Dodgers re-sign Juan Uribe to 2-year deal, save us from Michael Young

In a move that was overdue, the Dodgers on Saturday re-signed Juan Uribe to a 2-year contract. It's the smart, somewhat safe play, but I find myself feeling a touch disappointed about this deal.

Uribe had been holding out for three years. As the best free agent third baseman, he would have been foolish not to. He drew alleged interest from the Marlins, Rays and White Sox.

I'm disappointed because I was hoping for an upgrade at the position -- or at least someone with the potential to be an upgrade. Uribe is a great defensive third baseman, but it remains to be seen if he can duplicate (or come close to) the offensive numbers he posted in 2013. I also acknowledge I shouldn't be disappointed in this signing, but the offseason just got a lot less interesting for the Dodgers. Again, that should be a good thing, but I guess I'm just craving some kind of acquisition to get my transaction fix.

It isn't terribly hard to hit .278/.331/.438 these days -- and I'd take that from Uribe. But the first two years of his 3-year deal were absolute garbage. Uribe was a .199/.262/.289 hitting in 2011-12, prompting the Dodgers to go with Luis Cruz for the last couple months of 2012 and the first six weeks of 2013.

Quality third baseman just aren't readily available in baseball these days, as evidenced by this offseason and the Dodgers' inability to fill the position post-Adrian Beltre. To get Uribe at two years isn't the worst thing in the world.

Now, Uribe won't play 162 games. Hell, he will probably struggle to make it to 140. So, a left-handed complement could be in order. I pegged Eric Chavez as that guy in my offseason plan. He's about the only guy on the open market worth a flyer. At last check, the Dodgers aren't interested in him. That could change, as the offseason has been held up in some part due to the Uribe situation.

This move also, in my eyes, renders Corey Seager untradeable. Seager should be ready for full-time duty in two years -- be it at shortstop or third base -- just as Uribe ends his deal. If the Dodgers trade Seager for anyone who isn't a long-term third baseman (or shortstop), they'll be in this exact position in two years. If they were to acquire a bonafide offensive superstar, that might be the only other situation in which it makes sense to trade Seager.

This assures another two years of #Uribear, which is just fine with me. One of the best hashtags after (right after #fuente).

I never thought I would grow to like Uribe, but his solid play in 2013 and his great clubhouse presence is worth the 2-year deal alone. The financials aren't out yet, but I'd be shocked if he got more than $20 million. It's a bit high, but it's also an easy price to pay considering the alternative. 

After all, Michael Young could have been the Dodgers' starting third baseman in 2014. Just think about that for a second and try to go on with your day.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

2013 Los Angeles Dodgers season review: Infielders and Catchers

The Dodgers' infield in 2013 started off slowly, but picked up once players got healthy. The team has two players who are going nowhere anytime soon (first base and shortstop), another who's going to be an older rookie (second base) and a huge question mark (third base) for the future.

The infield had a few surprises, but also some disappointments.

Dodgers infielders by the numbers

Catcher
.236/.306/.367
656 PA, 61 R, 137 H, 26 2B, 1 3B, 16 HR, 73 RBI, 1 SB, 59 BB, 135 K

First base
.285/.338/.447
703 PA, 75 R, 181 H, 32 2B, 1 3B, 23 HR, 104 RBI, 1 SB, 53 BB, 109 K

Second base
.277/.334/.350
708 PA, 70 R, 177 H, 24 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 64 RBI, 6 SB, 44 BB, 105 K

Third base
.249/.307/.370
665 PA, 66 R, 149 H, 29 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 64 RBI, 5 SB, 49 BB, 111 K

Shortstop
.271/.335/.449
676 PA, 90 R, 165 H, 33 2B, 3 3B, 23 HR, 77 RBI, 19 SB, 53 BB, 121 K

Individual performers (all Wins Above Replacement numbers taken from FanGraphs)

A.J. Ellis
.238/.318/.364, 10 HR, 52 RBI, 17 2B, 10.0 BB%, 2.2 WAR
- Ellis didn't fare nearly as well in 2013 as he did in his breakout 2012 season. He got off to a hot start before going cold for a good portion of the season. He was good behind the plate as he threw out 44 percent of attempted base stealers. Despite poor offensive numbers, he was still a 2-win player.
Grade: C

Tim Federowicz
.231/.275/.356, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 12 R, 5.8 BB%, 0.0 WAR
- Federowicz proved himself to be a capable defensive backup catcher (29 percent caught stealing), but he did about what was expected from him with the bat. He has a little pop (.125 ISO), but he'll likely never hit enough to be a full-time player.
Grade: D+

