Dodgers add prospects Matt Magill and Steve Ames to 40-man roster

In an unsurprising move, the Dodgers today added right-handed pitchers Matt Magill and Steve Ames to their 40-man roster, thus protecting them from December's Rule 5 Draft.

Both were members of the Chattanooga Lookouts this season and both performed well.

I named Magill my Dodgers' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in September after he was the Lookouts' best starting pitcher.

Magill, who just turned 23, pitched in the Southern League against advanced competition and enjoyed success. His rate stats were impressive and some were among the best in the organization. He went 11-8 with a 3.75 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 7.8 H/9, 0.5 HR/9, 3.8 BB/9, 10.3 K/9, 2.75 K/BB and a 2.91 FIP.

Magill led the organization in strikeouts with 168. His rate stats show that he's a much better prospect than many thought and definitely warrant's a spot on the Dodgers' nearly full 40-man roster (38 spots occupied).

Ames, 24, enjoyed perhaps his best season at his most advanced level. While his stuff doesn't blow hitters away, he was still able to amass a 10.2 K/9 (72 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings). He knows how to pitch.

Ames is in the long line of Dodger relief prospects and he should be the next prospect in line for a promotion. I'd be surprised if he doesn't make his major league debut in 2013.

While right-handed relievers seemingly grow on trees, Ames has a chance to be a solid middle reliever in the majors.

Magill and Ames were just two of many players who were eligible to be added, but they were the only two who were worthy of being added.

Some players had no chance of being added (Michael Antonini, Jose Dominguez, Juan Rodriguez) while some, I'm sure, were under consideration (Aaron Miller, Blake Smith, Rafael Ynoa).

Of the players left unprotected by the Dodgers, I'd be shocked if anyone of them were chosen by a team during the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft.

Guys like Cole St. Clair and Ynoa probably have the best chance, but St. Clair had a poor season at Triple-A and Ynoa has never played at a level higher than Double-A.

For now, Magill and Ames are safe and could both make their debuts in 2013.

Dodgers after Carlos Lee, Corey Seager signs, Puig contract official

Look, I understand the Dodgers are struggling right now. They've lost six games in a row, Matt Kemp is still on the disabled list, Andre Ethier could end up there and the they've scored a grand total of 15 runs in their last 11 games.

Still, that's no reason to panic. That's no reason to trade valuable assets for Carlos Lee.

As I'm sure you've heard, rumors popped up last night of the Dodgers' interest in Lee. But, as often happens on Twitter, the first reports weren't accurate.

It went from Zach Lee and Garrett Gould for Jed Lowrie to Zach Lee and Gould for Carlos Lee to Gould for Lee in the span of 20 minutes.

Lowrie would be a nice acquisition, as the 28-year-old has an .839 OPS and 14 home runs while playing shortstop. That's premium production, but Lowrie's problem has always been staying healthy. His career-high in games played is 88, established last season.

But as it stands, Houston isn't including Lowrie in this deal. And I wouldn't give up Zach Lee to get Lowrie either.

As it stands right now, the offer appears to be Gould for Lee. It's up to Lee to waive his no-trade rights. That's the hold up.

"Carlos Lee says Dodgers have made an offer and he's mulling whether to accept it."

I don't like this deal one bit. Chad Moriyama, per usual, nails it.

"As I was expressing on Twitter, I’m not thrilled with the idea of trading prospects for Carlos Lee. A solid segment of fans disagreed though, as they were generally enamored with acquiring an upgrade over James Loney. I’m just not sure Carlos Lee is the guy they’re looking for.

Carlos Lee’s current slash line is .290/.342/.412/.754, which is in line with his recent production, and he projects to hit .276/.328/.434/.762 the rest of the way. Additionally, consider that he’s a terrible defender in the outfield and a fringe to poor defender at first base.

James Loney’s current line is .236/.303/.323/.626, which is partially the result of lower than normal BABIP. He projects to hit .266/.327/.387/.714 the rest of the way. Plus, he plays above-average to plus defense at first.

Now 50 points difference in OPS is nothing to scoff at, but factor in the defense and then consider that Loney has a .802 OPS career against righties (.669 against lefties) and Juan Rivera has a .821 career OPS against lefties (.747 against righties). Now the gap is basically non-existent.

You know how to tell that this trade is an iffy upgrade? When it’s even arguable as to whether a potential acquisition is an improvement over James Loney and Juan Rivera."

Someone needs to forward this to Ned, Stan and Co. Yes, Loney sucks with the bat and Rivera isn't much better. But when combining the two, you basically get Lee with better defense.

This doesn't even qualify as an upgrade. And if the Dodgers are so hell-bent on acquiring Lee (seems like just a matter of time now), they shouldn't be giving up quality, tradeable assets to get him.

