The Los Angeles Dodgers didn't make a splash at the major league baseball trade deadline; they barely caused a ripple. The got starting pitcher Rich Hill (who was even on the Disabled List because of a blister problem) and outfielder Josh Reddick from the Oakland A's and relief pitcher got relief pitcher Josh Fields from the Houston Astros and Jesse Chavez from the Toronto Blue Jays. All of these players were acquired for minor league players and the Dodgers did not have to empty out their farm system of the best prospects.
The biggest news on this day was that the Dodgers finally took a hardline stance with Yasiel Puig. When the Dodgers could not package Puig in a trade deal, the Dodgers decided to option Puig to AAA Oklahoma City. Puig is not having the worst statistical season of the Dodgers outfielders but Puig has always been cursed with a world of potential but appears disinterested most of the time and has spent his fair share of games on the bench with nagging injuries. The trade for Reddick, Enrique Hernandez and Scott Van Slyke making it back from injuries, and with Trayce Thompson due back soon made Puig dispensable. Puig may have finally wore out his welcome with the Dodgers and may have taken his last at bat with the Dodgers.
Showing posts with label Trayce Thompson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trayce Thompson. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Under The Radar
The Zach Lee-Christ Taylor trade with the Seattle Mariners on June 19 was one of those innocuous deals that really did not mean much at the time. The Los Angeles Dodgers needed organizational depth in the middle infield and Chris Taylor had made brief appearances with the Seattle Mariners in 2014 and 2015 with three at bats in 2016. He has made appearances at second base, shortstop, and third base. He was a fifth round draft pick by the Seattle Mariners out of the University of Virginia in 2012.
I would not have even noticed the trade if Zach Lee would not have been involved. He was a first round draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of McKinney High School in Plano, Texas in 2010. The Dodgers gave him a large signing bonus at the last minute to keep him from attending LSU and competing for the quarterback job for their football team. This trade was the Dodgers throwing in the towel on Zach Lee. This was his third season in AAA and his sixth season in the Dodgers organization. He has had an up-and-down minor league career and only made one career start for the Dodgers in 2015 and Lee could never seem to put his talent together enough to make that jump to the majors.
Chris Taylor was originally sent to the Dodgers AAA affiliate Oklahoma City but only spent three games there as he was called up to replace the injured Enrique Hernandez on the Dodgers roster. Another injury, this time to outfielder Trayce Thompson, put Taylor into the starting lineup at second base against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first game back from the All Star break. Taylor fell a single shy of hitting for the cycle. His two run triple in the fourth inning gave the Dodgers the lead and his sixth inning grand slam put the game away for the Dodgers and it gave Taylor a career high six runs batted in, The grand slam was also his first career homerun and cemented a place for him in Dodgers history as he became only the third player in Dodgers history whose first homerun was a grand slam.
I would not have even noticed the trade if Zach Lee would not have been involved. He was a first round draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of McKinney High School in Plano, Texas in 2010. The Dodgers gave him a large signing bonus at the last minute to keep him from attending LSU and competing for the quarterback job for their football team. This trade was the Dodgers throwing in the towel on Zach Lee. This was his third season in AAA and his sixth season in the Dodgers organization. He has had an up-and-down minor league career and only made one career start for the Dodgers in 2015 and Lee could never seem to put his talent together enough to make that jump to the majors.
Chris Taylor was originally sent to the Dodgers AAA affiliate Oklahoma City but only spent three games there as he was called up to replace the injured Enrique Hernandez on the Dodgers roster. Another injury, this time to outfielder Trayce Thompson, put Taylor into the starting lineup at second base against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first game back from the All Star break. Taylor fell a single shy of hitting for the cycle. His two run triple in the fourth inning gave the Dodgers the lead and his sixth inning grand slam put the game away for the Dodgers and it gave Taylor a career high six runs batted in, The grand slam was also his first career homerun and cemented a place for him in Dodgers history as he became only the third player in Dodgers history whose first homerun was a grand slam.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
The Dodgers At The Break
The Los Angeles Dodgers arrive at the All Star break 11 games over .500 and 6 1/2 games behind the San Francisco Giants in the National League West, still within striking distance. Considering all of the injury problems the Dodgers have had and the problems they have had fielding a starting rotation, the Dodgers are not in bad shape to make a run at the Giants.
The Dodgers have used 12 different starter pitchers this season. They have used a combination of rookies, cast offs, and fringe pitchers to find that fifth starter they have been missing all season. Injuries increased the need for starting pitching to force the Dodgers to trade for Bud Norris. Brandon McCarthy and Hyun Jin-Ryu have finally returned from injuries and when Clayton Kershaw comes back in a couple of weeks, the Dodgers will finally have a full compliment of major league starting pitchers for the first time all season.
The Dodgers offense has been inconsistent all season as they are 12th in the National League in batting average at .241 and ninth in runs scored. Injuries have also taken their toll on the Dodgers. Andre Ethier was injured in Spring Training has not played at all, Yasmani Grandal has been battling injuries for most of the season, Scott Van Slyke was injured early and has never got going, and Yasiel Puig has had his usual stint on the Disabled List. Carl Crawford was a shadow of his former self and was released still being owed $35 million. Alex Guerrero never lived up to the hype when he was signed out of Cuba and was released as well as the Dodgers decided to clean house and gain some productivity.
Rookie Corey Seager has been as good as advertised as he leads the team in almost every offensive category. He leads the team in batting average at .297, homeruns with 17, and is third on the team in runs batted in with 42. Fellow rookie Trayce Thompson, acquired via trade in the off season, has flashed some power with 13 homeruns and is second on the team in stolen bases with five. Veterans Chase Utley and Howie Kendrick have manned second base admirably, Adrian Gonzalez has lost his power stroke but is still tied with fellow veteran Justin Turner for the team lead in RBI's with 44.
The Dodgers are still in contention for the National League West title and if they can't chase the San Francisco Giants down are in line for a Wild Card berth. Injured Dodgers are slowly making their way back into the lineup and the starting rotation setting the Dodgers up for a strong second half run.
The Dodgers have used 12 different starter pitchers this season. They have used a combination of rookies, cast offs, and fringe pitchers to find that fifth starter they have been missing all season. Injuries increased the need for starting pitching to force the Dodgers to trade for Bud Norris. Brandon McCarthy and Hyun Jin-Ryu have finally returned from injuries and when Clayton Kershaw comes back in a couple of weeks, the Dodgers will finally have a full compliment of major league starting pitchers for the first time all season.
The Dodgers offense has been inconsistent all season as they are 12th in the National League in batting average at .241 and ninth in runs scored. Injuries have also taken their toll on the Dodgers. Andre Ethier was injured in Spring Training has not played at all, Yasmani Grandal has been battling injuries for most of the season, Scott Van Slyke was injured early and has never got going, and Yasiel Puig has had his usual stint on the Disabled List. Carl Crawford was a shadow of his former self and was released still being owed $35 million. Alex Guerrero never lived up to the hype when he was signed out of Cuba and was released as well as the Dodgers decided to clean house and gain some productivity.
Rookie Corey Seager has been as good as advertised as he leads the team in almost every offensive category. He leads the team in batting average at .297, homeruns with 17, and is third on the team in runs batted in with 42. Fellow rookie Trayce Thompson, acquired via trade in the off season, has flashed some power with 13 homeruns and is second on the team in stolen bases with five. Veterans Chase Utley and Howie Kendrick have manned second base admirably, Adrian Gonzalez has lost his power stroke but is still tied with fellow veteran Justin Turner for the team lead in RBI's with 44.
