"Gullible Bill" McGullibleson and the Dodgers

[jaa36]

The thin premise of this dynasty is that "Gullible Bill" McGullibleson will do everything that players or the owner ask him to do. In other words, if the owner wants him to sign or re-sign a player he will. If a player asks for a trade, he will be obliged. If he asks for an extension, he gets what he wants. I have a feeling that Gullible Bill will not last very long, but who knows?

I'll use the Dodgers for this little experiment, since they have plenty of financial muscle and I think Bill could make it through a season or two before getting fired. Here goes!

[jaa36]

Owner Magic Johnson is demanding, but generous. He wants Gullible Bill to re-sign Justin Turner to an extension. Turner wants $262 million over six seasons. He'll be 40 by the time that contract is up. No problem!

[jaa36]

So far, so good for Gullible Bill! It turns out that giving everyone what they want is a good strategy, as the Dodgers have jumped out to a 30-15 record. But to be fair, no one has actually asked for anything yet. The team is hitting just .232, but with good power, and as a result they're second in the NL in scoring. Walker Buehler is off to a great start (5-3, 1.63), and Clayton Kershaw has just completed a rehab assignment and joined the team. Kenley Jansen has been absolutely lights out, with 16 saves and a 0.44 ERA.

[jaa36]

Turns out this is pretty easy. Magic Johnson loves Guillible Bill, and the Dodgers are in first place by ten games. Justin Turner is making Bill look smart, with 3.5 WAR as the leadoff hitter. Clayton Kershaw has turned back the clock to the tune of a 1.98 ERA, with Walker Buehler and Caleb Ferguson not far behind. And Kenley Jansen has somehow lowered his ERA further, to 0.26.

Still no major decisions to be made. Bill gave all the draftees what they wanted, and gave hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc a one-year extension.

[jaa36]

The Dodgers come out of the All-Star break with a 65-27 record, easily the best record in baseball. Walker Buehler, Caleb Ferguson, Dylan Floro, Kenley Jansen, Enrique Hernandez and Justin Turner all made the All-Star team. The Dodgers lead the NL in both run scoring and run prevention.

Russell Martin asked for a one-year extension for $8 million. Sure! And the Tigers asked if we wanted Matt Moore for infielder Daniel Castro and catcher Keibert Ruiz, the #31 overall prospect in baseball. Why not?

[jaa36]

The trade requests came fast and furious in July. In brief, the Dodgers traded:
-Austin Barnes and a minor leaguer to the Twins for Jonathan Schoop
-two minor leaguers to the Athletics for Joakim Soria
-Enrique Hernandez to the Giants for Drew Pomeranz
-David Freese and a minor leaguer to the Mets for Zack Wheeler
-Pedro Baez to the Athletics for a minor leaguer.

All this left the team with a lot more pitching depth and a lot less position player depth. That may be good overall as Walker Buehler just went out for the year for elbow ligament reconstruction surgery- d'oh!

[jaa36]

The short-term health of the Dodgers is excellent, but their long-term health just took a turn for the worse. The poison pills sent by the Mets and the Twins have taken root and will fester inside the Dodgers for a decade to come.

Zach Wheeler, mediocre starting pitcher, asked for $171 million over nine years. Not to be outdone, Jonathan Schoop asked for $184 million over nine years. Gullible Bill thought why not, and the deals were done.

But for now, all's well. The Dodgers remain still have the best record in baseball. Kenley Jansen is still amazing. The team hits home runs in bunches. No problem.

[jaa36]

The Dodgers are in the playoffs! They finished with a 107-55 record. Turns out Gullible Bill's generous ways paid off in clubhouse chemistry. Justin Turner led the club with 6.3 WAR, and Joc Pederson led the team with 32 home runs and an even 100 RBI. Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias and the injured Walker Buehler all performed exceptionally in the rotation, not to mention Caleb Ferguson and Ross Stripling, who have been relegated to the bullpen. ($171 million man Drew Pomeranz did not make the postseason rotation.). Kenley Jansen finished with a 1.28 ERA and 39 saves.

[jaa36]

The Dodgers were swept by the Rockies in the Division Series. Well, OK, the Rockies did win 95 games. The Indians beat the Nationals in the World Series for their first championship in 71 years. Good for them.

Magic Johnson was delighted with Gullible Bill's performance this year. He wants Bill to win the World Series next year (or in five years?), improve stolen bases, re-sign Rich Hill, and acquire a locally popular player. The Rich Hill one may be a bit of an issue, because Rich Hill retired.

[mosiecki21]

This is wonderful. Keep up the great work!

[jaa36]

It was a busy offseason for Gullible Bill. During arbitration proceedings, outfielder Joc Pederson requested and received an eight-year extension worth $122 million. Everyone else just wanted a one-year deal.

Bill got right to work on trying to improve the team's stolen bases, and to find some locally popular player. Billy Hamilton fulfilled both objectives, and signed a minor league deal worth $2.6 million if promoted. Trevor Rosenthal, also locally popular, wanted $15.2 million over four years. Jonathan Villar was brought in as a reserve infielder to provide more speed on the bench, and Jarrod Dyson and Delino DeShields Jr. will give some minor league depth should any of the speed demons go down. Essentially the Kansas City Royals strategy.

