Breaking news: It seems former Dodger prospect Allen Webster is good

Despite the headline, it really isn't breaking news. Allen Webster is a damn good prospect. Sadly, not everyone knew that heading into spring training 2013.

From Pete Abraham of Boston.com:

"Webster in two appearances this spring: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. He has been 95-99 with his four-seam fastball and shown an an excellent changeup along with a two-seam fastball with heavy sink."

From Rob Bradford of WEEI.com:

"Webster hit 99 mph on the stadium’s radar gun, as was the case in his outing in Dunedin. But it might be his secondary pitches that have separated the pitcher in the eyes of the Red Sox’ coaching staff.

'Velocity is one thing, but still, I just think the action to the stuff, and keep in mind, this is someone who has always been a starter so the first inning coming in the middle of the game is a little different for him,' (John) Farrell said. 'But with each successive inning, you can see the rhythm and just the glow of the game really start to take over. He has three very good weapons you can go to."

From Ron Chimelis of Masslive.com:

"He does have an effective sinker. In five minor league seasons, he has averaged nearly a strikeout per inning, a little under four walks per nine innings, and only one home run every 27 innings."

From Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts:

"#RedSox not only freed up a lot of $ in blockbuster trade w/ #Dodgers, young pitchers acquired (R. De La Rosa/ A. Webster) are impressive."

The fact that this seems to be a surprise to folks out there is somewhat curious. Webster was one of the best Dodger pitching prospects for the last couple of seasons. His success (I know, it's still March) is no surprise to me and others, I'm sure.



I'm not saying I'd undo the trade, as I'd have gladly traded Rubby De La Rosa and Webster to land Adrian Gonzalez, but it'd be nice if he was still a Dodger.

I said on the last two episodes of "Dugouts Blues," that if Webster was still in the system, he'd have been my No. 1 prospect. Jim Shonerd of Baseball America said he'd rank Webster in the top five and ahead of Zach Lee in his rankings. So, people in the know (referring to Shonerd), knew Webster could be this good.

Best of luck to Webster (and De La Rosa). He should have a spot in the Boston rotation no later than 2014.

Prospect news: Lee among SL's best, Puig out for AFL, first two AFL games

Zach Lee, who was ranked as the fifth-best prospect in the California League last week, was tabbed as the Southern League's 13th-best prospect, according to Baseball America.

Lee was the only current Dodger prospect to make the list. Allen Webster, who was traded to Boston in the Adrian Gonzalez deal, was ranked as the league's ninth-best prospect.

That was a little surprising, but Baseball America has always liked Webster, so I guess it isn't that surprising.

Lee will begin the 2013 season with the Lookouts and, if all goes according to plan, he won't don a Dodger jersey until September at the earliest. But it is nice to have the organization's top prospect close enough to the majors that he could contribute if needed.

Puig won't play in AFL

Dodgers' $42 million prospect Yasiel Puig won't play in the Arizona Fall League after suffering a staph infection. The injury isn't serious.

Many folks were interested to see how Puig would do against advanced competition as he had just 95 plate appearances in his debut season.

There is a chance he'll play winter ball, but the level of competition is significantly lower than that of the AFL.

While Puig's talents are still unknown, it's hard not to acknowledge the outstanding physical ability he possesses. He's an imposing figure and, if his head is screwed on straight, should be the next great Dodger prospect.

I'm hoping to see him in person come next season.

Pederson, Eadington struggle in AFL opener

Joc Pederson and Eric Eadington both go their first taste of fall ball on Tuesday -- and both didn't fare particularly well.

Pederson, who hit second and played left field, went 0-for-4 with six runners left on base while Eadington gave up two solo home runs in his inning of work.

Neither of them played in Wednesday's game.

Rafael Ynoa played well in the first game (2-for-4 with an RBI). Gorman Erickson has played in both games, but merely as a backup catcher.

Chris Reed and Red Patterson pitched in Wednesady's game. Reed, who replaced Steven Rodriguez on the roster, went one scoreless inning while hitting a batter. Patterson also threw a scoreless inning with a walk and a strikeout.

Andres Santiago is slated to start on Friday. I'm really interested to see how he does against advanced competition.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

A brief look at the Dodgers' farm system following trading season

The Dodgers were as active as they've been in years on the trade market this year. They acquired some big-name talent (Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez), but they also gave up quite a few young players.

Here's a scorecard of Dodger prospects and young players traded since July 25 (Ramirez trade):

Position players
Ivan De Jesus
Leon Landry
Jerry Sands (player to be named later)

Pitchers
Logan Bawcom
Rubby De La Rosa (PTBNL)
Nathan Eovaldi
Josh Lindblom
Ethan Martin
Scott McGough
Ryan O'Sullivan
Allen Webster

As you can see, the Dodgers certainly dealt from their strength. For the last few seasons, the Dodgers' biggest strength has been their young pitching. That's what the farm system was known for.

Of the three position players the Dodgers traded, two of them have every day potential. Sands, who curiously wasn't given a legitimate shot in Los Angeles, was sent to Boston in the August blockbuster. Landry, a player I'm higher on than most, just won the California League batting title (.341). He was traded with Bawcom to get Brandon League. He also led the league in triples (18) while finishing in second in total bases (262) and doubles (34).

The Dodgers traded eight young pitchers. Not many teams can do that and still have solid pitching depth. Don't get me wrong, it isn't as good as it was a couple months ago, but there are still some quality arms remaining. But the system, even more so now, lacks front-end starters.

Zach Lee and Chris Reed are the organization's top two pitching prospects by far -- and Lee is in a class my himself. Then there are starting pitching prospects like Garrett Gould, Matt Magill, Onelki Garcia and Andres Santiago. Definitely not the same potential star power as before with De La Rosa, Webster and Eovaldi paired with Lee and Reed.

