Dee Gordon to play OF in winter ball in last-ditch effort to make him valuable

If the Dee Gordon era wasn't officially over yet, it is now. The shortstop (and part-time second baseman in Triple-A) will try his hand in the outfield during winter ball.

Gordon will play center field for Licey in the Dominican Republic. The team's general manager is, purely coincidentally, Manny Acta -- the man I either want to replace Don Mattingly (if he's not officially back, because that isn't totally official yet) or be his right-hand man on the bench (hat tip to Mike Petriello). But I digress.

Gordon is a good example of how volatile prospects can be. Once thought to be the next Jose Reyes (with far less power), now he's going to struggle to have a prolonged Major League career.

Many, including myself, ranked Gordon among the Dodgers' top prospects for a few years. Oops.

His speed was never a question -- dude can run. But that's the extent of his plus tools (or even close to average). The adage is, "You can't steal first base." Once again, that adage holds true.

Gordon's best game came on April 7, 2012, against the Padres. He went 3-for-4 with two walks, three stolen bases and drove in the game-winning run. That is the Dee Gordon everyone was expecting (not every night, mind you, but more often than not). His inability to adjust his game is frustrating. He obviously has a below-average bat and no power, so why not adjust and try to walk more?

If Gordon could even get on base at a .330 clip, he'd be a top 10 shortstop in baseball because he could wreak havoc on the basepaths. He'd steal 50-plus bases with ease. Alas, he did not compensate for his poor bat by walking more, putting himself in this position.

I wrote in January moving Gordon off shortstop would be a bad idea. Now, it's almost a necessity.

"If Gordon isn't traded, he could be the Isotopes' shortstop, because it doesn't make a lot of sense to make a guy with Gordon's potential a utility player so soon.

There's little doubt Gordon could handle the outfield, but any value in his bat goes out the window with a move. His bat is barely passable at shortstop. In his first 143 games, it isn't passable.

Gordon's position won't matter if he doesn't start hitting better -- something else that isn't guaranteed."

Almost everything written above can be said right now. Gordon is a trade candidate, if any team will have him. If he is dealt this winter, he'd likely be a throw-in as part of a bigger package. Teams interested in him last winter include the Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners.

But back to Gordon's defense. His defense at shortstop hasn't improved, so he'll need to market himself in another way to remain a potentially valuable major leaguer.

Side note: In 3 2/3 innings at second base this year, Gordon had a defensive run saved. While an extremely small sample size, perhaps his future lies there. It'd be much better than center field.

We'll see what happens. Gordon could become a capable center fielder (because that's the only outfield spot he could conceivably play), but I'm not confident it's going to help his bat.

-----

Here's a full list of Dodgers playing winter ball (those who played in the organization in 2013).

Australia (Adelaide Bite)
James Baldwin
James Campbell
John Cannon
Chris Jacobs
Blake Smith

Dominican Republic
Pedro Baez (Licey)
Angel Castro (Cibaenas)
Kelvin De La Cruz (Cibaenas)
Carlos Frias (Cibao)
Dee Gordon (Licey)
Alexander Guerrero (Cibao)
Elian Herrera (Cibaenas)
Luis Vazquez (Licey)
Rafael Ynoa (Cibaenas)

Mexico
Matt Angle (Culiacan)
Juan Noriega (Los Mochis)

Puerto Rico
Freddie Cabrera (Mayaguez)
Noel Cuevas (Mayaguez)
Jose DeLeon (Caguas)
Jon Garcia (Santurce)
Matt Magill (Mayaguez)

Venezuela
Eliezer Alfonzo (Magallanes)
Chili  Buss (Lara)
Elevys Gonzalez (Margarita)
Jeremy Hazelbaker (Aragua)
Luis Meza (La Guaira)
Hector Nelo (La Guaira)
Matt Palmer (Magallanes)
Red Patterson (Lara)
Joc Pederson (Lara)
Chris Reed (La Guaira)
Miguel Rojas (La Guaira)

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Dodgers' Low-A affiliate Great Lakes Loons playoff-bound after slow start

Coming into the 2013 season, the Great Lakes Loons looked like the fourth-best team of the four full-season Dodger minor-league affiliates. Well, they could be the only one to make the postseason.

