Cruz's Day of Reckoning has arrived

It took the Dodgers 78 games, but they finally let Luis Cruz out of his misery.

With Scott Van Slyke being activated from the 15-day DL on Friday, the Dodgers officially designated Cruz for assignment.  The move was a forgone conclusion now that people are finally starting to get healthy.

It's shocking to know that the Dodgers don't have any use for a guy hitting .127 with one homer and six RBIs in 45 games.  Just take a moment and let those numbers sink in.  He's been to the plate 118 times and has 15 hits to show for it.  15!  You'd think he'd accidentally get like 20 or so.  Nope.

This is a move that's long overdue, but with the injuries coming in waves for the Dodgers, they almost had to keep him in the big leagues just for a healthy body.  But make no mistake about it - for every bit as bad as Juan Uribe was the previous two seasons, Cruz may have been worse this year.  It's close, but he may actually have done it.

There's no way in H E double hockey sticks that another team will put a claim in on him, so expect him to be assigned to Albuquerque in 10 days.  And who knows, maybe he gives the Dodgers a spark down the stretch like he did last year.  That seems about as likely as Brandon League pitching a perfect ninth, but crazy things can happen.

As for Van Slyke, he'll be relied upon late in game for a power bat off the bench.  He can also spell Adrian Gonzalez at first, and good for him too considering the last thing the Dodgers need is more outfielders.  Keep in mind Carl Crawford is due back soon, so I would guess Van Slyke is dusting off his first baseman's mitt right about now.

Either way, best of luck to Cruz, and it's good to see Van Slyke back.

It's time to cut ties with Cruz

The Dodgers dropped the finale of a three-game series in Pittsburgh today, 6-3.  Zack Greinke was bad, Matt Guerrier gave up another run, and the offense had only one extra-base hit.

Through all of that, there's one guy who continues to further and further establish himself as the worst player in baseball.  And with Monday being a travel day before starting a two-game set in Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, the Dodgers need to mercifully get rid of Luis Cruz.

And fast.

Right now Cruz has played in 44 games, including 29 starts.  In 114 at-bats, he's hitting .132 with a .180 OBP, along with two doubles, one homer, six RBIs, five walks, and no steals.  Today he was up with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth.  He struck out looking.

It was the perfect chance to erase some (but not nearly all) of the bad memories to start the 2013 season.  Even a single would've been fine.  But nope, he failed to come through again.

Now all I have to say is this - for the love of everything that is good in the world, STOP PLAYING HIM!!!  I could not possibly care less anymore who's hurt and for how long.  That is completely irrelevant at this point.  His bat has ZERO impact in the lineup.  I don't want to see him start at third.  I don't want to see him start at short.  I don't want to see him pinch-hit.  I don't even want to see him warming anybody up in between innings.

It's easy to blame Don Mattingly for constantly putting him in there, but management needs to do the right thing and not even make that an option.  Ship his ass back to the minors where he belongs!  Major League pitching has obviously figured him out after his good run at the end of last season, and he hasn't come close to adjusting.  As a big fan of the Dodgers, he's as frustrating to watch as anyone I can remember.  Maybe not quite on the Andruw Jones level of frustration, but close.

It's not that I don't like the guy, I actually do.  Coming into this season, I thought Cruz would be a good player based on what I saw in 2012.  He played hard, had a good glove, and had some pop in his bat.  But now there's a big enough sample size to see that he needs time away from LA.  There is no way anyone with even the littlest of baseball knowledge can say that he's doing anything to help this team win.  Not even close.

Hanley Ramirez is slowly making his way back from injury.  Nick Punto has definitely slowed down after a great April, but he's still versatile.  Skip Schumaker and Jerry Hairston can also play multiple positions.  And yes, even Juan Uribe has been decent this year, and hasn't completely embarrassed himself for a change.

So, there's other options.  And Cruz should NOT be one of them anymore.  Don't even give Mattingly the thought of trying to work him in the lineup.  Enough is enough!!!