The 2012 draft and International signings didn't really help strengthen the pitching side of things. Garcia was drafted in the third round and Zachary Bird, pegged as a sleeper by many, was a ninth-round pick. And we won't know much about a guy like Bryan Munoz, a 16-year-old, for a few years.

For the first time in a long time, it seems the Dodgers have more high-end (for this system, at least) hitting prospects than pitching prospects. Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig and Corey Seager all have potential to be above-average everyday players.

So, Logan White has some work to do rebuild the pitching side of the system. Relief pitching is still strong (Shawn Tolleson, Steve Ames, Steven Rodriguez, Javier Solano), but the Dodgers will need some high-end starters down on the farm going forward.

Speaking of Andres Santiago...

This is my latest at Chad Moriyama's blog about the 22-year-old pitching prospect who's making a name for himself this season.

"There are a couple things that impress me most about Santiago. First, his increased strikeout rate. While he was able to get solid rates in the past (8.0, 7.4, 8.4 K/9 the last three seasons), he’s stepped up to another level this year. His 9.8 K/9 is second only to Matt Magill for best among starting pitchers in the system."

Looking forward to see how he handles a full season in Double-A.

Photo credits 

Reed: Courtesy of Brandon Lennox, True Blue LA

Landry: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Looking at who the Red Sox acquired in the big trade with the Dodgers

I've been accused of being a prospect hoarder. It's a fair accusation. But when I heard about this deal, my first thought was, "The Dodgers are giving up too much." I still believe that.

But at least the Dodgers acquired a hitter who paid immediate dividends in Adrian Gonzalez. He blasted a 3-run home run on his first swing as a Dodger Saturday night. It was a thing of beauty.

But considering the circumstances, the Red Sox made out quite well in Saturday's nine-player deal with the Dodgers. Boston acquired major salary relief (in the neighborhood of $260 million), James Loney, Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster, Jerry Sands and Ivan De Jesus.

I gave my thoughts on the Dodgers' return yesterday, so now I'll look at who the Dodgers gave up and what it means for the Red Sox.

James Loney

Loney, a once top prospect, is going to be fighting for a job come the winter. His offensive production is just offensive and not even his Gold Glove defense can land him a starting gig.

And Loney did what he does best in his first at-bat as a member of the Red Sox: he grounded into a double play.

He'll likely be Boston's starting first baseman the rest of the season, but I'd be shocked if he was there beyond this season.

Rubby De La Rosa

Because he was on the 40-man roster, De La Rosa is a player to be named later in this trade. He was reportedly claimed by the Blue Jays, which means the entire National League and a few American League teams passed on claiming him. That doesn't make sense, but I'm not a baseball executive.

De La Rosa was optioned to Double-A Chattanooga and I'm admittedly unsure what the plan is with him. I assume he'll pitch because for the Lookouts until the season ends. Chattanooga is three games up for the second-half division title with eight games to play. So, there's at least eight games remaining plus any potential playoff games.

Or, the Dodgers could be under strict orders from Boston to not pitch De La Rosa in game action and just continue to have him work on the side, potentially avoiding injury. We'll see what happens.

But Boston acquired a potential No. 2 starter in De La Rosa. His fastball, clocked as high as 101 MPH, is his best pitch. He throws it in the mid-90s with movement. It's a filthy pitch. He also owns a devastating changeup, when he's consistent with it.

The only thing holding De La Rosa back from achieving his potential in the rotation is a third pitch. He has a slider that's loose and loopy more than it's tight and sharp. His makeup is that of a top-of-the-rotation starter or a dominant closer, so no concern there.

He has a much better shot of ending up in the bullpen, but I could definitely see De La Rosa figuring it out and him being a pitcher in the mold of Pedro Martinez.

Now, some have said the Dodgers just traded "the next Pedro Martinez," but I think that's a bit far-fetched. Yes, they have similar repertoires and are both from the Dominican Republic. But that's where the similarities end.

De La Rosa isn't the most physically imposing figure, but he also isn't 5'10, 175 pounds like Martinez was. It's far more likely De La Rosa is an average MLB pitcher than a Hall of Famer.

Boston did quite well to get De La Rosa from the Dodgers in this deal, as they did with the only true "prospect" they received in the deal.

Allen Webster

Webster, the Dodgers' consensus No. 2 or No. 3 prospect heading into the season, started off the season about as poorly as one could. On May 9, he owned a 7.49 ERA in the Southern League, a league in which he struggled during the second half of last season.

Things weren't looking good for him until a demotion to the bullpen changed his season. He had a five-game bullpen stint, starting May 15, and he gave up just one run in that time. His work out of the 'pen allowed him to get his control and command figured out because his stuff has never been a question.

Since returning to the rotation on May 31, he hadn't allowed more than three earned runs in any start and reduced his ERA down to a manageable 3.83.

Webster boasts a low-to-mid-90s fastball with movement, an advanced changeup, a solid curveball and a decent slider. He has a classic starter's arsenal. Aside from his changeup, he's also known for having good control. His 3.7 BB/9 is solid, but he has the potential to be a sub-3 BB/9 guy when he's at his peak.

He has a ceiling of a No. 2 starter, but it's more likely he'll be a No. 3 or No. 4 guy, which is nothing to scoff at. Webster should challenge for a rotation slot in Boston come 2013.

Jerry Sands

Like De La Rosa, Sands is officially a PTBNL in this deal because he did not clear waivers. And that's just fine with Isotope fans as Sands smacked a 2-run home run Saturday night to continue his torrid second half.

Yes, his numbers are somewhat inflated because he plays in one of the best hitting environments in professional baseball, but there is potential in this kid. I mean, he had a 1.078 OPS in the Midwest League as a 22-year-old (69 games). That's hard to do.

