The Dodgers made a minor move today by acquiring veteran catcher Rod Barajas from the Mets. In exchange, the Dodgers have sent cash considerations.
Barajas had a good month of May to up his average to .269 with 11 homers and 30 RBIs. He was put on the 15-day DL with a strained oblique at the end of July, and his numbers have taken a nosedive regardless. He now checks in with a .225 average, 12 homers, and 34 RBIs.
I give the Dodgers credit for trying to stop the insanity of being forced to watch A.J. Ellis and Brad Ausmus catch. I like Ausmus, who's a solid veteran backup, but he's hitting .196 with no homers and 2 RBIs in 15 games after suffering from a bad back for most of the year. Ellis is just awful with a .176 average, no homers, and nine RBIs. Neither one of these two can throw out baserunners if their lives depended on it either.
Ellis will be optioned when Barajas arrives on Tuesday, says Joe Torre. Thank God for that.
Barajas will never win a batting title, but he at least has shown some pop when healthy. Plus the Dodgers didn't have to give up anyone to get him. It's worth a shot, though it will hardly make a different this year.
Showing posts with label Ausmus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ausmus. Show all posts
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Manny back to the DL, welcome back Ausmus
Manny Ramirez has once again hit the 15-day DL, this time with a strained right calf. The move is retroactive to last Saturday. He's expected to be gone for three weeks.
It's no secret Manny hasn't had nearly the season Dodger fans have hoped for. When he has played, he's done pretty well. In 61 games (the Dodgers have played 92), he's hit .317 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs. A good average, but not nearly the power numbers they were expecting.
He's 38-years-old, so the Dodgers have to be cautious with him. They're still thinking long haul, and hopefully he'll be good to go in the final couple of months. Then there's the playoffs, which they can only hope will happen. It's a lot of hoping, but that's the reality of the situation.
In his place will be the return of Brad Ausmus. He's played in only one game this year, then went on the 60-day DL for back surgery. It wasn't a given at the time, but he's worked very hard to get back to the active roster. It's good to see that hard work pay off.
Not only does he bring veteran leadership to a team that has floundered lately, but he hit .295 last year. A.J. Ellis has filled in since April, and is hitting .204 with eight RBIs. Nothing against Ellis, but Ausmus is a clear upgrade.
It's no secret Manny hasn't had nearly the season Dodger fans have hoped for. When he has played, he's done pretty well. In 61 games (the Dodgers have played 92), he's hit .317 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs. A good average, but not nearly the power numbers they were expecting.
He's 38-years-old, so the Dodgers have to be cautious with him. They're still thinking long haul, and hopefully he'll be good to go in the final couple of months. Then there's the playoffs, which they can only hope will happen. It's a lot of hoping, but that's the reality of the situation.
In his place will be the return of Brad Ausmus. He's played in only one game this year, then went on the 60-day DL for back surgery. It wasn't a given at the time, but he's worked very hard to get back to the active roster. It's good to see that hard work pay off.
Not only does he bring veteran leadership to a team that has floundered lately, but he hit .295 last year. A.J. Ellis has filled in since April, and is hitting .204 with eight RBIs. Nothing against Ellis, but Ausmus is a clear upgrade.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Ausmus out until late summer
Tough news for Brad Ausmus today. He'll need to undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk in his lower back on Thursday. That will knock him out of action until at least late summer.
For a guy that just went on the 15-day DL for the first time in his 17-year career, this has already been a challenging season. At 41, he's contemplated retirement the last couple of years, but the Dodgers have convinced him to keep coming back.
At least this isn't for the rest of the season from all indications. But nonetheless, his veteran leadership will be missed during his time off. He's always been a great defensive catcher, but he actually was swinging a good bat too, hitting .295 in 36 games last season.
A.J. Ellis will be the main backup now, and he can finally settle in as a regular member of the big league roster. He'll have to make the most of it when called upon.
For a guy that just went on the 15-day DL for the first time in his 17-year career, this has already been a challenging season. At 41, he's contemplated retirement the last couple of years, but the Dodgers have convinced him to keep coming back.
At least this isn't for the rest of the season from all indications. But nonetheless, his veteran leadership will be missed during his time off. He's always been a great defensive catcher, but he actually was swinging a good bat too, hitting .295 in 36 games last season.
A.J. Ellis will be the main backup now, and he can finally settle in as a regular member of the big league roster. He'll have to make the most of it when called upon.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Bad back lands Ausmus on the DL
Brad Ausmus's incredible run of never being on the disabled list in 17 years has finally come to an end. A pinched nerve in his lower back has landed him on the 15-day DL.
