Dodgers Sunday Mailbag Q & A

Each Monday, we will run our ‘Mailbag’ in which followers of our twitter account can ask anything they see fit. You can also ask a question directly by e-mailing Clint at Clint.evans_at_Dodgersnation_dot_com or hit him up on twitter @DiamondHoggers. Now for the weekly questions. You can see past editions of the mailbag here. 

https://twitter.com/gilmendoza1121/status/1064196165598617600

I won’t name the top five guys available – thus building a super-team. Instead, I will name the top five I would like to see the Dodgers land. This isn’t going to be the sexiest list but let’s see how I do.

1. Adam Ottavino or Andrew Miller or Kelvin Herrera (RP)
2. Wilson Ramos (Catcher)
3. Marwin Gonzalez (Utility)
4. Asdrubal Cabrera (Second Base)
5. Gerardo Parra (Outfield), just so he can’t torture us anymore.

As you look at the list of pending free agents, it’s amazing to see the ages. Outside of the marquee guys like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, everyone is really past their prime. I would look to lock up that group of guys above on one or two year deals to strengthen the 2019 team. You can easily see how a team might get into trouble by building a team solely around aging free agent aquisitions.

https://twitter.com/LADodgers2019/status/1064198533543153665

The MLB Winter Meetings are December 9th through 13th in Las Vegas. It seems like baseball goes on a little bit of a holiday during this time of year, every year. Things start to wake up then with organizations beginning to stock the cupboard with new coaches, players, and making moves. This is of course after the initial flurry we saw when the season immediately ended.

In short, business will pick up soon.

What do you think of trading Kemp, $6 million, and a couple good prospects to Seattle for Segura? Salaries would be neutral for 2019, Mariners get a DH and 2 good players. Dodgers get a 2B/SS who hits .300 with speed.

— DodgerExpert (@Dodgerexpert) November 18, 2018

Well I think; where do I sign up? You identify a really great fit I think in Segura. He is a true stud – he really excites me to watch him play. The Dodgers can fill the second base hole from within with Chris Taylor and Kiké Hernandez. Nevertheless, that’s what I think they will do.

If I could land Segura and drop him in at the top of the Dodgers lineup for a few C to B prospects and Matt Kemp, absolutely. Segura is fresh off a 4.3 bWAR season in Seattle. The Mariners have been kicking around the idea of moving their veterans. They will field calls on Segura, and if I was Andrew Friedman I would pick up the phone soon.

What are your honest thoughts on the state of the starting rotation going into 2019?

— Clint Pasillas (@realFRG) November 18, 2018

Why thank you for the question, Clint. This is actually a very good question. I feel that the Dodgers have as much starting pitching depth as anyone in the game right now. Perhaps not as much elite as the top one or two staffs – but as much depth from one to say; seven as anyone.

This surplus would allow you to do a few things as we have discussed here on Dodgers Nation. You could use one of the extra guys you have in your back pocket in a trade offer; maybe Alex Wood or my guy Ross Stripling. Also, you have the option to just hold. If they hold – you don’t have to fear badly when an injury happens. This should eliminate the need to call up a Brock Stewart or AAAA talent in the future. The Dodgers are sitting pretty.

I am more interested to see how the whole ‘ace’ role is defined. Walker Buehler seems to back away from that title although in a must-win; he’s the guy I want with the ball. We will have an answer to that question as we creep towards the 2019 postseason, I am certain.

@DiamondHoggers I'm gonna beat you to it….might not catch you tomorrow, so here here are my Monday 11/19 Mailbag Questions: ??
1. When will Dave Roberts make his next public appearance, or statement?
2. Howabout a new @DodgersNation background photo on Twitter? ??? https://t.co/W0CuATyDaM

— Pacificrk (@pacificrk) November 18, 2018

Pacificrk: thanks for finding me. I don’t know where Dave is hiding out right now – but I would guess he pops his head out like a gopher sometime in December before the holidays.

As far as the Dodgers Nation headline photo – that’s above my pay grade. I know the powers that be are kicking around some ideas for a snazzy rebrand, so keep it locked onto our official twitter account!