Dodgers have interest in Angels' 2B Howie Kendrick, but don't expect a deal

An interesting name on the trade market, first brought up by Mike Petriello, is the Angels' Howie Kendrick. The second baseman is someone the Dodgers have interest in and he'd fill a long-term need.

Petriello also wrote about the Kendrick whispers, as he called them, over at his blog today.

I'm as big a Mark Ellis fan as any Dodger blogger, but even I would jump at the chance to acquire Kendrick to upgrade the position.

Despite Eills hitting the walk-off single last night, set up by Andre Ethier and his "above-average" speed, the Dodgers could use an upgrade at second base. Ellis has been playing better of late. He's hitting .322/.362/.391 with 14 RBI in 22 July games and .415/.419/.512 during his 11-game hitting streak. I only included the number of RBIs in the first stat line because it was a surprising total to me. He's been rock solid at second base since a few hiccups earlier in the season. But just because he's playing well now doesn't mean the Dodgers should stop looking to get better.

Ellis would be a perfect complementary player to a guy like Chase Utley, but it appears he won't be traded in the next 5 1/2 hours. Kendrick is no slouch at the position defensively and is a clear upgrade offensively.

Kendrick is two years removed from being a 5-plus-win player -- a number Ellis has never posted in his career (4.3 WAR is his career-high). This year, Kendrick is worth a nearly 2 1/2 wins and has a triple slash of .301/.344/.446 with 11 home runs.and solid defense at second.

Kendrick is locked up through 2015 for a total of $18.85 million. He also has a limited no-trade clause that allows him to block trades to 12 teams.

A player like this wouldn't be especially cheap in terms of prospects, but with the Angels' barren farm system and the fact they traded Scott Downs for a non-prospect and Alberto Callaspo for a former first-rounder who might not hit enough in the majors (Grant Green), the Dodgers could swoop in and pry Kendrick away.

Then again, the last time the Dodgers and Angels made a trade was 1993. I know I remember the Dodgers sending Reggie Williams south for Mike James. What a blockbuster. Before that, they hadn't traded since 1976.

With Atre Moreno's stubborn ways and apparent disdain for the Dodgers, a deal doesn't seem likely. But they just traded a nice bench piece in Callaspo to the A's -- a division rival -- so I guess anything is possible.

There are two close-to-untouchables in the Dodgers' system: Corey Seager and Julio Urias. I wouldn't move either of those kids (they're both teenagers) for anyone short of Giancarlo Stanton or, as long as we're thinking unrealistically, Manny Machado. It wouldn't take either of those kids to land Kendrick.

The Angels could use help at just about every position on the farm. Guys like Zach Lee, Joc Pederson, Ross Stripling and Chris Reed would go a long way to replenish their system.

Unless the Angels could be convinced Reed and filler would be enough for Kendrick -- they're seeking frontline, MLB-ready arms for guys like Kendrick and Erick Aybar. Makes sense, but it won't happen. Lee might be the closest thing to that want.

Preferably, I'd rather the Dodgers make a guy like Chris Reed the centerpiece, but I'm not sure the Angels' brass would feel the same way.

As big a Lee guy as I am (had him ranked the team's No. 1 prospect since the start of the 2012 season), I'd think for a long time about including him to get Kendrick. That's hard for me to write.

It'd probably take only one top five guy and some filler to land Kendrick. At this rate, I wouldn't be terribly opposed to it. I see big things for the Dodgers going forward, and having another proverbial round in the chamber never hurts.

With the Dodgers landing Brian Wilson on Tuesday, I could see another trade for a reliever, but it's not as likely now. Instead, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Dodgers stood pat today.

One thing's for sure -- they probably won't make a blockbuster-type move -- at least, not today.

Photo credit: Eric Enfermero, Wikimedia Commons

Dodgers acquire Ricky Nolasco and int'l money from Marlins for Steve Ames, Angel Sanchez and Josh Wall

In what shouldn't be surprising news to anyone at this rate, the Dodgers acquired Ricky Nolasco on Saturday from the Marlins for Steve Ames, Angel Sanchez and Josh Wall.

Ken Rosenthal first reported this afternoon the trade was "close," and that was obviously true.

The Dodgers are paying all of the approximately $5.5 million remaining on Nolasco's contract.

Nolasco is a free agent after the season and a Southern California native, so it's conceivable he could be retained (probably on a 3-year deal, per Ned Colletti's norm).

I wrote for Yahoo! Sports the Dodgers should stay away from him, as there are better options available. Since that time, I've lightened up a bit to the idea of acquiring him, but he'd still not be first on my list.

