Dodgers troll Jerry Sands by recalling him for one start

My fondness of Tony Gwynn is no secret. When the Dodgers signed him to a 2-year deal this winter, I was all in favor of it.

But when the Dodgers acquired Shane Victorino from the Phillies, Gwynn's designation was inevitable.

Gwynn still has value to a team. His defense in center field is elite, his speed off the bench is something that's coveted late in games and he's adept at pinch-hitting, as he boasts a career .305/.372/.405 triple slash in the role.

I'm a little surprised he wasn't picked up off waivers by a team in need of a pinch-hitter and defensive stud in center with speed, but he'll play with Albuquerque for the time being.

So, the Dodgers recalled Jerry Sands to take Gwynn's place on the roster. Sands was on fire before being recalled: .476/.500/.952 with six home runs and 21 RBI. Almost everyone thought Sands was being recalled to take the place of James Loney and Juan Rivera at first base -- at least, that's what would have made since.

Instead, Sands started one game and was demoted when Adam Kennedy was activated from the disabled list.

I'm not sure what exactly Sands has done to the Dodgers or the front office, but they aren't giving him a fair shake. He had an eight-game stint earlier this season in which he didn't do much, but he closed last season hitting the ball well. I can accept the fact the roster was too full for him at the start of the season, but what do the Dodgers have to lose in playing Sands in first base everyday?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He's an adequate defender at first (Loney is better in that department), but Sands can be as effective -- if not more effective -- than Rivera.

Sands is still just 24 and the Dodgers are unfairly jerking him around. I know I tend to gravitate toward prospects and young players, but to not give a guy who won the organization's Minor League Player of the Year in 2010 is just dumb.

I'm not saying Sands is sure to be the answer at first base, but how are the Dodgers ever going to know if they don't give him a chance to succeed?

If I'm this frustrated, I can only imagine how Sands feels. He goes from top prospect to afterthought in less than two years.

When the alternatives are Loney and Rivera, something like this just doesn't make sense.

Ned Colletti to Sands:


Abreu to Albuquerque

Bobby Abreu, who was designated for assignment after the Victorino trade, accepted an assignment to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Suddenly, the Isotopes' lineup looks like it could be even more stacked with the additions of Abreu, Gwynn and Sands to go with Alex Castellanos, Tim Federowicz and Scott Van Slyke.

Both Abreu and Gwynn will be eligible for the postseason roster, if they're needed.

Photo credit: LWY, Flickr

The effects of Matt Kemp's DL stint for the Dodgers

The results of Matt Kemp's MRI today weren't exactly conclusive, other than he has a strained hamstring. Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. speculates Kemp might be headed for the disabled list after tonight's game.

"My guess (and it's only a guess) is that Matt Kemp will go on the DL, but after the game..."

And what a guess it was, as Kemp did indeed go on the DL after the game. Jerry Sands, who has stepped up big-time since I "called him out" a few days ago (6-for-7, three home runs, four RBI, six runs scored), was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque.

Kemp going to the DL certainly suck for the Dodgers, as the National League's best team (record-wise) will be without its most important and best player for at least two weeks.

The hamstring has bothered Kemp since May 6 in Chicago, when he was scratched from the starting lineup that day. He's played in every game since before tonight, but I tweeted last night it'd be smart to give him some time off if he wasn't DL-bound:

"Kemp should probably get a couple days off. #Dodgers"

Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times wrote today the Dodgers should place Kemp on the DL "to save (Kemp) from himself."

They did, and Kemp will be better for it.

But the impact for the Dodgers is big. An entire lineup overhaul could be in order, if manager Don Mattingly has the guts to do so.

The lineup is already struggling at the top with Dee Gordon, whose .250 on-base percentage leaves a lot to be desired. Mark Ellis has been better than expected in the No. 2 spot.

Andre Ethier has hit mostly cleanup behind Kemp this season and appears to be the Ethier of old: .308/.368/.592. Despite being back on track, Ethier is going to need to fill in big for Kemp, as he's the only other truly legitimate hitter in the Dodgers' lineup.

After that, things get dicey.

