Day Three of the 2014 Winter Meetings will go down as a very big, and a very busy, one for the Dodgers.
First there was the acquisition of Jimmy Rollins from the Phillies. That alone seemed like enough for the day. Except it wasn't.
One day ago the Dodgers were both being linked to and denying a Dee Gordon trade to the Marlins. Well, it's happened, and Dan Haren will go along for the ride.
The Dodgers have traded Gordon and Haren to the Marlins for top pitching prospect Andrew Heaney. Also coming from Miami are second baseman Enrique Hernandez, right-handed pitcher Chris Hatcher, and catcher Austin Barnes.
First, let's take a look at Heaney. MLB.com has him ranked as the #18 overall prospect, and the #2 overall left-handed pitcher. He's stands 6'2" and will turn 24 next June. His profile describes him as a guy who throws up to 95 mph with a "wipeout" slider. Sounds like another lefty on the Dodgers right now. He also has developed a changeup for his third pitch, which has really raised his stock.
By the way, who's the #1 ranked lefty? Julio Urias... of the Dodgers. Nice!
The other three players are more for depth. Hernandez has one year of big league experience, appearing in 42 games with the Astros and Marlins, hitting .248. Hatcher has appeared in 81 games for the Marlins, all out of the bullpen, with a 4.82 ERA. Barnes has never played above the Double-A level after being drafted in 2011.
So, the big chip is obviously Heaney, who will join Urias as the next big guns ready to step in for the Dodgers. This makes me think that the new management might not be afraid to trade Zack Greinke this upcoming year if they really do think he'll opt out of his contract. At least they have some very good arms ready to step in, plus they can get more value in return via trade. We shall see.
I discussed Gordon more in-depth yesterday, so check out my post about him here. I will say that I very much enjoyed watching him emerge as an everyday player this past season, as there is simply no match for his speed. His defense at second was much-improved throughout the season, so I hope the Marlins leave him there. If he can cut down on his strikeouts and not be tempted to crush the ball too often, he'll be an All-Star again for sure.
Haren certainly had an up-and-down year in LA, as he looked like steal of the free agency class to start the season, fell into a horrible slump around July, then settled back down for some good starts down the stretch. He finished at 13-11 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 32 starts. All things considered, he did his job for the most part at the back end of the rotation. I just wish he was more consistent, as when he was bad, he was REALLY bad.
With Rollins in the fold and Gordon and Haren shipped out, the next big name on the list is Matt Kemp. There's still plenty of talk about him going to the Padres, so don't fall asleep on that yet. Considering how rapid fire the moves on this day have gone, it could only be a matter of "when" and not "if" this will happen.
Showing posts with label Hernandez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hernandez. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Ryu's value has skyrocketed... and oh ya, he's still hurt
As I type this, the Dodgers are still being creamed in Colorado 16-1 in the top of the ninth. This is a game that saw Carlos Frias make a spot start for Hyun-Jin Ryu, and it could not have gone any worse.
How bad was Frias? He only lasted two outs, giving up eight runs on 10 hits, including a three-run homer to Justin Morneau that started the scoring. His ERA coming in was 3.91... his ERA going out is 6.58. That's hard to do.
There's also this little tidbit, courtesy of Dodgers' beat writer Dylan Hernandez: Frias became the first pitcher in the modern baseball era to give up 10 hits and not complete an inning. Wow. Just plain wow.
Kevin Correia also made an appearance today, giving up six runs (five earned) in three innings, raising his ERA with the Dodgers to 7.73.
Roberto Hernandez has made seven starts with the Dodgers for a 4.76 ERA. He's failed to last longer than 4 1/3 innings in each of his last three starts.
Ladies and gentlemen, Ryu's value has suddenly gone through the roof without even throwing one pitch.
We all knew that Ryu was good before, but after having to sit and watch some of these other scrubs pitch way too often, it's obvious the Dodgers need a healthy Ryu if they stand any chance in October. The last thing anyone wants to see is one of the above mentioned guys get a big start in the postseason. That's as scary a thought as I can possibly think of.
