Sorting Out The Trade

The Dodgers made a big splash at the trade deadline. The trade involved the Miami Marlins, Atlanta Braves, and the Dodgers and 13 players changed teams. The Dodgers added seven players and subtracted six. Only one of the six traded by the Dodgers were major leaguers and that is the injured left handed relief pitcher, Paco Rodriquez.

The Dodgers acquired the starting pitching they were after in Mat Latos of the Marlins and Alex Wood of the Braves. The Dodgers also picked up relievers Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan from the Braves to help solidify a sometimes shaky Dodgers bullpen. The Dodgers also received what some scouting services believe is the Braves #1 ranked prospect, 21 year old Shortstop Jose Peraza. Peraza is hitting .295 at AAA Gwinnett this season.

As part of the trade, the Dodgers had to take on a couple of salaries in those of Marlins outfielder Michael Morse and injured Braves pitcher Bronson Arroyo. The Dodgers immediately designated Morse for assignment because they have no room for him in an already crowded outfield and Morse has not been productive this season. Arroyo is on the 60 day Disabled List and is lost for the season.

The biggest name player that the Dodgers traded was 30 year old Cuban Shortstop Hector Olivera who has been battling hamstring problems all season long. Olivera only has 69 at bats in three stops in the Dodgers minor league system this season. The other players the Dodgers traded away were all minor league pitchers with Zachary Bird being the highest ranked of those prospects.

The Dodgers have seen their lead in the National League West shrink to a half game over the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers needed starting pitching and got it in Latos and Wood. It is not the top tier pitching in Cole Hamels and David Price that most Dodgers fans clamored for but the Dodgers gave up next to nothing in return. Latos is having a subpar season by any standards at 4-7 with a 4.48 ERA but has pitched much better since coming off the Disabled list in June. Latos does become a free agent at the end of the season. Wood is only 24 years old and is 7-6 with a 3.54 ERA and he is not even arbitration eligible until 2017.