Los Angeles Dodgers' Winter League Wrap-Up + Dodgers Digest Debuts.

This picture has nothing to do with the post, but I came across it and LOVE it.

Most of my analytical work for the past three and a half years was written up at Memories of Kevin Malone and ChadMoriyama.com.

However, that has changed with CM.com mostly closing down its doors as a new mega-Dodgers' blog is about to hit the interwebs. It was a fun ride, and I may still post occasionally over there, but for the foreseeable future -- or until the Dodgers hire me, cough cough hint hint -- I'll be writing about the team here, as in the olden days of 2009-2010.

I'm jumping back into the saddle with a general recap of some key and notable Dodgers' prospects who participated in Winter League baseball.

Key Prospects....and Dee Gordon:

Corey Seager - SS

Seager, the Dodgers' first-round pick in 2012, spent the winter in the Arizona Fall League. In 19 games he struggled at the dish, hitting just .181/.253/.306/.559 with five extra-base hits and a 25:7 K:BB mark.

Seager's struggles don't concern me one bit for a number of reasons. First, it's a small sample size. Second, he's only 19. Third, it was Corey's first full season of pro ball and he admitted he was fatigued when the AFL rolled around. Finally, he's uber-talented, and I'm of the opinion that more often than not the exceptionally talented pan out.

I have Seager as my number one L.A. prospect. Whether he sticks at shortstop or more than likely moves to third, he'll give the Dodgers an impact and cost-controlled bat moving forward, something they desperately need and haven't had in quite some time.

Joc Pederson - OF

Pederson cemented himself as a top prospect in 2013, garnering a top spot in most Dodger prospect lists. He followed up a breakout 2012 campaign with another excellent showing, slashing .278/.381/.497/.878 with a .398 wOBA as a 21-year-old in his first taste of Double-A ball.

His strong play continued into Winter League action as he tore up the Venezuelan Winter League to the tune of a .255/.439/.473/.912 line in 34 contests and over 100 plate appearances. He drew an incredible 36 walks but did whiff 42 times while clubbing 13 extra-base hits.

While I'm not positive Pederson will stick in center field long-term, he does provide great depth and is one of the few guys major league or near-major league ready who can man center. He also happens to be the club's best trade bait among minor leaguers actually available in a deal, as I wrote about last June.

Alexander Guerrero - 2B

Guerrero was the name on Dodgers' fans minds, finally signing in Los Angeles after a prolonged "will he, won't he?" courting period. He came to Winter Ball late and was sidelined for some time due to a hamstring injury.

He was shut down eventually to ensure he didn't further injury himself and prioritize the club over his Dominican Winter League team. In 12 DWL games he hit .289/.325/.447/.772 with four extra-base hits. The second base job in 2014 is basically his to lose, and though it's fair to say he could certainly use some minor league seasoning, he is 27.

Also of note: he finally has his work visa, so no Ronald Belisario-esque worries.

This is not a Yasiel Puig situation due to Guerrero's advanced age, although of course he's nowhere near as talented as #ManBearPuig is. However, if Alexander has anywhere near the type of Spring Training that Puig did last year, he won't have to worry about heading to Albuquerque or Chattanooga to start the year.

Dee Gordon - CF(!)

Gordon makes this list rather than the below one because he stands a very real chance of making the bench for the 2014 major league squad. He was moved to center field in an attempt to increase his versatility and usefulness to the big league club.

Gordon posted a 12:5 K:BB mark in 12 games of Winter League action and an impressive slash line of .381/.426/.397/.823. I don't put any stock in those excellent offensive numbers, however, as it's 16 games in Winter Ball. His 669 plate appearances of .256/.301/.312/.613 MLB offensive output with a .274 wOBA means significantly more to me, although it is nice to see him get on-base so he can use his incredible speed.

Unfortunately, you can't steal first. Well, you theoretically can if you're adept at drawing walks. Remember kids, CLOG THOSE BASES CONSTANTLY.

If Gordon, soon to be 26, can competently field the position to any degree he could easily find himself with one of the last bench spots, as his speed and positional versatility could be quite the asset if used properly.