I ranked him as my No. 1 prospect heading into last season and he's gotten limited opportunity with the Dodgers thus far. In fact, I'm not sure he was ever going to get a fair shot. I mean, when a team will play the likes of Juan Rivera and Loney instead of giving a 24-year-old power-hitting prospect a shot, it says something about the player or the organization. It's probably a little of both.

But Sands has ability. If he reaches his potential, he could be a 20-plus home run a season corner outfielder who hits in around .270 to .300 with an on-base percentage .350 or better. He isn't afraid to talk a walk, as his minor-league walk rate is an impressive 11.6 percent. He's done nothing but hit in the minors (.290/.377/.566), yet the Dodgers never gave him a legitimate chance at being a regular.

Sands profiles better as a corner outfielder than a first baseman. He has a strong arm and has a little more range than folks give him credit for. With the Red Sox trading their left fielder and first baseman, Sands could get a shot at either position come 2013.

Sands might be Boston's wild card in this deal, as the Dodgers clearly (and unfairly) lost faith in him too soon.

Ivan De Jesus

De Jesus is kind of in the same boat as Sands, but he got there first: a once highly rated prospect who fell out of favor in the organization.

Now, De Jesus is never going to be Dustin Pedroia at second base, but he has on-base ability and a solid glove.

He's more of a utility player at this point in his career, which has value to a team. He has a little doubles pop and a good eye at the plate, posting a 9.7 percent walk rate in the minors.

He hasn't done much in the majors, but he hasn't been given much of a chance either. We'll always have that pinch-hit double in Arizona earlier this season that won the game for the Dodgers.

Conclusion

The Dodgers still gave up a bit too much in this deal for my liking. If they had given up De La Rosa or Webster, along with the other two, and a lesser prospect, I'd feel a little better about this. I just don't like giving up two potential frontline starting pitchers while taking on more than a quarter of a billion dollars in salary. But at least the Dodgers got the big bat they needed.

I'll look at what impact this trade, and all the trades Ned Colletti and Co. have made in the last couple months, has on the Dodgers' farm system tomorrow.

Photo credits

Loney and Sands: LWY, Flickr

De Jesus:  wisely, Flickr

Looking at the Dodgers' return in the potential trade with the Red Sox

With the blockbuster Dodger-Red Sox trade expected to be announced today, I'm going to look at just what the Dodgers are getting themselves into with this deal.

The Dodgers and Red Sox are about to complete one of the biggest deals in baseball history, but the Dodgers are the team taking almost all the risk.

Here are the details:

To Boston: Rubby De La Rosa (as PTBNL), Allen Webster, James Loney, Jerry Sands and Ivan DeJesus
To Los Angeles: Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Nick Punto and roughly $12 million

Adrian Gonzalez

The Dodgers finally get a legitimate slugger to slot in behind Matt Kemp. Gonzalez, 30, is one of the best first basemen in baseball, but he's admittedly having a down season -- down being .300/.343/.469. The Dodgers haven't received that production from first base since the days of Eric Karros... or when Loney was just a young pup in 2007, when he played in 96 games.

Gonzalez, like Loney, plays Gold Glove-caliber defense at first base, so there will be virtually no drop-off there. Coupled with the enormous offensive boost, this is a no-brainer.

Gonzalez, a former No. 1 overall pick by the Florida Marlins (2000), is somewhat local. He's from the San Diego area and spent the vast majority of his professional career with the Padres.

But something that is greatly needed is the fact he can hit against left-handed pitching. This season, he owns a .302/.335/.488 triple slash. His average and slugging percentage are better against lefties than righties this season. He hit .321 against lefties last season, a season in which he led the American League in hits while hitting 27 home runs and 45 doubles. In 2010, he hit a whopping .337/.424/.513 against lefties. It shows marked improvement as his career numbers against lefties are not as good (.276/.345/.443), meaning he struggled earlier in his career against southpaws.

But the best part about acquiring Gonzalez is the fact he has elite-level talent (and he has the contract to prove it). He's a top-five first baseman (Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Joey Votto, Paul Konerko) and one of the best with the glove.

Gonzalez signed a 7-year, $154 million deal with Boston in April 2011. Here's the breakdown:

• 2013 through 2016: $21 million annually
• 2017 and 2018: $21.5 million annually

Pretty straight forward.

Now, some of Gonzalez's numbers have been trending downward, such as his walk rate and isolated power.

Year	BB%	ISO
2009	17.5	.274
2010	13.4	.231
2011	10.3	.210
2012	5.9	.169

Gonzalez was walked like crazy in the Padres' lineup, as he was about the only hitter to fear during his time. That accounts for the 17.5 percent walk rate. But his rate dropping all the way to 5.9 this season is a bit concerning. He's never walked fewer than 52 times in a full season, which he did in 2006.

He started off the 2012 season poorly, hitting just .283/.329/.416 in the first half. But he's really turned it on in the second half: .338/.378/.593. It's nice to see the power is still there, but I'd also love to see that walk rate get back in the neighborhood of 10 percent. With Ramirez and Andre Ethier hitting behind him, I could see that happening.

It's always a good idea to take a risk on elite talent. Gonzalez is elite. The other two Red Sox coming over, well, aren't in that class anymore.

Josh Beckett

Many remember Beckett for his 2003 World Series performance -- an MVP performance -- but Beckett has never been that good over the long haul.

However, Beckett, 32, is coming off one of the better seasons of his career in 2011, a season in which he went 13-7 with a 2.89 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 3.57 FIP, 6.8 H/9, 2.4 BB/9, 8.2 K/9 and a 3.37 K/BB.

This season, Beckett has struggled: 5-11, 5.23 ERA, 4.27 FIP. He hasn't endeared himself to the Boston media after golfing on his day off after missing a start earlier this season -- something that was blown out of proportion by the Boston media, but is worth noting.