Right now, Ryu is not on the DL, but is out with left shoulder soreness. The latest update is that he has no structural damage, which is huge. He's considered day-to-day as the Dodgers just hope they can win enough without him to wrap up the NL West and keep him resting as long as possible.
That's the silver lining on a day like this, as the Dodgers just wrapped up a horrible afternoon of baseball with a 16-2 loss. I know it's Coors Field, and I know every team has clunkers throughout the season, but these last two days have been very discouraging. To go from dominating the Giants the last two games in San Francisco to being outscored by the Rockies 26-6 the last two days is pretty frustrating.
And that's why Ryu's imminent return is such good news. Let's not forget his Game 3 start against the Cardinals last year in which he hurled seven shutout innings after the Cards defeated Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke the first two games. The stage is definitely not too big for him, and that's what the Dodgers need again next month.
Maybe four games in Chicago against the Cubs will get the Dodgers going again, as Kershaw and Greinke are scheduled to go. Maybe the bats will drive in runs again, just like the did last weekend against the Giants. Maybe the Giants will help out and lose some more.
And maybe, just maybe, Ryu can comeback strong and be that rock in the #3 spot of the rotation. That's what the Dodgers need the most.
How bad was Frias? He only lasted two outs, giving up eight runs on 10 hits, including a three-run homer to Justin Morneau that started the scoring. His ERA coming in was 3.91... his ERA going out is 6.58. That's hard to do.
There's also this little tidbit, courtesy of Dodgers' beat writer Dylan Hernandez: Frias became the first pitcher in the modern baseball era to give up 10 hits and not complete an inning. Wow. Just plain wow.
Kevin Correia also made an appearance today, giving up six runs (five earned) in three innings, raising his ERA with the Dodgers to 7.73.
Roberto Hernandez has made seven starts with the Dodgers for a 4.76 ERA. He's failed to last longer than 4 1/3 innings in each of his last three starts.
Ladies and gentlemen, Ryu's value has suddenly gone through the roof without even throwing one pitch.
We all knew that Ryu was good before, but after having to sit and watch some of these other scrubs pitch way too often, it's obvious the Dodgers need a healthy Ryu if they stand any chance in October. The last thing anyone wants to see is one of the above mentioned guys get a big start in the postseason. That's as scary a thought as I can possibly think of.
Right now, Ryu is not on the DL, but is out with left shoulder soreness. The latest update is that he has no structural damage, which is huge. He's considered day-to-day as the Dodgers just hope they can win enough without him to wrap up the NL West and keep him resting as long as possible.
That's the silver lining on a day like this, as the Dodgers just wrapped up a horrible afternoon of baseball with a 16-2 loss. I know it's Coors Field, and I know every team has clunkers throughout the season, but these last two days have been very discouraging. To go from dominating the Giants the last two games in San Francisco to being outscored by the Rockies 26-6 the last two days is pretty frustrating.
And that's why Ryu's imminent return is such good news. Let's not forget his Game 3 start against the Cardinals last year in which he hurled seven shutout innings after the Cards defeated Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke the first two games. The stage is definitely not too big for him, and that's what the Dodgers need again next month.
Maybe four games in Chicago against the Cubs will get the Dodgers going again, as Kershaw and Greinke are scheduled to go. Maybe the bats will drive in runs again, just like the did last weekend against the Giants. Maybe the Giants will help out and lose some more.
And maybe, just maybe, Ryu can comeback strong and be that rock in the #3 spot of the rotation. That's what the Dodgers need the most.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
In the early going, Colletti's small trades have paid off
Let me start off by saying that each of the three players Ned Colletti has traded for have only started one game for the Dodgers. So let's not get too carried away about what we see.
But hey, Roberto Hernandez, Kevin Correia, and Darwin Barney have all played great and the Dodgers are six games up in the NL West. So why shouldn't we be excited?
All three men were brought in for depth, and they had great debuts. Encouraging enough for the Dodgers to feel pretty darn good about who they have going forward.
Let's take a look at them:
Robert Hernandez. He got the start last week in Milwaukee in what turned out to be a 9-3 loss. That was more because Justin Turner had a meltdown at short, and the floodgates opened. Hernandez overcame two runs and three hits in the first inning so throw five perfect innings after that. Can't beat that.
