Dodgers get Lilly and Theriot for DeWitt

The Dodgers made their second trade deadline move today, nabbing Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot from the Cubs for Blake DeWitt and a couple of minor leaguers. This trade has been rumored for a few days.

Let's take a look at the new Dodgers. Lilly is the centerpiece, as he is in the final year of his contract, hence the Cubs moving him. You'd think he's been having an awful year with a 3-8 record, but the Cubs give him practically no run support. His 3.69 ERA and 1.14 WHIP are good numbers.

Lilly's arrival means the Dodgers have finally found a reliable fifth starter, as they've gone through pitchers like John Ely, Carlos Monasterios, and Charlie Haeger, with mostly negative results. Lilly may only be a rental for this year, but I think he'll be solid for them.

Theriot is hitting .284 this year with one homer and 14 RBIs. He does have 16 stolen bases, so like Scott Podsednik, if anything the Dodgers get faster on the bases. Of course, that also means they actually have to be on base for that to happen, but I digress. Anyway, he's played shortstop for most of his career, but went to second when Starlin Castro came aboard in Chicago.

I wouldn't look at Theriot's acquisition as being a big deal. I can see him splitting time with Jamey Carroll at second. If the Dodgers get lucky, they can find lightning in a bottle again like Ronnie Belliard last year and ride Theriot's hot bat to the playoffs. I can hope anyway.

As for DeWitt, I honestly can't say I'll miss him much. Don't get me wrong, he plays hard all the time. But I don't look at him as anything more than a decent major league player. He's hitting .270 this year with a good OPS of .352, but has very little power.

Overall, I think the Dodgers got good value for this trade. I like Lilly, and Theriot and DeWitt are pretty much interchangeable. I think the Dodgers have to be realistic at some point and set their sites on the wild card, so maybe Lilly can help them get there.

DeWitt will get first crack at second base

Blake DeWitt was chosen to be the Opening Day starter at second on Thursday. He'll be backed up by Ronnie Belliard and Jamey Carroll.

DeWitt has already had quite the interesting career with the Dodgers, and he's only entering his third season. The hope is that knowing he'll be the everyday starter will make him relax and return to the form he found at the start of the 2008 season.

For those of you that have forgotten, DeWitt was the default third baseman to start the '08 season, mostly because of injuries to Nomar Garciaparra, Andy LaRoche, and Tony Abreu. It turned out to be a blessing, because he ended up hitting .303 through May.

He cooled off soon after that, however, and was then sent back down once Casey Blake came aboard. He did get to start at second for an ailing Jeff Kent in that year's playoffs, but hit .167 with six strikeouts in eight games.

Last year he spent only 31 games in the bigs, going back and forth between the minors and majors. It was pretty much a lost year for him because he never could get comfortable.

I came into this spring thinking Belliard would be the starter, but I can see Torre's thinking on this one. DeWitt is much younger, and the Dodgers are trying to think long-term here. We've seen the best and worst of him already, so like I said before, hopefully he can play well knowing that he's the main man.

I'm sure Belliard and Carroll will still see some starts and opportunities late in games, and they're both good options to have in those situations.

More second base talk

I've run down a few different second basemen the Dodgers thought about trading for in a previous post (Dan Uggla, Alberto Callaspo, and Brandon Phillips). Today comes talk of a few free agents that are on the radar. Here we go:

Ronnie Belliard - Belliard was quietly brought in last season and made a big impact. In 24 games, he hit a whopping .351 with 5 homers and 17 RBIs. He also hit .300 in the playoffs, picking up a hit in all seven games.

He also supplanted Orlando Hudson in the playoffs because of his hot bat. Granted, Hudson didn't help his own cause, hitting .237 in September. Still, to completely take over for a guy that won a Gold Glove this season speaks volumes to how well Belliard played.

He's not the slick defender that O-Dog is (not many people are), but he's capable of hitting around .290. I would very much like it for him to be brought back.