5 ideas to fix the Dodgers

The Dodgers are terrible.

We all know that, and we all see it every night.  They're banged up, can't drive in runs, can't close out games late, and make plenty of mental errors.  A $200+ million payroll doesn't fix any of that.

So how can things be fixed?  It won't be easy, it won't be quick, but here are five ideas I have for turning things around.  Some might be radical, but so what?  It's not like this team is going anywhere at this current rate anyway, so why not try some new things?

1. Demote Brandon League and put Kenley Jansen back in the closer's role.  League has been absolutely embarrassing as of late.  He's given up runs in five of his last six appearances, and seven of 10.  He's been charged with the loss his last two appearances, and his ERA has risen from 4.09 to 5.40.  Hardly the numbers of a closer.

I know League signed a big contract for a reliever this past offseason (three years, $22.5 million), but that can't be the reason to keep running him out there late in games just to watch him flop.  Kenley Jansen is by far the best option right now.  When you're looking at a closer, you want him to strike people out.  Well, League's K/9 is a paltry 4.73, while Jansen's is 11.12.  There is no comparison.  Jansen is certainly not flawed, as he basically just throws a cut fastball over and over.  But when it's on, he's unhittable.  Make the switch, get League some work in the middle innings, and don't look back.

2. Promote Yasiel Puig.  He's the most exciting thing not named Clayton Kershaw the Dodgers have right now.  And he hasn't even played Triple-A ball yet.  And you know what - Who cares?  He made a huge splash in Spring Training and was the talk of the baseball world.  I did not blame the Dodgers one bit for sending him down to get him seasoning.  The only thing I said at the time was that he needed to be on standby in case the offense sputters.  Uh, the offense is sputtering.

There are understandably concerns with his maturity, as he was recently busted for reckless driving.  He's only 22 and obviously has plenty of growing up to do.  And guess what I say to all of that once again - Who cares?  The Dodgers need offense, they need some excitement, and he's just the guy to bring it.  Let the kid play, and buy him a damn chauffeur for all I care.  Just get him to Dodger Stadium and fast.

3. Trade Andre Ethier.  Speaking of calling up Puig, it would have to be Ethier who is let go.  Look, Ethier has had lots of great moments in Dodger blue, as he was at one point the walk-off king, earning the nickname "Andre the Giant."

And now?  A .243 AVG, 3 HR, 10 RBIs.  Not horrible, but certainly not good either.  He still can't hit lefties with a .250 AVG, but now he can't hit righties either (.239).  At home he's hitting .218.  With runners in scoring position, it's .161.  The bottom line is that I just don't see any pop in his bat anymore.  He can hit singles, but that's about it.  The days of his clutch hitting are done.  Because he's only 31, there's still time to trade him before he gets out of his "prime."  I have to believe some teams would pounce on him, believing that a change of scenery would do the trick.  If I'm Ned Colletti, I'm making it happen.  Everyone deserves a change here.

4. Demote or DFA Luis Cruz and Justin Sellers.  To be honest, I couldn't possibly care less what happens with these two.  They have had some of the most atrocious trips to the plate I can ever remember.  Cruz is hitting .091 with 2 RBIs in 66 ABs.  Sellers is hitting .191 with 2 RBIs in 68 ABs.  That's pathetic!

Yet, because of injuries and way too much patience, there they are being run out there almost every night.  They are clearly not Major League-level players.  Clearly.  Down in Triple-A Albuquerque there's guys like Alfredo Amezaga, Brian Barden, and Rusty Ryal playing infield positions other than first base.  Dee Gordon and Elian Herrera are already up because of injuries.  Do I have much confidence in any of them?  No.  But at least it would be better than watching Cruz and Sellers stink up the joint game after game.  Enough is enough!