The Loons clinched a playoff berth with a win on Thursday night behind the right arms of Chris Anderson (4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K) and Brandon Martinez (3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K). It’s the third playoff berth in the club’s history.

The team got off to a rough start, losing four of their first six games and went 11-13 in April. Things got even worse in May, as they went 7-23 and any hopes of the postseason looked bleak.

Loons’ record by month

April: 11-13

May: 7-23 (18-36)

June: 18-9 (36-45)

July: 14-14 (50-59)

August: 16-10 (66-69)

Luckily, playoff participants are broken down into first half and second half records. The Loons went 26-43 in the first half. They’ve gone 40-26 thus far in the second half, with three more games.

When the season started, the Loons had Corey Seager and a bunch of young guys or guys repeating the level. Tyle Ogle, Jharel Cotton and Carlos Frias were Midwest League All-Stars. Cotton and Frias were promoted before the game, so Ogle was the team’s only representative.

The team got a huge boost from the arrival of then-16-year-old Julio Urias. I did a double-take when I heard he was making his professional debut with the Loons. But Urias, despite (rightly) being on a strict innings limit (75), has pitched like a player well beyond his years.

Urias’ 2013 statistics

18 starts

2-0 W-L

2.48 ERA

1.10 WHIP

7.3 H/9

2.7 BB/9

11.1 K/9

4.19 K/BB

2.87 FIP

These numbers would be impressive for a 20-year-old, but this is a 16-year-old (turned 17 a few weeks ago) doing this against hitters about six years older than him on average. Amazing.

The Loons also got a boost from the 2013 MLB Draft class. The Dodgers’ top three picks began their pro careers with the club -- Anderson, Tom Windle and Brandon Dixon.

Anderson has a 1.96 ERA in 46 innings while Windle has a 2.77 ERA in 48 2/3 innings. Dixon, unfortunately, hasn’t found his stroke, hitting just .169/.215/.246 in his first 55 professional games.

Other 2013 draftees to play for the Loons include CraytonBare, Rob Rogers, Thomas Taylor and Brandon Trinkwon.

The pitching has been the story for the Loons, as the Midwest League isn’t particularly hitter-friendly.

Miguel Sulbaran was having a fantastic season before the Dodgers (foolishly) traded him to acquire Drew Butera earlier this month. Even with the loss, the Loons can roll out a rotation of Urias, Anderson and Windle as their 1-3. However, each pitcher is on an innings limit. Anderson and Windle were reportedly going to throw only 50 innings in their debut. Both are close to that limit. With the playoffs near, I wonder if the Dodger brass would let Anderson and Windle go a few more innings if it means giving the Loons the best chance to win.

Outside of that trio, the Loons can also throw guys like Zachary Bird (reigning MWL Pitcher of the Week), Ralston Cash, Brandon Martinez and Jonathan Martinez for a few innings. The bullpen has been solid this season, too. Scott Griggs won a Pitcher of the Week honor while Craig Stem was the team’s closer before being promoted to Rancho Cucamonga.

Pitching wins, but runs also have to be scored. There’s enough raw talent for the Loons to score, but it remains to be seen if they can put it all together. James Baldwin has improved as the season progressed. He may not reach his ultimate ceiling, but he’s a better player now than he was last year. Aaron Miller has been surprisingly productive making the conversion from the mound to the batter’s box. Jeremy Rathjen is a lot like Baldwin. He started out slow but has picked it up as the season moved along.

Outside of Seager’s .309/.389/.529 triple slash, there aren’t many pretty slash lines on the Loons’ team. And the team will be without the supremely talented 19-year-old. But guys like those mentioned above and Ogle need to step up if the Loons want to go far in the MWL playoffs.

The Loons went from a floundering team with not a lot of talent to the most exciting team with loads of talent in the Dodgers’ farm system. They nearly did a 180-degree turn, not unlike the parent club. We'll see how they do in the playoffs starting next week.

