The Dodgers made another move to improve their offense on Monday, calling Jerry Sands back up from Triple-A and designating Tony Gwynn for assignment.
Sands has mostly been an outfielder throughout his minor league career, but he also has started 27 games at first base. That's exactly what he'll be asked to do since the arrival of Shane Victorino means there are no open outfield spots anymore. So, look for Sands to start against lefties for the time being, swapping spots with Juan Rivera.
In 95 games this season at Albuquerque, Sands is hitting .286 with a .367 OBP, 14 doubles, 21 homers, and 82 RBIs. Keep in mind that numbers at that place can get inflated thanks to the thin air. But still, he's definitely shown that he's ready to ply his craft in LA again. In two years covering 69 games, he's hitting .248 with 4 homers and 27 RBIs, so hopefully he's ready to show that those numbers will only go up.
As for Gwynn, the writing was definitely on the wall when Victorino arrived that his days could be numbered. He's really a prototypical substitute, as he has plenty of speed and defensive ability. Unfortunately for him, his hitting was getting so bad, there was just no use for him anymore. It's not like Victorino, Matt Kemp, or Andre Ethier would need a defensive replacement late in games since they've all won Gold Gloves, so that option was out the window.
Over two years with the Dodgers, Gwynn hit a horrible .245, and even worse .294 OBP. The 35 stolen bases are good, but when you're never on base, it's pretty hard to steal. He needs to be given plenty of credit for his defense, which combined with his legs will still earn him a spot on some team. But as his recent 0-for-13 slump showed, it was time to let him go. He simply wasn't getting any better.
Overall, this is a smart move by the Dodgers. The additions of Victorino and Hanley Ramirez will only help the offense in the long run, but that lineup can still use more thump. Maybe Sands can be that guy who drives in runs at the bottom of the order. That way their lineup can be more consistent top to bottom. We shall see.
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