The Padres have released second baseman Brian Dozier, as per the team’s official Twitter feed. Dozier signed a minor league deal with the organization back in February, and wasn’t included on San Diego’s initial 60-man player pool at the start of Summer Camp. As per MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell, Dozier could opt out of his deal on July 18 if he hadn’t been added to the roster.
It seemed like the Padres had simply decided to move on from Dozier, particularly after acquiring Jorge Mateo from the A’s to further bolster the second base position (though Mateo is currently in isolation after a positive coronavirus test). Even with Mateo recovering, San Diego still has a fair amount of second base depth, with Jurickson Profar slated to start, and Ty France and Greg Garcia coming off the bench.
Parting ways with Dozier now saves the Padres the prorated $2.2MM in salary that would have been owed to Dozier had he made the active roster. Instead, the 33-year-old will try to catch on with another team as he looks to embark on his ninth Major League season.
Dozier isn’t too far removed from his days as one of baseball’s best all-around second basemen, hitting .254/.338/.476 with 127 home runs with Minnesota from 2014-17. The last two seasons haven’t been as kind to Dozier, as while he has still clubbed 41 homers, he slashed only .225/.320/.408 over 1114 combined PA with the Twins, Dodgers, and Nationals. He did generate 1.7 fWAR over 135 games for Washington as the Nats’ regular second baseman last season, helping the team make a postseason appearance that resulted in the Nationals’ first World Series title (Dozier saw only sporadic postseason action, with seven PA over eight games).
M’s need to get him
Why? The M’s have Shed Long and the worthless Dee Gordon. The M’s 60 man roster is relatively stacked in the infield and barren in the outfield.
Dozier could take some at bats as a DH. He can play multiple positions.
I would think they’d rather have Vogelbach work to get better with Evan White sliding in at first
that is incorrect. The only inning he’s logged outside of 2B since transitioning from a SS was his mopup PITCHING performance last year. It’s SS or DH. League minimum with incentives or bust. Expect to see him next spring.
Shed Long will do just fine
another candidate for a quicm career rejuvenation in the NPB.
Dang I liked Dozier, better than Greg Garcia
Eh. Doziee Definitely has more power but Garcia has better OBP ability. Depends what you’re looking for.
Garcia over dozer any day. His eye at the plate is unmatched, if he could only be more aggressive and add some more power. Now I’d take dozer over profar any day
Ideally the two of them would have platooned at 2nd base
I look at is as the two of them have completely different roles. Dozier is a 2B, Garcia is a utility infielder who can play at all 4 spots, but his primary role is versatility off the bench.
Steamer projects Garcia to slash .242/.345/.346 and Dozier to slash 242/.331/.443, so its really just Dozier’s pop that sets them apart offensively. The trade off for that is Garcia is a better defender at multiple positions.
If you’re talking just a starting 2B, then yes Dozier is better, but if you are talking about a backup infielder, which I think is the role that San Diego has available, then I think I would want Garcia.
Greg Garcia is awful.
Guys who can provide adequate defense at multiple infield positions are a dime a dozen, and a lot of them cary an ISO north of 100.
Phillies should be on this in case Kingery isnt totally ready, as well as Brandon Morrow
You want Brandon Morrow? I’ve got a glass house built right on top of the San Andreas fault you might be interested in, too.
if its like Morrow though its great when the ground is still.
No way, Kingery has much more upside and is already under contract.
Dozier went from a top 2B to no jobs in about 4 years.
Life isn’t a bowl of cherries.. Similar players:: Puig and Chris Davis… On a downward spiral: Votto and Goldschmidt.. It happens to the best of them.
Chris Davis is nowhere near similar to those others.
I’ve always liked dozier, I hope he catches on somewhere
Wouldn’t be surprised to see him land back with the Nationals in Zimmerman’s roster spot.
That’s my thoughts!
Now with the DH in the National league is not going to be difficult for Dozier to find a new team. Dozier has a lot of power and he hits a lot of homeruns. There are a lot of teams that could be interested in signing him. A team that makes sense could be the Pirates, Brewers and Cardinals. The Pirates could trade him at the deadline.
I think you’re selling him as a player a bit short, bro.
I’m a transplanted New Yorker living in Minneapolis. Homeowners & building supply reps are always giving me Twins tickets. I’ve seen him play a lot. He *was* a power/speed guy. He also played a very good second base.
For a 2-3 season stretch he was one’ve the best all around second basemen in MLB. But, jeeez, the guy’s totally plummeted the last couple seasons.
He was a fun player, man.
Hope he gets it together.
Why would the Pirates need him? They already have Frazier at second who can be backed up with Newman if necessary and Cole Tucker can move into SS when necessary. The one place where the Pirates have no shortage is middle infield.
Dozier lost it quick.
Weird. He looks much better than Profar as the RHH complement to Garcia at 2B. Guess one should never estimate the power of Preller’s love affairs.
Yes I agree, Preller is obsessed with this dude, I don’t get it.