Photo credits

Urias: Courtesy of the Great Lakes Loons

Anderson: Ali Messick, courtesy of Great Lakes Loons

Great Lakes Loons announce 2013 roster, led by prospect Corey Seager

Seager

In the coming days, all the Dodger full-season minor-league affiliates will announce their opening day rosters. First up, the Low-A Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League.

There are a few surprises, but nothing earth-shattering.

The squad is led by 2012 first-round pick Corey Seager, one of the Dodgers' best prospects. The team also boasts 2012 draftees Zachary Bird, Lindsey Caughel, Jharel Cotton, Scott Griggs, Paul Hoenecke, Jeremy Rathjen and Eric Smith.

My predictions were decent. I hit on 14 of 25 players. Normally, 56 percent is nothing to really brag about. But, I do write about baseball and a .560 batting, on-base or slugging percentage is video-game like.

Roster

Catchers
Jose Capellan
Tyle Ogle
Eric Smith

Infielders
Alexis Aguilar
Bladimir Franco
Paul Hoenecke
Malcolm Holland
Corey Seager
Jesus Valdez

Outfielders
James Baldwin
Jeremy Rathjen
Devin Shines

Martinez

Starting pitchers
Zachary Bird
Ralston Cash
Lindsey Caughel
Jonathan Martinez
Angel Sanchez
Miguel Sulbaran

Relief pitchers
Daniel Carela
Jharel Cotton
Carlos Frias
Sawil Gonzalez
Scott Griggs
Luis Meza
Arismendy Ozoria

The biggest surprise is probably Sanchez being demoted. He's 23 years old and, despite a terrible season at Rancho Cucamonga, I didn't see that coming. The last time he pitched in Midland was his first professional season and it put him on the prospect map. He'll need to re-establish himself at Low-A -- potentially as a reliever.

This team is filled with pretty solid prospects. Bird, Cotton and Martinez are some of the more intriguing pitching prospects to make this squad. Rathjen, who I thought should have begun the season in Rancho, should form a nice middle of the order with Seager and Valdez.

Valdez

My best guess at a lineup

Baldwin CF
Shines RF
Seager SS
Valdez 1B
Rathjen LF
Smith C
Franco 3B
Hoenecke DH
Holland 2B

There's definitely some potential in the lineup. In a league where hitters don't usually fare well, the Loons could surprise some teams with their offense.

If they can get some decent pitching from some of the youngsters, they could compete for a playoff spot.

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Gold Glovers: Examining the best defenders in the Dodgers' farm system

In what is probably the least-sexy tool among baseball players, I examine the best defensive players in the Dodgers' farm system.

There are no Cesar Izturis' or Alex Cora's in this bunch, but there are some players who are quality defenders.

Postseason hardware is not indicative of defensive prowess, as Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp have Gold Glove awards, but the Dodgers could have a few guys who contend for the award in the future.

While the tool is not sexy, it is necessary and an underrated facet of the game.

Previous entries in this series

• Power
• Fastball
• Speed
• Slider
• Hitting 
• Curveball 

This list is reserved for Dodger position player prospects who feature 60 or better (future) defense.

James Baldwin
- Baldwin is the Dodgers' best defensive outfielder, as he handles center field with relative ease. His speed helps him range for fly balls not many other Dodger prospects. His arm is just average in center field, but his other defensive tools are unquestioned. Provided he hits enough, he could be a starting center fielder in the majors.

Gorman Erickson
- Erickson made big strides behind the plate last season, challenging fellow farm hand Tim Federowicz for best defensive catcher. The only thing really holding him back defensively is a below-average caught stealing rate. His arm is at least average, but it's a little difficult to get his lanky 6-foot-4 body to be compact when he throws.

Tim Federowicz
- Voted the best defensive catcher in the Pacific Coast League in 2012, Federowicz boasts a quality glove that is major-league ready. He is pretty good at throwing out runners, snagging 39 percent of basestealers in Triple-A last year. He's caught 50 percent of attempted basestealers in the majors, even if it is just 3-of-6. He should have a long career based on the strength of his glove. If he hits, then he's a surefire starter.

