Andre Ethier has been the most oft-mentioned trade candidate for the Dodgers recently, in part, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link), because Los Angeles is telling teams with interest in Yasiel Puig that Puig is not available at this time. Puig isn’t without his red flags, as he’s facing potential disciplinary action in connection with domestic violence allegations, is coming off a down season and has long come with questions about his clubhouse persona. Of course, even Puig’s “down” season saw him bat a solid .255/.322/.436 with 11 homers in 311 plate appearances, and he remains just 25 years of age with a considerable track record of elite production under his belt. Puig’s contract guarantees him $19.5MM over the next three seasons, although it also allows him to opt into arbitration once he is eligible next offseason, so it’s perhaps likely that he’ll instead go that route, as his earning capacity figures to be greater going down the arbitration path.
A few more Dodgers-related notes…
- Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi was a guest on High Heat with Chris Russo on the MLB Network today (video link) and discussed a number of topics regarding the upcoming season. In regard to left-hander Hyun-jin Ryu, who underwent shoulder surgery and missed all of the 2015 season, Zaidi stopped short of declaring that he’d be ready for Opening Day but did say the Korean southpaw’s recovery is progressing as expected. Zaidi sounded hopeful that Ryu would indeed be available, but as the GM noted, it’s impossible to project a player’s return from that type of procedure before seeing him pitch in a game setting.
- Zaidi deflected the notion that the team is looking to move Andre Ethier, stating that, “Right now, he’s a really important part of our team,” mentioning Ethier’s quite-productive numbers from the 2015 season (albeit in a platoon capacity). Zaidi acknowledged that the Dodgers have quite a bit of outfield depth and stressed that earlier in the offseason, the team was open to various scenarios involving a number of their players. “But right now, we have nothing going on,” Zaidi continued. “…We expect [Ethier] to be here in 2016.”
- Howie Kendrick, whose two-year, $20MM contract with the Dodgers became official today, will see time not only at second base but also at third base in 2016, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters, including Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times, on today’s conference call. “He expressed a willingness to play different spots,” said Friedman of Kendrick. “That’s when things kind of accelerated.” Friedman said there could be as many as 1400 at-bats to go around between Kendrick, Chase Utley and Enrique Hernandez, with each expected to play multiple positions. As Shaikin notes, Kendrick’s willingness to play third base is of particular importance given Justin Turner‘s offseason knee surgery and the fact that Turner has never played more than 126 games in a season before.
- Interestingly, Shaikin adds his own bit about the recent trade talks between the Dodgers and White Sox, reporting that the Sox actually approached the Dodgers about Puig, but the Dodgers instead tried to sell the Sox on trades involving Ethier and Carl Crawford. At this point, there’s very little traction between the two sides, a source tells Shaikin.
- Kendrick and his agent, Larry Reynolds, were among those that spoke to Nightengale for a full column on the problems caused by the current qualifying offer system. Reynolds, an agent for 32 years, told Nightengale that Kendrick’s free agency was the most difficult of any throughout his career representing players. Kendrick himself expressed surprise at the lack of interest in him: “Nobody wanted to give up that draft pick. It was a shocker.”
Glad to see the white sox at least made an attempt at puig over the other 2.
They have been in on lots of names but have done nothing.
They acquired Zimmerman and Frazier so I would say they have done quite a bit. But then I guess you mean “what have you done for me lately?”
Ummmmmm
Ummm wow so the Tigers must have traded Zimmerman to the white soxs that new sign and trade deal. Just messing I’m guessing you meant Lawrie. I don’t see Ethier happening. The Dodgers want to fool someone into taking CC, but no one will budge. They value flexibility. How much do they eat before realizing both CC and Guerrero are hindering that. Guerrero’s value is inhibited most by his opt out married with his one dimension that really didn’t show after his hot start. I guess they can hope CC gets off to a hot start so it might entice someone to go crazy. All we know is that two guys aren’t going to be happy about playing part time.
They’ll just be happy with their paycheck.
H
Dodger will have to eat 90% of CC’s remaining contract to move him even if he starts off healthy and hot b/c he has a HUGE track record of injury stints. Teams will only roll dice if it costs them nothing in return.
I don’t have a long list of players to avoid, but Puig is definitely on it.
I’m sure he’d cross the street if he saw you coming too.
Ryu already started throwing off the mound last month, he’s pretty much looking good already. He also cut his weight down but didn’t mention his current weight saying that it is “top secret” when he arrived in South Korea last year to continue his rehab. His MLB 2016 stats also came out via ZiPS… Saying that he’ll appear in 22 games, 125 1/3 innings pitched while having an ERA of 3.52 this year.
(Also, I heard news that Matt Murton signed a minor league contract there with the Cubs, does that include a spring training invite?)