Ramon Hernandez
.208/.291/.438, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 BB, 10.9 BB%, 0.4 WAR
- Remember when he was a thing? His Dodger tenure was short-lived and pretty unremarkable, despite being worth nearly half-a-win (thanks to those three home runs in 55 plate appearances).
Grade: D+

Adrian Gonzalez
.293/.342/.461, 22 HR, 100 RBI, 32 2B, 7.3 BB%, 2.8 WAR
- Gonzalez was one of the most consistent, if not unspectacular, hitters the Dodgers had this season. He posted better numbers than former first baseman James Loney and should be entrenched as the team's cleanup hitter for 2014.
Grade: B

Mark Ellis
.270/.323/.351, 6 HR, 48 RBI, 10 HBP, 5.4 BB%, 1.8 WAR
- Ellis spent most of his time hitting second in the lineup, because that's what second basemen do. He wasn't great, but he was nearly a 2-win player with minimal extra-base hit power. He was nails defensively, as usual.
Grade: C-

Hanley Ramirez
.345/.402/.638, 20 HR, 57 RBI, 25 2B, 8.0 BB%, 5.1 WAR
- Ramirez was one of the game's best hitters, but he just couldn't stay healthy. It started in the World Baseball Classic, then in 'Frisco, then late in the regular season and finally when Joe Kelly plunked him in Game 1 of the NLCS. Despite all that, he was the Dodgers' best hitter and was surprisingly adequate defensively at shortstop. It'd be nice to see him produce like this while playing 125-130 games. He had 47 extra base hits in 336 plate appearances.
Grade: A

Juan Uribe
.278/.331/.438, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 22 2B, 7.0 BB%, 5.1 WAR
- Uribe was pariah coming into the season and was displaced as the team's starting third baseman by popup king Luis Cruz. But Uribe was great with the glove this season and hit surprisingly well -- well enough that I'd like to see him return. He tied for the team lead in WAR with Ramirez, which is still somewhat unbelievable. Oh, and the whole "Uribear" thing is just fantastic.
Grade: A-

Nick Punto
.255/.328/.327, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 15 2B, 9.9 BB%, 1.9 WAR
- Punto was surprisingly good for the Dodgers this season -- so good that the A's already signed him to a contract for 2014. He was a solid backup shortstop in spurts and played a capable third base. Couldn't really ask for much more from a utility guy.
Grade: B

Luis Cruz
.127/.175/.169, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 12 R, 3.9 BB%, -0.4 WAR
- Cruz was given a chance to be the team's third baseman and, as predicted by most sane folks, failed miserably. He didn't walk, he didn't hit much of anything and certainly didn't hit with pop. At least he was good defensively.
Grade: F

Dee Gordon
.234/.314/.298, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 10 SB, 9.4 BB%, 0.0 WAR
- Gordon wasn't good in limited playing time. He's fast, but is terrible defensively at shortstop. He's playing the outfield in winter ball. He could be an 2B/SS/CF utility man next season, which would minimally increase his value.
Grade: D

Jerry Hairston
.211/.265/.275, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 7 2B, 6.2 BB%, -1.3 WAR
- Hairston was, by WAR, the worst Dodger player this season. He dealt with injuries and might be at the end of his career.
Grade: F

Justin Sellers
.188/.263/.246, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 6 R, 6.5 BB%, -0.1 WAR
- Sellers played a lot of shortstop early on when Ramirez was hurt, but he spent the vast majority of his season in Triple-A.
Grade: F

Michael Young
.314/.321/.392, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 1.9 BB%, -0.2 WAR
- Young had 16 hits with the Dodgers -- 13 of which were singles. He had negative defensive value and had one of the worst playoff games of all-time -- in two plate appearances.
Grade: F

The rest
Drew Butera, Grade: INC

Photo credits

Ramirez: Keith Allison, Flickr

Others: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 46 - Dodgers, Marmol, Ramirez, Pederson

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) talk about the Dodgers and their new winning ways. It's much more fun to talk and write about this team when things are going well.

The Dodgers swung a trade with the Cubs for Carlos Marmol (using Matt Guerrier), which doesn't sound great on the surface. However, the Dodgers got international spending money in the deal, which does sound great.

Jose Dominguez, despite a rough outing on Wednesday, made an impressive MLB debut on Sunday.

Hanley Ramirez is on fire and is carrying the team as much as Yasiel Puig is. Maybe it's time to start a campaign for him to go to New York for the All-Star Game.

Luis Cruz is now an ex-Dodger and, somehow, landed a 25-man roster spot with the Yankees.

Joc Pederson will represent the Dodgers at the Futures Game. He'll also go to the Southern League All-Star Game along with Yimi Garcia, Zach Lee, Hector Nelo, Ross Stripling, Luis Vazquez and Rafael Ynoa. Rob Rasmussen also got the nod, but he won't play in the game because he's in Triple-A.

