Dodgers To Scout Ben Sheets

Sheets will throw for teams on Tuesday of this upcoming week, including the Dodgers, according to Dylan Hernandez's Twitter.

If the Dodgers insist on bringing in a veteran-type pitcher for the 4th rotation spot, a guy like Sheets is much preferable to re-treads like Joel Pineiro, Jon Garland, or Vicente Padilla.

Sheets, 32 in July, has only had one problem, the inability to stay healthy, which of course is nothing he can help. He has an electric arm, striking out 7.6/9 IP while only walking 2.0/9 IP (for a K/BB ratio of 3.85) over his 8 year career, all spent in Milwaukee.

Sheets did not throw a single pitch in 2009, recovering from elbow surgery.

I'm not a fan of the term "Ace", but Sheets is a legit ace in terms of stuff, talent, ability, skill, etc. A Sheets signing would give the Dodgers 3 Aces to head the rotation. A rotation of Kershaw/Billingsley/Sheets is ungodly in talent and ability. I am more than in favor of this happening.

Make it so, whoever can make it so.

Jon Garland 2010 Option Declined

It was a $10 million mutual option, with the buyout of $2.5 million to be paid by the D-Backs.

I thought it was a really bad and unnecessary trade originally, an overpayment in the form of Tony Abreu only typical of Ned Colletti, and my opinion hasn't changed.


The McCourt Divorce Debacle makes me worried to the utmost degree at what kinds of moves and non-moves we may see. Almost as worried as the fact that Colletti makes them and is still here, with a shiny new extension in hand.

Kershaw To Start NLCS Game 1, NLCS Roster Revealed

The right choice. He's our best pitcher.

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NLCS Roster and Roster Moves:

• Chad Billingsley will pitch out of the bullpen. I disagree. I hope Ned (I assume he gets extended in the offseason) doesn't do anything rash and trade him. I'm holding my breath and hoping to exhale.
• Vicente Padilla starts Game 2.
  
• Hiroki Kuroda returns from a neck injury. He'll start Game 3.
• Randy Wolf goes in Game 4.
  
• Jon Garland is off of the NLCS roster.
  

Part Deux

Dodgers-Diamondbacks Complete Jon Garland Trade

The Dodgers and D-Backs have completed the August 31st Jon Garland trade, sending the man rumored all along to be the PTBNL, Tony Abreu, out to the desert.

As I stated when this trade was first consummated, it's an overpayment for a mediocre pitcher in Garland who, yes, we could have done without. Did Garland pitch well, sure (3.82 xFIP, 3.73 FIP, 2.72 ERA, 6.4 SO/9 IP in 36.1 IP), but he also had the great fortune to face Arizona, Arizona, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, and San Diego in his 6 starts in Dodger Blue. When those are the 6 teams you're facing, the story would be not pitching well.

Ned Colletti doesn't understand value, especially the value of prospects, a point I've mentioned once or twice:

Ned has a history of selling top prospects short and not getting anywhere near sufficient value back for them, and it would shock no one if he did it again.

Oops, he did it again.

Notes From Wednesday's Game

1. The magic number is still 1.
2. Jon Garland was b-a-d over 3.1 IP (5 Runs [4 ER], 7 Hits, 4 K, 1 BB, 1 HR Allowed, 67 pitches - 41 for strikes).
3. Bullpen: 4.2 IP, o Runs, 2 Hits, 6 K, 5 BB [1 IBB], 1 WP.
4. Matt Kemp (Single, BB) and Manny (2 BB) each reached base twice, the only Dodgers to reach base more than once.
5. Andre Ethier batted 7th tonight.
   
6. WHAT THE FUCK is Mark Loretta doing starting? Fuck.
7. The offense drew 5 walks while striking out 7 times. And had one hit. Against a pitcher whose WHIP this season was 1.58 with San Diego and 1.51 overall coming into tonight's game.
8. 1 Error, 2 GIDP, 1 Passed Ball, 1 Wild Pitch.
   

Notes From Friday's Game

1. Jon Garland was the same old Jon Garland, though he wasn't helped by the poor Dodger defense behind him and some shallow and infield hits (6 IP, 3 Runs [0 ER], 6 Hits, 6 K, 1 BB, 104 pitches - 70 for strikes). Again, if he pitches in the postseason it'll most certainly be a mediocre start because he's a mediocre pitcher who allows the ball to be put into play too often.
2. Bullpen: 2 IP, o Runs, 1 Hit, 2 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP.
3. Blake DeWitt (2 Doubles) and Brad Ausmus [(!?)....This is when you know the offensive showing was piss-poor] (2 Singles) were the only Dodgers to reach base more than once.
4. The Dodger offense struck out 7 times while drawing 0 walks.
5. 2 Errors, and another play that easily could have been, and probably should have been ruled, an error.
   

