The Lair Links – Best of Dodgers News From the Web

In our continued effort to provide our readers with the best Dodgers content possible we present to you “The Lair Links” our daily look into the best of the Dodgers coverage from around the web.  It’s also a chance to recognize the outstanding work being produced by the well known sites, and some of the lesser known blogs that churn out quality content daily. With that said, sit back enjoy your morning coffee and let Lasorda’s Lair be your 1 stop shop for all the Dodgers news you need.

True Blue LA always one of my first stops for Dodgers news. Eric Stephen does a fantastic job covering the Dodgers angles all season long and made history last year when he became the first blogger to get a full season media credential, he’s legit. Check out his latest story on Chad Billingsley and the fingernail of death. He’s also got a great section dedicated just to Dodgers phenom Yasiel Puig. Finally he breaks down Zach Greinke’s outing yesterday.

Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness, hands down the most unique name of any Dodger blog, but don’t be fooled Mike knows his stuff and has recently been contributing to ESPN.com on behalf of Fangraphs, yeah he’s legit, especially for a New Yorker but we won’t hold that against him. He’s got an interesting take on Greinke’s outing yesterday and of course we want all of the Puig analysis we can get and he provides solid insight on the situation both here and especially here. Typical quality stats backed analysis from the blogger who’s gone big time.

Another one of my favorite, but maybe lesser known Dodger Blogs is Feelin’ Kinda Blue which is run by recent Sacramento State graduate Dustin Nosler. He’s about as tuned in to the Dodgers prospect scene as anyone I’ve come across so if that is your passion make sure to check him out. He’s got a nice post on the Dodgers tough opening day decisions.

On to the big boys, Ken Gurnick at MLB.com is someone who I’m all sure you are familiar with. I had the privilege of spending a day with him at Camelback Ranch early this Spring and he was great to work with. He’s got several solid articles including his analysis on Greinke yesterday a great post about Don Mattingly‘s first Spring ejection and more Mattingly as he discusses his lack of concern regarding Matt Kemp‘s Spring struggles.

Finally what’s a day of Dodgers news without a stop by the LA Times Dodgers section although I’m pretty sure they are limiting the number of times you can visit the site per month without being a subscriber, but I may be wrong. Dylan Hernandez is as good as it gets when it comes to the latest Dodgers news and what sells better than a lead story on Yasiel Puig and he brings up a very interesting point about why 11 days in the minors to start the season for Puig may benefit the Dodgers in 2018. He’s also got a really good article on the Dodgers relief corps and some luxuries and difficult decisions the club has this year compared to years past.

One final observation, Greinke’s final line looked ugly yesterday and considering how long it’s been since he pitched in a real game that’s not that surprising. The real disturbing thing that came out of the game was Greinke was credited with 3 runs that Matt “Give it up” Guerrier inherited and of course allowed ALL of them to score. I know he’s a great clubhouse guy and the 1 year left on his guaranteed contract all but guarantees his spot in the bullpen ahead of a young flamethrower like say Josh Wall who has clearly outperformed him this Spring. I hope it’s not an omen of things to come and no offense MGIUG. (Matt Give It Up Guerrier)

With the Dodgers planning to keep 12 pitchers that means there are 2 spots for 5 or 6 guys. League, Jansen, Belisario, Guerrier, Howell all likely have locked down spots in the pen. Depending on what the Dodgers do with Capuano, Lilly and Harang, all who have guaranteed Major League contracts and can’t be sent to the minors without their consent, it seems unlikely, there’s going to be a spot for Wall, or Kevin Gregg who has been terrific this spring. Again it’s another good problem to have but I’m glad I’m not the one making those decisions.

Well that’s it for today’s version of “The Lair Links” please let us know what you think in the comments section and if you come across any articles/sites we may be missing don’t hesitate to point it out. Until we meet again, Think Blue and remember It’s Always Time for Dodger Baseball.