Juan Uribe - Uribe is coming off a very solid season by hitting .289 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs for the Giants. The average was a big bounce back after three seasons of hitting in the .230's and .240's.

He's hit 20 homers in the past, so the power is there if that's what you covet from an infielder. Defensively, he's a stud at second base. Last season in 38 games there, he had a .993 fielding %. The season before with the White Sox, he had a .996 fielding % in 52 games.

While he hasn't played full time at second in his career (shortstop is his natural position), he's shown that he can get it done if given the chance.

Craig Counsell - Like Uribe, Counsell had a rebound season at the plate with the Brewers. He won't give you any power, but hit .285 with 22 doubles. He's a career .258 hitter, so maybe he found the fountain of youth for one season anyway.

He appeared in 44 games at second base, and guess what? He was flawless, recording a 1.000 fielding %. He played short and third as well, giving the Brewers a lift wherever needed. It's easy to see why teams are interested despite turning 40 next season.

If he is brought in, it will be to split time with Blake DeWitt. I look at him more as a utility guy, so I think the Dodgers can do better.

Jamey Carroll - Carroll has been a model of consistency the last two seasons for the Indians in that he'll give you decent hitting, no power, and a good glove at second. He hit .276 last season compared to .277 two seasons ago. In both years, he registered a .355 OBP.

He's another guy who's played many positions, but when he's played second, he's been good. In 56 games, he had a .996 fielding %. He also appeared at third, right, and left. I've seen his name pop up a few times simply because of his versatility.

I look at him like Counsell. He's wouldn't be a bad addition by any means, but not much of an impact player at the plate.


In my opinion, the Dodgers should try to retain Belliard or go after Uribe. Of course, this is all assuming they can't swing a trade for someone. Both players can get it done at the plate, which they showed last season. Uribe's the better fielder, but Belliard isn't that bad. Most importantly, I think they can be full-time guys.

DeWitt is still a wild card in all of this. If he shows he can handle the job himself, Ned Colletti will look to get someone to share some of the time. DeWitt's played well before, but he needs to really make an impression if he wants an everyday gig.

Broxton out for now with toe injury

Jonathan Broxton has not been himself his last two appearances, giving up five runs, five hits, and four walks in two innings. Now, we may understand why.

Broxton will be out the last two games before the All-Star break and possibly more with a sore right big toe. Most likely, you can forget about seeing him on Tuesday in St. Louis, which is a shame.

The good news is that he can get some good rest, so if he's going to get hurt, at least he did it while there's some days off. With something like a toe injury, I can imagine that no matter what type of treatment you have, the best remedy is solid rest.

In the meantime, Guillermo Mota will fill in the closer's role. That speaks volumes for how well he's turned his season around lately. He hasn't given up a run since June 19. His ERA at the end of May was 7.71, and now it's 3.57. Combine that with his past experience at closing, and it's an easy call.

To fill Broxton's spot in the bullpen, Scott Elbert was recalled from Triple-A. That means that our favorite "he's up, he's down" player, Blake DeWitt, has once again been sent back down.

More roster shuffling

In: A.J. Ellis and Mitch Jones

Out: Blake DeWitt (again) and Jamie Hoffmann

The reason? The Dodgers want DeWitt and Hoffmann to play everyday as they continue their development in Triple-A Albuquerque.

Ellis is supposed to be there until the eventual return of Eric Stults, who might be back from the DL this Sunday. That's already happened to Ellis once this year, as he was up temporarily before Hiroki Kuroda was back from the injured list.

The story for Jones is a good one, as he's a 31-year-old journeyman with no big league experience. He was promoted by the Yankees under Joe Torre in 2006, but never entered the game. In fact, he didn't even get to take batting practice, as it was rained out that day. With plenty of doubt whether he'd ever make it back or not, it finally happened.

He entered Tuesday night's game against the A's as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, but struck out. Oh well. With 21 home runs for Albuquerque this season, maybe he'll get a long ball soon.

