The Dodgers Have No Pitching Depth

I really don’t understand what the Dodger’s front office is doing. The inevitable has happened. Carlos Frias got hurt. His back soreness landed him on the disabled list while the Dodgers are in the midst of a six week stretch of mediocrity. Somehow, the club is still in first place. Mostly that is because the rest of the NL West, especially the Giants have played like garbage.

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The Dodgers have allowed 14 runs in their last two games to the MLB worst Phillies. In large part because the club has nobody to replace Carlos Frias. The Dodgers lost Hyun-jin Ryu for the entire season due to his shoulder tear. The Brandon McCarthy signing was a predictable failure. The former Dback who had a history of injuries and mediocre pitching made just four lackluster starts before blowing out his elbow and having Tommy John surgery.

So with Ryu and McCarthy gone, the Dodgers had to dip into their “depth” to replace them. Enter Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias. Both of whom have pitched admirably, but it was only a matter of time before one of them was to get hurt. It ended up being Frias, and his injury really illuminates how poorly the front office did in acquiring pitching depth this season.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Remember this is the club that boasted about their depth. Boasted! The Dodgers supposedly have one of the deepest farm systems in Baseball. Unfortunately nobody above single-A ball is deemed ready enough to pitch in the majors. The Grant Holmes, the Jose De Leons, the Chris Andersons, are not considered ready by the Dodger’s front office. And there is no way the club is calling up Julio Urias before rosters expand in September. Zach Lee is just barely returning from his nerve/finger injury. So who does that leave us with?

Nobody that’s who. It leaves us to suffer and watch washed up Journeyman, and below replacement level bums like Eric Surkamp, and Ian Thomas in mid July. This is a supposed championship world series caliber team that has used the following bums in the starting rotaton: Eric Surkamp, Ian Thomas, Joe Wieland, Scott Baker,  The brain trust will probably pick up somebody at the trade deadline, but that’s still a few weeks away. 

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The truth is that the front office probably doesn’t care about any games before August. Why should they? The Dodgers are still in first place, and hey it’s only July. With the mindset that the only truly important games are the ones down the stretch drive. I’m playing devil’s advocate here. Every game counts in my opinion, whether it’s in April, or May, or July, or September.

Frias is supposed to be back sometime soon after the all-star break. Until then we’re stuck watching bums like Surkamp and Thomas. I don’t know what the front office sees in those guys, other then them being cheap. Those guys suck.

Don’t believe the hype. Pay attention to what is happening on the field. The Dodgers have no pitching depth. I think maybe it’s about time they go get some. Otherwise stop boasting about something you clearly don’t have.