Blake Smith
- Smith took to right field in college and, despite logging some time on the mound at Cal, has stuck at the position. He uses his above-average instincts and average speed to track down fly balls with ease in right field. He has the best outfield throwing arm in the system, but Yasiel Puig is giving him a run for his money. Smith has even dabbled in center field, but he'll likely stay in right field going forward.

Jesmuel Valentin
- Valentin earned rave reviews for his defense in his debut season, earning best defensive infielder and best infield arm honors from Baseball America. Despite playing mostly second base in deference to 2012 No. 1 overall pick Carlos Correa, Valentin still projects as at least an average shortstop (probably better) and above-average at second base. He has enough arm for shortstop, making it a plus arm for second base. He could carve out a niche as a utility infielder at worst, but the Dodgers hope he's much better than that.

Rafael Ynoa
- Smith sung Ynoa's defensive praise when he was a guest on "Dugout Blues." Ynoa is a lot like Valentin (or is it the other way around?), as he can play both middle infield positions well. Ynoa is better at second base than he is at shortstop, but he split time between the positions evenly in 2012. The Dodgers don't have much in the way of middle infield prospects in the upper minors, but Dee Gordon starting the season in Albuquerque eliminates Ynoa from being the Isotopes' opening day shortstop.

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Speedsters: Examining the fastest prospects in the Dodgers' farm system

Speed, as much as it tries to make a comeback, is still a lost art in baseball. Gone are the days of Lou Brock, Vince Coleman, Rickey Henderson and Maury Wills stealing 100-plus bases in a season.

The Dodgers have one player who's come up through the system in recent years to have plus-plus speed: Dee Gordon. While fast, he hasn't been able to get on base enough to make use of said speed.

There's no Billy Hamilton in this group of speed demons, but the Dodgers have a few intriguing jackrabbits in the farm system. But, like the diminishing elite speed in baseball, the Dodgers don't have that many speedsters. They might have some in the lowest level of the minors, but there isn't a lot of information on those players.

A couple guys who looked like, at one time, might be plus-runners were Brian Cavazos-Galvez and Rafael Ynoa. Cavazos-Galvez stole 43 bases in 2010 at Great Lakes. However, he's failed to top 17 stolen bases in any other season. Ynoa stole 40 bases on the same team as Cavazos-Galvez in 2010. His highest total since is 23, which he tallied in 2012.

This list is reserved for players with at least a "60" speed rating (on the 20-80 scale), which is plus speed.

Best speed prospects

James Baldwin
- Baldwin is the fastest runner in the system, with legitimate plus-plus speed. He's shown that speed in his 219-game career, swiping 92 bases (caught just 16 times). He does it as a center fielder, where his plus-plus speed allows him to track balls down that some center fielders couldn't dream of catching.



Noel Cuevas
- Cuevas is probably the "slowest" of the five on this list, but he still managed to steal 35 bases in 42 attempts in 2012. He has the speed and range to play center field -- where his bat would play best, but he'll likely end up in a corner, likely left field. Still, a left fielder with the range of a center fielder is never a bad thing.



Malcolm Holland
- Holland was a Boise State University commit as a defensive back in football before the Dodgers signed him away as a 33rd-round draft pick. Holland showed off that defensive back speed in his second season by stealing 44 bases (caught nine times) in 60 games for Ogden in 2012. Defensively, he profiles at either second base or center field. Obviously, his speed would benefit him much better in center, but that speed also allows him to range for balls at second better than others.



Yasiel Puig
- There have been varying reports about Puig's speed. I gave him a "55" in my Top 50 rankings. This was before DeJon Watson made this claim on local Los Angeles radio:

I'm told that DeJon Watson, on 570am tonight, said Yasiel Puig has been playing some CF in Puerto Rico and has "75 speed".
— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) January 17, 2013

Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus also heard from a non-Dodger person that Puig has "7" (70) speed. So, he's either a slightly above-average runner, or he's a plus-plus runner. I'm inclined to believe it's somewhere in the 60-65 range. That's good enough to play center field, but Puig likely ends up in right field and could develop into a top-flight defender at the position with that speed.