It's a pretty remarkable accomplishment for a catcher to never be on the DL. You've got to think that all of the wear and tear would have put him on the injured list at some point, but it never has until now. Talk about durability!
As a result of this news, A.J. Ellis has been recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. Ellis thought he'd be in LA at the start of the season with the injury to Russell Martin in spring training, but Martin quickly recovered to prevent that from happening.
It's a pretty remarkable accomplishment for a catcher to never be on the DL. You've got to think that all of the wear and tear would have put him on the injured list at some point, but it never has until now. Talk about durability!
As a result of this news, A.J. Ellis has been recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. Ellis thought he'd be in LA at the start of the season with the injury to Russell Martin in spring training, but Martin quickly recovered to prevent that from happening.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Big Russ sidelined 4-6 weeks
A.J. Ellis just wanted a chance.
Now he's got it.
Russell Martin will be gone for four to six weeks with a pulled groin muscle. As a result, he'll definitely miss the rest of Spring Training and Opening Day. For a guy that plays in what seems like every game, this is surprising news.
The backup is Brad Ausmus, but he's 40-years-old and not up to the challenges of catching everyday. So, Joe Torre will keep him in the same role while handing over the reigns to Ellis. After playing in only 12 big league games, Ellis is finally given the chance to show what he has.
In looking at last year's stats, he certainly looks like he has something. At Triple-A Albuquerque, he hit .314 with a .438 OBP in 90 games. He has more career walks than strikeouts, so he can be a solid hitter at the bottom of the order to keep innings going.
My guess is once the regular season starts, Ausmus will see more time than usual. After all, he's a former All-Star, and somehow hit .295 in limited action last year. Plus, he's a great defensive catcher.
As for Martin, he worked hard this offseason to try and shake off a pretty bad 2009 by adding 25 pounds of muscle. Now, he'll have to wait a little while longer to show if that helped or not. It's not a good start, but could be much worse. Better to get your injury out of the way now than during the regular season.
Now he's got it.
Russell Martin will be gone for four to six weeks with a pulled groin muscle. As a result, he'll definitely miss the rest of Spring Training and Opening Day. For a guy that plays in what seems like every game, this is surprising news.
The backup is Brad Ausmus, but he's 40-years-old and not up to the challenges of catching everyday. So, Joe Torre will keep him in the same role while handing over the reigns to Ellis. After playing in only 12 big league games, Ellis is finally given the chance to show what he has.
In looking at last year's stats, he certainly looks like he has something. At Triple-A Albuquerque, he hit .314 with a .438 OBP in 90 games. He has more career walks than strikeouts, so he can be a solid hitter at the bottom of the order to keep innings going.
My guess is once the regular season starts, Ausmus will see more time than usual. After all, he's a former All-Star, and somehow hit .295 in limited action last year. Plus, he's a great defensive catcher.
As for Martin, he worked hard this offseason to try and shake off a pretty bad 2009 by adding 25 pounds of muscle. Now, he'll have to wait a little while longer to show if that helped or not. It's not a good start, but could be much worse. Better to get your injury out of the way now than during the regular season.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Belliard and Ausmus on their way back
The Dodgers strengthened their infield even more today by agreeing to contracts with Ronnie Belliard and Brad Ausmus. Belliard will compete for the starting job at second base, and Ausmus resumes his role as Russell Martin's backup behind the plate.
Belliard signed a one-year deal for $825,000 plus incentives. Ausmus' deal is also for one-year and worth $850,000. He'll have a $1 million option for 2011 with a $150,000 buyout if he chooses to move on.
Right before the trade deadline on August 30 of last season, Belliard was acquired for a couple of minor league pitchers. The deal didn't look like a big move at the time, but then he started swinging a hot bat and took off. In 24 games with the Dodgers, he hit a terrific .351 with five homers and 17 RBIs. In the playoffs, he got a hit in all eight games for a .300 average.
Blake DeWitt must be feeling like the odd man out. He looked to be the starting second baseman at the start of the winter, then Jamey Carroll was acquired. Now with Belliard aboard, DeWitt could go from starter to fighting for a pinch-hitting/defensive replacement role late in games.
If second base doesn't work out for Belliard, he can be a key backup for Casey Blake at third. Belliard also has experience at first base, so the Dodgers basically have three guys in Carroll, DeWitt, and Belliard that can play most infield spots. Nick Green has a shot at Rafael Furcal's backup at short.