5. Move Kemp out of the #3 spot in the order.  The Dodgers' leader in home runs right now is Carl Crawford with five.  Kemp has one, which is the same as Sellers and Nick Punto.  Um, not good.

The Dodgers simply can't afford to keep watching Kemp fail over and over to make an impact in the three-spot.  How many times already have we seen him in a spot to deliver a big hit, only to ground out?  I can appreciate Don Mattingly having faith in his boy, but the Dodgers need to score runs!  It's not about riding out a slump while others hit because so many others aren't hitting, too.  I would move him down to #5 for now until he proves he can consistently hit again.

Crawford's numbers have cooled off lately, but he's still hitting .304 and is a career .291 hitter as the third hitter.  He's definitely an option to move into that spot.  Adrian Gonzalez is an option as well since he's hitting .340, though I like him in the cleanup spot better.  Either way, it's time to fix the lineup instead of hoping it'll fix itself.  It's not going to happen.

With Hanley out, here are his brutal replacements

It hasn't been made official yet, but it's only a matter of time before the Dodgers announce that Hanley Ramirez will go on the 15-day DL with a hamstring injury.  It's a tough break for him and the Dodgers, who desperately need his bat in the lineup.

The early word is that Dee Gordon will be brought back up to fill his spot.  It's not so much that he deserves to be up, but more because the Dodgers have some awful players on their roster as it is, so they have to give it a shot.

Speaking of those awful players, let's take a look at those players who could see increased at-bats in Hanley's absence.

Dee Gordon
(With Triple-A Albuquerque) 25 G, .319 AVG, .397 OBP, 0 HR, 12 RBI, 14 SB
We all know the story of Gordon, who was great in his appearance at the end of the 2011 season, couldn't get on base or stay healthy last season, and began this season in the minors.  As you can see, at least he's playing pretty well down on the farm, as he's finding ways to get on base and has only been caught stealing twice.  But, he once again is struggling with the leather, as he has eight errors in 25 games.  That just won't get it done at the big league level.  If he wants to get to LA and stay there, that has to get better.

Nick Punto
20 G, .386 AVG, .471 OBP, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB
About the only part-time player who's given Dodger fans any confidence has been Punto.  He plays hard and can get it done defensively at multiple positions.  He certainly won't give any help in the power department with 15 home runs in 13 seasons, but that's not his game.

Jerry Hairston
18 G, .234 AVG, .275 OBP, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB
I like how hard Hairston plays, but once again, it's another example of someone getting all sorts of playing time with little results.  In 47 AB's, he has two extra-base hits.  There's just nothing special he brings to the plate anymore.

Justin Sellers
23 G, .194 AVG, .270 OBP, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB
Awful, just awful.  He was the surprise Opening Day starter at short, and has shown everybody why he completely didn't deserve it.  Absolutely no pop in his bat, and just an eyesore to watch.

Luis Cruz
22 G, .098 AVG, .125 OBP, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB
I can make the case that of all the players who receive regular or semi-regular playing time, Cruz is the worst.  In 61 official at-bats, he has six hits.  Think about that.  SIX FREAKIN' HITS.  That is so horrendous and embarrassing, I don't even know what else to say.

Skip Schumaker
23 G, .119 AVG, .288 OBP, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Schumaker was brought to the Dodgers on the advice of hitting coach Mark McGwire, who had some success with him in St. Louis.  Well, that success must have never made the plane ride over from Missouri, as Schumaker has been pathetic.  He's slugging .143, too.  That says it all right there.

Juan Uribe
17 G, .200 AVG, .391 OBP, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB
The average is no surprise, but the on-base is a pleasant surprise.  Not that it matters because he hasn't stolen a base since 2011 with a whopping two.  The fact that after his first two seasons of miserable baseball in LA he's still receiving at-bats is a perfect reflection of just how bad the Dodgers are offensively.  And how desperate they are for somebody to step up.