His contract status pales in comparison to Gonzalez's and Crawford's, but here are the details anyway: 

• 2013-14: $15.75M

That's it. His contract is the least of the Dodgers' concern in this deal.

If Beckett can regain his 2011 form, this could be huge for the Dodgers. Chad Billingsley left Friday night's game with elbow inflammation -- the same injury that shelved him for 15 days earlier this season. I'd be surprised if he doesn't end up there again.

But there's more to Beckett than hoping he can regain his form. His velocity has dropped -- dramatically. He averaged 93.1 MPH on his fastball just last season. This season, it's down to 91.6 MPH. That's a significant drop. He's also throwing his fastball less frequently this season: 47.6 percent (a career-low). Why? Only he knows, but looking at the numbers, it could be because it's just not an effective pitch for him this season.

FanGraphs rates its value at -1.6, compared to 15.6 last season (but strangely, -16.5 the year before). In fact, only one of his four pitches rates out positively -- his curveball at 0.9.

He's been infected by the cutter disease in recent years, going from 5.1 percent in 2009 to 15.3 percent in 2010, 18.1 percent in 2011 and 21.1 percent in 2012.

This data doesn't bode well for his future. He's going to need to find that lost velocity (if it's even possible) for him to be more than a No. 4 or No. 5 starter.

But, with Joe Blanton not pitching well since being acquired, Chris Capuano regressing a tad and Billingsley's injury, Beckett has an opportunity to grab this situation by the proverbial horns (he's from Texas).

Fun fact: Beckett was traded to Boston in a deal that sent Hanley Ramirez to Florida in November 2005.

Beckett is somewhat of a wild card in this trade, but not as wild as the $100 million outfielder the Dodgers are also acquiring.

Carl Crawford

Crawford signed a mega deal last winter (7 years, $142 million) with Boston and has yet to sniff the level of production he had in Tampa Bay for the first nine years of his career.

His contract details:

• 2013: $20M, 2014: $20.25M, 2015: $20.5M, 2016: $20.75M, 2017: $21M

Look, Crawford is not and was not ever a $20 million/year player. The Red Sox overpaid for him, which is an understatement. But this is the risk the Dodgers are willing to take on him just to acquire Gonzalez.

Crawford just had Tommy John surgery and will be out for the foreseeable future. Some reports said he could be ready for Opening Day, some said by May. I'd be surprised if either were the case. Recovering from Tommy John is a big deal for pitchers, but it's also a significant deal for position players. Crawford's arm strength doesn't have to be great in left field, but I'm more concerned with how the injury impacts his ability at the plate.

He hit .306/.360/.473 in his last two seasons with Tampa but has hit just .260/.292/.419 with Boston in 161 games. That kind of production isn't going to fly anywhere, let alone Boston.

Oh, and it'd be nice to see him be the threat on the basepaths he was back in Tampa. He played 130 games in 2011 and stole just 18 base (only 24 attempts). This man once led the American League in stolen bases four out of five years (2003-07). I know speed diminishes with age, but it isn't his leg he hurt. If I'm the Dodgers, I'd expect at least 40 stolen bases out of Crawford. 

If Crawford can come back sometime in 2013 and perform anywhere close to the way he performed in Tampa, he could make this trade a clear win for the Dodgers, despite the massive amount of money involved.

Nick Punto and the money

Punto is such a throw-away in this deal, it's laughable. But if it means Juan Uribe isn't long for Los Angeles, then I'm all for it. There's no indication that's the case, it's more just wishful thinking on my part.

But this is where I think the Dodgers fell a little short in this deal.

These four players are making roughly $270 million for the life of their respective contracts. The Dodgers have agreed to pay more than 95 percent of the remaining money, helping Boston to get out of luxury tax territory. This means the Red Sox are sending about $12 million to the Dodgers in this deal.

For who the Dodgers are giving up -- De La Rosa and Webster -- I'd have thought they wouldn't have to pay as much. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case.

And, this means the Dodgers will be less financially flexible in the future... unless the team wants to have a $200 million payroll and have to pay luxury taxes. For the Guggenheim group, that may not be a concern.

But for kicks, take a look at what Chad Moriyama wrote about the new television deal and why the Dodgers can't just throw money around carelessly.

I don't think that's the case. I think Stan Kasten and Co. know what they're doing.

The fact that this trade Xbox-esque trade is nearing completion shows the Dodgers' new ownership isn't messing around. It wants to win this season. It'd help if the team didn't get swept at home by the Giants, but here we are. The Dodgers are three games behind the Giants with just a little more than a month remaining in the season.

I'll look at the impact on the Dodgers' farm system and who the Red Sox are getting in return tomorrow. I like the aggressive nature of this deal, but the risk lies all in Los Angeles and depends greatly on Crawford's ability to return to prominence.

Photo credits

Gonzalez: Keith Allison, Flickr

Beckett: eviltomthai, Flickr

Crawford: Red3biggs, Wikimedia Commons

Dodgers about to do something crazy to get Adrian Gonzalez

The Dodgers are on the verge of acquiring Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto from the Red Sox.

Holy. Balls.

I'm on the road, but I'm going to give a quick analysis:

The Dodgers need a guy like Gonzalez. They could do without Beckett and Crawford and no one in their right mind "needs" Punto.

Some rumored players heading to Boston include Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster, Jerry Sands, Ivan DeJesus and James Loney.

I'm somewhat OK with them sending one really good young player, but not two. I'll go more in depth later tonight.

Oh, and this doesn't even include the massive amounts of money involved. That has yet to be determined.

Stay tuned because this thing is getting all kinds of crazy.

Dodgers fail to land starting pitcher at trade deadline

So, the Dodgers' farm system is weaker now than it was just two weeks ago. That was expected. What wasn't expected is the Dodgers would still need a starting pitcher after July 31.