Darnell Sweeney
- Sweeney is easily the best runner from the Dodgers' 2012 draft class, and he showed it in his debut. Built a lot like Gordon, Sweeney stole 27 bases in 33 attempts in his debut season and easily has plus speed. He's not as fast as Gordon, but Sweeney is at least a "60" runner and could be a "65" runner going forward. At shortstop, he has a good range and a quick first step. He could be a dynamic leadoff-hitting shorstop if everything falls into place.

Dodgers' full-season minor league team preview: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

This is the second in a four-part series projecting the Dodgers' full-season minor league teams. Up now, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

• Part 1 of 4: Great Lakes Loons

Last season's Rancho Cucamonga Quakes squad was set to blow right through the California League competition. The team was headed by top pitching prospects  Garrett Gould, Zach Lee, Chris Reed and Angel Sanchez.

Despite it being a hitters' haven, that quartet was supposed to lead the Quakes to the playoffs -- and it almost did in the first half.

The Quakes were tied with the High-Desert Mavs for the top spot. A one-game playoff between the two on June 25 determined the first-half champion. With Sanchez on the hill, the team jumped out to a 5-2 lead after 4 1/2 innings. The Quakes allowed six runs in the next two innings, giving the Mavs the playoff berth.

Lee pitched well before being promoted to Double-A, Reed pitched sparingly (35 innings) before his promotion to Double-A. The rotation was spearheaded by Gould (5.75 ERA), Sanchez (6.58 ERA) and Jon Michael Redding (4.42 ERA). Andres Santiago threw 96 1/3 quality innings until he was promoted to Chattanooga.

Pericht

While the offense had a nice 1-2-3 of Leon Landry, Joc Pederson and C.J. Retherford, the rest of the squad was inconsistent. Landry was traded at the end of July, Pederson paced the offense in the second half and Retherford was promoted to Double-A. Players like Austin Gallagher, Michael Pericht and Jonathan Garcia just weren't able to hit enough to overcome the lackluster pitching.

The Quakes lost some quality players in 2012 to promotions. With the number of quality players in Chattanooga, I wouldn't expect there to be a lot of up-and-down action between the two squads (injuries notwithstanding).

The 2013 roster doesn't look as good as 2012, but it could surprise some folks.

Projected roster

Catchers (2)
Pratt Maynard
Michael Pericht

Jacobs

Infielders (6)
Jesus Arredondo
Jesse Bosnik
O'Koyea Dickson
Pedro Guerrero
Chris Jacobs
Darnell Sweeney

Outfielders (4)
James Baldwin
Jonathan Garcia
Jeremy Rathjen
Scott Schebler

Starting pitchers (5)
Garrett Gould
Jarret Martin
Angel Sanchez
Duke von Schamann
Ross Stripling

Relief pitchers (8)
James Campbell
Yimi Garcia
Gustavo Gomez
Joel Lima
Brandon Martinez
Arismendy Ozoria
Matt Shelton 
Michael Thomas

The best prospects on this projected roster are Baldwin, Dickson Gould, Sweeney and Rathjen. Guys like Garcia, Gould and Sanchez are slated to repeat High-A because of poor performance and because there's a logjam in Double-A ahead of them.

The bullpen has three guys capable of starting (Gomez, Martinez, Ozoria), but they have to pitch somewhere. Perhaps one of them could unseat Sanchez in the rotation.

I'm not sure Rathjen and Stripling will begin with Rancho, but I'd like to see the Dodgers be aggressive with two of their selections from the 2012 draft.

My lineup
Baldwin CF
Sweeney SS
Dickson 1B/DH
Jacobs DH/1B
Garcia RF/Schebler LF
Bosnik 3B
Rathjen LF/RF
Maynard C
Arredondo 2B

Baldwin didn't hit a lick in Low-A, but he does have decent on-base ability. Maybe a hitter-friendly environment will help him, but it's also likely to hurt him, especially if he hits a few dingers early on. Rathjen could eventually work his way up in the lineup.

The rotation could be strong if Stripling handles the aggressive assignment well enough and Gould and Sanchez pitch to their capabilities. The bullpen has a nice back-end combination of Campbell and Garcia, while Thomas could be a nice sleeper in the group.