Milton goes on the DL, and his replacement is a shocker...

Ok, so maybe it's not a shocker. It's Blake DeWitt.

Eric Milton was placed on the 15-day DL with a sore back. He pitched on Friday night against the Phillies and was hurt sometime during that time. With the Dodgers not needing a fifth starter until June 20 against the Angels, the injury actually doesn't hurt much at all.

Milton's 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA, numbers that are far above what many thought he could do. Granted, it's not like he's pitched much, but as a replacement fifth starter, the Dodgers will gladly take those numbers. With Eric Stults due off the DL June 15, he may have first crack at pitching in that Angels game.

DeWitt has been recalled for the 27th time this season (or something like that). With three days off in the next eight days, it wasn't a necessity to get another pitcher up. Plus, they've been going with 13 for much of the season anyway, and 12 is what teams normally do. DeWitt will add to the bench depth, before inevitably getting deported again.

Wade is activated, so we once again say goodbye to DeWitt

Cory Wade is healed and activated off the DL, ready to help a bullpen that has had some adventures getting the ball to Jonathan Broxton. Needing to make a move on the roster, poor Blake DeWitt has yet again been sent back to Triple-A Albuquerque.

The return couldn't have come at a better time, with the combination of most of the rotation getting hammered early in games and the setup men generally not getting the job done. And the Dodgers are still 16-8. Go figure.

Wade appeared in 77.1 innings last season, compiling a 2.27 ERA with a .202 BAA. He became more and more trusted as the year went on, so his health is key. Ronald Belisario has tried to fill his shoes, and for a guy that has never been at the Major League level before, I think he's done pretty well. But Wade's presence is literally a big "relief."

As for DeWitt, he's really a victim of the circumstances, as his bat is just not needed now. The starting lineup is set, and the bench is full of veterans like Mark Loretta, Juan Pierre, and Brad Ausmus who have been key guys before and are capable of coming on late and getting the job done. His time will come at some point.

3 regulars to rest today

Much like last Sunday, Joe Torre will have a strange looking lineup for today. He has decided to rest Manny Ramirez, Rafael Furcal, and Casey Blake. In their places will be Juan Pierre, Juan Castro, and Juan DeWitt. Ok, Blake DeWitt. I just couldn't resist.

The rest for Raffy and Blake isn't unexpected since they've got backups with experience playing. Since the Dodgers are at 13-5, Torre can afford to give some time off like this to guys that can use a break every now and then.

Manny went 0-5 last night with 3 K's, so a rest isn't a bad idea. He's played in every game so far, and keep in mind he did miss 2 weeks of Spring Training. He'll be ready to go Monday in San Francisco.

DeWitt gets the nod over Paul

Blake DeWitt is back in LA after being recalled to replace the injured Doug Mientkiewicz. There was internal debate about promoting outfielder Xavier Paul, who's hitting .571 at Triple-A, but DeWitt gets the call.

I'm sure Paul's time will come at some point. Heck, if you hit for an average like that, even early on in the season, you're doing something right. I can only imagine a year or 2 down the line when Manny Ramirez is no longer around, this is a name you should be aware of. He seems like the real deal.

DeWitt was just sent down on Monday with the idea of getting him more playing time in Las Vegas. Well... so much for that. But, Mientkiewicz was a primary left-handed bat off the bench, appearing in 7 games and going 2-5 with 2 RBI. DeWitt's been there before, so he should be given his chance to hit in some key, late inning situations.

DeWitt sent packing to Triple-A, Young is sent packing for good

Citing a lack of playing time, the Dodgers have decided to option Blake DeWitt to Triple-A and call up veteran infielder Juan Castro. The move is designed solely to give DeWitt more action on the field rather than playing sporadically with the big club.

