Dodgers Rumors

Dodgers Notes: Rotation, Maeda, TV Deal

By Mark Polishuk | March 28, 2016 at 7:57am CDT

The Dodgers could consider a trade to help their ailing pitching staff, but only if an “impact” arm could be acquired, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (Twitter links). That said, rotation help could come from within, as Ross Stripling, Zach Lee and Carlos Frias are all in the running to be the fifth starter. Here’s more on the Dodgers…

The Dodgers’ low-key offseason and now their spring injury plague has led to some pessimism about the club, as Sherman explores in a column. In not stripping the farm to acquire big names at either last July’s trade deadline or during the winter, however, the Dodgers feel they’ve amassed the depth necessary to withstand this injury bug. Yasiel Puig has also been in good form both on the field and in the clubhouse this spring.
With all the injury gloom surrounding the Dodgers’ rotation, one major bright spot has been Kenta Maeda’s excellent Spring Training, MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick writes. Maeda has a 1.89 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 19 spring innings, firmly establishing his place in the pitching staff. The Japanese righty signed a rather unique eight-year, $25MM contract (with over $65MM available in incentive bonuses) with Los Angeles this winter, a structure inspired by some concerns the Dodgers had over Maeda’s physical.
Earlier this week, Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan examined the controversy surrounding the Dodgers/Time Warner television contract. Passan criticized all sides for the situation that has led to many L.A. residents unable to watch Dodger games for the last two years, and also explores what the future could hold for all baseball teams and cable TV deals.

NL West Notes: D-Backs, Gray, Grandal, Seager

By Jeff Todd | March 24, 2016 at 11:28pm CDT

Diamondbacks middle infielders Jean Segura, Nick Ahmed, and Chris Owings have all thrived offensively in Spring Training, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. On whether he’d move any of the three for help elsewhere, general manager Dave Stewart told Rosenthal, “Not going to happen. If you make a trade, you’re depleting your depth. One thing we have right now is three major-league middle infielders capable of playing — and in my opinion starting — for a lot of teams at a top level.” Stewart is quite bullish about the D-backs as a whole, saying, “When I look at our team, I don’t have any concerns whatsoever.” Click here to read a newly published, in-depth interview between Stewart and MLBTR contributor Brett Ballantini.

Here’s the latest on some injury situations in the NL West:

The Rockies expect righty Jon Gray to require about two weeks before returning to action while he rests his strained abdominal, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports. That doesn’t sound too serious, of course, but Gray expressed frustration that he won’t be able to fine tune in camp before the season starts. It seems likely that he’ll open up on the DL, with Christian Bergman and David Hale being the most obvious fill-in candidates. Of course, that might also open a roster spot for another pitcher to slide into the pen.
Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal is dealing with a right forearm issue and, as a result, isn’t allowed to swing a bat or throw a ball, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. The Dodgers will limit Grandal in workouts until at least Sunday and then try to ease him back in as a designated hitter in minor league camp games, according to manager Dave Roberts. With the season just 10 days away, that would seem to put Grandal’s status for the opener in jeopardy. Grandal downplayed the injury – saying it’s not “major” or worthy of concern – and an MRI on his forearm “showed there was nothing of significant damage,” Roberts said. Still, Roberts didn’t rule out a season-opening stint on the disabled list for the 27-year-old. “I think if you look at his at-bats this spring, he hasn’t had many,” Roberts stated. “To get him back in a major-league game, optimistically Monday, you’re up against the calendar. That’s taking out any other setbacks.” The Dodgers could back-date Grandal’s placement on the DL to Friday and only lose him for the first five games of the year, per Plunkett.
Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager looks like a better bet than Grandal to take the field on Opening Day. Seager, who sprained his left knee two weeks ago, took four at-bats in minor league games Thursday and tested his knee on the base paths beforehand. Though Seager didn’t run out of the batter’s box after his four ABs or play defense, he did come away encouraged by how his knee held up in his pregame workout, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. “Everything was fine,” Seager said. “I rounded first, stopped like I did when it buckled the last time, did other little things, no problems so far. No pain, that was nice.” While that’s generally positive news, his presumptive double-play partner, Howie Kendrick, may be another Los Angeles player to keep an eye on; as Gurnick tweets, he was scratched today with calf soreness.