Juan Uribe has been better than last season (.250/.294/.338), but that's not saying much. Plus, he was just placed on the DL. James Loney has been a tad better (.245/.328/.349), but still bad. A.J. Ellis has been the team's third-best hitter, but he's hit eighth for a vast majority of the season.

The man who would likely get most of the playing time in Kemp's absence, Tony Gwynn, is nothing more than fourth outfielder. However, his defense is superb and would be a step up from Kemp's.

Recently acquired Bobby Abreu and rookie Scott Van Slyke, despite playing the same position, appear to be in line for some increased playing time.

With Kemp out, what could the Dodgers' lineup look like? Here's my best guess:

vs. RHP
Gordon SS
Ellis 2B
Abreu LF
Ethier RF
Ellis C
Loney 1B
Kennedy 3B
Gwynn CF

Versus lefties, on the other hand, is going to be challenging. Would Mattingly dare bat Ellis or Van Slyke any higher than fifth? This is assuming Ethier hits third, but what about Abreu? I don't see it; but at least they should be playing, along with newcomer Sands. Either Justin Sellers or Elian Herrera should see time at third base, because we certainly don't want Adam Kennedy playing... at all, but especially not against lefties.

vs. LHP
Gordon SS
Ellis 2B
Ethier CF (yes, center field -- I don't like it anymore than you do)
Ellis C
Abreu LF
Van Slyke RF
Sands 1B
Sellers/Herrera 3B

Not sure this lineup is going to happen, but the Dodgers probably want to limit the number of left-handed hitters and will have to trust some unproven (Ellis) and younger (Van Slyke/Sands) players against southpaws while Kemp is out of the lineup.

The Dodgers have a six-game lead over the Giants. They have room to absorb this blow. Kemp shouldn't be gone much longer than the 15 days (barring any setbacks), so they just need to hold down the proverbial fort until then.

Photo credits: SD Dirk, Flickr

Bobby Abreu deal official, Dodgers option Sellers

The Dodgers officially signed Bobby Abreu to a 1-year contract on Friday. He'll play the role of left-handed bat off the bench and part-time starter in left field (as he's done so in his first couple games).

He came up in two key situations yesterday. Once he struck out and the other time, in the top of the ninth inning, he hit a ball right on the nose, but the Cubs' defense allowed the right fielder to cut the ball of before it could get down.

I'm not particularly a fan of the signing, but hopefully it means less Adam Kennedy. However, with the Dodgers optioning Justin Sellers to Triple-A (and Ivan De Jesus back), the Isotopes' roster is getting pretty packed (Luis Cruz, Elian Herrera, Josh Fields and Alex Castellanos, when he gets off the disabled list). Not that guys like Cruz and Herrera should get top billing over Sellers, De Jesus and Castellanos, but it's going to happen sometimes.

So now, the Dodgers are relying on Jerry Hairston, who's been magnificent at third base and second base, to be Dee Gordon's primary backup at shortstop. That didn't work out too well in Spring Training, but we'll see how it works now.

I know Sellers wasn't hitting much, but he should have remained to be a quality defensive backup to Gordon. Instead, Kennedy and his 3-for-22 line is still employed.

Photo credit: farmerbuzz, Flickr

Did the Dodgers do the right thing in letting MacDougal go?

MacDougal

To answer the headline: hell yes! He was awful this season and, unsurprisingly, Ned Colletti was fooled by Mike MacDougal's sparkly 2011 ERA.

MacDougal signed a 1-year contract this winter and got a guaranteed $1 million ($650,000 base salary, $350,000 buyout). And what did the Dodgers get out of it? Not much: 7.94 ERA, 2.65 WHIP, 14.3 H/9, 9.5 BB/9.

But giving Ronald Belisario, a guy who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2010 (and did so poorly), the roster spot was the wrong move.

Belisario, who's been through a lot in the last year, had trouble throwing well in his minor-league rehab appearances: 4 2/3 IP, 8 H, 6 R (four earned), 2 BB, 1 K.

Those numbers don't exactly instill a lot of confidence. However, Belisario is out of options and, as Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. notes (in the link above), since he has already been outrighted once in his career, Belisario would have to approve any minor-league assignment.