The Dodgers went down to the wire for Ryan Dempster before the Rangers jumped in and snagged him. There were rumors of the Dodgers looking at Jason Vargas as a backup option, but that never came to be.

The Cubs were determined to get Allen Webster, but Ned Colletti stood strong, even if he gave into the Phillies' by giving up Ethan Martin in the Shane Victorino deal.

So, the Dodgers head into August needing a pitcher because Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano aren't pitching as well as they were earlier this season -- especially Capuano.

Cliff Lee's name is being bandied about because there are just two or three teams that could take on his massive contract.

If the Dodgers somehow land Lee in August, that'd be awesome. If they don't, they'd bank on Ted Lilly being healthy and maybe a guy like Webster to fill in. It's not the worst plan, but it certainly isn't ideal.

Rubby De La Rosa could also be an option, but I'd be surprised if he was anything but a reliever coming off Tommy John surgery.

I'll have a full trade deadline recap tonight or tomorrow.

Dodgers have interest in Shin-Soo Choo and Hunter Pence

I'm writing this on the road, so my apologies for the lack of visuals, depth and links.

The Dodgers are reportedly interested in Indians' outfielder Shin-Shoo Choo.

Some words that immediately come to mind: fantastic, awesome, amazing, WANT.

The 29-year-old outfielder is due a significant pay raise next season in his last year of arbitration and will be a free agent following the 2013 season.

Some wonder if the Indians will move Choo. Well, they're looking for a Major Leaguer who has less than three years of experience and is good. Well, the Dodgers don't have many of those guys -- they just traded their best one in Nathan Eovaldi.

However, Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports tweeted the Dodgers are definitely interested in Choo.

It'd be awesome to acquire him, but they probably have a better chance of acquiring Hunter Pence from the Phillies. They'll need to clear salary after signing former future Dodger Cole Hamels to a massive $144 million contract.

In either of these deals, the Dodgers would have to include Zach Lee, another top pitcher (Chris Reed, Allen Webster, etc.) and one more good youngster. I wonder if the Indians are intrigued with Jerry Sands after his two-grand slam game on Sunday?

Anyway, it should be an interesting couple days. The Dodgers will definitely add a bat and starting pitcher before tomorrow at 1 p.m. I'm eagerly awaiting the announcements.

Dodgers should pursue Hanley Ramirez instead of Chase Headley

While the hottest Dodger rumor of the day is a Matt Garza trade involving Zach Lee and others, there is a potential trade not many are talking about.

The Dodgers have needed to add quality bats to the team for years. That's no secret and this year is no exception. But in this wafer-thin market, there aren't a lot of options.

The Padres appear to be asking a lot for Chase Headley, who is the best third baseman reportedly on the market.to get him, the Dodgers would likely have to deal Lee and at least another B-/C+ prospect to get him. While he's under control through 2014 and should perform much better outside the unfriendly confines of Petco Park, I'm still not sure I'd be rushing to give up Lee to get him.

At this rate, I might not even give up Allen Webster to get Headley. Webster's resurgence has been fantastic to see.

But should the Dodgers be looking elsewhere for offensive help?

The Marlins have reportedly been gauging trade interest in their shortsop-turned-third baseman Hanley Ramirez.

From Scott Miller of CBS Sports:

"Rival executives who have spoken with Marlins people believe they've never been more open to the idea. Halfway through a bitterly disappointing season, the Marlins aren't so much trying to blow things up (as they have in the past) as they are simply trying to change the ingredients.

It's not that they think they're that far from winning so much as the Marlins simply do not like their team. They've decided that the mix is bad, the pieces don't fit, the personalities have not coalesced.

In other words, they've come to terms with the obvious."

With the Marlins' big trade today, moving Ramirez indeed seems more likely than ever.

Ramirez, a former batting champion, 30-30 man and MVP runner-up, has not been the same player he was as recently as 2010.

Ramirez is hitting just .245/.328/.405 in the last two seasons. His 2011 was shortened by injury and his 2012 is marginally better.

Despite the lack of production, the price to get him -- prospects- and money-wise -- will be greater than that of Headley. Still, if Ramirez is available, the Dodgers need to get in on the sweepstakes.

Let's face it: they're not going to get Justin Upton (as much as I'd love that). If it comes down to Ramirez and Headley, I'm taking Ramirez (if not both, which would gut the system).

Pros/Cons

Hanley Ramirez
Pros: Age, power, past performance, speed, SS or 3B
Cons: Attitude, declining production, owed roughly $39 million through 2014, poor defense

Chase Headley
Pros: Age, defense, friendly contract, no attitude, on-base ability
Cons: Lack of power, limited ceiling, no superstar potential

The Marlins signed Jose Reyes to a big contract in the offseason and moving Ramirez to third base hasn't exactly worked out offensively or defensively.

What would it take to get him?

Editor's note: After some feedback, it's been determined I'm giving up too much in this deal. So, I've amended it by removing Joc Pederson.

To Florida: Lee, Scott Van Slyke, Chris Reed, Shawn Tolleson
To Los Angeles: Ramirez, Ricky Nolasco

I'm not saying it's a good possibility the Dodgers get Ramirez, but considering the Padres want a lot for an affordable Headley and the Dodgers would have to pay a premium with an interdivision trade, Ramirez might make more sense.

The Marlins get salary relief (to use on free agents in the winter), a Top 50 prospect in Lee and a budding Top 100 prospect in Pederson. Reed has lots of talent but is still an unknown. Van Slyke is a guy who can player right now for the Marlins and Tolleson is a quality bullpen arm who can go right into their bullpen. The Fish always seem to acquire MLB-ready relievers in trades.

The Dodgers get a legitimate stick in Ramirez and a starting pitcher in Nolasco who is owed about $16 million through next year. Ramirez is due about $39 million through 2014.

