2023 Dodgers: 3 Wishes for the Second Half
Is wishing for another title being greedy? No. Next question.
By Nick M.W.
Let’s make a deal!
Pro baseball resumes today, and the test of true grit begins. There will be trades; there will be slumps; there will be a couple of teams that get hot and sneak into the playoffs; there will be blood.
Sus sock, bruh.
It should be a fun ride to the end.
In the American League (AL), I hope the Orioles make the playoffs. It’s fun to see long-suffering fans catch a whiff of success, except for Padres fans last season. The Orioles are in a good spot now, but five games up on any team with 80 more games to go isn’t a cakewalk to the postseason. They have the Blue Jays and Astros on their heels, and the Yankees, Red Sox, and Mariners could go on a run and swoop into the playoffs if the Orioles slip up.
Of the other AL teams that are currently in the playoffs, I think the Guardians are the only team that’ll choke down the stretch and cough up their playoff spot to the Twins. The Astros, Blue Jays, Rangers, and Rays will all make it to October.
In the National League (NL), everyone thought the Padres would be crushing it, but for one reason or another, they haven’t quite put it all together yet. They’re currently 8 ½ games out of first in the NL West, and six games out of the final Wild Card spot. There’s still a chance they get hot and the few teams that block their path to the playoffs hit a slump. It’s not a longshot, but I know a couple of Padres fans who don’t feel good about the rest of the season. I thought the Padres were going to shred the league, but right now it’s the Braves doing all that. They have a balanced roster and a solid rotation, and they’ll make some moves to improve at the trade deadline. I expect them to be playing well into October.
In an article I wrote at the beginning of this season, I joked that an upstart team, a team like the D-backs, could potentially surprise people and win the NL West. Here’s the receipt from that article:
Noice call, mate.
Can they really hold on and make the playoffs, or will they burn out like a bagel left to fry in the Phoenix heat? I think they’ll make the playoffs. They seem legit. I also think Philly will sneak into a Wild Card spot, and I think/hope the Giants will slide on out. See ya!
Another first half surprise of a team, the Reds, are going to be in a footrace with the Brewers for the NL Central title, and I think they’ll grab it with the tips of their Cincinnati chili-stained fingernails just as the regular season draws to a close.
As for my Dodgers, they have the fourth best record in the National League despite the barrage of injuries that has hit the them. The postseason is in their grasp, but they’re not running away with their division this season as they have before. Their margin for error now is razor thin, and they can’t afford to sustain any more injuries. Health will remain a factor for the Blue Crew, but they also have some holes in their roster and rotation. What can they do to check off the first box on the way to a World Series and make the playoffs?
1. A Starting Pitcher
Injuries to the team’s starting rotation exposed the limits of its bullpen. A healthy rotation would immediately benefit the bullpen because those relief pitchers wouldn’t be taxed with throwing more innings and exhausting those arms. Dustin May isn’t coming back this season, a crappy deal for him, the team, and fans. He was pitching well before his elbow decided to act up again. I wish him a complete and speedy recovery. Walker Buehler probably isn’t going to pitch this season either, at least I don’t think he should anyway. He won’t be available until September, which is a bad time to return to pro-ball after a year out of the game. Gonsolin has been inconsistent, and that might just be who he is. Julio…well, he holds an ace up his sleeve when he’s got command of his pitches, but that has been absent in many of his outings this year. That leaves Kershaw. Love the dude, but the squad is going to need another stud on the mound if they want to win a single series in the postseason.
One durable, quality starting pitcher would change the game on that side of the diamond for the Dodgers. Lucas Giolito from the White Sox seems like a prime candidate for the Dodgers. He’ll be a free agent at the end of this season, which means the Dodgers won’t have to commit any money to him that they would otherwise spend on a big ol’ free agent, like Shohei Ohtani. I mean, Ohtani is the guy I really want the Dodgers to pick up, but I don’t see Arte Moreno approving that deal. He can’t be the dude to trade Shohei. I think, to save face with their 200 fans, the Angels should keep Shohei on the roster for the rest of the season and offer him Orange County in the offseason. Let the chips fall where they may at that point.
Stranger things have happened, but I think free agency is the Dodgers best shot at acquiring Ohtani. He would immediately check off two of my three wishes for the Blue Crew if they were able to land him via trade. I also think he would add a lot of good vibes to an already upbeat and tight-knit clubhouse. It’s not happening for the Dodgers at the trade deadline, though.
2. Another Big Bad Bat
Other iterations of the Dodgers in previous seasons spread the hitting evenly across the roster, but this year’s squad is top heavy. They have the wonderful 1-2 punch of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman to leadoff and follow. Will Smith, one of the best hitting catchers in MLB occupies the third spot. A resurgent J.D. Martinez bats cleanup, and then things start to get a little shaky. Max Muncy might be getting back into the swing of things. Jason Heyward is streaky. I think it’s safe to say that the rookies (Miggy Vargas, James Outman, and Jonny DeLuca) don’t look like they’re going to be reliable enough to make significant contributions to the offense when it matters most this season, so the Dodgers need to add another bat. Ideally, it’s Shohei, but I already unraveled that sweater.
I think the Dodgers immediate need is another right-handed bat because Chris Taylor is hurt, and when he plays, he’s not tearing the cover off the ball. So, who could the Dodgers get? Wait a minute. That’s not the right question to ask. The right question to ask is, “what’s it going to cost the Dodgers?” Bryan Reynolds would cost the Blue Crew multiple players and picks, but he would help the Dodgers offense and defense. If the Dodgers know Ohtani won’t be moved, or if they are willing to risk not trading for him now to sign him later, then why not go after Bryan Reynolds? He’s in arbitration, which means years of team control. They could retain him for a couple more years and sign Shohei in the offseason. Am I being unrealistic here?
3. Fortify the Bullpen
That’s it. Get a guy who can get other guys out late in games and setup Evan Philipps, who appears to be the Dodgers closer. Devin Csigi, from SB Nation’s “True Blue L.A.” blog came up with three potential trade scenarios for the Dodgers that would fortify their bullpen. I would love to see them make all three happen, but if they only pull one off, I hope it’s for Csigi’s proposed Scott Barlow deal. I have to admit that it’s because the dude can not only pitch, but he has a great head of hair. Obviously, that means he can pitch. Obviously.
I have faith in the Dodgers front office to make the right moves to put the team in the best position to close out the season with a playoff berth. That’s the first goal. Once that happens, well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
Enjoy the show!
