The Dodgers have seen a lot go down in the last couple of days with roster movement, so here's the lowdown.
Adam Kennedy has been activated from the 15-day DL, where he was on since July 26 with a strained groin. In 70 games this year, Kennedy is hitting a blistering .250 with 8 doubles, a homer, and 15 RBIs. To his credit, he actually was having a great July before going down with a .342 AVG. Plus, he can play nearly every infield position, which is key late in games when it's substitution time.
Still, I'm pretty confused about why Sands is already going back down. Here I was a few days ago going on and on about how he'll play more first base in addition to the outfield... and then he gets sent back down after one game! Obviously he'll be back up when it's time for rosters to expand to 40 in September, but still, I didn't realize he was just keeping Kennedy's seat warm.
Speaking of biding time until September, a couple of veterans have accepted outright assignments to Triple-A Albuquerque: Bobby Abreu and Tony Gwynn. Both became victims of new blood and declining numbers, and both are willing to stick it out for a few weeks before coming back.
I wasn't too surprised when Gwynn accepted his assignment, but I have to admit, I all but forgot about Abreu. So when his name popped up as heading to the minors, I was really surprised. I actually have to give these two guys a ton of credit for even going to the minors in the first place. There's no way this would have happened if it were early in the season, and understandably so. But with September on the horizon, it's worth a shot.
Showing posts with label Abreu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abreu. Show all posts
Friday, August 10, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
With Victorino in, Abreu is odd man out
In a bit of a surprising move, the Dodgers announced on Wednesday that Bobby Abreu has been designated for assignment to make room for Shane Victorino. Abreu was signed on May 4 after the Angels let him go.
Abreu appeared in 70 games for the Dodgers, hitting .251 with a .359 OBP, 2 homers, 17 RBIs, and 5 steals. He had an excellent May, hitting .318 with a whopping .430 OBP. June wasn't nearly as good (.200, .307) and July was only slightly better (.229, .327).
Even with his drops in numbers, I'm still surprised by this. He knows how to get on base, and late in games, I would think it would be nice to turn to a veteran who knows how to get on.
But, what ultimately was his undoing is his lack of power. In 203 at-bats with both the Angels and Dodgers, he only has 14 extra-base hits (11 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers). Maybe the Dodgers wanted someone with more pop, and were obviously concerned by his numbers dropping so low recently.
I'm sure plenty of people much preferred Juan Uribe to get DFA'd, but that hasn't happened yet. So why hasn't it, you may ask? Perhaps it's a money thing. Maybe it's a Ned Colletti thing, as he doesn't want to give up on his big free agent signing a couple years back. Or maybe the Dodgers want that infield depth, as the outfield is now set with Victorino, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier being your everyday starters. Who knows.
Anyway you look at it, Abreu is gone, and I'll miss him. He got rave reviews for his handling of younger players, and seemed like he was accepting his role off the bench. I can't imagine he'll have any trouble latching onto another team, so we'll see him soon.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
June swoon has pelted the Dodgers
Matt Guerrier. Juan Rivera. Mark Ellis. Ted Lilly. Matt Kemp. Javy Guerra. And now, Andre Ethier.
What do they all have in common? The Dodgers were once able to replace them with someone new at one time or another without skipping a beat. It worked up until June 17, when they beat the White Sox to improve to 42-25, good for a five-game lead over the Giants in the NL West.
A week-and-a-half later? Try 43-33, and a deadlock with the Giants thanks to getting swept in San Francisco. Oh ya, they didn't score one run in three games. No runs. Three games. Yikes.
Folks, the June swoon has it, and boy has it hit hard.
So how exactly have the Dodgers managed to drop seven of eight? The biggest thing, quite simply, is the offense. Kemp is irreplaceable, but the Dodgers still found ways to win without him for much of the season. It looks like his absence has finally caught up to them.
