The Dodgers had a deadline decision to make on Tony Gwynn. Either let him walk and hope to pick up another outfielder with more offense, or bring him back for his defensive value.
In the end, defense won out, and it's a good thing.
Gwynn was resigned to a two-year, $2 million contract on Monday. In addition, they tendered contracts to reigning Gold Glove winner Andre Ethier, James Loney, and some guy named Clayton Kershaw. I don't know about you, but I really hope they don't regret this Kershaw signing. Seems pretty risky to me.
Anyway, Gwynn will slide in as the fourth outfielder behind Matt Kemp, Juan Rivera, and Ethier. Barring another outfielder being brought in, I can definitely see Gwynn getting some starts as well, especially if Rivera struggles or Ethier isn't fully healthy.
His biggest role, however, will be as a late-inning defensive replacement, a role he played splendidly last season. Who can forget those diving catches he made to seal the deal and get a win? Certainly not the players on the mound. Stick him in left field next to two Gold Glovers, and that's one tough D to beat.
His offensive numbers showed much improvement as well. He went from a putrid .204 with the Padres in 2010 to .256 last year with 22 steals, a career high. I think that's the biggest reason he was brought back - he was able to finally pull his weight for the most part at the plate and not just be labeled as an "all glove, no bat" type of player. Good for him.
With the exception of Kemp's mammoth deal, this is another signing by Ned Colletti that certainly wasn't major by any means, but fills a certain role. Now Don Mattingly knows he has a speed and defense off the bench in a close game (which is how most Dodger games are). If all goes well, he can be a good option at the top of the order to set the table for others.
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