Other Notable Players and/or Performances:

Matt Magill - RHP

Magill, 24, is probably slotted in as the 7th or 8th arm amongst Dodgers' starters, although he did everything he could in five Puerto Rican Winter League starts to fall further down the depth chart.

He posted a 1.57 WHIP and 6.43 ERA in 21 innings while walking 13 and striking out 16. Magill posted big strikeout numbers in the minors and entered 2013 coming off of an excellent 2012 in AA (2.93 FIP, 10.33 K/9, 3.75 BB/9) before struggling in a short major league stint and not looking overly impressive in AAA this year.

The talent is there for Magill to be a solid number four or five starter, and on the plus side he still has no trouble missing bats. He must cut down on the free passes moving forward though if he doesn't want to transition to the pen, ala Chris Withrow.

Jose Dominguez - RHP

Dominguez, who saw action in the bigs last season (9 games, 8.1 IP, 3.53 FIP) before suffering an injury, struggled in ten relief outings in the Dominican. Jose, a big strikeout guy in the minor leagues, struck out eight against four walks in ten innings. He posted an ERA of 5.40 during his stint in the DWL.

At just 23 years of age, Dominguez will begin 2014 in either Double or Triple-A. Should one of the newcomers (Chris Perez, Jamey Wright) struggle or injuries befell members of the Blue Crew pen, Dominguez will be on the short-list of call-ups for the bullpen corps.

Nick Buss - OF

Buss, who got into eight games down the stretch in 2013, hit .301/.337/.495/.832 in 23 games in the Venezuelan Winter League. He had nine extra-base hits and only whiffed eleven times. However, he only drew three walks during his time in Venezuela.

Buss' ceiling did not change with his performance, as he's already 27 and is still a fourth outfielder at best and more of a fifth outfielder/AAAA player in actuality.

Angel Castro - RHP

Castro, 31, was excellent in eight starts in the Dominican Winter League. He fanned 37 against 13 walks in 48 innings of work while posting a 1.29 ERA. I don't like ERA, but I'm also not going to take the time to calculate FIP for Winter Ball and a 31-year-old career minor leaguer.

Castro, in his first season in the Dodgers' organization, was quite good in hitter-friendly Albuquerque. He's way, way down on the depth chart but every organization needs depth in the high minors.

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All Winter League numbers can be found here, via MLB.com

Image via Salon.

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A new Dodgers' blog debuts today: Dodgers Digest. It features my writing mentor and former blogging boss, Chad Moriyama; Mike Petriello of MSTI fame; Dustin Nosler of Feelin' Kinda Blue; and newcomer Daniel Brim.

Go and check it out. Good luck gents.

PWE

I've received a few PWEs over the last handful of weeks, and decided to showcase them together after lagging and not getting them properly written up and not getting the proper thanks out to those in need of thanking.

Mark from Collector's Crack sent me this awesome new Matt Kemp. Though my scanner hates this Day Glow Orange parallel from 2013 Topps Archives, I love it. It's much more orange and a lot more aesthetically-pleasing in-hand. Thanks Mark, and we all look forward to your return to blogging!

Douglas from Sportscards From The Dollar Store sent along a "feel better" PWE after Bobby Ryan was dealt to the Ottawa Senators during this offseason. I received new Captain Getzlafs and a rookie, numbered 514/999, of Jakob Silfverberg (acquired in the Bobby deal). Appreciate the Getzs Doug!

Finally, Jeff from 2x3 Heroes sent along a pair of white envelopes, and the above three are my favorite cards from the bunch. Thanks dude!

Matt Kemp Is Sterling In Powder Blue.

I seem to continually find myself winning auctions for cards I didn't expect to win but had to bid on because the price was just too crazy low for my liking. Sometimes I mildly regret the transaction only because it means more dinero out of my pocket but I almost always still end up with a steal of a deal.