Connor Byrne co-authored this post.

NL Notes: Gray, Dodgers, Reds

By charliewilmoth | March 23, 2016 at 8:19pm CDT

Rockies righty Jon Gray has an abdominal strain, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “He felt something,” said manager Walt Weiss after the Rockies’ Cactus League game Tuesday. “We don’t know the extent of it. … We are always going to use caution in a situation like that.” The team does not know when Gray will return. Gray, the Rockies’ top pick in 2013, was ticketed for a spot in the rotation. David Hale, Christian Bergman or Chris Rusin could take his place, although Rusin hasn’t yet pitched this spring due to inflammation in his finger. Here’s more from the National League.

By setting their sights on the future, the Dodgers stand to waste what could be their last three years with Clayton Kershaw, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times writes. Kershaw is signed through 2020 but can opt out of his deal after 2018. This offseason, the Dodgers allowed Zack Greinke to depart for Arizona via a similar opt-out clause, and their rotation is now a jumble due to a variety of injuries to pitchers like Brett Anderson, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brandon McCarthy and Mike Bolsinger. (The Dodgers say they are planning on improving this season by getting better performances from players they already controlled, like Yasiel Puig.) If the Dodgers don’t build contending teams around Kershaw, Hernandez warns, he could depart just as Greinke did. Kershaw’s own take on this issue is less heated than Hernandez’s, however. “I can only speak for what’s happened since I’ve been here, and every single year I feel we’ve had the chance to win,” he says. “That’s really, as a player, all you can ask for.”
With less than two weeks to go before Opening Day, the Reds still have plenty of open spots in their bullpen, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. J.J. Hoover will serve as the team’s closer, but what happens after that is unknown. Tony Cingrani, Caleb Cotham, Dayan Diaz, Jumbo Diaz, Drew Hayes, Ryan Mattheus, Chris O’Grady, J.C. Ramirez, Keyvius Sampson, Pedro Villarreal and Blake Wood are all battling for spots. (One would think, though, that some of those, like Cingrani and Jumbo Diaz, would be more likely than others.) From that group, O’Grady is worth watching, since he’s a Rule 5 draftee who the Reds are likely to lose if he doesn’t make the team. Another Rule 5 pick, outfielder Jake Cave, is battling for a spot on the bench, and one of his competitors is Yorman Rodriguez, who’s out of options.

Dodgers OF Andre Ethier Out 10-14 Weeks

By Zachary Links | March 22, 2016 at 4:33pm CDT

The Dodgers announced that Andre Ethier has suffered a broken leg, as Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The fractured right tibia will sideline the outfielder for 10-14 weeks. Luckily, the outfielder will not require surgery.

Ethier, 34 in April, slumped to a .249/.322/.370 slash line in 2014 but rebounded in a major way in 2015. Last year, Ethier slashed .294/.366/.486 with 14 homers across 445 plate appearances, primarily as a platoon bat. After he restored his value, the Dodgers received trade interest on Ethier this winter, including some bites from the White Sox. With a crowded outfield, the Dodgers probably could have afforded to part with the two-time All-Star, but Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi shot down that talk in February, referring to Ethier as a “really important part” of the team. Indeed, after his bounce-back campaign, the Dodgers were looking forward to seeing what Ethier’s left-handed bat could do in 2016. Now, they’ll have to wait until the summer to find out.