Bottom Line:
I wouldn't be opposed to Gordon getting the call-up, as with the exception of Punto, everybody else has no business whatsoever of getting Major League at-bats.  In a perfect world, Sellers and Cruz would be sent packing to Triple-A, or just flat out DFA'd.  Because of injuries, that's probably not going to happen.  Schumaker should also be a goner, but will be given a longer leash because of his track record.  I've already accepted the fact that Uribe isn't going anywhere because of his contract, so that's just the way it is.

On second thought, maybe Cruz will play short

After news broke of Hanley Ramirez missing two months with a torn thumb ligament, the speculation quickly turned to who will take his place.  One option was to keep Luis Cruz at third and play the likes of Dee Gordon, Jerry Hairston, and Nick Punto at short.  The other was to move Cruz to short, while Hairston, Punto, and Juan Uribe play thrid.

I thought for sure that Cruz would stay in his spot at third while the others filled in at short. 

Naturally, I thought wrong.

At least it sure appears that way, as Don Mattingly seems to be favoring moving Cruz back to short.  In 23 starts at short (24 total appearances) with the Dodgers last season, he compiled a great .981 fielding %, with only 2 errors in 104 total chances.  He's also had much success in short stints with the Pirates and Brewers in the past.

So, it's not hard to see why Donny Baseball likes Cruz to move over a slot, because he's shown to be very capable of pulling it off.  Throw in the fact that he's hitting .308 this spring with four homers, and that he played very well in the World Baseball Classic (when he wasn't inciting bench-clearing brawls), and you can see why he needs to be in the lineup no matter where he is on defense.

Now that leaves the aforementioned other three guys to man the hot corner.  Whom should it be?  Well, Hairston has a career .893 fielding % in 19 games manning the hot corner, Punto is at .908% in 40 games, and Uribe is at .964 in 259 games.  The advantage in career stats is with Uribe.

But this is also the same Juan Uribe who hit .204 in 2011 and .191 last season with the Dodgers.  So ya... I don't see him starting everyday at third.  Sadly, he probably will get some time there, and that's just something we all have to deal with.  I fully expect Hairston and Punto to get the majority of time there, though.  As well they should be.

More bullpen depth could be added

In addition to trying to lure in Trevor Hoffman, the Dodgers are looking at making over their bullpen even more. Not a bad idea considering that Chan Ho Park, Scott Proctor, Joe Beimel, and Takashi Saito are either gone or will be gone.

Jayson Stark of ESPN reports that they've offered a deal to righty Dennys Reyes, recently of the Minnesota Twins. He's a former Dodger from 1997-1998, his first 2 seasons in the Bigs. Last season with the Twins, he posted great numbers of a 2.33 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Seems like a great addition to me.

Another man in consideration is another ex-Dodger, righty Guillermo Mota. He once had a very promising career, but it seems to have taken a downhill turn ever since the Dodgers traded him in 2003 as part of the Brad Penny-Paul Lo Duca deal. Last season with the Brewers, he posted mediocre numbers of 4.11 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. Maybe a return to LA would get him in a comfort zone again, I guess.

The last man rumored is righty Juan Cruz. He's done very well the last couple of years in Arizona, highlighted last season with a 2.61 ERA and 1.26 WHIP last season. He knows how to get a strikeout, with 71 in 57.2 IP. Seems like a solid addition to me.

So that leads me to ask one question, which is what about getting a lefty? Right now, they only have Hong-Chih Kuo, who's dominating, but can't pitch everyday because of arm problems in the past. With Beimel looking to be gone, they need someone to come in and pitch an inning each night. Maybe Scott Elbert or Greg Miller could do it, but they're young and unproven. But, maybe the Dodgers have confidence in them to get it done.

Looking at the candidates, it looks like either Reyes or Cruz would make great additions. Mota would be my last choice. Getting Hoffman and Reyes or Cruz would be fantastic. A Reyes/Cruz-Broxton-Hoffman trio to pitch the 7-9 innings would be great.