Numbered 74/99, the latest example of that trend is this sweet Dual Relic Boxloader (bat, jersey) from 2011 Bowman Sterling. It was had for less than half a blaster and is the newest addition to my Bison PC. The only thing that could make this card better would be to have the bat slice come from Kemp instead of Flash Gordon. I can live with that though considering Kemp is pictured in the PHENOMENAL Brooklyn throwbacks the Dodgers donned last year, though a piece of that jersey would have made me do flips of pure joy. It couldn't have been that hard to procure one those gamers, right?

A Long Overdue Thank You To Ted of Crinkly Wrappers Fame.

Ted of Crinkly Wrappers fame left our card blogging community months ago, but that didn't stop him from sending out some last bubblers full of cardboard goodness. I had requested a few cards for a future trade and though we never got around to finalizing one before his departure Ted nevertheless sent them my way. They've been sitting around waiting to be posted for months and months and I simply kept forgetting to give Ted his proper due. My sincere apologies for that.

The jewel of the package is this 2011 Topps Tier One Black Parallel - numbered 36/50 - of the 2011 Cy Young Award Winner, Clayton Kershaw. It's a most welcome addition to my Kid K Collection and pairs exceptionally well with the same black parallel of Matt Kemp I have and the Purple Parallel /25 of Kersh I also possess.

Cole Hamels is one of those non-Dodgers I have an affinity for. Spiegel might find it odd - and perhaps he's right - but regardless, I always enjoy adding a new Hamels to my modest collection of the southpaw. This beaut, from 2012 Topps Museum Collection, is serial-numbered 34/50.

Finally, some random goodness. The Kuo is /99. Spiegel, let me know if you need the Nomo or Kersh. Arno, if you need the Kersh please let me know too.

Ted, once again I apologize for taking so damn long in posting this and giving you the proper thanks. If you are still collecting Blue Jays or anything card related please let me know, as I'd love to send you something in return for these great additions to my collection. I hope to see Crinkly Wrappers back up and running some day.

Trade With The Sandlot: PC Additions Galore, Plus Ginter.

I completed my third trade with Joe from The Sandlot. You can check out the first here and second here. Joe hit a few different areas of my collection with the bubbler he sent my way. First up, a beautiful white refractor of Russell Martin, numbered 043/200.

Next up, a new Matt Kemp from Topps Triple Threads, and it's numbered 1406/1500.

Joe included a sweet Eric Gagne from his starting pitching days, which is awesome.

The bubbler also included some more new additions to my Kemp and Martin PCs, as well as a pair of Kershaws I didn't have.

Joe sent along nine needs from 2011 Ginter, all hailing from the Hometown Heroes 100-card set, which is dangerously close to finally being completed, as I'm down to the final four. He also later sent a PWE my way with two 2012 Ginter needs (one SP and a What's In A Name? of J-Hey) as well as another new Kershaw (2009 UD Signature Stars), which is much appreciated!

Finally, some random goodness.

Thanks for the great trade Joe! I'll get your cards out soon!

The Greatest Dodgers Game I've Ever Been To.

Let's start at the end, because Matt Kemp is truly a beast. Just another home run for The Bison, an absolute BOMB to just right of center that had everybody immediately chanting "MVP! MVP! MVP!". Kemp was jumped by Dee Gordon before high-fiving his mom through the netting behind home plate.

I picked a damn good night to wear this:

The night started off fantastically well. I avoided paying $15 for parking and got some great exercise walking up the never-ending hill into Chavez Ravine and Dodger Stadium before meeting Tommy Davis. Davis was kind enough to sign my mini-helmet for me, which hadn't moved from the shelf on which it has been resting on since the day I got it, back in September of 2010 at Dodger Day at the L.A. County Fair.

I saw fantastic pitching from both Chad Billingsley and Stephen Strasburg, and Stras is every bit as good as advertised. Bryce Harper made his major league debut, and he was massively impressive. He displayed good speed, excellent anticipation, power with a double he laced to the base of the outfield wall, and an absolute rocket for an arm. Not only did I not think he had a chance to get Jerry Hairston, I thought it was foolish when I saw him release the ball from left. My mindset quickly changed upon seeing this (the video will soon be removed, but I imagine you can find it somewhere - also of note, a guy moons during his first at-bat).