Blake Smith is now a pitcher. I'm trying to get an interview with him to give us his reaction. He's struggled at the plate this season.

Plus, there's a draft and international signing update.

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If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@Dodger_Diamond or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

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Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 35 - Mike Petriello, Billingsley, Kemp, Cruz

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) and I are joined by the great Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness. He was kind enough to stay through the entire recording, which may or may not have been a good idea on his part.

First up, we talk about the most inevitable of the most inevitable -- Chad Billingsley needs Tommy John surgery. Petriello wrote a great post about this happening. I think we were all hoping/expecting it to happen more than two starts into the season.

We also talk about Matt Kemp's struggles and how he may or may not be ready to break out of his slump.

The three of us also talk about the incredibly bad Luis Cruz, which prompted someone on Twitter to play the race card. Sigh.

We also were watching the Dodger game -- a 7-2 victory -- while recording, so you'll hear a little about how Mark Ellis is doing really well.

Finally, we close with some listener questions -- a lot of them directed toward Petriello. Some were good and some were funny.

Big thanks to Petriello for sticking around for the recording. It was great fun.

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If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@Dodger_Diamond or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

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Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 33 - First week, Kershaw, Kemp, prospects

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) and talk about the first week of Dodger baseball while being distracted by the Dodgers' eventual 9-3 loss in San Diego.

We fawn over Clayton Kershaw, as he was dominant in his second start of the season. We also talk about the other two good starting pitchers in Hyun-Jin Ryu and Zack Greinke.

We try to figure out what's wrong with Matt Kemp and the Dodger offense. Aside from Carl Crawford, Mark Ellis and Adrian Gonzalez, everyone can stand to hit a lot better -- especially guys named Luis Cruz, Justin Sellers and Juan Uribe.

Next up is the minor-league portion of the podcast, led by the tantalizing Yasiel Puig, (or "Pew-ig/Poo-ig," according to some), Scott Van Slyke, Alex Castellanos, Paul Hoenecke and a plethora of pitchers who had good first weeks, such as Zach Lee, Onelki Garcia, Ross Stripling, Zachary Bird and more. The Dodgers have some good pitching depth all around the minors but, like the Major League team, the offense is lagging behind (aside from the fellas named above).

Corey Seager is off to a slow start, but there's little reason to be concerned. Others are off to slow starts, but it is just a four- or five-game sample at this point.

Finally, we close with some good listener questions.

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Look for new episodes of "Dugout Blues" every Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we're always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@Dodger_Diamond or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

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Dodgers' pitching staff picking up for early-season offensive deficiencies

The Dodgers' offense is off to a slow start, which is pretty much the norm for this club in the last, oh, 25 years. At least, it seems that way.

In the same breath, the pitching is off to a great start, which is par for the course.

The Dodger pitching staff is tops in a ton of categories:

• Runs - 10
• Earned runs - 6
• Hits - 28
• Doubles - 1
• Walks - 8
• Shutouts - 3
• ERA - 1.00
• Batting average against - .154
• On-base percentage - .189
• Slugging percentage - .209
• OPS - .398 (almost 200 points better than the next-best team)

This is flat-out dominance, led by National League Player of the Week Clayton Kershaw. The bullpen has yet to allow a run and, even with Hyun-Jin Ryu giving up 13 hits in 12 2/3 innings (which really isn't that bad), the team still has these amazing numbers.

It's amazing I haven't even mentioned Zack Greinke yet, who was really good in his Dodger debut (6 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K) and will back up Kershaw come October.

The fact this team is pitching so well is great, as guys like Justin Sellers, Luis Cruz and, unfortunately, Matt Kemp have gotten off to slow starts. Normally, guys like Sellers and Cruz would be non-factors, as they're not starting caliber players on a team with World Series aspirations.

But we know the Dodgers won't pitch this well all season. It's impossible. Thankfully, guys like Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez came to play so far this season. Crawford is tied for the National League lead in batting (.450, with Jean Segura) and Gonzalez is eighth (.400).

The team will hit better. The team will also pitch worse. It's going to even out. But it's nice to know this pitching staff is fully capable of shouldering the load for the times the offense will invariably struggle.

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 30 - Puig, Billingsley, Ryu, bullpen, signings

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) and talk about the questions and stories surrounding the Dodgers leading up to the season's start.

The Dodgers optioned Yasiel Puig to Double-A Chattanooga on Tuesday. It was the right move, but also a possible temporary move. He'll be the one of the first players recalled if (when) the Dodgers need him.

We also talk about Dee Gordon getting optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. We prefer that Gordon get the starting shortstop gig, pushing Luis Cruz back to third base. Instead, the Dodgers are going with some sort of Juan Uribe/Jerry Hairston combination.