The Dodgers are still in contention for the National League West title and if they can't chase the San Francisco Giants down are in line for a Wild Card berth. Injured Dodgers are slowly making their way back into the lineup and the starting rotation setting the Dodgers up for a strong second half run.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Stripling Gets His First
It was not the best game Dodgers starter Ross Stripling has pitched in his short major league career but the Dodgers offense made sure he got his first major league win. Stripling went five innings and gave up four runs and left the game in the top of the sixth inning with a 7-4 lead. The Dodgers erratic bullpen shut the Cardinals out the rest of the way pitching four innings and only giving up a hit and a walk and closer Kenley Jansen got the final two outs for his 12th save.
The Dodgers offense was led by Yasiel Puig's three hits, including his fourth homerun, and two runs batted in and Trayce Thompson's two RBI's. The Dodgers were also helped out by the St. Louis Cardinals four errors, three of those by shortstop Aledmys Diaz. Five of the Dodgers eight runs were unearned.
The Dodgers offense was led by Yasiel Puig's three hits, including his fourth homerun, and two runs batted in and Trayce Thompson's two RBI's. The Dodgers were also helped out by the St. Louis Cardinals four errors, three of those by shortstop Aledmys Diaz. Five of the Dodgers eight runs were unearned.
Monday, April 18, 2016
The First Two Weeks
The first two weeks of the Los Angeles Dodgers season has had its ups and downs and its disappointments and surprises. They are 8-5 with an early one game lead over the San Francisco Giants who they have already played seven times. The starting pitching behind Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda has been inconsistent, the bullpen has been shaky at times, and the first two outings of Ross Stripling's career have been a surprise although he does not have a win to show for it. Kershaw has gotten off to a good start with a 2-0 record with a 1.64 ERA but I am almost disappointed when he gives up a run. I would also have to list Maeda has a bit of a surprise as he has inly allowed one earned run in his first 19 innings. Kenley Jansen has gotten off to a great start with five saves in his first five games and he has not allowed a run.
The Los Angeles Dodgers offense has also been up and down. Regulars Yasmani Grandal and Howie Kendrick are just now working their way back into the lineup and that should help the Dodgers as they are fifth in the league in runs scored, averaging five runs a game, but their has been a power shortage as the Dodgers only have eight homeruns in 13 games. Yasiel Puig (.356) and Enrique Hernandez (.400 with two homeruns off Madison Bumgarner) off both gotten off to hot starts at the plate. Corey Seager has gotten off to an OK start but I was hoping he would just blow the National League away with his skills. Injuries to Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke has opened the door for Trayce Thompson to get some playing time.
The Los Angeles Dodgers offense has also been up and down. Regulars Yasmani Grandal and Howie Kendrick are just now working their way back into the lineup and that should help the Dodgers as they are fifth in the league in runs scored, averaging five runs a game, but their has been a power shortage as the Dodgers only have eight homeruns in 13 games. Yasiel Puig (.356) and Enrique Hernandez (.400 with two homeruns off Madison Bumgarner) off both gotten off to hot starts at the plate. Corey Seager has gotten off to an OK start but I was hoping he would just blow the National League away with his skills. Injuries to Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke has opened the door for Trayce Thompson to get some playing time.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Kazmir Comes Through
I have to admit, I had my doubts about Scott Kazmir all the way through spring training. He got lit up in his first couple of spring training starts and the way Dodgers pitchers were going down with one injury or another, I thought the Dodgers may have to trade for more starting pitching. He started pitching better towards the end of spring training and being a veteran pitcher, he seems to have been able to flip the switch. I know that one great regular season outing is just the beginning of a long season but Kazmir took a step towards easing my doubts. Kazmir came as close as he could come to matching Clayton Kershaw's opening day performance allowing only one hit in six innings with five strikeouts and no walks. He only threw 75 pitches and 49 of those were strikes.
The Dodgers offense was not the offensive juggernaut that it was in the first game but they are never going to be confused with the 1927 New York Yankees. Yasiel Puig needed to get a strong start to the season and he has done just that. He hit his second triple in two games, driving in the first two runs of the game and scored the final run when Carl Crawford drove him in.