Someone who didn't make my projected Loons or Quakes roster is Juan Rodriguez. I have a hunch -- and that's all it is -- that he'll be released prior to the season. If he isn't, he'll likely begin in High-A.

The Cal League is a crap shoot, and this year is no exception.

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Ogden Raptors announce 2012 roster, less impressive than last year

With the Pioneer League season set to begin on Monday, it's time to take a look at the players who will be on the Ogden Raptors' initial roster.

Admittedly, this season's roster isn't as impressive as last year's, as players like Joc Pederson, O'Koyea Dickson and James Baldwin played for the team last year. But there are definitely some guys to keep an eye on down there.

The Dodgers send recent draftees and, most of the time, younger prospects to the Pioneer League.

Pitchers
Derek Cone
- Threw a couple innings with the Quakes last week, but will be on his third stint with the Raptors
Carlos De Aza
Gregg Downing
Michael Drowne
Carlos Frias
Sawil Gonzalez
Jake Hermsen
- 2012 29th-round draft pick
Owen Jones
- 2012 19th-round draft pick
Matt Laney
- Pitched with Great Lakes earlier this season (4.34 ERA, 1.51 WHIP)
Kazuki Nishijima
Craig Stem
Jason West
- Pitched with Great Lakes earlier this season (2.22 ERA, 1.31 WHIP)

Catchers
JJ Ethel
Jose Capellan

Infielders
Justin Boudreaux
- Struggled with Great Lakes this season (.144/.250/.212)
Tae-Hyeok Nam
- 21-year-old Korean prospect, had short stint with Ogden in 2009 (3-for-9, five strikeouts)
Alex Santana
- 2011 second-round pick, played in Arizona League last year (.238/.298/.339)
Darnell Sweeney
- 2012 13th-round pick
Kevin Thompson
Jesus Valdez
- 17th-round pick in 2011 (5th-rounder in 2010), played in Arizona League last year (.241/.312/.434)

Outfielders
Devon Ethier
- Andre Ethier's brother
Malcolm Holland
- Played 2B in Arizona League last year
Devin Shines
- Struggled with Great Lakes this season (.219/.287/.343)

Ross Stripling, the Dodgers' fifth-round pick, has said on Twitter he was going to Ogden, but he isn't on the roster. We'll see if that changes.

Keep an eye on...

• Cone - He's probably pitcher with the most promise on the staff, but that isn't saying a whole lot because he's struggled so far in his professional career. He had a 5.03 ERA last year with the Raptors, but he also had a 10.6 K/9, so there's definitely promise. He was my No. 33 prospect heading into the season.
• Santana - He was drafted high and is expected to produce. But he's just 18 years old and can't be expected to light up the league just yet. After Corey Seager, he's the Dodgers' best third base prospect. He was my No. 31 prospect heading into the season.
• Valdez - He has good power potential and at 6'3, 180 pounds, he still has room to fill out. He's 20 years old and it's anyone's guess where he'll play. With Santana around, first base seems most likely. He was my No. 38 prospect heading into the season.
• 2012 Draft Picks - Hermsen, Jones, Sweeney, all of whom were not professional ballplayers before June 4. It'll be interesting to see how they handle their first taste of pro ball.

Lineup
Here's my lineup and rotation if I'm Damon Berryhill (Raptors' manager):

Shines CF
Boudreaux 2B
Santana 3B
Valdez 1B (L)
Nam DH
Ethier RF
Ethel C
Holland LF
Sweeney SS (S)

Valdez is the only true left-handed hitter on the roster right now.

It's unlikely Seager will sign by Monday, but I assume he'll go to Ogden (or Arizona, I suppose) when he's signed. I'm a little surprised not to see Jesmuel Valentin on this roster, but that doesn't mean he won't get there eventually.

#####

J.P. Hoornstra of the L.A. Daily news wrote an article Friday about Dodgers' third-round pick Onelki Garcia, who signed with the team on Thursday. It's a good read about Garcia's trek to America and eventually professional baseball.

"After what Garcia has been through, with two months to work out a deal, the last place he seemed headed was free agency. Sure enough, he and the Dodgers agreed to terms Thursday. The terms were not immediately available."