And then the trade requests came pouring in. Bill accepted the following offers:
-reliever Justin Wilson and minor league pitcher Bryce Montes De Oca from the Mets for A.J. Pollock (with the Dodgers retaining 40% of Pollack's salary)
-Robinson Cano and minor league outfielder Carlos Andres Cortes from the Mets for Corey Seager (with the Mets retaining 35% of Cano's contract)
-second baseman Cesar Hernandez and minor league outfielder Cornelius Randolph from the Phillies for pitcher Kenta Maeda (with the Phillies retaining 15% of Hernandez's contract)

That left the Dodgers with a wide array of second basemen. Always good to be prepared.

No major injuries in spring training, but Walker Buehler isn't expected back until the second half. The Dodgers enter the regular season favored to win the NL West. Magic Johnson expects them to win it all!

[jaa36]

An up and down season for the Dodgers thus far- they started 15-9, but then dropped 10 of the next 11 and are now 20-19 overall. Russell Martin asked for an extension- but there wasn't enough money to give him one- too bad. Cesar Hernandez asked for a trade and was given to Cleveland for faded prospect Brady Aiken. Good news: the Dodgers are first in the league in stolen bases- Billy Hamilton has 25 of the team's 35 total steals.

[jaa36]

The Dodgers are an even 41-41 halfway through the season. Magic Johnson is disappointed in their record, though very pleased with all the stolen bases and locally popular players.

Kenley Jansen demanded to be put back into the closer's role- Gullible Bill obliged, but Jansen then ruptured his UCL and will miss the rest of the season. Jonathan Schoop demanded to be in the starting lineup, and temporarily displaced Robinson Cano, until Justin Turner went on the DL and Schoop could play third instead. Russell Martin and Billy Hamilton both asked for extensions, but unfortunately, Bill didn't have enough money to oblige them.

The only trade was with the Twins, who gave the Dodgers Marwin Gonzalez in exchange for minor leaguers Gavin Lux (a pretty good prospect!) and Will Smith.

Clay Bellinger is having a pretty good year, leading the major leagues in home runs with 25 while hitting .288 with 62 RBI. Billy Hamilton leads the NL in steals with 41.

[jaa36]

I think the other GMs are starting to catch on. Gullible Bill was pilloried with trades during this stretch, as the Dodgers' top player were shipped out. The deals were:
-Kevin Kiermaier, a minor leaguer and cash from the Rays for Walker Buehler, who was on a rehab assignment (oof)
-minor leaguer Franklin Kilome from the Mets for Marwin Gonzalez, who was in LA for just a month before he demanded a trade.
-Kyle Gibson from the Marlins for two minor leaguers
-Masahiro Tanaka, two minor leaguer and cash from the Yankees for Max Muncy. Tanaka immediately demanded an extension, for which there was no money.
-Ex-Dodger Hyun-Jin Ryu and cash from the Mariner for infielder Jake Peter and a minor leaguer. Ryu also wanted an extension, and got one year for $3.4 million.
-Three minor leaguers from the Marlins for Cody Bellinger and a minor leaguer (double oof)

All this left the Dodgers starting the unheralded Matt Beaty at first base. Trading away the team's only All-Star in Bellinger was... not great. The team's top hitter by average (Kiermaier) is hitting .245, and Jonathan Schoop leads the team with 11 home runs. The team's record its 50-55, and it's rapidly falling out of contention.

[jaa36]

The Dodgers finished 77-85. Seven pitchers finished the season on the DL! One of them was Julio Urias, who in my last dynasty before this one (with the Phillies) suffered every possible arm injury known to man. This year he missed four month with shoulder inflammation and now is out a year with a torn flexor tendon.

Billy Hamilton led the NL in stolen bases with 63, but unfortunately the team slipped to sixth in the league overall. (Not on the Dodgers, but the Reds' Cedric Mullins led the league in RBI with 129?!?) The pitching staff was OK, but the offense was atrocious. I guess that's what happens when you trade away Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager.

Hamilton and Jonathan Villar (who hit .325 in 94 plate appearances!) were both given two-year extensions.

[Bub13]

What a gulli-bull!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=SGD69Q9rz3M

[mirrf]

This is amazing. Keep it up!

[DD Martin]

Oh boy Magic is not going to be happy

[jaa36]

Originally Posted by DD Martin

Oh boy Magic is not going to be happy

As it happens, Magic is kind of OK with how things are going! Gullible Bill got a two-year extension.

He wanted Clayton Kershaw signed to an extension. No problem- a 32-year-old who hasn't made 30 starts in a season in the last five years gets $275 million. Russell Martin, Joakim Soria, Justin Wilson, Kyle Gibson and Masahiro Tanaka will all leave as free agents. And all of the arb eligible players get what they want!

Kevin Kiermaier demanding a trade and was sent to Arizona for minor league first baseman Pavin Smith.

[jaa36]

Magic Johnson wants more power? OK, Bill signed Randal Grichuk and Justin Smoak, the two players on the free agent market who had hit the most home runs in 2020. Smoak (.232/36/87 last season) comes on board for three years, $14.4 million, and Grichuk (.238/42/117, plus 241 strikeouts!!!) for five years, $52.5 million. Unfortunately, Grichuk wasn't good enough to break the starting lineup, but maybe he'll complain and force his way in?

Not much else happened. Magic cut the budget by $10 million because he was disappointed in the offseason. Gullible Bill cut the ticket price from $40 to $10 in order to achieve the objective of increasing attendance. Magic expects the team to make the playoffs. Maybe...