For his career, Ethier has a strong batting line of .286/.359/.464 across ten seasons for the Dodgers. He has two years remaining on his contract and is owed $38MM, including a modest buyout on an option for 2018. Aside from Ethier, the Dodgers have outfielders Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, Scott Van Slyke, Trayce Thompson, and Enrique Hernandez on the 40-man roster. Ethier’s 10-and-5 rights kick in next month, but Zaidi has publicly said that he is not concerned about that happening.

NL West Notes: Arenado, Alexei, Padres, Norris, Dodgers

By Steve Adams | March 18, 2016 at 11:51pm CDT

Nolan Arenado has quickly blossomed as arguably the best player on the Rockies, but there have been no talks of a long-term deal between the two sides to this point, tweets Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Soon to turn 25 years old, Arenado had a monster season in 2015, batting .287/.323/.575 and leading the NL in homers (42), RBIs (130) and total bases (354) while also earning a Gold Glove. In his first trip through arbitration this winter, the Wasserman client took home a hefty (relative to other first-time arb players) $5MM payday, and he’ll go through that process three more times due to his status as a Super Two player before hitting the open market following the 2019 season. The Rockies, then, still have plenty of time to talk extension, though the price will only escalate if Arenado keeps producing at that level.

MLB Will Not Suspend Yasiel Puig

By Steve Adams | March 16, 2016 at 3:51pm CDT

Major League Baseball will not suspend Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig in connection to domestic violence allegations earlier this winter, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Per Shaikin, the league found no evidence to substantiate allegations that Puig hit his sister in an incident at a Miami bar in November. Notably, no charges were filed against Puig and no arrests were made at the time. Shaikin notes that under the newly implemented domestic violence policy, players can receive discipline other than suspensions (e.g. mandatory counseling), but such discipline is not disclosed to the public. Earlier this month, ESPN’s Pedro Gomez reported that Puig was not expected to receive a suspension. Major League Baseball has since issued the following statement:

“The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball has concluded its investigation into an alleged incident involving Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig and his sister in a Miami-area nightclub on November 26, 2015. The investigation included interviews of witnesses, including Puig and his sister, as well as a review of video footage from inside the nightclub at the time of the alleged incident. The Office of the Commissioner’s investigation did not uncover any witness who supported the assault allegation; both Puig and his sister denied that an assault occurred; and the available video evidence did not support the allegation. Thus, barring the receipt of any new information or evidence, no discipline will be imposed on Puig in connection with the alleged incident.”

TMZ reported in late November that Puig had shoved his sister at the bar, prompting a fight between Puig and the bouncer. However, a police spokesperson said at the time that it appeared the only physical contact came between Puig and the bouncer, and TMZ ultimately retracted its report, Shaikin notes.

The ruling from commissioner Rob Manfred comes not long after Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman was suspended for 30 games under the domestic violence policy. While Chapman, like Puig, was not arrested and did not face charges, the left-hander did acknowledge that after being shoved to the ground by his girlfriend’s brother, he discharged a firearm in his garage multiple times out of frustration. That Chapman acted in such a manner undoubtedly contributed to the league’s decision to give him a 30-game ban despite a clear lack of evidence that he physically harmed his girlfriend.

Puig and Chapman represent two of the three offseason cases for Manfred and the new domestic violence policy. Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes, accused of assaulting his wife at a Hawaii hotel in October, is the last remaining case. He has been placed on administrative leave and is set to head to trial on Opening Day. The league will not make a decision on Reyes’ discipline until after his criminal proceedings have drawn to a close.

Injury Notes: Ryu, McCullers, Lorenzen, Arroyo, Weaver, Wieters

By Jeff Todd | March 16, 2016 at 12:59pm CDT

Dodgers lefty Hyun-jin Ryu will likely not be able to get up to speed in time to participate in any spring action, manager Dave Roberts tells reporters, including Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Ryu had hoped to make his way back to big league action by May, but the skipper says that timetable is now “unrealistic.” Needless to say, the Dodgers were hoping that Ryu’s shoulder would respond better, and he represents one of several notable question marks for the big-budget club.