Let's take a look at the culprits, and how they've performed since that win on June 17:
Juan Uribe: 1-for-20 (.050 AVG), 1 2B, 1 RBI, 8 K's. Ned Colletti brought this guy along last season for his championship experience. I guess that "championship experience" is showing everyone what not to do. He has been a colossal disappointment to say the least. I know he's had trouble staying healthy, but when he is in there, he's awful. Just plain awful.
James Loney: 0-for-15 (you know the average), 1 BB, 2 K's. Mr. Groundout to 2nd said earlier this year that he believes he's an everyday player. Well, if he is, then the Dodgers would be 0-76. Seriously, I'm insulted that somebody as bad at the plate as him would even have the nerve to say he should play more. That's just ridiculous.
Elian Herrera: 2-for-31 (.065), 1 R, 1 2B, 9 K's. Not to mention all of the double plays he's grounded into. Look, I like Herrera, as he's as versatile as they come. But it's obvious he's either worn out, or pitchers have caught up to him. He's as lost as can be at the plate, and it's not getting any better.
Tony Gwynn: 6-for-26 (.231), 1 R, 1 2B, 2 BB, 3 K's, 1 SB. For a guy who should get on base to use his speed, he has an OBP of .298. That's really bad. He's another guy who gives his all on defense, but gives you nothing at the plate. And that's why he's a career reserve, plain and simple.
Bobby Abreu: 2-for-26 (.077), 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 2 BB, 8 K's. Abreu has been a big pickup for the most part, but he's someone else who looks worn down. There's no way anyone thought he'd be playing this much, but the injuries have made it happen. And it figures, the one game where he crushed a three-run homer, Chad Billingsley choked away the lead for a loss.
Dee Gordon: 6-for-36 (.167), 2 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K's, 3 SB. Gordon did have three straight games with two hits apiece, but is still not getting on base nearly enough for a leadoff hitter, as evidenced by his .277 OBP. Plus, his defense is still a work in progress.
If you add up the numbers of these six regulars, they're hitting a combined 17-for-154 for a .110 average. Holy crap, that's really, really bad. I mean REALLY bad. Of course, there's also starting pitchers like Billingsley and Nathan Eovaldi getting pounded recently, but it's hard to blame the pitching when the offense barely backs them up.
As good as the Dodgers have been (until recently) without Kemp, the bottom line all along was that they needed him if they wanted to make some noise in the playoffs. Now they need him just to keep from getting shutout every night. We can only hope he won't rush back to save the day, but it looks like the earliest he'll come back is after the All-Star break. And no matter what happens, his health comes first, so it's a good decision.
Starting with Thursday night's home game against the Mets, the Dodgers have 11 games left before the break. And now that Ethier looks like he will miss some time, whether that be long or short, the guys who are in the lineup have to find a way to gain back some respectability. It won't be easy, as they play the Mets and Reds at home before taking on the Diamondbacks on the road.
There's a tired, old sports cliche of "take one game at a time" that players say way too much. Well guess what? I'm about to say it now, as that's exactly what the focus needs to be. Maybe the Dodgers will look back at this stretch as their low point, and they start to play ball again. Or, it could get even worse, and the losses will be too much to overcome.
Either way, the guys mentioned above have to get better if the Dodgers want to start winning again. If not, then the trade deadline could get a whole lot more interesting.
What do they all have in common? The Dodgers were once able to replace them with someone new at one time or another without skipping a beat. It worked up until June 17, when they beat the White Sox to improve to 42-25, good for a five-game lead over the Giants in the NL West.
A week-and-a-half later? Try 43-33, and a deadlock with the Giants thanks to getting swept in San Francisco. Oh ya, they didn't score one run in three games. No runs. Three games. Yikes.
Folks, the June swoon has it, and boy has it hit hard.
So how exactly have the Dodgers managed to drop seven of eight? The biggest thing, quite simply, is the offense. Kemp is irreplaceable, but the Dodgers still found ways to win without him for much of the season. It looks like his absence has finally caught up to them.