Most pitchers who miss entire seasons aren’t ready to simply pick up where they left off. Spring training generally isn’t enough to rebuild the kind of arm strength, sharpness and stamina needed to pitch in games every five days. My best case scenario for Ryu is he starts the season on a rehab assignment and is ready in May.
Or do they carry Wood and skip starts for him and Maeda throughout the year.
You mean carry six starters?
I can’t believe teams are looking over the fact that Puig beats women. Hopefully MLB does the right thing and suspends him for the season.
Like MLB should nail the St. Louis Cards to the cross for hacking into other teams computers
I’m a Cards fan…and I agree with you. They did fire the people who did it but are they just the scapegoats?
It makes Baseball look bad, no better than betting on the game.
Have there been multiple incidents? Not saying one is ok, but he has been alleged to have pushed his sister right? With no charges being filed? The report didn’t seem like he is Ray Rice, but correct me if I missed something.
Does he really beat women or did he push his sister. Not saying either is ok but they leave 2 different mental pictures and are completely different
Picky picky.
SoCalShu, wow. So it’s OK for him to physically assault a female as long as it’s not too severe in your eyes? If someone lays their hand on a female, they’re out for the season – no questions asked, period. The MLB must rise above the soft foundation laid by the NFL when it comes to domestic abuse.
As for Mack22 and his inability to stay on-topic, the Cards should be forced to turn over all draft pics to the Astros for the next three seasons.
Is that the new rule, Mr. Commissioner? Will you be holding a press conference?
First of all, we don’t really know what happened in the bar, Second, it’s up to the commissioner to investigate and rule, and third, he has two other cases requiring the application of the domestic violence policy ahead of him, both of which appear far more serious.
Aw, shucks, BlueSkyLA. I’m flattered that you think of me as someone capable of filling the commissioner’s shoes, and you’re right – I am. But I will now be holding a press conference.
Apparently you didn’t see where I said NEITHER is ok.
Where you there when he physically assaulted his sister? Probably not. Let the facts come out before jumping to punishment. You are basing you judgement off stuff that doesn’t tell the true or full story. This is a huge problem w/ our country these days. I’m all for punishing the guilty but not based off limited info or partial storylines.
SoCalShu, you’re no better than Goodell. You’re one of the ones that had to actually see the Ray Rice video tape before you decided, “Oh, gee, I guess that’s bad. I guess I have to do something.”
Unreal.
Bye I used physically assault b/c you called it that despite the reports he only pushed her.
In warped, parallel universe SoCalShu is from, pushing a female is not physical assault. That way of thinking speaks volumes to your way of thinking when it comes to physical abuse of women. Wow.
…. and it isn’t actually known to us whether that happened, either. Just let the commissioner do his job, okay?
Hey rustypee, you are probably, no without a doubt, the most unintelligent poster I have ever had the honor to read. Thank you for the brain numbing posts . So basically what you are saying is that anyone who defends Puig by saying the facts have not come out or to what degree did assault happen, then that person is now a supporter of domestic violence.
you do realize there are degrees of assault.. 1st/2nd/3rd.. so even the law agrees that maybe the facts should come out before rush to conviction.
But seriously, keep posting so the online community can laugh at you.. just don’t spawn any children of your own.. that would not be fair to the child and society doesn’t need another moralistic parent running their kid to death because she ate a piece of candy.. Ummkay!!
Who is rustypee?
You have no idea how I am since you don’t know me.
You are making a snap judgement about who I am based on 1 comment that we partially disagree on.
I prefer to let the facts be presented before making a judgment and punishment where as you are from the mindset that of it was reported w/ an inflammatory headline that he(they must be guilty so banish them to hell.
We do agree that abusing/assaulting women is completely wrong and punishable.
The difference is I don’t rush to judgement off a headline/incomplete story.
Since you brought it up (Rice) I felt that Ray’s 1st 2 game suspension was WAY to light even before the video. The evidence that was confirmed by Ray himself was cause for more then 2 games and I also believe that Goodell hoped the video tape wouldn’t have been released so he could keep Ray in the league(yes covered up the full story)
Dunno but he should see a doctor, stat.
Look at SoCalShu backtracking, lol. Dude, it’s too late. You’ve dug yourself a hole.
Dude, you should watch what you say when you are overplaying a weak hand.
I haven’t back tracked 1 bit….we agreed that assaulting women is wrong. I said that in my very 1st post. You just chose to gloss right over it…it’s called selective reading comprehension.
I don’t feel based on the reports that Puig assaulted his sister. It was reported that he pushed her. That is where we differ. You want to punish him for a year based on a sketchy report.
you are…
one of the things I see all the time on the internet are those people who wish to jump to conclusions—like, if you dare to say someone deserves a day in court that somehow you “condone” their actions. I know ZERO about what Puig may or may not have done. I doubt many people really do. That’s why we have courts—or in the case of sports, commissioners who have folks who look over this evidence and decide cases based on the evidence and what is in the best interest of their particular sport.