In order to make room on the roster, outfielder Delwyn Young has been designated for assignment. That means the Dodgers will have 10 days to trade, release, or waive him. There's been some talk that the Indians, Pirates, and Phillies have interest. He's capable of being a pretty good hitters, but injuries to his oblique and elbow last year have obviously affected him.

Back to DeWitt, and he's only made 1 start this season in 8 games, gathering 6 at-bats total. 6 AB's in 8 games isn't exactly making a young player better, so it's the right move. I speculated a few days ago that with Eric Stults up, perhaps DeWitt would be a candidate to be sent down. Stults' emergence isn't the reason, but I'm not surprised it did happen.

What's interesting to note is that he will not be playing an shortstop in Las Vegas. Rather, he will focus on 2nd base, since he already can play 3rd base. Joe Torre said that if anything happens to Rafael Furcal (like the last 2 seasons), Chin-lung Hu will be his replacement.

As for Castro, he's in his 11th year and was a Dodger way back in 1999. It makes more sense for a veteran like him to sit the bench and make occasional spot starts than DeWitt, mostly because Raffy and Orlando Hudson have shown no signs of slowing down after injury-plagued 2008 seasons. Hopefully it stays that way.

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.

DeWitt is back while Ozuna walks

In an effort to do anything to shake up their anemic offense, the Dodgers have recalled Blake DeWitt from Triple-A Las Vegas and designated Pablo Ozuna for assignment.

I can't say I'm too surprised by this. I'll give the Dodgers credit for not just sitting around and watching the same guys screw up time and time again. It's not like this is a major move or anything like that, but who knows, maybe DeWitt can recreate some of that magic he had to start the year when he was NL Rookie of the Month for May.

Since being sent to the Minors, DeWitt has played well. In 26 games, he's hit .303 with 4 HR and 18 RBI. In the past 4 games, he's 11-19 with 3 doubles, a homer, and 8 RBI's. I'm glad he didn't sulk about his demotion and quit playing hard. He made the most of his opportunity to get better and he has.

On the flip side, Ozuna did everything he could to convince the Dodgers why he's not even a good bench player. Well, I shouldn't be too hard on him defensively, because he didn't commit any errors in 41 chances playing both infield and outfield. But at the plate, he was deplorable. 3-18 with 1 RBI. If the Dodgers were hitting well, this move would probably not be made. That's how lousy things have been lately.

There's still the possibility of Ozuna clearing waivers, going to the Minors for all of a few days, then being recalled when rosters are expanded to 40 in September.

DeWitt sent back down

Blake DeWitt has been optioned back down to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for Casey Blake. The Dodgers chose to keep Andy LaRoche on the roster over him.

He was the feel-good story in the first half of the season, as he came out of nowhere to take over the 3rd base job. He had never played above Double-A ball at any point in his career, but was rushed up to the Bigs when both LaRoche and Nomar Garciaparra were hurt. After the Dodgers could not acquire a 3rd baseman, they gave him a shot, and he delivered big time.

His average peaked to .327 on May 17 when he went 2-4 with a home run against the Anaheim Angels. At the end of May, he was hitting .303. The downward slide started soon after that. In his last 40 games, he's hit a mere .200, which obviously was not getting the job done, especially in an offense that struggles to begin with.

It was the right decision to send him down. My guess is that he'll be a September call up once the rosters expand to 40. He was very slick defensively, so that's not the problem. I think Major League pitchers figured him out, and he had a tough time adjusting. Still, to play as well as he did without any prior Big League experience was fantastic. He'll be back.

Nomar to be DL'd, so DeWitt is back

I made a small joke the other day that "when" Nomar Garciaparra (not "if") gets hurt, Blake DeWitt will be back with the big club. Little did I know how right I would be.

Nomar exited Friday night's game against the Colorado Rockies with a strained left calf muscle and will be back on the shelf once again. It's a positive for DeWitt fans, as he'll get the call back up. That demotion lasted, oh... about 5 minutes.