Let's take a look at the culprits, and how they've performed since that win on June 17:
Juan Uribe: 1-for-20 (.050 AVG), 1 2B, 1 RBI, 8 K's. Ned Colletti brought this guy along last season for his championship experience. I guess that "championship experience" is showing everyone what not to do. He has been a colossal disappointment to say the least. I know he's had trouble staying healthy, but when he is in there, he's awful. Just plain awful.
James Loney: 0-for-15 (you know the average), 1 BB, 2 K's. Mr. Groundout to 2nd said earlier this year that he believes he's an everyday player. Well, if he is, then the Dodgers would be 0-76. Seriously, I'm insulted that somebody as bad at the plate as him would even have the nerve to say he should play more. That's just ridiculous.
Elian Herrera: 2-for-31 (.065), 1 R, 1 2B, 9 K's. Not to mention all of the double plays he's grounded into. Look, I like Herrera, as he's as versatile as they come. But it's obvious he's either worn out, or pitchers have caught up to him. He's as lost as can be at the plate, and it's not getting any better.
Tony Gwynn: 6-for-26 (.231), 1 R, 1 2B, 2 BB, 3 K's, 1 SB. For a guy who should get on base to use his speed, he has an OBP of .298. That's really bad. He's another guy who gives his all on defense, but gives you nothing at the plate. And that's why he's a career reserve, plain and simple.
Bobby Abreu: 2-for-26 (.077), 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 2 BB, 8 K's. Abreu has been a big pickup for the most part, but he's someone else who looks worn down. There's no way anyone thought he'd be playing this much, but the injuries have made it happen. And it figures, the one game where he crushed a three-run homer, Chad Billingsley choked away the lead for a loss.
Dee Gordon: 6-for-36 (.167), 2 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K's, 3 SB. Gordon did have three straight games with two hits apiece, but is still not getting on base nearly enough for a leadoff hitter, as evidenced by his .277 OBP. Plus, his defense is still a work in progress.
If you add up the numbers of these six regulars, they're hitting a combined 17-for-154 for a .110 average. Holy crap, that's really, really bad. I mean REALLY bad. Of course, there's also starting pitchers like Billingsley and Nathan Eovaldi getting pounded recently, but it's hard to blame the pitching when the offense barely backs them up.
As good as the Dodgers have been (until recently) without Kemp, the bottom line all along was that they needed him if they wanted to make some noise in the playoffs. Now they need him just to keep from getting shutout every night. We can only hope he won't rush back to save the day, but it looks like the earliest he'll come back is after the All-Star break. And no matter what happens, his health comes first, so it's a good decision.
Starting with Thursday night's home game against the Mets, the Dodgers have 11 games left before the break. And now that Ethier looks like he will miss some time, whether that be long or short, the guys who are in the lineup have to find a way to gain back some respectability. It won't be easy, as they play the Mets and Reds at home before taking on the Diamondbacks on the road.
There's a tired, old sports cliche of "take one game at a time" that players say way too much. Well guess what? I'm about to say it now, as that's exactly what the focus needs to be. Maybe the Dodgers will look back at this stretch as their low point, and they start to play ball again. Or, it could get even worse, and the losses will be too much to overcome.
Either way, the guys mentioned above have to get better if the Dodgers want to start winning again. If not, then the trade deadline could get a whole lot more interesting.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Schmidt lands back on the DL, Abreu recalled
Four starts into his comeback, Jason Schmidt is back home... on the disabled list, that is.
Schmidt was placed on the 15-day DL with right shoulder soreness. The plan, according to Joe Torre, is to have him rehab and possibly contribute to the big club in September.
Color me skeptical, but I'll believe it when I see it. Maybe Torre is envisioning him in the bullpen, especially when rosters expand. But I just can't see him being in the starting rotation again. It's not like he can get deep in games, so that seems unlikely.
Perhaps we've seen the last of Schmidt in his highly disappointing Dodgers' career. With the way his body has crumbled on him, it certainly wouldn't be a surprise if he's done.