Chad Billingsley is going to miss his first start and likely begin the season on the disabled list. This paves the way for Hyun-Jin Ryu to start the team's second game of the season against the Giants.

Kyle Lohse signed with the Brewers on Monday. Because of the signing, they lose their first-round pick at No. 17. The Dodgers, originally slated to choose at No. 19, move up one spot. They landed Corey Seager at No. 18 last year.

Who's going to get the final spot in the bullpen? It's down to Kevin Gregg (likely), Peter Moylan (less likely) and Paco Rodriguez (least likely).

We touch on the Dodgers' two new international signings (Bernardo Reyes and Jesus Canivales). Jared also redid his Top 20 prospect list because he "hated" his first incarnation of it.

Finally, we close with listener questions. Some pretty good ones, including a gaming one that gets us off on a predictable tangent.

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If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@Dodger_Diamond or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

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Dee Gordon deserves another chance in light of Hanley Ramirez injury

As news broke this morning of Hanley Ramirez's injury (out at least eight weeks), the reality of Juan Uribe remaining with the club became a virtual lock.

Manager Don Mattingly already said Luis Cruz would take over at shortstop for Ramirez, which makes a little sense, I suppose. But I'd rather see Dee Gordon take it and have Cruz remain at third base.

Gordon, who is having a nice spring, needs to prove his worth when (not if) Uribe fails.

Gordon had a fantastic spring in 2012, but he basically fell flat on his face after being anointed the Dodgers' starting shortstop. Perhaps the pressure on him was too much to handle. Perhaps he just isn't that good a baseball player. But he earned praise as a prospect and we always knew his bat would determine whether he would make it in the majors.

In a month or so (hopefully), he'll have a chance to show what he's made of.

Hopefully, Gordon can improve his trade value with some extended playing time, as the Indians and Mariners were among the teams interested in him this winter.

Gordon has a chance to be a dynamic player, but he needs to do things that will lead to his success. Mastering the bunt single, hitting the ball on the ground and, the biggest thing, learn to take a walk.

If Gordon could even post a .330-.340 on-base percentage, he'd be a valuable player. With that, he could easily swipe 50 bases, if not more. He isn't going to hit home runs, which is fine, but he needs to be less of a free-swinger and develop some plate discipline.

If it sounds like I'm rooting for Uribe to fail, I kinda am. If that makes me a bad fan, sobeit. But I'm tired of seeing inferior players (not to say Gordon is that much better than Uribe) continue to get opportunities over potentially superior players is infuriating.

Uribe has worked a bunch at first base this spring, but he's most "valuable" at third base because of his strong throwing arm. Unfortunately, that's about all he's good for.

This isn't a great situation for the Dodgers to be in by any means. They didn't expect their power-hitting shortstop to miss the first two months of the season, but here we are. The Dodgers have a lot of talented players, but losing a guy who provides the type of potential offense Ramirez does at short is going to be tough to overcome in the short-term.

Luckily, the season is six months long. If Ramirez is back and fully healthy by June 1, I'll consider it a victory. The left side of the Dodger infield will just have to tread water until HanRam (yeah, I don't like the moniker, either) returns.

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 27 - Greinke, Crawford, Cruz, WBC, Cano

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) talk about everything going on in Dodger spring training before we head down to Arizona ourselves.

Zack Greinke's elbow injury isn't a good thing, but it might not be bad as it seems. It's still something to be concerned about.

Carl Crawford faced live pitching (batting practice) for the first time since becoming a Dodger. He hit against J.P. Howell and Kenley Jansen.

Luis Cruz and his flat-out dumb actions in the World Baseball Classic are discussed.

Prospects were optioned to minor-league camp (Steve Ames, Matt Magill) while other non-roster invitees were reassigned (Brian Barden, Omar Luna, Jeremy Moore).

FanGraphs' Marc Hulet released his the site's Top 100 prospects for 2013. Four Dodgers appear, but none higher than No. 91 (Zach Lee). The word "lazy" is said a few times in regards to the overall rankings.

And we close with a listener question listener questions (proud of you folks this week). Too many good ones to list all of them, but we touch on second base and whether Robinson Cano is a viable option for the Dodgers in 2014 and beyond. Could the Dodgers stick with Mark Ellis or do something crazy like put Hanley Ramirez there? We also answer the Yasiel Puig question, which is becoming a more prevalent question these days.

That's it for episode 27. We're in Arizona for the next 5-7 days and we'll bring all kinds of new content to the listeners. Thanks for listening.

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Look for new episodes of "Dugout Blues" every Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we're always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@LADugout or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

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Dodgers' IF Luis Cruz surprisingly avoids suspension from WBC brawl

Saturday was an ugly day for the World Baseball Classic and more specifically, Dodgers' infielder Luis Cruz. But in a somewhat surprising twist, Cruz won't face any disciplinary action for his part in the brawl with team Canada.

