October 29th, 2018 at 8:30 am 
by Ron Cervenka It has been well documented that in the eyes of many Dodger fans, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is the primary reason why his team lost their second World Series in as many years.
Granted, the 46-year-old Naha, Japan native and Dodgers third-year manager wasn’t the one out there pitching, batting and fielding, but he was solely responsible for putting the guys out there who did (or didn’t) – at least publicly.
Throughout the 2018 World Series, which the Boston Red Sox won rather handily four games to one, Roberts was repeatedly asked about his almost daily starting line-up changes and his oft-criticized and questionable pitching changes. But rather than owning up to the simple fact that many (most) of his decisions failed miserably, he would fall back to his scripted comments that he “liked” the people that he put in their respective assignments, results be damned.
Although it’s no secret that many – perhaps even most – of Roberts’ decisions “came from above” (as they say), it’s also no secret that he wasn’t about to throw his bosses, Dodgers president of baseball Andrew Friedman or general manager Farhan Zaidi, under the bus – not with his contract up for renewal. But the cold, hard truth is that unlike his counterpart, Red Sox manager Alex Cora, Roberts’ unwavering and absolute use of unemotional and impersonal analytics over what his eyes and heart saw and felt is why the Red Sox were celebrating on Sunday night and the Dodgers were not.
The one (and only) highlight in Game-5 of the 2018 World Series on Sunday night was the solo home run hit by World Series veteran (and hero) David Freese in the bottom of the first inning. He then slugged this one out triple in the bottom of the third inning, but was left stranded on base. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
Within minutes of Red Sox ace Chris Sale striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth (which, ironically, included soon-to-be ex-Dodger Manny Machado for the final out of the 2018 Fall Classic), Dodgers ace and Game-5 losing pitcher Clayton Kershaw told the media that he is required to make a decision on whether or not he will opt out of his current 7 year / $215 million contract no later than Wednesday morning.
“This was a tough one for us tonight, it really was,” Kershaw told reporters following the Dodgers lopsided 5-1 loss to the now World Series champion Red Sox. “Myself, personally, you know, it was tough. David Price pitched a great game and I got outpitched and we lost the game. I’ve got three days now to think about all of that [opt-out] stuff before anything happens. And so it will be an eventful three days for me, and I’ll try to figure it out.
“I haven’t made the decision yet. We have three days to talk, between us and the Dodgers, see what happens. And then we’ll go from there,” he added.
Was Kershaw’s first pitch on Sunday his last as a Dodger? Stay tuned…
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
The burning question and one that appears to be split right down the middle among Dodger fans is, should the Dodgers even attempt to court the 30-year-old future Hall of Famer for a contract extension when he is clearly on the decline and has had a variety of injuries over the past two seasons?
The emotional answer is that we would all love to see the Dallas, Texas native, whose current contract runs through the 2020 season, enter the sacred Halls of Cooperstown wearing a Dodgers hat as a career Dodger. But the more practical answer is that, as noted, the extremely popular left-hander who was once called “The best pitcher on the planet” no longer is.
“He says he wants to be a Dodger, we want him to be a Dodger, that’s all I really know at this point,” Friedman told L.A. Times Dodgers beat writer Bill Shaikin after Sunday’s extremely painful loss. “
Friedman also told Shaikin that the Dodgers intend to complete a long-term contract extension for manager Dave Roberts, who has a club option for the 2019 season. And while there were chants of “Fire Dave Roberts” and he was booed during player introductions prior to Game-5, there is zero indication that the Dodgers brain trust has any intention of letting Roberts go. I mean, why would they when he runs their team exactly as they want him to? (A clue).
Then again, perhaps Guggenheim Baseball Management Group (aka: the Dodgers owners) have seen enough of the Nerds, as Friedman and Zaidi are often called by Dodger fans.
And then there’s the Red Sox and their rookie manager Alex Cora.
In the very simplest of terms, the Red Sox were clearly the better team, and it wasn’t even close. Oh sure, you can argue that the epic and historic 7:20 / 18-inning Dodgers win in Game-3 was impressive, but the truth of the matter is that it could have just as easily been eventual 2018 World Series MVP Steve Pearce, or J.D. Martinez, or Mookie Betts, or Jackie Bradley Jr. who hit the game-winning home run instead of Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy.
As for Cora, even as a rookie manager he piloted his team with the precision of a Rolex watch. Not only did he make all the right moves at exactly the right time, his did so by using his eyes and heart instead of relying solely on analytics and Sabermetrics – and it was obvious that his players absolutely love him.
“We were both great teams. We each won our respective leagues,” Friedman said. “They had a better five games than we did.”
Actually, Andrew, they had a better 162 games than you did, and they flat out kicked your team’s ass.
