Eight members of the Dodgers organization, including president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, were in Japan on Sunday to watch Nippon Ham Fighters star Shohei Otani, according to a report from Sponichi (translation courtesy of Kazuto Yamazaki of Beyond the Box Score, on Twitter). The two-way standout threw a 58-pitch bullpen session before the game and then reached base in all four plate appearances during the contest, going 3 for 3 with a walk. Otani, 23, figures to be the most sought-after free agent available if he decides to immigrate to the majors in the offseason. The Dodgers seem likely to pursue him, but the international spending limits in the new collective bargaining agreement will prevent the big-spending franchise from steamrolling the competition with a massive offer. In fact, the Dodgers aren’t allowed to give out a bonus exceeding $300K to an international prospect in the 2017-18 signing period.
Dodgers Rumors
Clayton Kershaw Likely To Return Sept. 1
- Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is likely to rejoin their rotation Sept. 1, relays Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register (Twitter links). Kershaw, who’s rehabbing from a late-July back injury, will throw a three-inning sim game in Pittsburgh on Monday, manager Dave Roberts announced. If all goes well, he’ll make a rehab start at either the Double-A or Triple-A level next weekend (Twitter link via Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times).
Dodgers Claim Jordan Jankowski From Astros
The Dodgers have claimed right-hander Jordan Jankowski off waivers from the Astros, per an announcement from Los Angeles. The hurler had been in limbo since the Astros designated him for assignment this past Monday.
A 34th-round pick of the Astros in 2012, Jankowski made his major league debut earlier this year and fared poorly across 4 1/3 innings, surrendering six earned runs on seven hits and two walks, with five strikeouts. Jankowski hasn’t produced great results in 40 1/3 Triple-A frames this season, either, with a 5.13 ERA, 5.13 BB/9 and a 36.8 percent ground-ball rate. The 28-year-old has averaged nearly 12 strikeouts per nine at that level this season, however, adding to his impressive bat-missing history in the minors. In 174 1/3 lifetime Triple-A innings, Jankowski has fanned exactly 12 hitters per nine, against 4.5 BB/9, and posted a 3.87 ERA.
Jankowski, who has three minor league options remaining, will report to the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.
Mets Acquire Jacob Rhame From Dodgers As PTBNL In Curtis Granderson Trade
The Mets and Dodgers have completed their Curtis Granderson trade from Friday. New York announced that it has acquired minor league right-hander Jacob Rhame as the player to be named later in the swap. Rhame will report to Triple-A Las Vegas.
The 24-year-old Rhame had been with LA since 2013, when it selected him in the sixth round of the draft. The reliever ascended to the Triple-A level for the first time last season and logged a 3.29 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 63 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Rhame has tossed 48 more PCL frames this year and posted a worse ERA (4.31) and a similar K/9 (10.31), to go with a low-30s ground-ball percentage, but his walk rate has trended in the right direction (1.88 BB/9).
Rhame ranked as the Dodgers’ 28th-best prospect prior to the trade, according to MLB.com, which notes that he possesses a 94 mph to 98 mph heater that can occasionally hit triple digits. However, the outlet cautions that Rhame’s limited repertoire and extreme fly ball ways could make it difficult for him to carve out a big league future.
Dodgers Place Yu Darvish On 10-Day DL
The Dodgers have formally announced that they’ve placed righty Yu Darvish on the 10-day DL with lower back tightness. They also officially activated outfielder Curtis Granderson, optioned outfielder Joc Pederson to Triple-A Oklahoma City, and recalled lefty Edward Paredes from Oklahoma City.
Darvish’s injury is not expected to be serious, as GM Farhan Zaidi tells the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett (all Twitter links). “He could potentially go out there and he certainly feels he could. But in our situation, it’s important for us to feel that he’s 100 percent. To err on the side of caution with an injury that’s relatively minor still makes sense,” says Zaidi. As Plunkett explains, the Dodgers’ enormous 19-game lead on the NL West (and, really, their huge lead in wins on every team in baseball at this point) gives them the luxury of not taking risks on August games that ultimately won’t matter much.
Darvish left his start on Wednesday due to his back trouble. He’s allowed five runs while striking out 22 and walking four in 18 innings since the Dodgers acquired him at last month’s non-waiver deadline.
Dodgers Acquire Curtis Granderson
SATURDAY: The Dodgers have agreed to take on some of the salary on what’s left of Granderson’s contract, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The Mets will pay “more than half” of the $3.5MM or so remaining, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. Some of that cash could flow back to the Mets if the two sides can’t agree on a player to be named later, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets. [Note: the sides eventually did agree on a PTBNL.]