From Major League Baseball:

"Because at least one club -- and potentially both -- will not advance to the second round, WBCI has determined that disciplinary measures would not have a meaningful corrective impact.  Thus, discipline will not be imposed beyond today's seven game ejections.  It is our firm expectation that the members of Team Mexico, Team Canada and all the tournament's participating teams will learn from this incident and set a better example -- one that befits the sport they share -- in the future."

Team USA defeated team Canada on Sunday 5-4 to advance to the second round of the tournament.

While the WBC doesn't count toward the MLB regular season, I wouldn't have been surprised to see Cruz receive some kind of suspension.

Cruz and Adrian Gonzalez are slated to return to the club on Monday as Mexico was eliminated from the tournament.

In a somewhat unrelated story, Juan Uribe hit a 3-run home run Sunday off Rockies' pitcher Parker Frazier.

BFD. He's going to have to do a lot more than hit a homer against a non-roster invitee to secure a place on the Dodgers' 25-man roster.

And for no reason whatsoever other than general awesomeness, here's a GIF of Yasiel Puig showing off his wheels, courtesy of Mike Petriello.

He can't begin the season on the active roster. He can't begin the season on the active roster. He can't begin the season on the active roster. Just keep repeating that.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 24 - prospects galore, BA Top 100, Q&A

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (L.A. Dugout) and crack wise about prospects, as we often do.

Massey released his Top 20 Dodger prospects list and I tell him why he's utterly and completely wrong.

We also look at a couple of surprises in the Dodgers' system from the Baseball America Prospect Handbook -- specifically, Bobby Coyle and Joey Curletta.

We talk about the two Dodgers to make BA's Top 100 prospect list -- Hyun-Jin Ryu (42) and Yasiel Puig (47).

Per usual, we close with listener questions. Why do we keep hearing Alfonso Soriano linked to the Dodgers? How much of an impact will Mark McGwire have? Will Hanley Ramirez and Luis Cruz swap positions during the season? What do we think about the World Baseball Classic? What are we going to do when Vin Scully turns off his microphone? Plus a few others.

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Andre Ethier trade would improve farm system, but ulitmately limits flexibility

Well, well, well, apparently Andre Ethier isn't as unavailable as previously expected. The Dodgers, despite reports from some in the national media, have been talking to other teams about the outfielder -- specifically, the Seattle Mariners.

Jason Churchill of Prospect Insider and ESPN tweeted the news on New Year's Eve.

"Hearing Mariners have progressed in trade talks for a hitter. Indications it's Ethier. Multiple players involved."

That sent Dodger and Mariner fans into a tizzy on Twitter. Mike Petriello confirmed Churchill's tweet shortly after. He also added some of his thoughts via Twitter. He also did a post this morning about it that is must-read material.

"Here's the thing about Ethier talks, though: it's not going to be for Seager. If it happens, it'll be for SP prospects & maybe BRyan...

...and then Dodgers would fill OF hole with Bourne. But this isn't really new, has been the case for a while. And not tonight. (Hopefully).

Just because it's hitting Twitter now doesn't necessarily mean it's 'breaking,' is all I mean."

If it was Jason Bourne, I'd like the potential move a little more. Alas, the Bourn the Dodgers have their eye on is Michael Bourn.

Churchill said there could be as many as seven players involved and that the Dodgers would be looking at pitching prospects, an outfielder and another player.

When I wrote about a trade with the Mariners nearly a couple weeks ago, I came up with this proposal:

To Seattle: Ethier, Dee Gordon, cash (to offset some of Ethier's money)
To L.A.: Kyle Seager, Nick Franklin, Franklin Gutierrez, Brandon Maurer

I obviously blew it on this one. Most folks were up in arms about the inclusion of Seager, who is apparently a lot more valuable than I thought.

The Dodgers and Mariners have the potential to make quite a significant deal here. The Mariners are known to have interest in Gordon and one of the Dodger starters on the market -- Chris Capuano or Aaron Harang. The Dodgers would also have to throw in a significant amount of cash to get quality players in return.

I'm not going to do another proposal, but I'm going to throw out some players the Dodgers would be interested in. You'll notice this list doesn't include Felix Hernandez, Taijuan Walker and Mike Zunino. It isn't because the Dodgers don't have interest in him, it's because the M's aren't going to include those guys (especially Hernandez and Zunino) in a deal for Ethier.