Here are some more notes on some injury situations around the game:

Exciting young Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. will open the year on the DL, manager A.J. Hinch said today, as Richard Justice of MLB.com was among those to tweet. He, too, has dealt with shoulder issues, though hopefully not as severe as those that drove Ryu to surgery. Houston has options to step in, including Doug Fister, Scott Feldman, and Mike Fiers, and will surely be cautious in handling the 22-year-old, who upped his career-high annual innings tally by over fifty frames last season.
The Reds are hopeful that one of their young hurlers, Michael Lorenzen, can stave off Tommy John surgery after an MRI revealed a mild UCL sprain, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Lorenzen will need to rest and almost certainly won’t open the season in the rotation, but it seems that he was rather fortunate not to find a more significant injury after experiencing soreness for some time this spring.
Nationals right-hander Bronson Arroyo was scratched from his start today with shoulder soreness, as James Wagner of the Washington Post reports. For now, the 39-year-old will rest and see how it responds, but any absence certainly puts a dent in his hopes of beating out Tanner Roark and Joe Ross for a rotation gig. Arroyo, who signed a minor-league deal full of incentives if he makes the majors, had some work done in his shoulder when he was out for Tommy John surgery, according to skipper Dusty Baker.
Meanwhile, Angels righty Jered Weaver dismissed any thought that he wouldn’t be prepared to open the year, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. Recent medical evaluations don’t seem to offer many clues as to the reason for his precipitous velocity decline. Manager Mike Scioscia wasn’t quite as conclusive as the righty as to his availability out of camp, stressing that the organization was taking things one step at a time, but did suggest that Weaver will have every opportunity to try to perform on the hill.
Orioles catcher Matt Wieters seems to be clear of any structural concerns in his right elbow, as MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli reports. In an update to that story, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com notes that Dr. James Andrews concurred with the organization’s doctors. For now, then, Wieters will work on eliminating any discomfort before getting back to work behind the dish.

NL Injury Updates: Seager, Freeman

By | March 12, 2016 at 8:44pm CDT

Here are the latest injury updates for two key NL players:

Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager will miss the next one to two weeks with a sprained knee, tweets Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. While this is good news for the rookie, the club had originally hoped the injury was even more minor. They opted to perform an MRI earlier today after he showed up with continued pain. Seager’s availability for Opening Day isn’t expected to be affected. Per team president Andrew Friedman, he’ll return to action “as soon as he’s asymptomatic.” The Dodgers alternative shortstops are a weakness with Enrique Hernandez atop the depth chart. Last year, in limited work at second and third base, he was well below average. That doesn’t bode well for him succeeding at shortstop, although it’s fair to note the tiny samples involved.
Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman isn’t expected to miss any time after leaving yesterday’s game with an apparent wrist injury, reports David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Freeman elaborated on the injury, saying that it was actually on top of his right hand rather than in the wrist. He felt a “twinge” on a checked swing but felt no pain when he tested it 20 minutes later. While this particular incident looks to be a non-issue, O’Brien did share a few worrisome details about Freeman’s offseason. He felt soreness in his wrist through the end of last season. To give it rest, he didn’t take any over-hand batting practice over the winter. Given his cautious approach over the offseason and this spring, Freeman’s wrist health does appear to be a story to watch.

NL West Notes: Upton, Wood, Pederson, Dodgers, D-Backs

By Jeff Todd | March 12, 2016 at 4:51pm CDT

Padres outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. says he’s “tired of trying to live up to other people’s expectations” and intends to “work hard” and “have fun” in San Diego, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. As Sanders writes, the elder Upton brother has long been looked upon to deliver results befitting his talent, draft status, and contracts, and he’s obviously endured some rough years along the way. But he’s still only 31 years old and turned things around last year, posting a .259/.327/.429 slash in 228 plate appearances while profiling as a solid defender in center. While the $31.9MM left on his contract over the next two years, which the Friars took on in the Craig Kimbrel swap, still looks rather expensive, it’s certainly possible that Upton will continue that momentum and function as a valuable member of the roster.