The best asset the Dodgers' favor right now is the ability to take on money (and not just in lieu of including quality prospects). Ownership has not been quiet about that fact. This could be a golden opportunity to put that benefit into effect.

Ramirez is a risky acquisition, but it's a risk well worth taking. He has superstar potential, even if he hasn't shown it for the last few seasons. The Dodgers cannot go forward with Luis Cruz at shortstop. Until Dee Gordon returns, I'd play Ramirez at shortstop and bat him leadoff. He's enjoyed a lot of success out of the leadoff spot in his career.

Ramirez, like another Ramirez the Dodgers acquired a few years ago, needs a change of scenery. This move would also allow the team go acquire a guy like Justin Morneau (another risky proposition) which would immediately improve the lineup.

Photo credits: SD Dirk, Flickr

Dodgers switch focus from Ryan Dempster to Matt Garza

Despite reports, the Dodgers are probably still monitoring the Ryan Dempster situation. However, they've now apparently shifted their focus to Matt Garza.

I looked at Dempster v. Garza last month and said either would be a solid acquisition. Dempster would be cheaper (or so we thought) and Garza would cost more. That hasn't changed.

But Garza isn't much better than one Chad Billingsley. Their numbers are eerily similar. In fact, Billingsley's career numbers are better than that of Garza's.

So, the question becomes: What would you give up for Chad Billingsley? Because that's basically the pitcher a team would acquire.

For Garza, I'd make guys like Zach Lee, Allen Webster and Joc Pederson off limits. I'd rather the Dodgers keep those guys or use them to get a bat.

The trade deadline is less than 10 days away. If the Dodgers are still insistent on buying (which they are), it's going to be an extremely interesting 10 days.

The rumor mill is already running rampant. The Dodgers have been linked (in some way) to the following players in addition to Dempster and Garza: Michael Cuddyer, Chase Headley, Cliff Lee, Hanley Ramirez, Jimmy Rollins and some I'm sure I missed.

The team remains intent on acquiring a bat, a starting pitcher and a left-handed reliever. Ned Colletti, Stan Kasten and Co. will be awfully busy in the coming days. Let's just hope no foolish deals are made.

Photo credit: dbking, Flickr

My mideason Top 25 Los Angeles Dodgers' prospects

We're just more than half way through the Major League season, which means there's only a couple months remaining in the minor league season. It's time for a prospect update.

Since I did a Top 50 prospect list in November, I'm going to unveil my midseason Top 25 Dodgers' prospects. There's been an infusion of new players from the draft and International signings, some risers and fallers. Preseason rankings and ranking differential are in parenthesis.

1. Zach Lee, RHP (1)
Started: High-A Rancho Cucamonga
Current location: Double-A Chattanooga
- Lee is the Dodgers' best prospect and was promoted to Double-A last month. He's made just three starts. But he was successful in Rancho Cucamonga, despite an ERA in the mid-4s.  His walks per nine innings rate (1.9) is awfully impressive for a 20-year-old in just his second season of professional baseball. He's also striking out more batters per nine innings this season (8.2) than last (7.5), so there has been overall improvement in his performance.

2. Corey Seager, SS/3B (Not ranked)
Started: Rookie League Ogden
Current Location: Ogden
- Seager, the Dodgers' first-round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, hurdles a lot of decent prospects to land the No. 2 spot on this list. He's only played in four games (all at shortstop), but his potential is the best of any prospect in the system. The Dodgers plan to keep him at shortstop until he shows he can't handle it, but he's going to have to slide over to third base as he progresses through the minors. Ogden is the perfect place for him right now as an 18-year-old. Depending on performance, he could either go back to Ogden in 2013 or be pushed to Great Lakes.

3. Allen Webster, RHP (3)
Started: Double-A Chattanooga
Current Location: Chattanooga
- Webster's career in Chattanooga has been up and down. He started off this season quite poorly (7.49 ERA in his first seven starts), but has been really good since that time. He still possesses the necessary tools to be a middle-of-the-rotation starter. He might be the next starting pitcher in line for a promotion to Los Angeles after John Ely. I wouldn't expect him in LA until 2013 at the earliest, though. Oh, and he's given up just one home run in 81 2/3 innings this season. That's studly.


4. Yasiel Puig, CF/RF (NR)
Started: Rookie League Arizona
Current Location: Arizona
- There are 42 million reasons for this ranking. Dodgers' Assistant General Manager Logan White called him the system's top hitting prospect. I have him right behind Seager because Puig hasn't even played a game for the AZL Dodgers yet. In fact, he hasn't played organized baseball in more than a year. But when a player draws comparisons to Vladimir Guerrero and Sammy Sosa (pre-PEDs, I hope), it's hard to overlook that.

5. Joc Pederson, CF (6, +1)
Stared: High-A Rancho Cucamonga
Current Location: Rancho Cucamonga
- Before Seager was drafted and Puig was signed, Pederson was set to be a Top 3 prospect in the system. Well, a Top 5 showing isn't too bad for a 20-year-old. He's hitting .294/.370/.433 in the California League and has been hot of late. While he likely ends up in left field long-term, he has center field ability. He's been hitting in the No. 2 hole a lot in Rancho and I could see him as that kind of hitter in the majors. I wrote a scouting report on him in mid-June.

6. Chris Reed, LHP (19, +13)
Started: High-A Rancho Cucamonga
Current Location: Double-A Chattanooga
- A preseason oversight on my part, Reed is one of the best Dodgers' prospects. However, there's still question whether he can be a starting pitcher. Despite putting up some really good numbers (2.52 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 5.9 H/9, 9.2 K/9), he hasn't been throwing many innings. He even spent some time on the disabled list with shoulder fatigue. So, this is a cautious ranking for me because I'm still not sure he's a starting pitcher long-term.