Also since that time, Nolasco has increased his strikeout rate by nearly one full strikeout per nine innings (from 6.3 to 7.2). That's encouraging. His hits per nine rate isn't great (9.0), but he doesn't walk a lot of hitters (2.0 BB/9).

Nolasco is a rare pitcher these days, boasting a split-finger fastball that he throws 12.7 percent of the time this season. But FanGraphs values it as a negative pitch (-1.2). His best pitch, according to the data, is his slider (8.3). He throws it 24.3 percent of the time.

His fastball sits in the 88-92 MPH range and averages 90.1 MPH this season. He also has a curveball that he relies on.

He's much more of a junk-baller than previously expected.Once a Cubs' top prospect, Nolasco was traded to Florida in December 2005 with Sergio Mitre and Renyel Pinto for old friend Juan Pierre.

The best part of this deal isn't acquiring a decent No. 4 or 5 starter the rest of the season, it's acquiring the international spending money from the Marlins. The Dodgers did this with the Cubs in the Carlos Marmol deal and, since they've already spent $1.4 million of their $2,322,600 limit, this will help immensely. The amount added to the cap is unknown at this time.

Update (6:31 p.m.): The Dodgers acquired the No. 96 slot value, which is $197,000, raising their international spending limit to $2,519,600.

The Dodgers actually did really well with this trade.

Ames was added to the 40-man roster this winter and is strictly a reliever. He has a fastball that sits in the 88-92 MPH range that can touch 94-95 at times. He also has a slider that's allowed him to compile an 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings rate in 207 career minor-league innings. That number is down to 7.6 this season and he's spent some time on the disabled list.

Sanchez

Sanchez was a Top 10 prospect in the system before a disastrous 2012 campaign with the Quakes. He began 2013 with the Great Lakes Loons and was recently promoted to High-A Rancho. Sanchez has a low-90s fastball, a potentially average to solid-average changeup and a slider. He probably won't last in the rotation long.

Wall is a flamethrowing reliever who was drafted as a starter in 2005. He's touched triple-digits in the minors, but his average velocity in the majors is 92.4 MPH. His slider sits in the low-80s and helps him to get strikeouts.

All in all, this is a really good deal for the Dodgers, even if the international spending money is unknown. The Dodgers traded three relievers for a quality back-of-the-rotation starter and some lottery money. Really hard to complain about that.

Photo credit: ScottRAnselmo, Wikimedia Commons

Andre Ethier trade would improve farm system, but ulitmately limits flexibility

Well, well, well, apparently Andre Ethier isn't as unavailable as previously expected. The Dodgers, despite reports from some in the national media, have been talking to other teams about the outfielder -- specifically, the Seattle Mariners.

Jason Churchill of Prospect Insider and ESPN tweeted the news on New Year's Eve.

"Hearing Mariners have progressed in trade talks for a hitter. Indications it's Ethier. Multiple players involved."

That sent Dodger and Mariner fans into a tizzy on Twitter. Mike Petriello confirmed Churchill's tweet shortly after. He also added some of his thoughts via Twitter. He also did a post this morning about it that is must-read material.

"Here's the thing about Ethier talks, though: it's not going to be for Seager. If it happens, it'll be for SP prospects & maybe BRyan...

...and then Dodgers would fill OF hole with Bourne. But this isn't really new, has been the case for a while. And not tonight. (Hopefully).

Just because it's hitting Twitter now doesn't necessarily mean it's 'breaking,' is all I mean."

If it was Jason Bourne, I'd like the potential move a little more. Alas, the Bourn the Dodgers have their eye on is Michael Bourn.

Churchill said there could be as many as seven players involved and that the Dodgers would be looking at pitching prospects, an outfielder and another player.

When I wrote about a trade with the Mariners nearly a couple weeks ago, I came up with this proposal:

To Seattle: Ethier, Dee Gordon, cash (to offset some of Ethier's money)
To L.A.: Kyle Seager, Nick Franklin, Franklin Gutierrez, Brandon Maurer

I obviously blew it on this one. Most folks were up in arms about the inclusion of Seager, who is apparently a lot more valuable than I thought.

The Dodgers and Mariners have the potential to make quite a significant deal here. The Mariners are known to have interest in Gordon and one of the Dodger starters on the market -- Chris Capuano or Aaron Harang. The Dodgers would also have to throw in a significant amount of cash to get quality players in return.

