The Dodgers face a tricky situation with 3B/OF Alex Guerrero, Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times writes. Guerrero’s contract has two years and $10MM remaining, and it doesn’t allow the Dodgers to option him to the minors without his permission. That means the Dodgers are effectively stuck with him on their 25-man roster, even though he isn’t an especially good defender at any position and tailed off badly at the plate after a hot start last season. Guerrero also isn’t much of a trade asset due to his contract (which, in addition to the provision about optioning him, also allows him to become a free agent next winter if he’s dealt this season). For a big-market team like the Dodgers, $10MM sure isn’t a huge hindrance, but Guerrero’s presence on the roster currently seems like it could be a minor headache for them. Here’s more from the NL West.
- A number of teams have been in touch with free agent reliever Fernando Rodney‘s representation, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. The Padres, who previously had been connected to Rodney, do not currently seem to be most likely to sign him. (A previous report had indicated that the Blue Jays, Diamondbacks and Cubs were involved in his market.) Rodney, of course, struggled in Seattle for most of the 2015 season, but seemed to find new life after an August trade to the Cubs. In Chicago, the 38-year-old struck out 15 batters and walked four in 12 innings.
- Diamondbacks superstar Paul Goldschmidt is excited about the team’s moves this offseason, writes MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert. Goldschmidt says that he new the team would spend if it found an opportunity it liked, but that he was still taken aback when he heard the Snakes had landed Zack Greinke. “I was definitely surprised,” he says. “All of a sudden my phone started blowing up with people texting and calling me. It was exciting.”
Texas should trade for him–a relatively cheap right handed hitter with some power.
Why would the d-backs trade goldy? I would keep him until his final arbitration years. Or sign him long-term now.
Goldschmidt is already signed to a long-term deal.
Theyre gonna want maeda in a year or two then lol
A .233 hitter that has no defensive position that he can even be an average player at.
Really….cheap righthanded batter.
Wow….at 10MM left on a 2 year contract……this guy probably wouldn’t even be a triple a player if he came up through the US minor league system.
He should thank the Lord the Dodgers are that stupid.
At AAA in 2014 Guerrero hit .329 ad belted 15 home runs in just 65 games. Check your stats.
What are you going to trade for him? Used bouble gum? Because that’s about all he’s worth. The guy is worthless on the field, doesn’t draw walks, terrible contact skills..there just isn’t enough bad things to say about him
I can’t believe Greinke left the Dodgers. We are really gonna be sorry now.
Trade Gurrero to Atlanta, we can give him regular playing time at 3B, and eat some of his salary because we aren’t contending anytime soon. Plus, I think Coppy/Hart like trading for the Dodgers bad international signings *cough-Olivera-cough*
Lol theyre gonna want kenta maeda in a year or two then
Theyre gonna want maeada in a year or two then lol
Truth is……The Braves, Reds, Brewers and possibly the D-Backs could all use him at 3B or as a filler in the OF. I believe that he needs a new place to play, that the Dodgers destroyed his desire to play on that team (the reason for his late fade in performance………and I think Mattingly didn’t like him). The guy has hit at every level……..the Brewers play in a “Band Box” and Alex might hit 40 HR’s if he was their full-time 3B (he only has to beat out Middlebrooks…..lol)……
Park Factors: Turner field is 29th in HR’s…..17th in 2B’s…..22nd in 3B’s……….
…………………………………Miller Park is 1st in HR’s……8th in 2B’s………9th in 3B’s…..
…………………………………Great American is 7th in HR’s…….11th in 2B’s……..30th in 3B’s
…………………………………Chase Field is 24th in HR’s……5th in 2B’s…….2nd in 3B’s
Brewers are the best fit for the slugger, in my eyes…..and the Brewers could possibly have the biggest need.
LOL…..I hate that there’s no Edit button. I lined all those columns up perfectly in my draft, then they come out all scattered!!! ARRRGGGH!
The guy has hit at every level???? Really!
What levels are those?
Just another FLAMEOUT Cuban player that never played an inning in any minors that the Dodgers were duped into signing a ridiculous contract with no tracl record.
That’s a pretty strong statement. Better do your homework on Guerrero before spouting off (since he definitely played in the minors AND put up some nice numbers). I like his potential and wish the Braves would trade for him
The contract is also far from ridiculous. 10 mil over the next two years isn’t a steal, but not exactly a bad deal even. The Dodgers just failed to use him properly.
That the best summary of him. He has proven worth at the minor league level and major league level. He is a best an avg. corner outfielder and could prosper offensively with consistent playing time. The dodgers have mis-handled his place on the team. He could have had some upside 2 years ago but now his value is in limbo. He could be a season steal for someone looking for an outfielder with upside at a reasonable price. The phils or twins would make sense imo.
How should they have handled his place on the team?
Turner was playing awesome and deserved to be the starting 3B when he was healthy. However he got injured and they continued to play Uribe at 3B instead of giving Guerrero a shot while he was hitting great. Guerrero functioned mostly as a pinch hitter all year, and he was pretty good at that. He only had 230 plate appearances all season through 106 games.
Guerrero did get a shot, not only at 3B but in LF. They found a place in the lineup for him but he hit only in April, and was terrible after that. Pitchers got his number in a hurry. Should the Dodgers have kept Guerrero in the lineup when he was batting under a buck, and when both Turner and Uribe were hitting better in that stretch and both are more valuable defensively?
Remember Hee Seop Choi? Batted a ton for a few weeks until pitchers figured out he could not hit breaking pitches. Pretty soon he was back in Korea, even though he was actually a pretty good fielder.
Proofreading — “Goldschmidt says that he KNEW the team would spend”
He would be the best player on the Oakland A’s.
A’s should aquire him (if the dodgers eat money) and move Valencia to left.
What do you all think?
The A’s seem pretty set in the OF. Obviously, if Guerrero was a better option, it’d be different, but Crisp/Burns/Reddick is much more sound than moving Valencia out there just to plug in a relatively unproven bat. Semien’s defense is bad enough on the left side of the infield.
Heck the way Beane has been the last few years we’d trade Gray and our top 2 prospects for Guerrero and a back up minor league catcher.
As an A’s fan who is discouraged and fed-up with ownership, it pains me to say you’re right.
The only way I see LA trading with OAK is if it’s for Gray. The only way OAK trades Gray is if they get a massive haul…..I don’t see LA doing it. If OAK wanted Guerrero LA could start with a package built around Urias, DeLeon, Guerrero, + others.
I think if Gray became available , Seager + Urias or De Leon would have to be included in the deal, plus others
*knew the team
He started so hot and then was given up on. (Even before he started tailing off). Was no surprise when he slumped as he didn’t get the support and playing time even though he was raking.
Definitely needs a change of scenery.
The bad part about this deal is not the money, it’s the fact he can’t be optioned, and he can opt out in the off-season if he is traded. I think Gurerro just needs to be hitting everyday to be successful, he has never had a bench role his entire career. He can’t play defense which means it’s hard for a team to play him everyday. Ideally he could be a cheap Dh for a small market team.