The original main draw was the dual Don Drysdale/Maury Wills Bobblehead, which I'm stoked to have picked up. Wills threw out the first pitch with Don's two sons - but not before removing his blazer and tossing it on the back of the mound - which was an entirely awesome scene to witness. Drsydale's daughter sung a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem, and some church dude did a great job with God Bless America as well.

There was also an idiot who ran on the field in the ninth and made a beeline for Harper, pointing at him before getting tackled by a slew of security guards; an excellent Dodger Dog; a chance encounter with an old friend; and an edge-of-your-seat ending that still has me amped up, even though it's already after midnight and I should be sleeping or doing classwork.

I'm definitely keeping my ticket stub from this game.

Beast Mode never sleeps....

Trade With Night Owl Cards: One Dodgers Fan/Collector Hooks Up Another.

I completed my fifth trade with fellow Greg, Greg, from the legendary Night Owl Cards. You can find the first here, second here, third here, and fourth here. Our late night friend was interested in a duplicate Josh Lindblom Sterling RC Auto I had, and sent along some nice PC additions in return for the John Hancock.

First up, The Bison. I believe this is an exclusive retail parallel from Target. I think....

Next up, Mr. Cy Young, Kid K. All chromed out, which my scanner isn't terribly fond of. Kersh is numbered, 0248/1962.

A Ginter mini with a Ginter Back! Wooo! My Russ PC continues to chug along nicely as it nears 200 cards.

I requested a wrapper from Greg when he posted some Heritage, because Dirtbag alum Evan Longoria graces said wrapper, and I won't be buying any myself. He kindly obliged my request.

Finally, random awesomeness. Campy, Sandy, Jackie, and Duke (in cloth form) shall always be scanned.

Thanks for the great trade Greg! Oh, and since you once upon a time requested every trade post with you must contain photos of a certain someone....

And of course, because you're the Grand Poo-bah of bloggers (I realize the term has a negative connotation, but I'm taking it back), the best picture of my future wife must make an appearance.

Cause You Win Some and Lose Some (Contests), Sandra Bullock: A Few Thank Yous.

Some thank yous are in order. First up, Derek from Tomahawk Chopping - Cardboard & More! held a contest, and I was one of a number of winners. My prize is the massively sweet die-cut Shawn Green jersey relic below. The design of this 2002 Fleer Focus Kings of Swing relic is just amazing. Many thanks Derek (and many more to follow)!

Next, Brian from 30-Year-Old Cardboard held a contest, and the randomizer spit my name out. My prize is the below relic. Thanks for the great contests and the awesome prize Brian!

Next up, my third contest success from the great Andrew over at Sports Card Info. He holds at least a contest a week, and I was fortunate enough to pick up this sweet on-card auto of Flyers' defenseman Erik Gustafsson. His signature reminds me somewhat of the John Hancock of former Flyer, current Duck, and Plaschke favorite Luca Sbisa. Gracias Andrew!

Continuing on, another contest win over at Jaybarkerfan's Junk netted me the below graded rookie card. Jon, Colbey, any interest? Thanks as always for your generosity Wes!

Penultimately, Sam over at The Daily Dimwit held a sly contest that involved reading an entire post of his. I did, and was the first to correctly answer a trivia question which asked how many no-hitters Nolan Ryan threw in his career. My prize is a partial set of 2012 Topps Prime 9 Redemptions. I don't have nearly enough Babe Ruth cards, so the Great Bambino is staying with me. The rest are up for grabs though (on hold temporarily, however, as I'm about to offer them to someone). Thanks Sam!

And finally, the aforementioned Derek sent me a few singles simply because he's a generous dude. No contest involved with this package of cards. First up, a new Kemp and a new Kershaw; it marks my first 2012 card for Kemp, and second for Kershaw.

Also included in the bubbler was a smattering of player collection cards, from Long Beach State Dirtbags to a Chrome J-Hey to a Cole Hamels. Man, Hamels on the Dodgers next year would be sweet. Kershaw, Cole, and Bills. What a dreamy rotation that would be....