I'm not going to do another proposal, but I'm going to throw out some players the Dodgers would be interested in. You'll notice this list doesn't include Felix Hernandez, Taijuan Walker and Mike Zunino. It isn't because the Dodgers don't have interest in him, it's because the M's aren't going to include those guys (especially Hernandez and Zunino) in a deal for Ethier.

Dustin Ackley
Carter Capps
Nick Franklin
Charlie Furbush
Franklin Gutierrez
Danny Hultzen
Brandon Maurer
James Paxton
Stefen Romero
Brendan Ryan
Casper Wells

I'm only including Ackley because the deal could be more than just Ethier going to Seattle. I don't think Mariners are going to move him, but he'd be the No. 1 prize of any trade.

If the Dodgers can't get Ackley (and they probably can't), getting guys like Hultzen and Franklin to headline a deal would be amazing.

The Mariners would have a glut of outfielders if they acquired Ethier, so moving Gutierrez or Wells in a deal like this would make sense.

A guy who could be a target is Romero, 24, who had a fantastic season between High-A and Double-A. His on-base skills need work (27 walks in 516 plate appearances in 2012), but he can put the bat on the ball (.352 average).

While Luis Cruz is a fine backup shortstop, he can't be counted on to backup Hanley Ramirez while he's manning third base. Perhaps that's the reason for Ryan's name being bandied about. The guy is a great defender, but he can't hit a lick (.194/.277/.278 in '12).

Silverwidow, a True Blue L.A. commenter, made an excellent point that I haven't seen made anywhere else yet.

"One thing that just dawned on me – the Dodgers hired a shitload of scouts from Seattle this winter. It’s fair to conclude that some or all of them will have knowledge of that system. Makes sense. Now, get Paxton!"

That is accurate and makes a potential deal a little more plausible.

There are a lot of potential moving parts in a possible deal -- which isn't especially close (having said that, it'll happen on Wednesday or Thursday).

Ethier's replacement?

Oh yeah, there's the matter of who would replace Ethier if he were traded. Apparently, the Dodgers see Bourn as that guy.

Bourn, 30, is coming off a nice campaign with the Braves. He hit .274/.348/.391 with a career-high nine home runs, 42 stolen bases and a 10 percent walk rate.

The Dodgers lack a "true" leadoff hitter. We all know Don Mattingly loves having speed atop the lineup. Carl Crawford is going to hit second (as long as he's productive) and having Bourn hit ahead of him would make Donnie Baseball the happiest cat around.

Bourn's value lies more in his defense than anything. He is the definition of an elite defender in center field -- so much so that he'd move Matt Kemp off the position. Kemp is a below-average defender in center, but his arm is great. However, moving Kemp to right field would improve the outfield defense a lot.

He had a career-high 6.4 WAR in 2012 and has been no worse than a 4-WAR player since 2009.

Eno Sarris of FanGraphs wrote a piece about Bourn and his unsigned status.

"Why isn’t there more interest in Michael Bourn? A six-win center fielder is on the market, and our most recent article on the subject is whether or not his agent has waited too long to get him a deal. We don’t know what his asking price is, but the idea that a player coming off a career year and four straight seasons with more than four wins now needs a pillow contract seems to suggest that either there’s a reason to doubt Bourn’s work, or there’s a lack of demand for his services in the market place.

There really aren’t many indications that Bourn’s 2012 was a luck-driven affair. His batting average on balls in play was .349. His career BABIP is .343. His batting average was .274. His career batting average is .272. He put up the best UZR/150 of his career at +22.5. His career UZR/150 is +10.5, and he had a +20.6 season as recently as 2010. He walked (10%, career 8.8%) and struck out (22%, career 20.2%) at about his career rates, too. Doesn’t seem like a fluke."

Bourn will likely command a multi-year deal worth many millions. His agent is Scott Boras, who's no stranger to getting his clients great deals late in the winter. The Dodgers could be on the hook for a 3 to 5-year deal worth in the neighborhood of $12-$15 million annually.

Signing Bourn would also mean losing the No. 19 pick in the MLB Draft. At first, this was a huge turnoff to me. While I still wouldn't be 100 percent on board with it, getting some legitimate prospects back from the Mariners would help to offset the loss of the pick.

The 2013 draft class isn't expected to be strong, making the pick more valuable in my eyes. The Dodgers wouldn't pick until the second round, which would hamper their ability to land a future major leaguer. That's something to consider.

Something that also concerns me about Bourn is his strikeouts. For being a guy who's a speedy, slappy leadoff guy, he strikes out an awful lot.