How effective was Hernandez during that game? He retired the final 17 batters in a row he faced. The offense gave him a 3-2 lead in the seventh, but like I said before, it was all downhill from there. Still, he looks like a legit option for the fifth starter, and has definitely earned more starts going forward.
Kevin Correia. Hernandez had pretty good numbers coming in from Philly... but Correia definitely did not in Minnesota. His ERA hovered around five on a team going nowhere. So when he got the start against the Braves on Monday, it would've been hard to be optimistic.
The result? Six innings of one-run ball, guiding the Dodgers to a 6-2 win. He just looked rejuvenated, mixing his pitches and looking sharp all night. He probably could've kept going at only 82 pitches, but it was probably a smart move by Don Mattingly to yank him on a high note. I would think that's only a spot start and he'll eventually fill the long relief role vacated by Paul Maholm. But if Monday was any indication, he looks like he can fill either role just fine.
Darwin Barney. With Dee Gordon slowing down a bit as he's playing deeper in a season than he's ever been used to, the Barney acquisition looked really good on Tuesday. Getting his first start at second, he went 1-for-4 with an RBI single and run scored.
But, his real value didn't really show up in the box score. He showed his legs in the ninth when he reached on an error at short and hustled to second. After going to third on a groundout, he perfectly read a passed ball and scampered home to go up 4-2. With Kenley Jansen going for his 33rd save, he ranged behind him to catch a popup in short center. Not a bad first start to say the least.
Overall, all three have at least given Mattingly confidence to rest some regulars and put them in again. What also helps tremendously is that the Giants are in another free fall, and the rest of the NL West flat out sucks. Why not sprinkle in some bench players to keep everyone fresh in the stretch run? Makes sense to me.
If you throw in Dan Haren's last two starts, which have been great, then there's a lot to like about the back end of the 25-man roster. It's not like I expect all of them to keep dominating, as there were plenty of reasons why they had subpar numbers in the first place. But, I do think something has to be said about joining a winning team.
It makes everyone feel better about themselves and how they play. Now keep it going!
But hey, Roberto Hernandez, Kevin Correia, and Darwin Barney have all played great and the Dodgers are six games up in the NL West. So why shouldn't we be excited?
All three men were brought in for depth, and they had great debuts. Encouraging enough for the Dodgers to feel pretty darn good about who they have going forward.
Let's take a look at them:
Robert Hernandez. He got the start last week in Milwaukee in what turned out to be a 9-3 loss. That was more because Justin Turner had a meltdown at short, and the floodgates opened. Hernandez overcame two runs and three hits in the first inning so throw five perfect innings after that. Can't beat that.
How effective was Hernandez during that game? He retired the final 17 batters in a row he faced. The offense gave him a 3-2 lead in the seventh, but like I said before, it was all downhill from there. Still, he looks like a legit option for the fifth starter, and has definitely earned more starts going forward.
Kevin Correia. Hernandez had pretty good numbers coming in from Philly... but Correia definitely did not in Minnesota. His ERA hovered around five on a team going nowhere. So when he got the start against the Braves on Monday, it would've been hard to be optimistic.
The result? Six innings of one-run ball, guiding the Dodgers to a 6-2 win. He just looked rejuvenated, mixing his pitches and looking sharp all night. He probably could've kept going at only 82 pitches, but it was probably a smart move by Don Mattingly to yank him on a high note. I would think that's only a spot start and he'll eventually fill the long relief role vacated by Paul Maholm. But if Monday was any indication, he looks like he can fill either role just fine.
Darwin Barney. With Dee Gordon slowing down a bit as he's playing deeper in a season than he's ever been used to, the Barney acquisition looked really good on Tuesday. Getting his first start at second, he went 1-for-4 with an RBI single and run scored.
But, his real value didn't really show up in the box score. He showed his legs in the ninth when he reached on an error at short and hustled to second. After going to third on a groundout, he perfectly read a passed ball and scampered home to go up 4-2. With Kenley Jansen going for his 33rd save, he ranged behind him to catch a popup in short center. Not a bad first start to say the least.
