The Dodgers have made a trio of roster moves, releasing left-hander Ian Thomas and outrighting righties Yaisel Sierra and Layne Somsen off the 40-man roster, reports Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Updated Dodgers depth chart]
Thomas, whom the Dodgers designated for assignment Thursday, originally joined the team via trade with the Braves last summer. He logged a combined 23 1/3 innings with the two clubs in 2015 and posted a 3.86 ERA with 23 strikeouts against 11 walks. Thomas racked up quality numbers early this season for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate — 1.42 ERA, 22 strikeouts and five walks in 19 innings — but has been on the minor league disabled list since mid-May because of tendinitis in his left shoulder.
The Dodgers claimed Somsen off waivers from the Yankees on June 22 and subsequently designated him Friday. Somsen’s only major league action came earlier this season as a member of the Reds, with whom he threw 2 1/3 innings and gave up five earned runs. The 27-year-old has been far better this season in the minors, where he has put up a 1.44 ERA with 10.4 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9 across 25 Triple-A frames.
Los Angeles signed Sierra – a Cuba native – to a deal worth upward of $30MM in February, making him easily the most interesting name in this group. The move hasn’t gone according to plan, though, as the 25-year-old has disappointed at the High-A level this season. In 49 innings, Sierra has run up a 4.69 ERA with 6.05 K/9 against 3.70 BB/9.
How much money have the dodgers wasted on international guys signed to big deals?
They did get a coup on the escape of Olivera’s contract:
Guerrero ~30m
Arruebuena ~20m
Olivera ~70m but did receive Alex Wood, Trayce Thompson, and Frankie Montas
Sierra ~30m
Probable Success:
Puig ~40m
Outstanding Success:
Ryu
Maeda
I consider the contract in the article the worst by far because he was never likely to provide anything but a reliever. Why not keep the $30M and sign Greinke or Cueto instead of Kazmir?
They did fire most of the scouting leadership a while back.
Dodgers were never going to match what SF or Arizona offered Greinke, even though they have the money, obviously.
The Dodgers didn’t sign Cueto because of fears over his elbow. Such concerns probably also turned the Dodgers off to the extra year Grienke wanted. The FO fully thought they had Grienke but he recieved a way better take it or leave it offer from AZ. And now he’s down for at least a month. Sierra really wasn’t to bad of a signing if you judge them on why they intended to sign him. 5 mill for a reliever isn’t bad. The question is can he be more than an everyday reliever if he can than his 5 mill a year isn’t bad. I don’t really see this outright as being a bad thing. People who hate the FO will. The simple fact is even if he was DFAd no one was going to claim his contract so keep him off 40 until he’s ready. Streamlining a delivery doesn’t just happen over night. Although his walk numbers are quite an improvement to those is Cuba.
Missed this when it was posted. No secret I don’t like this FO, but I have no problem with the Sierra signing or even the outright.
I’m sure that must be tremendously confusing but it would be a lot less so if you didn’t claim to know what others are thinking.
Olivera was not 70 million.
They paid ~30 and the braves are paying ~30
It does feel like a lot doesn’t it? I suppose they saved around 70 million dollars jettisoning the Kemp contract so that helps. Seems like the Dodgers can afford it, but, man, those Cuban imports are starting to look like bad investments. Even Abreu is struggling this year, Puig has regressed badly., Tomas and Olivera are busts. Makes me worry a bit about the Padres’ Cuban-heavy J2 signings.
And why does no one get fired?!? It’s hundreds of millions they have spent on international guys only to trade them or release them…
The Dodgers fire the huge portion of their international scouting department August 2015
link to mlb.nbcsports.com
Not sure WHO you think should be fired, sure as heck won’t be Andrew Freidman. Not anytime in the foreseeable future
Why designate Thomas when the 60-day is possible?