How are the ex-Dodgers doing?

While the Dodgers are enjoying a 12 of 16 run that has surged them back into a tie for first place with the Giants, I thought I'd take some time to look at how some of the 2013 Dodgers are doing.  That is, those who have since moved onto different teams.  Here we go.

Ricky Nolasco, SP, Twins: 4-6, 5.74 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 69 K's in 95 2/3 IP
Wow, he's been a disaster.  He was very good for the most part with the Dodgers last season, giving them many quality starts over the second half.  Then he faded, and was barely heard from in the postseason.  Nonetheless, the Twins gave him four years and $49 to fix their awful rotation.  It hasn't worked.  Phil Hughes and Kyle Gibson have been pretty good, but Nolasco was brought in to lead that staff.  He looks like a huge waste of money right now.

Edinson Volquez, SP, Pirates: 6-6, 4.07 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 63 K's in 93 IP
I'm not sure what the Pirates expected out of him, but all things considered, he's been pretty decent.  Considering he has a career 4.69 ERA and 1.48 WHIP, his numbers this year look even better.  The Pirates lost A.J. Burnett to the Phillies after their great run last season, and the team as a whole is struggling to find their footing.  The thing with Volquez is that I'm not sure he can get any better than this.  A second half plunge wouldn't surprise me at all.

Chris Capuano, RP, (formerly of) Red Sox: 1-1, 1 HLD, 1 BLSV, 4.55 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 29 K's in 31 2/3 IP
The Red Sox tried to make Capuano their swingman, ala Paul Maholm with the Dodgers, but it didn't quite work.  He was designated for assignment on June 25 after getting shelled by the Mariners a couple days before.  He's certainly had his fair share of arm problems, and at 35, who knows if he has any chances left.

Ronald Belisario, RP, White Sox: 3-4, 8 SV, 6 HLD, 4 BLSV, 5.54 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 28 K's in 37 1/3 IP
Three days ago, Belisario was canned as White Sox closer after he was given a three-run cushion against the Blue Jays, but couldn't finish the job.  Maybe Robin Ventura has never walked to the other side of Camelback Ranch, because if he had, he'd have seen just how wild and unpredictable Belisario is.  There's no way he should've been a closer in the first place.  Ventura learned his lesson the hard way.

Javy Guerra, RP, White Sox: 0-0, 3 HLD, 1 BLSV, 2.40 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 16 K's in 15 IP
On the flip side, a pleasant surprise has been Guerra.  He spent the first couple of months in Triple-A and earned his way up in June.  Good for him, as his Dodgers' career ended with a thud, going from 21 saves and "closer of the future" in 2011 to barely existent thereafter.  Maybe he's found confidence again, who knows.  On a team like the White Sox full of horrible pitching, he's got a great chance in front of him, and so far, has made the most of it.

Carlos Marmol, RP, Reds: 0-3, 1 HLD, 1 BLSV, 8.10 ERA, 1.95 WHIP, 14 K's in 13 1/3 IP
It's been a tough road for Marmol this year, as the stats above all came with the Marlins before he was given his walking papers on May 19.  He was then signed to a minor league contract by the Reds about a week later, only to leave Triple-A without permission a couple weeks after that.  Weird stuff, but I think even he realizes he's at the end of the road.

Mark Ellis, 2B, Cardinals: .194 AVG, .276 OBP, 6 2B, 0 HR, 12 RBI, 4 SB
Ellis had a solid career with the Dodgers, but after the signing of Alex Guerrero, he was shown the door.  Guerrero hasn't emerged with the big club yet because he wasn't ready defensively, and has since had part of his ear bitten off by that nutcase Miguel Olivo.  Dee Gordon, however, has come on strong enough to be an All-Star candidate.  So, releasing Ellis was a smart move because Gordon is the everyday leadoff hitter, and Ellis is really struggling at the plate.  He'll never have big numbers, but the ones he has now are pretty bad.  It's hard not to like how hard the guy plays, but the bottom line is that he's just not producing.

Skip Schumaker, OF/2B, Reds: .242 AVG, .276 OBP, 6 2B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 1 SB
Schumaker only played one season with the Dodgers, as he was a favorite of hitting coach Mark McGwire from their Cardinals days.  Like the Dodgers, the Reds have used him all over the outfield and at second base, making him the super utility guy.  His average continues to tumble, as this is the fourth straight year it's gone down.  But, like I said before, that's less of a concern because he's there to plug in holes when necessary.

Nick Punto, 2B/SS, A's: .235 AVG, .336 OBP, 5 2B, 0 HR, 10 RBI, 2 SB
Much like Schumaker, Punto is mostly there for his utility work, as he's appeared mostly at second and short, but also a little third and right field.  He's getting a pretty good amount of at-bats on a very good team, and thanks to 20 walks, has a decent OBP.  He appears to be well on his way to his fifth postseason in his career, and that experience is where he's truly most valuable, just like when he was a Dodger last year.

