Dodgers acquire Brandon League for Leon Landry and Logan Bawcom

The Dodgers traded Leon Landry and Logan Bawcom to the Mariners for Brandon League tonight, but I'm not really sure why this deal was made.

I'm not really ever high on trading for relievers, especially for relievers who can't get strikeouts. Despite being a power arm, League's strikeout rate is less than impressive. His career strikeouts per nine innings pitched is 6.6 -- not exactly great for a guy who averages nearly 96 MPH on his fastball.

As a 26-year-old in Toronto, League averaged 9.2 strikeouts per nine in 74 2/3 innings. That was clearly an aberration. His second-best mark is 6.6 K/9, set last season when he was an All-Star.

Ahh, that's it. Ned Colletti can't help but trade for All-Star relievers. We all remember Edwin Jackson and Chuck Tiffany for Danys Baez and Lance Carter, right? But I digress.

League's best pitch might be his split-finger fastball, which he added in 2009. FanGraphs has it valued at 3.0 this season after it was a 3.4 pitch last season. His 95.2 MPH fastball is a 1.3 pitch right now.

But I don't understand this because I didn't see right-handed relief pitcher as high on the list of Dodger needs. Another starting pitcher and bat are much, much higher on the list.

League is owed roughly $1.8 million for the rest of the season, which I'm sure the Dodgers will pick up. He'll also be an unrestricted free agent after the season, so this is purely a rental. Then again, Colletti has been known to give relievers undeserved, long-term deals, so maybe League will be around for a bit (depending on performance, of course).

I'm higher than others on Landry, as most see him as just a fourth outfielder. However, I think what he's doing in the California League is impressive. Yes, I'm sure the numbers are inflated a little, but he has ability. He was a third-round pick in 2010 out of LSU and cracked my Top 10 the following season after a stellar debut.

When I see a poor man's Carl Crawford in him -- a poverty-stricken version is more like it. Still, he has talent and ability. His worst tools are his power and arm. But he has good speed, can put the bat on the ball and plays a slick center field.

Bawcom is a good relief prospect. He began the season with High-A Rancho Cucamonga and was quickly promoted to Double-A Chattanooga. He struggled for a bit after his promotion, but he seems to have figured it out. He should join a prospect-laden Jackson Generals' team.

It's hard to get too upset at this deal. After all, the Dodgers again dealt from their depth. Outfield and right-handed pitching are the two deepest positions in their farm system. However, they still dealt for a "proven" reliever. That hasn't especially worked out well in the Colletti era (Baez, Carter, George Sherril, Octavio Dotel, etc.).

I'm assuming League will split time with Ronald Belisario in the eighth inning. This also opens up the Dodgers to trade Josh Lindblom, whose name has come up in talks for Shane Victorino.

I'm expecting at least one more trade before tomorrow afternoon, but hopefully two (a starting pitcher and another bat). I'm just hoping Victorino isn't the other bat acquired.

Photo credits

League: swswigart, Flickr

Landry: 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).

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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."

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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!

Dodgers promote Tolleson to AAA, Bawcom to AA, Eadington to A+

The Dodgers made a number of connected minor-league moves on Thursday -- all involving good relief prospects.

Shawn Tolleson was promoted from Double-A Chattanooga to Triple-A Albuquerque. The Dodgers tend to not send their good pitching prospects to the launching pad that is the Pacific Coast League, but relievers are at less "risk" of being knocked around rather than a starting pitcher.

Tolleson, 24, had a 1.38 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 13.1 K/9 (up from 11.2 with Chattanooga last season) and a ridiculous 5.5 H/9 rate. He was flat-out dominating Southern League hitters and has been dominant his entire career (1.06 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 13.3 K/9). The move to Triple-A is a good one in my eyes. Josh Wall will likely still get the ball in the ninth (and he's been good), but Tolleson will help to form a great 1-2 punch. Plus, he's one step closer to being in the Dodgers' bullpen, which is a really good thing.

In the resulting move, the Dodgers promoted Logan Bawcom to Chattanooga from High-A Rancho Cucamonga. The 23-year-old Bawcom, underrated by many who look at prospects (in my eyes), posted a 0.64 ERA (gave up his first run of the season on Tuesday), 0.71 WHIP, 15.4 K/9, a .087 batting average against and an even-more-ridiculous-than-Tolleson 2.6 H/9.

It's nice to see the Dodgers being a little aggressive with these guys. Of all the prospects out there, right-handed relievers tend to move quickest. It'll be interesting to see how Bawcom fares against advanced competition. Steve Ames figures to get the ball late in the game, and much like the Wall-Tolleson duo in Triple-A, Ames and Bawcom figure to be a formidable duo for the Lookouts.

To take Bawcom's spot, the Dodgers promoted Eric Eadington from Low-A Great Lakes. Eadington, Baseball America's No. 31 Dodger prospect, was throwing well for the Loons before his promotion: 3.06 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 13.8 K/9 and a 27.00 K/BB ratio. That's not a typo; Eadington has struck out 27 batters and walked just one. Even in Low-A, that's rather eye-opening.

Eadington, 24, will also help fill the role of left-handed reliever as the Quakes' Jordan Roberts went on the disabled list this week. Roberts has a 1.00 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 18 innings. He's not great (20 hits allowed, six walks, eight strikeouts), but he was decent for the Quakes.

Scott McGough has already taken over closing duties for the Quakes. Eadington had been splitting time with Yimi Garcia in Midland as the Loons' closer, so he can be a fall-back option if McGough struggles.

The guy who has the most to gain is Bawcom. He can prove he belongs in the same company as Tolleson -- his numbers are better this year, albeit against inferior competition. Plus, it'd give the Dodgers yet another right-handed reliever to turn to down the road.