• 2008: 21.6 percent
• 2009: 20.6 percent
• 2010: 18 percent
• 2011: 19.4 percent
• 2012: 22 percent

Those are the strikeout rates of a power hitter, not a speedster. Bourn's career strikeout percentage is 20.2. By comparison, Kemp's is 23.4. That's the biggest negative with his offensive game. His 8.8 percent career walk rate is solid and has been trending up since 2008.

Here's a look at the potential starting lineups with and without Ethier.

With Ethier

Mark Ellis 2B
Carl Crawford LF
Matt Kemp CF
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
Hanley Ramirez SS
Andre Ethier RF
A.J. Ellis C
Luis Cruz 3B

With Bourn

Bourn CF
Crawford LF
Kemp RF
Gonzalez 1B
Ramirez SS
Ellis C
Ellis 2B
Cruz 3B

The biggest differences between are the leadoff spots and No. 6 spots. With the Ethier lineup, there's more thump down in the lineup. With the Bourn lineup, there's more potential for havoc at the top.biggest differences between are the leadoff spots and No. 6 spots. With the Ethier lineup, there's more thump down in the lineup. With the Bourn lineup, there's more potential for havoc at the top, plus better overall defense.

I've really never been opposed to the Dodgers trading Ethier. I've written about it a number of times. However, replacing him with Bourn doesn't interest me as much as it does others, I'm sure.

My thought was if the Dodgers move Ethier, they gain flexibility for guys like Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson going forward. While they're unknown commodities, the Dodgers did invest a nice chunk of change in Puig. And Pederson had a breakout 2012 season. Signing Bourn immediately gives up that flexibility.

It's hard to field a competitive Major League team while keeping a strong farm system. Not many teams can do it for extended periods of time. General Manager Ned Colletti is in a tough spot here. The Dodgers are built to win now and for the next few years. They're also well on their way to rebuilding their farm system. Part of being competitive is flexibility. Having so many players locked up long-term limits flexibility via the minor leagues, but it does open up more trade possibilities.

Management is trying to get this team to the World Series. If they think this is the best route, sobeit. I'm genuinely torn on the subject. Trade Ethier? Fine. Replace him with Bourn? That's where I waffle.

I do like the improved outfield defense and having another stolen base threat in the lineup with Bourn. I'm not a fan of losing Ethier's pop out of the No. 6 spot. If the team had a legitimate third baseman, I'd feel a lot better about moving Ethier and replacing him with Bourn.

This is going to be an interesting situation to follow. Something could happen as soon as this week or nothing at all could happen. The fact that there's this much smoke definitely means there's fire. I'm just hoping the Dodgers can get a couple of B/B+ prospects in any deal of this magnitude.

Photo credits

Ethier: McD22, Flickr

Bourn: slgckgc, Flickr

While unlikely, trading Andre Ethier to the Rangers could benefit Dodgers

While an Andre Ethier trade is pretty unlikely (gave it a 20 percent chance of happening in the latest episode of "Dugout Blues," and that's generous), it isn't completely out of the realm of possibility.

Along with the Mariners, a team that is interested in his services is the Texas Rangers, as Mike Petriello reported.

The Rangers haven't had a successful offseason, by most accounts. They lost out on Zack Greinke to the Dodgers, Josh Hamilton went to Anaheim, R.A. Dickey went north of the border in a big trade, Edwin Jackson signed with the Cubs and Mike Adams left via free agency.

They've kicked the tires on Adam LaRoche and Cody Ross (who signed with the Diamondbacks on Saturday), and now have interest in Michael Bourn after signing A.J. Pierzynski.

Still, the Rangers' best route to improve this winter could be via trade. That's where the Dodgers come in.

From Friday's post, here's a list of the Dodgers' needs:

• Third base
• Second base
• Left-handed reliever
• Fourth outfielder

I'm adding farm system depth, which is something the team should always be on the lookout for.

The Rangers have a really good farm system, and one player in particular stands out as their best trade chip: Mike Olt.

The 24-year-old third baseman is blocked by Adrian Beltre at third base and I don't think Texas is ready to move him off the position just yet.

Olt had a small cup of coffee this season, batting .152/.250/.182 in 40 plate appearances with the Rangers. His real damage came in the Texas League (Double-A), where he hit .288/.398/.579 with 28 home runs and 61 walks in 421 plate appearances. His strikeout rate is a tad high for my liking (24.4 percent for his minor-league career), but he offsets that with his power and good plate discipline (career 14.4 percent walk rate).