Here are a few more notes from the NL West:

Dodgers lefty Alex Wood missed his scheduled start today after experiencing forearm tightness, as Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. As things stand, though, the team is “optimistic” that the current issue is a minor one, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter links), and Wood himself says the soreness is “extremely mild.” Acquired last summer, Wood figures to be an important component of the club’s rotation depth as it deals with the extended absences of pitchers such as Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson, as well as the continued uncertainty surrounding Hyun-jin Ryu. It’s certainly too soon to know whether there’s cause for real concern regarding Wood, but he’s always been a player who has faced questions about his durability due to his unorthodox delivery and prior Tommy John surgery. Indeed, the statistical research of MLBTR contributor Bradley Woodrum suggested that Wood is at a heightened risk of a TJ procedure this year, as he checked in at 72% above the league average risk. While that shouldn’t be read to indicate that Wood is particularly likely to require a UCL replacement in the coming season, it does perhaps point towards cautious handling, and the club seems to be proceeding accordingly.
The Dodgers intend to utilize Joc Pederson as the team’s regular center fielder, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. While the team is giving an extended look to Trayce Thompson this spring, skipper Dave Roberts explains that the much-hyped Pederson “looks good, much more comfortable at the plate” now than he did down the stretch and remains “a plus defender in center field.”
J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group examines the Dodgers’ extensive recent history on the Cuban market in an interesting piece. The demand for Cuban talent jumped with Yasiel Puig’s success, Hoornstra explains, but has begun to stabilize — in player assessment, if not overall spending levels — as more and more players from the island have made their way north. While Los Angeles has continued to invest in Cuban ballplayers, GM Farhan Zaidi also explains that the organization has done more to “create a stronger assimilation program” to help ensure they’ll succeed. “I think you sort of gain information from not just players you’ve signed from that market in the past, but who other teams have signed, what kind of players have succeeded. Why they’ve succeeded,” says Zaidi. “Not just their inherent talent level, but were they given the support system that I think these guys need to succeed?”
Speaking at the SABR analytics conference, Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall explained the reasoning behind the organization’s decision to part with young talent in recent months, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. Arizona was prepared to deal with some criticism, and acknowledges that it hurt to give up some strong prospects to build for the present. He explained that the D-Backs will always focus on “building from within,” but nevertheless felt the time was right “to somewhat abandon that with a couple of moves that we made so that we can create that flexibility because we think we can win now.” That doesn’t mean the team will always operated that way going forward, though, he stressed. “It is a unique model and it’s not something we’re going to practice forever,” says Hall. “It’s not going to define us. We’re not always going to look that way.”

Chase Utley Won’t Serve Further Suspension For Slide

By Zachary Links | March 6, 2016 at 10:59am CDT

Dodgers infielder Chase Utley will not have to serve a suspension for his controversial slide into Ruben Tejada in last season’s NLDS, a source tells Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). Utley was supposed to sit out two more games to round out his suspension.

During the seventh inning of Game 2 of the NLDS, Utley’s hard slide broke up a double play and broke Tejada’s fibula. In the end, the Mets bested the Dodgers and went on to the World Series, but they were subsequently without the services of their starting shortstop.

MLB’s Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre determined that Utley made a “rolling block … away from the base” when he took out Tejada. However, there was no rule against such a slide until this winter.

The 36-year-old Utley joined the Dodgers after an August trade with the Phillies and hit just .202/.291/.363, numbers that don’t come close to his All-Star years. In December, the Dodgers and Utley reached agreement on a new one-year, $7MM deal. This year, the Dodgers might be hoping he improves somewhat offensively, making him a valuable player when coupled with his defensive abilities.

When asked for his reaction to today’s news, Mets GM Sandy Alderson said he’s just glad the sliding rule has been changed, as Adam Rubin of ESPN.com writes.

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