In his place, Tony Abreu has been recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. He hasn't been in L.A. since 2007 because of hip and groin problems. He was hitting .342 in the minors, so that's a good sign.
Schmidt was placed on the 15-day DL with right shoulder soreness. The plan, according to Joe Torre, is to have him rehab and possibly contribute to the big club in September.
Color me skeptical, but I'll believe it when I see it. Maybe Torre is envisioning him in the bullpen, especially when rosters expand. But I just can't see him being in the starting rotation again. It's not like he can get deep in games, so that seems unlikely.
Perhaps we've seen the last of Schmidt in his highly disappointing Dodgers' career. With the way his body has crumbled on him, it certainly wouldn't be a surprise if he's done.
In his place, Tony Abreu has been recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. He hasn't been in L.A. since 2007 because of hip and groin problems. He was hitting .342 in the minors, so that's a good sign.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Dunn and Abreu are now targeted
With Manny Ramirez in some sort of a deep hibernation, the Dodgers are going forward and making overtures to other free agents. The 2 big names being floated around today are Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu.
First, let's look at both players. Dunn does 1 of 3 things each at bat: strike out, walk, or hit a home run. There's really not a whole lot else going on with him. He was 7th in all of baseball with 164 K's (Matt Kemp was right behind him with 153), 1st in walks with 122, and 2nd in homers with 40. I'm not sure there's any player in baseball with numbers as weird as those. If you can live with his K's and .236 AVG, then his OBP of .386 and power numbers are great.
Abreu is not the power hitter he once was, hence will not be someone to replace Ramirez. But, he still can drive in runs. For 6 straight seasons, he's been at nearly exactly the 100 mark. He did hit 20 homers last year after not getting to that mark for 2 straight seasons, so maybe he can get to that again. His walks used to top 100, but haven't in both seasons with the Yankees. Perhaps in the NL, he can be more patient again.
From the report I read on ESPN.com, it seems as if the Dodgers are more interested in Dunn, and less so in Abreu. Still, I can't blame them and certainly do commend them for reaching out and trying to make things happen while Manny takes his sweet time. And that's the right thing for the Dodgers to do. They can't just assume Manny will be back. What if he gets another offer and bolts to them? The Dodgers have every right and are only smart to be aggressive.
So what happens from here? If Manny is smart, he'll come to his senses and realize that the Dodgers are the only team that truly wants him back. If not, he could absolutely regret not signing with them.
Who would I rather have? I'm really mixed on this one. Dunn's power stats can't be denied. Getting 40 and 100 would be really sweet. Watching him get on base would also be nice. But, I think his K's would be hard to take on most nights. It's hard to believe that someone with as good an eye as him strikes out that much, but he does. If the Dodgers are slumping and he's K'ing all the time, he could take a lot of heat.
With Abreu, the Dodgers would have to remember that it's not the guy that won the Home Run Derby a few years back. He'll get hits, steal some bases, play good D, but won't be the power hitter of Manny. If fans understand that, it could work.
I guess I never really answered which one I'd rather have, but it's too hard to say. They won't do what Manny did down the stretch, but they both can help the Dodgers win in their own ways.
First, let's look at both players. Dunn does 1 of 3 things each at bat: strike out, walk, or hit a home run. There's really not a whole lot else going on with him. He was 7th in all of baseball with 164 K's (Matt Kemp was right behind him with 153), 1st in walks with 122, and 2nd in homers with 40. I'm not sure there's any player in baseball with numbers as weird as those. If you can live with his K's and .236 AVG, then his OBP of .386 and power numbers are great.
Abreu is not the power hitter he once was, hence will not be someone to replace Ramirez. But, he still can drive in runs. For 6 straight seasons, he's been at nearly exactly the 100 mark. He did hit 20 homers last year after not getting to that mark for 2 straight seasons, so maybe he can get to that again. His walks used to top 100, but haven't in both seasons with the Yankees. Perhaps in the NL, he can be more patient again.