The more I look at Olt, who is a potentially plus defender at third base, the more I'd like the Dodgers to nab him in an Ethier deal. The Rangers won't be rushing to trade a talent like him, but they obviously wouldn't be opposed to moving him in the right deal.

Another player who would interest the Dodgers is Ian Kinsler. Just a year or so ago, it'd be inconceivable the Rangers would even entertain trading him. However, the emergence of Jurickson Profar and Elvis Andrus' elite play at shortstop have almost made Kinsler expendable. Almost.

The 30-year-old is coming off a down season in which he hit .256/.326/.423 with 19 home runs, 42 doubles and 60 walks in 731 plate appearances. He went from a 7.5 fWAR in 2011 to 3.2 in 2012. While it's unrealistic to expect he'd WAR in the sevens yearly, one would expect a better WAR than he posted.

Kinsler was a good defender at second base in 2011 (16.2 UZR/150, 18 defensive runs saved) and an unspectacular defender in 2012 (0.0 UZR/150, 1 DRS). He's in the middle of his prime, but he's on the other side of 30 (just barely). If the Rangers are going to move Kinsler, now would be the time. He just signed a 5-year, $75 million extension in April, but it'd probably be best to move him before he's not worth the contract.

All things being equal, I'd probably swap Ethier for either of these two straight-up. Texas probably wouldn't want to take on all Ethier's salary in an Olt deal, so there'd be cash and other players involved.

My proposals

To Texas: Ethier, cash
To L.A.: Olt, David Murphy

Why it works for Texas: The Rangers use one of their best trade chips to acquire their left fielder (Nelson Cruz in right field) who should have a field day in that park. He won't replace Hamilton's production, but he'll help mitigate the loss. Plus, the team keeps its double-play combo of Andrus and Profar (with Kinsler moving to first base). 

Why it works for L.A.: The Dodgers get their starting third baseman and can finally rid themselves of Juan Uribe. They also get a stopgap replacement for Ethier in Murphy, who won't be nearly as good outside Texas' hitter-friendly confines.

To Texas: Ethier, Chris Withrow, cash
To L.A.: Kinsler

Why it works for Texas: The money is about even, but the team opens up a spot for Profar at second base while replacing Kinsler with a potential thumping outfielder. It also acquires a former top prospect who's local to the area (Austin) and still has a lot of arm talent. Plus, it gets to keep Olt as a potential trade chip in July.

Why it works for L.A.: The Dodgers get their leadoff man and second baseman (sorry, Mark Ellis). His production dip in 2012 is a little alarming, but he's just 30 and has time to rebound.

As is with every trade I propose on this blog, I'm not sure how realistic it is. If you look at the comments from Friday's post, you'll see I probably went a little overboard (in the Dodgers' favor) on my proposal.

While the Mariners might be a better fit (needs-wise) for the Dodgers, the Rangers might ultimately be the best trading partner because there aren't as many moving pieces.

Photo credits: mikelachance816, Flickr

Mariners are the Dodgers' best match for a potential Andre Ethier trade

With the Andre Ethier kinda-sorta-but-not-really rumors floating around (depending who you believe), it might be a good time to check out which teams might be interested in him and what the Dodgers could possible look for in return.

First, let's identify the Dodgers' remaining needs.

Third base

I recently wrote a post saying Luis Cruz isn't the answer at third base. He isn't, but there really aren't any great alternatives. Juan Uribe, painfully, has one more year on his contract and might not break camp with the club. The Dodgers would absolutely have to get some sort of third baseman in return for Ethier.

Left-handed reliever

With Scott Elbert coming off elbow surgery and Paco Rodriguez entering his first full season as a professional, the Dodgers could use a veteran lefty out of the bullpen. If it were up to me and Elbert was 100 percent healthy, I'd have no problem with them being the lefties. Methinks Ned Colletti and Don Mattingly would disagree.

Second base

The Dodgers do have Mark Ellis, who is still a plus defender at the position. They also have Skip Schumaker, who isn't. But looking toward 2014, the Dodgers are going to need someone to replace Ellis. Perhaps a prospect who's not quite Major-League ready could be in play.

Fourth outfielder

I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of Schumaker being the fourth outfielder. The Dodgers need a guy who can truly play center field and who is preferably right-handed. The entire Dodger bench is lacking in quality, but they don't have a legitimate fourth outfielder at this moment.

Those are probably the Dodgers' three biggest needs right now. They certainly don't need any starting pitchers, as they're trying to trade one or two. They don't necessarily need another right-handed reliever, but if they get a guy with tons of arm talent, it'd be tough to pass that up.

