It’s not a very well kept secret that the Dodgers prefer veteran over rookie, and, overall, experience over youth. That philosophy seems like the “safe” bet, but is it actually working?
Of course, that’s all up for interpretation, because the Dodgers do win the NL West just about every year, but they have just 1 World Series title as of late, and that came in a Covid shortened season where there were no home games and a limited amount of fans in the stands.
Nick Frasso, Drew Avans, Ryan Ward, Kyle Hurt, Landon Knack, Ryan Pepiot, Michael Busch, Jonny DeLuca, River Ryan, John Rooney and Alec Gamboa are all 25 years of age or older. Emmet Sheehan, Miguel Vargas and Ben Casparius are 24.
So, is the plan to let their value, or their chance at an MLB career, expire before giving them a REAL chance?
Is that a good plan?
In my opinion, the Dodgers should either trade them to clubs that will give them a “real” chance at an MLB career, or give them that chance themselves.
Waiting until these guys are 25 to put them on the 40 man, then popping them in and out of L.A., and, as a result, not giving them consistency isn’t working, IMO.
Nor, does it work!
Every year Dodgers fans want veterans in the trade market or Free Agency, and that’s great, but, then, the Dodgers also hold on to all of their prospects as they age. Then they plug them in as depth, & wonder why those young guys never get comfortable or perform as they are capable.
It feels like fans and the org. trust the Prospects less as each year passes & the Dodgers feel like they are in need of every big name Free Agent or Trade Target, every year, to build a Championship caliber team.
Either build from the ground up, or sell the Farm to acquire a roster full of All Stars. The Middle ground of trying to do both, pop in the Farm guys as depth, while favoring veterans, many times reclamations, hasn’t & isn’t good for either side.
It’s not giving these guys their full opportunity at building a long and prosperous MLB Career, nor is it putting MLB Championships in the trophy closet. Most recently, it’s not even putting wins on the board, in any fashion, in the post season.
If I was granted one wish for the Dodgers, it would be that they fix this philosophy.
It’s a Lose/Lose! Go Dodgers!
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This is the problem when us fans—the one’s that pay the price—demand a winner! I’m not for it or against it, but more, our woes fall down to one important issue: a pitching staff that can hold itself together, built to last for close to 180 games. Instead, we seemingly have a Congo-line to the IL and frankly speaking, that’s not good for the franchise, the fans and the players.
It’s true though, where does the age & experience get you when your best go into the proverbial end-of-season toilet two weeks before the end of the regular season carrying into the playoffs? It’s a mess! Maybe that youth can help us get there? Certainly winning the division and having close to a week off while watching wildcards play isn’t doing it. Also, is it me or does the Texas victory mean that sabermetrics are overrated? Certainly, Bouche, who hates the geeks just drove a silver spike into that heart!