2025 World Series: Dodgers roster debate, starting pitching decisions

2025 World Series: Dodgers roster debate, starting pitching decisions

[Music] First question is from Dave as hi David. Hi Dave. I had two questions for you. Number one, have you settled on your starters for the first two games? And you’ve had a veteran group all year long. You’ve been with them for a while now. How have you been able to not allow your voice to just become white noise and even when things were not going their best this year to find a way to get the best out of those guys? Um, you know, dude, I think we’re going to run the same rotation back I think for sure for the first two. Um, Snell and then and then Yamamoto. And we’ll see kind of from game three and game four. Um, yeah. You know what? I I I think it’s one of those things that they know me pretty well. I I’ve learned to know them pretty well. We have a lot of the same people that have been together for quite some time. And um with that, you learned kind of how to, you know, ultimately get the best out of them at certain points and when to push them and um challenge them and when to give them some latitude and some grace. Um, I think there’s a there’s a complete trust with me and the players and uh our goal of winning a championship uh has never been in question. Um, but yeah, you know, I I think for me is like, and you can see it, you see it firsthand. You know, there’s times I I give guys freedom and and like I said, grace because the game’s hard. It’s a long season, but there’s other times where I kind of I get to be a little bit more uh stern in my messaging and expectations, you know, when I feel the time’s right. Thank you. Yep. Next question is from Carrie Osborne. Go ahead. Dave, obviously, you know, you have a a very veteran group, guys who’ve been through these wars, but Mookie and Freddy in particular, just how how much does their experience mean to this club in the postseason? Um, it means a lot. Um, you know, first off, they’re two of the highest character people you’ll ever come across and, uh, they’re both great teammates. Um, they’re both, uh, you know, very, very good workers. They both, um, value the little things in the game. Um, and so it’s just hard not to follow that path of those two players. And then you layer in on the experience of postseason, be be able to kind of manage your heartbeat and um be the guy in the right spots in the biggest of spots. So um I’m I’m very fortunate to have those two players on our roster. Um they make my job a lot easier. Next question is from Sonia. Go ahead. Hey Dave, uh we talked to Tanner Scott yesterday and just wanted to know how’s he feeling and how close is he to being an option for the World Series roster. you know, um it’s good to see Tanner continuing to throw and throw pens and um it’s just kind of trying to get a grasp on the doctor’s uh giving him full uh the full kind of green light, the go-ahead. Um so I I really today I can’t answer that question. Um I I know that he’s anxious, which is a good thing. Um, but I think fortunately, you know, we’re going to see, we get to see for a couple more days, you know, how your response to throwing and bullpens and things like that. And in addition to, you know, possibly Tanner, do you anticipate your bullpen looking much different this series? There is kind of that added challenge of some power hitting righties with the Blue Jays that you haven’t had to um counter so much in the other series. Yeah, that’s fair. Um, I think we’re still kind of in talks. Um, you know, there there’s a there’s, you know, one spot I think that we could potentially kind of debate and, uh, we’ll continue to debate, but, um, we haven’t made a decision, but it’s going to look obviously outside of that one spot, it’s probably going to look exactly the same. Thanks, Dave. Yep. Next question is from Bill Blink. Go ahead, Bill. Yeah, Dave, uh, how much more comfortable are you with the six day break this year compared to the breaks the last two years? Um, I I I think actually much more comfortable. Um, you know, even after uh, you know, the game four win, we’re we’re flying out tomorrow, which sort of breaks up the monotony of of not playing. Um, we took the one day off, but uh, the guys are active, the guys feel good. Um, I I do think that there were some guys that were nursing some things, so to get us back to full health. Um, but actually, uh, we got a simulated game, another one tonight. So, I feel good about kind of the guys focus and playing and yeah, we’ll be ready to go on Friday. Feel good about it. The uh the the breaks seem to affect hitters more than pitchers. Is it a is that a good thing that you’re relying on your starting pitching then? Yeah, I I I do think that’s the case. Um, but I will say that we’ve got