There are two confirmed teams to have talks with the Dodgers about Ethier -- Seattle and Texas. In this post, I'll take a look at what Seattle has to offer.

The Mariners are trying to give their money away to hitters, yet no one is biting. They were in on Josh Hamilton before he signed with Anaheim and have interest in Nick Swisher, who isn't reciprocating said interest. The offensive-starved team did land Kendrys Morales on Wednesday, but he won't be enough to revitalize their offense.

Seattle has a lot of interesting pieces, some of which might not be available in trade.

The Dodgers would seemingly have interest in guys like Dustin Ackley, Kyle Seager, Nick Franklin and Franklin Gutierrez.

Let's just get this out of the way now: the Mariners aren't trading Ackley to the Dodgers for Ethier. The 2009 No. 2 overall pick had a great debut season in 2011, but had a severe case of the sophomore slump in 2012. Despite the slump, I'd almost swap Ethier straight-up for Ackley.

Seager, the older brother of Corey Seager, was the Mariners' primary third baseman in 2012, playing 138 games at the hot corner. He hit 20 home runs while posting a .259/.316/.423 triple slash. Not bad for a 24-year-old in a difficult place to hit. His splits -- home/road and left/right -- weren't favorable.

Seager did most of his damage on the road (.293/.324/.511, 15 home runs) and against right-handed pitching (.272/.335/.449, 13 home runs) -- the latter of which make him look like a platoon player. Perhaps a platoon of Seager and Cruz at third base wouldn't be the worst thing, but it'd hardly be like having Chase Headley there.

Franklin is one of the Mariners' top position prospects. He's a shortstop and probably profiles better at second base long-term. With Ackley there, the Mariners would need to keep him at shortstop. However, if they acquired a shortstop (Dee Gordon), they could be more inclined to move the 21-year-old. He posted a .278/.347/.453 triple slash between Double- and Triple-A, including a .322/.394/.502 line at Double-A Jackson. I'd like to see him replace Ellis in 2014.

Gutierrez, a former Dodger prospect, is an elite defender in center field. Problem is, he doesn't hit well and has a hard time staying healthy. His not hitting well can be rectified by playing him predominantly against left-handed pitching (career .293/.351/.479 against lefties). Gutierrez is so elite in center (How elite is he?!) he once posted a 6.3 fWAR. It also came du. ring his best offensive season, but it's still impressive. I think he'd be the perfect fourth outfielder for the Dodgers.

My Proposal

To Seattle: Ethier, Gordon, cash (to offset some of Ethier's money)
To L.A.: Seager, Franklin, Gutierrez, Brandon Maurer

Why it works for Seattle: The M's get a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat who can slide into right field. They also get a shortstop who was a Top 30 overall prospect just a couple years ago. Oh, and some green stuff so they're not taking on all of Ethier's $85 million.

Why it works for L.A.: The Dodgers get a starting third baseman, a second baseman of the future, a fourth outfielder and a really good right-handed pitching prospect. The M's would still have a stacked system if they lost a couple guys out of the middle of their Top 10.

The Mariners are also interested in Chris Capuano, who seems to have more trade value after the M's dealt Jason Vargas (who isn't as good) for Morales. If the Dodgers included him, this could be quite the hefty deal.

Having said all this, I'm not sure how realistic my proposal is. The Dodgers would still need a right fielder for the season. With Seager at third base, the right fielder wouldn't have to be someone of great note -- just someone serviceable until Yasiel Puig is (hopefully) ready in 2014.

Photo credit: Cbl62, Wikimedia Commons

Report: Dodgers shopping Andre Ethier, which makes some sense

There have been whispers the Dodgers have been shopping Andre Ethier basically the entire winter. Today, those whispers got even louder.

From Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (surprisingly enough):

"Source: Dodgers shopping Andre Ethier. If they deal him, they could be in the mix for Nick Swisher."

Mike Petriello said he also heard the team is shopping Ethier, as did Ken Rosenthal. However, neither mentioned Swisher (yet).

It makes sense to move Ethier -- in some ways -- but it doesn't make a lot of sense to replace him with Swisher, even on a short-term deal.

The logic behind such a deal would seemingly be flexibility and hopefully to improve the farm system. The Dodgers didn't give Yasiel Puig $42 million to be a fourth outfielder.

Some teams that could logically be interested in Ethier's services include Seattle, Texas and Atlanta (maybe). My best guess is there could be a match with Seattle.

Time is short and I have to go to work, so I'll do another post tonight or tomorrow with a lot more depth.

