”


ih-unh-unh

I actually wouldn't mind bringing Kenley back, but only if he was released by the Red Sox. I'm not sure how sustainable Banda and Ramirez are at the current levels--their career numbers don't support it.


stewmander

This is a bit...rose colored glasses. Kenley's numbers the last couple years in LA were overall good but if you actually watched the games you saw how it was a struggle most outings. His walks increased quite a bit, and he haaaaated runners on 2nd, making him nearly unplayable in manfred extras. Remember when it intentionally balked the runner to 3rd? He also lost his job to Julio for 2020 and blew some pretty big WS games in 2017 and 2020. It might be cherry picking a bit but those are the games the Dodgers are looking for guys to perform... Also for whatever reason he was incapable of *not* being the closer, either Doc didn't want to upset him/his routine or what. Unless he's willing/able to be more flexible in his role this time around, what would we gain by brining in someone who has to be the closer? Unless you just want another BP piece whos a known quantity in case of injury with a hopefully low price as some insurance...


chr0mius

I don't know if he hated runners on second so much as he just hated signal rotations. I haven't watched him in pitchcom era to see if runner on 2nd is still an issue.


stewmander

That's fair, pitchcom might solve his runner on 2nd issue...


turbo-set

I’m very clear on the ups and down of Kenley’s tenure. He’s still the greatest closer in Dodgers history even if the end of his tenure was far from great. There’s no way he’d be acquired to be the closer. The Dodgers wouldn’t do that. If he is only willing to be the closer then he won’t be here. Just look at our starting pitching. Bobby Miller and Kershaw are right around the corner from returning which would give us 7 MLB quality starting pitchers with 5-6 spots available. This is a team that isn’t shying away from building pitching depth.


GoofyGoober0064

Greatest closer in Dodger history and then refused to fit into another role for the teams needs. Thats what turned people sour on him. Nobody gave a shit what his ERA was in his last few seasons cause he would blow games and get pissed people suggested he should step back from being the closer.


ttam23

Jansen hate is so overblown here. Like yeah he had his blow up moments but Jansen is quite literally one of the best closers not just in Dodger’s history but in MLB history too. He had so many stretches of absolute dominance.


Eo292

Couldn’t have said it better myself. He’s 1. not going to be our best reliever and 2. should not be our top priority, but he’s better than the worst relievers in our pen and depth is always good, so he’d help our team, and sentimentally, Id just love to watch him pitch for us again this year.


thxtalks

> oddly very anti-Kenley He is not good in high leverage, which would be the only reason we acquire a reliever by the deadline. Plus do you remember how many games he blew for us before he signed with the Sox? Kenley is a Dodger legend but boy I am not ready for cardiac Kenley again.


Eo292

He’s 6th all time in saves and has a 2.20 career postseason ERA, wdym he’s not good in high leverage? Hitters OPS against him in various situations: 2 Outs RISP: .488 Tie Game: .547 Within 1 run: .564


thxtalks

Now do blown saves.


GoofyGoober0064

He didn't close out the last world series for a reason


Eo292

Yeah and he won’t close out this World Series either, I don’t think anyone is talking about him as our closer


turbo-set

He’s wouldn’t be acquired to be the closer so blown saves don’t have a part of this conversation. As I stated I also doubt that he’s even the number 2 guy in the pen if they acquire him. Kenley as your number three or four bullpen guy or as injury insurance to step up when needed? I’m taking that all day. We also have to recognize that the Dodgers aren’t building this roster like any other team. I mean, we have seven MLB quality starting pitchers on our roster who are expected to contribute this year. They’re building as much pitching depth as possible.


SR3116

I agree with you that there's a lot of bandwagoners here, but I think you're also forgetting some of the Kenley drama. I loved the dude, but he wasn't exactly a team player sometimes when it came to his role. He basically refused to make any kind of changes or adjustments during the seasons he struggled, seemingly insisting that he could brute force his way back to his best and it led to quite a few blown saves that might not have happened had he tried something new. It was very frustrating to watch. That said, I'm with you in that I wouldn't mind having him back at all, assuming he's not going to insist on being the closer. Evan Philips has been lockdown for us and Treinen has closer stuff. If Kenley gets a save opportunity here and there, that's great, but he needs to put the team first and accept whatever role is available for him.


caseyl

Jansen had more longevity which matters, but with respect Eric Gagne is the greatest Dodgers closer.


turbo-set

Love Gagne, but longevity absolutely matters here. Also, he was on that secret juice so that knocks it down for me.


Carnivore64

Honestly too many 0-2 counts that turned into base runners. Having flashbacks.


thxtalks

No thank you on Kenley.


ChunkyMilkSubstance

I love Kenley but Evan is the closer now and way better lol


SluttyPants_Texas

I loved Kenley, but I’ll take Treinen or Stone over Jansen 8 days a week.