Belisario 29, is known for his low-to-mid-90s sinker and could be a big boost to the Dodgers' bullpen -- if he can somehow regain his 2009 form (2.04 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.51 FIP). But I'm not holding my breath.

In this scenario, I'd have rather the Dodgers promoted Shawn Tolleson, who has been flat-out dominant in the minors ever since being drafted in the 30th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. This season is no exception: 0.90 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 5.4 H/9, 2.7 BB/9, 16.2 K/9, 6.00 K/BB. He has a career 1.00 ERA in the minors (that isn't a typo).

We know the Dodgers are hesitant send legitimate pitching prospects to Triple-A, so the next logical step for Tolleson is the majors.

He's not on the 40-man roster and with just one spot open (and the likely signing of Bobby Abreu), the Dodgers would have to make a move. In this case, I would have just 86'd Belisario and gone straight to Tolleson.

The Dodgers' desire to give Belisario another shot is understandable. Despite a turbulent year-plus, he arrived at camp a month early and was committed to getting back on the mound.

We'll see what happens. I'm not optimistic, but the Dodgers do need another legitimate pitcher to back up Josh Lindblom, Kenley Jansen and Javy Guerra. If it's Belisario, that'd be great. If not, hopefully someone else steps up.

At least we don't have to see MacDougal struggle to throw strikes for the Dodgers anymore.

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Speaking of Abreu, there's no official word of his signing yet. Those must me some really "serious" talks he and the Dodgers are having.

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Here's an excerpt of my latest post over at Chad Moriyama:

"Tony Delmonico, 2008 sixth-round pick, was released. The 25-year-old was hitting just .188 with the Quakes in 21 games.

He was drafted out of Florida State, converted to catcher, and had a great debut season in the Pioneer League: .340/.443/.716. The catching experiment didn’t work, despite a decent caught stealing percentage for a guy who never caught before (28 percent). However, 33 passed balls in 102 games is where the experiment ended."

and

"Jonathan Garcia, last year’s April monster with Great Lakes, now finds himself on the Ogden Raptors roster. There’s no word on whether he’s injured or not, but his performance with Rancho was definitely sub-par.

In 15 games, Garcia posted a .228/.250/.263 line with 22 strikeouts in 57 at-bats, and that simply isn’t going to get it done for the 20-year-old. After hitting 19 home runs in the Midwest League as a 19-year-old last season, he had just two extra-base hits for the Quakes (two doubles)."

Photo credit: terren in Virginia, Flickr

Dodgers in 'serious talks' with Bobby Abreu, which makes little sense

Bobby Abreu about to be a Dodger?

The Dodgers are seriously considering signing a two-time All-Star, a Gold Glove winner and a guy with a career .877 OPS.

What's so bad about that?

It's Bobby Abreu.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweeted the Dodgers are in "serious talks" to sign Abreu after he was released by the Anaheim Angels last week.

Update (6:12 p.m.): Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports also confirms the interest with a little more information.

"Source confirms that #Dodgers have had talks with Abreu about being bat off bench and playing some outfield. First reported, @JonHeymanCBS"

Abreu, 38, is 5-for-24 this season with three doubles. He was unhappy about his playing time being cut, which begs the question: Why do the Dodgers want to sign him?

Granted, he'd be a much better option off the bench than say, Adam Kennedy, but so would my grandmother. If Abreu couldn't even get playing time in the American League, what makes him think he'll get playing time in the National League?

He's no longer an even halfway decent defender, so he'd be a Manny Ramirez-esque liability in left field. And he's played exactly zero games at first base in his career.

Abreu had a miserable 2011 with Anaheim, posting a .253/.353/.365 line. He has almost no power left, which is something the Dodgers sorely need. He also hasn't fared well at Dodger Stadium in his career: .227/.346/.367.

The dude can draw a walk -- ranks No. 24 in the history of baseball (1,421), but that's about all he's good for.

This reeks of Juan Rivera last season, and Ned Colletti ended up giving Rivera a $4.5 million contract after half a season with the Dodgers.

If he's content with being a pinch-hitter and maybe playing once or twice a week in left field, a minimum-salary deal might not be the worst thing in the world. However, it remains to be seen if that's the case.

This is not the big bat the Dodgers need.

Photo credit: farmerbuzz, Flickr