Photo credit: McD22, Flickr

Report: Dodgers acquire Skip Schumaker for Jake Lemmerman

Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness reported tonight the Dodgers have sent infield prospect Jake Lemmerman to the Cardinals for infielder/outfielder Skip Schumaker.

The Dodgers, in need of a bench player, land a versatile player in Schumaker, 32, who can play second base and the outfield (including center field). He isn't going to unseat Mark Ellis as the team's starting second baseman, but he should get a decent amount of playing time between second base and the outfield.

He's a career .288/.345/.377 triple slash, which is better than I thought before I looked last week. He doesn't have any pop, which doesn't help the Dodgers in terms of power off the bench. Schumaker's versatility and decent on-base skills are his bread and butter.

Schumaker is signed through 2013 at $1.5 million. He's an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Not the preferred target, but not exactly a crippling trade, either.

Lemmerman, 23, played in Double-A this season and, save for one hot week, didn't do much with the Lookouts. He hit .233/.347/.378 with seven home runs, 29 doubles and posted an 11.8 percent walk rate.

His plate discipline was never a question, but he doesn't have much bat other than his solid on-base skills. He doesn't have much power and is a decent infielder. He plays mostly shortstop but profiles better long-term as a second baseman. He'll also see some time at the hot corner before he hangs up his spikes.

Lemmerman's upside is that of a poor man's Mark Loretta, minus the All-Star appearance. He isn't much of a loss for the Dodgers.

As Petriello pointed out, the Dodgers' 40-man roster is full, so a corresponding move will have to be made. Justin Sellers will likely be outrighted, but we'll see what happens.

Photo credits
Schumaker: Keith Allison, Flickr
Lemmerman: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue 

Dodgers should target James Shields, no matter what happens with Greinke

Someone who is -- and isn't -- getting a lot of coverage during these Winter Meetings is James Shields. He was once reported to be the Dodgers' No. 1 trade target, yet they haven't been linked that closely with him this week.

But the Dodgers should attempt to acquire him -- even if they do sign Zack Greinke.

Shields, 31 in 15 days, is a legitimate No. 2 or No. 3 starter, which is something the Dodgers don't have on a consistent basis with Chad Billingsley and Josh Beckett.

The lifetime Ray has posted a 3.89 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 2.1 BB/9, 7.7 K/9 and a 3.84 FIP in his career, and those numbers would presumably get better if he were traded to a team outside the American League East.

Shields has been one of the most underrated pitches in the last two seasons. He's averaging 238 innings with a 3.15 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 7.6 H/9, 1.0 HR/9, 2.3 BB/9, 8.5 K/9 and a 3.64 K/BB. Those numbers would look awfully nice either right behind Clayton Kershaw or (preferably) Greinke.

Shields has a friendly contract, as he's slated to make $9 million this season and $12 million next season on a club option, which would almost certainly be exercised. That makes him even more attractive to a potential acquiring team.

The team's interest in acquiring two starters this winter could mean it doesn't believe Billingsley's elbow is as good as it's been made out to be.

While he was touching 94 MPH on the gun after the season, there's no iron-clad guarantee the platelet injections will help Billingsley avoid Tommy John surgery. He's an unknown at this point and it's best to assume he's a non-factor until his health proves otherwise.

It also says the team doesn't think of Ted Lilly as a starting pitcher anymore. I don't, either, especially after all the shoulder issues last season. He has a chance to be a contributing member of the bullpen, but I'd be shocked if he made more than a few spot starts in 2013.

Apparently the asking price for R.A. Dickey is higher than expected. The Dodgers, instead of trying to acquire a guy who's two years shy of 40, use those prospects to try to get Shields, who's roughly eight years younger than Dickey.

The Dodgers have the prospects to land a guy like Shields (but not his teammate David Price unfortunately), but a more creative approach to a deal could be in order.

Team President Stan Kasten has said he wants to rebuild through the farm system, but it'd be hard to do that if they give up three or four quality prospects for Shields. My solution: Make Andre Ethier the centerpiece.

The Rays are looking for offense. They were talking to the Nationals earlier this week about Mike Morse. The Dodges should build an offer around Ethier and lots of cash.

My proposal

To Tampa Bay: Ethier, cash ($25 million) Chris Reed and Joc Pederson
To Los Angeles: Shields

The Rays land a legitimate middle-of-the-order hitter in Ethier with the Dodgers paying a healthy portion of the deal. They also acquire a lefty whose role is yet to be determined. However, he's a former first-round pick and there is value in that for a club like the Rays. They also get one of the Dodgers' best trade chips in Pederson. Pederson had a breakout 2012 campaign and projects to have average tools across the board. He can play center field, but he's better in a corner.

