A couple of roster moves these last two days, as the Dodgers have patiently waited since Sunday just to play a game.
On Tuesday, Paco Rodriguez made his rightful return to LA, as infielder Carlos Truinfel's short stay expired. At Triple-A Albuquerque, Paco only pitched three innings without giving up a run and picking up a save in the process. Truinfel never got into a game.
It was a shock at the time when Paco got sent down, as someone needed to go to make room for Brian Wilson back on April 16. Well, the Wilson thing sure hasn't worked out, but he's not going anywhere for now. The Dodgers definitely needed another lefty to go with J.P. Howell, so I'm hoping Paco is here to stay.
Today, the Dodgers decided to end the Tim Federowicz experiment and ship him off to Triple-A. In his place will be veteran Miguel Olivo. If that name sounds somewhat familiar, it's because he's played 10 seasons in the Majors.
Without a doubt, this is the right call to make. Federowicz is just horrendous at the plate, hitting .109 in 13 games. What does that average look like? Try 5-for-46. Yes, five hits in 46 tries. That is absolutely abysmal. Since he's a career .203 hitter, the Dodgers had no reason to believe he'd turn things around anytime soon.
Olivo has been fantastic in Triple-A, hitting .390 with 4 homers and 18 RBIs in 13 games. He's pretty much an all-or-nothing type of hitter, as he has a 19/3 K/BB ratio. But at this point, the Dodgers will roll with it, as Fed and Drew Butera (who's hitting .190) have proven to be liabilities at the plate. Olivo is there to provide a spark, so let's see what he can do.
Showing posts with label Federowicz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Federowicz. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Monday, April 28, 2014
Dead spots in the order
The Dodgers are off on Monday as they fly to Minnesota to prepare for a three-game set against the Twins. Even though the Twins have horrible pitching, their offense has been surprisingly good with the fourth most runs in baseball. As a result, they're only one game in back of the AL Central leading Tigers.
Lately the Dodgers have been spinning their wheels at the plate for a variety reasons. Here I'll take a look at three spots in the order that have been holding this team back. I'll give a stat, and in (parenthesis) I'll list their ranking in the 15-team National League.
#2 - 13 R (7), 42 TB* (5), 12 RBI (3), .229 AVG (13), .294 OBP (11)
* Total Bases
Some of the power has been there thanks for Yasiel Puig, but the overall averages are way too low. Carl Crawford and Justin Turner have played most there behind Puig and have been awful. This is exactly why I like Puig in back of Dee Gordon at the top. Puig can give you an instant big hit, and even if he doesn't, he's not nearly as dead at the plate as Crawford and Turner.
#3 - 14 R (7), 48 TB (8), 10 RBI (12), .260 AVG (11), .336 OBP (9)
This is the spot that has belonged to Hanley Ramirez for nearly every game. While he hasn't been terrible, he hasn't lit the world on fire like he's capable of. Then again, he did suffer a thumb injury recently, and whether he wants to admit it or not, it's definitely affected his play. The result has been a lot of ground balls and not much else. He should be hitting third, but not if he can barely grip a bat.
#8 - 6 R (14), 23 TB (14), 4 RBI (13), .204 AVG (11), .275 OBP (12)
There have been a variety of players in this spot, led by Tim Federowicz and his blistering .119 average in this spot. The other two catchers, A.J. Ellis and Drew Butera, are both under .200 as well. Coming into this season, I thought the Dodgers would use Gordon here, but because of injuries and his hot bat, that hasn't been the case. Either way, the Dodgers either need to trade for a better hitting catcher, or just pray that Ellis returns healthy and can start to rake.
Spots that have been good are leadoff and cleanup thanks to the success of Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez. So it's not like everything has been off.
It's probably a good time to remind everyone that the Dodgers have only played 26 of their 162 games this season, so it's not like these three spots listed above will stay low all season. If you want further proof, then go back to last season around the end of June and look at the next two months. You'll see how quickly things can turn around when the bats get hot.
But then again, if the bats don't get hot, then the pitching will have to post a whole lot of zeros for this team to get back into the postseason.
Lately the Dodgers have been spinning their wheels at the plate for a variety reasons. Here I'll take a look at three spots in the order that have been holding this team back. I'll give a stat, and in (parenthesis) I'll list their ranking in the 15-team National League.