7. Blake Smith, RF (9, +2)
Started: Double-A Chattanooga
Current Location: Chattanooga
- Smith is emerging as one of the Dodgers' best hitting prospects, even if others don't agree. The positives: a .189 ISO (above-average), 11.6 percent walk rate, .376 on-base percentage. The negatives: He's a touch old for Double-A (24) and his K-rate is still a bit high for my liking (26.3 percent). He also plays really good defensive in right field. He's even logged nine games in center field this season.

8. Ethan Martin, RHP (37, +29)
Started: Double-A Chattanooga
Current Location: Chattanooga
- I had all but given up on Martin as a prospect, let alone a starting pitcher. Well, he's proved me wrong, as you can see by his 29-spot leap. Martin has been the most consistently good pitcher for the Lookouts this season and finally seems to be turning the proverbial corner. He still gets in trouble with the walks, but he's becoming more of a pitcher than a thrower.

9. Garrett Gould, RHP (4, -5)
Started: High-A Rancho Cucamonga
Current Location: Rancho Cucamonga
- Gould has fallen slightly because of his own performance, but mostly because of additions and other prospects showing improvement. His ERA isn't great (4.61), but his a lot of his peripherals are great. Velocity has always been an issue with Gould and he'll need to consistently work in the low-90s to reach his potential as a No. 3 starter. I wrote a scouting report on him for Chad Moriyama's blog.

10. Alex Castellanos, 2B/OF (21, +11)
Started: Triple-A Albquerque
Current Location: Albuquerque
- Castellanos has absolutely destroyed Pacific Coast League pitching this season (.359/.450/.658) and has done so as a second baseman. When he was recalled to LA, he played in the outfield. So, I'm not exactly sure what the Dodgers want to do with him. But there's no doubt he has potential in his bat. Despite being an older prospect, he has one of the most intriguing bats in the system. He'll likely be a September call-up.

11. Scott Van Slyke, OF/1B (15, +4)
Started: Triple-A Albquerque
Current Location: Los Angeles Dodgers
- Van Slyke, like Castellanos, is having his way with PCL pitching (.326/.404/.576) but has struggled in his brief big league stint. He did have a mammoth pinch-hit home run to win a game for the Dodgers, but that's about it so far. He's also an older prospect, so the clock is ticking on him.

12. Shawn Tolleson, RHP (8, -4)
Started: Double-A Chattanooga
Current Location: Los Angeles Dodgers
- Tolleson dominated the Southern League (again), earning a call-up to Triple-A. He struggled a little there, but was still rewarded with a Major League gig. However, he's had a hard time throwing strikes (five walks, one hit-by pitch in 5 2/3 innings) and could use a little more seasoning in the minors.

13. Leon Landry, CF (18, +5)
Started: High-A Rancho Cucamonga
Current Location: Rancho Cucamonga
- I tabbed Landry as one of my Dodger prospects with the most to gain before the season, and he's definitely showing his potential with the Quakes. He's posting the best numbers of any offensive prospect in Rancho (.331/.364/.524) and is playing solid defense in center field (also spent some time in left). Landry is age-appropriate for the league (22) and it will be interesting to see how he handles the Southern League next year.

14. O'Koyea Dickson, 1B (20, +6)
Started: Low-A Great Lakes
Current Location: Great Lakes
- The first Loon makes the list and it's the team's best hitter in Dickson. He's struggled a lot since the All-Star Break (.138/.250/.241), but he was on fire before the break (.331/.442/.564). He probably should have been promoted to Rancho by now. The 22-year-old needs perform well against advanced pitching to be considered a legitimate prospect. He also needs to be given a chance.

15. Logan Bawcom, RHP (26, +11)
Started: High-A Rancho Cucamonga
Current Location: Double-A Chattanooga
- Bawcom might be one of the most underrated prospects in the system. His Tollesonian K/9 (15.4) is what intrigues me most. It also got him promoted to the Lookouts. He's been less effective in Chattanooga, but he's been solid.

16. Angel Sanchez, RHP (5, -11)
Started: High-A Rancho Cucamonga
Current Location: Rancho Cucamonga
- Sanchez hasn't flourished in the Cal League as he did in the Midwest League last season, causing him to fall in these rankings. His 5.40 ERA isn't even the biggest concern. His 10.4 H/9, 1.3 HR/9 and 4.46 FIP are more concerning. He's struggled to develop a consistent breaking ball. Without one, he could be destined for the bullpen. But he's still young.

17. Jake Lemmerman, SS/2B (10, -7)
Started: Double-A Chattanooga
Current Location: Chattanooga
- Lemmerman started the season poorly before getting hot in early May. But since May 9 when he was hitting .329/.420/.553, he's struggled big time. He's at .251/.361/.366 right now. The on-base percentage is great (considering the low batting average), but he's looking more and more like a utility player (as everyone but myself believed) than an every day player.

18. Ryan O'Sullivan, RHP (NR)
Started: Low-A Great Lakes
Current Location: High-A Rancho Cucamonga
- O'Sullivan began the season in the Loons' bullpen before working his way into the rotation. He pitched well (2.92 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 3.55 FIP, 2.9 BB/9) and was promoted to Rancho Cucamonga where he's thrown just six innings. He has the stuff to miss more bats, so it'd be nice to see him do so. The 21-year-old will likely finish the season and begin next season in Rancho.

19. Aaron Miller, LHP (24, +5)
Started: Double-A Chattanooga
Current Location: Chattanooga
- Miller has been healthy this season, something he's struggled with in the past. However, he hasn't been throwing deep into games (4.96 innings per start). His BB/9 is way too high (5.1), as is his WHIP (1.47). However, his H/9 (8.2) and K/9 (8.5) are solid. He, as was speculated by some when he was drafted, could end up in the bullpen.