The resigning of Ausmus is a quiet move, but a very good one. I'm not sure many people realized that he hit .295 in 36 games last season. I doubt he'll hit that again, but he's most valuable for his defense and clubhouse leadership anyway. At 41 years of age, I'm glad he held off retirement.
The most important stat for Ausmus? In 17 big league seasons, he's never been on the DL. Now that's amazing.
Belliard signed a one-year deal for $825,000 plus incentives. Ausmus' deal is also for one-year and worth $850,000. He'll have a $1 million option for 2011 with a $150,000 buyout if he chooses to move on.
Right before the trade deadline on August 30 of last season, Belliard was acquired for a couple of minor league pitchers. The deal didn't look like a big move at the time, but then he started swinging a hot bat and took off. In 24 games with the Dodgers, he hit a terrific .351 with five homers and 17 RBIs. In the playoffs, he got a hit in all eight games for a .300 average.
Blake DeWitt must be feeling like the odd man out. He looked to be the starting second baseman at the start of the winter, then Jamey Carroll was acquired. Now with Belliard aboard, DeWitt could go from starter to fighting for a pinch-hitting/defensive replacement role late in games.
If second base doesn't work out for Belliard, he can be a key backup for Casey Blake at third. Belliard also has experience at first base, so the Dodgers basically have three guys in Carroll, DeWitt, and Belliard that can play most infield spots. Nick Green has a shot at Rafael Furcal's backup at short.
The resigning of Ausmus is a quiet move, but a very good one. I'm not sure many people realized that he hit .295 in 36 games last season. I doubt he'll hit that again, but he's most valuable for his defense and clubhouse leadership anyway. At 41 years of age, I'm glad he held off retirement.
The most important stat for Ausmus? In 17 big league seasons, he's never been on the DL. Now that's amazing.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A few notes for upcoming games
Vin Scully was just talking about the next few games, and he relayed a message from Joe Torre that Rafael Furcal will get tomorrow off (day game after a night game). Blake DeWitt gets the start at short.
On Friday in Arizona, Russell Martin will get a rest, so look for Brad Ausmus to see his first action.
Finally, the Diamondbacks announced that Brandon Webb will NOT make a start against the Dodgers. Good! Not that I'm saying it's good he's hurt, but good that the Dodgers... well, "dodge" that bullet. Great play on words by me.
On Friday in Arizona, Russell Martin will get a rest, so look for Brad Ausmus to see his first action.
Finally, the Diamondbacks announced that Brandon Webb will NOT make a start against the Dodgers. Good! Not that I'm saying it's good he's hurt, but good that the Dodgers... well, "dodge" that bullet. Great play on words by me.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Dodgers sign Ausmus to back up Martin
The Dodgers continued on their quest to find a suitable backup to Russell Martin, as they have signed veteran Brad Ausmus to a 1-year, $1 million deal. Ausmus chose the Dodgers over the San Diego Padres after spending last season with the Houston Astros.
This signing is not a whole lot different than last year when Gary Bennett was brought along. Bennett was a defensive specialist, as is Ausmus. Too bad Bennett never really got a chance to get going, as he was lost early in the year to injury and never returned.
Ausmus will not be a late-game, pinch-hitting threat. He only hit .218 in 81 games last season. But, he has won 3 Gold Gloves in his career, and has even spot started in the infield on occasion. It looks like he'll be a decent afternoon starter after a night game.
I can only hope he comes in and plays well, because Martin desperately needs to rest his body more. He gets worn out too easily by logging too many innings, which you can't blame him for considering he's a gamer and refuses to sit at all. For his long-term health, he needs to get more rest. Let's hope Ausmus is a solution.
This signing is not a whole lot different than last year when Gary Bennett was brought along. Bennett was a defensive specialist, as is Ausmus. Too bad Bennett never really got a chance to get going, as he was lost early in the year to injury and never returned.
Ausmus will not be a late-game, pinch-hitting threat. He only hit .218 in 81 games last season. But, he has won 3 Gold Gloves in his career, and has even spot started in the infield on occasion. It looks like he'll be a decent afternoon starter after a night game.
I can only hope he comes in and plays well, because Martin desperately needs to rest his body more. He gets worn out too easily by logging too many innings, which you can't blame him for considering he's a gamer and refuses to sit at all. For his long-term health, he needs to get more rest. Let's hope Ausmus is a solution.
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