Right after the Dodgers’ triumph in the Tokyo Series, Dave Roberts has been making headlines! While Roberts is being praised for his team’s win against the Cubs, he looks to make some calls that can make it difficult for some young players in the team to get a chance in the major league. While there’s no denying the abundance of talent on the roster, it’s also one of the primary reasons behind trading a young pitcher, as predicted by an insider. So, who is it?
It’s the Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher named Bobby Miller. He earned the final spot in the starting rotation. However, he was soon out of the face after being hit by a comebacker in the Cactus League opener. This further paved the way for Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin into the Dodgers’ roster, making his need negligible for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Think that makes sense?
Well, Bobby Miller had a good rookie season with the Dodgers. He had a 3.76 ERA along with striking 119 batters in the 22 starts that he made in 2023. But he couldn’t continue with the virtuoso performance. He experienced a major slump where he had an 8.52 ERA, that too in just 13 starts.
Now, Dave Roberts on March 21 said, “When you have a roster that’s arguably the most talented roster in history, one through 40, playing time is hard. All guys want to play, should want to play. But it takes some buy-in to their teammates and the organization.” Going by his statement, MLB insider and columnist Joel Reuter thinks that Miller can get traded soon by the Dodgers.
Reuters stated, “Even with Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler gone in free agency, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Gavin Stone, and Emmet Sheehan all set to open the year on the injured list, Bobby Miller was still optioned to the minors on Tuesday, weeks before Opening Day.” It’s true given that Bolly Miller was sidelined due to some ineffective innings. More importantly, he didn’t even show much improvement after going back to Triple-A.
Moreover, the Los Angeles Dodgers boast an impressive lineup, having Shohei Ohtani, a two-way player, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and even Roki Sasaki. They all have shown their mettle as pitchers during the Tokyo Series opener, and that’s the reason Miller may not be able to make a cut into the team anymore. Although there may be a chance for him to bounce back, the Dodgers’ current pitching options make the chances look bleak, and he may soon get traded by them.
But, there’s something that Roberts has said about Roki Sasaki, who made his MLB debut.
Dave Roberts has his say on MLB debutant Roki Sasaki
Now that Roki Sasaki made his major league debut at the Tokyo Dome on Wednesday. However, Dave Roberts made claims of the nerves being at play for Roki Sasaki. While the Dodgers emerged victorious, going 6-3 against the Chicago Cubs, the 23-year-old pitched three innings, going for just one earned run, and giving up one hit while striking out three batters and walking five of them too. While he delivered in his much-anticipated debut, Roberts called him back after three innings. Any specific reason?
Dave Roberts said, “That was a decision I made. I felt it was in his best interest, but he wanted to keep going.” Roberts knew some stats that didn’t align with Sasaki’s impressive performance sometimes. Out of the 56 pitches across the three innings, Roki Sasaki managed to find only a 45% strike. That’s definitely a warning sign! However, despite that, he dominated with his fastballs that raked up to 99 mph and one of those even struck out Seiya Suzuki. It’s just his debut, and there’s a long way to go for him. Roberts wants to focus on safeguarding him and ensuring a long-term future too.
How impressive, according to you, Roki Sasaki has been with the Dodgers? Let us know in the comment below.
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