20. Chris Withrow, RHP (12, -8)
Started: Double-A Chattanooga
Current Location: Chattanooga
- Withrow, in his fourth year with the Lookouts, hasn't figured it out. At this point, it seems he might not ever figure it out. He's struggled, been on the disabled list twice and is now working out of the bullpen. I'm betting the Dodgers keep him in the bullpen for an extended time (like the rest of the season) before re-evaluating what they plan to do with him. The good thing is, he can still strike batters out (9.3 K/9), so not all hope is lost; just hope of him being a starting pitcher in the majors.

21. Onelki Garcia, LHP (NR)
Started: Rookie League Arizona
Current Location: Arizona
- Garcia, the Dodgers' third-round draft pick, has yet to throw a pitch in the minors, but his talent and potential are enough to land him in the Top 25. The Dodgers would have drafted him in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft if he were eligible, so to snag him in the third round this year was a nice get. He has a low-90s fastball and an above-average curveball. He'll need to develop a third pitch to remain in the rotation long-term.

22. Angelo Songco, 1B (6, -16)
Started: Low-A Great Lakes
Current Location: High-A Rancho Cucamonga
- Songco, after a really good 2011 season, started the 2012 on the disabled list. He had a metal rod placed in his leg after he injured it last season. To my surprise, he struggled in the Midwest League. Now, he struggled there every time he's gone, but I expected more out of him. He's back in Rancho and he might remain there the rest of the season. He was supposed to be in Chattanooga to begin the season, but his injury kept him from being a Lookout.

23. Tim Federowicz, C (30, +7)
Started: Triple-A Albuquerque
Current Location: Albuquerque
- Acquired in the Trayvon Robinson deal last year, Federowicz has been solid for the Isotopes this season. His .301/.366/.466 triple slash earned him a spot in Triple-A All-Star Game. He's the team's best catching prospect after Gorman Erickson fell flat on his face this season with the Lookouts and Pratt Maynard has struggled a little with the Loons. He's still a glove-first catcher and could be the Dodgers' backup catcher in 2013.

24. Steve Ames, RHP (17, -7)
Started: Double-A Chattanooga
Current Location: Chattanooga
- Ames has fallen, but not because of his performance. He's pitched well (2.04, 1.23 WHIP, 9.5 K/9), but his ceiling is limited. Still, he owns a low-90s fastball and a good slider that has worked for him thus far.

25. Eric Eadington, LHP (NR)
Started: Low-A Great Lakes
Current Location: High-A Rancho Cucamonga
- Eadington, a Harvard graduate, was outstanding with the Loons (13.8 K/9, 27.00 K/BB, 0.96 WHIP) and earned a promotion to Rancho. He's stepped in as the team's primary closer and has been solid. He has a low-to-mid 90s fastball and a decent curveball. Though he's a little old for the league (24), he has potential as a left-handed reliever.

The next five (in alphabetical order): James Baldwin, Matt Magill, Brandon Martinez, Scott Schebler, Steven Rodriguez

Graduated: Nathan Eovaldi (2), Josh Lindblom (14)
Released: Tony Delmonico (46)
Dropped out of Top 25: Alfredo Silverio (11), Erickson (13), Baldwin (16), Jonathan Garcia (22), Maynard (23), Schebler (25)
Moved into Top 25: Seager (NR to 2), Puig (NR to 4), Bawcom (26 to 15), O'Sullivan (NR to 18), Garcia (NR to 21), Eadington (NR to 25)
Biggest riser: Martin (37 to 8)
Biggest faller: Erickson (13 to 40)

The system overall is stronger after a solid draft and the signing of Puig. The fact that five of my Top 10 prospects are hitters is a good sign. I realize I'm higher on Smith than others, but the other four are legitimate rankings.

Photo credits

Federowicz: EephusBlue, Paint the Corners

All others: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Dodgers promote top prospect Zach Lee to Double-A Chattanooga

In a move that was expected in a month or two, the Dodgers today promoted top prospect Zach Lee to the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League.

Lee, 20, was the subject of a post I penned 10 days ago in which I pointed out he was having a great season even if some of his numbers looked a little below-average.

Lee is the second first-round pitcher to be promoted to Double-A this season, as Chris Reed was promoted in early June.

The Dodgers have rarely been afraid to be aggressive with their pitching prospects, so this isn't much of a surprise. However, the fact that Lee is 20 and will pitch in Double-A is sure to raise some eyebrows.

Chad Billingsley, Scott Elbert, Clayton Kershaw and Greg Miller all pitched in Double-A at age 20. Edwin Jackson one-upped the four of them by pitching with the Jacksonville Suns (the Dodgers' affiliate at the time) at age 19.

Aside from Miller, all the other pitchers have made it to the majors and had success (some more than others).

With Lee and Reed being promoted, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes' pitching rotation has been stripped of their two best pitchers. Ryan O'Sullivan was assigned to Rancho earlier today from Great Lakes to presumably take Lee's spot. They also have Garrett Gould and Angel Sanchez. And Jarret Martin could be promoted at any time.

The impact on the Lookouts is also apparent.

To say there's a pitching logjam in Chattanooga would be an understatement. The Lookouts now have seven who can start: Lee, Matt Magill, Ethan Martin, Aaron Miller, Reed, Allen Webster and Chris Withrow (when he comes back from the disabled list).

It remains to be seen what the Lookouts will do. Magill has thrown poorly of late, Martin has been mediocre, Miller has been decent but isn't throwing a lot of innings, Reed is still getting acclimated to the league, Webster seems to have finally figured it out and Withrow struggled before going on the DL.

I like how aggressive the Dodgers are with their minor-league pitchers, so I'm looking forward to seeing how he handles advanced hitting in perhaps the most talented level of the Minor Leagues. Before the end of the season, he'll work out of the bullpen to limit his innings.

But no matter what happens the rest of this season, Lee will begin in Double-A in 2013.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue