The Dodgers have struck a deal to acquire lefty Jason Wheeler from the Twins, according to LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune (via Twitter). Cash considerations are headed to Minnesota in return.
Wheeler, 26, was designated for assignment recently by Minnesota. He reached the big leagues briefly for the first time earlier this year, struggling through two outings.
But the Dodgers evidently saw something in Wheeler’s minor league work to like. The soft-tossing southpaw, who has worked almost exclusively as a starter, struggled struggled against right-handed bats in his first crack at the upper minors. But he reversed that in 2016. Over 169 1/3 innings, most of them at Triple-A, he posted a 3.30 ERA with 7.6 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9.
The Dodgers love their lefties
I’d really like to see Julio Urias up and in the rotation permanently.
He will be back soon. Julio had to be sent down his last 2 starts in the bigs were horrific
The Dodgers acquiring YAL (yet another leftie) might end any talk about Urias being used out of the pen this year.
I’m not sure there should have ever been any question about that.
Even if that was being talked about before, I’m not sure how adding a bad 26 year old changes anything…
It sure was being talked about before. I can think of at least one other leftie starter who pitched out of the pen as a rookie. I’m not sure I remember his name but I think it began with a K.
Agreed, Julio will definitely be back soon. He just needs a little more work on his control
“Struggled struggled.” That’s really struggling!
Everyday he’s struggling.
I feel like the Dodgers lead the majors over the last 4-5 years in acquiring recently DFA’d players in trades
What the Dodgers need to do is figure out that rotation. Kershaw and Woof have been consistent, McCarthy has been decent but Ryu, Maeda and Hill have been all over the place. I hope they are actually in the market for a good pitcher at the deadline or we will be in the same spot as always where we want Kershaw to do everything in the playoffs.
Wheeler could be a clone of Andy Pettitte with his herky jerky motion. Suggest Dodgers push him to copy legal things in Pettitte repertoire. PS Wheeler is known in Rochester to be a fine fellow of good character, and he will be missed.
They don’t need any more lefties too many waste. They need a quality right hand pitcher.