I wrote a scouting report on Gould over at Moriyama's blog and I know he's not a lock to be a No. 3 or No. 4 starter in the majors, but that's his potential. Potential has tradeable value. Using this value to acquire a player who is of little value makes no sense.

If this was the Lee of three years ago, OK. But he's basically a singles hitter right now and has some extreme reverse platoon splits:

• .335/.383/.456 vs. RHP
• .143/.213/.268 vs. LHP

Maybe the Dodgers trade for Lee and he goes all Bobby Abreu on us. But Abreu (like the entire team) is slumping and the shine is wearing off.

I'm all for trading prospects to get quality players in return. And I know fans tend to overvalue their own team's prospects, but this proposed deal doesn't make a lot of sense.

Seager signs

The Dodgers are set to sign first-round draft pick Corey Seager. The deal should be announced today. He'll receive a $2.35 million bonus.

That's a spot of good news. Seager, 18, was drafted at No. 18 in the 2012 MLB Drat by the Dodgers earlier this month. There was little question that he'd sign with the team, it was just a matter of how much he was going to get.

The slot recommendation for the pick is $1.95 million. The Dodgers were a little more than $300,000 under budget, so this signing leaves them $98,500 over budget with second-rounder Steven Rodriguez still to sign. In all likelihood, he'll sign for at least $98,500 less than slot to avoid the Dodgers having to pay a luxury tax.

The signing leaves 12 unsigned draftees, with just one (Korey Dunbar, 39th round) saying he won't sign.

Martin to the DL

Jarret Martin was placed on the 7-day disabled list and has returned to Arizona -- presumably Camelback Ranch -- to rehab.

This isn't particularly newsworthy, but I'm going to do a little speculating.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to send Martin from Michigan (where the Loons play) to Arizona for a one-week rehab stint. There are two possibilities here:

1. He'll be on the DL for more than seven days
2. He'll be on his way to Rancho when he's healthy

I'd like to think it's the latter, despite his struggles in the last month. The main thing is he gets healthy and back to pitching.

The man who replaced him on the roster was 15th-round pick (Duke) Dalton Von Schamann. He made his Low-A debut last night and fared pretty well: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Not bad for a guy who was pitching in college a month ago.

Dodgers finalize Puig deal

The Dodgers finalized the Yasiel Puig's 7-year, $42 million Major Leauge contract on Friday. He was assigned to the Arizona League and placed on the temporary inactive list. He'll need a stint there before being moved up.

Also, since the contract was a Major League deal, a 40-man roster move needed to be made. Justin Sellers was transferred to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Puig. It'll be interesting to see what happens when Sellers is healthy and another spot is needed (or when the Dodgers inevitably acquire Lee). Guys on the short list include Matt Angle, Michael Antonini and Stephen Fife. I'm betting Angle and Fife are the ones to go.

Photo credits

Lee: SBoyd, Flickr

Seager: Courtesy of Perfect Game

Dodgers make offer to Roy Oswalt, Lilly's shoulder an obvious concern

This is not the first time I've written about Roy Oswalt and the Dodgers. In 2010, the Dodgers were looking to upgrade the rotation and Oswalt's name frequently came up. Now, nearly two years later, Oswalt and the Dodgers are connected again.

Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports tweeted this earlier today:

"The Dodgers have made an offer to Roy Oswalt. Rangers, Oswalt's likely preference, still in mix, among other clubs."

No word on what the offer might be, but Oswalt was reportedly asking for a prorated salary of $7.5 million for the rest of the season. The Dodgers also reportedly said Oswalt's demands were excessive.

Roy Oswalt, future Dodger?

So, why the need for another starting pitcher? When the news broke yesterday of the Dodgers' interest in Oswalt, it made me scratch my head.

The only way an Oswalt deal makes sense is if Ted Lilly's should injury is deemed to be serious. He went on the disabled list today and Michael Antonini was recalled. That doesn't preclude Nathan Eovaldi from taking Lilly's spot in the rotation on Tuesday, as another two roster moves will need to be made -- a spot cleared for Eovaldi and a spot cleared for Matt Kemp.

Well, the first move has been made: Antonini was literally just optioned back to Albuquerque by the Dodgers. The next presumable move, not announced until tomorrow, is Eovaldi officially being promoted.

Next, one of the two right-handed hitting corner OF/1B Scott Van Slyke or Jerry Sands will be demoted. At this point, I have no idea which one. It doesn't matter much because whoever doesn't go back to Triple-A on Tuesday will later in the week when Juan Rivera is activated. I'll just guess Sands is the odd man out tomorrow.

But back to Oswalt. He's on the Roger Clemens plan right now: Sit out the first couple months, come back for the remainder of the season and potentially the playoffs while making a pretty penny.

Oswalt is said to prefer a team closer to Mississippi, which the Dodgers certainly are not. The Rangers seem to be the Dodgers' main competition for Oswalt.

