If you ever wondered who actually runs the Dodgers, you certainly shouldn’t any longer. It definitely isn’t manager Dave Roberts and is clearly Sabermetric-driven Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi.

I mean, who in their right mind would remove the only guy in the Dodgers line-up of Game-6 of the National League Championship Series on Friday night who had more than one hit – including a solo home to leadoff the game – simply because of a righty / lefty match-up?

This wasn’t just stupid, this was fireable stupid. But then, why on earth would F&Z fire Roberts for carrying out their plan, right?

Former Dodger and current SportsNet LA analyst Jerry Hairston said it best following the Dodgers embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in front of a very loud Manny Machado-hating Miller Park crowd of 43,619:

“David Freese was taken out of this game in the fifth inning. That can’t happen.”

It shouldn’t have, but it did.

Former Dodger Jerry Hairston didn’t pull any punches when he criticized Dodgers manager Dave Roberts for pulling David Freese from Friday night’s game. 
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA – Click on image to view video)

Then again, and to be painfully honest, even having Freese’s well established smoking hot postseason bat in the Dodgers lineup after his fifth-inning removal probably wouldn’t have changed the outcome of Friday night’s Hyun-Jin Ryu-led disaster … but it might have – especially in the heads of a very efficient Brewers bullpen.

As for Machado, who, in all likelihood, will play his final game in a Dodger uniform should the Dodgers lose Game-7 of the NLCS on Saturday evening, he missed an absolutely golden opportunity to silence the raucous Brewers crowd but instead played right into their hands when he struck out in the top of the first inning (after the Freese home run) with one out and Justin Turner on first base. Never again would the 26-year-old Hialeah, Florida native – whose inexcusable play in Game 4 of the series when he intentionally stepped on the foot of Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar on a routine ground out – have a better opportunity to take the loud crowd out of the game.

In my opinion and at risk of upsetting Manny Machado fans, the guy who frequently fails to run out ground balls cannot be gone soon enough. There, I said it.

And then there’s Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal.

After being banished to the bench for his shoddy defensive play throughout the postseason (not to mention his 3-for-24 [.125] at the plate), Roberts pulled starting catcher Austin Barnes, the hero of Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the Brewers in Game-5 at Dodger Stadium, in the bottom of the seventh inning. As if on cue, Grandal failed to block a very blockable ball in the dirt off of Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda that allowed a run to score. And even though it was ruled a wild pitch and not a passed ball, it was, as noted, very blockable.

Shoddy indeed.

Grandal’s inability to block this wild pitch is simply inexcusable.
(Video capture courtesy of Fox Sports)

Not being one to wish doom and gloom on the Dodgers, Dave Roberts and his puppeteers, but should the Dodgers lose the series finale and bring an abrupt end to their otherwise brilliant season, Manny Machado isn’t the only guy who (probably) will not be back next season. Joining him will be (wait for it…) Yasmani Grandal and quite possibly Brian Dozier and David Freese … and (uggh) possibly Dodgers ace and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw.

The difference is that while Machado, Grandal, Dozier, and Freese will be free agents, Kershaw’s situation is contingent upon whether or not he elects to opt out of his current seven-year / $215 million contract which runs through the 2020 season but includes an opt out clause after this season.

Although there have been frequent rumors and speculation that the extremely popular 30-year-old Dallas, Texas will or will not be opting out, until he and agent Casey Close make the official announcement one way or the other, the Dodgers need to plan for the possibility that they may be without their seven-time All-Star, five-time ERA leader, three-time NL Cy Young award winner, former Triple Crown winner, former NL MVP, former Gold Glove winner, and former MLB Player of the Year moving forward.

On the bright side, Kershaw may choose to not opt out of his current contract should the Dodgers win Game-7 of the NLCS on Saturday night and especially if they go on to win the 2018 World Series … so they’ve got that going for them.

Play Ball!