The Dodgers land a starter who gives them a potential rotation of Kershaw, Greinke (if he signs), Shields, Billingsley and Beckett. That doesn't even take into account Hyun-jin Ryu, whom the Dodgers might sign later this week.

My proposal could be way off. The original I was thinking about had Dee Gordon, but the Rays acquired Yunel Escobar on Tuesday, so their shortstop hole was effectively filled.

There's also no way of knowing the Rays would be interested in Ethier, even if the Dodgers send a lot of cash in the deal.

Management could really test the whole "There's no such thing as too much pitching" theory with some acquisitions this winter. And it seems that theory won't get tested until the Dodgers sign Greinke or make a different move with similar significance.

Photo credit:Wknight94, Wikimedia Commons

Dodgers check in on R.A. Dickey, but an acquisition doesn't seem likely

It isn't too often a Cy Young award winner is traded less than a month after winning the award, but the Mets are trying to do just that with R.A. Dickey.

The Dodgers have interest in the 38-year-old knuckleballer after having checked in with the Mets today at the Winter Meetings.

Normally, going after a Cy Young award winner would be a no-brainer, but there are a lot of things to consider when thinking about acquiring Dickey.

Age/performance

Dickey is no spring chicken at 38. He began his career with the Rangers and made his debut as a 26-year-old.

He was downright awful with the Rangers (five seasons), Mariners (one season) and Twins (one season):

5.43 ERA
1.57 WHIP
10.6 H/9
1.4 HR/9

Something to keep an eye on is his strikeout rate. Prior to his joining the Mets, it was 5.5 per nine innings. In his first two seasons with them, it was 5.6. In 2012, it was 8.9 -- by far a career-high. He also led the National League in strikeouts (230). I don't think that's repeatable. If it isn't, he loses some value.

Knuckleball

The knuckleball is the most unpredictable pitch in baseball. There is a reason it isn't used as prominently as other pitches. Sure, Phil Nekro is a hall-of-famer because of it and guys like Charlie Hough, Tom Candiotti and Tim Wakefield had long, productive careers, but for every one of those guys come Charlie Haeger (he of the 12-strikeout performance against Florida for the Dodgers in 2010), Dennis Springer (he who gave up No. 73 to Barry Bonds) Steve Sparks (he about whom I don't care much).

It's unfair, especially considering Dickey has been really good the last three seasons. Dickey's knuckleball is not the norm, as it averaged 77.1 MPH, up from 75.9 MPH in 2010 and 76.1 MPH in 2011.

Also, check out this fantastic breakdown of the pitch by Whet Moser of Chicago Mag.

It seems less risky than a "traditional" knuckleballer, but there is an inherent risk with the pitch. Always has been, always will be.

Value

The Mets are obviously attempting to sell high on their ace and would presumably want a couple top prospects in return. Under normal circumstances (relative term), I wouldn't be opposed to it. However, at 38 and with an unpredictable pitch, it's hard to give up a lot of value.

If I'm the Dodgers, I'd give up Dee Gordon, a top-10 (back-half, preferably) guy and a third guy (C/C+ range) to land Dickey -- with or without a contract extension. I know it isn't enough to land him or even get the Mets to the table, but that's what I think Dickey is worth.

Dickey could be dominant like he was this season, thus giving the Dodgers a true No. 2 starter. Or he could be middle-of-the-rotation material, which the Dodgers have plenty of these days.

While Dickey doesn't have a lot of major league mileage on his arm (1,059 1/3 innings), he's complied 58.2 percent of those innings in the last three seasons -- his age-35, 36 and 37 seasons. He has proven to be durable and the knuckleball doesn't put a lot of stress on his arm, so perhaps his workload is less of a concern than it should be. It's just something to keep in mind.

Conclusion

If the Dodgers were to acquire Dickey (and I don't think it'll happen), I could still see them landing Zack Greinke on the free agent market. A 1-4 of Clayton Kershaw, Greinke, Dickey and Chad Billingsley would be awfully tough come playoff time.

Dickey is a great success story, but the Mets are going to want more in return than they should probably get, most likely leading them to keep him until the trade deadline. Either that or a team desperate for a top-of-the-rotation pitcher (I'm looking at you, Kansas City) will take a chance on him and he'll be dealt this week.

Dickey is a nice option, but he's not an alternative to Greinke. The Dodgers need to land Greinke.

Photo credit: slgckgc, Flickr

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