If the Dodgers can get Oswalt for a decent price (not because the Dodger ownership can't afford it, mind you), then go for it. Oswalt is better than Aaron Harang and has the ability to be better than Lilly, despite Lilly's fast start (including his most recent appearance).

The Red Sox had checked in on Oswalt earlier in the month and the Phillies, Oswalt's most recent team, will always be in the mix.

The Dodgers obviously feel concerned enough about Lilly's health to make this move, so I'd expect some bad news on that front tomorrow. It's too bad as Lilly had been lights-out this season, despite some strange peripherals.

If the Dodgers can get Oswalt to replace Lilly, then it could be a wash. We'll see what happens.

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My latest piece at ChadMoriyama.com is on Matt Magill and his great performance with the Lookouts thus far. Here's an excerpt:

"By comparison, he outperformed Dodgers top prospect Zach Lee at the same level. Magill bested Lee in ERA, WHIP, H/9, and K/9. Granted, Lee was 19-years-old, but it’s only a one year difference.

Yet, Magill isn’t talked about among the Dodgers best prospects, and I’m just as guilty as the rest. I ranked him No. 11 heading into the 2011 season, but just No. 46 heading into this season. Chad named Magill his 25th-best prospect in the system after a rocky 2011 season with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the notorious California League.

While there, Magill’s hits per nine rate skyrocketed to 10.1, where his previous career high was 9.1 in his debut season in the Gulf Coast League (as an 18-year-old). This season, it’s at 6.4. His home runs per nine rate is at an all-time low — 0.2 — as he’s allowed just one home run in 48 innings so far in 2012."

Photo credit: Matthew Straubmuller, Flickr

Bryce Harper to make MLB debut against the Dodgers, plus other news

It's not often baseball's best prospect makes his debut against the Dodgers -- and that's exactly what's going to happen tomorrow at the latest.


Bryce Harper was recalled by the Nationals today when their best player, Ryan Zimmerman, was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

Harper, the 2010 No. 1 overall pick, has two "80" grades, according to Baseball America. His power is unquestioned and he has a howitzer for a right arm.

Harper played predominantly catcher in college, but he'll play the outfield in the majors. He was thought to be the Nationals' future right fielder, but they're reportedly going to see if he can stick in center field, which increases his already sky-high value.

Luckily for him, he's going to miss tonight's game against Clayton Kershaw. As a left-handed batter, making his debut against Kershaw would have been most difficult. He should be int he Nats' lineup tomorrow against Chad Billingsley.

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The Dodgers called up a top prospect of their own, officially. Nathan Eovaldi, who has thrown two innings total in his last two starts, replaces Michael Antonini on the Dodgers' roster. Antonini replaced Matt Guerrier, who went on the disabled list. Antonini, however, didn't throw a pitch for the Dodgers. He was sent back to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Eovaldi will pitch out of the bullpen for now, as the rotation is set, despite Aaron Harang's sore foot.

I really, really hope the Dodgers still give him a chance to develop as a starter. At best, he could be a No. 2, but a No. 3 starter is a a lot more realistic (and so is a No. 4 starter). And a potential No. 3 starter is a lot more valuable than any relief pitcher.

#####

The Dodgers come into this Nationals' series losing two of their last three series against two of the top projected teams in the National League (Brewers and Braves). And the Nats are no slouch, sitting at 14-5 and the best record in the league. It'll be interesting to see how the Dodgers fare in this series. Kershaw vs. Ross Detwiler tonight, Chad Billingsley vs. Stephen Strasburg tomorrow and Chris Capuano vs. Gio Gonzalez on Sunday.

Photo credit: MissChatter, Flickr

The new and improved Chad Billingsley, plus notes from the minors

Chad Billingsley's 2012 season debut was, to put it mildly, beastly. He went 8 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out 11 Padres while allowing three hits and one walk in a 6-0 Dodgers' victory.

It was one of the best performances I've seen from him -- ever. Is it a sign that he's back or is he a new and improved pitcher?

It could be both.

And it all starts with his fastball. He threw it well and he threw it often tonight. I saw him clocked as high as 94 MPH and he sat in the low-90s all game. That's exactly where he needs to be.

He also threw a healthy amount of 2-seam fastballs, changeups and sliders. What he didn't throw a lot tonight was his cutter.

Brooks Baseball had him at 48 cutters tonight, but there's absolutely no way that happened. He threw more sliders than I've ever seen him throw, so that's where the discrepancy lies.

His slider sat in the mid-80s and had a lot of bite and dive to it. That's how I was able to differentiate it from his cutter.

He threw two different curveballs -- a 12-to-6 traditional one and one that was about 11-to-5. He was able to strikeout 11 hitters, so whatever he did tonight, it worked.