We'll see if these guys adapt to their new environments well. I'm not too concerned.

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Look for the newest episode of "Dugout Blues," the podcast I do with LA Dugout's Jared Massey. It should go live sometime today.

Recapping the Dodgers' home-opener, plus minor-league updates

The Dodgers' kicked off their 50th season in beautiful Dodger Stadium with a 2-1 win against the Pirates on Monday.

Clayton Kershaw, fresh of a 3-inning start because of the flu on Opening Day, threw a gem: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K. He's going to be just fine.

Andre Ethier, extra base hitting machine, ended up winning the game with a home run into the right field pavilion. Five of his six hits this season have gone for extra bases, good for a team-leading .842 slugging percentage.

Kenley Jansen did Kenley Jansen things, striking out two in his inning of work. He also picked up the win because of Ethier's 8th-inning dinger. Javy Guerra closed out the game by getting Pirates' stud center fielder Andrew McCutchen to ground into a double play.

Vin Scully missed the home-opener with a cold and might not broadcast the entire series. It sucks for the listener, but Mr. Scully's health is first and foremost. He can take as much time as he needs -- we'll brave the Charley Steiner/Steve Lyons combo for as long as it takes.

Minor league update (April 10)

Triple-A - Isotopes won 6-5
Alex Castellanos continued his good start with the Isotopes by going 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. He also stole his third base of the season. Scott Van Slyke also posted another two hits, including a double (his third), pushing his batting average to .458 for the young season. His OPS is sitting at a robust 1.458.

Double-A - Lookouts won 4-3
J.T. Wise, not much of a prospect at 26 in Double-A, went 2-for-5 with two RBI. He's hitting .444 in his first look at Double-A. Blake Smith got his first extra base hit (a double), but he's still hitting just .100 in his first week with the Lookouts. Allen Webster had a much better start in his second appearance of the season: 6 IP, 9 H, 3 R (all earned), 1 BB, 3 K. Shawn Tolleson pitched a perfect ninth (one strikeout) to pickup his first save of the season.

High-A - Quakes won 7-5
Zach Lee made his second start of the season. While he wasn't as dominant as he was in his first go-round, he was still pretty damn good: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R (both earned), 1 BB, 4 K. He has a sparkling 1.80 ERA and 0.90 WHIP through his first two starts. Scott McGough pitched two innings in relief and allowed one hit. Logan Bawcom picked up his second save of the season, throwing a scoreless ninth with a hit and strikeout mixed in. Leon Landry picked up a hit, run and his third stolen base of the season. Christopher O'Brien had a 2-run double. His average is at .391 so far. Casio Grider was the offensive star of the night, going 2-for-3 with a 2-run home run, a double and three RBI.

Low-A - Loons won 5-4
James Baldwin's hand appears to be OK as he returned to the Loons' starting lineup. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Jesus Alberto Arredondo went 2-for-4 with a double to keep his batting average at .500. I know nothing about this guy other than this is his first professional season and is from Mexico. He's hitting pretty well for a 21-year-old in Low-A. Jesse Bosnik, who's repeating the level, went 3-for-3 with a home run, double and four RBI.

Photo credit: SD Dirk, Flickr

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes the epicenter for young aces; 2012 roster announced

The Dodgers' High-A affiliate Rancho Cucamonga Quakes announced their 25-man roster on Monday. Unlike the Loons' roster, there were little surprises here.

And also unlike the Loons' roster, the team is absolutely stacked with potential aces.

I took a look at the Quakes' potential roster back in January. I hit on a lot, but I also missed on a few.

It's a good thing the pitching is going to be strong because the California League is a notorious hitters' haven.

Top prospect Zach Lee (1, right) should head the rotation, followed by three other top pitching prospects: Garrett Gould (4), Angel Sanchez (5) and Chris Reed (19).

It's anyone's guess who the No. 5 starter is going to be, but I'm thinking it'll be Greg Wilborn.

The bullpen also looks solid. Scott McGough, 2011 5th-round pick, will join Logan Bawcom (26) and Juan Rodriguez (34) to form a nice 7-8-9 back end of the bullpen.

A lot of players from last year's Great Lakes team will make the trek to the Cal League. Since it's a great hitters' environment, a lot of guys should do quite well.

Leon Landry (18) will man center field and hit near the top of the order. He's the best position prospect the Quakes have. Jonathan Garcia (22, left) and Chris Jacobs will provide the thunder in the middle of the lineup. Tyler Henson, acquired in the Dana Eveland trade, will also (curiously) begin with the Quakes. I thought he'd be ticketed for Triple-A.

Two offensive players are returning to Rancho this season. One-time favorite Tony Delmonico and Austin Gallagher are back to presumably man the corners. Both are entering their third stints in the Cal League.

The biggest surprise is seeing Christopher O'Brien (41) make the squad. Son of former big leaguer Charlie, Christopher had 193 plate appearances between the Arizona League and the Pioneer League. He held his own, posting a .292/.358/.494 line with 18 walks in 168 at-bats.

Potential lineup
Landry CF
Gallagher 1B
Garcia RF
Jacobs DH
Delmonico 3B
Henson/Nick Akins LF
O'Brien C
Charlie Mirabal 2B
Pedro Guerrero SS

The top pitching prospects are the story to follow with this team. Allen Webster had great success in the California League before his promotion to Chattanooga. The team has a great 1-4 in the rotation. The bullpen looks solid. It's going to come down to whether the guys who struggled in Midland last season can muster enough offense to backup the great potential pitching.

The Quakes should make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year behind strong pitching and (hopefully) some timely offense.

(#) - denotes Top 50 prospect ranking

Photo credits: mwlguide on Flickr