The battered and depleted Los Angeles Dodgers need some help to bolster an outfield that was once considered top-heavy, with too many players to choose from. Andre Ethier, Alexander Guerrero and Carl Crawford all sit on the disabled list. Scott Van Slyke injured himself during the disastrous weekend series in San Francisco, and is now listed as day-to-day. Some kind of help had to come from somewhere, and that’s where Cleveland came in.
The Dodgers acquired two prospects from the Indians, Zach Walters and James Ramsey for cash considerations. Both players been DFA’d by Cleveland after Spring Training, so they came on the market at just the right time for the Dodgers. That’s the good news.
The “wait and see” news surrounds their actual playing abilities. Walters was acquired by Cleveland in 2014, but has never really panned out in their organization. In 176 plate appearances he’s amassed a line of .182/.233/.394. Ramsey got a bit closer to the big leagues, but couldn’t quite break onto the big club, as he struggled last year in AAA. He’s been in the minors for four years and has a line of .260/ .355/ .420.
Apparently Cleveland didn’t have any relief pitchers to spare.
Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
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I thought we had organizational depth. I can’t believe we don’t have some decent players at 3A that are just as good as the 2 we just purchased. About the giants series: I like the fact that the giants’ starters suck. Even the hotshot got hit pretty hard. The home run ball did us in. I want to think that the HRs were flukes that happen for no reason and hopefully won’t happen again. But where are our HRs? I’ll take singles and doubles over HRs but the giants’ HRs were hit at the right time and with men on base. I thought the team was competitive with the giants at their home park in the rain and with a couple of our guys out. Not a bad series loss.
The outfield at OKC was pretty barren last year and with Thompson on the 25-man they needed a reload. Ramsey had a good 2014 between AA and AAA but struggled last year. He may still have time to figure it out, but figures to be “minor league depth.”
Justin Ruggiano was just outrighted. He was OK the short time he was here last year. Better than these bozos, no doubt. Another one in limbo is Michael Bourn, certainly better than those two, capable of playing any outfield position, could, and should, replace Thompson who’s not ready for Prime Time…
That is a very good shout – I thought he did pretty well for us last year.
Our “depth” at the Major League level was depleted very quickly. The young guys we have in the minors could, hopefully, put up slash lines equal to what we see up there, but the players, and the organization’s future are better served with them getting regular playing time at the minor league level. I said it earlier and I still believe it’s true – depth is an illusion.
Depth isn’t depth if it’s just bodies.
Depth is not longer depth when you turn sideways. Neddy Jr. is blind. The trainers are idiots. The bullpen is a mess. STILL NO LONG MAN AFTER PLEADING FOR YEARS. Felony stupid morons. Still on pace for 93 wins!
BOB, good point, 4 / 7 x 162 = 93 wins. Interesting.
All the complaining about FAZ, does anybody think they can learn? Or a lost cause? Maybe there is hope for FAZ, the following shows some people are capable of learning from their mistakes. Even huge mistakes.
Stewart: D-Backs “Not In A Position To Take On More Salary”
The loss of A.J. Pollock for what could be the entire season rocked the D-backs late in Spring Training, but while there’s been talk of potentially adding some help from outside the organization, it doesn’t sound as if the Diamondbacks will spend any significant money to make an upgrade in center field, writes Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic. In fact, GM Dave Stewart tells McManaman that the D-backs aren’t likely to make any significant payroll increases at any point this season.
“We’re not in a position to take on more salary,” Stewart explained. “We are where we are when it comes to salary and taking on more money. We can’t do that.” The D-backs opened the season a payroll just under $100MM — the second-largest Opening Day mark in franchise history. Some fans might wonder, then, whether Stewart would make potential trade deadline upgrades by parting with more young talent, but the GM also downplayed the possibility of further depleting his farm system after already having traded Dansby Swanson, Aaron Blair, Isan Diaz and Touki Toussaint within the past year.
“You can’t sell the organization,” said Stewart. “There have been a lot of organizations that have gone out and thought they were in a position to win and they get rid of prospects, then you look at your minor-league system and all of a sudden you have nothing.”
A small addition (e.g. Michael Bourn, who would only be owed the pro-rated league minimum if and when he is released by the Braves) still seems plausible even in light of Stewart’s comments, but for the time being it appears that the D-backs’ extravagant dealings will be limited to the right-handers that they acquired this offseason.
Trayce Thompson is 4 for his first 10, with 2 runs, and 3 rbi, in part time play.
Yeah, clearly he’s shown he’s not ready for prime time…….
He hit the ball hard in spring training and made outs and he has hit the ball soft so far in the regular season and has gotten hits. Such is life.
Power Rankings for Week 1 are out. Never mind. It’s only one week.
Dee Gord……. forget it. Doesn’t matter.
Greinke sucked and that’s a good thing. Yassie had a good week. Can Stripling do it again, only win this time?
FAZ has plenty of time to turn this around. I’m not prepared to say FAZ sucks! Wait, I think I just did.
Does the three games that the bullpen gave away, show up, in stats they do on the bullpen?
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/powerrankings
That’s not current. At 4-3 they are ranked 13,