The Los Angeles Dodgers placed outfielder Yasiel Puig on trade waivers today, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
If claimed (which is likely), the Dodgers will get the opportunity to work out a trade with the claiming team. This does not mean Puig will go to this team regardless, as these waivers are revocable, meaning the Dodgers can pull him back. If Puig goes unclaimed, the Dodgers can discuss trades with any team. The 25-year-old Puig is currently at the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City after being demoted in early August. Puig was demoted after the Dodgers acquired Josh Reddick at the trade deadline, leaving him as the odd man out. Los Angeles was unable to find a trade partner for him in July, though there reportedly was some interest. A trade of Puig still remains much more likely in the offseason, when the Dodgers are able to discuss with all 30 teams rather than just the one they will deal with over the next few days. Personality problems have been associated with Puig ever since he was signed out of Cuba to a seven-year, $42 million deal. The phenom immediately produced in Los Angeles over his first two seasons but has seen a steady decline in performance since. In 17 games in Triple-A, Puig is hitting .375/.420/.641 with four home runs and 12 RBI over 69 plate appearances. Puig posted a .706 OPS over 303 plate appearances with the big league club earlier this year. He was worth 0.5 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs. Puig was at his best from 2013 to 2014, when he hit .305/.386/.502 with 35 home runs and 111 runs batted in over 1,072 plate appearances spanning 252 games. He was named to the National League All-Star team in 2014. --Devan Fink
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The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired catcher Carlos Ruiz from the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, they announced, as first reported by Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In exchange for Ruiz, the Phillies received catcher A.J. Ellis, right-handed pitching prospect Tommy Bergjans and a player to be named later. The Dodgers wanted an upgrade against left-handed pitching, and Ruiz certainly fits the bill. This season, Ruiz has an .830 OPS in 57 plate appearances against southpaws, with his career mark being 92 points higher than against righties. Overall, the 37-year-old Ruiz is hitting .261/.368/.352 this season with three home runs and 12 runs batted in over 193 plate appearances. He split time at catcher this season with Cameron Rupp. According to FanGraphs, Ruiz has been a good defensive catcher, making him pretty valuable overall. He has been worth 1.3 wins above replacement this season, per their calculations. Ruiz will become a free agent this offseason as he finishes out a three-year, $26 million deal. It is not known whether he plans to continue his Major League career in 2017 and beyond. For the Phillies, they will be receiving Ellis, who will be a good clubhouse presence for the team going forward. It's interesting that Los Angeles decided to trade him, as he was Clayton Kershaw's "personal" catcher. It is possible that Ruiz will fill this role going forward. Like Ruiz, Ellis is also a free agent this offseason but has not been nearly as productive. The 35-year-old is hitting just .194/.285/.252 this season with one home run and 13 runs batted in over 161 plate appearances. He's provided decent defense but has been worth -0.3 wins above replacement overall. The Phillies also received the right-hander Bergjans, who was the Dodgers' 8th round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft out of Haverford College near Philadelphia. This season, he is 3-13 with a 4.98 ERA and a 133-29 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 130 innings at Class-A Advanced. Bergjans was not listed among the Dodgers' Top-30 prospects, via MLB.com. --Devan Fink
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics matched up on a blockbuster trade on Monday, getting a five-player deal done hours before the MLB trade deadline.
