The Dodgers are likely to promote outfielder Justin Dean before tomorrow’s series opener with the Blue Jays, reports Dodger Daily. According to the MLB.com transaction tracker, L.A. optioned Esteury Ruiz to Triple-A Oklahoma City this evening. That’ll open the necessary active roster spot, but they’ll also need to make a 40-man move to select Dean’s contract.
It’d be the first major league call for the 28-year-old Dean. A product of Division II Lenoir-Rhyne University in North Carolina, Dean was a 17th-round pick by the Braves in 2018. He doesn’t have huge power in a 5’8″ frame, but he’s a plus runner who can play a good center field. Dean spent seven seasons in the Atlanta system without getting an MLB look. He qualified for minor league free agency last winter and signed a non-roster contract with the Dodgers.
Dean has spent the entire season at Triple-A Oklahoma City. He’s hitting .274/.370/.426 with six homers while stealing 25 bases in 32 attempts. The righty batter has taken walks at a strong 12% rate while striking out 23% of the time. He’s chasing fewer pitches outside the strike zone and making a lot more contact than he did last season in the Atlanta system. Dean has logged over 500 innings in center field and added 136 frames in right.
Ruiz had been the last position player on the roster as a speedster off the bench. Dean should provide a superior defensive option in a fifth outfielder role.
Good for him. You love to see players who spent a good amount of time in the minors get a call up for the 1st time. His family has to be really proud.
CMH
From another conversation in another thread
I’d like to see roster expansion. Give more of these guys who play excellent defense and run the bases well, but can’t hit at the MLB level a chance to be MLB players
It only improves the onfield product and gives more MLB jobs. A win for everyone except those who like seeing, say, Nick Castellanos playing defense.
That’s what September call ups are for.
If you added roster spots do you really think a playoff team is adding a no hit all fielding bench player to fill that slot?
Unless there was some set condition that it has to be used for a minor league player coming up, I don’t see it happening.
Then you’d get the Dodgers keeping a decent player in the minors long enough to call them up within the rules. And others following suit.
With opposing fans losing their minds of course.
ADF
“If you added roster spots do you really think a playoff team is adding a no hit all fielding bench player to fill that slot?”
That’s what they are doing right now
I’d also decouple offense from defense. Let the team run out 8 defensive specialists and 9 DH’s. Get the best players on the field.
IOW, totally destroy baseball?
TBLA
That’s a weird way to spell “massively improve”.
But, hey, if you prefer to see Nick Castellanos in the OF to someone like Justin Dean. Or Ke’Bryan Hayes batting instead of…uh…JD Martinez, well the heart wants what the heart wants.
But I don’t think you’d actually miss it.
Thanks, but I prefer baseball.
BSLA
That, would, of course, still be baseball.
Someone from 1860 would watch a game in 2024 with a DH, pitching overhand, round bats, catching balls without letting them bounce, etc and think this isn’t real baseball.
Would you agree with them?
That would, of course, not be baseball as we’ve known it for well over a century. It would be more like football, which if you prefer it, you should watch instead of trying to make baseball more like another sport.
I can’t get into the head of anyone from 1860 any better than you can.
That’s what September callups used to be for when you could have the entire 40 man on the bench. With the rules change on September rosters only allowing two adds in September, there isn’t an opportunity to reward lifelong minor leaguers with a game or two in the bigs.
Dean’s a better hitter and defensive outfielder than Ruiz. Congrats and best of luck to the kid. He’s earned this opportunity.
Since Ruiz can neither hit nor field it was puzzling he lasted so long. At least this guy can field.
He did steal a few bases.
He only got two starts and 23 plate appearances. He made one error in limited time in the OF for LA, isn’t a complete picture of Ruiz or his abilities.
He hasn’t been good as a pinch hitter but he can hit and he can run and his speed plays up in the OF.
Shouldn’t the headline be “Dodgers rumored to select Justin Dean”?
No. They’re changing the name of the site to MLB Trade Likelihood.
Ruiz needs to go Dean is the same player why lose someone from your 40 for redundancy
Dodgers are trying to find a spark plug type to energize the club a bit and change the mood. They are changing pieces to see if there’s lightning hanging out in AAA.
They are missing Kike in that capacity at the moment.
Good for Dean. Saw him a few times in Gwinett. He’s got good wheels and plays solid defense. Hopefully he gets a chance to show off some value and catches on with a team next season. Dodgers feels pretty unlikely as a longterm thing.
Beyond my ability to comprehend why moving Betts BACK to his most effective & comfortable position in RF, booting T Hernandez to LF is such a not gonna happen strategy.
It’s beyond my ability to comprehend why people are still on this after it’s been decided and explained from every possible side.
The Dodgers want him as their shortstop and he wants to play shortstop, so they should move him to right field.
I appreciate the explanation. For a moment there I thought mookie and the dodgers both wanted him as shortstop.
Right field makes perfect sense now.
Agree, especially since Mookie Betts is currently batting over 50 points under his career average. The Dodgers only have 4 guys hitting right now, and their relief pitching is spotty. That train from 120 miles south of LA is coming hard and will overtake the Dodgers this month.
Why do the Dodgers hate Ryan Ward?
I would not expand the number of position players. But I would like one spot for a “blowout pitcher” so that position players are not used. I really disliked it when the Dodgers were up by a ton and Kershaw had pitched maybe 5-6 shutout innings and the Dodgers had non-pitcher Enrique Hernandez pitch and give up lots of runs.
I hope Dean does well. Braves should have given him a shot.
If only base stealers could get on base more frequently. Can’t steal first base as they say.