Notes From Saturday's Game

1. Jon Garland was solid over 8 IP (1 Run [O ER], 7 Hits, 3 K, 0 BB, 96 pitches - 65 for strikes).
2. Bullpen: 1 IP, 0 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 K, 0 BB.
3. Matt Kemp hit his 25th HR, Blake DeWitt hit his 2nd, Ronnie Belliard hit his 9th (4th with LA) and James Loney hit his 13th. Loney's HR was his first of the season at Dodger Stadium.
4. Loney (HR, 2 Singles) reached base 3 times, while Manny (2 BB), Andre Ethier (Double, BB), Rafael Furcal (Double, Single), Russell Martin (Single, BB), and Belliard (HR, BB) each reached base twice.
5. Furcal stole his 8th base, while Belliard stole his 3rd of the season and 1st with the Dodgers.

Notes From Monday's Game

1. Jon Garland was decent over 6 IP (2 ER, 6 Hits, 3 K, 3 BB, 1 WP, 113 pitches - 73 for strikes).
2. Bullpen: 3 IP, O Runs, 0 Hits, 3 K, O BB.
   
3. Andre Ethier hit his 29th HR of the season.
4. Casey Blake (2 Singles, BB, HBP) reached base 4 times, Orlando Hudson (2 Doubles, Single) reached base 3 times, and Matt Kemp (Single, BB), Russell Martin (Double, Single), and James Loney (Single, BB) each reached base twice.
5. Kemp stole his 33rd base of the season.
6. Sign Of The Apocalypse: Rafael Furcal stole a base, his 7th of the season.
   

Notes From Wednesday's Game

1. Jon Garland was decent enough (6 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 4 K, 3 BB [2 IBB], 2 HR Allowed, 89 pitches - 52 for strikes), but please stop with the "Garland must start over Billingsley in the playoffs" mantra. I'm looking at you, LA Dodger Talk posters (most of you anyways).
2. Bullpen: 2.1 IP, 1 Run [0 ER], 1 Hit, 0 K, 4 BB [2 IBB].
3. I thought a couple of the pitches Troncoso threw to Mark Reynolds were strikes, but without Gameday, I can't back up that belief. If anyone has Gameday or sees a screencap of the at-bat posted, let me know what's up or post the link in the comments.
   
4. Manny (18th) and James Loney (11th) went back-to-back for the Dodgers. All of Loney's HRs this season have come away from home.
5. Manny (HR, Single, BB) reached base 3 times, the only Dodger to reach base more than once.
6. Offense: 11 K, 1 BB. Not a great ratio gentlemen.
   

Snag With Tony Abreu Trade?

The Tony Abreu-Jon Garland trade, where Abreu had basically been confirmed as the player to be named later going to Arizona, appears to have hit a snag on the D-Backs end.

Abreu has also resumed playing at AAA, though that could also be because he was claimed on waivers, forcing the Dodgers to pull him back and wait until the off-season to complete the deal.

There is apparently a list of players the D-Backs would be willing to accept if Abreu didn't make the cut, and if Ned Colletti ends up including someone even better than Abreu, I may just have to take matters into my own hands and dispose* of Ned.

Ned has a history of selling top prospects short and not getting anywhere near sufficient value back for them, and it would shock no one if he did it again.

It is now time to pray. Pray for the future remaining in Dodger Blue.



* And by dispose, I mean send him to some distant land, not the Sopranos kind of dispose.*

Notes From Thursday's Game

1. Outside of a rough 1st inning, Jon Garland was pretty good (7 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 6 K, 1 BB, 1 HR Allowed). He really turned it on midway through the 3rd inning, striking out the final two batters of that inning en route to retiring the last 14 batters he faced. I still don't believe the move was necessary, and remember, small sample sizes. It's one start, and it was against an Arizona team that ranks in the lower half of the league in OBP and wOBA, has the 4th highest K%, and was without Justin Upton for the first 7 innings. We'll obviously take it though, and hopefully Jon can outperform his career numbers and be more than just a slightly above average pitcher the rest of the way.
2. Bullpen: 2 IP, O Runs, 2 Hits, 2 K, 0 BB.
3. Manny hit his 16th HR of the season.
4. Casey Blake (Double, 2 Singles) reached base 3 times, while Manny (HR, BB), James Loney (2 Singles), and Ronnie Belliard (2 Singles) each reached base twice.
5. Jonathan Broxton was electric again (o Runs, 2 K, 15 pitches - 12 for strikes).
   
