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“DODGERS DECISIONS”
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They have all the money in the world.
They draw over 4M fans a game
They have won all these National League West titles
They historically develop really good minor leaguers
They are fearless about investing big money in players
They are willing to pay a steep luxury tax on their increasing (290M) payroll

But now they have some decisions to make about a battered roster.

In a span of 28-hours this weekend they lost star leadoff hitter Mookie Betts with a fractured hand

They lost big money Japanese pitcher Yosh Yamomoto with an inflamed rotator cuff

They lost rookie pitcher Gavin Stone with a strained shoulder lat muscle.

They now have 15-players on the disabled list, but there is never-ever panic in the front office, just good-timely decisions from Andrew Friedman-Stan Kasten’s team.

But now we wait to see what is next.

Trust the farm system, that James Outman is coming back from AAA to regain what he did as a rookie?

Trust that there are still AAA-pitchers who can be plugged in?

Show patience with guys coming off the rehab-DL list, Bobby Miller-Clayton Kershaw-maybe Dustin May?

Re-evaluate whether they made a mistake bypassing the Japanese tradition they used prior, and not limiting Yamamoto to pitch once a week, rather than putting him into the regular rotation?

Allowing Yamamoto to add a fierce slider to his repertoire over a 6-start span that led to this breakdown when he hardly used it in his arsenal in Japan?

Are they confident they can recapture all the things Gavin Lux showed last year at the plate and in the field?

Do they move Mookie Betts back to 2B-or-OF once healthy, since SS has been too big a defensive challenge?

Do they reopen trade talks, and trade away prospects to go get former White Sox OF-Luis Robert, who has been plagued with injuries?  Reopen trade talks with soon to be free agent SS-Willy Adames having a big bounce back season in Milwaukee?  Seek out a rental starting pitcher in the trade market?

Lucky for them they play in the National League Worst (West) where AJ Preller’s baseball-business model is in collapse mode again.  Where the Giants are adrift with injuries and free agent mistakes (Blake Snell).  Where Arizona’s injured pitching staff and slumps have brought them back into mediocrity.  Where the Rockies are crushed by pitching injuries (Freeland-Marquez) and haunted by the complete breakdown of often injured slugger Kris Bryant-who has missed more games than played over a 4-years span of DL-stints.

Shall be interesting to see what happens between now and that August 1st deadline for deals.

We know two things about the Dodgers.  They do make big time deals.  Seldom do they make mistakes on player acquisitions.

Stay tuned.

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