Overall, all three have at least given Mattingly confidence to rest some regulars and put them in again. What also helps tremendously is that the Giants are in another free fall, and the rest of the NL West flat out sucks. Why not sprinkle in some bench players to keep everyone fresh in the stretch run? Makes sense to me.
If you throw in Dan Haren's last two starts, which have been great, then there's a lot to like about the back end of the 25-man roster. It's not like I expect all of them to keep dominating, as there were plenty of reasons why they had subpar numbers in the first place. But, I do think something has to be said about joining a winning team.
It makes everyone feel better about themselves and how they play. Now keep it going!
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Dodgers acquire Roberto Fausto Carmona Hernandez
*** UPDATE ***
It looks like Hernandez will take the place of Beckett in the rotation. Uh oh... not a good sign for Beckett, who's obviously hurt worse than we all thought. What a shame.
***
Ned Colletti traded for some pitching reinforcement today, picking up Roberto "Don't Call Me Fausto Carmona" Hernandez from the Phillies for a couple of players or cash. Hernandez was lined up to start for the Phillies tonight against the Astros, but that's obviously not going to happen.
This season, Hernandez is 6-8 with a 3.87 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 75 K's in 121 IP. Decent numbers, but nothing spectacular. What is very encouraging is his work since the All-Star break, as he's 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. He's cut down big time on his walks, which has led to much better numbers.
It's unclear right now how the Dodgers will use him, as a starter or in the 'pen. The rotation has issues at the bottom, as Josh Beckett is battling a bad hip, and Dan Haren has been hit hard before last night's start, where he dominated the Angels. Maybe giving Hernandez a start in one of their spots is an idea, or to give everyone else an extra day of rest in a spot start.
The bullpen could certainly use him as well. Take away Kenley Jansen and J.P. Howell, and the other options are slim and none for big outs late in games. Jamey Wright is having a pretty good year, but he's being used more for outs earlier in the game. Perhaps Hernandez gets a crack at pitching in setup.
Whatever the case, based on his recent success, this appears like a good move without giving up much. It's not like the Dodgers can't afford to give away cash, and anytime there's players to be named later, it means low-end prospects. In other words, not much being lost.
It will be interesting to see if Colletti is done here, which I doubt. I would think he's still looking for more help in the pitching department. We shall see what else he has in store.
It looks like Hernandez will take the place of Beckett in the rotation. Uh oh... not a good sign for Beckett, who's obviously hurt worse than we all thought. What a shame.
***
Ned Colletti traded for some pitching reinforcement today, picking up Roberto "Don't Call Me Fausto Carmona" Hernandez from the Phillies for a couple of players or cash. Hernandez was lined up to start for the Phillies tonight against the Astros, but that's obviously not going to happen.
This season, Hernandez is 6-8 with a 3.87 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 75 K's in 121 IP. Decent numbers, but nothing spectacular. What is very encouraging is his work since the All-Star break, as he's 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. He's cut down big time on his walks, which has led to much better numbers.
It's unclear right now how the Dodgers will use him, as a starter or in the 'pen. The rotation has issues at the bottom, as Josh Beckett is battling a bad hip, and Dan Haren has been hit hard before last night's start, where he dominated the Angels. Maybe giving Hernandez a start in one of their spots is an idea, or to give everyone else an extra day of rest in a spot start.
The bullpen could certainly use him as well. Take away Kenley Jansen and J.P. Howell, and the other options are slim and none for big outs late in games. Jamey Wright is having a pretty good year, but he's being used more for outs earlier in the game. Perhaps Hernandez gets a crack at pitching in setup.
Whatever the case, based on his recent success, this appears like a good move without giving up much. It's not like the Dodgers can't afford to give away cash, and anytime there's players to be named later, it means low-end prospects. In other words, not much being lost.
It will be interesting to see if Colletti is done here, which I doubt. I would think he's still looking for more help in the pitching department. We shall see what else he has in store.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Harang traded to Rockies
Aaron Harang's Dodger tenure has come to an end, as he has been traded to the Rockies for catcher Ramon Hernandez. Harang is expected to be moved again, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. It's mostly a salary relief type of deal for the Rockies, while the Dodgers are clearing up their cluttered starting pitching situation.
