caulfield12

Yeah, and that's not even mentioning that Tepera has to prove himself in the 7th. No idea what Bummer's role is anymore. Crochet and Kopech are becoming more and more important, but we need one or both of them as starters going forward. Would be better to invest that $30 million for two closers into insurance for the starting rotation.

We were fine when we didn't have high priced guys like Koch, Linebrink, Robertson, Kimbrel and Hendriks. Looks at the history with guys like Thigpen, Hernandez, Foulke, Gordon, Takatsu, Jenks, Hermanson, Sergio Santos, Addison Reed, Colome, etc. Somehow we managed to survive with under the radar types because we always believed it was a waste of resources.

How is that a GOOD thing when we still owe him a bazillion dollars for three more years? That basically forces them to bring back Kimbrel, unless he similarly implodes...

Guess we don't have to apologize to Hahn and the front office after all. Or was that more about just TLR...?

Now we REALLY have a closer issue...this is just getting ridiculous. Might as well re-convert him to starting.

Well, at least no Stanton this inning.

Still would have to take prime Mariano Rivera...

Pretty, pretty good. Larry David voiceover.

Boone quickly learned to use Green and not Britton closing it out...

They're just waiting for Tatis to come back and save the season, perhaps tomorrow. The starting pitching is falling apart, but the Reds haven't played much better this past week so they're still clinging to a 2 1/2 game lead. At some point, Votto will cool down, in theory.

It's "only" 5/$16 but I think the option years add up to $25 million.

How many games have we had guys like Ruiz, Foster, Marshall and Burr in this exact same situation? Tepera, more recently, although he got out of it tonight.

Why did we give Bummer $25 million or whatever it was???

David Price. LAD. RP 35 $32,000,000. Kenley Jansen. LAD. RP/CL 33 $20,000,000. Aroldis Chapman. NYY. RP/CL 33 $17,200,000. Craig Kimbrel. CHW. RP/CL 33 $16,000,000.

Tell this to Astros' fans with Brad Lidge or Mets' fans in 2015...heck, Jansen suddenly falling apart (and it already happened for a stretch this season) is the single biggest threat to the Dodgers, that and likely being in a one and done wild card game when anything can happen.

The problem with picking up Kimbrel's option with the goal of trading him is that every executive in baseball thinks the White Sox are crazy to spend $30 million or whatever it is on just two relievers. Hahn wouldn't have very much leverage at all. That's basically not far off from the Opening Day payroll of the Indians/Guardians.

Now who do they throw out there? Bummer? Hendriks won't come in down by 1...despite his lack of work the last week.

They're going to go from overpaying (based on beating up the NL Central as a closer) to having to subsidize his contract, just like the Cubs would have had to do for 65% of his time with the Cubs...

Hahn has already come out and said they're going to be keeping Kimbrel and Hernandez next year, has he not?

Guess Zavala needs to PH again to lead off the bottom of the 9th with Anderson looming again, lol...

Well, that was predictable enough.

Yet that was on the borderline of being in the conversation for Burnes a year earlier...it's all about timing.

The problem is the payroll...we're already in the $155-160 million range keeping both Kimbrel and Hernandez. That doesn't leave much room to insure the starting rotation (Lopez) or help out the bullpen much (replacing Kopech/Tepera.)

Well, it's not like Loisaiga has been easy to hit...guess we'll find out soon enough, two more shots at their bullpen without Chapman.

Because NOBODY was getting the job done in the 8th and there was nobody in the minors...