From the report I read on ESPN.com, it seems as if the Dodgers are more interested in Dunn, and less so in Abreu. Still, I can't blame them and certainly do commend them for reaching out and trying to make things happen while Manny takes his sweet time. And that's the right thing for the Dodgers to do. They can't just assume Manny will be back. What if he gets another offer and bolts to them? The Dodgers have every right and are only smart to be aggressive.
So what happens from here? If Manny is smart, he'll come to his senses and realize that the Dodgers are the only team that truly wants him back. If not, he could absolutely regret not signing with them.
Who would I rather have? I'm really mixed on this one. Dunn's power stats can't be denied. Getting 40 and 100 would be really sweet. Watching him get on base would also be nice. But, I think his K's would be hard to take on most nights. It's hard to believe that someone with as good an eye as him strikes out that much, but he does. If the Dodgers are slumping and he's K'ing all the time, he could take a lot of heat.
With Abreu, the Dodgers would have to remember that it's not the guy that won the Home Run Derby a few years back. He'll get hits, steal some bases, play good D, but won't be the power hitter of Manny. If fans understand that, it could work.
I guess I never really answered which one I'd rather have, but it's too hard to say. They won't do what Manny did down the stretch, but they both can help the Dodgers win in their own ways.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Blake DeWitt could start at 3rd base
Andy LaRoche? Torn ligament in right thumb, out 2 months.
Nomar Garciaparra? Microfracture in right wrist, out 1-2 weeks.
Tony Abreu? Strained right groin, out 2-3 weeks.
And that, my friends, is why young Blake DeWitt could find himself thrust into the 3rd base position to start the season.
Before looking at the whole situation, let's look at DeWitt. He's had 41 at-bats thus far, hitting .224 with an OBP of .339. Of his 11 hits, 4 have been doubles, 2 were home runs, and 1 was a triple. He has more walks than strikeouts at 9 to 7. So, it shows he has pretty good pop in his bat when he does get a hold of one.
Still, a .224 AVG isn't exactly Earth-shattering. In today's day and age, it seems like more baseball people worry about the OBP, and at .339, that's not really jumping off the page either. Seems to me that his extra-base hits have caused optimism on his behalf.
He's never played about the Double-A level, but in the Dodgers' case, they don't exactly have many other options. Chin-lung Hu is more of a SS or 2B, which is where he'll find himself if Jeff Kent can't go to start the year. Therefore, DeWitt it is. His minor league stats show that he could be good for around 15-20 HR and 65-75 RBI a year.
I think it's worth a shot to see what he can do. He really doesn't have much pressure on himself, unlike LaRoche last year, when he failed miserably. LaRoche was expected to immediately start producing runs, whereas DeWitt has better hitters surrounding him this year (addition of Andruw Jones, improving hitters of Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, James Loney, and Russell Martin). It could work for the time being.
In the meantime, the injury bug that seems to always find its way to the Dodgers' clubhouse has not disappointed. Kent's injury seems minor, so that's a plus. Nomar's could go either way from what I can tell, which is not at all surprising. Abreu keeps digging himself more and more of a hole with another injury and a poor Spring. His days could be numbered when LaRoche is healthy and if DeWitt and/or Hu play well.
Nomar Garciaparra? Microfracture in right wrist, out 1-2 weeks.
Tony Abreu? Strained right groin, out 2-3 weeks.
And that, my friends, is why young Blake DeWitt could find himself thrust into the 3rd base position to start the season.
Before looking at the whole situation, let's look at DeWitt. He's had 41 at-bats thus far, hitting .224 with an OBP of .339. Of his 11 hits, 4 have been doubles, 2 were home runs, and 1 was a triple. He has more walks than strikeouts at 9 to 7. So, it shows he has pretty good pop in his bat when he does get a hold of one.
Still, a .224 AVG isn't exactly Earth-shattering. In today's day and age, it seems like more baseball people worry about the OBP, and at .339, that's not really jumping off the page either. Seems to me that his extra-base hits have caused optimism on his behalf.