#2 - 13 R (7), 42 TB* (5), 12 RBI (3), .229 AVG (13), .294 OBP (11)
* Total Bases
Some of the power has been there thanks for Yasiel Puig, but the overall averages are way too low. Carl Crawford and Justin Turner have played most there behind Puig and have been awful. This is exactly why I like Puig in back of Dee Gordon at the top. Puig can give you an instant big hit, and even if he doesn't, he's not nearly as dead at the plate as Crawford and Turner.
#3 - 14 R (7), 48 TB (8), 10 RBI (12), .260 AVG (11), .336 OBP (9)
This is the spot that has belonged to Hanley Ramirez for nearly every game. While he hasn't been terrible, he hasn't lit the world on fire like he's capable of. Then again, he did suffer a thumb injury recently, and whether he wants to admit it or not, it's definitely affected his play. The result has been a lot of ground balls and not much else. He should be hitting third, but not if he can barely grip a bat.
#8 - 6 R (14), 23 TB (14), 4 RBI (13), .204 AVG (11), .275 OBP (12)
There have been a variety of players in this spot, led by Tim Federowicz and his blistering .119 average in this spot. The other two catchers, A.J. Ellis and Drew Butera, are both under .200 as well. Coming into this season, I thought the Dodgers would use Gordon here, but because of injuries and his hot bat, that hasn't been the case. Either way, the Dodgers either need to trade for a better hitting catcher, or just pray that Ellis returns healthy and can start to rake.
Spots that have been good are leadoff and cleanup thanks to the success of Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez. So it's not like everything has been off.
It's probably a good time to remind everyone that the Dodgers have only played 26 of their 162 games this season, so it's not like these three spots listed above will stay low all season. If you want further proof, then go back to last season around the end of June and look at the next two months. You'll see how quickly things can turn around when the bats get hot.
But then again, if the bats don't get hot, then the pitching will have to post a whole lot of zeros for this team to get back into the postseason.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
With A.J. gone 4-6 weeks, Dodgers have catching problems
No disrespect to Drew Butera and Tim Federowicz, but the thought of them starting behind the plate for the next month-and-a-half doesn't exactly get me excited.
In fact, it kind of makes me cringe.
A.J. Ellis is done for the next 4-6 weeks thanks to a torn meniscus in his left knee. Butera was already the backup catcher and got the start on Sunday. Federowicz has officially been recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque today.
Look, it's not like Ellis is the starting catcher because of his awesome bat anyway. On the season he was 4-for-24, all singles. He has reached double digit homers the last couple of seasons as the full-time catcher (13 and 10), but has only hit .254 for his career.
On the contrary, he's the starting catcher because he calls a great game and can throw people out. Period. The hits are a bonus. He has gotten some timely hits, such as the game-winning home run that led to a victory over the Diamondbacks last September, clinching the NL West. So he has his moments.
Butera has an even 500 at-bats in his career, and is hitting a pathetic .180. He has virtually no power and doesn't get on base in any way. Federowicz has a much smaller sample size with 176 AB's, and is hitting .227. It's a little sad when you're a .227 hitter and that's considered better than some other guy.
Any way you slice it, the Dodgers should not expect their catchers to make a difference at the plate for April and most of May. These guys just cannot hit.
The Dodgers might want to consider doing one of two things. One, they can call up Miguel Olivo, who's only played in four game in Albuquerque, but is 7-for-15. He's the journeyman who's now with his seventh team in his career. Two, they can make a trade. I have no idea for whom, but I would hope he'd hit better than .227.
Who knows, maybe more consistent playing time will get someone like Butera or Federowicz going. We will all wait and see.
In fact, it kind of makes me cringe.
A.J. Ellis is done for the next 4-6 weeks thanks to a torn meniscus in his left knee. Butera was already the backup catcher and got the start on Sunday. Federowicz has officially been recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque today.
Look, it's not like Ellis is the starting catcher because of his awesome bat anyway. On the season he was 4-for-24, all singles. He has reached double digit homers the last couple of seasons as the full-time catcher (13 and 10), but has only hit .254 for his career.
On the contrary, he's the starting catcher because he calls a great game and can throw people out. Period. The hits are a bonus. He has gotten some timely hits, such as the game-winning home run that led to a victory over the Diamondbacks last September, clinching the NL West. So he has his moments.
Butera has an even 500 at-bats in his career, and is hitting a pathetic .180. He has virtually no power and doesn't get on base in any way. Federowicz has a much smaller sample size with 176 AB's, and is hitting .227. It's a little sad when you're a .227 hitter and that's considered better than some other guy.