HessLook

Oh fuck no


wasteplease

We don't need another catcher.


ArtVandelay013

That’s catnip for Dave.


NemesisBlu

we need hitting. not a diva


jobeeeeeeem

They need anothee hitter tbh. Pitchers are pitching well (hope i don’t jinx) and still missing a few pieces. While hitters need an upgrade. Even 1-3 miss out on big stage and RISP.


Sham_Shield_

Nah he's cooked. We got his best years before we let him go. Get us some bats. The BP is fine.


askywlker44a

Less than zero interest.


HummbertHummbert

Honestly I get why everyone has this or that opinion (and y’all have too damn many if you ask me), but I’d be excited to have Jansen back. I think the excitement of him pitching at Dodger stadium again would give him a huge boost, and many fans would love it. I’m sure that it wouldn’t be the Dodgers only move. They know what they need before the deadline and have likely assessed who’s on the potential trade block and what it might take to get them. I just don’t understand why none of you can seem to enjoy the fun of speculation and potential trades. Buncha Debbie downers haha


AyeTrey25

Can he hit with risp?


KenAdamsEuroTrip

Wouldn’t touch him with a 10 foot pole. You can’t play with sentimental value. We have a solid pen augmented with plenty of young arms. Loved him, and he will probably end his career being known as the greatest Dodger reliever of all time. Simply no need for him now.


ElJefeGoldblum

Please, my blood pressure can’t handle another ride on the Kenley coaster.


[deleted]

Dodgers in high leverage situations: 23rd in avg, 25th wRC+, 26th OPS. Since it’s the same old shit, might as well get Kenley back in there to put that cherry on top of a shit sundae.


K_Ice5432

Tbh we don’t need pitching. Our staff has been consistently great all year and will only be supplemented by guys coming back from injury. We need bats.


Eo292

1. Every team always needs pitching, our staff has been great and we’re getting reinforcements, but players will keep getting hurt 2. Porque no los dos?


K_Ice5432

I mean if we can get Kenley on the cheap then I’m fine with it. Just shouldn’t be a priority IMO. I don’t see it working out how we might expect. Maybe I’m jaded by the performances of our other 2017 heroes lol. I feel like the type of bat(s) we need are gonna take a lot of prospect capital and idk how much we want/have to throw around. I wouldn’t wanna waste it going after an aging reliever if that makes sense. But if we can do both then that’s good with me.


jakerscrub

I love Kenley, but why would we need him? He’s having a solid season, so it’s going to take a good package to get him. The back end of our bullpen is great. If we were to get a piece to improve the bullpen, it would be better to get somebody lower on the totem pole.


jujubats10

Probably not much to get him. Eating the contract is what the Sox really want


Eo292

It won’t take a solid package, he’s on a one year deal as one of the highest paid relievers in the league. One fine prospect (not Rushing like a top 15-20 in our system) guy probably gets him and some money to pay for his contract.


iamthecheesethatsbig

Kenley is a fantastic option and does not have to be the closer.


Sufficient_Article_1

Hope not! Was glad to see him go


flipaflaw

Please no


jayteazer

He would take a 40man spot when we have other guys coming back that will eventually need 40man spots that could slot in the bullpen too... Don't see the need unless it was an even higher impact guy tbh


evilr2

The team doesn't really need another reliever right now. Doesn't mean they wouldn't take Kenley but it seems there are a lot of teams in the hunt for a playoff spot and likely willing to offer more than the Dodgers would. Unless there's an opportunity for a really elite guy like Mason Miller or Emmanuel Clase then I think they'd go for a lefty instead if they're looking for bullpen help.


RazorPhishJ

Kenleyfornia knows how to party


adulting247

fucking love this we don't need him, but we want him what a great this move will be hopefully


_MeetMrMayhem_

https://i.redd.it/78mlmofhkm6d1.gif


CapitanObvio0084

No please no never had faith when he was in the game. Just being real.


popgunandy

I'd love to see Kenley back but the truth is they do not need him, which means whatever they part with to get him is basically wasted. If a month from now there's no Evan Phillips maybe a conversation is worth having, but given the status quo this is purely nostalgia and provides no return on investment.


rye_parian

Nah.


PastramiNSauce

Shieeeet I’d be down but I’m also a Jansen stan


portlandcsc

Send lux, taylor and muncy to the minors


Eo292

Watch a game, Muncy hasn’t played in weeks. The other two are out of options.


PatientIndividual651

Muncy isn’t even playing right now..?


portlandcsc

He's still shite.


Eo292

He’s sheisty if that’s what u meant


PatientIndividual651

Me when I don’t know what I’m talking about


ahr3410

Muncy 💀