this traject machine in the cage that guy taking a lot of at bats off of so to get familiar with different pitchers and keep their timing and uh it’s not live, but it’s pretty good simulation on top of uh you know the simulated games that we’re we’re playing uh within with each other. Um but yeah, having the pitchers kind of fresh and frisky, uh you know, going into this World Series is is a good thing. Going back to spring training with this idea of doing something that hasn’t been done in 25 years, how much of your message was that in spring training? And do you bring it up over the course of the season at all? Uh I haven’t brought it up in the season. Uh I brought it up I think on the first day of spring training and haven’t talked about it since. I think it’s uh one of those added uh pressures that I don’t think that I want to take on. I don’t think our players need to take on. So I think for us it’s kind of you know being in the moment um you know taking care of business and then at the end of the day at the end of the season then you can look back. But right now, um, you know, the only focus is winning game one and winning four more games here. Thanks, Dave. Yep. Next question from Dylan Hernandez. Go ahead. Hey, Dave. Um, you know, with Yamamoto, it seems like he’s developed a very close relationship with his interpreter, Hero, over the last couple of years. And I was just kind of wondering, you know, what you could maybe tell about Yamamoto’s character. You know, maybe the way he treats Hero. maybe not just hero but also you know a lot of the teams like support staff um fantastic I I think uh Yamamoto is uh quite the uh gentleman um quite the uh high character uh he’s a great worker knows what he wants to do what he needs to do to get ready and um he treats everyone from hero to myself to all the support staff with the highest of respect. Thank you, Dave. Next question is from John Chidley Hill from TSN. Go ahead. Hey Dave, thanks for making the time today. Really appreciate it. Um, we just had Freddy speak to us and he was saying that he’s uh expecting a rough ride from his fellow Canadians when he’s in Toronto. Is he the kind of player that gets affected by booing and jeers that are so uh directed at him that when he gets singled out or is he the kind of guy that’s just going to shrug it off and focus on the task at hand? Um well he doesn’t get bothered by booze. Um I’m just a little confused why, you know, where he he praises his country of birth and you know um you know has played for the team Canada and so uh you know he was traded here. So yeah um he’s a baseball player, loves uh the US, loves Canada. He’s a heck of a player person even better person. But yeah, I don’t know what the uh Blue Jays fans have in store for him, but uh I don’t think he’ll be phased by it. They gave Josh Naylor a rough ride during the last uh series, too. So, it’s not particular to Freddy. It’s uh they’ll just single out other Canadians, I guess. So, other Canadians that don’t have a choice to where they play. Got it. Okay. Well, I I’m okay with that then. I guess that Freddy is not singled out, so I got no problem with it. All right. Thanks, Dave. Thanks. Next question is from gohead. Yeah, Dave, just go back to the championship talk. I mean, Muki and others have kind of talked about like legacy a lot and you’ve kind of brought that up about some of your stars being motivated by legacy. What do you think three titles in six years would mean for their legacies in addition to like what this would mean for the organization to be accomplish that? Um, you know, obviously with with uh those particular players, they’re they’re talking about the Hall of Fame. Um, and that’s something that’s a motivating uh, you know, source for them, which is great. Uh, still within the team constructs. Um, yeah, and and I think for the Dodgers, I think it just kind of puts us, you know, on a Mount Rushmore of sports organizations. So, um, there’s been a lot of franchises that have done a lot of great things and, um, you know, right now in this point in time, we’re just forced to be a part of, uh, you know, great organization. We got to do our part. Now, obviously, both these transactions went your way, but like you guys have kind of, you kind of fought for, uh, show Otani and rookie Saki the last couple years. So, what what do you think about sort of maybe the sliding doors of these two teams being the two teams square off in the World Series with both two guys so prominent for you guys? Um yeah, you know, obviously um you know, we’re very fortunate to have both those players. I think that they um really feel good about their decisions to uh sign with us. But uh yeah, I mean the Blue Jays ultimately got back to the World Series uh first time in you know since uh 1990 or