Thanks again to all of the above-listed great bloggers!

Trade With Pirates Treasure Room: Kershaw Reigns and Other Fun Stuff.

I completed my second swap with Brian of Pirates Treasure Room, who has the most insane Andrew McCutchen collection I've ever seen and a Gerrit Cole PC I'm massively jealous of. I sent Brian a Bryan Bullington on-card rookie auto a while back, and before our trade could be completed our blogging Brian became severely ill. Thankfully, he's all better now, and I'm happy to see him back and healthy and repping the Pirates. Here's what I got in return for that on-card John Hancock:

A sweet dual relic of the Texas Two-Stepping Kid K with former Padre Jake Peavy, and it's numbered 116/235. It makes relic number seven in my Kershaw PC, and my twenty-fourth hit overall. I have no idea what color the Peavy is due to colorblindness. But it's a nice color regardless, somewhat calming actually. That's the trade we agreed upon. But Brian didn't stop there. He sent me so, so much more, that I will be in debt for quite some time.

An awesome Shawn Green dual relic! It took me a while to deduce what the blue jersey swatch was from, since blue on a Dodgers jersey is the team name on the front, and that would make the swatch a patch. But it's as true a jersey piece as a jersey piece could be, and then it dawned on me after actually reading the front of the card: the blue is from a batting practice jersey.

Brian added a second new Kershaw to my collection with the above 4-in-1 red-bordered Goudey. Man, UD put out some beautiful stuff.

Next up, a number of awesome random Dodgers, including RCs of youngsters Jerry Sands and Rubby De La Rosa and a fantastic insert of Dee Gordon. A new Paul Konerko as a Dodger makes an appearance, as does an early Pedro Martinez card, which simultaneously brings back memories and enrages me.

Next up is the Dodgers Legends portion of this post. The Koufax is a genuine '75, which is ridiculously cool. The Jackie Lineage photo is just nails. Nails. I also really love the Heritage Flashbacks featuring Dodger Stadium. A great, great, great shot.

Three more Piazzas to add to my Mikey binder. The 1994 Donruss insert is by far my favorite of the three. Retire his number already Dodgers. Memo to the new owner: that would be a great place to start your overhauling of the team and revamping of the good image the club once had.

Finally, assorted randomness including three sweet Ducks, most prominently my main man Ryan Getzlaf. The Manny '09 OPC says "PREVIEW" on the back. Perhaps Robert (or anyone else) could shed some light?

Thanks for the great trade Brian, and welcome back! Here's to your continued good health!

Trade With 7 Hours From Tampa Bay: My First Dee Gordon Auto Yields A Trifecta, A Massive Amount of 2011 A&G, and Some English Aristocracy

I completed my first trade with Simon from 7 Hours From Tampa Bay. Simon posted a box break, and I was very interested in the card you'll soon see below. After a few e-mails back and forth, Simon and I came to an agreement on an awesome trade. I sent him a chunk of 1968 Topps Game cards he needed in his efforts to complete that set, as well as three autos and the 2011 Ginter N43 I pulled in my box break earlier this year. The centerpiece of the deal for me is this absolute beauty:

Oh snap! I've been after a Devaris Strange-Gordon auto for quite some time, and I'm thrilled to add this on-card and shiny bad boy to my collection. It's the refractor version of his RC autograph, #'d 128/499. It also completes my Gordon Trifecta.

Simon also tossed in the base version of Dee's RC and Andre Ethier's base card.

Before I get to just how much 2011 Ginter Simon knocked out, I'd like to point out that this marks the furthest one of my trade packages has traveled, as Simon resides in jolly old England. Which allows me to include the wonderfully amazing clips above and below.

Anyhoo, moving on as we flourish the pinkie.

Simon sent along a slew of 2011 Allen & Ginter needs. Getting specific, his bubbler included one Animal in Peril, one Ascent of Man, eight Hometown Heroes, and fifty-four base cards, five of which are SPs. My remaining '11 Ginter needs have been updated accordingly.

Thanks for the absolutely fantastic trade Simon! Do I hope we deal again? YEEEESSSSSS!