Dodgers: Former GM Ned Colletti Talks Trade Deadline For Los Angeles

Is there anyone more accustomed to this time of year than former Dodgers’ general manager Ned Colletti? Without question, no one knows the craftsmanship of a July 31st trade better than the man himself.

Now – in a very interesting segment – Colletti went on AM570 LA Sports to talk about things for the Dodgers to consider at the trade deadline.

Ned Colletti On Things To Consider For The Upcoming Trade Deadline https://t.co/owTJZFD2iu

— AM 570 LA Sports (@AM570LASports) July 19, 2019

First off, Colletti points out that not all players are a good fit for the pressure cooker of a pennant race. While a player might be having a great season for a non-contender, changing cities and places in the standings doesn’t always translate.

“A lot of teams on teams that are out of it and have been out of it for a while, you don’t know how that player is going to perform on the hottest lights and the biggest stage. There’s a vast checklist you have to be sure on.”

This really makes great sense – and it’s worth thinking about. Certainly, it’s easy to add a player on a bad team to the wish-list without considering there is a human element to all of it. Simply because a player is doing well in one city with a fixed set of variables does not mean you can just drop said player into a sold-out stadium and expect the same results. Furthermore, these things must be measured and considered with so many dollars and jobs riding on the line with every personnel decision.

Next, Colletti was asked if the Dodgers’ bullpen should be a concern or not.

“Obviously, it continues to be an area of great focus. I think you have two choices at this stage of your season with 12 days before the deadline. You may think you have a young starting pitcher sitting in the minor leagues and put some of your starters in the bullpen. There may be relievers you have who can go back and pitch the way they have before. You have to make that decision – and then you have to go shopping.”

Finally, Colletti points out the importance of the new deadline rule. This season, only one deadline will take place; different to previous seasons where a waiver deadline took place on August 31st. Furthermore, he says that this may leave many teams believing that they are still in the race and without willingness to sell.

In conclusion, there are few men I would like to listen to talking shop on trades than Colletti. His book The Big Chair is one of my favorite baseball reads ever. Within that book, he talks about the stress of this time of year in baseball; and a general manager’s impactful decisions.

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