FRIDAY: The Dodgers have officially struck a deal to land outfielder Curtis Granderson from the Mets for cash or a player to be named later. Granderson took the second spot on MLBTR’s list of the top 25 August trade candidates earlier this evening; now, he’s headed out west in search of a ring.
While the Dodgers are more likely to break the all-time single-season record for wins (116) than they are to lose the NL West lead, the club has not stopped adding talent. Granderson joins recent acquisitions Yu Darvish, Tony Watson, and Tony Cingrani in bolstering an already-loaded roster.
Granderson, 36, gives the Dodgers yet another interesting piece to work with. The timing of his addition is particularly notable given that Los Angeles just welcomed veteran first baseman Adrian Gonzalez back from the DL, which seemingly left breakout young star Cody Bellinger slated for at least some additional time in the outfield. Then again, it may turn out that Gonzalez will function mostly as a bench bat.
Both Gonzalez and Bellinger hit from the left side, as do Granderson and the struggling Joc Pederson. It remains to be seen how things will be sorted, but this move could push Pederson out of his semi-regular role in center. Regardless, Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts will have options. The club has three right-handed hitters capable of playing the outfield in Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor, and Enrique Hernandez — the latter two are also infield options — so there are loads of different ways the team can line up depending upon the situation.
Despite his age and early-season struggles, Granderson is a significant addition. he has destroyed opposing pitching to the tune of a .273/.395/.596 slash in his last 250 trips to the plate. It doesn’t hurt that he’s still capable of manning center field, giving an alternative to Pederson. It’s worth noting that, like Pederson, the new addition has been far more effective this year (and over his career) when hitting with the platoon advantage. The Dodgers will surely continue to mix and match heavily.
It’s not yet clear how the teams have sorted out the remainder of Granderson’s $15MM salary — just under $4MM of which remains to be paid. He had previously cleared revocable waivers. It’s worth noting, too, that the move seemingly makes it unlikely that the Dodgers will end up assigning a significant role to veteran Andre Ethier when he finally returns later in the year. Los Angeles also announced that it designated righty Dylan Floro for assignment to open a 40-man spot for the addition of Granderson.
For the Mets, the swap brings an end to a productive four-year tenure for Granderson. He joined the team on a four-year, $60MM pact and largely performed to expectations after a middling first year. All told, he produced a .239/.341/.444 slash with 95 long balls over his time with the Mets — while also serving as a respected clubhouse member through occasionally tumultuous times.
This move is the latest in a string of transactions that the Mets have undertaken to clear the decks on a losing campaign. Prior swaps have seen Lucas Duda, Jay Bruce, Neil Walker, and Addison Reed depart — bringing quite a bit of cost savings and some lower-level prospects in return. All of those players, of course, were pending free agents, so it made little sense to hold onto them with no hope of reaching the postseason. It is still possible the Mets could make another move or two, with catcher Rene Rivera reportedly a candidate to move in the near term and infielder Asdrubal Cabrera taking the top spot on our aforementioned list of possible trade candidates.
Craig Minervini of FOX Sports Florida (via Twitter) had suggested Granderson was close to changing hands. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo first reported the swap (Twitter links).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dodgers To Option Joc Pederson
In the wake of yesterday’s acquisition of Curtis Granderson, the Dodgers appear set to demote fellow outfielder Joc Pederson. There hasn’t been any official confirmation of the move, but various beat writers noted earlier today that Pederson’s locker was empty, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has seemingly confirmed the decision, telling reporters (including the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett on Twitter) that a stint in the minors will give Pederson an opportunity to “reset” while he works on changes to his swing.
As our own Jeff Todd noted yesterday, the Dodgers’ acquisition of Granderson gave them a wealth of outfield options, also including Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez and Cody Bellinger. Bellinger in particular bats lefty, as Pederson does, and figures to take some playing time in the outfield with Adrian Gonzalez returning from the DL.
The 25-year-old Pederson has been a fixture in the Dodgers’ outfield for the past three seasons and looked to be emerging as a core player after a strong 2016, but he has struggled badly of late, hitting a mere .127/.250/.309 in the past month and batting just 2-for-25 over the last two weeks. He’s also dealt with concussion issues and a groin injury this season. He has not played in the minors, other than in rehab assignments, since the Dodgers selected his contract in 2014. Notably, Pederson entered the season with two years and 28 days of service time, so there’s some chance his demotion could result in the Dodgers being awarded an extra year of control before he reaches free agency. It seems likely, however, that they’ll recall him when rosters expand in September, which would keep Pederson on track to become eligible for free agency following the 2020 season.