He's never played about the Double-A level, but in the Dodgers' case, they don't exactly have many other options. Chin-lung Hu is more of a SS or 2B, which is where he'll find himself if Jeff Kent can't go to start the year. Therefore, DeWitt it is. His minor league stats show that he could be good for around 15-20 HR and 65-75 RBI a year.
I think it's worth a shot to see what he can do. He really doesn't have much pressure on himself, unlike LaRoche last year, when he failed miserably. LaRoche was expected to immediately start producing runs, whereas DeWitt has better hitters surrounding him this year (addition of Andruw Jones, improving hitters of Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, James Loney, and Russell Martin). It could work for the time being.
In the meantime, the injury bug that seems to always find its way to the Dodgers' clubhouse has not disappointed. Kent's injury seems minor, so that's a plus. Nomar's could go either way from what I can tell, which is not at all surprising. Abreu keeps digging himself more and more of a hole with another injury and a poor Spring. His days could be numbered when LaRoche is healthy and if DeWitt and/or Hu play well.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
With Nomar hurt, is Mark Loretta on his way in?
Yet another rumor is being thrown around concerning trading for a 3rd baseman. This time it seems legit, given that both Andy LaRoche and Nomar Garciaparra won't be ready for the start of the season. In the past the names have been Brandon Inge and Joe Crede. Now, add Mark Loretta's name to the mix.
Loretta is currently with the Houston Astros, but will be behind Kaz Matsui when he gets back from his pain in the ass injury. Sorry... I couldn't resist! Anyway, Loretta is a steady, singles hitter. He has a combined 12 home runs the last 3 years, and his AVG will be in the mid-.280's range. If the Dodgers are willing to get a guy that will get hits, but provide absolutely no power, then they should go for it.
I do like Loretta because he is a guy that can get on base. He's certainly not flashy, but at this point, the Dodgers can't be too picky about who they want. If he can come cheap, it should be worth a shot.
The other options include Blake DeWitt, Tony Abreu, and Chin-Lung Hu. Their averages this spring are as follows: DeWitt - .243, Abreu - .214, Hu - .243. While they obviously are still raw and will be better in the years to come, those averages don't exactly make the Dodgers too confident in handing one of them the job. Abreu may be called to duty at 2nd to fill in for Jeff Kent until he returns, so DeWitt and Hu remain.
If it were up to me, then I'd lean towards Hu, only because he has more experience being in the Bigs. DeWitt's time will come at some point. Who knows how long Nomar will be out, but it's one of those injuries that looked minor at first, and gradually it becomes longer and longer for him to come back. When Kent comes back, I think Hu and Abreu can hold the fort down for awhile.
Loretta is currently with the Houston Astros, but will be behind Kaz Matsui when he gets back from his pain in the ass injury. Sorry... I couldn't resist! Anyway, Loretta is a steady, singles hitter. He has a combined 12 home runs the last 3 years, and his AVG will be in the mid-.280's range. If the Dodgers are willing to get a guy that will get hits, but provide absolutely no power, then they should go for it.
I do like Loretta because he is a guy that can get on base. He's certainly not flashy, but at this point, the Dodgers can't be too picky about who they want. If he can come cheap, it should be worth a shot.
The other options include Blake DeWitt, Tony Abreu, and Chin-Lung Hu. Their averages this spring are as follows: DeWitt - .243, Abreu - .214, Hu - .243. While they obviously are still raw and will be better in the years to come, those averages don't exactly make the Dodgers too confident in handing one of them the job. Abreu may be called to duty at 2nd to fill in for Jeff Kent until he returns, so DeWitt and Hu remain.
If it were up to me, then I'd lean towards Hu, only because he has more experience being in the Bigs. DeWitt's time will come at some point. Who knows how long Nomar will be out, but it's one of those injuries that looked minor at first, and gradually it becomes longer and longer for him to come back. When Kent comes back, I think Hu and Abreu can hold the fort down for awhile.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)