New Manager Dave Roberts moves have been minimal in his first two games. With the pitching the Dodgers have had in the first two games, he hasn't had to make many decisions. Outside of inserting a few pinch hitters, making a few pitching changes to keep the bullpen sharp, and inserting Trayce Thompson as a defensive replacement, the Dodgers are almost managing themselves. The offense has scored 18 runs in two games, the pitching has two shutouts and has only allowed six hits.
The Dodgers offense was not the offensive juggernaut that it was in the first game but they are never going to be confused with the 1927 New York Yankees. Yasiel Puig needed to get a strong start to the season and he has done just that. He hit his second triple in two games, driving in the first two runs of the game and scored the final run when Carl Crawford drove him in.
New Manager Dave Roberts moves have been minimal in his first two games. With the pitching the Dodgers have had in the first two games, he hasn't had to make many decisions. Outside of inserting a few pinch hitters, making a few pitching changes to keep the bullpen sharp, and inserting Trayce Thompson as a defensive replacement, the Dodgers are almost managing themselves. The offense has scored 18 runs in two games, the pitching has two shutouts and has only allowed six hits.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Run Support
The Los Angeles Dodgers gave Opening Day starter Clayton Kershaw a month's worth of run support to the tune of 15 runs in the 15-0 rout of the San Diego Padres. Kershaw has often been the victim of lack of run support in his career but he was staked to an early 2-0 lead after the first inning and the Dodgers were just getting warmed up setting a few Opening Day records along the way. The 15-0 shutout win were the most runs scored in a shutout in Opening Day history.
The Dodgers used 37 year old second baseman Chase Utley in the leadoff spot and he had three hits and drove in two, rookie shortstop Corey Seager had a double that drove in the first Dodgers run, and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez had three hits and drove in three as he continued to torment his original team. Catcher A.J. Ellis also drove in three, two of those coming on a bouncer over a Padres drawn in infield in a five run sixth inning.
Kershaw was outstanding as he only gave up one hit and a walk in seven innings pitched and struck out nine. He improved his Opening Day record to 4-0 with a 0.93 ERA, one point behind Rick Mahler's Opening Day record of 0.92.
Dave Roberts did not have to do much managing in his managerial debut. The best move he made was pulling Kershaw after seven innings and 96 pitches. I believe the only way Kershaw is left out there is if he had a no-hitter going. Roberts did get some of the younger players in the game as Austin Barnes got in an inning at second base but had no fielding chances and outfielder Trayce Thompson doubled in a run in his only at official at bat and scored two runs.
The Dodgers used 37 year old second baseman Chase Utley in the leadoff spot and he had three hits and drove in two, rookie shortstop Corey Seager had a double that drove in the first Dodgers run, and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez had three hits and drove in three as he continued to torment his original team. Catcher A.J. Ellis also drove in three, two of those coming on a bouncer over a Padres drawn in infield in a five run sixth inning.
Kershaw was outstanding as he only gave up one hit and a walk in seven innings pitched and struck out nine. He improved his Opening Day record to 4-0 with a 0.93 ERA, one point behind Rick Mahler's Opening Day record of 0.92.
Dave Roberts did not have to do much managing in his managerial debut. The best move he made was pulling Kershaw after seven innings and 96 pitches. I believe the only way Kershaw is left out there is if he had a no-hitter going. Roberts did get some of the younger players in the game as Austin Barnes got in an inning at second base but had no fielding chances and outfielder Trayce Thompson doubled in a run in his only at official at bat and scored two runs.
Monday, April 4, 2016
An Injury Depleted Roster
The Los Angeles Dodgers are starting the season with ten players on the Disabled List including three starting pitchers- Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson, and Hyun-Jin Ryu- and three starting position players- left fielder Andre Ethier, second baseman Howie Kendrick, and catcher Yasmani Grandal.