Look, I can fully appreciate Nomar's desire and heart to play ball, but enough is enough. The guy is simply WAY too much of an injury risk at this point in his career, and is just an accident waiting to happen. He was actually hitting pretty his last few games, but like always, cannot find the ability to stay on the field.

So what to do with him? I hate to say it, but it's time to seriously consider moving him, whether that be by trade or outright releasing him. Andy LaRoche will be back soon, and while he's had his fair share of injuries, it's not nearly as bad as Nomar. DeWitt has played well enough to keep getting starts for now, but LaRoche is their future.

No disrespect meant to Nomar, but it's time to acknowledge that resigning him was a mistake and for the organization to move on.

Needing a 12th arm, DeWitt is odd man out

Blake DeWitt has gone from a virtual nobody in the minor league system to the everyday starting 3rd baseman for the Dodgers, all thanks to the injuries of Nomar Garciaparra and Andy LaRoche. He started in 15 of the 18 games he appeared in, and was praised for his hard work.

Unfortunately, he became a victim of the numbers game as he was sent down to Triple-A Las Vegas today in order to make room for right-handed reliever Cory Wade.

His final numbers are modest, but pretty good for someone who jumped from Double-A to the Bigs without any prior experience: .255 AVG, .367 OBP, 4 2B, 8 BB, 5 RBI. More impressively, however, is that in 57 total chances, he committed only 1 error for 98% fielding.

As for the new guy, Wade has been at Double-A Jacksonville and has compiled a 4.30 ERA with 13 K in 14.2 IP. He'll throw strikes, which obviously will make Joe Torre feel comfortable about putting him out there if need be. I speculated earlier today that since Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito both threw over 30 pitches last night, they probably wouldn't be available for tonight's game against the Diamondbacks. It will be good to have that extra arm ready to go.

I have a feeling we have not heard that last of DeWitt, as he made quite the positive impression. When.... oops, I mean IF Nomar gets hurt again, DeWitt's phone could come ringing for a return.

Nomar will be back on Friday

*** UPDATE ***

I guess we all were wrong about Nomar's return date, because he's playing 3rd base and hitting in the #7 spot tonight. In fact, he just drew a walk in his 1st AB of the year.

***

Nomar Garciaparra will return from the DL on Friday and join the Dodgers in Atlanta. He has been sitting out since March 7 when St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle McClellen beaned him in the right hand. After initially thinking it would be a day-to-day injury, it turned out to be 5 weeks. Coincidentally, this was the same game that Andy LaRoche was hurt and lost for 2 months. Rough day.

Now that Nomar will be back, 2 questions will be asked: 1) What will happen to Blake DeWitt? 2) Who will be optioned to the minors? First things first, I firmly believe that DeWitt will remain with the big club. He's hitting .261 with 5 RBI and a stolen base. However, he has been praised for his slick glove work, which is the most important thing. Heck, the guy had his hometown of Sikeston, MO name the month of April in his honor. How can you send him down now?

Since I don't believe it'll be DeWitt to get optioned, that brings us to question #2. As of now, both Esteban Loaiza and Chan Ho Park are the long relievers, so one of them could get sent back. After Loaiza's sparkling performance last night, it would have to be Park if either of the 2 are sent back down. Another option is Ramon Troncoso, who's given up 6 runs in 5.2 innings for a 9.53 ERA. His days could be numbered.

My take is that DeWitt should absolutely NOT be sent back down. He has played his way to at least a platoon player for the time being. If the Dodgers are that high on Troncoso, then it should be Park. They really don't need 2 long relievers considering their starting staff is capable of pitching deep into games each night.

Quick Helms update

Looks like Wes Helms will not be on his way to LA. With the great play of Blake DeWitt, the Dodgers are either no longer willing to bring him in, or are just waiting to see if there's a better deal out there. Still, it's a tremendous compliment to DeWitt that after just 4 games, he's managed to squash this talk. Good for him.

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.

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.