Garcia could find himself in Ogden, but I'd like to see the 22-year-old be tested in Rancho Cucamonga.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Dodgers make a slew of transactions in the past week

We're getting to that time of the season when players get hurt and roster moves a plenty are made. Most of the time, minor-leaguers are caught in the crosshairs -- and they aren't always promoted to the majors.

In the past week week, the Dodgers have made the following moves:

MLB
Juan Rivera to DL, Scott Van Slyke recalled (May 9)
Jerry Hairston to DL, Justin Sellers recalled (May 11)
Mike MacDougal released (May 11)
Aaron Miles signed to minor-league deal (May 11)
Juan Uribe to DL, Elian Herrera recalled (May 14)
Matt Kemp to DL, Jerry Sands recalled (May 14)
Trent Oeltjen designated for assignment (May 14)

Triple-A
Mike Parisi to DL (May 8)
Joe Becker promoted from Rookie League Ogden (May 10)
Tyler Henson promted from High-A Rancho Cucamonga (May 11)
Shawn Tolleson promoted from Double-A Chattanooga (May 11)
Ryan Tucker to DL (May 11)
Fernando Nieve activated from DL (May 12)
Brian Cavazos-Galvez promoted from High-A Rancho Cucamonga (May 15)
JJ Ethel activated from DL (May 15)
Kyle Russell promoted from Double-A Chattanooga (May 15)

Double-A
Logan Bawcom promoted from High-A Rancho Cucamonga (May 11)
Brahiam Maldonado demoted from, well, it says "Los Angeles Dodgers," but I've never heard of the fella (May 15)
- According to the Dodgers.com transactions page, the team signed him on May 14. He's a former Mets' farmhand and is strictly organizational depth.

High-A
Eric Eadington promoted from Low-A Great Lakes (May 11)
Alexis Aguilar promoted from Rookie League Ogden
Jarrad Page promoted from Rookie League Ogden

(Not a great week for Mr. Page, noted Laker hater)

Low-A
Joel Lima promoted from Rookie League Ogden (May 11)
James Baldwin activated from DL (May 13)
Juan Noriega to DL (May 13)

It's been a busy week -- one of the busiest the Dodgers will have until September (I'd assume).

#####

My latest piece is up at Chad Moriyama on Austin Gallagher:

 "So how about in 2012? Well, he’s been up and down, but he’s showing power like he never has before: eight home runs in 123 at-bats, good for a 15.3 AB/HR rate. His career AB/HR rate coming into the season was 49.7. It could just be that his fourth season in the Cal League is the charm, or it could be that he’s actually improving his power stroke. Worth noting is that his batting average has dipped from the previous two seasons (.291 to .292 to .260), so he may be sacrificing average for more power, as his slugging percentage is a career-best .484 right now."

#####

Mike Petriello has a great post on the A.J. Ellis All-Star campaign (originally started by Jon Weisman). As you'll see in the right sidebar, I'm on board. #AJ2KC!

Two noticeable absences on the Great Lakes Loons' 25-man roster

O'Koyea Dickson and Joc Pederson were noticeably absent from the 2012 Great Lakes Loons' Opening Day roster, announced today by the team.

The Dodgers' Low-A affiliate in the Midwest League -- a team that featured Zach Lee, Garrett Gould and Angel Sanchez in 2011 -- is not as pitching-rich as last season, but the offense looks better than the '11 squad.

However, Dickson and Pederson -- both of whom were expected to begin in Midland -- were not included on the team's 25-man roster.

Dickson, a 2011 12th-round pick, played with Ogden in the Pioneer League last season, which is typical. His next step would have been to Great Lakes. I'm really surprised he's not on the roster.

Pederson began 2011 with the Loons because they lacked outfielders. He had a rough go at it, hitting .160/.288/.160 in 16 games with the team. He was, correctly, reassigned to Ogden and promptly mashed: .353/.429/.568.

This means one of three things:

1. One or both of them will begin with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League (High-A)
2. One or both of them will return to Ogden
3. One or both of them will begin the season in Extended Spring Training

I really don't think they'll be pushed to Double-A, so I didn't include that as an option.

