Post by Wilson_DodgersGM on Feb 28, 2018 17:10:13 GMT -5
Another NL West Division Title!!! It really felt like for most of the season we were struggling to keep up with the Padres and plug our leaking ship but I kept repeating in my head "Just keep it together till we are healthy." Before the last week of the season I had resigned myself to missing the playoffs. I was convinced that the Giants would pass us and that the Padres would knock us out. One great week completely changed the season.
Offseason: The New Guys
Expectations: Traded for him at the beginning of the offseason. He had a fragile injury rating but had put up at least 100 IP and 2.3 WAR in each of his past 4 seasons. I wanted him to shore up the top of the rotation especially as I expected some regression from Hayes and Norris.
Reality: In his first start, he partially tore his labrum which took him out for 3 months. He then went on a rehab assignment and was brought back to the ML roster for a triumphant return and shot in the arm to make a run at the Padres in August. Except he didn't do that, he lasted 4 starts and had a herniated disk which took him out for the rest of the season. Not what we were looking for in his first season on the Dodgers.
RP William Simon
Expectations: Got him in the Scott Bell deal. He had struggled the season prior which was his first full season in the bigs but as an extreme groundballer with a high BABIP on a team with unimpressive defense, I thought he would improve and give around 70-90 innings of 3.60 ERA pitching.
Reality: He pitched 80 innings!!! (with a 6.48 ERA). He is still young but I struggle to understand what's wrong with him. His pitching ratings are all 7's and he has 3 solid pitches. I don't believe our defense was the issue either since we led the NL in Defensive Efficiency. He still has time to put it together so I'm optimistic but I don't know if he will make the playoff roster.
2B Roger DeJesus
Expectations: With all the lefties on our team, I needed some help vs LHP. I got DeJesus to face lefties and maybe even get some playing time vs righties if Pero Covi or Ty Vance struggled. He has legit power and a good eye (both of which may still improve). He is also still at the league minimum salary which is a good thing for such a high payroll team such as mine.
Reality: He lived up to my expectations. Against LHP, he had an OPS+ of 125 and was passable on defense. If his power goes up to the projected 8 and his eye goes up to 7, he could be an everyday valuable bat in the infield.
RP Scott Holbrook
Expectations: We traded some picks for Holbrook who was coming off a decent year in AAA with the Rangers organization. He was acquired to pitch out of long relief and start when the inevitable injuries would come.
Reality: He was another savior of the season. He pitched effectively out of relief and when we needed him to join our depleted rotation, he came in and gave us 79 innings of 4 ERA pitching which isn't flashy but was very big for us.
The Regular Season: Regressions and Chinks in the Armor
Miguel Ramirez
This section is devoted to one of my favorite Dodgers. In between the end of the 2044 season and Opening Day of 2045, RP Miguel Ramirez went from 6 stuff to 4 stuff. This was one of the hardest regressions to watch so far. He was one of the first acquisitions I made as General Manager of the Dodgers. From 2041-2044 he helped us win 2 World Series and was one of the most valuable relievers in the game. In those 4 years, he provided on average 1.3 WAR and over 100 innings. That's an impressive stretch for any reliever let alone a 36 year old on his way to 40. In 2042 and 2043 he led the league in games appeared in as a pitcher. I think I just squeezed all the juice I could out of him until he was nothing but a husk of himself with a mid 80's fastball instead of the 97 heater he arrived in town with. We thank you for your service!
Rotation Falling Apart
Scott Bell left the rotation for a trip to his favored destination, the disabled list, in the first week and in May, Reid HernaN wondered what was so special about the disabled list and had to rejog his memory by joining Bell. This left two rotation spots open in a very compromising situation with no AAA arms ready to take the job and no good injury stopgaps on the market. ENTER TONY ENCARNACION!!!!! I hope you didn't forget about him. Our finance department certainly can't.
Tony Encarnacion
After 3 splendid seasons all with 200+ innings Encarnacion was rewarded with a big extension. He was young, talented, proven, and HAD ALMOST NEVER HAD A SINGLE FUCKING INJURY! Then in the home stretch of 2043 while the team was preparing for the playoffs, he tore a flexor tendon in his elbow which put him out for 12-13 months. In that time, he went from a 7/7/7 pitcher to a 6/7/4 pitcher. He became a .5 star player and I was convinced he would never pitch effectively in the bigs again. I will always wonder if the new injury setting would have saved his career but I'll never know. When he came back in 2044, he pitched only 20 innings and had an ERA over 7. I started to think about releasing him and eating his salary but I decided to give him a chance in 2045 to not be a complete black hole in the bullpen. In April and May he pitched effectively out of the bullpen while I tried to figure out what to do with my depleted rotation. I decided to let him start out of desperation and this hardass goes out and holds it down for the team. He was the most valuable bandage for my team this year. He ended the regular season with over 130 IP, a sub 4 ERA, and a 9-4 record. I still think his time in the majors is limited but until he stops performing, he will be a Dodger.
Todd Boucher
Another sad injury story. He was lights out in the bullpen for his first 3 years in the bigs and then a torn UCL took him out for over a year and now he can't throw strikes and can't keep the ball in the park. His regression is definitely a reason our bullpen went from being one of the best to simply good. He won't make the playoff roster and he may never pitch a full season in the majors again.
Chris Brown
After putting up 2.2 WAR as a backup centerfielder in 2044, age caught up to Brown and he became an offensive blackhole and eventually was cut from the team. This did however pave the way for George Westbrooks to make a stellar debut.
How the West was Won: Barely
Dingers, Walks and Defense
Our offense was the best in the NL and was the most extreme version so far of my offensive philosophy. As of now, the average player in our lineup vs RHP has 25 HR. We walked the most of any team in the NL and had the second most Homeruns. We were 11th in batting average but that doesn't bother me as long as we get on base. My favorite part of the offense is that we didn't have to sacrifice defense to put a powerful lineup on the field. Hector Trejo had a breakout season putting up 5.4 WAR. He showed the ability to hit lefties well which is fantastic considering my lack of righty alternatives. George Westbrooks started the season in AAA and after 43 games had already provided 3 WAR so he was promoted and without any transition period, he kept raking. In only 88 games in the majors, he gave us 2.7 WAR, an OPS+ of 127, and errorless defense in center field. Tomas Lugo had an MVP caliber season with 7 WAR and the rest of the offense maintained their offensive prowess.
Hirokazu Okada
In a year with lots of movement and turnover in the bullpen, Okada was a bastion of stability. He threw over 100 innings for a 3rd straight season and put up 2.3 WAR. He certainly has to be one of the most valuable relievers of the 2040's. I almost feel bad for using a closerless bullpen because his lack of saves probably hurts his Hall of Fame chances but if it ain't broke don't fix it!