All of the injuries allowed some rookies to open the season with the Dodgers. The Dodgers opening day roster includes three rookies- shortstop Corey Seager, outfielder Trayce Thompson, and Ross Stripling who earned the role of the Dodgers fifth starter. Non-roster invitee utilityman Charlie Culberson also made the roster with a solid spring at the plate and he showed the ability to play multiple positions. A late addition to the Dodgers pitching staff, reliever Louis Coleman also made the roster as it was decided to option left hander Luis Avilan to AAA Oklahoma City. Coleman was signed right as camp opened.
All of the injuries allowed some rookies to open the season with the Dodgers. The Dodgers opening day roster includes three rookies- shortstop Corey Seager, outfielder Trayce Thompson, and Ross Stripling who earned the role of the Dodgers fifth starter. Non-roster invitee utilityman Charlie Culberson also made the roster with a solid spring at the plate and he showed the ability to play multiple positions. A late addition to the Dodgers pitching staff, reliever Louis Coleman also made the roster as it was decided to option left hander Luis Avilan to AAA Oklahoma City. Coleman was signed right as camp opened.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Injuries Continue To Mount
Injuries continue to change the look of the Los Angeles Dodgers opening day roster. It was announced that outfielder Andre Ethier was going to miss 10 to 14 weeks with a broken tibia after fouling a pitch off his lower leg during a spring training game. Ethier had already been announced as the starting leftfielder and his absence can stretch into July. Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke will probably platoon in Ethier's absence and the Dodgers also have a couple of ex-infielder's- Enrique Hernandez and Alex Guerrero- that are trying to make the conversion to the outfield. There are enough at bats to go around for everyone- for now.
Trayce Thompson, the outfielder acquired in a trade this off season, is the odd man out. He has only batted .184 this spring with two homeruns but as brittle as the outfielders are- namely Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke- it is only a matter of time before Thompson is called up to the Dodgers.
Trayce Thompson, the outfielder acquired in a trade this off season, is the odd man out. He has only batted .184 this spring with two homeruns but as brittle as the outfielders are- namely Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke- it is only a matter of time before Thompson is called up to the Dodgers.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Showcasing Talent
Due to Brett Anderson's back surgery and Hyun-Jin Ryu's sore shoulder, the Dodgers may be in need of starting pitching before the season ever begins. The Dodgers may showcase some of their expendable talent early in spring training games and open up the possibility of a trade. Alex Guerrero and Trayce Thompson meet that criteria. Guerrero would be a perfect fit for an American League because he has not really found a defensive position with the Dodgers. He is a natural infielder but the Dodgers have been trying to make an outfielder out of him. He has some power as demonstrated by his 11 homeruns in only 219 at bats last season and his contract guarantees him a roster spot. His plate appearances may be limited with the Dodgers.
Trayce Thompson was acquired in a trade with the White Sox at the winter meetings. Unless some injuries occur, his at bats may be limited with the Dodgers. He did bat .295 with 5 homeruns and 16 RBI's over the last couple of months of last season with the White Sox and can play all three outfield positions. Thompson also only has one minor league option left and with the Dodgers glut of outfielders, he is a prime candidate to be traded.
Guerrero went two for three in the spring training opener with a long homerun off White Sox starter Jordan Danks and a double. Guerrero played third base in this game. Thompson was hitless in three at bats and played centerfield.
Trayce Thompson was acquired in a trade with the White Sox at the winter meetings. Unless some injuries occur, his at bats may be limited with the Dodgers. He did bat .295 with 5 homeruns and 16 RBI's over the last couple of months of last season with the White Sox and can play all three outfield positions. Thompson also only has one minor league option left and with the Dodgers glut of outfielders, he is a prime candidate to be traded.
Guerrero went two for three in the spring training opener with a long homerun off White Sox starter Jordan Danks and a double. Guerrero played third base in this game. Thompson was hitless in three at bats and played centerfield.
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