It has been much to long since my last or any post on this blog. I have more catching up to do than I would like to admit. None-the-less this isn't cards, this isn't games, beer or music. The post is about my favorite team and the nightmare that may be lurking at the July 31st deadline.
We are on a count down to July 31st and it is coming fast! Today is July 17th, that is exactly 2 weeks from the dead line. Rumors are abounding and are plentiful. What I am about to post is what I do not want to see, but have a piercing pain in my gut that tells me I may be on to something.
I will preface this with, no one has mentioned this and I have no "source" or "connection". Though, I can be quite the "palm reader" if you will.
Names like Price, Hamels and such have been thrown around and associated with the Dodgers. Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and Julio Urias have also been associated with each mentioned trade.
The Dodger Brass would love to and whole heartedly wants to build a ground up system. A grass roots system is a much better word. Yes, big trades and free agent pick up can and will still be a thing of the present and future. Though giving up raw, high quality talent is something Stan Kasten and Ned Colletti said would be a thing of the past.
Now, all of this brings me to said nightmare. Yes, a trade of Joc (and cash) for Price would be horrible and maybe detrimental. However nothing could prepare you for the said nightmare that has been haunting me.
Okay, this brings me to the what I see as an "elephant in the room", Dee Gordon. The kid has been, possibly the best player on the Dodgers squad this year (offensively). We all know Clayton Kershaw is our best player and maybe the best player in all of MLB.
However Dee is and has been a beast in 2014. His number are that of a video game. His 2014 line: 91 games (his career high), 392 PA (plat appearances), 359 AB (At-Bats), .292 AVG (Average), .344 OBP (On Base Percentage), .398 SLG (Slugging), 742 OPS (On Base Percentage + Slugging), 27 BB (Base on Balls), 43 Stolen Bases (MLB leader), 25 RBI (Run Batted In), 52 Runs, 14 Doubles, 9 Triples, 105 hits and 2 Home Runs.
After all that being stated, what team wouldn't want this guy? After all, he is now proven, he is a bonafied lead-off hitter, 2B (.983 FLD%) and all around club house boost.
Joc, Corey and Urias are all amazing talent and may be raw as hell, but are as proven as string theory.
Alex Guerrero and his $28 million contract looms over all of this as well.
Dee has a rough start to his career and now has taken the Dodgers and all of MLB by storm. He is a fan favorite, a nice guy and as if he needs to add anything to his resume an All-Star. See here and here.
You can speculate and downplay any or all of this. The fact is: this game is a HUGE stage and counts for home field advantage.
The kind of developed/natural talent that Dee has is just silly. It seems almost unreal. Even more unreal is the fact that a team wouldn't be shopping/shopping for him as the deadline approaches.
While I believe the brass for the Dodgers has more brains than to give away proven talent to pick up a starter and/or a reliever. Especially a talent as proven and as special as Dee Gordon. Stupider things have happened.
If you ask me, Dee is our 2B for MANY years to come. Guerrero can move to his natural SS position, Seager can replace Uribe when his contract expires and Joc is an OF of ours for the future.
Price, Hamels or anything close is a fun idea and may work on paper, but to give up Pederson, Seager, Urias, Guerrero and most importantly Dee (alone or as a package) would be a move we would all be regretting more than the Andruw Jones diabolical.
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