The Dodgers have acquired outfielder Steward Berroa from the Blue Jays, according to announcements from both clubs. The Jays, who designated Berroa for assignment last week, receive cash considerations in return. The Dodgers have had an open 40-man since designating Yoendrys Gómez for assignment a week ago.
Berroa, 26 next month, got a small amount of major league experience last year. He got into 28 games for the Jays and stepped to the plate 45 times, putting up a .189/.333/.216 line in that time. He also stole six bases in eight tries and got some good reviews for his defense in that small sample, with Statcast placing his sprint speed in the 89th percentile of qualified big leaguers.
His minor league offense has often been better than that major league showing, though he was out to a slow start this year. He was optioned to Triple-A to start 2025 but hit .195/.267/.234 in 24 games before the Jays designated him for assignment.
Last year, he stepped to the plate 300 times at the Triple-A level. He hit ten home runs, drew a walk in 11.7% of those trips to the plate and struck out at a 23.7% clip, all that leading to a 120 wRC+. He also swiped 34 bags.
He also had a good year at the plate in 2023 but was subpar in 2022. As mentioned, he has started this year on a down note. His future offense may be a question, but as the old saying goes, speed doesn’t slump. Berroa had 58 steals on the farm in 2021 and then 47 in each of the two following years.
Berroa still has options and could be sent to the minors, or the Dodgers could bring him directly to the big league club. They currently have both Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernández on the injured list, subtracting two outfielders from their active roster. That’s led to guys like Hyeseong Kim and James Outman getting playing time lately. Kim has a flat line of .318/.318/.318 thanks to no walks or extra-base hits, while Outman has a dismal .067/.176/.267 slash.
Whether it’s in the minors as depth or in the majors, Berroa seems at least capable of serving as a fourth outfielder. Even if the bat doesn’t come around, he could do some pinch running and defensive replacement work, while any developments at the plate would be a bonus.
Image courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
How much help does Ohtani need?
The *Dodgers need all the help they can get, same goes for all 29 other MLB teams who are willing to compete.
Teoscar 2.0!!! Jk…
.318/.318/.318?
Sounds about right with a 195 hitter in the minors this season.
So, no promotoon for Ryan Ward?
He’s short. What else should I know?
He’s fast, and swings a light bat.
OF version of Kim?
He’s super fun. Joyous baseball player. Depth type. Can really run.
like that scouting report
I get that James Outman has been a mess with the Dodgers but how exactly is wasting another 40 man spot on Berroa help the team?
Makes dumping Outman 100% risk-free. The only reason he was around was insurance and now he doesn’t need to be it.
They’re just going to demote Outman with the hopes he figures things out because he has options.
Giving Berroa a 40 man spot makes no sense. If they need an outfielder in OKC, promote the one on fire, Jose Ramos, in Double-A Tulsa. They can then promote Josue De Paula from Great Lakes and Mike Sirora from Rancho.
Call 1-800-ASK-ANDY. He’s waiting to hear from YOU!
WSS
He’s had more than enough chances to figure it out at the plate. He can’t recognize breaking pitches, and at the big league level that’s unforgivable.
Maybe they see something interesting in his profile and think they can unlock it like they have with other hitters in the past.
Maybe by placing more pressure on Outman? I remember the Dodgers did this in 2002 and 2003 midseason acquiring corner infielders each year because Adrian Beltre was a slow starter at the dish. Beltre stepped up though.
calm down. this guys going to Oklahoma.
Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain?
Seriously, I would not be shocked if he was promoted pretty quickly, and Outman sent to where the waving wheat can sure smell sweet.
Berroa was hitting 195 in the minors. There are a handful of OKC players that make more sense to bring up. Warming up the surrey with the fringe on top.
Which looks practically monstrous compared to Outman. If they were ready to bring someone else up, it probably would have happened already. Just the fact that they made this claim suggests a real interest. Maybe the plan is to up the speed game. Dunno. Just saying I wouldn’t be shocked to see him sooner rather than later.
I’ll wait here.
Please do. The bus will be arriving any minute.
I like poetry.