Dustin Ackley
Carter Capps
Nick Franklin
Charlie Furbush
Franklin Gutierrez
Danny Hultzen
Brandon Maurer
James Paxton
Stefen Romero
Brendan Ryan
Casper Wells

I'm only including Ackley because the deal could be more than just Ethier going to Seattle. I don't think Mariners are going to move him, but he'd be the No. 1 prize of any trade.

If the Dodgers can't get Ackley (and they probably can't), getting guys like Hultzen and Franklin to headline a deal would be amazing.

The Mariners would have a glut of outfielders if they acquired Ethier, so moving Gutierrez or Wells in a deal like this would make sense.

A guy who could be a target is Romero, 24, who had a fantastic season between High-A and Double-A. His on-base skills need work (27 walks in 516 plate appearances in 2012), but he can put the bat on the ball (.352 average).

While Luis Cruz is a fine backup shortstop, he can't be counted on to backup Hanley Ramirez while he's manning third base. Perhaps that's the reason for Ryan's name being bandied about. The guy is a great defender, but he can't hit a lick (.194/.277/.278 in '12).

Silverwidow, a True Blue L.A. commenter, made an excellent point that I haven't seen made anywhere else yet.

"One thing that just dawned on me – the Dodgers hired a shitload of scouts from Seattle this winter. It’s fair to conclude that some or all of them will have knowledge of that system. Makes sense. Now, get Paxton!"

That is accurate and makes a potential deal a little more plausible.

There are a lot of potential moving parts in a possible deal -- which isn't especially close (having said that, it'll happen on Wednesday or Thursday).

Ethier's replacement?

Oh yeah, there's the matter of who would replace Ethier if he were traded. Apparently, the Dodgers see Bourn as that guy.

Bourn, 30, is coming off a nice campaign with the Braves. He hit .274/.348/.391 with a career-high nine home runs, 42 stolen bases and a 10 percent walk rate.

The Dodgers lack a "true" leadoff hitter. We all know Don Mattingly loves having speed atop the lineup. Carl Crawford is going to hit second (as long as he's productive) and having Bourn hit ahead of him would make Donnie Baseball the happiest cat around.

Bourn's value lies more in his defense than anything. He is the definition of an elite defender in center field -- so much so that he'd move Matt Kemp off the position. Kemp is a below-average defender in center, but his arm is great. However, moving Kemp to right field would improve the outfield defense a lot.

He had a career-high 6.4 WAR in 2012 and has been no worse than a 4-WAR player since 2009.

Eno Sarris of FanGraphs wrote a piece about Bourn and his unsigned status.

"Why isn’t there more interest in Michael Bourn? A six-win center fielder is on the market, and our most recent article on the subject is whether or not his agent has waited too long to get him a deal. We don’t know what his asking price is, but the idea that a player coming off a career year and four straight seasons with more than four wins now needs a pillow contract seems to suggest that either there’s a reason to doubt Bourn’s work, or there’s a lack of demand for his services in the market place.

There really aren’t many indications that Bourn’s 2012 was a luck-driven affair. His batting average on balls in play was .349. His career BABIP is .343. His batting average was .274. His career batting average is .272. He put up the best UZR/150 of his career at +22.5. His career UZR/150 is +10.5, and he had a +20.6 season as recently as 2010. He walked (10%, career 8.8%) and struck out (22%, career 20.2%) at about his career rates, too. Doesn’t seem like a fluke."

Bourn will likely command a multi-year deal worth many millions. His agent is Scott Boras, who's no stranger to getting his clients great deals late in the winter. The Dodgers could be on the hook for a 3 to 5-year deal worth in the neighborhood of $12-$15 million annually.

Signing Bourn would also mean losing the No. 19 pick in the MLB Draft. At first, this was a huge turnoff to me. While I still wouldn't be 100 percent on board with it, getting some legitimate prospects back from the Mariners would help to offset the loss of the pick.

The 2013 draft class isn't expected to be strong, making the pick more valuable in my eyes. The Dodgers wouldn't pick until the second round, which would hamper their ability to land a future major leaguer. That's something to consider.

Something that also concerns me about Bourn is his strikeouts. For being a guy who's a speedy, slappy leadoff guy, he strikes out an awful lot.

• 2008: 21.6 percent
• 2009: 20.6 percent
• 2010: 18 percent
• 2011: 19.4 percent
• 2012: 22 percent

Those are the strikeout rates of a power hitter, not a speedster. Bourn's career strikeout percentage is 20.2. By comparison, Kemp's is 23.4. That's the biggest negative with his offensive game. His 8.8 percent career walk rate is solid and has been trending up since 2008.

Here's a look at the potential starting lineups with and without Ethier.