The Dodgers agreed to acquire left-handed starting pitcher Rich Hill and outfielder Josh Reddick, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. But it took a pretty penny to get those solid Major League pieces. The Athletics received three very good right-handed pitching prospects in exchange for Hill and Reddick: Grant Holmes, Frankie Montas and Jharel Cotton. The Dodgers have been in the market for both an outfielder and a starting pitcher this deadline season, exploring all options. In this trade, they get both in one swoop. Both Reddick and Hill are rentals. They will be free agents at the end of the season. However, the Dodgers have a great farm system, especially considering their financial muscle that allows them to go after top international prospects. Looking forward, Reddick likely will play in right field for the Dodgers, where Yasiel Puig has been for most of the season. This trade could make Puig expendable in the trade season's final few hours. The 29-year-old Reddick has been a mainstay in the Athletics' lineup over the past five seasons. He's having his best offensive season to date, hitting .296/.368/.449 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in 272 plate appearances. According to FanGraphs, he has been worth 1.0 WAR. As for Hill, the Dodgers are dealing with lots of injuries to their starting pitchers. Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-jin Ryu, Alex Wood and Brett Anderson are all on the disabled list right now. In fact, Hill is dealing with a blister and he will go on the DL when first joining Los Angeles too. But he should recover in the 15-day timeframe and provide good depth the rest of the year. The 36-year-old Hill has had a complete revival over the past two seasons, making him one of the most attractive arms on the trade market this July. He's 9-3 with a 2.25 ERA and a 90-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 76 innings pitched (14 starts). According to FanGraphs, he has been worth 2.5 WAR but is dealing with his aforementioned blister. As for the Athletics' return, they snagged two of the Dodgers' top 10 prospects (MLB.com), with all three of the prospects dealt ranking within their top 15. Grant Holmes, 20, is pitching at Class-A Advanced, where he has pitched in 20 games (18 starts). The Dodgers' 2014 first round pick has a 4.02 ERA and a 100-43 strikeout-to-walk ratio there in 105 1/3 innings, projecting as a starter. He is the Dodgers' No. 5 prospect. Frankie Montas, 23, is currently on the Triple-A disabled list but ranks as the Dodgers' eighth-best prospect. The right-hander has a 2.25 ERA and a 22-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 16 innings pitched this season. He can hit 102 MPH on the gun with his fastball. Jharel Cotton, 24, is also at Triple-A. The Dodgers' No. 13 prospect has a 4.90 ERA and a 119-32 strikeout-to-walk ratio there over 97 1/3 innings pitched. The U.S. Virgin Island native has a good fastball, which he can use to strike lots of guys out. He and Montas project as relievers. Now, this is a deal. --Devan Fink
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce was thought to have been a huge trade chip last season as a left-handed, power hitting outfielder that came with a year-and-a-half of team control.
Aug. 1 came and Jay Bruce was still a Red. But this season, Bruce has an even higher chance to be traded. The Reds are 34-58, sitting in last in the NL Central and are in full rebuild-mode. Bruce is a free agent at the end of the season, finishing off of a six-year, $51 million contract. And teams need him. According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, six teams have already checked in on Bruce. These are the Indians, Rangers, Nationals, Orioles, Giants and Dodgers. The Blue Jays have also reportedly shown interest in Bruce. In addition, all six of these teams have been in the markets for other outfielders such as Ryan Braun, Josh Reddick and perhaps even Carlos Gonzalez. The 29-year-old Bruce was picked by the Reds in the 1st round (12th overall) in the 2005 MLB Draft and has been a staple in their lineup ever since coming up to the Major Leagues. The three-time All-Star (including 2016) is a defensive liability, however, many teams value offensive contributions, especially on the left-handed side of the plate. This season, Bruce is hitting .265/.317/.532 with 18 home runs and 64 RBI over 353 plate appearances in 86 games. Though according to FanGraphs, Bruce has only been worth 0.1 Wins Above Replacement. This is because of his defense. Bruce has an awful -20.6 ultimate zone rating per 150 games (UZR/150), meaning that he would be almost 21 runs worse than the average right fielder in terms of range and making defensive plays. Over his career, Bruce has always been an offense-first player, carrying a .249/.319/.467 line with 226 home runs and 644 RBI in parts of nine seasons. His career wRC+ of 107 suggests that he has been seven percent better offensively than the league-average hitter. This year, his wRC+ is 118. As the Aug. 1 trade deadline quickly approaches, it's more than likely Jay Bruce will find himself in a new home. --Devan Fink
The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired right-handed pitcher Bud Norris from the Atlanta Braves, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported on Thursday.
Per the teams’ announcements, the Dodgers also received Double-A outfielder Dian Toscano and a player to be named later in the deal. In return, the Braves got two minor league pitchers: Double-A righty Caleb Dirks and High-A lefty Phil Pfeifer. The addition of Norris makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers. Their starting pitching staff has taken a beating this season, with Clayton Kershaw becoming the most recent injury victim, being placed on the 15-day disabled list today due to a back issue. The 31-year-old Norris signed with the Braves on a one-year, $2.5 million deal this offseason, providing them with some rotation depth. Now, as he’s shipped to Los Angeles, he will do the same, helping to stabilize a Dodgers’ rotation that is currently falling apart. As the moment, along with Norris, the Dodgers’ rotation consists of Kenta Maeda, Scott Kazmir, Julio Urias and Brock Stewart. Kershaw, Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-jin Ryu and Alex Wood are all starting pitchers on the disabled list. Norris has been a decent member of the Braves’ staff thus far this season. He’s 3-7 with a 4.22 ERA and a 60 to 28 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 70 ⅓ innings pitched this season. He’s made 22 appearances, 10 of which came as starts. Norris has a 3.84 FIP and a 4.08 xFIP this year. He has been worth 0.8 fWAR. Norris’ last five starts have been excellent, however. The eight-year MLB vet has a 2.15 ERA and a 29 to 8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 29 ⅓ innings pitched, leading the Braves to four victories. --Devan Fink |
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