Athletics Acquire Chris Hatcher
The Athletics announced that they’ve acquired right-hander Chris Hatcher from the Dodgers in exchange for $500K in international bonus money. Hatcher’s roster spot will go to infielder/outfielder Rob Segedin, who has been activated from the 60-day disabled list, the Dodgers announced.
The 32-year-old Hatcher has struggled in each of the past two seasons with the Dodgers. However, the converted catcher had success in 2014-15 and also comes with some peripheral stats that are more promising than the 5.12 ERA he’s posted since Opening Day 2016.
Since last season began, Hatcher has averaged 10.1 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9 with a fastball that has averaged 95.2 miles per hour. That velocity is down in 2017, as is his ground-ball rate, but Hatcher has also improved his control after an uncharacteristic 4.7 BB/9 rate in 2016.
Hatcher won’t cost the Athletics much, as Oakland is one of several teams that is prohibited from spending more than $300K on any single international amateur after drastically exceeding its pool last year (or the year prior). He’ll give the A’s a reliever with a fair bit of late-inning experience that can be controlled cheaply through the 2019 season. Hatcher avoided arbitration last winter by agreeing to a one-year, $1.25MM contract and will be eligible for arbitration once again in each of the next two offseasons before reaching free agency in 2019-20.
The Dodgers likely deemed Hatcher expendable not only due to his struggles but also due to the manner in which right-hander Brandon Morrow has stepped up and enjoyed a rebound campaign in Los Angeles (2.70 ERA, 11.1 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 in 26 2/3 innings). The Dodgers also deepened their bullpen at the trade deadline by acquiring lefties Tony Watson and Tony Cingrani — further crowding a bullpen mix in which Hatcher proved to be the odd man out.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NL Notes: Bettis, Granderson, Familia, Baker, Roberts, Davis
Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis made his return to the major league hill tonight after a long road back following treatment for testicular cancer. To call it a success would be an understatement: Bettis, 28, scattered six hits over seven scoreless frames. MLBTR congratulates him on an inspiring return to the game’s highest level of competition.
Here’s more from the National League:
- While there has been at least some chatter surrounding the idea that the Nationals could have interest in Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson, that’s not the case, per Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post (via Twitter). While the Nats’ original starting outfield trio is shelved on the DL, it seems the organization feels good enough about the health outlook to forego pursuit of a player such as Granderson. The hope remains that both Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth will be able to return in time to gear up for the postseason, with a variety of other players — including Brian Goodwin, Michael Taylor, and just-acquired veteran Howie Kendrick — slated to cover for the longstanding absence of Adam Eaton, who is not expected to play again this year.
- Mets closer Jeurys Familia is set to begin a rehab assignment tomorrow, as James Wagner of the New York Times reports on Twitter. Familia will open in the Gulf Coast League as he begins to move back toward the majors following surgery for a blood clot in his shoulder. It’s obviously too late for his return to impact the Mets’ long-lost hopes of contending, but the 27-year-old will still presumably be aiming to get some work in late this year to set the stage for a rebound in 2018. The coming campaign will be his final year of arbitration control; with only 9 1/3 innings on his ledger to date in 2017, Familia will likely only be able to earn a relatively modest raise on his $7.425MM salary.
- While the Nationals and Dodgers hold the two best records in the National League, each team’s manager — Dusty Baker and Dave Roberts, respectively — currently lack long-term job security. In Baker’s case, per Janes, it seems unlikely that his future will be addressed until after the season (when his contract will expire), though it seems the general expectation in the organization remains that something will be worked out. There’s a similar tone with regard to Roberts, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times writes. Roberts says he’s not thinking about a new deal in the middle of the year, but did say he hopes to continue his “dream job” beyond his current term (the three-year deal runs through 2018 and includes a club option for one more season).
- Shaikin also takes a look in at the interesting transition to the mound currently being attempted by Ike Davis and the Dodgers. The former Mets first baseman — and one-time Arizona State closer — has already earned plaudits for his outstanding attitude in heading down to Rookie ball, and there are some reasons to think he could have a new future in the game at thirty years of age. “The early reviews have been really good,” said Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
Clayton Kershaw Could Return This Month
- The inimitable Clayton Kershaw could return to the Dodgers’ rotation by month’s end, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Kershaw, out since July 23 with lower back tightness, completed a second bullpen session Sunday and will pitch a simulated game Wednesday. Amazingly, the Dodgers have gone 15-3 without Kershaw, whose injury has prevented him from being part of the same rotation as ballyhooed trade deadline acquisition Yu Darvish. Those two figure to line up for Games 1 and 2 of the Dodgers’ NLDS matchup in October.