Get him to NYY to fill in for Lemahieu whole he battles the Kung Flu
Braves should grab him, power off the bench or DH. He probably could play first base part time as well. Would love to have this guy. Braves lineup looking kinda skimpy all of a sudden
Braves or Red Sox…
Not when we have the legendary Peraza…
Brock Holt anyone? Wait, he’s…
I’m really hoping Chaim Bloom did not screw us here, not liking the gamble one bit. Holt was our guy.
Believe it or not Dozier and Profar have relatively similar lifetime numbers. Perhaps it has more to do with Profar being 6 years younger, a switch hitter and can also play the outfield. Maybe the Padres just didn’t want another Kindler like last year: a guy who can only play 2B and therefore adds zero value if his bat takes a crap.
1. Dozier has more upside with the bat.
2. Profar can stand in the outfield. Actually playing it is another story.
Profar is actually decent in the corners. His bat doesn’t play but as a utility player he holds his own. He is not a statue out there like you infer, he has decent speed and reads the ball off the bat pretty well. I’m not saying he’s an all star but you are selling him short.
He can’t make the throw from 2nd to 1st. Runners are going to abuse the heck out of his arm.
By the way Dozier’s lifetime OPS vs. lefties is .165 higher than Profar’s (then Greg Garcia has both of them beat against righties).
Dozier can play 2B and possibly 1B. Profar can play any IF or OF position passably. Neither one is going to give you a plus bat. They both project to hit .235-.245 with a .315-.325 OBP and 20-HR. Neither is starting quality anymore. Looks like the Padres just may prefer Profar’s versatility to Dozier’s few extra points in avg and OBP.
Profar can’t play any position passably.
Dozier had a .900 OPS against lefties last year. That’s All Star quality.
Was Dozier an all-star last year? No? Why not?
Pick one stat and quit Mike? Let’s look at the whole line.
Dozier vs L: .280/.375/.900 7-HR vs R: .221/.327/.719 13-HR
Profar vs L: .305/.378/.835 3-HR vs R: .192/.278/..674 17-HR
Pretty close to even overall. Profar has a higher average and less power against LHP. He has a lower average and more power against RHP.
So Dozier looks like a platoon player since both his average and power are noticeably better against LHP. That would make him the short side of the platoon-only playing 30-40% of the time, and only 2B. Profar? Over .300 BA against LHP is playable. 17-HR in 354 AB against RHP is playable, even if his BA is terrible. He can play any IF position and both corner OF.
Neither is a star, or a starter. What the Padres need from them is versatility. Profar has it, Dozier doesn’t. Nobody wants either of these guys playing regularly against RHP.
Any evidence Profar cannot play any position on the field Mike? Yes, I know he had the yips. If he still does, he is useless. If not, he can play anywhere. Again, unless you have some evidence that proves otherwise…?
google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j…
Bruh, thanks for proving my argument for me, Dozier’s OPS was higher than Profar’s by over 100 points against both lefties and righties. Not even close to even. And we would only need them against lefties anyway cuz GG is clearly than either against righties.
Dozier has more versatility than Profar Each can stand at any position, but only Dozier can actually play a position (2B) passably. Profar can’t make the throw from 2nd to 1st which means pretty much any position is out for him except 1st base (which they’re not going to play him there over Hosmer) and DH (which we have better hitters to put there).
So, no evidence I see. Just your opinion that Profar can’t play any position. The article I posted seems to disagree with you. I was at least expecting some kind of article stating that he is terrible defensively to try to prove your point. But I guess your opinion is all that you have.
Profar’s OPS is .065 higher against L and .045 against R. Let’s not just make things up like “it’s over 100 points higher both ways” Mike. Everyone here can read, everyone here can see that what you said was a lie.
If you are just going to lie and also try to present your opinion as fact even without evidence, I don’t think there is any reason to bother trying to converse rationally with you.
Profar demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt last year that he can’t make the throw from second to first. If he can’t make that throw, how is he supposed to make the throw from any other position?
Profar has a lifetime .716 OPS against RHP’s and .690 against LHP’s. Dozier, meanwhile, has a lifetime .737 OPS against RHP’s and .855 against LHP’s. So I appear to have misspoke on Dozier being over 100 points better against RHP’s but he’s still 21 points better. Not much but still better. And then he absolutely crushes Profar against LHP’s, which is really all that matters because Greg Garcia will (or at least should) start over both of them against RHP’s.
fangraphs.com/players/jurickson-profar/10815/split…
fangraphs.com/players/brian-dozier/9810/splits?pos…
If you are just going to lie and also try to present your opinion as fact even without evidence, I don’t think there is any reason to bother trying to converse rationally with you :^)
I remember this guy was a big sell last off-season but I never knew why. He was never worth the money and had only sold well due to an unreasonably high OBP.
I got in a big argument on him with others and it turns out I was right (not to brag but I love it when that happens).
Please Jays pick this guy up!! He can play 3b till Martin’s arrival
Go get him Baltimore