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Not to mention Kershaw or Roberts in my comment would seem like I’m not concerned but I am, a lot, and as usual all I can do is wait and see what takes place.
This second consecutive World Series loss, in as many years, brings back what my mother once said about the Dodgers, many years ago. “They seem always to be the bride’s maid and never the bride”. It shows me after all these years very little has changed. Except for the fact that the Dodgers have won a few since then.
If they are going to extend Roberts I think I need to cheer for a new team. Are Friedman and Zaidi even watching the same game? Or–Friedman came from Tampa, so I guess he is accustomed to losing.
The Dodgers were lucky to make it to the World Series: Atlanta was too young, Milwaukee was too gimmicky. I don’t know that Boston was the better team, but their pitchers certainly did not throw many mistakes.
My off-season agenda:
1. DON’T extend Roberts. I suggested this earlier: why not see if Chase Utley is interested in managing. Plan B: Mike Scioscia.
2. DON’T extend Kershaw. Last night –most of the post-season, really– proved he doesn’t have it anymore. If we need him to be a “Dodger for life” (and he should, really) it cannot be for break-the-bank money. Otherwise, let him walk.
3. Let both catchers go. Grandal is flawed plus he will be expensive and Barnes just can’t hit to save his life. There are plenty in the system –esp. Ruiz– and we need to see if they can play –or not.
4. Re-sign Ryu. Urias can replace Kershaw in the rotation with Buehler becoming the No.1. I think Kenta has more value as a starter, with Stripling in the bullpen.
5. Trade Puig. To me he’s consistently inconsistent. I’d like to see what Alex Verdugo can do when given substantial playing time –and he has just as good an arm. From the little I’ve seen Alex could be a left-handed Justin Turner.
6. Muncy plays 2nd –I know, he’s not the smoothest defender– and Freese plays 1st. Belli stays in center (maybe sticking to one position will help him figure out how to make more consistent contact). Hope Seager is healthy.
7. Taylor stays in left, but he needs to rework his swing (again) to make better contact. He’ll platoon with Pederson. I prefer Kike to be a super-sub, though he probably wants a full-time position.
8. Keep Freese, lose Dozier, Madson. Lose Machado. Lose Alex Wood???
9. Instead of expensive/crapshoot free agents (unless his name is Nathan Eovaldi), see who else on the farm might be useful to round out the roster.
Not going to go through your list point by point, but need to address a couple of them.
If you honestly believe for one second that Chase Utley and/or Mike Scioscia would buy into F&Z’s analytics way of running the team, I’ve got some oceanfront property in Arizona I’ll sell you on the cheap. The very reason why F&Z WILL extend Roberts is because he is their yes man who runs the team EXACTLY as they tell him to.
Grandal is absolutely 100% gone. Not so Barnes, as he is still under team control. As much as I like Ruiz, he is at least one and more likely two years away from the MLB because of his age (he’s 20). That said, he may get a Sept 1 call-up in 2019.
Will Smith and Rocky Gale will undoubtedly be competing for the starting catching job (if there even IS such a thing on the F&Z Dodgers anymore) this spring.
Ryu is a slam dunk in my opinion. He won’t come cheap, but it will be money well spent.
I do not think Kershaw opts out and will ride out the $65 million remaining on his contract through the 2020 season for the reasons mentioned in the above article. That said, he will make an excellent three, four, or five in the Dodgers starting rotation in a Rich Hill kind of way.
Freese will be 36 in April, which is a bit on the risky side. However, there is zero doubt that he can still be clutch at times. He has a $6 million club option (or a $500 K buyout) for 2019. My gut says they keep him.
All of this said, there is no reason whatsoever to believe that F&Z will do ANYTHING different next season than they did this year, so standby for yet another heartbreak season in 2019.
“I’ve got some oceanfront property in Arizona I’ll sell you on the cheap.”
I’ll settle for Lutherville…
Seriously, though, Roberts’ managing style is verging on the unwatchable. Scott Alexander, I bet, secretly hates it when Roberts brings him in for, barely, one hitter. F/Z might want a puppet for a manager, but don’t they want a World Series ring, too?
Think out of the box, F/Z, that’s all I ask.
Y’know, they likely consider what they’re doing as “thinking out of the box”.
Kersh would be a fool to opt out, and I don’t believe he’s a fool. There is zero chance he’ll get $65 mill over the next two years on the open market. He may get that much, or more, but it will be over a longer period. The indecision is whether he signs an extension or rejects the opt out. Once he opts out that $65 mill in gone.
I do expect that he’ll become a better pitcher than he is right now when he accepts the new reality and relearns how to pitch.