I sent a tweet to both of them about it. We'll see if any information comes from that. I could see them both starting with the Quakes (Dickson more than Pederson), but that would be an aggressive play.

Update (April 2, 9:28 a.m.): Wouldn't you know it? As soon as I hit "publish post," I get this reply from Pederson:

"still in AZ rehabbing my groin...so gotta get it better before I can break camp and they haven't told me where I am going"

That's one mystery solved.

As for the rest of the squad, it looks solid.

Here's a breakdown by position (my Top 50 rank in parenthesis):

Pitchers
Jose Dominguez
Eric Eadington
Yimi Garcia
Gustavo Gomez
Matthew Laney
Juan Noriega (47)
Jarret Martin
Brandon Martinez (42)
Ryan O'Sullivan
Arismendy Ozoria
Matt Shelton
Michael Thomas
Jason West

Infielders/Catchers
Jesus Arredondo
Jesse Bosnik
Justin Boudreaux (27)
Andrew Edge
Pratt Maynard (23)
Delvis Morales
Kevin Taylor
Jan Vazquez
Joseph Winker

Outfielders
James Baldwin (16)
Noel Cuevas (36)
Scott Schebler (25)
Devin Shines

No other real surprises. The outfield, as should be the case for most levels of the Dodger minor leagues, should be the team's strength. Baldwin should hit leadoff for the Loons. That's pretty much the only certainty. The rest of the lineup is anyone's best guess.

I like Maynard a lot and want to see him succeed. He was one of my favorite selections from the 2011 draft. Schebler has big-time potential, but he needs to cut down on his strikeout percentage in a big way. Boudreaux might surprise some folks this season.

On the mound, O'Sullivan might be one of the team's best pitchers. Martin, acquired from Baltimore, is a wild card. A lefty who can throw hard is never out of demand. He needs to work on his control and command. Martinez might be the best starting pitching prospect on the club. Garcia had a 12.2 K/9 with Ogden last season. It'll be interesting to see how he does in Low-A.

Overall, the team appears to be in better shape at the dish than on the mound. Of course, it's hard to live up to last season's pitching. With this team (and probable midseason additions), the Loons should contend for a playoff berth.

Ogden Raptors start season with 20-0 victory

Well, that's certainly one way to start a season.

The Dodgers' Pioneer League affiliate, the Ogden Raptors, won its season debut on Monday 20-0. That isn't a typo, the team actually scored 20 runs in the first game of the season.

On Thursday, I made note of a few guys to watch for the Raptors -- James Baldwin, Scott Schebler and Scott Woodward. Baldwin went 1-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBI and a walk. Schebler had the best night of the trio, going 3-for-6 with a home run, three runs scored, four RBI and a walk. Woodward, making his professional debut, went 1-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and one RBI.

Right-hander Gustavo Gomez threw five shutout innings, giving up three hits while striking out six. Gomez, whom the Dodgers signed out of Panama in 2008, ranked No. 60 on Brandon Lennox's (True Blue L.A.) Top 200 prospect list.

The team could get an influx of players, as guys like Joc Pederson and Noel Cuevas are struggling in limited playing time in Low-A and High-A, respectively. Both were 2010 draft picks and aren't getting much experience. They could benefit from consistent playing time.

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True Blue L.A. has the first half surprises and disappointments from the Dodgers' minor-league system. It's a good read.

Jared Massey of L.A. Dodger Talk has a good post on why Clayton Kershaw should throw less fastballs.

Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness has two great reads. One revisits his letter to the McCourts in October 2009, asking them to sell the team. The other is a post titled, "Clayton Kershaw, Ace." It's something I've been saying for two years. The first link, ironically, has the same title as Petriello's post.

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Kershaw's performance last night against the Tigers was masterful. He threw nine innings, giving up two hits, one walks while striking out 11. He did it all on 112 pitches. Very impressive, young man.

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Matt Kemp has passed Andre Ethier for fourth place in fan voting for the All-Star game. Kemp is still roughly 328,000 votes behind Matt Holliday, but he's made up about 200,000 votes in a week. It'd be nice to see him start the game in center for the National League.