Wait hold on first the Puig in the video was proven not to be in the video. Second TMZ retracted all the their reports. Third it came out that it wasn’t Puig who pushed his sister it was her boyfriend. According to the story Puig got into it with the boyfriend which apparently was the reason he was getting kicked out. If he did anything serious the MLB wouldn’t want any egg on their faces. He wouldn’t have traveled to Cuba. The evidence in all the reports are sketchy at best. But hey TMZ is beyond reproach and has never retracted a story so there word is end all be all.
TMZ still maintains that Puig was involved in an altercation where he pushed his sister and then “got physical” with staffers inside the bar and then “sucker punched” the manager outside the bar before being restrained by staffers on Thanksgiving Eve. ALL of the articles are still on their site and none of that was retracted. Go take a look.
All they have said is that the video they were provided from outside the bar and that was initially posted on their website on 11/30 and told was from Thanksgiving Eve was from another date and did not involve Puig.
While TMZ is certainly not above reproach, they are not the only ones that reported this incident. Merely the first, since the social scene is what they cover.
The police’s final report, a report that included photos of a battered Puig and a bouncer with a bloody lip, in which they state that it was “mutual combat” between the bouncer and Puig shows how far Florida police will go not to ruffle feathers with athletes.
Florida law says that any altercation with the lawful employee of a Bar, Restaurant, or other Hospitality industry establishment while they are in the commission of their duties is considered assault automatically and battery if there is physical contact. That law was put into place because tourism is such a large portion of Florida’s annual revenue, Certainly, a bouncer kicking an unruly patron out of a bar is in the commission of his duties. How the local police got away with bypassing state law just because it was an athlete is beyond me.
Tell that to Miguel Cabrera
Well that’s the thing there was a report that mentioned Puig got into it with the boyfriend and intended to hit the boyfriend as the bouncer was attempting to break up the fight. All I was attempting to intimate was that facts and opinions are sketchy. Jumping to conclusions is ridiculous. Certainly if it comes out that Puig just sucker punched the bouncer, he deserves any suspension the commish office deems appropriate. I don’t understand how such broad generalizations are made (obviously not by you) and people get into childish/ laughable games.
lmao at this ignorant post. Puig was never accused of beating anyone. The report said he pushed his sister away from him, and that was report was sketchy at best. Do some research before you post. Otherwise, you risk making yourself look like a fool, which you did here.
rustypeeBraves is a fool.. and he will just disappear when he knows he has been figured out. He feels he needs to be the moral police of the internet..
I just hope he never breeds..
Haha way to do your research and not troll.
Clown
you are an intelligent poster. cherry pick some events and extrapolate it to make it appear all fans are like that. I have a feeling some kids have beat you up once or ten times in your pitiful little life.. you make real Braves fans embarrassed that we share a common passion.
Klassy with a kapital k.
tell me how I condone physical violence.. point out one time I said I condone it. I will wait
teams gave up draft picks for other players. Maybe Reynolds just isn’t that great an agent.
I find it interesting that Zaidi hemmed and hawed about Ryu’s availability for opening day and we find out today that Ryu isn’t throwing off a mound yet and its 2 weeks to spring training. I think that May looks like a much more reasonable time frame to see him rejoin the Dodgers after a 4-5 start stint in the minors to work on building stamina.
As I said already,,,
I miss the days when threads like the ones above wouldn’t appear on the site for longer than a few seconds before being deleted.
The comments have gone from over-moderated to completely un-moderated.
Yep. At least there’s still Facebook, though even there the quality of the comments has gone downhill as MLBTR has become more popular and mainstream.
Please. Your reading comprehension needs a lot of work, and you are just as much to blame for the devolution of those threads as anybody else. Stopping using logic fallacies would be a good start.
LOL
That’s because according to the MLBTR Commenting Policy, linking to a personal blog IS against the rules. Duh.
“Spam-type links or self-promotion. Please submit to our weekly Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature if you have a website or blog.”
Verbually abusing? Reading comprehension issues and logic fallacies….
Playing the victim isn’t helping you. Let it go…let it go…
This is what I typed in the other thread, since you bring it up: “Wow, spam is allowed on MLBTR now?” That was it until you brought it back up here. If you think that qualifies as “verbal abuse,” no wonder you don’t get the point others are trying to make to you here.
You can stop replying to my thread anytime now..
You’re a liar, or just have the worst memory in the history of the world. As far as I can tell, the editing of comments isn’t even possible with the new commenting format.
But stick to your narrative. It’s obviously really working out for you so far. 😉