Whether the nerds stay or not, pick up Doc’s option then butt out. Let him manage his way. Let’s see what he can do. Even those guys should be able to see that going strictly by analytics doesn’t work.
Yes, the Red Sox won because they’re a better team. Not necessarily better players, but a better team. They play baseball the way it’s meant to be played.
I have never seen more two-out hits by any team in my lifetime … and I’m old.
Most teams pride themselves on having a good two-strike approach at the plate, but having a GREAT two-out approach is what made the Red Sox the best team in all of baseball in 2018.
My hat is off to them and to Alex Cora.
I second that. I can’t recall ever seeing it so hard to get the third out against any team before this and I’ve been around quite sometime too.
Two strike approach?? You mean you aren’t supposed to swing from the heels on every pitch, no matter the circumstance?
2018 season problems started immediately after the 2017 WS when the FO chose to exercise the $9MM option on Logan Forsythe while allowing Brandon Morrow and Tony Watson to leave replacing them with Tom Koehler and Scott Alexander then later a mix of cheap alternatives Goeddel, Chargois, Rosscup, Venditte, et al with Ferguson being a shining light.
The “laissez-faire” approach in off season then extended into a laid-back ST for veterans like Kenley Jansen resulting in a horrible season-start with Dodgers not permanently surpassing a .500 record until June 9.
Not to overlook the injuries to key players Seager, Turner, and once again Kershaw.
No doubt Roberts is not the greatest tactician (I sometimes refer to him as “Robby-the-Robot”) but quotes from Kershaw, Turner, and others indicate that he has the respect of the players which is more than enough for me. The Dodgers could do a whole lot worse than Roberts and I expect to see him as the on-field leader for many years to come.
Lots of negativity here. In spite of being the second to last team standing and the only team to be in the World Series the last TWO years. I look forward to the 2019 Dodgers being even better than the 2018 team.
Several thoughts on above comments:
1. Brandon Morrow? The guy who the Cubs signed for $20M, two years? Oh, the one that hasn’t pitched since July 15th. He has elbow problems, we dodged a bullet there.
2. Roberts isn’t a puppet. Roberts made mistakes (all on his own). Management made mistakes. Who decided to leave Ferguson off the World Series roster? Was he hurt? Sure Roberts has the same sabermetrics mentality as management, and it WORKS. But, I didn’t see Roberts getting a text from management to pull Hill in the seventh, in my opinion, that is 100% on Roberts. Bottom line, some of Roberts “sabermetrics” didn’t work and we lost to a team who won 108 games in a tougher league and rolled the Yankees and Astros just like us. We need to get better.
3. Machado an ex-Dodger? Not so fast, what’s the price? I think Dodgers will be in on Machado or Harper, preferably Machado. Turner has two years left on his contract going into his age 34 season. We love him, but he won’t last forever.
4. Kershaw. I look for him to opt-out (although its a close call) and resign with Dodgers for five/six years $125M. A potential win/win for both parties.
5. Grandal gone, Barnes stays for reasons stated above.
6. Ryu. Qualifying offer and/or contract offer to resign. Lots of starting pitcher depth for Dodgers again with lots of options.
Lastly, I hope the Dodgers reexamine and determine, live by the home run (or 3 pointer), die by the home run (or 3 pointer). Put together a team that can also play small ball and defeat the sabermetric fielding shift. Hope the Dodgers pioneer, hit them where they aint.
Machado is a lazy, arrogant, a-hole. Should they trade for Bumgarner too? He’s not lazy.
Machado is a 26 yr old superstar. Most 26 yr old superstars are arrogant. I suspect he’s worked hard to get where he is and rather than an a-hole is just guilty of being 26 yrs old. I hate remembering some of the things I did in my twenties. How about you?
I would love to have him back, at the right price, and will defer to the Dodgers organization to decide if he’s lazy and an a-hole. I do know the Dodgers have to get better to win a Championship and adding another superstar to the 2019 Dodgers (Seager) is a lot better than just replacing one.
To that end, I’d love to see the Dodgers swindle the Midgets for the Snot Rocket. Since I don’t like him much, I’d offer less, but him being on the team wouldn’t lesson my celebration of a Dodgers Championship.
If anyone’s a Dodger, whether I like him or not, I’d cheer for him. Wasn’t it Seinfield who said “cheering for laundry”?
There’s some I’d rather not be cheering for. Machado and Bummer are two of them.
That’s just me.
Totally understand.
Didn’t want LeBron on the Lakers, but now want to see him and Lakers succeed, especially Lakers.
Personally, I’d like to see the Dodgers sign Machado and put Seager on 2B.
Seriously?
The one good thing about game five ending was it was the last time I’d see him in a Dodgers uniform.