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.

Signed and sealed: Another new day in LA

Just when you thought the new Dodgers' ownership couldn't top themselves... think again.

The same team that has gone out and acquired Hanley Ramirez, Shane Victorino, Joe Blanton, Brandon League, and Randy Choate has taken their new philosophy of "spend, spend, spend" even further.  Coming over to LA from Boston are superstars Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto.  OK, so technically Punto isn't a superstar, and Crawford and Beckett haven't been this year either, but you get the point.

Shuttling across the country to Boston are James Loney, Jerry Sands, Rubby De La Rosa, Ivan De Jesus, and top prospect Allen Webster.

The two major players in this deal for the Dodgers are obviously Gonzalez and Beckett.  In Gonzalez, the Dodgers are finally getting the cleanup hitter they've been looking for.  Now they can have Matt Kemp hit #3, Gonzalez #4, and flip-flop Hanley Ramirez and Andre Ethier in the #5-6 spots depending on the matchup.  That's pretty nasty, and a heck of a lot better than what they've had.

Gonzalez wasn't the same player in the first half of the season, as he hit .283 with only 6 homers and 45 RBIs.  But, in 37 games since the break, he's really found his stroke, hitting .338 with 9 homers and 41 RBIs.  That's the guy the Dodgers need in their order cleaning up the bases.

The arrival of Beckett is fantastic timing only because of the latest injury to Chad Billingsley.  It's the second time this year he's shown elbow inflammation, so who knows what kind of time he'll miss.  And when you're bringing in a guy who was a major player on two championship teams, that's a good thing.

There's no denying that Beckett has not enjoyed the 2012 season at all.  Right now he's 5-11 with a 5.23 ERA and 1.33 WHIP.  That's a heck of a lot different than last season (13-7, 2.89, 1.03).  And let's not forget about the drama that has hovered around him (chicken and beer, playing golf). 

There's also no denying that, much like Hanley Ramirez, he really needed a change of scenery, and he's got it.  Take a look at his postseason numbers: 14 games (13 starts), 7-3, 3.07 ERA, 0.94 WHIP.  You don't think the Dodgers are excited about that?  Here's a guy who won't be rattled to take the ball in October, and it shows.

It's hard to say too much about Crawford now, as he won't even be a factor this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery a couple days ago.  Here's what we do know: his time in Boston has been a disaster.  The Red Sox have to be ecstatic to simply rid themselves of his bloated contract, which was 7 years and $142 million back in 2010.  Last year he played in 130 games and hit .255, and this year played 31 and hit .288.  Not exactly the types of numbers they were expecting.

The Dodgers can now be patient with him as he recovers from surgery, as it typically takes anywhere from 6-9 months.  All things considered, he could be ready for Spring Training, or closer to the start of the season if all goes well.  And if he can find his groove that made him a superstar in Tampa, then the outfield of Crawford, Kemp, and Ethier is just awesome.  Time will tell, however.

Punto gives the Dodgers another guy off the bench, which was needed since Jerry Hairston, Jr. has been lost for the season with a hip injury, which completely sucks.  I'm sure Punto will get some playing time, as it's not like Juan Uribe should play over him.  Heck, a one-armed Crawford could switch positions to infield and still play better than Uribe.

Needless to say, it's a historic deal for the Dodgers, and no doubt once again jolts some life into a team that has fallen back a bit in the playoff push.  Now they have no excuses.  Management has added plenty of positive pieces, so it's time to get the job done.

Dodgers and Red Sox working on a MAJOR deal

Word has come Friday afternoon that the Dodgers and Red Sox are piecing together a blockbuster deal that involves some major players.

Accoring to ESPN Boston, the Dodgers are about to receive Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto.  The Dodgers have been rumored to do anything from sending over players like Rubby De La Rosa, James Loney, Ivan De Jesus, and Jerry Sands, to simply taking on all of those contracts.  The Dodgers' part of the deal is still being worked out.

For the Dodgers, the deal means a HUGE upgrade at first (Gonzalez for Loney/Juan Rivera).  Plus, Beckett has plenty of big game experience, and could use a change of scenery to regain his fire, ala Hanley Ramirez.  And for the Sox, it's a great way to shed some mega contracts and somewhat start over.  It makes sense on both sides.

As we learned near the trade deadline with Ryan Dempster, let's not assume any trade is finalized until we get official word.  But if this does go down... whoa, baby!  This is a big day!

For updates on this, keep checking out MLBTradeRumors.com.