whenever it was. But uh yeah um that’s a good question. Good debate, but uh like you said, I’m happy that we won out and and they chose us. Thanks, Dave. Yeah. Next question from Jack Harris. Go ahead, Jack. Hey Dave, uh with uh Snell, I mean, how much did his return and then ability to pitch at the level he did over the last couple weeks of the season kind of changed the way you guys viewed the rotation? I mean, obviously last year you had Yama, Tyler was back at that point and Show was building up, but but did having Blake kind of reach this level kind of change just how much you guys could rely on that group and how dominant that they they’ve been here over this this last month? Yeah, absolutely. Um, you know, with every great starting staff, you got to have that anchor. And, um, you know, Blake’s always been a finisher. And so, uh, you know, obviously starting the way the season started, but to have him get back to, uh, pitch the way he did sort of raised the bar for everyone. I I I thought got Yamamoto even better, you know, got Glass even better, Shi. And it just allowed for us to, you know, not only uh, you know, prevent kind of a a couple few game losing streaks, but to just win games, uh, you know, win series and, you know, win seven out of 10, eight out of 10, things like that. So, it was really good to see our pitching, starting pitching in particular, uh, push one another and they were certainly the reason, you know, we played so well in September. And then one more just on like the the dynasty topic. I mean, I know you you said you haven’t really vocalized that this year. I know guys have been focused on just winning this year, but have you sensed at all them sensing just the opportunity of getting to play for a team that is going for a third title in such a short period of time and is getting the the opportunity to to win back toback? I mean, has that been something that you can feel the guys sensing as as part of what’s made this season so meaningful? You know what, Jack? I don’t know. Um, and I can honestly say, uh, I would say that that’s not the case, which doesn’t sound like it makes sense, but um, personally, um, I want to win this one in 25 as much as I wanted to win any of them. Um, and I think that I feel the players feel the same way. And, um, you know, the legacy dynasty talk, a lot of that I feel is is meant for other people that aren’t playing. and let them have those debates where it’s our job to kind of put those topics on the table and we have an opportunity to do that. Um so yeah, right now we’re just focused on the Blue Jays and we need to play good baseball and then uh you know hopefully we put uh that topic of uh you know legacy on the table for many people to debate. Thanks. Yeah, next question is from Megan Garcia. Hey Dave, what have you seen out of Freddy this postseason at the at the plate compared to last year? Uh well, he’s not hobbled. Uh which is a good thing. Um I I I think he’s just he’s close. Um I I think he’s he’s certainly seen some really good pitching and um guys are pitching them, teams are pitching them very carefully and so uh he’s hanging in there. Um I I still think his at bats are competitive and uh he’s certainly not pleased with the performance up to this point, but you know, every time he gets in the box, I feel good. So, um I I expect him to really have a nice series, uh you know, this next one. Great. Thank you. Yeah, we’ll take one more. Go ahead. Now, you keep Well, hi. Hi, Dave. Uh speaking of Shaw, uh will he start in game three or game four? And is there a possibility he could pitch he could pitch in relief later in the three? Uh we haven’t decided on game three or game four. And as far as relief, we just got to see how the series uh plays out. So uh right now we just haven’t made that decision. I have another question. uh he he left in his NLCS MVP trophy in the clubhouse and put a card on it. That’s a team effort. What did that mean to you? Well, for me it it’s not a surprise because Shi is such a great teammate and um you know that award was a team effort. Um, show had a huge game in game four, but he realized that games one, two, and three, you could have had Snell, Yamamoto, Edmond, any one of those guys, Tay Oscar, you know, be a team MVP. So, um, it was just good for him to recognize that and that just shows, you know, what a great teammate Show is. Thank you, Dave. Thank you. Thanks, Dave. Thanks, everybody.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Blake Snell will start Game 1 of the World Series and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2, plus he discussed a potential roster change, Tanner Scott trying to return, Freddie Freeman possibly getting booed by Toronto Blue Jays fans, and more.
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