Now, I know I should temper my excitement and enthusiasm because he was facing the Padres, one of the worst hitting teams in the majors. But four baserunners, 11 strikeouts and 108 pitches (70 strikes, or 65 percent) cannot be overlooked.

It'll be nice to see what he does against better offensive teams, but this could be a step in the right direction for Billingsley. He could be a brand new pitcher. We'll see how it works out.

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Andre Ethier, despite going hitless in the team's first game, remained hot from Spring Training, blasting a 2-run double and 2-run triple tonight. And the best part: he hit them off Cory Luebke, a left-handed pitcher.

If he can find his stroke against left-handers, he could do some big things this season.

Matt Kemp chipped in with a couple hits and runs. He also stole his first base of the season.

Mark Ellis and Juan Rivera also had two hits.

Minor league breakdown

All four of the Dodger minor-league affiliates were in action tonight. There were some good individual performances throughout.

Triple-A - Albuquerque won 5-2
Michael Antonini started for the Isotopes and went five innings, gave up four hits, one run and struck out two. Alex Castellanos went 2-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts hitting second in the lineup. Tim Federowicz and Scott Van Slyke provided most of the offense as both went 2-for-4 and both hit home runs (the second in two games for Van Slyke). Josh Fields went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.

Double-A - Chattanooga lost 1-0
Ethan Martin, to my surprise, got the start for the Lookouts. He lasted 4 2/3 innings, gave up three hits, walked four and struck out six. The wildness is still there (probably always will be), but this was a somewhat encouraging performance. Steve Ames finished the game for Chattanooga. He threw two scoreless innings, walked one and struck out one.

There wasn't much offense to be heard of from the Lookouts. Kyle Russell went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts and Blake Smith went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.

High-A - Rancho Cucamonga lost 3-0
Chris Reed gave up three runs in the first two innings, but settled down to go five while giving up five hits, walked no one and struck out six. Leon Landry and Jonathan Garcia were the only prospects of note to get hits -- each got one. Landry also stole his first base of the season.

Low-A - Great Lakes lost 3-2
Jarret Martin, acquired from Baltimore, got the start and pitched relatively well. He went five, gave up two hits, two runs (both unearned), walked three and struck out six. He did commit three errors which led to two runs. Juan Noriega relieved Martin and threw two scoreless innings, gave up one hit, walked one and struck out one.

Pratt Maynard led the way on offense, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Justin Boudreaux, who didn't start, went 1-for-2 with two RBI and a walk. He replaced James Baldwin (but not as the center fielder -- he played third base) who injured his hand after going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts. No word on the severity of the injury.

Photo credit: SD Dirk, Flickr

Castellanos, others reassigned to Dodgers' minor-league camp

The Dodgers reassigned nine players to their minor-league camp today in the first of many moves to come in the next few weeks.

Michael Antonini, Alex Castellanos, Stephen Fife, Shane Lindsay, Russ Mitchell, Alfredo Silverio, Scott Van Slyke, Josh Wall and Chris Withrow were all optioned. A lot of them are unsurprising, especially Silverio, who's still out because of his January car accident.

Van Slyke hit a home run in his first Spring Training game, but that wasn't enough to keep him around. He'll get some valuable playing time in Triple-A. All the pitchers optioned are no surprise, as is Mitchell.

However, I'm a little surprised Castellanos was cut loose so quickly. I know he wasn't going to make the squad out of Spring Training, but he had been swinging a hot bat, going 6-for-16 with two home runs, four RBI, a double, triple and five runs scored. He's a work in progress at second base, but he could be a viable option there down the road.

I looked at what the Dodgers have in Castellanos in November.

"Scouts say Castellanos is playing above his skill level. Looking at his career numbers, I'm inclined to agree. Before 2010, the only times he had an OPS better than .800 was in his first two seasons in Rookie ball and Low-A ball.

Bottom line, it's not exactly known what the Dodgers have in Castellanos. They could have a utility player, they could have a starting corner position player, they could have a second baseman or they could have a Four-A player.

This season will determine whether his late-2011 performance was a sign of him turning a corner or just a fluke."

That basically remains unchanged. However, when Roberto Baly of Vin Scully is Homeboy posted a video of Castellanos taking batting practice at the Winter Development Camp, I was immediately drawn to the video of Castellanos. I know it was just BP, but the sound of the ball jumping off his bat just sounded great.

Jared Massey of LA Dugout was at last night's Dodger-Red game and commented on Castellanos' bat.

"My God, Castellanos has a quick bat. #Dodgers"

Baly's video, Castellanos' strong spring showing and Massey's comment gives me legitimate hope for Castellanos' future. Perhaps 2011 wasn't a fluke.



I just thought he'd hang around a little longer. At least he'll get to hone his abilities at second without having compete with Mark Ellis, Ivan De Jesus and Justin Sellers for playing time in major-league camp.