Scratch JD Martinez off the list
Evidently, the Dodgers didn’t want JD Martinez after all. The slugging outfielder was traded to NL West rival Arizona Diamondbacks, in what looks to be a very light package for one of the best hitting outfielders in baseball.
The Dodgers could easily have surpassed the offer from the Diamondbacks, so we have to assume he was never on their list. I’ll further extrapolate, that if JD Martinez was not on the Dodgers list, they aren’t interested in upgrading the outfield.
They might really be sold on Chris Taylor or the option of Bellinger if/when Adrian Gonzalez comes back. I don’t think we should be undervaluing what a healthy Adrian might bring to the table.
And of course, there is always Andre Ethier who evidently is only going play every Sept from now on.
The outfield depth chart looks like:
Right Field – Puig, Hernandez, Thompson, Eibner, SVS, Bellinger, (Andre)
Center Field – Pederson, Hernandez, Thompson, Eibner, Bellinger, Alex Verdugo
Left Field – Taylor, Bellinger, Hernandez, Thompson, SVS, Eibner, Alex Verdugo, (Andre)
Though I’m tending to believe that Alex Verdugo is probably in front of the Thompson, Eibner, SVS trio. I’m putting Bellinger here for the days that Dave Roberts gets creative and wants to get Chase Utley in the lineup, moving Forsythe or Chase to 1st base.
Would McCutcheon be a better fit for a World Championship run? Might check in on that later.
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- Tagged: JD Martinez
Dodgers, Yesterday and Today 
Ok, let’s have Taylor and Martinez in a footrace.
Taylor is like one of the fastest, if not the fastest runner on the Dodgers.
He can go first to third.
He has good technique.
All he does is hit.
What’s not to like?
Just the fear that it can’t last and he will suddenly fall off a cliff?
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No matter the talent level, you have to worry about the wall when you have never been a full-time player in the major leagues. Playing full time into Sept would be new for both Bellinger and Taylor. How many full-time players for the first time are still firing on all cylinders come Sept? Even someone with Seager’s talent struggled last Sept (worst OPS of the season).
On the other hand, with the huge lead they will have come Aug/Sept they can certainly give plenty of rest to Bellinger and Taylor helping to mitigate the playing time issues and if they are comfortable with that duo being the 1st/LF or LF options if Adrian is healthy than that would explain the lack of interest in the bat of JD. Taylor may be faster than JD and he can play a better outfield but no way does Taylor carry the bat of JD, I don’t care what Taylor has done so far this year.
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I feel that the main attraction Martinez offers is his ability to rake LHP.
The glaring need for a bat like this has gone away.
Other than that Martinez is a slow footed, poor defending, injury prone player.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers are going toward youth and athleticism.
Agree on how the Dodgers will be able to pace their players going forward to the end of the regular season. The lead they enjoy today is really, really big.
If the team continues to perform as it has through the end of the month, the pressure will be off. The butter will be getting hard and the jello will be jigglin
Spend the Milb talent chips on two stud relief pitchers.
Maybe … pick up a SP after the trade deadline.
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