Dodgers are wasting a 40 man spot on him. That’s the problem.
He’s also blocking outfielders from getting promoted and there are deserving ones in Tulsa, Great Lakes and Rancho.
I respectfully disagree. This is just a depth transaction. It’s not worth starting the 40 man roster clock for Hope or DePaula when Teo & Tommy will back sooner than later.
correct
Promoting Hope, DePaula, Ramos or Sirota from Tulsa, Great Lakes and Rancho doesn’t mean adding them to the 40 man roster.
It means promoting:
Ramos from Tulsa to OKC
De Paula from Great Lakes to Tulsa
Sirota from Rancho Cucamonga to Great Lakes.
The only outfielder in the minors that I’d like to added to the 40 man and promoted to the majors to see what he can do is Ryan Ward. He’s a much better talent than Steward Berroa.
Ward is a good hitter but a butcher in the field. And you might have heard of the Dodgers current DH, making that position unavailable.
They’re probably gonna DFA Outman soon, they just figure they ought to pick up his replacement now rather than scramble to find one later.
They are not in the sending-messages business.
Free Esteury!
Truth
Berroa is a good lottery ticket. This year has been bad but he has a quality history. Last year in AAA he hit .281, 10Hr 47RBi, 34 SB. He can run and he is a switch hitter.
With options left and the Jays lack of quality depth in general, I wonder why they couldn’t find a way to get a equivalent player in return.
I don’t understand the cash only return. Rogers doesn’t need money.
The guy sucks at hitting.
So does the guy currently playing CF for them….even more so.
The cash return is just to cover the player’s salary, this way the Dodgers don’t have to give up anybody from their side.
I’ll take Dodger minor league outfielder and draftee Ryan Ward over Steward Berroa all day long.
Last year, Ward hit .265, 34 HR, 104 RBI, 11 SB (OPS was .883)
This year, he’s at .319, 8 HR, 27 RBI and 5 SB (OPS is .935)
He was also drafted by the Dodgers. Which begs the question? What’s the point of drafting someone who excels at every level in the minors if you’re not going to promote him to the majors.
Ward has zero defense.
If Ryan Ward’s bat is legit, the Dodgers have Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez to fill in during the later innings.
How much help does James Outman need?
This is what a 20 hit tool looks like
5 hit tool lol
20 hit tool would be on a scout’s 20-80 grade scale.
Can’t argue with this logic
PR, def replacement when rosters expand?
Just trade for Tucker already….
89 percentile sprint speed. Late inning pinch runner for the Dodgers, introducing “Benny the Jet”!
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see some fireworks.”
Some of you guys have pretty high opinions of, well, …. your opinions! thinking you know the Dodgers personnel better than AF/BG!
They’ve PROVEN REPEATEDLY they’re excellent at managing this club’s roster, starting players option “clocks” etc? Sheesh, get a grip. This guy Berroa is a potentially good piece. They’ve improved LOTS of other team’s castoffs. If not he’ll be DFA’d and they’ll seek others.
While I like to float some opinions here, I’m 100% supportive of anything the Dodgers FO does. After all, they have a pretty darn good track record of not making huge mistakes, and I can’t really remember saying this FO “should never have traded away” anyone. The only contracts that seem to be horrific right now are Taylor and Conforto, and that’s just for this season. Muncy is gone after this year as well.
History of successful pitching stats allow the contracts on the DL to be overlooked by myself. If/when they’re healthy, they perform. That’s all you can ask, and the depth they have is second to very few.
These bottom two comments are much more rational than the others, but I would like to say the FO “should never have traded away” Oneil Cruz and Yordan Alvarez. But, again, I agree with your sentiment. I’ll trust them over my opinion every time.
@broc
Good call on those two, although both are lacking defensive tools. Cruz got the Dodgers Tony Watson, who was their best bullpen piece that season. The Dodgers had Seager at the time as well. The Alvarez trade was pretty brutal in retrospect.
Armchair GMs on here thinking they understand the LA system better than the geniuses who actually built it.
Opining about rosters, players, trades, future moves, etc is harmless fun for lots of fans, even if their opinions make themselves look foolish most of the time.