Dojji

2 outs

Here we go

Dang

shades of jonathan papelbon

What a gem by kelly

4 outz

They're terrible. Cant hit cant pitch cant field. Cant win. We're doomed, doomed i tell y'all

Premature

Holt's role when everything's working has always been as a reserve player. One you can plug in and expect to be productive if someone goes down. if the rest of the team is firing on all cylinders, Mr. Holt rides the pine ready to be called upon. We should be glad that that seems to be happening. Holt gives us a luxury very few teams have ever had in terms of a plug-and-play man for all seasons with the stick to be above replacement level at nearly all of the positions he plays

Even in hindsight, really. Just because a given timing worked doesn't mean it was the best idea. That said, the only one of our top players who might have been rushed a bit was Bogaerts, and that was unavoidable because the incumbent just absolutely fell apart.

On the one hand, this statement is true, on the other, it's absolute nonsense. 2017 was a contending window year. So was 2016 for that matter. You do what you have to do assemble the best team you can, and if you have to spend big, or start roster clocks early, that's exactly what you do. This is not the Kansas City Royals. There are not supposed to be lost "development" years and we should not treat the minor leagues as if there are. At some point you have to be willing to sacrifice absolute efficiency in player development to give your team as many chances to win as possible. It could also be equally true that without the extra year plus of MLB he's still gaining the experience now he gained in 2017 and would be far LESS effective. If you're trying to learn how to hit MLB pitching there's nothing like facing live MLB pitching. Beni's proven that he was ready. He's an All Star caliber player, overshadowed only because the guy playing the other corner is so dang good.

We should clearly sign all these other perfect starting pitchers that hit free agency in large numbers every year. How silly I was to fail to notice them all.

We're currently at 7 with a whole offseason to go 1 Sale 2 Price 3 Porcello 4 E-Rod 5 Wright 6 Johnson 7 Velazquez (8 Mike Shawaryn?) We need another depth starter, but not necessarily Eovaldi. Personally I'd throw my money on Patrick Corbin, who as I understand it is about to hit FA out in Arizona. Less well known, so less hype money. Clearly talented, pretty durable, and above all, on the right side of 30. Eovaldi was a "buy low" guy when we got him, and Corbin is more like Eovaldi was then, then Eovaldi is now. Eovaldi's performance in the postseason is going to inflate his price to a level where I'd be comfortable expecting the team to find another talent to buy low on. And as big a seller's market as free agent pitching can be, Corbin is as close to a buy-low candidate as you're likely to find at a price you can live with.

For next year at least, you're going to have E-Rod figghting for pitching time in the bottom of the rotation, if Price, Porcello and Sale are all healthy. That's 4 guys for 2 slots, 3 guys for 1 slot if you lock E-Rod in as the #4, and if the minor leagues turn up another bottom of the rotation guy you should be OK. That doesn't mean our depth won't be tested, or that more depth isn't nearly always better, but the idea that there's no home grown guys to come in and take a rotation spot is simply untrue. Personally I think Brian Johnson has earned a good honest chance at a rotation spot next year. If he doesn't get it because the depth ahead of him is too good, that's one thing, but he definitely looks like he's starting to round into shape as a solid #4 starter. He'll be in the wings and so will Wright at the start of the year, so with those two fighting for a job and Velazquez in the bullpen it'll take some injuries to really start to fray our depth. Speaking of the minor leagues turning up another depth arm -- I won't guarantee anything, but keep an eye on Mike Shawaryn next year. He's not an ace type, but he's got some potential as another depth guy.

We have plenty of guys who can fill out the bottom 2 spots in the rotation.

I'm still on the "no" camp. I think it's a little too easy to be wowed by the performance of the moment. I strongly suspect we will need to lean on homegrown talent at the bottom of our rotation for several years going forward while we try to pay for all the young studs we currently have. You can not have a well paid mercenary in every single position, even on the Boston Red Sox.

Looking at the Dodgers and the Brewers, I can't shake the feeling that this team has already beaten the best opponents it's going to face this postseason. Doesn't mean we can't lose this Series, but it does mean that whichever team comes out of the NLCS is going to be the underdog. I would have counted on either us or the Astros to beat either of those two franchises.

There's also another factor -- the Brewers would have a "happy to be here" effect in play for them that might not be there for the Dodgers. I honestly think the Brewers, who haven't been this deep in the postseasin in the players' lifetimes, are much more likely to get to the Serues then fall apart, like the Rockies did in 2007

In that era, the debate was between a 3 man or a 4 man rotation, and the 4th starter got skipped at times, like the 5th starter today. If there was a need for an extra man in the rotation to make an occasional start, a reliever was frequently tapped. That said the extra roster spot was usually used for a bench player rather than an additional pitcher, so the bullpen workload on the bullpen wasn't that big. However at the time there were a lot fewer pure relievers, a bullpen might have only 3-4 guys whose job was to take the ball after the starter was done with it, and 1-2 backup starters that would often be in the plan as starters and thus not always available to pitch in relief In other words, individual relievers would be given the ball a LOT. And as much as you can claim that it was the product of the times, it probably ended a few careers prematurely.

I like the Brewers because it's nice to see new teams make the Series from time to time and it has been awhile since the Brew Crew were this good.

Hey-o, I recognize you from PatsFans. Welcome!

Is this for real? Price is easily our second best pitcher right now.

I think getting 3 innings out of a modern day RP is always pushing the limits. If you're getting more IP from one reliever than there are games in the series, you're probably overusing him.

Playoff roster as I see it C: Leon 1B: Pearce 2B: Kinsler SS: Bogaerts 3B: Devers LF: Beni CF: JBJ RF: Mookie DH: JD Bench IF: Nunez Bench IF/OF: Holt Bench 1B: Moreland Bench C: Vazquez That leaves 12 pitching spots Sale Price Porcello Eovaldi Then for 7 relievers: Kimbrel Brazier Velazquez Barnes Wright E-Rod Workman If you put Swihart on the team, you take either Workman or Moreland off, Honestly I value those two players above Swihart's current level of play, although he is worth keeping around to see if he can take another step forward next season. I do want Workman on the roster though because he's shown a very nice knack for coming in with RISP and leaving with no runs scored. I think he's a potential setup man in the making and I think we'll appreciate having him if we do.

I'll be honest, I'd rather have another reliever. Holt and Nunez will be on the roster to cover reserve duties, I honestly don't think we need a third bench utility guy as much as we need specifically Brandon Workman (who I think is the bubble guy right now) You're going to have a 4 man bench. Which of Moreland, Holt, Nunez and Vazquez do you cut for Swihart? My answer is none of the above. He didn't prove he was ready.