With Ethier

Mark Ellis 2B
Carl Crawford LF
Matt Kemp CF
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
Hanley Ramirez SS
Andre Ethier RF
A.J. Ellis C
Luis Cruz 3B

With Bourn

Bourn CF
Crawford LF
Kemp RF
Gonzalez 1B
Ramirez SS
Ellis C
Ellis 2B
Cruz 3B

The biggest differences between are the leadoff spots and No. 6 spots. With the Ethier lineup, there's more thump down in the lineup. With the Bourn lineup, there's more potential for havoc at the top.biggest differences between are the leadoff spots and No. 6 spots. With the Ethier lineup, there's more thump down in the lineup. With the Bourn lineup, there's more potential for havoc at the top, plus better overall defense.

I've really never been opposed to the Dodgers trading Ethier. I've written about it a number of times. However, replacing him with Bourn doesn't interest me as much as it does others, I'm sure.

My thought was if the Dodgers move Ethier, they gain flexibility for guys like Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson going forward. While they're unknown commodities, the Dodgers did invest a nice chunk of change in Puig. And Pederson had a breakout 2012 season. Signing Bourn immediately gives up that flexibility.

It's hard to field a competitive Major League team while keeping a strong farm system. Not many teams can do it for extended periods of time. General Manager Ned Colletti is in a tough spot here. The Dodgers are built to win now and for the next few years. They're also well on their way to rebuilding their farm system. Part of being competitive is flexibility. Having so many players locked up long-term limits flexibility via the minor leagues, but it does open up more trade possibilities.

Management is trying to get this team to the World Series. If they think this is the best route, sobeit. I'm genuinely torn on the subject. Trade Ethier? Fine. Replace him with Bourn? That's where I waffle.

I do like the improved outfield defense and having another stolen base threat in the lineup with Bourn. I'm not a fan of losing Ethier's pop out of the No. 6 spot. If the team had a legitimate third baseman, I'd feel a lot better about moving Ethier and replacing him with Bourn.

This is going to be an interesting situation to follow. Something could happen as soon as this week or nothing at all could happen. The fact that there's this much smoke definitely means there's fire. I'm just hoping the Dodgers can get a couple of B/B+ prospects in any deal of this magnitude.

Photo credits

Ethier: McD22, Flickr

Bourn: slgckgc, Flickr

Mariners are the Dodgers' best match for a potential Andre Ethier trade

With the Andre Ethier kinda-sorta-but-not-really rumors floating around (depending who you believe), it might be a good time to check out which teams might be interested in him and what the Dodgers could possible look for in return.

First, let's identify the Dodgers' remaining needs.

Third base

I recently wrote a post saying Luis Cruz isn't the answer at third base. He isn't, but there really aren't any great alternatives. Juan Uribe, painfully, has one more year on his contract and might not break camp with the club. The Dodgers would absolutely have to get some sort of third baseman in return for Ethier.

Left-handed reliever

With Scott Elbert coming off elbow surgery and Paco Rodriguez entering his first full season as a professional, the Dodgers could use a veteran lefty out of the bullpen. If it were up to me and Elbert was 100 percent healthy, I'd have no problem with them being the lefties. Methinks Ned Colletti and Don Mattingly would disagree.

Second base

The Dodgers do have Mark Ellis, who is still a plus defender at the position. They also have Skip Schumaker, who isn't. But looking toward 2014, the Dodgers are going to need someone to replace Ellis. Perhaps a prospect who's not quite Major-League ready could be in play.

Fourth outfielder

I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of Schumaker being the fourth outfielder. The Dodgers need a guy who can truly play center field and who is preferably right-handed. The entire Dodger bench is lacking in quality, but they don't have a legitimate fourth outfielder at this moment.

Those are probably the Dodgers' three biggest needs right now. They certainly don't need any starting pitchers, as they're trying to trade one or two. They don't necessarily need another right-handed reliever, but if they get a guy with tons of arm talent, it'd be tough to pass that up.

There are two confirmed teams to have talks with the Dodgers about Ethier -- Seattle and Texas. In this post, I'll take a look at what Seattle has to offer.

The Mariners are trying to give their money away to hitters, yet no one is biting. They were in on Josh Hamilton before he signed with Anaheim and have interest in Nick Swisher, who isn't reciprocating said interest. The offensive-starved team did land Kendrys Morales on Wednesday, but he won't be enough to revitalize their offense.

Seattle has a lot of interesting pieces, some of which might not be available in trade.

The Dodgers would seemingly have interest in guys like Dustin Ackley, Kyle Seager, Nick Franklin and Franklin Gutierrez.

Let's just get this out of the way now: the Mariners aren't trading Ackley to the Dodgers for Ethier. The 2009 No. 2 overall pick had a great debut season in 2011, but had a severe case of the sophomore slump in 2012. Despite the slump, I'd almost swap Ethier straight-up for Ackley.

