With the injuries piling up within the Dodgers’ rotation, Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times wonders if the team erred by not making any significant additions both at the trade deadline or even last offseason. In refusing to deal any of their top prospects for Major League upgrades, “you have to wonder if the Dodgers’ desire to have it both ways — win now while simultaneously rebuilding the farm system — might not cost them their best chance at winning this season,” Dilbeck writes. Here’s some more from around the NL West…
- Rookie Kevin Quackenbush recorded his first career save last night, and if the youngster produces over the rest of the season, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune feels the Padres might go with the younger (and cheaper) option at closer in 2015. This would make Joaquin Benoit, the Friars’ current stopper, into an offseason trade candidate.
- David Peralta went from being a failed Cardinals pitching prospect to a reliable everyday outfielder for the Diamondbacks with an independent league stint in between, and FOX Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi chronicles how Peralta’s unlikely career revival was due to one persistent D’Backs scout.
- Justin Upton is enjoying another strong season with the Braves, which again begs the question of why the Diamondbacks traded of the star outfielder in January 2013. A former D’Backs employee tells Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC subscription required) that the low-key Upton simply didn’t fit Arizona’s model for a superstar. “Management there wants it done a certain way. They want their guys to be Luis Gonzalez, who was very active in the community,” the source said. “They wanted Justin to be the face of the franchise — they had that ‘Uptown’ sign in the outfield — but that’s not Justin. He would say, ‘I just want to play the game.’ “
“Our superstar isn’t cool enough.” Seriously, Arizona?
They’ll likely get rid of Goldschmidt this off-season because Paul publicly stated that pitching inside is actually part of the game and not part of some TLR/Gibson/Towers anti-DBacks conspiracy. Gotta learn to toe the corporate line there Goldy!
interesting
After Cutch was hit, Goldy had an expression on his face like he was disgusted by it too.
I shake my head every day over how bad that trade was. So stupid that they ran Upton out of town. Him and Goldy hitting together would have been so much fun.
Got to give the job to Quackenbush. That may be the best last name in baseball.
Excellent article by Morosi about Peralta and the scout who found him in independent ball.
Still completely agree with Colletti’s decision to keep our prospects.
I’m a huge Dodger fan, but it wouldn’t matter if we got Lester AND Price, the Dodgers aren’t going to win anything with the bullpen pitching the way it is. I love the decision to keep the top prospects.
Some guys like Upton are just that way and I’m fine with it. However, my issue was with the organization trying to make him bigger than he actually is. Upton is a decent player but NOT a “superstar” and the D-Backs demoralized him by mismanaging his career.