Any way you slice it, the Dodgers should not expect their catchers to make a difference at the plate for April and most of May. These guys just cannot hit.
The Dodgers might want to consider doing one of two things. One, they can call up Miguel Olivo, who's only played in four game in Albuquerque, but is 7-for-15. He's the journeyman who's now with his seventh team in his career. Two, they can make a trade. I have no idea for whom, but I would hope he'd hit better than .227.
Who knows, maybe more consistent playing time will get someone like Butera or Federowicz going. We will all wait and see.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Billingsley is back as Federowicz is sent down
As expected, the Dodgers made official the roster move of activating Chad Billingsley to start on Wednesday. He will be replacing Tim Federowicz, who became expendable once the Dodgers acquired Ramon Hernandez from the Rockies on Saturday to be A.J. Ellis's backup catcher.
Billingsley made a rehab start five days ago for Class A Rancho Cucamonga, so he's right on schedule to throw against the Padres. Last season he went 10-9 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 29 starts. He was shelved late in the year with elbow problems, but avoided surgery. His latest injury was a bruised right index finger after attempting a bunt in Spring Training.
Federwicz only made one start this season, going 0-for-3 with a walk against the Pirates last Sunday. The Dodgers seemed to be satisfied with the Ellis-Federowicz combo in the spring, but that's obviously changed. Maybe the Dodgers got the best offer they could for Aaron Harang, so they went with another catcher in Hernandez. Or maybe they just don't think much of Fed.
Billingsley made a rehab start five days ago for Class A Rancho Cucamonga, so he's right on schedule to throw against the Padres. Last season he went 10-9 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 29 starts. He was shelved late in the year with elbow problems, but avoided surgery. His latest injury was a bruised right index finger after attempting a bunt in Spring Training.
Federwicz only made one start this season, going 0-for-3 with a walk against the Pirates last Sunday. The Dodgers seemed to be satisfied with the Ellis-Federowicz combo in the spring, but that's obviously changed. Maybe the Dodgers got the best offer they could for Aaron Harang, so they went with another catcher in Hernandez. Or maybe they just don't think much of Fed.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Barajas goes to the Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates swooped in on Thursday and signed Rod Barajas to a one-year deal with a club option for 2013. He'll get a bump in salary from $3.5 million last year to $4 million this year.
Barajas is a streaky hitter, but one with pretty good pop. This past season he appeared in 98 games, hitting .230 with 16 homers (good for second on the team, which is a little sad) and 47 RBIs. He also stole... zero bases. But he does have two for his career!
I'm a little bummed about losing Barajas because he you knew what you were going to get with him - around 15 homers and a tough presence behind the plate. It's by no means a huge loss, but I think he was good for the pitching staff.
The new catching options for the Dodgers are young in A.J. Ellis and Tim Federowicz. Ellis has been up and down like a damn elevator between the minors and majors. Last year he played in 31 games, hitting .271 with 2 homers and 11 RBIs. To his credit, he played very well in September, hitting .323.
Federowicz was acquired at the trade deadline, so he only appeared in seven games, going 2-for-13 with an RBI. He's known for his defense, a major reason why Ned Colletti got him.
It wouldn't surprise me to see Colletti go after a veteran catcher, as that seems to be his forte. Ellis and Federowicz are decent options, but I'd hardly consider them difference makers behind the plate, especially right now.
Barajas is a streaky hitter, but one with pretty good pop. This past season he appeared in 98 games, hitting .230 with 16 homers (good for second on the team, which is a little sad) and 47 RBIs. He also stole... zero bases. But he does have two for his career!
I'm a little bummed about losing Barajas because he you knew what you were going to get with him - around 15 homers and a tough presence behind the plate. It's by no means a huge loss, but I think he was good for the pitching staff.
The new catching options for the Dodgers are young in A.J. Ellis and Tim Federowicz. Ellis has been up and down like a damn elevator between the minors and majors. Last year he played in 31 games, hitting .271 with 2 homers and 11 RBIs. To his credit, he played very well in September, hitting .323.
Federowicz was acquired at the trade deadline, so he only appeared in seven games, going 2-for-13 with an RBI. He's known for his defense, a major reason why Ned Colletti got him.
It wouldn't surprise me to see Colletti go after a veteran catcher, as that seems to be his forte. Ellis and Federowicz are decent options, but I'd hardly consider them difference makers behind the plate, especially right now.
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