Seager, the older brother of Corey Seager, was the Mariners' primary third baseman in 2012, playing 138 games at the hot corner. He hit 20 home runs while posting a .259/.316/.423 triple slash. Not bad for a 24-year-old in a difficult place to hit. His splits -- home/road and left/right -- weren't favorable.

Seager did most of his damage on the road (.293/.324/.511, 15 home runs) and against right-handed pitching (.272/.335/.449, 13 home runs) -- the latter of which make him look like a platoon player. Perhaps a platoon of Seager and Cruz at third base wouldn't be the worst thing, but it'd hardly be like having Chase Headley there.

Franklin is one of the Mariners' top position prospects. He's a shortstop and probably profiles better at second base long-term. With Ackley there, the Mariners would need to keep him at shortstop. However, if they acquired a shortstop (Dee Gordon), they could be more inclined to move the 21-year-old. He posted a .278/.347/.453 triple slash between Double- and Triple-A, including a .322/.394/.502 line at Double-A Jackson. I'd like to see him replace Ellis in 2014.

Gutierrez, a former Dodger prospect, is an elite defender in center field. Problem is, he doesn't hit well and has a hard time staying healthy. His not hitting well can be rectified by playing him predominantly against left-handed pitching (career .293/.351/.479 against lefties). Gutierrez is so elite in center (How elite is he?!) he once posted a 6.3 fWAR. It also came du. ring his best offensive season, but it's still impressive. I think he'd be the perfect fourth outfielder for the Dodgers.

My Proposal

To Seattle: Ethier, Gordon, cash (to offset some of Ethier's money)
To L.A.: Seager, Franklin, Gutierrez, Brandon Maurer

Why it works for Seattle: The M's get a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat who can slide into right field. They also get a shortstop who was a Top 30 overall prospect just a couple years ago. Oh, and some green stuff so they're not taking on all of Ethier's $85 million.

Why it works for L.A.: The Dodgers get a starting third baseman, a second baseman of the future, a fourth outfielder and a really good right-handed pitching prospect. The M's would still have a stacked system if they lost a couple guys out of the middle of their Top 10.

The Mariners are also interested in Chris Capuano, who seems to have more trade value after the M's dealt Jason Vargas (who isn't as good) for Morales. If the Dodgers included him, this could be quite the hefty deal.

Having said all this, I'm not sure how realistic my proposal is. The Dodgers would still need a right fielder for the season. With Seager at third base, the right fielder wouldn't have to be someone of great note -- just someone serviceable until Yasiel Puig is (hopefully) ready in 2014.

Photo credit: Cbl62, Wikimedia Commons

Dodgers lack a quality bench, which is something that needs to be addressed

The Dodgers have a pretty thin bench. When guys like Skip Schumaker and Jerry Hairston are the best the team has to offer, something needs to be done.

For all the corner outfielder/first basemen the Dodgers had in recent years, that's where they're lacking right now. Despite acquiring Schumaker, the Dodgers might still need a legitimate center fielder. Tony Gwynn might be that guy, as he's under contract for 2013. However, the Dodgers don't appear to have much faith in him because of his bat -- or lack thereof.

The premiere bench player available on the free agent market is Scott Hairston. He hit .263/.299/.504 with 20 home runs in 398 plate appearances. While the batting average and on-base percentage leave a lot to be desired, that .504 slugging mark is fantastic. Unfortunately, the Dodgers don't appear to have any interest in him.

As far as an infielder, Jeff Baker might be worth a look. He owns a .296/.344/.498 triple slash against southpaws in his career. Baker can play first, second and third base and has dabbled a bit in the corner outfield spots. He'd likely be come cheaply. He's far more intriguing than an OF/1B like Carlos Lee or Juan Rivera, mostly because he isn't Carlos Lee or Juan Rivera.

If the Dodgers want a true center fielder, the Mariners would probably like to rid themselves of Franklin Gutierrez and his contract. He plays elite defense in center field and has a career .293/.351/.479 triple slash against left-handed pitchers in his career. He's actually a perfect bench candidate in my eyes. I'd like to see him as part of a larger deal involving the Dodgers and Mariners, and if you've listened to "Dugout Blues," you'd have an idea of what that trade might be.

Dee Gordon, who is still a Dodger, could be the team's true backup shortstop, but it would probably rather have him playing every day in Triple-A. Nick Punto looks like the team's backup shortstop -- for now. Elian Herrera also has a lot of versatility, which could keep him on the roster when the team breaks camp.

The Dodgers already have a bench player who is likely to start at third base (Luis Cruz), which weakens the "real" bench. And the Dodgers must cut ties with Juan Uribe. He doesn't deserve a roster spot after his last two seasons. The Dodgers can do so much better for so much less.

Photo credit: slgckgc, Flickr