It wasn't the big splash Dodger fans were looking for, but Tony Gwynn, Jr. hopes to be the sparkplug the Dodgers need in their order.
Tony Gwynn's baby boy has inked a one-year, $675,000 deal. His role is yet to be determined, but if the roster stays in place, he'll compete with Jay Gibbons to start in left field. Both are lefties, so adding a right-handed bat seems to make sense.
Gwynn is known for two things: defense and speed. His range in the outfield is incredible, as he can play all three positions and cover a whole lot of range, which will immediately place him in the role of defensive replacement late in close games at the very least. Whether he starts games is something that won't be answered for now.
The other plus is his speed, as he has stolen 42 bases in parts of five seasons with the Brewers and Padres. He's also been caught only 14 times, and was 17-for-21 last season.
The downside is that his bat is pretty weak, as evidenced by his career .244 average and .323 OBP. After hitting for a promising .270/.350 in 2009, he went backwards last season with a .204/.304. That's a good reason for concern.
Still, he's a young player who has plenty of time to figure things out. Plus, he could always nicely ask his dad for help. But seriously, at 28 next season and with his speed, he just needs to figure out how to use his legs to get on base more often. If he does that, he can be a good addition at the top of the lineup.
If he still can't hit, or the Dodgers bring in a better hitter to play left, he'll be the first option off the bench to pinch-run and play the outfield late in games.
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