Harang inked a two-year, $12 million deal in December of 2011. He was one of the few durable starters for the Dodgers last season, posting 31 starts. In those, he went 10-10 with a 3.61 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 131 strikeouts in 172 2/3 innings. His WHIP was high thanks to a career-high in walks of 85, but his .246 BAA was just shy of his career-best .242 set in 2007 with the Reds.
While he proved to be a solid contributor to the starting rotation, the writing was on the wall that his days of taking the ball to start every fifth day were over. This offseason the Dodgers went out and signed Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu to massive deals, and with Josh Beckett aboard from the Red Sox at the trade deadline, spots were scarce.
The Dodgers tried to compromise by sending Harang to the bullpen to start the season, but he supposedly wasn't thrilled with that. I can't say I blame him, as it was obvious that he can still be a starter somewhere, and that the Dodgers didn't really have a need for him anymore. We all know injuries can, and most likely will, happen, but with Chris Capuano also in the long relief role, the right decision was made to move him elsewhere.
In return the Dodgers get a backup catcher in Hernandez. He was DFA'd by the Rockies before Opening Day when he lost out to Yorvit Torrealba to be Wilin Rosario's backup.
Hernandez had a good couple of season with the Reds in '10 and '11 before moving to the Rockies last season. His numbers in '12 could be a big reason why he became expendable, as he hit only .217 with 5 homers and 28 RBIs in 52 games. The fact that he's turning 37 in May probably didn't do him any favors.
I would think Hernandez's arrival means that departure of Tim Federowicz to Triple-A for now. I'm not sure why the Dodgers would trade for Hernandez if that wasn't going to happen. I really don't see a need to carry three catchers. They could always keep both and get rid of Juan Uribe! But that's just wishful thinking at this point.
With Chad Billingsley due back to start next Wednesday in San Diego, the Dodgers will have another roster move to make. Plus there's the status of Ted Lilly, who's fighting his way back from shoulder surgery last year. In other words, the wheelings and dealings involving the starting pitchers does not appear to be done.
Harang inked a two-year, $12 million deal in December of 2011. He was one of the few durable starters for the Dodgers last season, posting 31 starts. In those, he went 10-10 with a 3.61 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 131 strikeouts in 172 2/3 innings. His WHIP was high thanks to a career-high in walks of 85, but his .246 BAA was just shy of his career-best .242 set in 2007 with the Reds.
While he proved to be a solid contributor to the starting rotation, the writing was on the wall that his days of taking the ball to start every fifth day were over. This offseason the Dodgers went out and signed Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu to massive deals, and with Josh Beckett aboard from the Red Sox at the trade deadline, spots were scarce.
The Dodgers tried to compromise by sending Harang to the bullpen to start the season, but he supposedly wasn't thrilled with that. I can't say I blame him, as it was obvious that he can still be a starter somewhere, and that the Dodgers didn't really have a need for him anymore. We all know injuries can, and most likely will, happen, but with Chris Capuano also in the long relief role, the right decision was made to move him elsewhere.
In return the Dodgers get a backup catcher in Hernandez. He was DFA'd by the Rockies before Opening Day when he lost out to Yorvit Torrealba to be Wilin Rosario's backup.
Hernandez had a good couple of season with the Reds in '10 and '11 before moving to the Rockies last season. His numbers in '12 could be a big reason why he became expendable, as he hit only .217 with 5 homers and 28 RBIs in 52 games. The fact that he's turning 37 in May probably didn't do him any favors.
I would think Hernandez's arrival means that departure of Tim Federowicz to Triple-A for now. I'm not sure why the Dodgers would trade for Hernandez if that wasn't going to happen. I really don't see a need to carry three catchers. They could always keep both and get rid of Juan Uribe! But that's just wishful thinking at this point.
With Chad Billingsley due back to start next Wednesday in San Diego, the Dodgers will have another roster move to make. Plus there's the status of Ted Lilly, who's fighting his way back from shoulder surgery last year. In other words, the wheelings and dealings involving the starting pitchers does not appear to be done.
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