6. The Dodgers need to start drawing more walks. Patience is in fact a virtue.
   

Travis Schlichting Heads To The 60-Day DL & Return Of The Kuroda

According to Beto Duran. This, combined with the DFAing of Jamie Hoffmann, opens up the necessary spots on the 40-man roster for Jim Thome and Jon Garland.

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Hiroki Kuroda returned to the mound in his first rehab start after being hit in the head by a line drive. He could re-join the big boys Sunday at home against the Padres.

Notes From Tuesday's Game

1. Great Spectacular catch by Andre Ethier. One of the best I've seen him make.
2. Vicente Padilla was erratic in the 1st, throwing 37 pitches. He lasted 5.1 innings (1 ER, 4 Hits, 5 K, 2 BB, 1 WP, 98 pitches - 68 for strikes). He also singled in a run.
   
3. Bullpen: 3.2 IP, 2 Runs, 4 Hits, 5 K, 3 BB.
4. Matt Kemp hit his 23rd HR and stole his 29th base.
5. Kemp has homered in 4 straight games, and in 5 of the last 6 games.
   
6. Kemp (HR, Single, IBB) reached base 3 times, while Orlando Hudson (Double, Single) and James Loney (2 Singles) each reached base twice.
7. Jim Thome was not available today, but will be tomorrow, barring any unforeseen travel troubles.
8. Jon Garland starts Thursday.
   

Bye Bye Jamie

Jamie Hoffmann has been designated for assignment. This allows Jim Thome to be added to the 40-man roster and be available for tonight's game. One more move will need to be made to allow Jon Garland to be added to the 40-man.


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And yet it won't be Jason Repko.

Joining Repko as September call-ups are Scott Elbert and A.J. Ellis.

Repko should have received the DFA tag, as Hoffmann is younger and has more upside than the perennially-injured Repko. Great job Ned.

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The Dodgers will pay $1 million of Thome's remaining 2009 salary.

Who Gets The Letters DFA By Their Name? (EDIT)

To accommodate the acquisitions of Jim Thome and Jon Garland, two guys need to be designated for assignment from the 40-man roster. This really shouldn't even be an issue.

DFA: Mark Loretta

DFA: Jason Repko

Repko is the 5th OF (6th if Xavier Paul returns), and with the additions of Thome and Ronnie Belliard, Loretta should be let go. Adios gentlemen (please Ned, do the smart/right thing).

Loretta gone would open a spot on the active roster. With his performance tonight, I think it's safe to say James McDonald purchased himself a trip back to AAA to open a spot for Garland. Though I would prefer McD to stay up and Garland to go away.

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DFA: Will Ohman
DFA: Eric Milton

Neither is on the 40-man roster, but both should be long-gone by now.





EDIT: Once Thome and Garland are added to the 40-man roster, there will be no issue in adding them to the active roster. With all the chaos and roster moves in the past few days, I completely forgot that rosters expand today. Lucky lucky Loretta (perhaps?).

Ned Colletti = Two-Face

God I wish I knew how to use photoshop.
Might have come in handy.

First the good Colletti.

• Thome only cost Justin Fuller.
• Cash comes with Thome to pay the rest of his salary
• He gives us a power bat off of the bench, and though he has only played 28 innings of defense in the last 4 years, I imagine he could nab a start or two down the stretch, and if he somehow looks passable, could play there in the postseason if Loney continues to be below average offensively.
• Thome hits for power and walks. Excellent.
• Maybe he can help James regain some power.
• GRADE: A+, even if Thome falls flat on his face.
  

Now, the bad Colletti.

• Garland is not needed. We have plenty of options to fill the spot he'll be given.
• Garland has been slightly above average for his career. We have guys with higher ceilings and similar floors.
  
• Considering all of Garland's contract will be paid off by the D-Backs, including his buy-out after this season, the player to be named later will almost certainly be more than Garland is actually worth. Especially considering Neddy is in charge.
• GRADE: F, an unnecessary move that only serves to limit the growth of young Dodger arms. I'll change the grade to a D if we give up someone of no consequence.